#and it breaks mike's heart bc it did make him feel better but not as good as the truth

[reikunrei]

oh no i have will/mike brainrot today..... uh oh

[will80sbyers]

Ranking some byler moments bc I felt like yapping about them rn:

5) The Rink-o-Mania fight

They both showed that they were paying close attention to the other one, and both knew that there was a problem in their friendship. Mike was dying inside all day long to ask Will why things had changed between them and why Will suddenly stopped reaching out as much as he did even after Will was the one that promised him that it was not possible that he would have left Mike behind...

Mike was so terrified that Will didn't care about him anymore while he spent all the months apart from him feeling sad and like he lost him and feeling crazy because of how much he missed Will...

and Will was feeling so jealous all day long watching him with El and he just wanted to be given attention and appreciation... even just as a best friend, and instead he was feeling like Mike didn't care about him....

but as soon as Mike makes him understand that he was paying attention Will takes the opportunity to ask him why he didn't write to him if he cared, because Will needs reassurance that he's loved too even when he's the first to pull away because he doesn't want to impose his romantic feelings on Mike when he's with his sister still... great Angst™ and I just love their romantic af fights lol

4) when Will makes Mike smile

This very small moment is really sweet to me and we need more moments like this between them, it just shows that they enjoy the company of the other in all aspects from the serious conversations to the rants about random stuff and also when playing around and just having fun and laughing... it's just showing how they are best friends before everything else, they just want to stay side by side because they enjoy the other person completely on all aspects of their personality

3) The crazy together scene

Iconic moment of their relationship, I love when they support each other and in this moment both of them are opening up about their feelings and making a promise to go crazy together... saying that they want to face the future together no matter what others think they are, even if they seem crazy to everyone else they will ALWAYS have the other one that truly understands...

2) Mike's monologue in the shed

SO sweet and honest, the memory of their first meeting is just such an heartwarming memory and it shows the pure love they have and just how deeply Mike feels towards Will, he thinks the best choice he ever made in his life was to ask Will to be in his life because Mike loves him that much, he can't imagine his own existence without Will by his side... Mike's life got better because he met Will.

and Will is just already in love with him and you can see it in his eyes, this is true love that breaks the evil spell on him casted by the dark wizard

1) Will's van speech

I love this moment because I think Will has this deep yearning inside of him about confessing just how deep his own feelings for Mike are and he wants to tell Mike so badly and this is the closest moment to that that I can get for now lmao

plus I love how Mike FINALLY gets told by someone just how amazing of a person he is and sees that he is valuable for all of them as a person, as he is already.

I truly think Mike couldn't avoid falling in love in this moment and he's wishing deep down that Will was the one meaning all of that romantically... even if he doesn't get it and he's confused that's what his heart is making him feel

look at this... he's just falling for Will all at once without even knowing it completely, he has been hit by a truck emotionally

[rynnthefangirl]

My Top 10 Favorite Breaking Bad Universe Characters

1. Howard Hamlin - this one is kinda silly bc he is much less developed than other characters, but I can’t help it. His tragedy hits so hard, it took a character whom I didn’t really care about and made him my absolute #1 fave. Rest in peace Howard you deserved better🥺💔

2. Jimmy McGill/Saul Goodman - Gilligould really took a look at their whacky comic relief lawyer in Breaking Bad, and said “hmm, what if we made him the absolute most complex and fascinating character in our entire fictional universe”. And then they did.🙌

3. Jesse Pinkman - God his story hurts. He had one of the best hearts in the whole show, yet he suffered more than ANY other character. His character goes from loveably silly to absolutely heart shattering. I hope he found some peace in Alaska.❤️

4. Walter White - I just can’t help but love this horrible horrible man. He’s goofy and ridiculous, but also insane and egotistical in the most entertaining way. What a great protagonist, he’s compelling when I am rooting for him and compelling when I am praying for his downfall.

5. Chuck McGill - IMO, the best antagonist in the whole BrBa universe. The Jimmy vs Chuck storyline was TOP TIER, Chicanery was a masterpiece of an episode, Lantern and Winner are just dripping with tragedy and sorrow and what-if's. And it's all because of Chuck. Rip Chuck, you may have been a prick but damn if you didn’t make this show the brilliant piece of television that it was.

6. Kim Wexler - no character gives me more mixed feelings than Kim. I always liked her in the early seasons, then I despised her in s6a, then my heart broke for her in s6b, and now I retroactively have so much more love and sorrow for her earlier self because there was so much good there and she could have been so much better and GOD Kim is such a tragic, amazing, well written character.

7. Skyler White - oh my god, my poor wife. You deserved so much better than what the audience gave you all those years. You were a queen, and so right about everything, and I am so sorry I didn’t see it before but now I will defend you until my dying day❤️❤️❤️

8. Lalo Salamanca - he’s just so insane and silly and entertaining. He steals every scene he’s in, and in my opinion added some desperately needed charm and charisma to the cartel side of the show. Legit was rooting for him against Gus, even though he killed my boy Howie and I knew he was doomed to fail.

8. Nacho Varga - Like Jesse, he went through so much despite having one of the most decent hearts on the show, and it all culminated in such a tragic yet powerful death scene. And I love love love the idea of the curse of Nacho Varga dooming Gus, the Salamancas, and the Cartel for their sins. His ghost looms over Breaking Bad, and makes both shows much richer as a result.

9. Cheryl Hamlin - she fascinates me, we see very little of her and yet I loved her scenes and want to know more. I'll also not tolerate Cheryl slander, we don't know what was going on in her and Howard’s marriage, and in the end she stood up for him when nobody else did.

10. Mike Ehrmantraut - to be honest, I'm not the biggest Mike fan. Not because there is anything wrong with his character per se, but I find it a bit annoying how the fandom idolizes him as a loveable grandpa/moral criminal when he actually is kind of horrible and not all that different from Walter. That being said, I do love what they were going for in BCS, showing his slow corruption as he keeps going back into the world of crime to avoid dealing with his grief for his son's death, culminating in that amazing scene where the show calls him on his hypocrisy and Manual Varga tells him 'you gangsters and your justice, you are all the same'. I just wish it was explored more explicitly in the narrative and fandom the way that Walt and Jimmy's moral corruptions are.

[findafight]

I absolutely love your takes on stancy/jancy . It would all be so much better if the show would acknowledge Nancy's fault in the stancy breakup and how it affects her current one. Because Jonathan was kinda aware they were cheating, he was the one who brought up Steve twice (and she never told them they broke up (bc they didn't lol)), right before he slept with Nancy. He would totally be scared of her cheating again, given how easily she moved on from a one year relationship. I mean, it was kinda implied he was worried about Steve being there at the end on vol2. But idk if the show will carry it into s5. I literally don't see the Duffers letting Nancy admit to her faults in her relationship with Steve. That's why if stancy happens, it will be not very great, like the payoff won't be there. Steve grew, Nancy didn't, and so it's once again more one-sided, and tbh those two deserve better. Steve deserves someone who is fully committed to him, and Nancy deserves to grow as a person before getting into a relationship (if jancy does break up). I would love to see jancy struggling with all the tension that is there from the beginning. Like the way they got together, the fights about finances, the misunderstandings about problems, the college question plus on top of Jonathan feeling insecure about Steve being around. Like how does this saying go you lose them how you get them. And Nancy was totally projecting on being scared that Jonathan would cheat or find a new person because that's what she did in the past. I agree that her flirting with Steve is like a precaution because she doesn't want to be alone. Again, she deserves to be alone to learn to be okay with it.

I know kinda different topic, but it's kinda weird how many bler people love to make jancy the blueprint for their ship. Like do you seriously want Mike to emotionally cheat on El? Do you want your ship to become canon on the basis of cheating and ruining the relationship between Mike and El, and Will and El? Like jancy isn't this cute ship that has a wholesome start like if you think about it, their treatment of Steve was kinda cruel. He never got closure from Nancy and then was alone, do they want the same for El? Because the amount of takes about Mike never loving El, despite it being there in the show actually breaks my heart for El because can you imagine how cruel that is?

thanks hahah, yeah i totally agree. and yes on the road and then at Murray's Jonathan is the one to bring up Steve, clearly aware of his relationship with Nancy, because he doesn't go "steve. but they just broke up" and neither does Nancy.She just says that yes, she likes steve, and then sorta tries to defend herself against Murray saying she doesn't love him. He brings up Steve in the motel when Nancy asks what happened, why he disappeared after everything, and he says his family needed him...and also steve. Which is when Nancy tells him she waited. I...don't know how this can be interpreted as anything but Nancy going back to Steve because she got impatient for Jonathan to make a move, while still holding feelings for Jonathan.

(sorry there's a lot going on in this ask and I'm adding a readmore. it got kinda long hehe i love talking.)

Their relationship starting this way, with Jon at least subconsciously aware that Nancy had proceeded to have an eleven month long relationship with Steve while she still had feelings for him, only to jump in with him as soon as he actually did make a move, would likely stick with him, and lead to insecurities and mistrust. Because he isn't in Hawkins, he isn't around her all the time, so how does he know she isn't falling in love with someone else but staying with him because that guy won't make a move? or how does he know the guy hasn't made a move, and Nancy is avoiding talking to Jonathan because of that? It's not like she really took initiative in breaking up with Steve at the Byers' house. That's such an interesting thing to compound their communication issues!! Makes them messy and juicy alongside their financial differences and sexism and misunderstandings. Jonathan's tendency to be a bit of a doormat for people he cares about, and Nancy's way of kinda...avoiding saying sorry.

Jonathan's jokey line about "who would be in charge if Nancy weren't there...steve?" In my opinion does two things. One establishes that Nancy and Jonathan make fun of Steve behind his back, (which I'll say is normal to do for exes, but maybe a bit unkind about a guy who's saved their lives multiple times?) and two it also shows a hint of insecurity for Jonathan, especially with how he reacts to Nancy saying Steve's grown up. That's fascinating. That's a much more interesting way to have conflict in a relationship that isn't "he won't tell her he doesn't want to go to the same school :(" but you're right it's doubtful the show will carry it over because. I mean. It hasn't carried over any other relationship strife for the older teens before.

yeah. If they don't let them have actual problems in their relationships, or acknowledge the problems in the relationships, than whatever ship will fall flat (and boring!). I agree that it is much better for Steve and Nancy (and Jonathan) to end the series single. Jon will need time with his family to work through everything that's happened and to heal, and Nancy clearly prefers when she is a romantic partner's first priority. I'd love to see more of jonathan with an actual friend (argyle) and outside his family/romantic partner's life. He deserves to branch out too, while also still valuing and caring and supporting his family. Steve has shown a lot of growth, and him ending single going off to the city with Robin to live their best queer lives would be delightful to see with him no longer focusing so much on romance as he is on building and maintaining the bonds he's created during all that growing he's done.

Nancy needs time to find herself outside of a romantic relationship, which she has been in non-stop one way or another since s1, and it really doesn't seem to ever help her change or grow. While one can argue Jonathan complimented her as a partner more, they haven't been good for each other since mid s3 and we haven't seen them actually resolve their arguments or problems, the Upside Down has gotten in the way. Same for Steve and Nancy, the problems they had haven't been worked out, so them getting back together would feel hollow and unsatisfying. I doubt they'd actually touch on them, but even if they did I don't really think there's time to work through the end of a relationship and the start of a new one (for stancy) or just resolve most of the issues to have solid equal partnership (for jancy) given they aren't mains and that there's an apocalypses they'll be trying to stop, and every other character with stuff going on.

askhjdfkjahsdf yeah I really do think some of the more extreme parts of blr fandom are just. so mean to El for no reason other than she's in the way of their ship being canon. a lot of stuff saying that mike has always been in love with will, or that El doesn't actually love Mike (romantically, but then like. even so she's still close and cares about him and he's been hurting her feelings!), and to try to compare it to the start of Jancy is also not it because unlike Steve and Jonathan, Will and El and incredibly close. It's one thing to help some guy you don't like's girlfriend (who you're in love with) cheat on him. It's another to help your sister's boyfriend cheat on her. (or get together with him VERY shortly after the breakup that it's pretty clear there was emotional cheating happening) Both are shitty but one emotionally devastates and betrays in a way that's just. so cruel? To El??

And some act like Mike doesn't love her, when he does! even if people think they were young and got deep platonic feelings mixed up with romantic ones, they love each other. That's basically Mike's main character trait is that he loves his friends so so so much he loves them enough to believe in an alternate dimension and to jump off a cliff and to radio every day for nearly a year. Mike and El love each other, and while it's messy, and complicated in s4, saying they don't love or care about each other, and that the other would not be a considered in decisions they make, is just. Well it isn't what I saw. Whether or not that love is romantic does not actually matter in the fact that the love is there and it is deep and it is also a messy thing for them!

To start the blr relationship similarly to Nancy and Jonathan would destroy whatever connections Mike and Will have to El, (at least if they told her, which for jancy is questionable tbh) and to me that's 1) not in any of their characters 2) extremely cruel and hurtful and not the way I would want my ship to go canon and 3) to claim other wise is falling into the trap that romo relationships take precedence over platonic or familial ones. As though Will would jeopardize his relationship with El?

[winderlylandchime]

2/2 ‘BEN YOU SUCK! You suck so bad! Fuck you! Mike deserves better! What a piece of shit. Mike, dump him! Dump him hard!’ the Linds/Sam scene is up ‘WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK IS GOING ON IN THIS FUCKING GALLERY?! WHAT THE HELL IS THIS SHIT?! WHAT IN THE HOLY FUCK IS HAPPENING?! LINDSAY?! WHAT THE FUCK?! *looks at me* just so we’re clear. It’s not that shes fucking cheating with a dude…it’s just..WHY HIM?! Whats wrong with the blondie’s in this show? First Justin with that dude, now her with this pig. MAKE IT STOP MAKE IT STOP MAKE IT STOOOOOOOOOOP’ and we are back to Ben and his student ‘oh are you gonna cheat too?! What is going on over here?! BEN STOP KISSING HIM! (The guy reveals that he wants to be infected) WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON IN THIS SHOW?! WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS SHIT?? WHAT IS HAPPENING? WHAT THE FUCK? MAKE ALL OF THIS STOP!’ And we are finally back to Britin ‘look at Blondie making boner tea! *gasps and points to the tv* HE DRANK IT?! He actually drank it. I thought he’d get offended and angry and throw it. MY BABY IS GROWING UP AND CHANGING! Justin..i dont think it works that fast. (brian tells justin whats bothering him) wait. He’s actually sharing? His problems? He’s talking? With words? Not to sound like a broken record but MY BABY IS GROWING UP!’ And we are officially at the Deb/Joan scene ‘she’s praying for Brian. Oh that’s sweet. HE DOES HAVE THE BIGGEST HEART *he is once again tearing up* (joan pops up) what the fuck are you doing here bitch?! (Joan says at least we have our children) the fuck you do. You don’t have SHIT! NO DEBBIE DO NOT TELL HER! SHE DOESNT DESERVE TO KNOW. Fuck her.’ ‘I missed Emmett and Ted being best friends! This is so nice to see again! I missed them! Dont leave me ever again!’ ‘I swear every attempt they make to try and get Ben less boring, it fails. Because what kind of fuck shit storyline is this?!’ And Joan popped up on the screen ‘for fucks sake! What is she doing here? Brian, you shouldve kicked her out. HA she likes the name, brian pleaseeeeee tell her your boyfriend came up with it! PLEASE! Of course he’s not gonna let me have this (Brian says the maybe bc she loved him line) EXACTLY! And she loves you too. (Joan says she loves brian at that exact moment) not you, you bitch. You dont know love. Fuck you. Brian kick her out. DEBBIE TOLD?! THAT WAS NOT HERS TO TELL! WHAT THE FUCK DEBBIE! God’s plan? What the fuck is she saying? Shes saying that he has cancer because he’s gay? *looks at me* can i throw something at her? Please? If i break the tv, ill buy you a new one (the answer was obviously no to which he groaned like a child) FUCK YOU YOU FUCKING BITCH! (Joan says he can still change) he already has! He’s grown so much! BRIAN KICK HER OUT PLEASE! (Brian says he wants to be hard) *starts laughing like an idiot* tell her about the boner tea! Justin would’ve told her, that little shit. (Brian tells that one day in heaven line) poor baby. I want to hug him. Debbie, i wanna fight you so bad! Twice you did this to him! TWICE! What the fuck! Let kids ignore their shitty abusive parents if they want to! (brian realizes that he has a boner) look at god being an *makes fist* ally’ We are at the scene where Drew kisses Emmett and he just gasped and stared with his mouth opened. And back to Britin! ‘Is he looking for Blondie? Of course he is! LOOK AT THEM CELEBRATING A BONER!’ ‘Wait. Ben wrote a new book? Poor mike. Imagine reading your man basically cheated on you and then he gives it to you for an opinion’ unfortunately he only watched these two episodes because he had PT afterwards and then when we came back he was exhausted and went to lay down but let me tell you what also happened..

What is wrong with the blondies on this show? Indeed. They cheat with the worst men. Ever.

AND YES WHY THE FUCK DOES DEBBIE TELL JOAN? Stay the fuck out of Brian’s relationship with his parents.

HE HAS GROWN SO MUCH. Your brother really sees it. Sometimes I feel like I’m in this fandom echo chamber where we each recite the evidence that Brian changes because we want him to grow and change (for his own happiness, no one can tell me he was perfectly happy in the pilot) (and for the ship) but then that seemingly all disappears in S5 so I start to gaslight myself. A complete stranger seeing the series and seeing the changes is so validating. So thank you siblings Anon.

“look at god being an *makes fist* ally” Yes she is!

Look at them celebrating a boner!

[quintenrosenburgwrites]

EEE IT WAS GREAT!!! I LOVED READING IT!!! I CANT WAIT TO MEET THE REST OF THE FAZBEAR GANG AND LEARN MORE ABOUT OLI!! IM SO INTRIGUED!

Questions and thoughts I had while reading!:

Do all humans have magic? Or is it just Oliver? Or I know Vanessa changed the badge back but was that a mechanism in the badge itself?

How long was Oliver following crypteds for before he joined fazbear?

NOOOO POOR CHICA 😭. GOOD ON OLIVER FOR AT LEASE GIVING HER A LITTLE BREAK.

Oof. Oli’s speed running getting fired the way they talk back. Maybe subtlety is what’s needed here?

Oooo hopefully Henery called Vanny back in to fire those scientists >:( at least Chica wasn’t re restrained? progress???

:O URPLE GUY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BIGGER GASP. HELPY!!!!!

Oooo Potential menacing wall of helpys. There is no end, submit to the help /silly

FRICK UEAH VANNEY GOT SUSPENDED

An apology? From Henery?? Doubt >:|

Hehehe Oliver’s getting so much walking done today. Five bucks says they get lost again

Booo urple guy ruined my bet. He’s the janitor? Does. …does he work the Night Shift?

HAHAHAHAHA MICKEY D’S IS A GREAT NICKNAME. PFFTT MIKE WAZOWSKI

BWAHAHAHA OLIVERS NICKNAMING SKILLS ARW MY FAVORITE. HANKLES XDDDD

Huh hankles actually feels bad? Guess it’s a good thing Oli joined! otherwise he wouldn’t have known!

Oli. Oliver no don’t Talk to your boss like that /concern. Hehehe the person they hit with paper turns out to be William /silly

EGGS BENEDICT

Yay Chica gets food!!!

:DDD I'm glad you liked it! I'll try and answer all of your questions! (Also responding to the reactions bc those are incredibly fun to read LOL)

It's not just Oliver, but it's not all humans either! It'll be expanded on a bit further in the next chapter

They were following cryptids around from 16 to 19, up until they found out about Fazbear Containment. They didn't really have anything better to do, and even if it was only 3 years they learnt a lot!

Yeahhh it's gonna take a while for all of them to be treated right. Oliver's probably gonna end up being like. the moral council or something LMAO

They um. Impulse control is not their specialty SDJFSDKLJFKL if they think something and it gets past the singular filter they have (which is EXCLUSIVELY for moral stuff) they're saying it and dealing with the consequences later

The only thing I will say about this is Vanny is definitely gonna be playing a bigger role later but not the one you might expect, same thing with Henry :)

urple :DDD also I PROMISE he isn't william i wanted to make a storyline that follows a different villain bc. also do not remember the reasoning for this but I do wanna clarify William Afton will not be showing up (at least in person) unless i change my mind later! Normally I don't like spoiling that kinda stuff but I don't wanna accidentally make anything misleading :D

Helpy is so underrated I needed to include him in this

If an AI uprising ever happens, you'll know who it REALLY is /j

>:DDDDDDD

(Using this space to apologize in advance if Henry is ooc, I dont remember shit about him aside from like the basics of what he did, so im kinda just making it up as I go LMAO)

They cancelled their gym membership cause they're already getting all the exercise they need while trying to navigate their new job /j

:) yet another situation where he will play a big role but probably not the one you'd expect!

coming up with those was the most fun part of writing this LMAO

I was having such a hard time with Henry's nicknames. like. i almost had Oliver call him Henjamin franklin.

Hankles becoming increasingly horrified at the conditions the cryptids are living in:

Oliver would've definitely already been fired if they hadn't been put in this job as a way for the government to try and contain them (half joking here. uh. also will be expanded upon later) and the person hit with the paper will always be William in my heart /silly

My thought process: "Hmmmm... What do I name this random scientist? He needs a name, obviously. Even though he will probably never be mentioned again. What name can i use that will be a funny reference.......... oh my god im a genius" /hj

Oliver teaching themself how to cook so they can bring her a five course meal as an apology for all the shit she's had to deal with the past several weeks:

[bylertruther]

what do you think about "my life started that day we found you in the woods"

lets start with my knee-jerk reaction, which is

but then when i finally let the all-consuming mama bear spartan rage flow through and out of me, i remember that they had no idea what was wrong with el or how to help her as she seemingly choked to death right in front of them.

they'd dealt with something similar once when will was possessed, though, and will remembers that it was mike and his family professing their love for him that gave him the strength to fight back. so, naturally, he urges mike to do the same now, because he thinks it would mean more if it came from him. he's the heart after all.

we know based off of mike's own dialogue in scenes from other seasons that he doesn't believe in love at first sight. he even repeats as much in the van scene before they pick her up. he says that lie, along with everything else, because he thinks it's what she wants and needs to hear. he's not thinking about anyone or anything else in that moment, he's just locked in on saving her life right now by any means necessary. if will, the person he trusts most in the world and who told him it was him that saved him, tells him this is a time for monologues just like last time, then that's what he's going to do. mike doesn't actually think their love is like that of fairy tales or comic books, but he knows that she wishes it could be and that she'd been previously begging him to say i love you and according to will apparently needs him, so he just does what he can to help her now. because he doesn't want her to die! and he doesn't know what else he could possibly do! (the true love confession worked in s2 but did not work in s4 bc it wasn't true and it wasn't true love <3)

mike's confession is a knock-off of the one he gave will in the shed and will's van confession. "my life started that day we met you in the woods" / "do you remember the first day that we met? [..] it was the best thing i've ever done." like... c'mon, mike, lmao. he highlights her differences and puts her on a pedestal for them, because will's confession ("you make her feel like she's better for being different") led him to believe that that's what she wants and what gives her strength, but it isn't. it's literally the complete opposite and this season spent 39480938094830 years showing us in 9834309840930 ways just how much she hates that shit. instead, the person that gave her strength was the one person that looked at her, saw a girl, and treated her like one. aka, max. it's only when mike she looks over at her and mike stops lying that she wills the vines away.

so yeah. i could go on but the tl;dr is that will's heart-shattering, kicked puppy dog face makes me want to kill myself fifty times over and bite michael like a squeaky toy, BUT. then i remember the context and i'm like oh yeah no. that tracks. makes sense that he'd say that. he's breaking his code to save her life, which is like.. really fucking serious lol. he repeatedly and firmly did not want to lie to her about this and refused to even when pressed, but he'll do it if it means saving her life and the alternative is her dying and the world dying too. he's also working off of a big lie told to him by the one person that he trusts more than anyone in the entire world, including himself, that's the complete opposite of how eleven actually feels. so, like. literally what else is he supposed to do. he got in trouble for plagiarizing an essay in s2 and here he is doing it again smh old habits die hard i guess regurgitating and trying to imitate intimate moments of his and will's for eleven just like he did in s3 when he tried and failed to tell her he was acting like that bc he was going crazy in "love" lmao 🙄

[eddiebun]

softie

pairing ; eddie munson x fem!reader ♡

summary ; you’ve been neglecting the person who’s been longing for you most..

genre/warning ; just a short angsty, fluffy piece

fairy note ; i hope someone can enjoy this bc this is a super rushed lil piece aha ha,,

you were a dreamer, the glass half full kinda person, always high-spirited, and vibrant and you carried a bounce in every step.

so when you sat down with a glimmer in your eye and a beaming grin on your face to announce some big news— you were high-hoped, expecting reciprocated excitement but most of all, approval from your best friend, eddie munson.

“what’s got you so cheery?” mike spoke up, sipping on the orange juice box he had stuffed in his bag before school.

“maybe eddie finally told her.” dustin nudged mike and you leaned in, eyes narrowing in confusion, temporarily diverting from your original plan, upon hearing eddie had something to tell you, which he had not yet done.

“told me what?” you interrogated the boy and he grimaced, eyes darting back and forth between you, and the scraggly long-haired boy he bought up in conversation, cursing under his breath before continuing.

“he wanted to keep it a surprise so don’t tell him we said anything or he’ll kick our ass!” henderson whispers harshly and you nod, once again peering back at eddie briefly.

mike rolled his eyes at his friend's evident secrecy, not very stealthy, “he’s planning that dnd campaign you’ve been writing about, y’know that whole book you had with the art? the town it’s set in, the spells, races, and monsters— yeah well, he’s basically been studying it for the next campaign on friday.”

your eyes lit up in pure delight, “really?!” you gasped, clutching your hands near your heart and kicking your feet under the table.

it was always a plus to your friends that you were so approachable and open-minded, you let yourself be influenced by their interests so you could find the fun and joy in it, with them, but when eddie met you that's one he loved most out of so many of your qualities. you didn't criticize him, make snide jokes at his expense and to him, that was so new, so refreshing. everything that would excite him, would excite you just as much, you loved participating, adapting, listening, and being enthusiastic about what eddie loved, it bought you much more joy rather than any interest you had yourself.

so when you had finished your first campaign with eddie and his friends you had been jumping up and down eager for the next one and then the next one, one after the other every single time, even if it took a while for eddie to set them up.

you had gotten hit with a wave of inspiration that translated into pouring into your little notebook, a whole new dnd world. pages upon pages of written up homebrew lore and doodles to go along with everything, it wasn’t so serious to you at first, just a thing you did in your spare time but when eddie caught sight of it he asked you a million questions, insisting that it wasn’t stupid— like you had thought and he even told you he’d be able to incorporate some, if not all, of your written up ideas into a campaign or two one day and you were beyond overjoyed, you didn’t even know he could do that! it honestly only made you fall a little harder for the brown haired boy but you always pushed those feelings aside.

you glanced back at eddie upon hearing the news, wanting to stride over to him at the top of the table and crush him in a suffocating hug, but you couldn’t, this was a surprise he was planning for you.

the whole town treated eddie as if he was less than dirt under their shoes, they knew nothing about him, wouldn't even greet him with a kind glance, let alone begin to understand him. they all held so much judgment and animosity with no valid reasoning and it would break your heart— eddie, in a sad but better-then-dwelling way, just brushed it off, mumbling to you it's fine every time someone would utter freak under their breath or gesture mockingly to him. it wasn't fine, it never was, it was cruel and unfair and if it wouldn't make it worse on eddie's behalf, you would've said something, confronted them all one by one but maybe you were a bit of a coward.. an appeaser.

“what’s so funny over there henderson?” eddie called out, watching the kid's eyes go wide before he shook his head, going quiet, not wanting to get caught upon revealing the sweet plans eddie had with you in mind.

you cleared your throat, an opportune time to intervene, “i have something to share with everyone.” your voice wavered a little, everyone’s eyes now on you.

“well.. you all know chris? i'm thinking about maybe making it serious with him.” you announced with a taut laugh, rubbing your palms on your thighs, the silence making them clammy.

“like basketball chris? friends-with-mega-asshole-jason kinda chris?” gareth asked, wide-eyed and the sandwich he was eating, forgotten about on the table.

“yeah! but he’s not like jason! h-he’s really nice!” you told them, hands coming up like you were already trying to defend yourself, glancing eddie’s way but he was hard to read, just staring down at the bag of nuts he was snacking on.

“wait y/n, we didn’t think you were actually serious about that guy, like yeah maybe he’s a prom date or whatever but date, date?” dustin spoke up, leaning back in his chair and looking at you in disbelief, eyes boring into you like it would help convince you.

“huh? he’s not an asshole.” your shoulders slumped, a pang in your heart at everyone's instant gloomy response.

"yeah, i'm sure he's not like that, that you can totally fix him." mike cooed sarcastically and you scowled at the boy.

"wow, i wish i never said anything, sorry, was just an idea.." your arms crossed over your chest, breathing picking up in frustration.

you heard a chair screech across the floor on the other side of the table, wincing at the sound as you watched eddie walking out of the cafeteria, metal lunchbox under his arm, and snacks forgotten about on the table.

you sighed, leaning your head back, feeling dejected and foolish for bringing chris up when clearly everyone but you knew that he was a touchy subject.

it was wednesday now, two days since you had sat down at the table, found out about that surprise, told everyone about you and chris and two days since eddie hadn't spoken to you.

it was apparent that he was ignoring you, eddie would never avoid you like he had been, he always made time for you and would drop everything for you.

you didn't even go directly home that day, you went straight to eddie's trailer and despite not seeing eddie's van you still knocked on the front door, being greeted by his uncle and of course, being told eddie hadn't come home yet.

wayne even let you inside and you waited around for eddie for an hour or so, wayne even noticed you looked a little distressed and offered to tell eddie you had stopped by and to reach out, so eventually, you went on your way.

and even now you were still feeling troubled, chris in the driver's seat beside you as he took you home after your third date together. this was supposed to be a good night and it was, the date was sweet but you couldn't help but feel bummed out all night but on the brighter side chris hadn't picked up on it and maybe you were just convincing yourself that chris didn't need to hear any of your worries or perhaps you were a little cautious bringing up your friends in front of him.

it was true, you had never picked up on chris being anything as bad or radical as jason, the bigoted, arrogant dipstick that terrorized anyone abnormal.

sure.. he was friends with the guy but, you've had questionable friends before, okay maybe not, you did cut those friends off once you found out how awful they are. but you were trying to give him the benefit of the doubt, jason didn't have to ruin everything for everyone else.

"thanks, chris." you gave him a brief smile once you saw him pull up outside your place, leaning in to place a peck on his cheek, squeezing his hand, and promising to see him again tomorrow.

"who's that?" you felt chris leaning away, ducking his head and squinting to try to make out the figure leaning beside your door.

you followed his line of sight, instantly recognizing eddie and laughing in disbelief and a little bit of panic, "o-oh, that's my friend, i don't know what he's doing—"

"listen i know you can choose whoever you wanna be friends with, but don't you hang out with way too many guys? and he's just waiting around outside your place? isn't that one guy some drug dealer too ?" chris looked ahead at you and you blinked at him, void of any expression, "i'm just looking out for you y/n."

"don't.. don't say that." you scoffed, mouth hanging open before you pushed open the passenger door and walked towards eddie, hearing chris's footsteps behind you.

"eddie munson." chris spoke up first, before letting you even say anything.

you saw eddie's head snap in the direction of you both and you felt your heart twinge, his big puppy eyes looking between you both knowingly as he already turned on his feet to leave.

"see, told you these guys are up to no good, he's already running off like he got caught." chris scoffed, a stupid smug smile on his face.

you felt like you couldn't move in the moment, stiff and horrified.

you blinked and eddie was already pulling out the driveway, breathing in and out slowly, you turned around, "i never want to see you ever again." you muttered under your breath, trembling.

“y/n wha—“

“leave! right now!” you screeched, shoving him back with a firm shove, “you don’t get to talk about my friends like that, i don’t want anything to do with you.” you grimaced, looking him up and down before walking away in the direction of the side walk, fists balled up in frustration.

“you deserve whatever you get coming your way, you’re just like them, freak!” chris yelled bitterly, window rolled down as he zoomed past you.

you didn’t care how many i-told-you-so’s you’d have to endure upon the result of this, all you cared about was getting to eddie.

you were breathless and cold by the time you had gotten to his trailer on foot but regardless, you were there and eddie was too, you noticed his van parked on the grass.

“eddie!” you whispered out harshly, knocking on his window since you didn’t want to disturb wayne this time.

“eddie please, open the window, i gotta talk to you.” you got on your tip toes, peering through, jumping in shock when you saw it whip open and eddie standing there.

“i don’t feel like talking anymore, i’ll take you home but you can’t be here right now.” he shook his head, going to walk away but you called out for him again.

“hey, i’m sorry, p-please just let me in, it’s freezing fucking cold eddie.” you whined.

“yeah it is cold, i know.” he scoffed, watching you push yourself inside, he still helped you get safely on your feet, despite how upset he was.

“hey, i didn’t know you were back there waiting for me.. i’m sorry and about chris i’m—“ eddie cut you off, letting out a groan.

“don’t bother.” eddie forced out a laugh, sitting at the edge of his bed and twiddling rolling papers between his fingers, “i’m just some good for nothing drug dealer.” he nodded condescendingly, you went to speak up but eddie continued, “so really y/n you don’t have to bother anymore, i’m kinda done with all this.” he shrugged nonchalantly.

you were speechless, staring at the back of his head and squeezing onto your arm to comfort yourself, “you don’t mean that.” you shook your head, “a-and i don’t agree with him! i never would, i swear eddie, if i agreed i wouldn’t be here!” you breathed out, desperate.

“oh please, you just pity me— i mean c’mon..” he glanced back at you, throwing his hands up in defeat, “don’t pretend you’re not happy seeing me like this.”

you frowned in displeasure, shaking your head rapidly, “you know i’m not like that. the last thing i want to do is u-upset you eddie.” you felt your bottom lip quivering, tears threatening to spill.

“maybe that’s true but i find it hard to believe.” he sighed, breathing out the smoke he just inhaled and you noticed his hands trembling.

“no, eddie, listen to me.” you insisted, kneeling down in front of him and taking a hold of his free hand in yours, looking up at him with big eyes.

“i would never purposefully do that and i’m so sorry i let you down i-i let someone i vouched for talk to you like that..” you bite down on your bottom lip, trying not to get worked up. “i should’ve listened, to the others about what they said but i was stubborn.. i-i was hopeful, liked his affection, it didn’t have to be him but it happened to be and i took it like an idiot.” you shook your head.

“i’m sorry, that’s not the point but, eddie.. believe me, i’ll never let that happen again.” you squeezed his hand, holding his gaze.

“you really like him?” eddie tilted his head up a little, eyes darting away from you.

“i did.. i was starting to,” you admitted, “but it’s true, he’s like the others.” you mumbled, looking down and squeezing your eyes together, wanting the ground to swallow you hole.

how could you be so stupid, letting this happen, expecting everything to be dandy. it was ridiculous.

“i’m just.. i’m not as upset at you for falling for him, i’m not.” he shook his head, “i think i’m upset at myself more than anything.” he spoke quietly, you could barely hear him.

you frowned, not understanding but you didn’t force anything out at him, just comfortingly giving his hand a squeeze.

“because.. i like— i mean, ugh!” eddie groaned, rubbing his fingers to his temples and tapping his feet anxiously against the floorboards of the trailer, “i’ve like fallen really hard for you.” he admitted, eyes squeezed shut and hand covering his face.

your mouth gaped open and it was silent for a what felt like forever but was probably just a few seconds before eddie spoke up again, peeking out from the gaps in his fingers, “i don’t wanna take it out on you, like it’s your fault because it’s not, and really y/n, i don’t want your pity, whether guys you’re into insult me or not. just kinda hurts,” he breathed out, hands moving into his lap as he fiddled with the rings on his fingers, “so, if you let me be selfish we can forget this happened, go back to normal or i can forget about what chris said, you can go back to him, stop wasting time here.” he shrugged.

you couldn’t believe what he was even suggesting of you right now, “eddie, stop, stop doing that.” you frowned, “i don’t wanna go anywhere. i’m staying right here.” you insisted, taking a deep breath.

“i’ve thought about us too..” you admitted, laughing nervously and staring down at the floor, “before i ever even met chris or anything.” you shrugged, “i just.. you always talk about leaving hawkins behind and, i thought that meant you’d leave me behind too so i tried to just suppress that kinda feeling you know?” you winced at your words, feeling like your heart was beating out of your chest.

“sorry, it sounds stupid.” you shook your head, breathing out shakily and glancing up at him.

“no, it’s not stupid, what i said was stupid, making you think i’d leave you behind, i’d never be able to do that unless you forced me to.” he laughed out before pursing his lips together, eyes shyly hovering over your face, “you really used to like me though or you’re just saying that?”

“used to?” you widened your eyes before scratching behind your head shyly, “i mean.. i never really stopped thinking about the what ifs so i don’t think it’s ever been a used to..” you were nervous, being so open with him but it was a relief in a way, “so i think.. i still feel that kinda way.” you bit on the inside of your lip.

eddie’s was in disbelief, but he believed you, he didn’t have zero doubts or worries, but he could feel you were being genuine, and eddie always went with his heart, he was just a big softie at the end of the day, “so i like you, and you.. like me as well?” he asked quietly, pursing his lips together to stop the big dumb smile that was threatening to overtake his features.

“it seems like that.” you laughed, looking up at him and reaching out to take his hand, “d’you wanna hug a little?” you asked quietly, blinking up at him with the cutest expression he had ever seen.

“yes, i’d like that.” he whispered, almost inaudible but it didn’t matter, feeling him tug you up into his hold, arms snug around your waist as you laid on top of him, giggling and arms wrapping around his shoulders.

“does this mean i can take you on a date?” he asked, mumbling with his face against your shoulder and you nodded,

“mhm, you can take me on so many dates eddie munson, all the dates in the world.” you grinned from ear to ear, basking in his comfortingly warmth.

you fluttered your eyes open once you felt eddie tilting your chin up, seeing his face leaning up underneath you and you squeezed onto him reassuringly, leaning in to press your lips to his.

the way both your mouths meshed together, even if it was a little clumsy at first, sharing giggles��� it felt so long overdue and natural to you both, letting yourselves run out of breath, feeling the way eddie kept his head leaned up and kissed over your every feature.

“you’re so pretty, i wanna make you my girl.” he spoke out, cheeks tinted pink and you could’ve leaned in to kiss him more for hours on end.

“then i guess i’m eddie munson’s girl, sounds pretty nice to me.” you winked, pressing a kiss to his forehead.

“oh! does this mean i’m re-invited to the campaign on friday? since you’re not being grumpy and ignoring me anymore?” you teased at which eddie playfully rolled his eyes.

“you were never uninvited, it’s for you anyway.” he shrugged, fingers dragging up and down soothingly on your arm.

“i know..” you smirked, mischievous giggle at the tip of your turn as you watched eddie’s bottom lip jut out.

“what ho— oh those little shits! they told you didn’t they?!” eddie sat up a little with you, mouth agape.

“hey! it’s fine, doesn’t ruin it for me, i love it, thank you.” you cupped his face, watching him shyly glance away, big twinkly eyes crinkling into a smile.

“well, i’m still mad at them.” he huffed, rolling his eyes and pretending to be tough, but it only made him look a hundred times cuter.

“mhm, my big scary softie!” you cooed,

"you're nghm—" you squished his cheeks together, hearing him grumble in protest before tugging your hands away from his face, "i said you're gonna be the death of me." he chuckled, kissing each of your fingers, "but i think i'm okay with that." he sighed out contently.

you've never felt everything so in place, right where you've always meant to be.

[elekinetic]

Quick! Tag your top favorite byler blogs (as many as you want) and tell my why you love them in one line to spread positivity on the dashboard and make someone's day!

FINALLY! THE TIME HAS COME!

this is in no particular order

first up. my wheelies. my ride or dies. call it traumabonding or whatever u want but these mfs know secrets of mine they better take to the grave

@hawkinsp0st, my first real friend on here. currently on hiatus but truly a kindred spirit. single-handedly changed the way i looked at the show with their hellfire color post. u simply get me and i miss ur brain!!

@ratt-duffer deserves so much more credit than you all give them. he just gets this show so well and has such well written analyses, but more than that, is just a fun fuckin person to exist around.

@willsglock my sister in glock. what can i say. she has permanently altered the way i think about brba and bcs. refreshingly honest in a way i wish more people were. occasionally breaks hearts w her writing.

@crazycoven no. 1 weezer stan in my heart ❤️ jk but fr hayden is such a cool person with some of the best themes and best takes on this site. very glad to know him

@tntozier deserves financial compensation for what theyve given to this tag. one of the brightest souls on here. everything he posts is a gift and u all should be so lucky 🤨 thank u for screaming abt st puzzle games and convincing me to download. i blame you for my crippling addiction.

ok onto some of my other favorite geniuses on here <3

@quinnick his energy??? immaculate. thank u for putting reddie content on my dash. u are so sweet and are the only valid ask hoarder. yes ofc i will send you more asks!! you deserve it!! even if you won’t stop making ur mom jokes.

@madcleradin just fucking gets it. she has never made a single post i did not wholeheartedly agree with. her understanding of the characters and the dynamics….phenomenal. also genuinely hilarious. very grateful to be mutuals w one sierra loveqbrl madcleradin

@mlchaelwheeler is a certified genius and is single-handedly responsible for getting me to restart succession. we don’t chat very often but when we do it is so much fun. she always puts such good posts i’ve never seen before on my dash and her analyses are genius. sarah’s blog is a gift to this site!!!

@chiquitablanquita changed my life with her poetry fic. i just. wow. wow. oh my god. yeah basically yeah. oh my god. i am in awe of you for the work u do outside of fandom and for the absolute insane talent u so gracefully share with us.

@eightieslesbian is The Gif Maker on here. her visions…holy shit. yes her gifs of my demos and the bitch meredith brooks gifset haunt my dreams bc she is the sweetest person on here and the fact that she DOWNLOADED MY MUSIC?? hello my heart is broken in two. but can we talk about HER original stuff?? HELLO?? she is so insanely talented and her vision is just….omg. OMG.

@elmaxed lumi and i don’t chat all that much but her brain is just so correct always and forever. her writing is wonderful and her energy is stellar. always happy to see her on my dash.

@wibble-wobbegong is such a fun blog to follow. he’s just such a cool dude and has such a nuanced understanding of mike. plus a great signature blog theme. dude has a BRAND, mad respect

@astrobei i cannot believe we are mutuals. i CANNOT BELIEVE we are mutuals. genuinely one of my favorite writers on ao3 and i still fangirl a little everytime we interact. like. the fics….holy shit. HOLY shit. she has such a firm understanding of the characters and has never written anything that doesn’t feel true to the show, regardless of AU or canon compliance. hanleia costume fic my beloved. good god they are such a talented writer.

@smoosnoom the scream i scrumpt when i got the follow notification. first fic writer i actually learned how to use the “subscribe” function on ao3 for. there are no words for the absolute batshit amount talent stored in this tumblr blog. ik y’all have read i’m tearing you asunder (cue “uh yeah, i’ve read the classics” tiktok audio) but every fic in their fix it series….jesus christ. run up that hill to go read rn.

@strangeswift is in a category of her own. abby u are a twin flame and i am so glad to know u. u simply understand me!! y’all she is such a fuckin phenomenal writer and is SO CEREBRAL in the way she approaches the show. her mike s4 pov snippets live rent free in my head. truly the only person who could get me to voluntarily read angst. NEVER misses with her takes and is just. so smart. SO SMART. the most supportive mfer on here fr. you guys aren’t ready for milevenvision or any of the other stuff you should be so lucky for abby to put out.

ok i could talk about my friends and moots for hours and i definitely DEFINITELY missed ppl but pls just know i follow blogs i love love love the content of and if we are mutuals i value u to the moon and back <333

[jonathangoodbyers]

these are my thoughts on the bullshit

eddies death made me cry for the first time in nearly two years and i am a master of repressing my emotions so great cool

eddie is a goddamn moron for dying like that and im mad at him

im going to construct intricate fantasies in my head so he stops being dead there at least

lame and gay that they only had dustin and wayne munson actually visibly mourning him, as if he wasn't also friends with mike.

WILL BYERS: come get a hug baby. him telling mike about his own feelings but pretending that it was eleven who felt those things -> made me very upset. will has been crying a lot and he doesn't deserve it at all. will is so deeply and tragically in love with mike it breaks my heart

steve??? his ending here is basically that he confesses to nancy and then nothing? LAME.

its good that steve acknowledges his own growth and it being spurred by nancy but that doesn't mean that they were like ,, destined to be together. why couldn't he just be like hey thanks for making me see that i was an asshole and ive changed for the better, lets be friends?

jonathan is still lying to nancy about the college thing??? after AAALLL of that??? also lame

what happened to dmitri and yuri. did they just drop off joyce, hopper and murray and then flew back to russia together? are they hanging out? are they going back to their families? who knows not me

season 4 is the season of Max Suffering

and she doesn't deserve iiittt

it did think that she was gonna die for a minute there but im sure she'll make a comeback next season somehow.

i do have a sneaking feeling she might be permanently blind

maybe its because i never got over billy but i think it's a shame that max wasn't really able to work through her trauma abt it with vecna after all. obv she did get some closure in "dear billy" but the last thing she said regarding him was 'yea sometimes i prayed he would die in a car crash and also im suicidal now' like?? she was saying that to bait henry into getting her but i feel like it might've been nice if later on she had tried to resist by saying she did miss billy in some way. like ooh henry you were wrong actually about me being glad that billy is dead bc thats not entirely true !! i mean i think she has very conflicting feelings about him. like yea she did hate him but she also loved him in a way and that can coexist.

i need to stop talking about billy sorry

couldn't anyone give poor dustin some crutches? that boy is limping.

jason dying unceremoniously by just burning up from the earth opening? good. he deserves it a little bit kind of. like yea he didnt understand what was going on but god that boy was annoying.

brenner dead? also good. hes been nothing but a menacing creep since the beginning of the show and im glad he's gone. love that eleven didnt give him the satisfaction of saying that she understood why he did what he did. just love that for her.

where the fuck did that sword come from that hopper used to kill the demogorgon??

robin and vickie 🥰🥰🥰

i knew Vickie's boyfriend wasn't gonna last after that one scene that he was in.

lucas :(((

watching him hold max while she was dying was so painful. so. she better get back thats all im saying

henry?? annoying ass bitch.

i feel like his character is about rejection, being unloved and only seeing the worst in people because of it. which is whyyy it would make sense if his ending was about accepting that people can be good and bad, guilty and innocent. that having done bad things doesn't ruin you as a person, bc thats what he keeps trying to show his victims, that they ARE bad people for their guilt and trauma. a satisfying resolution would be about convincing him to see the good in people. but his ending will probably be more along the lines of big explosion fireball eleven screaming.

eleven and max's friendship >>>>>

el better get her bestie back.

okay those are all my thots so far

[erectionsandtea]

Roller rink skate date headcanons! (poly party) insp. by this post, for @mike-wheeler-is-gay (I know you wanted byler specifically and I usually write poly party, but I tried to stick some extra byler in here for you, I hope I did it justice and that you like it!)

So many paragraphs this should really just be a fic, I'm sorry

- Mike is super tall and gangly is absolutely the worst skater in the party (tied only with Lucas, who put on his very first pair of skates and promptly fell on his face and they weren't even on the rink yet, they were still on the carpet area)

- the moment Mike steps into the actual skating floor, he falls bc he's tall gangly uncoordinated Mike, and Will is just standing there rolling his eyes, like "babe, you're a mess" but he doesn't mind bc it means he gets to hold Mike's hand (and hold Mike in general) while he helps his bf balance and skate

- and Mike is like "I don't deserve you, why are you even with me, I'm so awkward" (poor self deprecating bby), and you know Will would respond with "are you kidding, you're amazing, why are YOU with ME?" (also a self deprecating bby), but then he falls and pulls Will down with him (aka on top of him lol)

- and they laugh, and just as their lips touch, the moment is ruined by Max zooming in their direction screaming "get up before you get run over!!" And she manages to avoid them (being the zoomer that she is) but Lucas has to swerve and falls the fuck over ofc (luckily the rink isn't super crowded that day so nobody's in any real danger)

- and Dustin is looking at byler like "this isn't even that hard guys, come on, are you even trying??"

- El and Will have totally been going to the rink (sibling bonding yo) and everyone realizes that's how they got so good bc El is totally the best skater in the group

- except for Suzie who is a skating queen

- El and Suzie totally having races from one end of the rink to the other

- Max totally joining them and they let her win, just once

- Dustin joining them and after he wins twice in a row (pure luck), Max and El pretend cross his path and bump into him, totally fucking him up, and Dustin's just like "are you shitting me?" (but it's all in good fun, everyone knows that)

- El and Max holding hands as El helps her get better at skating, bc Max is decent on skates but better on her skateboard (bc how do you wheels on both feet separately ??) (like skiing vs snowboarding)

- byler doing that thing where holding hands facing each other, and Mike learning how to actually move his feet and skate forward, and that's propelling Will backward (and Will constantly throwing praise at him and Mike grinning so big bc he's doing it! lol)

- Will and Mike holding hands as they slowly skate around the edge of the rink

- Mike needing to stop a moment and grab the wall to keep himself up and steady, and Will coming around in front of him, his hands over Mike's,and they stand there all adorable and then kisses (except Mike has to duck down bc Will cannot stand on his tippy-toes in skates)

- eventually Mike is like "I need a break" (from falling and stuff, tho he has gotten better) and he goes to sit down

- and then El comes over to join him bc "you looked lonely" (he isn't really lonely, he just kind of has a resting bitch face sometimes, tell me I'm wrong, am I actually wrong tho ??)

- they sit together in silence, watching the rest of the group playing some weird skate-tag game (rules at the bottom)

- Mike is watching Will with a smile on his face, laughing and having fun, and he says to nobody, really "what did I ever do to deserve him?"

- El replies "probably whatever I did to deserve you" and they look at each other and smile and then cute lil Mileven kiss

- their hands reach over (cos they are sitting like RIGHT next to each other, no space)

- they continue to sit there, hands clasped, her head on his shoulder, watching the group and sometimes making comments to each other and laughing

- after a while Will comes over to check on his bf and sis) ("I don't know which is more bruised, my knees or my ego" -> Mike, "you're doing really well!" -> El), which is actually kind of nice for El bc she wants to go skate some more but she doesn't want to leave Mike by himself

- before she leaves tho, she wants a kiss, so still holding Mike's hand she gets up and wheels around to face him and grabs his other hand and is like "I want a kiss" bc she's just blunt like that (it's a good thing)

- and mike laughs at her bluntness bc SO CUTE, and so Mike gives her one of those super cute kisses where he puts his hands on the sides of her face, you know? And she has to balance herself by putting her hands on his knees (Sorry, I just had to get a Mileven kiss in here)

(so much detail in those moments ^ I'm...sorry?)

- so Will sits there with Mike, and they hold hands and share kisses and say cute sweet things to each other, and honestly they spend more time looking at each other than anyone/thing else

- Will goes and buys them one giant drink to share bc boys gotta stay hydrated (can someone please draw this or maybe ALL of this idk ??)

- the rest of the group annoys them (but not really) by hanging over the wall and saying "AWWW" super loud and making kissy faces

- and then El comes back over later and says "okay, that's enough sitting down, we're going back skating, come on" and she grabs Mike's hand and Will's hand and tries to pull them up but it's hard bc wheels (like she's about to slip and the boys have to grab her arms to catch her), but the boys comply and go back to the rink floor

- Dustin and Suzie can totally do skate-dancing, whatever that is (and they totally get applause)

- Max skating by everyone so many times and being like "zoomer!" and everyone is like "pls stop, we get it"

- Dustin trying to tell help Lucas how to skate by actually explaining how the skates and the rubber stoppers work, and Lucas not getting it and just being like "can you explain in English please??" And Dustin throws his hands up like "I fucking give up, you're hopeless"

- Max learns how to skate in a small circle (basically just turning around without stepping) and she's super fucking proud of herself and does it constantly

- Max eventually needs to be stopped by El and Lucas bc "babe, you're gonna get so dizzy" (you can decide who says that 😊) but it's too late bc she's already dizzy

- Lucas and El lead Max off the rink floor and she just immediately falls down to sit on the carpet bc so dizzy and El falls down next to her bc hand holding (she gets pulled), and Lucas sits down too

- the girls can't stop laughing and Lucas is looking at them like "tf is wrong with you guys?" (but not really), also he's just smiling at them and laughing with them bc goddamn they are so cute, his girlfriend is the most beautiful girl in the world and seeing her as she is right now just inflates his heart

- eventually Max can't stay upright so she lies back and El follows her and they are just lying there together (Max on her back, El on her side facing Max, no space), giggling so hard, they can't stop laughing for some reason (I think it's bc when one laughs, it makes the other laugh too)

- Max is like "you, boyfriend, kiss" and so Lucas complies

- an employee has to come over and say "you can't lie down here, it's a safety hazard" and Lucas is like "we're sorry, sir" and he's like "babe, we gotta move"

- so he gets the girls up and they bring max to a bench where she can sit, instead of sitting tho, she lies down again, on the bench with her head in El's lap, and then elmax kisses as El plays with her hair

- El and Max basically take over the bench that Mike and Will were sitting on, and they also steal the boys' giant drink (barely a quarter empty) cos hydration

- Will and Mike trying to kiss while not holding the wall, but fucking down AnD having his eyes closed throws Mike way off balance bc what a klutz, and then he falls and Will is fuckin laughing and he feels bad but also it's funny

- so then Will gets down too (more gracefully but lbr, anyone can be more graceful than Mike, without even trying) and is like "it's okay, we can do this here" and then sitting kisses

- El trying to help Mike but she's having too much fun and ends up just speeding around while Mike tries to catch up with her, and she has to keep going back for him

- Mike feeling kind of embarrassed bc his gf is amazing while his own skating is questionable, and he confides this to her and is like "why are you with me, I'm so clumsy and awkward" (self deprecating again), but El makes him feel better by telling him that she's with him bc she loves him and actually she thinks it's kind of cute that he's not that good at skating and she likes being the one who helps him for once (bc he's helped her for so long with so much)

- and then Mike gives her one of his lil mike-smiles (you know the one I mean, like the one right after he kisses her for the very first time, in season 1)

- and then a Mileven kiss, but Mike almost loses his balance again like he did with the byler kiss, but El can sense it's about to happen and has to break their kiss to hold him up (she's holding both his hands, fingers intertwined), but it's okay, they just smile at each other share a little laugh at the situation and how uncoordinated he is, and they scoot their skates really close together in a sort-of huh type thing

- arcade games after!! (But I'll put that in its own separate post 😄)

- rules to the weird skate-tag game: 1) the wall is the safe zone, but you can only stay there for 10 seconds at a time 2) you cannot untouch the wall for one second and then go back to touching it for 10 seconds, you have to actually leave the wall and skate (HOWEVER you can try to skate from the wall on one end of the rink to the wall at the other end) 3) you are allowed to skate around the edge while touching the wall, as long as you only do so for no more than 10 seconds 4) whoever is 'it' cannot hover around those on the wall 5) crashing into someone does not count as tagging them 6) no tag backs

~

I tried to get equal parts of all the ships in this one but I know I failed miserably, I'm so sorry lol (clearly you can tell who I ship the most)

If you want to add more (I will if I think of any), send me ideas, or request anything, please feel free! 😀👍🏻

[thecrimsondandelion]

After defeating Pennywise, the Losers Club all get together to go to a beach and Stanley brings Patty along (because I love her so much). So when they go they have to keep the trip secret because Eddie is afraid of the ocean, so everyone knows except for Eddie and Patty (so it's fair that Eddie isn't the only one who doesn't really know). And Richie can keep a secret, but also can distract his lover from being afraid when they go.

When they do arrive at the rented beach house, Eddie doesn't know what's on the other side until he goes to the back porch. So he freaks out a bit, but gets persuaded by his friends (mostly Richie) and manages to sit at least 10 feet away from the water. He sits there watching the others have fun when he sees Richie comes out of the water and he's like, "Hot damn, that's my boyfriend 😳" So Richie comes over, talks to Eddie for a bit before carrying him, bridal style, to the water. So the smaller man is waving his arms about and slapping Richie's arm, but the other doesn't budge. But they do end up getting Eddie into the water finally!

At first Eddie doesn't like it until he's having fun, splashing around and getting hit by the waves. They all laugh together enjoying themselves when Eddie and Richie go out a little further without realizing themselves. (Turns out Richie was planning this.) When they're out far enough to the point where their feet are not touching the ground, Eddie now realizes but he doesn't care when Richie pulls him under water. They share a second underwater kiss (because they also deserve the one from after killing It), and at the end of the day, Richie's down on one knee while they stand on the back porch underneath the fairy lights hung outside.

(Did my best in wording this idea I've had in my head for a bit.)

(i’ll die on the hill that Patty is an honorary Loser. she’s late to the game, but she’s 100% a Loser, and it’s something she learns to wear with pride)

I feel like Eddie was brought up to be terrified of the ocean. Maybe Went and Mag’s took the Losers out on a beach day one summer, but Sonia drilled it into Eddie’s head that it was dangerous, that he could get stung by a jellyfish, that there’s bad bacteria and chemicals in the water, not to mention trash that’s thrown into it, that he could get killed by a shark (when they get there as adults, Mike goes on a 15 minute tangent on shark facts, the statistics and likelihoods of being attacked by a shark “did you know that more people are killed by falling coconuts than sharks?”)

it makes Eddie feel slightly better. but not enough to actually go into the water

so he’s sat on a towel under a sun umbrella, and watches as Richie bounds out of the water towards him. grinning, shaking water out his hair (it’s incredibly baywatch to Eddie. to everyone else it’s like watching a Labrador Retriever)

i think Eddie would be a little jealous, bc he has major Fear Of Missing Out about everything

Richie let’s Eddie rub sun cream onto his shoulders and back, Richie returns the favour. it’s like trying to lure a cat into a crate to go to the vet. they sit, share a bottle of water (bc Eddie doesn’t want Richie to get heatstroke)

also, Stan getting distracted by different birds that he sees, and Patty having heart eyes as he rambles about the species of bird!!!!

Mike getting caught up in conversations with random folks when they go out for lunch/dinner, asking about local lores and stories

Eddie taking a water break and coming back with two ice cream cones like he used to do for him and Richie as kids 🥺🥺

I’m very either soft mood lighting and a sweet sincere thought out proposal. or ‘hey look that place has elvis doing marriages, wanna get married?’

i love this, i love the beach, and i love the Losers

[mourntheantagonist]

El goes over to Steve’s to get out of the cabin for a little bit and they have pizza and board games and stuff.. so Steve’s house is a little messy so Steve’s dad comes home earlier then expected he freaks bc he can’t see el here so he goes upstairs and puts her in his room and his dad is pissed at the mess so basically el overhears how much of an ass his dad is :,)

tear my heart in half why don’t you?

ok but seriously, could I have just written a short and sweet ficlet on this gorgeous headcanon? yeah. do I have self control? no.

that is why instead I present to you a 6.3k deep dive

also on ao3

****

It’s just a little thing the two of them have going for them. El hated being left alone in the empty cabin when Hopper was on duty and would often sneak out to the Wheeler’s for some company. Usually it was fine. Mike would let her in through the basement door and she’d always made sure to be back before Hop. Usually hitching a ride on the back of Mike’s bike. It was a pretty perfect system. Hopper never found out and she got to get away from the lonely woods for at least a couple hours.

Until one time they weren’t home and Mike wasn’t answering on the walkie. it was cold out and dark and she wasn’t prepared to make the long walk back to the cabin. But she did anyway. Shivering as she tried to forget that her powers still weren’t working quite right. Trying to forget the fact that she was defenseless.

That’s when Steve had pulled up beside her in the beemer. Headlights bright in her eyes, only recognizing him once the lights went out and she could see him through the windshield.

Steve was safe. One of the few people she was told she could trust, despite Mike showing his own disdain for the guy. But she was told that was only because he dated Nancy, and he didn’t like Jonathan either for that very reason. So she trusted Steve. Felt a wave of relief wash over her when he pulled up beside her from where she was walking on Randolph Way.

He rolled down his window with the crank and stuck his head outside. The quick change from hot to cold biting his nose, making it run.

“It’s past nine, El. What are you doing out here? How did you get out here?”

El shrugged her shoulders. Rubbing her hands against her arms to generate some heat to combat the cold from the Indiana night air. “Walked. Came to see Mike.” She said. The words coming out with a breath that was visualized by a misty cloud as vapor froze.

“He wasn’t home?”

She shook her head. Arms still crossed over her chest, hands now tightly gripping the flannel she stole from Hopper’s closet. A calming mechanism she’d use when she felt like she was in trouble. A way of protecting her palms from her sharp and jagged fingernails because she had a habit of biting them when she was scared, which came more often now that her powers were only functioning at a ten percent capacity.

Steve didn’t have to think for very long before telling her to get in, and that he’d take her home.

He turned the heat up to the highest setting, and pulled out a blanket he had stored underneath his seat. Handed it over to her because he could see her lips had begun to turn to a bluish color. Steve spared her the talk about how she needed to be more careful. He wasn’t her Dad or her babysitter, even though he kind of was at times. But she was just a teenager who wanted to see her boyfriend, he did the same thing when he was her age, and still does it now. He figured he could leave that conversation up to her Dad, even if he suspected it wouldn’t do much to curb said behavior.

Instead they said nothing to each other the whole drive to the cabin, aside from words of direction since he had never navigated the path in the dark before. El never talked much in most situations, so it wasn’t weird.

When he pulled up, he noticed Hopper’s Blazer was unmistakably missing from the premises, and there was no light indicating anyone lived there other than the singular bulb hanging from their front porch that looked to be only days away from burning out. He waited for El to get out of his car and head inside, but she didn’t. She just sat there in his passenger seat with the blanket pulled up high enough so it covered her nose and mouth. Still and unmoving, staring at the front door that was illuminated by the dying light source with a pained expression evident in her light brown eyes.

“Everything okay?” Steve asks, with hesitation clear in the way his voice cracks with a whispered tone. The dead silence of the empty forest creating an unnerving tension that made them both feel like just the sound of a pin dropping to the floor could set something off.

She heaved a sigh, the shakiness clear. “Could you stay? Until Hop gets home?”

She didn’t have to explain it to Steve. Just looking at the Cabin gave him the same feeling that looking at his own house did. Empty and abandoned and lonely. That’s why he was out driving that night. He had no destination other than anywhere but his house. He hated the way the floorboards creaked so loud in the silence and echoed around the house. Didn’t like the way he could hear the sounds of water droplets dripping from the bathroom sink from all the way upstairs. Didn’t like the solitary feeling of it all. Not even a ghostly presence to keep him company. Just him and his thoughts. Never a good combination.

So he agreed. Turning the key and shutting off the car, flipping off the headlights and following her inside. He liked El, and it was much better than going back to his vacant home on the outskirts of Hawkins.

He’d never been inside before. The only times he’d ever come by was to drop off Dustin and the rest of the party when El was still on probation from leaving the Cabin. For those he’d never leave the comfort of his drivers seat.

El flipped on the lights and he was greeted by a sight juxtaposed from the outside’s appearance. The outside looked abandoned. Rusted and worn. Moss growing on the roof, breaks in the wooden steps leading up to the porch, unmanicured ground covered in rotting leaves from the previous Fall. The inside, however, was lively. Sure, it still looked a little run down and had the rustic feel to it, but it looked like a home. Warm and cozy, messy with different books strewn across the floor, clothes hung on the backs of chairs, vinyl records stacked haphazardly next to the turntable. The sink was full of dishes that needed to be done, a laundry basket full of clothes that needed to be folded. It was clear that someone lived here. Like really lived here. Not like his house which was always kept clean and proper. Fancy decorations cluttered the halls, carpets were vacuumed and floors were swept. Steve never got behind on doing his dishes or laundry because there was never much for him to do with it only being the product of one person. And what else was he supposed to do to occupy his time? He preferred the sound of the running water or the rattle of the laundry machine or the loud hum of the vacuum cleaner as it picked up debris over the echoes of his own thoughts. He had to keep it clean anyway because his parents always came home without warning, and always expected the house to look just as pristine as they left it. So the house always looked more like a museum filled with expensive art and less like a home with dirty dishes and crumbs on the floor that indicated proper use.

He felt a warm feeling inside the cabin. Feeling the coziness radiate through him as he sat down on the couch. Rips in the upholstery, beer stained cushions. Comfortable. Like sitting on a cloud.

El was in the kitchen, rummaging through the freezer, he assumed she was just hungry. Maybe she had been expecting to eat at Mike’s house. He always did save her some leftovers just in case. He’d done so for all three hundred fifty two days she was “missing” and continued even after she was found.

He looked through the books that were scattered all over the floor as she did her thing. Noticing books his parents used to read him when he was little. Many of them by Dr. Suess. The Lorax, Green eggs and Ham. Some “I Can Read” books that looked to be well below her level, and several books he didn’t recognize at all like “Alexander the Magical Mouse”. She must have liked that one a lot considering the spine had been creased and torn and the edges were folding in.

He was pulled from his thoughts by the sudden sound of the pop of the toaster oven. Hearing the slight sizzle of whatever had been cooking.

He turned around to see Eleven carrying two plates with Eggos on them. Already coated in butter and syrup, holding one out to him.

“I made you some.” It’s the first thing she’s said since they’d walked through the door. She wasn’t shy, she just didn’t talk a lot, having only ever been allowed to speak if she had something important to say, often going hours or even days without even having anyone to say those things to. It was no wonder she didn’t want to be alone in that cabin.

He took a seat with her at their little table. Big enough for just two people, perfect for just El and Hopper, and perfect for just the two of them now. He could tell the seat he was sitting in was typically the seat Hopper sat at. The table had cigarette burns on only that side, and he knew those didn’t come from El. Her side of the table had clear indication of someone who used a lot of syrup. Dried maple drops stuck to the wood. He dug into his waffles, which looked to have been cooked to perfection. Golden brown with a nice crunch as he cut off a piece with the side of his fork. She looked up at him and smiled before shoving a large bite into her mouth. Nearly half a waffle’s worth. Syrup escaped past her lips as she closed her mouth around the fork, sticking to the outside of her cheeks.

“You got a little.” He gestured to his own cheek, tapping it twice.

She stifled a laugh with her mouth full and wiped away at it with her sleeve.

It was nice seeing her laugh. El had a smile that brightened up a whole room. The one thing about her that not many people had, you know, aside from the whole ‘having powers’ thing, was that she said what she meant, and she meant what she said. You never had to worry about her faking a smile for your benefit, or worry about her lying to you. She was honest even if that sometimes got her into trouble. So when she smiled at him and laughed, he knew she was happy. Happy he was there, and so was he.

Before she stuffed a second bite into her mouth, still chewing the remnants of the first, they could hear the roar of a familiar engine. Headlights beginning to peek through the gaps in the curtains. El didn’t seem nearly as on edge as he was that Hopper was home. Steve was in his house. Uninvited. Okay he was invited by El, but not by Hopper and that’s what mattered more, right?

Steve wasn’t necessarily scared of Hopper per se. But he definitely tried to avoid being on his bad side at all costs.

But hey, it’s not like Steve had done anything wrong. On the contrary. He kind of rescued her, not that she really needed it. She survived months during Hawkins winter out on her own in the woods. But the point was, he should thank him.

At least Hopper should recognize Steve’s beemer out front so when he opens the door to his house Steve’s presence isn’t a total surprise. Like he won’t walk in guns blazing at the intruder who’s in his house with his daughter.

Okay should he be worried?

Luckily for Steve, Hopper walks through the door with his gun securely in his holster and sans a look of rage. More so a look of confusion.

“What are you doing here kid?”

El gives him a pointed look. Almost like she’s trying to use her mind powers on him. Get him to not tell Hopper that she was out by herself after nine at night in the cold… to see her boyfriend.

But here’s the thing. Steve likes El. He really does. But he’s far more terrified of what Hopper might do to him if he lies to his face about Eleven’s whereabouts.

He gives her a look back. An apologetic one.

“She was out wandering in the cold so I brought her back home. Decided to stay until you arrived.” Steve decided to leave out the part about her going to Mike’s house. Figured that’s better left unsaid.

Hopper pursed his lips. Nodding his head with his arms crossed, clearly trying to keep himself from yelling. He’s gotten better about that lately.

El is once again gripping the cloth of the flannel she is wearing tightly. Bowing her head and squeezing her eyes shut tight.

“Why did you go out El?” Hopper asks. His voice was a strained kind of calm. A calm that if you pushed slightly too far could easily go away.

“I don’t like being here alone. Not after everything.”

Oh yeah. Everything.

Everything being Starcourt. Those painful couple of days when she didn’t even know where he was while the rest of the world was falling apart in front of her. Those several hours before he finally emerged from under the Russian base below the mall. Hours without hearing from him, not even a confirmation that he was alive. And no way to confirm it for herself with her powers completely drained. All she could get was a black void. She couldn’t see anything at all.

Steve got a similar feeling. He’d experienced loneliness before. But nothing like when he was trapped in that room with those Russian guards. Beating the ever living shit out of him and no matter what he did or said, it wouldn’t stop until he was completely unconscious. The unconsciousness coming much later than he’d hoped it would. He could still sometimes feel his eye twitch with phantom pains from the damage done that night. He recognized it very distinctly from the memories of previous black eyes he’s received in the somehow two fights he’s lost. He also understands the feeling of dread that she felt when she didn’t know where Hopper was. He had that same feeling with Erica and Dustin. Not knowing whether they made it out alive. Had the same dread with Robin. Feeling her back pressed up against his as they were tied up in chairs and threatened with torture, knowing he was the one who brought her into all of this. Knowing that whatever happens to her is blood on his hands. That point where he had to make a quick decision and slam his car into the side of Billy.

Billy.

Feeling the shockwaves pass through him. His head jerk forward upon impact. Watching as the Camaro burst into flames in a blinding blaze. That moment of not knowing whether or not he survived the crash, not knowing if that was a good or bad thing, and not even having the time to even think about it before he’s piling into the back of the Wheeler’s station wagon and driving away from the mall.

So yeah, Steve got it.

Hopper’s face fell into a frown and he decided not to press the issue further.

“We’ll talk about it later. Finish up your waffles and get ready for bed. I’ll walk Steve out.” Hopper said. Wiping at his nose and taking off his hat and hanging it on the hook by the door.

El finished her waffles rather quickly. She practically inhaled the contents of her plate. Not sparing a moment of time before shoving another piece into her mouth. Messy enough making it clear that the syrup stains on the table were most definitely her doing. Steve finished up his own and promptly followed Hopper out onto the porch after putting his dirtied plate into the sink of dirty dishes.

“Thanks for bringing her home, son. I really appreciate it.”

“It’s no problem, chief.”

“You wanna smoke?” Hopper asks, pulling a pack and lighter out from his shirt pocket and pulling one out, offering it up for Steve to take.

This was definitely weird. Smoking with adults. Hopper nonetheless. Sure he was of age, but that didn’t make it any less weird.

He accepted the cigarette anyway, because it was cold and god he could really use one right about now. He let Hopper light it up for him and he took a long drag, letting the smoke fill his lungs creating a burning sensation he grew to enjoy. It almost functioned as proof that he was a living human being. Feeling as the damage was done to his internal organs, reminder that he was alive. Not lost to the void he felt like he drifted into so often.

“So what are you doing right now? You graduated right?”

“Yup.” Steve replied. Popping the ‘p’. As if basically scraping by the G.P.A. decent enough to walk across that podium was something to celebrate. His father most certainly didn’t think so.

“College?”

And that was the reason why. He couldn’t get an acceptance letter from anywhere. Not even the schools that supposedly accepted everyone and didn’t even send out rejection letters. Steve was living breathing proof that they did.

“No. Working mornings at Family Video.” He tried to say it with at least a little pride. Like, hey, at least he wasn’t a total bum living off his parents dime. At least he was doing something with his life. Even if that something was a dead end job in a dead end town.

“It’s honest work, kid. Good for you. College ain’t for everyone. I most certainly wasn’t cut out for it.” Hopper tightly gripped his shoulder and shook him a bit. In a way that seemed fatherly while also being a way his own father never interacted with him.

And god that statement felt good to hear. That acknowledgment and validation that Steve wasn’t just wasting his life away at that job. Validation for his hard work and attempt at bettering himself. Felt good, especially coming from someone so accomplished as him. Steve could only smile, unable to come up with any worthy response to that.

“So mornings. What’s your availability like in the evenings?”

“Typically free. Sometimes I get called out to cover for the night shift, but that doesn’t happen often. Why?”

Hopper put out his cigarette in the ashtray sitting on the porch ledge.

“Well, it would be nice having someone watch El when I’m patrolling at night. I don’t like leaving her here alone, and now I know she doesn’t like it either. And I’d rather her spend that time with you than Mike.” The way he says the name like it’s a slur almost has Steve laughing.

Okay look. Steve didn’t really tell the whole truth right there. His house isn’t always empty. He’s not always free. But it’s best he didn’t divulge that information to a man with a gun in the middle of the woods.

Instead he said yes. Because he wasn’t her babysitter, but he might as well be.

And he also had no idea how to say no to Hopper. Another thing you wouldn’t want to say to a man with a gun in the middle of the woods.

That was how it started. Hopper randomly calling up his house and calling him over to the cabin. Sometimes just choosing to drop her off at his house instead because he didn’t have the time to circle back. Luckily those times he didn’t have the company of a very recognizable blue Camaro parked in his driveway. And eventually everything became routine. Figuring out the patterns of Hopper’s work schedule so he was better prepared for those surprise visits. Eventually telling Hop to just keep bringing her over to his because it was on the way to the station and safer for the rest of the kids to travel to for the occasional hangouts he begrudgingly chaperoned.

Hopper did eventually catch them red handed. Or more accurately, with his pants down. He didn’t hear the phone ring and it was instead the honk of his horn that pulled the two from their current distraction. No point in trying to hide what they were doing with an elaborate lie as soon as Hopper yelled from outside “Harrington. Hargrove. Pull your damn pants up and get out here!”

They couldn’t be that loud. Could they?

Steve didn’t even want to entertain that thought.

When they did the walk of shame out the front door, heads bowed and arms crossed over themselves, Hopper was standing there with his hands on his hips. A stance that looked almost ridiculous on him, but also struck enough fear in the two of them that it silenced their laughs.

“Sorry.” Is all Steve could say. Unable to even look him in the eyes. Focusing his attention on El who sat in the passenger seat of the Blazer. Looking entirely confused. Good. She should be.

“No. No. My fault. I should have called. Uh, you still up for watching El tonight?” Hopper’s eyes darted between the two boys. They were all very uncomfortable in this current situation, and they were all equally desperate for the conversation to come to an end.

Billy looked over at Steve, both faces matching with the same kind of confusion. Distinctly different confusion than the look that washed over El’s face.

“Uh. Yeah I can go home, he can watch her.” Billy said, already moving his feet to leave.

“You don’t have to go. Hell, it’d be nice having someone who has actually won a fight around her.”

“Hey! I’ve won a fight.” Steve interjects, earning a small chuckle out of Billy.

“I didn’t see it. Doesn’t count.” Steve scoffs at the reply. “Anyway, point is, he can stay if he wants. Just no funny business if you don’t mind.”

Billy and Steve both blush simultaneously and nod their heads a little too aggressively. “Yes sir.” Says Billy.

Hopper tips his hat at the boys who are both just standing there stunned and trying to figure out if they just had a near death experience or not. Not before long El is getting out of the car and Hopper’s pulling out of the driveway and suddenly his house feels 300% fuller.

Billy stays sometimes for her visits now, but they don’t make too much of a habit of it. Still concerned about how the nature of their relationship looks to have a young girl in their presence. It’s wrong and stupid, but most people were nowadays. Despite Hopper’s insistence on being okay with it, they couldn’t put that much trust in people.

Except for maybe El. That girl he would trust with his life. No questions asked.

It took awhile for her to actually get what was going on. Not that they were together in the first place, that part she deduced pretty quickly. It was more so the reason that they were so private about it that she didn’t get. She didn’t get why she couldn’t tell Max or the party or anyone else for that matter. They’d constantly brush it off with an “it’s complicated” because they didn’t find joy in telling this sweet and innocent girl how terrible the world could be. But to El it was perfectly simple. Billy and Steve love each other like El and Mike love each other. Easy, straightforward. When they finally explained it to her, how “stupid people don’t think two men should be able to love each other” they could see the anger clear on her face. Veins popping out on her forehead and a red tint forming beneath the skin on her face. They explained how people might go as far as to hurt them if they found out. Her face only got redder and the clench of her fists only grew tighter.

“Bad people.” She called them.

They would just nod their heads in agreement.

“Does that mean Max and Mike and everyone else are bad people? Because I can’t tell them?”

That was a hard question to answer. A question that they tried to avoid thinking about yet always seemed to be at the back of their minds. Because they might be. And that was scary to think about. Steve liked to think that Dustin wouldn’t look at him any differently, the same with Billy about Max. They thought highly enough of them that they never liked to entertain the thought that they could potentially be “bad people.” But there was always the potential that they could.

Still they answered with a no. Because even if they did end up being “bad people” they weren’t bad people. “I don’t think they are,” Steve started. “But the more people that find out, the higher the chance some really bad people might find out. It’s safer to keep the bubble small. Is that okay?”

El nodded in agreement, and the three of them quickly went back to what they were doing like they didn’t just have a really deep conversation. It was scrabble. Thought it might be a more fun way of teaching El new words instead of just shoving a book into her face. She seemed to enjoy it, and was able to come up with some surprisingly long words. A huge grin popped onto her face when she was able to spell out the word “compromise.”

“Hop taught me that one.”

Eighteen points.

Nobody expected it to be Billy who was trying to pass off made up words.

But for the most time, it was just Steve and El. No party get together’s. No Billy. Just the two of them, pizza delivery, board games and movies. And it was honestly a blast.

Steve never thought it would be so much fun to make a mess like this. Paper plates scattered across the floor along with loose puzzle pieces and an array of VHS tapes strewn in front of the TV so they were easier to look through. Usually when something was out of place, Steve felt an overwhelming need to put it back. To keep things clean, neat, and tidy. That’s how he was raised. Vases dusted, dishes cleaned, laundry folded and put away. But he was behind on laundry and the only reason his sink wasn’t full was because he’d been eating off disposables since El wandered into his every day. Which reminded him. The trash needed to be taken out yesterday.

Usually the chaos would have him losing his mind. Like the way it did when he first snuck into Billy’s bedroom and was met with dozens of beer cans everywhere the eye could see. Hamper piled high with dirty laundry, and that was just what made it into the basket. And god it reeked of smoke and teenage boy. Like the combination of a wrestling mat and a casino. He had actual car parts sitting in his closet that he’d stolen from the junkyard. His room was a junkyard. But he’d never tell him that. Just kindly suggest that perhaps he wipe down some surfaces with disinfecting wipes because there are definitely some eradicated diseases living freely underneath his bed where he could see a large collection of socks. Yeah. He knew what those were.

But this was a mess he could handle. It wasn’t a hotel for rats like Billy’s room was. It was more like how he described Hopper’s cabin. Lived in. Proof that there were people having a good time and living there. Finally getting the living room to live up to its title. When he looked out across the mess of food and games and the fallen down fort they attempted to build, the word home started to feel like an apt word to describe the place. It felt like it was his and not like just some place he slept at night or the place he parked his car and had his paycheck sent to.

He’d be regretting letting it get so messy when he heard the familiar purr of a car outside. Distinctly not the roar of the Camaro or the rumble of the Blazer. No it was the purr of his father’s Buick.

He looked out once again over the mess in his living room.

He was going to be pissed.

El noticed the way his face fell when the sound had echoed outside. And then Steve noticed El.

He couldn’t see her here. She was allowed to be out in public but it was still slow going as far as who she was and how she was the chief's daughter. He didn’t want to take any risks.

“El. I’m going to need you to hide in my room. My Dad can’t see you. He won’t go in there.” Steve’s trying to stay calm so he doesn’t alarm her, but reading people’s emotions is something she’s really good at. Not sure if it’s a feature of her powers or just her, but she can always tell if you’re faking a smile and she can feel the emotions that lurk beneath the surface like an empath. So naturally she started to grow fearful as well.

“What’s going on?” She’s still sitting on the floor but appears to at least be shifting her legs to raise herself up. But it’s like everything is moving through molasses but his father’s footsteps don’t seem to be slowing at all.

“My Dad’s home. Take the back steps upstairs and lock yourself in my room. I promise I won’t be long, okay?”

She nods her head, she can see the urgency in his voice so she takes no time at all before sprinting up the stairs and finding Steve’s bedroom.

When she walks inside she realizes she’s never actually been in there before. Only knowing of its location after seeing Steve walk in and out of it from the base of the stairs. It’s not quite what she was expecting.

It was boring. Flannel wallpaper with a perfectly made bed. Shelves organized containing nothing of significance upon them. It looked like one of those bedrooms she saw in furniture catalogs. Steve wasn’t boring. He had a fun and bright personality. He screamed bright blues and bright reds, not the dull greens, grays, and browns that decorated his room.

Then there was an unexpected noise coming from down the steps. The walls were thin, she could hear everything so clearly.

“What the hell is all of this, Steven?” The voice was low and thunderous. Resonating through the entire house. It kind of reminded her of Hopper’s voice, but the underlying tone was distinctly different. There was a condescension to it that she rarely heard out of him. Almost like he was talking down to him. “You’re expected to keep this house clean, and you can’t even do that? How did I get stuck with such a stupid fuck up for a son?” The swears and insults rolled off his tongue like second nature and it made El’s blood boil.

She pressed her ear to the door to get a clearer picture, Steve talked in a very quiet voice in comparison to the fortissimo of Mr. Harrington’s.

“I was just getting ready to clean it up. I had a couple of friends over and they just left. I didn’t know you’d be home, I’m sorry.”

“I don’t let you live under my roof for you to be throwing parties Steven! You should be spending that time actually making something of yourself so I don’t have to explain to my friends what an embarrassment you’ve become.”

“I work full time Dad!”

“Don’t you raise your voice at me.” Steve had barely even gotten louder. “What? You think a career at Family Video is some kind of achievement?”

El could feel the tension in the room as it fell silent. She wanted to burst from that room and fling him through a wall. Break his arm.

Mouthbreather.

“Your mother will be home in a few hours, she stopped to see a friend. You will have this mess cleaned up before she gets home and you will help her with her luggage. Understand?”

“Understand.” Steve’s voice sounded broken. Cracking with an inconsistent tone.

“I’ll be in my office. Don’t disturb me.”

The only sounds that follow that line are the sounds of shuffling feet and a slam of a door downstairs. She’s startled when she hears the gentle knock against Steve’s bedroom door.

“You can unlock the door now.” He says.

She does so quietly. Slowly turning the lock so not to make sound that Mr. Harrington could potentially hear.

When she gets the door open she’s met with a Steve that she’s never seen before. He’s squeezing the bridge of his nose and his eyes are red and glossy. His cheeks are pink from wiping abrasively against tears that fell upon them.

“I need to get you home, okay? I can um… I can call Hop or someone to stay with you if you need. I’m sorry.”

El just doesn’t know what to say to him. Doesn’t know how to make things better without her powers.

So she just hugs him. Wraps her arms around his waist tight and lets her head rest where it meets his chest. Squeezing gently just waiting for him to return the gesture.

Which he does, albeit, hesitantly and guarded. Barely letting his own hands come in contact with her shoulders. She’s so small, and if he didn’t already know the strength she was capable of he’d be worried he could break her.

“Bad man.” She whispers.

Steve fights off the tears and squeezes her tighter.

“I’m sorry you had to hear that.” Is all he can say.

The two of them quietly sneak out the front door. Steve knows his Dad wouldn’t care if he left so long as he did what he was asked. He’d picked up the mess and took the trash with him on the way out.

The two pile into the Beemer and Steve quickly turns on the music to distract himself from the words rattling around in his head. Letting the sounds of Metallica play over his speakers. Billy was always doing that. Shoving one of the tapes he made for Steve into the stereo when he wasn’t looking.

Look, a successful distraction!

But they barely made it a mile down the road before El was turning the knob to the left and the car quickly fell silent. She doesn’t look over at him when she says it. Just looks out the window at passing trees and street lights. Watching as power lines appear to move like ocean waves. Up and down, up and down. Fiddling with the cuffs of her shirt like she’s fearful of the words that were to come out of her mouth.

“Is your Dad like Papa?”

She wasn’t afraid of the question, but she was afraid of the answer. Steve knew who Papa was. They all did and were explicitly instructed to avoid that topic at all costs. But she was the one bringing him up.

“No he’s not like Papa.”

“But he’s a bad man.” She says matter of factly.

“Sometimes he is. Yes.”

“Is your Dad like Billy’s Dad?”

That one stung a little too sharply. Not at the premise of his father potentially being like that, but the reminder of Billy. That he was still there under that damn roof with that poor excuse of a man. And that he wouldn’t let Steve protect him no matter how hard he tried and how far he pushed.

That was another thing El knew that most people didn’t know. Another secret she was forced to keep. One she chose to keep on her own, recognizing it wouldn’t be fair to share the things she learned from entering into his mind without giving him a choice in the matter.

Steve was sometimes grateful for that. The fact that El respected Billy and showed him nothing but kindness. But so often he’d wish she’d just spill it all to Hopper. Do the thing Steve didn’t have the strength to do himself.

“No. He’s not like Billy’s Dad.”

“But that doesn’t make it okay.” She looks at him this time. Reaching over the center console to place a hand gently on top of one of his outstretched hands that tightly gripped the steering wheel.

He lets a tear fall. “You’re right. It doesn’t.”

The rest of the drive is silent. The only sounds are the purr of the engine and the tires rolling over rough asphalt.

Pulling up to the cabin with El in the passenger seat felt a lot like that first time he took her home. That same painful silence and that same hesitation as they sat in front of the cabin from the comfort of the cabin. Staring out at the porch. The lightbulb that looked almost dead last time now replaced with a brand new one that shined bright and illuminated the whole front of the house.

He was half hoping she would ask for him to stay. Not wanting to go back to that house alone with his Dad. He wanted to go to Billy. Crawl in through his window and curl up next to him in his bed. Make himself feel safe by making Billy feel safe. He’d accept crashing on Hopper’s couch if that was all he could get.

But he knew he couldn’t. Knew he had to get home despite having every reason not to.

“Steve?” She said, grabbing his attention.

“Yeah?”

She opened the car door and stepped out, looking at him intensely through the open door.

“You’re not stupid.”

That right there made him smile much more than her asking him to stay ever would.

[withcolebrock]

Lover of Mine~ chapter 10

Lover of Mine~5 seconds of summer

Masterlist

Warnings: alcohol, swearing, angst

Word Count: 1,625

Author’s Note: this chapter is a chapter I have been sitting on for a while, mainly bc I wasn’t sure if I was abandoning this account or not. lol anyways Im going to try and finish this series before I make a decision. I hope you enjoy this chapter! This is my gif!!

He brought the cup to his lips as he took a long confident sip, “Tonight-?” Sam asked as his eyes widened slowly. Colby nodded his head as he ran his fingers through his hair.

“I’m going to tell her I love her,” Colby’s voice was calm while he crossed his arms over his chest. He was careful to not spill his drink. Sam stared towards Colby with his mouth agaped. Colby had to be drunk, otherwise this wouldn’t be coming from him.

“Dude, are you sure? I thought you were going to wait until her and Mike broke up,” Sam asked while glancing around the room. He wanted to see if anyone was paying attention to their conversation. He was mainly looking for Mike.

“I don’t know, dude, I have to tell her I’m in love with her,” Colby let out, it was the first time he said those words out loud. As the words left his lips he felt himself feel dizzy. It could have been the alcohol he spent all night drinking, but he was sure it was a good idea. “Okay, I’m-” he trailed off as he clenched his jaw while taking in a breath, “I’m going to go,” he let out, turning his body around to head up the stairs.

He saw someone turn up the stairs, he didn’t know who it was. He shrugged as he continued taking small steps up the stairs. Once he reached the top of the stairs his eyes stared towards the shut door on the end of the hall. He leaned his body against the railing as he tried to find the perfect words. Was he going to ease into the idea or completely just blatantly say it. He wasn’t sure, how could you be? How could you have a plan when admitting you have feelings for your best friend?

He took a small step forward when a small hand took a hold of his arm. He furrowed his eyebrows as he shifted his head to see the red haired girl, “Olivia?” he said, more in a question tone. He quickly looked back towards the door across the hall, sighing he looked back towards the girl. “What are you doing up here?” he asked, his voice shook.

“I was looking for you,” she said flirtingly. He nodded slowly while he pursed his lips forward, “You seemed so sad earlier, I thought I could-” she trailed off biting her bottom lip suductively. “You know, cheer you up,” she continued. Colby pressed his lips together before he sighed.

“I’m fine,” he mumbled, “You can’t be up here.” she looked at him with confusion written all over her features. He sighed before leaning away from her touch, “Corey doesn’t like it when people who don’t live here are up here during parties.” she pulled her hand to her chest as she let out a puff of air.

“Yeah, whatever,” she turned away from him and began walking down the stairs. She stopped for a second, turning her body to face Colby, “If you need cheering up, you know where to find me.” she winked suductively as she slowly began to walk down the stairs, in hopes that he would stop her. But he didn’t. Colby clenched his jaw as he slowly shifted his gaze towards the door.

He was going to do it. He was finally going to say what he’s been dying to say for months, even years. He walked up to the door, rehearsing the words he was going to say. ‘I can’t hide this anymore, I’m in love with you.’ He shook his head, too cheesy. ‘I’m in love with you, ever since high school.’ He shook his head again. There isn’t a cheesy way to say it. He reached his hand for the door knob when he heard shouts coming from inside the room.

At first he couldn’t make out the words they were saying, but it didn’t sound good. He leaned his head slightly trying to hear better. “...I’m tired of you lying about being in love with that asshole!” he heard a voice that sounded like Mike. Colby’s breath caught into his throat as his heart beat faster. He leaned his body closer to the door, trying to hear exactly what was happening.

“How many times do I have to tell you I’m not in love with Colby!” he heard from inside the door. He took a small step back, he stared blankly towards the door as he began to tune out everything around him. He felt his fist clenched tightly, he felt himself urging to punch something. Of course, he should’ve known. Y/N would never feel the same way.

He clenched his jaw as he quickly turned around and headed downstairs towards the main living area. He wasn’t going to cry, he wasn’t that type of guy; but he really wanted to burst into tears. He skipped quickly down the steps as he kept his head low. He quickly pushed passed a group of people crowding the bottom steps, he muttered an apology every time he shoved passed a group of people.

He entered the kitchen, reaching for a bottle of vodka and pouring way too much into his cup. He slammed the bottle of vodka down onto the counter as he quickly began to chuck down the large amount of alcohol. His fuzzy brain and the hurt he felt were clouding the disgusting taste of the liquor.

As soon as the cup was empty, he threw the cup across the kitchen. He cringed at the after taste. He rushed towards the sea of people in his living room in search of the same red head he’s been seeing all night. He was going to take her offer after all. He saw her leaning against a wall conversing with some girl he’s never met before.

Colby walked right up to her and rested his hand against the wall, he leaned his face close to hers and whispered, “Come with me, now,” he slowly dropped his hand and began walking towards the same stairs he walked earlier. The red head quickly followed after Colby, chugging her drink in the process.

It didn’t take them long to reach his room. As soon as they reached the room, their lips were locked. Yet Colby’s thoughts were consumed with Y/N, and what she had said. He was upset with her, Sam, Katrina, everyone. He was angry that he didn’t say something sooner. He wished he had said something sooner, maybe her feelings would be different. Colby lightly pushed Olivia down onto the bed, he quickly through his shirt over his head and tossed it to the floor.

He quickly climbed over her body, pressing his lips against her’s hard. He needed to clear his head, but this wasn’t working. If anything, it was making him feel worse. But he kept going, he watched her toss her crop top over her head as he began to press his lips to her stomach. He slowly trailed his lips quickly up her body towards her lips. They began to kiss sloppily, as they both were desperate for the touch.

Colby’s head shot up as he looked back behind him seeing Y/N standing in the doorway. “Y/N,” he mumbled, barely audible.

“Oh god, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” he heard her say as she quickly shut the door. He fell beside Olivia while shutting his eyes.

“Is that your girlfriend?” she asked, slightly offended. He shook his head out of instinct. It was a common question that was always asked about them both. “Then why are you stopping,” she mumbled as she reached her hand over and rested it onto his cheek pulling his head towards her. She pressed her lips against his hard. He reluctantly continued.

His mind the entire time was thinking about Y/N and why she was coming into his room, he wished he would’ve walked out. But he wasn’t in the right mindset and he knew that.

~~~

Colby lifted his head from his pillow as he heard his door being pushed open. A wide smile formed to his lips as he started to sit up more, “I thought you were hanging out with Mike tonight,” he whispered. She shrugged, shutting the door behind her as she quickly sat down on the end of the bed.

“I missed you, so I thought I would come say hi,” she whispered, her voice shaking as if she just got done crying. Colby quickly took notice of this as he motioned for her to come sit closer to him. She listened and crawled closer to him.

“Are you okay?” he whispered, keeping his gaze strictly on her. He noticed her puffy eyes that were obviously still trying to fill with tears. She pressed her lips together as she shook her head. She dropped her head lightly, taking a look at the ring on her finger. A gift from Mike.

“I think Mike’s going to break up with me.” Colby tried to hide the inner excitement he had, he raised his arm up and pulled her into a hug. She rested her head onto his shoulder.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered as he slowly ran his hand up and down her arm.

“I know you don’t mean that,” her tone fell sour. He furrowed his eyebrows as she lifted her head to meet his gaze. “I know you don’t like him, you never did.”

“Well yeah, but I know you love him and I don’t like seeing you get hurt,” he whispered, she forced a smile as she rested her head onto his shoulder again.

“I know,”

Take all of me; I’ll never give you away

[willowistic22]

Hey :)

For your post concerning Ikeshot - would you maybe consider writing an Ikeshot Soulmate AU during the canon era?

Thanks in advance

left this in my drafts for the whole month bcs i was doing no content november which was definitely not used as an excuse of me not wanting to fight off my writers block heheheheheheheh spoiler alert : it was. but i got around to write this one so i hope it suffice! i mean i hope so bcs it ended up being 2.5k words long lol! 

So pls enjoy my canon era ikeshot soulmate au! the concept is where soulmate marks are in the form of the first things your soulmate says to you when you guys meet. also ik this will kinda flop since it’s a rarepair but pls do your best to not let it flop :) 

Ike doesn’t like the thought of soulmates. Not one bit. Well, at first he liked the idea of having someone out there waiting for him. He doesn’t need a mark of any kind to tell him that. He knows it on his own terms. But there was a little bit of excitement that exploded in his stomach when his soulmate mark appeared on his forearm. And it was… weird to say the least. 

He got his mark a year earlier than his twin brother, right on their 13th birthday. A delicate black writing engraved in the skin of his forearm. The soulmate mark stories he has ever heard were about people with sweet sayings engraved in their skin. It was all romantic, innocent, and soft spoken words tread lightly by the lips of their lover to be. But Ike’s? It was downright strange. None of those sappy and sweet stuff people say when the subject is about soulmates. Which is why Ike never bothered showing it off. He has heard enough jokes from Mike about that text. 

And here’s the kicker for his situation: despite getting his soulmate mark a year earlier, Mike was somehow granted the gift of getting a sweet soulmate line and meeting his soulmate first! That really pissed Ike off. 

He’s left with his thoughts on that subject this evening, carefully holding up his forearm while he lies on the top bunk he and his brother call their own. The words on his forearm echoes inside of his brain as he strokes the ink on his skin, blocking out the loud Lower Manhattan lodging house. He’s bound to meet his soulmate eventually. He’s sixteen for crying out loud! Mike met his when they were fifteen. So this mysterious soulmate of his has to turn up any time now. They have to. Ike doesn’t know how much longer he can keep himself entertained with stringless flings and flirtings with random guys in secret. 

Ike sighs desperately, dropping both his arms above his head and onto his thin pillow. He wished he was tired enough to go to sleep already since he doesn’t have anything to do before the lights go out in the lodge. He peaks down towards the lower bunk. Ike sees his brother fast asleep, cuddled into his lover’s embrace. Two chests, rising and falling at their own different slow pace. 

It’s not that Ike ever had a problem with Mike’s soulmate, the only problem is that Ike hasn’t met his and constantly feels lonely with the presence of the couple. Ike didn’t believe his brother when he said his soulmate turned out to be Jo Jo. Not only is Jo Jo practically a total opposite of Mike, Jo Jo is also out of his league. There’s no way a kind hearted, properly brought up, bright smiled boy would end up with a scruffy idiot like his brother. But the more time he spends with the two, the more he sees how compatible they are with each other. 

Ike is happy that they found someone to make each other happy, even in their sleep. He’s just sad for himself that he hasn’t found the one for him yet. Third wheeling is the worst thing Ike has ever discovered in his life. 

He sits back up properly, letting both legs dangle freely down the bunk. Ike puts on his newsie cap and his vest that was left hanging on the bedpost before jumping down the bunk. 

Unfortunately he wasn’t being careful and accidentally woke someone below him from the loud thud his feet made when it came in contact with the old wooden floor of the lodge. 

“Where are you… going?” a voice groaned.

Ike turns his head towards the lower bunk to see Mike lifting his head up slightly from where it was resting, rubbing his eyes a little bit to enhance his vision. He’d sit up straight, but one of his hands is strapped down to the mattress by a certain head full of brown curls. 

“Not tired yet. Think I’ll get myself busy” Ike replied. Before turning back to his original direction, he catches his brother’s eyes before he lets himself fall back asleep again, “Got a pack?” 

Mike snorts to himself with an eye roll, but it ends with a low chuckle. He gestures his head towards his vest left hanging up high on the bedpost, “Check my vest. I’se think there’s still half in there” 

Untangling the vest from itself, Ike sees one of its pockets forming a rectangular shape through the fabric. He slips his hand in it and fishes out a pack of cigarettes. His hand doesn’t feel the usual light weight of the tiny box he usually feels after getting himself a fresh pack. This one feels so much lighter, like there’s a lot of room in it. But Ike could still feel a few stems moving inside. 

“Don’t finish the whole thing” Mike added. 

Ike simply smirks down at him, turning around with the pack in hand. He calls out, “No promises!” 

“Pay me back if you do finish it!” 

“Also no promises!” 

“Little shitter” 

Ike turns his head around, and an offended look on his face as the twins’ old inside joke has resurfaced from the past. In the calmest way possible, yet still obviously annoyed, Ike voices out, “Fuck off, alright?” 

“No promises!” 

Mike laughs at his brother’s obvious annoyance. At the same time, Jo Jo starts to stir in his sleep. He stops laughing, directing his full focus on the boy shifting in his arms. Jo Jo groans as he flips to face away from Mike, letting out a long and peaceful sigh once he gets comfortable. 

Ike watches as his brother lays back down, holding Jo Jo a little tighter than before. The couple is enveloped back by their slumber just like before. 

There’s that jealousy resurfacing in Ike’s heart as his eyes linger at the sight of the lower bunk. But despite it, he is actually happy to see Mike like this. Being happy with his soulmate doing whatever. It’s a different kind of happy. It’s the kind that Ike longs for. 

He pushes that thought away for a while, walking through the loud lodging house. Some newsies went to sleep earlier, somehow being able to ignore all the commotion caused by their friends. Some are also just hanging out with others while they wait for the lights to go out. 

Ike chooses to be alone this evening. Accompanied by a cigarette or two, and maybe his own thoughts he’d like to sort out. He’d walk out the front door downstairs to smoke in an alleyway, but he knows the downstairs are currently occupied. Jack had warned everyone to avoid going downstairs because the borough leaders are having a little meeting. 

So Ike decides on the fire escape, since it already leads directly to the alleyway. Ike slips out the window, instantly noticing the lovely evening air. His only view is a dull brick wall with trash scattered around the ground, but he doesn’t really mind as the street ambience makes him feel less lonely. 

He notes the fire escape being a little wet, since it previously did rain a bit. He nearly slipped when he first stepped on the metal bars, but was able to balance himself pretty quickly. 

But to no avail, his feet clumsily slips away from their grip on the fire escape. It sends him falling down with a loud yelp, passing through the little gap in the fencing reserved for the ladder and onto the concrete floor in the dirty alleyway. 

Ike was disoriented when he rose back up from his fall. One hand on the ground to help support his back as he recovers from the impact, and the other rubbing the pain on his head away. He realized the pack of cigarettes is long gone. What he doesn’t realize is why the fall isn’t as painful as he thought it would be. 

He glances over to his legs, which he realized just now that it was tangled with something else. Someone else. They were groaning in pain as they rose back up. He catches a glimpse of the face once it was finally lifted off the ground, smudge by a little bit of mud. 

Oh shit.

Ike fell on another boy who obviously looks like he’s twice his own size. Not that he thinks he can’t take him on in a fight if he asks for one, but right now he’s too disoriented to even figure out how to punch straight. He quickly gets up on his feet, giving the stranger some space so he can recollect himself. 

“Oh look, the universe has thrown me a little shitter from the sky to ruin the rest of my already shitty day! Is there anything you can possibly do to magically make it better?!”

The words were uttered as the stranger got back up on his feet, revealing himself to be a tall and muscled figure. The mud also got on a little strand of his dark brown hair and his eyes were squinted with fury. But Ike wasn’t focused on any physical features this stranger has. He’s more focused with the words that he uttered. Words that Ike knows by heart by now. 

“What?” The stranger growled, deep and raspy. He realized the boy was astonished by something, but was certain it isn’t in any form of fear. 

“Do you have any idea how much shit I get with that written on my hand?! It made me look like I’m a fuckin’ dumbass my whole life!” Ike started his little rant, a little bit of rage building up from the pits of his stomach, “Oh, but of course I’se stuck with a huge asshole that doesn’t know how to be a decent human being and give a guy a break!” 

The stranger stays completely still, lips slightly parted. 

“How do you think I feel with that?” 

He shows his soulmate mark on his right forearm to Ike. A smaller font size and a longer paragraph written on his skin. Ike almost wanted to laugh. 

“Hey!” 

The two boys turn their attention towards the sound. Just outside the alleyway, right on the sidewalk where the rest of the world is, three tall men stood. There isn’t enough light for either boys to identify who they are, but given from the vague shadow they can sense trouble. 

As the three men take a few steps closer, letting a little lamp stuck to the wall illuminate their figures, they reveal themselves as the bulls. 

The boys activated their flight instinct, running towards the other end of the alleyway. The bulls chased after them while telling them to stop. Ike, being the smaller one, runs ahead and leads the chase. Hopping from one sidewalk to the other, crossing the roads without looking. 

Jacobi’s deli came into view in the corner of the block, despite being unlit. Ike kept running towards that corner and took a sharp turn. He makes another sharp turn towards an alley, just next to the deli. He hides in a little corner the deli has created. He has gotten away from so many troubles by hiding in this ‘wall bump’ because people miss it easily. 

He was surprised to see a large figure stopping right next to where Ike was hiding, huffing out heavy breaths of exhaustion. Ike said nothing at first, thinking it’s one of the bulls. He simply watches the figure hunching over their knees, trying to recollect themselves from the chase. 

But after a few seconds, he realizes it was the same boy he just met at the alleyway. His soulmate. To that, he widens his eyes and gasps under his breath. 

Oh crap, if he keeps on standin’ there we’ll get caught! 

“Hey!” Ike whisper shouted. 

The boy was still disoriented from all that running, but he was still able to pick up the voice. 

He saw Ike hiding in the corner, but didn’t think much of it. To that, the smaller boy just rolled his eyes and grabbed him by his suspenders to pull him to the little corner to hide together. 

Ike peaked behind the little wall hiding them to see if the bulls that were chasing them had passed. Just as he suspected, they were clueless as to where they could be. The bulls went past the alleyway. Until Ike was sure that they’re gone, he lets out a relieved sigh and turns back to where he is.

He was surprised to be met by a chest, but soon remembered that he had another boy hiding with him. A very tall one. 

Ike looks up to his face. The details are much clearer now. Brown locks, strong jawline, brown eyes, ivory tinted face with a few smudges of ash and dirt. The face sculptured... so perfectly. 

Ike only realized this now. Staring up at it, taking in every detail before him. Cheeks a little heated up when his head realizes how close they’re being. Chest to chest and Ike is up against a wall. 

And the other boy… he stared back. Just as frozen and shocked as he is. 

“I-I didn’t catch your name earlier” Ike mustered up the last bit of concentration to get that out. 

“My friends call me Hotshot” 

“Hotshot…” Ike repeated, nodding along without getting his eyes off of him. 

“But… you can call me Tyler. Y-y’know if you… wanna use my real name” Hotshot said with a little awkward cough at the end. 

“Oh…”

Ike has no idea what’s happening right now. All he knows is there’s a cute guy right in front of his nose, who is his so called soulmate. They’re hiding in an alleyway, and neither seems to want to move away. They were both caught off guard by the beauty their eyes are being presented with in front of them. 

“I-I’m Ike, by the way…” Ike added on, realizing he hasn’t said his name yet, “It’s short for Isaac. Y’know, ‘cause my twin brother calls himself Mike and we wanted to-- y’know what? That’s too long to get into…” 

The two share a heartfelt laughter. Their hearts pumping faster than before, the other being able to feel it right through their chest. 

“So uhh… Ike…” Hotshot started, still staring down at the smaller boy, “About what I said earlier…” 

Ike started to laugh, remembering what he meant. 

“I’s want to apologize… is all” 

“Y-yeah, the same goes for me!” Ike added, “Well, I don’t know if we should even apologize. We were supposed to say that to each other anyways!” 

Another heartfelt laughter, sounding softer than the first one. It somehow made the moment even more serious as it slowly died down. Their gaze hasn’t left the other’s. Nor, does it seem like they want to in the first place. 

“Ike, can I… try somethin’?” Hotshot suddenly asked. 

Ike simply nods, not having any clue as to what he meant. The message behind that was soon cleared the moment Hotshot softly crashed his lips against his, pushing his head backwards and gently pinning it to the wall behind him. Ike moves his hands up to pull him by his suspenders. Hotshot brushes his finger on his jaw, angling him up for a better kiss. Their lips moved in sync perfectly and it felt good. Just like how they would picture a first kiss shared by a soulmate. 

[bylertruther]

he did sob, yes, but is that pertinent? don't we sometimes sob because we're overwhelmed, stressed, scared, or even happy? how do we know that was because of self-hatred? i think sobbing is a rather appropriate response when one decides to repackage their feelings for their best friend and the painting they've spent so much time on and care so much about as being wholly their sister's. i think it's also an appropriate response when someone you love happens to see you for who you really are despite all of your tireless hiding and tells you they love you unconditionally.

the duffers said that will wants to make himself understood, he wants to get this off his chest to those that he cares about. jonathan sees it and responds to it when they're alone, but mike doesn't because he doesn't understand. there is no one way to be or experience anything, but this is a character in a story and i personally just don't feel like those desires and his actions line up with someone who is experiencing shame. will is already a reserved character and we've seen him be ashamed or embarrassed of things before, like the mind flayer for instance, but he doesn't exhibit those behaviors now with this. he behaves more like someone that doesn't think his "crush" could ever return his feelings, which is in part why he pushes mike towards eleven. he doesn't tell mike, because he thinks he has no chance whatsoever. noah even says that himself, too, that his role this season was to essentially play someone in love with their best friend. if will is already such a sensitive and reserved character, would it really be like him to want to and unpromptedly divulge that which brings him shame or that which he hates?

i'm not saying that will is an out and proud lgbt icon strutting around in rainbow everything, not even in the safety of his mind. i also don't think that's realistic or accurate lol. i do, however, believe there's a difference between navigating a dangerous society and actually internalizing their hatred and turning it on yourself. given his actions throughout the show, i just don't feel like he holds that hate for himself or his sexuality. if he did, i struggle to understand then why he would lean into that part of himself more openly in an environment where he doesn't have to be the local fairy that got hate-crimed. i struggle to understand why he would want to tell mike, per the creators of this story, if that was something he was ashamed of. will has hidden things before. if he wanted to hide this, why hasn't he?

i guess i just feel like will being covert, aka being sensible and not suicidal, isn't a result of hatred that he's internalized in the I Hate Myself For Being Gay</3 way that this post was about. it's just survival instinct and wanting to live, no? that doesn't mean that he's ashamed of himself; it just means he has to play by society's rules if he wants to participate in it, just as everyone else does even if their rules are different. at the end of the day, he wants to love and be loved for who he is. he has never tried to tame that or snuff it out like some other characters (looking at you, mike) have. he lives as true to himself as he can in a society that can and would kill him for it if they had proof, seeing as how the people of hawkins thought his death/disappearance was a hatecrime. if he did actually hate that part of himself, then why would he honor it as much as he has even with all the pain it has and continues to cause him?

maybe we're just having a philosophical disagreement or i've misunderstood you, but i just have A Lot of feelings about how people mischaracterize (in my opinion) his bravery and strength as shame. the fact that he continues to be as he is without apology for it is an act of bravery that he commits every single day. just because he isn't throwing people around with his mind or shooting a gun doesn't mean that he isn't as brave and strong as some other characters. he fights every single day; it just looks different than everyone else's fight. and while shame is undoubtedly a social construct that obviously does not exist or arise in a vacuum, it feels unfair to say that people doing what they have to do to be safe and survive is a result of shame or hate turned inward In The Way That This Post Was Referencing. society needs shame, shame enforces the rules, and we need to abide by the rules if we want to live, but that doesn't mean that we have to believe in or accept that shame. people not endangering themselves and remaining covert isn't always due to shame, the same way that not everyone that's "in the closet" is in there because they're scared or not proud of their sexuality. everyone has their reasons and i just don't believe that will's are due to that. it isn't safe for him to be out as some people are today. that doesn't mean that he hates himself all the time for being gay. will's struggle has always been with how other people treat him: in season one he's bullied, in season two he's babied, in season three he's ignored, and in season four... well... he feels like his love is unrequited and reiterates that he's different as he has in past seasons, but at least he has his best friend that doesn't make him feel like a mistake at all and gives him the courage to fight on as well as his brother, so not all is lost. shame is a social construct, but i don't think he's the character to look to for internalized homophobia.

people who think will byers hates himself for being gay when will byers is one of the very few characters on the show that has refused to change himself to fit anyone else's idea of what he should be despite the fact that people, including his own father, have been harassing, bullying, and abusing him for it literally his entire fucking life are just...... so weird.

will's entire POINT is that he will survive and brave whatever you throw his way against all odds and come out on the other side of it still clutching on to his sense of self and hope that tomorrow will be a better day. the entire point of his character is that he loves what he loves without apology or shame.

he sings "that weird song he loves" in the middle of hell because it reminds him of his brother and offers him comfort in a place where there is none. he creates art because he loves it and doesn't care if it isn't something boys do, then he gifts it to his friends because he loves them and wants them to know it, too. he loves dnd and writes campaigns and dresses up for them because they bring him joy and he just wants to spend time with his friends even if they think they're "too cool" for it now.

he knows that sometimes it's harder than it should be to be gay in a homophobic society and has been harassed for that literally his entire fucking life it's LITERALLY how they introduce him to us not even twenty minutes into this fucking show and YET !!!!!!! he doesn't back away from that. ever.

he gets picked on for his clothes, but he doesn't change them. he gets called names, but he doesn't make any attempt to conform. his best friend, the boy that he's in love with and his very first friend ever, tells him it isn't his fault that he doesn't like girls and shamefully asks him if he really thought they were going to play games together in his basement for the rest of their lives and never get girlfriends, and what does will do?

he says yeah. i guess i did. i really did.

will faces all of that and goes to a new place where he has the golden opportunity of a clean slate, and what does he do? when assigned to do a presentation on his hero... he picks alan turing of all people. and when his brother later on tells him that he loves him no matter what, essentially giving him the It's Okay To Be Gay I Love You So Much And Always Will talk, still there is no denial on will's part here either.

will has NEVER, EVER denied being gay. he has NEVER tried to change that part of himself. he has ALWAYS stood tall and braved another day even when it was scary and hard. he has ALWAYS remained true to himself even though that has only ever made his life that much harder.

he said that sometimes he feels like a mistake for being so different from other people, but that being loved and accepted makes him feel like he isn't one at all and like he's better for being different and that gives him the courage to fight on.

literally what the fuck are you guys on about when you talk about will being self-hating for being gay. where is the canonical evidence for that? and more than that, why are you so keen on throwing away all of his acts of bravery and the sheer fucking strength of character that he's had since the very beginning? it would've been so much easier for him to conform, to be the "man" that everyone has always pushed him to be, but he doesn't ever do that. he stays true to himself no matter what. so, again, where the hell are these self-hating receipts?!