#argyle should end up with jonathan end of story

[rainingongallifrey]

I am going to say this as calmly as I can

@foreverautumn89

I AM SO MAD ALREADY AT THE DUFFERS AND S5 HASN"T EVEN STARTED. BECAUSE HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO SEE JARGYLE VS STONATAN OR JARGYLE VS JANCY WITHOUT ARGYLE THERE> WHAT DO THEY EXPECT US TO BELIEVE THAT ARGYLE COULD JUST GO BACK TO CALIFORNIA WITH THE GOVERMENT AFTER HIM? AND THAT HE JUST STOPPED LOVING JONATHAN AND DOESN"T CARE ABOUT TAKING CARE OF HIM AND WAITING ON JONATHAN"S PRINCESS ASS HAND AND FOOT ANYMORE LIKE HE WAS DOING IN S4? ALL ARGYLE DID WAS TAKE CARE OF JONATHAN AND LOVE AND SUPPORT HIM AND NOW THAT JUST STOPS? AND JONATHAN WAS HIS ONLY FRIEND SO NOW ARGYLE HAS NO ONE? ARGYLE JUST STOPPED BEING IN LOVE WITH HIM AND MAKING HIS ENTIRE PURPOSE REVOLVE AROUND LOVING JONATHAN. HEWENT BACK TO CALIFORNIA TO BATTLE THE GOVERMENT BY HIMSELF? IS THAT WHAT WE"RE SUPPOSED TO BELIEVE? ACTUALLY THAT DOES SOUND LIKE SOMETHING AWESOME THAT ARGYLE WOULD DO BUT THATS NOT THE POINT. THIS IS BS. WHAT IS EVEN THE POINT NOW? THAT DEBATE ALSO RELIED ON JARGYLE BEING PART OF THE EQUATION BUT NO THEY HAVE TO MESS THINGS UP BEFORE IT EVEN STARTS. JARGYLE WON THE DEBATE AND HOW IS THAT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN NOW WITH ARGYLE GONE.

PS I miss those debates too. We also need Jommy vs Stonathan or two of the other Jonathan ships. I want to do one with Samantha/Jonathan vs whichever ship but we didn't get to know Samantha or see her relationship with Jonathan unfold either. Another thing they messed up. Sorry about the rant just so annoyed and disappointed about no Argyle//Jargyle

[ladykailitha]

Spellbound Part 14

Here we are at the last chapter. I am so sad to see it end that I have decided I'm doing a sequel. I have three stories nearing the end and as soon as the second one is complete (whatever order that is in) I will start writing it.

It will be split into four parts. The town, Chrissy and Robin, Jonathan and Argyle, and Eddie and Steve.

In this we wrap up everything we didn't get to in the last chapter and Steve gets his well earned rest.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13

~

The next time Steve awoke, the house felt bigger somehow. He was lying in a bed in a bedroom that didn’t look like his own.

The colors were more muted for a start. It didn’t have the vibrant greens and yellows he was known for. It wasn’t the blacks, greys, and reds of Eddie’s style either, so he wasn’t sure what part of the house he actually was in.

He struggled to sit up and really look at the room. It felt like the front room with the wide open windows and the smell of flowers coming through them. The sunlight warmed his spot on the bed and he felt nothing but comfort.

Just then the door opened to see Eddie walking in with Morgana on his arm and Gawain around shoulders.

“Nice to see you awake again, sleepyhead,” Eddie teased. “Morgana told me you were awake, so I thought I’d bring her in to see you. She’s been very concerned.”

Steve held out his hand and she flew right to him.

He stroked her breast and she rubbed her beak on his cheek. “I’m sorry I worried you. But I used up more power in a day then I have used my whole life time. My body is still adjusting to the new power levels.”

She rubbed his cheek again and Steve let out a gasp.

“Oh!” he muttered. “I had forgotten that familiars help regulate power levels. I guess I got so used to Circe doing it for me all the time.”

Morgana croaked and Steve laughed. “I’m sure you’ll remind me of all sorts of things I’ve forgotten. You really are beautiful.”

She croaked again and nipped at his hair.

He grinned at her. “No, I mean it. You have such beautiful coloring.”

“Sorry to interrupt the love fest,” Eddie said with a grin, “but we should see if you well enough to go out into the front room.”

Steve threw off the blankets and moved to stand. And immediately he sat back down. “Oops.”

Eddie walked over to the bed and held out his hands. Morgana took flight and flew out the open door. Steve, now unburdened by the one pound bird could reach out for Eddie’s hands to stand on his feet.

Eddie stepped back and Steve stepped with him, soon they were at the door. Eddie turned around and slipped his arm around Steve’s waist and led him into the front room where it seemed a class of some sort was going on.

Robin, Max, and Chrissy sat around Jonathan and Argyle as the two men taught them about being a witch.

Jonathan spotted him first. “Ah ha! The hero awakens.”

They all turned to where Steve and Eddie were standing by the door and suddenly Steve was being hugged by all the girls.

“I’m glad you’re safe, dummy,” Robin murmured affectionately.

Steve was led over to a new big fluffy armchair that Bav had absolutely just created for him. “Please tell me that I wasn’t out for another week, I think I’d cry.”

Jonathan laughed. “That would be hilarious, but no. It’s only the evening of the day you woke up for the time.”

Steve let out a relieved sigh. “Oh thank god! I still feel like I’ve been punched in the chest over and over again.”

“The unfortunate side effect of losing your familiar, I’m afraid, my good sir!” Argyle explained. “Having the little lady nearby will help regain your balance, but it will be some time before you feel yourself again.”

“Speaking of familiars,” Steve asked, “how have they all been getting along?”

Robin snorted. “Merlin thought Jadis was a chew toy until she tapped his nose. But other than that, things have been fine. Bav is three times her normal size to accommodate everyone and is looking forward to things going back to something more like normal once you’re on your feet again.”

Steve rubbed his eyebrow. “Who’s all been staying here while I was out?”

Eddie started ticking them off on his fingers. “You’ve got your two apprentices, Max and Robin, me and Wayne, of course. Argyle and Jonathan, because Joyce is mad at Jonathan for not coming to get Will and taking him to his place. And Chrissy!”

Steve blinked at him for a moment trying to take in all the information. “First Jonathan, do I have to talk to your mom about a town wide fucking spell that clouded her mind, not yours?”

Jonathan burst out laughing. “Please do! She doesn’t seem to believe me even though she witnessed the destruction of the demon and its spell.”

“I’ll put it on my list of things to do,” Steve said sagely. “Next question, Chrissy, Robin’s true love, aside, what are you doing in my house?”

Chrissy winced.

“I told you he’d have a problem with it,” Max snarked. “She could have stayed with any number of the other houses in her acquaintance, just not this one.”

“But Eddie and Wayne is staying here!” Robin protested. “Why can Chrissy?”

Eddie pinched his nose and instantly Steve understood that this argument had been going on all week.

“Because, Robin...” Eddie said for what must have been the millionth time that week, “as centennial sorcerers, it’s literally painful to be apart now that we’ve touched. You know that isn’t the case with you and Chrissy.”

“Plus,” Argyle said with a grimace. “Bav hasn’t forgiven her yet and keeps moving stuff around on her.”

Robin flushed a dark red. She knew she was being ridiculous, but this was her true love...

Steve realized something and then looked around the room, hurriedly. “Hey, Bav, where did you put my clothes from the day of the battle?”

Eddie frowned. “What do you need, love?”

A little end table appeared at Steve’s elbow with the clothes. He went searching through it and pulled out the little amulet he found.

“Found it!” he called. “Chrissy, catch!” He tossed the amulet at her and she caught it deftly.

She opened her hands in confusion, then her face cleared. “Oh! You found it! I thought I had lost it forever.”

Robin peered over her shoulder. In Chrissy’s hand was an amulet very similar to the one Argyle had made for her.

“An amulet?” she asked looking up at Steve. “Where did you find that?”

“After the battle with Jason, I found it on the ground,” he said licking his lips. “Circe told me it was hers. This is what must have been protecting her from the controlling spell the Carvers put her under.”

Chrissy’s head shot up. “Oh! I thought it was just a locket my mother gave me before she passed away. I didn’t realize it was an amulet.”

“Why don’t tell us your story and see if we can’t get everything sorted out?” Steve urged her gently.

“I never knew my father and my mother sold crystals on the side of the road to help keep a roof over our head and food in our bellies,” she began.

“Her mother was a witch too?” Max huffed. “Is everyone a witch in this town?”

Eddie huffed out a laugh. “No, just descendants of them. I got looking into the nasty stuff the Carvers were up to and they picked Hawkins especially for its strong supernatural connection. If they could control Hawkins, the rest of the country would be easy by comparison.”

Steve pinched his nose. “I should have guessed. I think that’s why my mother sent me here to set up shop. For the same reason. Which ever side controlled Hawkins would control the country.”

“The townsfolk are calling for you to be mayor,” Wayne said, coming in from the back garden. “Pardon me for eavesdropping, but I thought it was relevant.”

Steve snorted. “I’m not going to be mayor thank you. I have enough trouble as it is without add a whole town’s worth of it.”

Argyle nodded sagely. “It should be someone who is both on the side of the ordinary and the supernatural. That way he or she would be fair.”

Everyone in the room turned to Wayne.

He blinked at them for a moment. “Why is everyone looking at me?”

They continued to stare.

“Oh no,” he muttered, waving his hands. “That would be a bad idea. I would make a mess of things.”

Robin half shrugged. “Can’t be any worse than a demon carrying immortal with designs on world domination.”

“Well,” he said with a huff of laughter, “I can’t argue with that. I’ll put my hat in the ring then.”

Steve smiled at him. “You’ll do a good job.” Then he turned to Chrissy. “Sorry about that, please go ahead and finish your story.”

“When I was about fifteen,” Chrissy said with a faint blush on her cheeks, “she got really sick and completely wasted away. She couldn’t eve keep food down toward the end. She wasn’t even cold in the ground when the Carvers arrived at the cottage with a writ saying that my father had turned over parental rights of me to them and that I would be their ward. I was told to call the Mayor Father.”

“I doubt that very much,” Steve murmured. “That your father handed over your rights to them, I mean. They probably didn’t even bother looking for him and just made up some random story to get what they wanted. Which unfortunately was you pregnant by Jason, then the mayor would assume Jason’s form and once a son was born, you’d be done away with.”

“Well,” Robin said wide-eyed. “That’s more frightening than I thought his plan would have been. Disgusting.”

“It really is vile,” Chrissy confirmed. “But since my birth my mother insisted I wear this amulet.” She held up the necklace Steve had returned to her. “Said it would protect me all my days.”

Steve nodded. “That’s why you were constantly able to slip their leash. The arrival at my cottage. The befriending Eddie. The ability to question them at all. And it was because of that amulet.”

The walls of the cottage turned a dark grey. Steve nodded.

“It’s still no excuse for how rude she was when she requested the love charm,” he said, glaring at her.

Chrissy ducked her head. “You’re right. I was rude and dismissive. I’m sorry. And while Robin lives here, it’s not her house. It’s yours. The only person who has the right to let me stay here is you.”

The walls lightened to a dove grey.

Steve snickered. “It appears Bav agrees. It will be a long time before I could trust you. I understand you were under the influence of a spell. But that spell merely kept you docile, your attitude was your own.” He turned to Morgana. “Hello, dearest. Would you be so kind as to send a message to Nona for me? Ask her if the Hendersons would be willing to house Chrissy until the dust settles?”

Morgana cawed, puffing out her chest proudly, before flying off.

“Max,” Steve asked. “Please would you ask Zoomer if Joyce would come here so that I can properly chastise her for blaming Jonathan about the redcap.”

Max grinned. “It would be our honor.”

Jonathan’s shoulders sagged in relief. “Thanks, Steve. I really appreciate you mediating this for me. I know you just woke up.”

Steve nodded. He turned to Robin who looked properly ashamed.

“I’m sorry, Steve,” she muttered. “I should have talked to someone else about having Chrissy house with them until we get her living sorted.”

“Actually,” Wayne said with a small smile. “I think I might have the obvious solution to that.”

Everyone turned to Wayne.

“If I’m to be mayor,” he said with a half shrug, “I’ll be living in that big house, and with Eddie living here, our cottage would be empty.”

Eddie blinked for a moment. “Oh! That would be perfect. With Robin about to pass her exam, she’s going to need a place of her own, but something nearby so Max can still be taught reading and writing. Her and Chrissy can have it.”

“Oh!” Chrissy said, wide-eyed. “That would be perfect! I wouldn’t change a thing! I love the little Gothic feel it has!”

The tension in Eddie’s spine loosened at that. “Yes, thank you!”

Steve frowned and started counting off on his fingers. “Okay, so we’ve Chrissy and Robin sorted. The thing with Joyce and Jonathan to be sorted soon. Wayne as mayor. Eddie living here with me and Max. Is there anything left to sort out?”

Everyone looked around at each other.

“Billy is on the mend,” Max said with a grin. “And a master carpenter reached out to train him enough to past the master’s test so he can keep the shop.”

“That’s good to hear,” Steve said sadly. It was hard that Billy had to kill Tommy, but he was glad that the boy would be just fine. “Anything else?”

Eddie smiled down at his love. “No, sweetheart, that’s about it.”

“Yep,” Wayne said with a smile. “With the townsfolk regaining their memories about the supernatural, the good goolies and beasties are making a comeback. There is color in the town now. I’d say you deserve the rest.”

Steve looked around at his found family and smiled. Yeah, he had a lot to be grateful for.

Eddie slipped into the chair and it lengthened into a love seat, so they could cuddle.

He smiled up at his house and sighed. “Thanks, Bav.”

~

Tag List: COMPLETED

1- @niniel-karenine @watermelonmite @zerokrox-blog @sadisticaltarts @dolphincliffs

2- @gregre369 @cryptid-system @kultiras @kimsnooks @maya-custodios-dionach

3- @goodolefashionedloverboi @val-from-lawrence @carlyv @wonderland-girl143-blog @bookbinderbitch

4- @bookworm0690 @forgottenkanji @dreamercec @blondie1006 @yikes-a-bee

5- @awkwardgravity1 @oopsallgender @fearieshadow @stedestielfrattficlover @dragonmama76

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7- @tinyplanet95 @ravenfrog @swimmingbirdrunningrock @gutterflower77 @just-a-tiny-void

8- @w1ll0wtr33 @beelze-the-bubkiss @wheneverfeasible @micheledawn1975 @gloomysoup

9- @dotdot-wierdlife @tartarusknight @ollyxar @yesdangerpls @two-vampires-kissing

10- @themoonagainstmers @estrellami-1 @steddieislife

[lexirosewrites]

Some Marijuana thoughts on this fine 4/20

I think it's rlly hard to get away with having weed on u in omegaverse bc I mean tht stuff smells strong to ur average real world human nose, imagine trying to get weed passed ur parents or a cop when everyone has such a strong sense of smell they can all pick out individual notes of a person's natural musk

Because of this I theorize A!Eddie would sell out of the back his van upon occasion & since he already has a scent just left of marijuana he has managed to get away w carrying a joint or 2 on his person from time to time

The busiest time for his drug dealing is obviously the days leading up to tht most sacred of pothead holidays April 20th especially because he refuses to sell anything or meet up w anyone for a deal the day of. Because here's the thing barely anyone knows: Eddie's birthday is April 20th

Usually he'll wake up day of as late as he wants & if Wayne isn't working they have a late pancake breakfast but if Wayne is working the old man always leaves a covered plate of pancakes just for Eddie. Then from there Eddie will either spend the day w Wayne or take himself out somewhere w his hard earned drug money. If Wayne isn't working the old man will even share half a joint w Eddie at 4:20pm, otherwise Eddie will usually find one or all of the Corroded Coffin guys.

...

April 20th 1987 however finds Eddie in a farmhouse not far from the Byers old place (which is just a short drive from the Hopper-Byers newly renovated cabin) paid for courtesy of Uncle Sam. Eddie had missed his 21st because he'd been in a medically induced coma till the end of May 1986.

Vecna was dead, Max hadn't died temporarily but still lost much of her vision & mobility, the Byers family moved back, & Jim Hopper was chief of police again thanks to government goons fabricating a story abt him going undercover for them. Eddie got all charges dropped, was exonerated, & even got a formal apology from both the police department & the mayor. The feds had to do little to spin a good cover story, what w Nancy Wheeler kicking off his alibi managing to implicate the now dead Jason Carver & a fictitious Pennhurst escapee as a team of killers. She'd played into the weird devil worshipping hysteria currently gripping the country & a small(ish) towns need for the occasional tragedy.

Wayne had used up all of his sick & vacation time sitting by Eddie's bedside then helping Eddie relearn how to move his body, the alpha could tell the old beta felt guilty abt missing his 22nd birthday but Eddie reassured him he'd b fine. Sure the band was bust what w all of the guys families practically flying them all out of Hawkins after the earthquake but Eddie mentioned the classmates tht had kept him safe while he was on the run.

Wayne seemed mollified & it didn't matter Eddie had no plans to call up any sort of last minute birthday celebration.

He rlly should have known better. Especially when it came to Steve Harrington, Robin Buckley, Jonathan Byers, Argyle Garcia, & Nancy Wheeler. The other older members of the group had all wormed their way into helping Eddie in one way or another; Nancy all but threatened the principal w one of her guns to get him his diploma, Robin rambled at him when music only made his hands shake worse, Argyle shared his stash of stellar California weed, Jon was good at sitting quietly when Eddie needed company without noise, and Steve... the omega was almost always there helping & Eddie's alpha instincts were starting to get the wrong idea. Steve helped Eddie w his physical therapy when Wayne had to start going back to work, he cooked the pair of Munson bachelor's dinner more than three times a week, and he even did chores a guest in their new home shouldn't have to. Eddie wanted to croon & chirp & purr all over Steve.

Eddie Munson was falling in love with Steve Harrington & it was the easiest thing he'd ever done, easier than blinking.

Morning of April 20th 1987 dawned upon an Eddie Munson who was bolting awake from a nightmare he immediately couldn't recall beyond the feeling of unease pounding through his body. His bedside clock read 6am on the dot.

He wallowed for a moment before the need to use the bathroom was unavoidable, he grabbed his cane (he thought he'd need the wheelchair or the walker everyday, but nope only needed for bad days) & made his way to the bathroom at the end of the short hallway only to hear the sounds of someone in the kitchen. Then talking voices so multiple someone were in his kitchen. A few laughs ring out & just like tht Eddie knew who was in his house.

He made his way into archway to the kitchen to find Steve cooking pancakes so perfect they belonged in a diner, B!Robin was apparently designated the chocolate chip sprinkling squire, B!Jonathan was using a new polaroid camera Steve had gotten him for Christmas to document the breakfast brigade, & A!Nancy was at the kitchen table with A!Argyle rolling what looked like number 8 in a small but quickly growing line up of joints. There seemed to be some sort of system tht organized the weed.

The excited chirp Nancy let out when she was the first to notice Eddie got everyone's attention & Jonathan snapped a polaroid of him leaning against the archway gobsmacked.

Then the air was full of explanations of how exactly the entire young adults crew had gotten to Hawkins; Argyle & Jon had driven from San Francisco with bags of California weed hidden within the van, Nancy had driven from Boston since before the sun came up, Robin & Steve lived down the road in a little yellow & blue house they jointly bought w hard earned hush money. Throughout all of the tales was a common thread: Steve had known Eddie was going to likely b alone all day on his 22nd birthday & had contacted the remaining 3 young adults.

Eddie was no longer falling, he was fully in love with Steve Harrington.

(Part 1 of 2?)

Eddie’s bday being on 4/20 is both hilarious and so sad??😭

[miwiheroes]

Dropping Byler Evidence Every (Other) Day Until Season 5

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁ Day 31: The Painting is Chekhov's Gun . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁

Sorry for not doing one of these in like.... a really long time lmao I've just been writing fics really hahaha

Anyways I'm back to talk about 'Chekhov's Gun' and how it relates to the Painting in S4. In summary, this basically means that the lie about the painting can't not pay off. There is no way that the painting conversation will go unanswered, or the writers would kind of be making a bad decision, leaving the story unsatisfying. It is a dangling plot, a introduced plot point that can't go unanswered.

So what is 'Chekhov's Gun'?

In short terms, this is the principle that any detail in a story should serve a purpose in the overall narrative to fulfil the viewer/reader's expectations. This basically encourages writers not to make false promises in their narrative by including random details that seem important, keeping the audience on the edge of their seats, but with no payoff.

This literary device has actually been used in Stranger Things a lot already. There are so so many examples, but some examples I can think of include:

Will coughs up slugs in the sink at the end of Season 1 -> D'art appears in Season 2 and the Demodogs are grown from this.

Will falls off his bike and the camera lingers on this when he goes missing -> Hopper and the police find his bike and bring it to Joyce.

Hopper says that falling off the quarry into the water will kill you -> Will's 'body' is found there and Mike later jumps off.

Argyle talks to Jonathan about taking 'Purple Palm Tree Delight' -> They use the same thing to distract the SBP guy when they're trying to commandeer the store.

Max draws her and Lucas in the Creel House -> Drawing is later seen in the hospital.

Eddie says that he wants to be a hero -> ends up being called a hero and dies one.

This is just some. Notice how all of these cause a shift to the plot.

Already in this scene, the Chekhov is gunning, the painting which we have constantly been shown during the whole season is finally being revealed to Mike. Which means the gun goes off in that respect. But, another gun is introduced:

Will's Lie - the painting is from 'El' not him.

This lie needs to be revealed. This would be the case in any other show. But in Stranger Things??? The show where El's lie about her friends is revealed to Mike and Will criticises her for lying??? The show which has its main slogan as Friends don't lie????

But didn't Will's painting pay off in the Love Monologue Scene?

No, because Mike still holds the disbelief that this was about El. That's my first point which should convince you, but also:

There are consequences to Will's lie of course -> Mike ends up being called 'The Heart' by Will in a crucial moment, which causes him to say I love you to El. This could not have happened without the van scene between him and Will. It's kind of insane that the only reason Mike feels like he can say I love you to her is because of a LIE. Will has no idea what El really feels.

So now we've established that this scene has it's impact as a lie, we must also see how it can have impact once the truth is revealed:

EITHER:

Mike finds out that Will's painting is a lie but it doesn't change his feelings for El. They stay together and Will accepts that Mike doesn't love him back.

OR Mike finds out that Will's painting is a lie and confronts what this means for the way that he told El he loved her. Mike and Will, despite the reasons for Will's lying (that he's given up on Mike loving him back), end up together.

Scenario one cannot happen because it will not change a thing. The plot will not change or shift.

If the 'gun' in this case actually fires, why would this mean things stay the same?

Mileven's relationship was doomed the moment Mike was motivated by a lie to confess. It automatically makes his words inauthentic and not strong enough because they aren't coming from him. It heavily involves the second love interest's feelings, which would be very strange not to address. The writers have done this lie thing before:

Jonathan told Nancy that Steve took her home - to make her feel more secure in their relationship instead of telling the truth.

Said selfless love interest ends up with the person they wanted. Because writing it this way makes the second love interest look more deserving of the love from the person in the middle. It's pretty simple. They are the one shown to give up so much for them. The writers made the choice to have Will be the one to constantly reassure Mike about his troubles and insecurities. They made him the one to make him feel confident again and give him the exact love that he wants -> to be needed.

Mileven has been shown not to understand each other in this way - El explicitly says that Mike doesn't understand her and she no longer acknowledges that he was bullied.

Will knew that Mike was feeling worthless so he emphasised that he was a leader and protector that inspired and guided everyone. And Mike clearly loved hearing all of that! He was completely enamoured in this scene, and no one can argue against that right? Even if it was just because of the words, they're still Will's feelings!

Mike felt insecure in his relationship, it makes him feel like he's not needed anymore, but Will was able to get rid of that with a single painting and a half-confession about his own feelings. It is a very obvious way of showing the contrast between 2 love interests.

Basically, the painting was a plot device, but not to fix Mileven's relationship at all. Lots of Bylers thought that at first, but that's the thing. It's supposed to seem that way at first. Instead, it is actually a way of fooling you and setting up Mileven's inevitable downfall and Byler getting together. There is no other way of satisfyingly resolving this plotline.

People may come up with other reasons, but that's not because they are plausible reasons, it's just because people don't want Byler.

[shessofineliterallyhitmewithacar]

got any steddie headcanons?

oooh love this question!

steve where’s hearing aids from all the head trauma

when they were little kids they’d always find themselves getting picked up by hopper and chatting away in the back of the police truck together - steve cause he was always left alone at home, so he’d just end up roaming a random street or playground by himself, and hopper would pick him up to drop him home (he keeps watch on him now), and eddie cause he would always be up to mischief with bugs and mud, and cause of his background local mums would always report him, so hopper would also just pick him up to keep him out of harms way - i love this hc so much i can’t explain it

steve reads lotr for eddie

they adopt the stray cat from the trailer park

they were friends as kids but drifted apart

i really like the au where steve becomes an outcast following s2 and eddie’s gang adopts him, i see a lot of fic adaptations of this and i love itt

after gareth got his hand broken by jason carver steve fills in for him in the band, because he learnt how to play when he was younger to let out his pent up stress

steve “forgets” to give eddie back his battle jacket, but eddie just doesn’t ask for it back, in the hopes steve one day comes out wearing it

steve automatically assumes the party knows that he’s bi and never really like came out, just made fruity as fuck comments frequently, except the party just takes it as a joke and only robin really knows just cause of all of steve’s rants to her

when eddie and steve were kids they played basketball together all the time, but when eddie tried out for the highschool team and got rejected for being a ‘freak’ he became super against it, steve didn’t know this and just thought he grew out of it, it’s a big shock to him when he’s a freshman, new to the team, and watches sophmore eddie get up on the table preaching about how lame the sport is

i also love love love the au where they all meet up at starcourt in s3 and go through all the shit just the 3 of them

they get blazed with argyle and jonathan

steve never swims at his pool but likes to go to the beach with the whole party. they always make it a big day out, all packing in an rv that they rent each summer for camping and roadtrips. steve wears teeny yellow board shorts that give eddie a nose bleed, eddie wears red reasonably lengthed board shorts with black bats on them, robin wears a yellow bikini with sunflowers but usually wears a blue baggy shirt over the top depending on how populated the beach is (it’s usually not really, they find quiet places so she doesn’t bother) and green board shorts, nancy wears a pastel pink bikini and her hair in a claw clip, jon wears green board shorts, argyle wears blue ones with pink donuts and a hawaiian shit (he sometimes forgets to take it off before getting into the water), i can’t be fucked to write out the kids clothes but i’m sure u can imagine

whenever dustin complains that they should just use steve’s pool eddie hits him up the side of the head lightly, takes of dustin’s hat and puts it on the kids face

steve gets into ice hockey

eddie and steve do eachother matching stick and poke

whenever they all go camping the kids have 2 big tents and they connect the doors so they’re all together. the older kids just pair off in twos (steddie, ronance, jargyle (not necessarily ships if u don’t want)). they always have a big bonfire where they roast marshmallows and tell scary stories (although none really scare them after the shit they went thriugh). the kids go to their big tent earlier in the night, leaving the older kids to drink and smoke and almost always play truth or dare, which usually means someone ends up skinny dipping in the nearby creek (which they all then join cause they’re drunk and it looks fun)

steve has a go at eddie a bit after the upside down about all the shit with lucas and the basketball finals, eddie realises he fucked up and apologises, the 3 of them end up playing horse out the front of steves house

i can’t really think of anymore but this was fun

i love getting asks so don’t hesitate to drop some questions about me or my fandoms in the box!

sorry about spelling mistakes but it’s late, i’m tired, and can’t be fucked to read over it and fix it lol

[hbyrde36]

Steddie | R: Explicit (for eventual smut) | WC:4541 | Ch 1/8 | AO3

Chapter 1: Ghost of Yesterday

Two days after they failed to defeat Vecna, after Max died and came back, after Eddie died—and didn’t. Two days after they were forced to leave his body behind in the Upside Down because everything had gone to shit, a bright yellow pizza delivery van that looked like it’d been through its own apocalypse pulled into the Wheeler's driveway.

Jonathan, Mike, Will, and El finally made it home to Hawkins with the help of a friend.

On day three, Max woke up. 

She’d have a long road to recovery, but the doctors seemed fairly confident she’d walk again. Though, no one could be sure how much of her eyesight would return, if any. The same day, in a twist no one saw coming, Joyce showed up, fresh off a plane from Alaska after escaping Russia—yes, Russia—with a miraculously alive and mostly well Jim Hopper. 

And four days after the world both did and then didn’t end, the ghost of Eddie Munson appeared in Steve’s living room.

The kids and older teens, including the newest member of the doomsday squad, Argyle, were having an off-the-books meeting. After everything they’d done and been through, the so-called ‘adults’ were attempting to pull their same old shit, trying to sideline the younger set for their own, supposed, safety. 

Steve sort-of agreed about Dustin and the others, they were still too young and had already lost so much, but if Hopper, Joyce, and whoever the hell else thought they were going to bench him? They had another think coming, and he was pretty sure Robin, Nancy, and Jonathan felt the same way too.

But, whether he agreed or not, what he wouldn’t do was stop the kids from helping to come up with a plan. Because damned if he knew what the hell they should do next. 

Dustin leaned forward from his spot on the couch wedged between Erica and Will, steepling his fingers together in front of him. “So let me test my understanding. You set him on fire, and shot him—multiple times. He fell out of a third story window, and he just went… poof? Vanished without a trace?”

There was a collective groan from the room, everyone except for Lucas and El who were at the hospital sitting with Max, and of course Dustin himself. 

Robin rolled her eyes. “Oh my god, yes, Dustin. How many times do we have to go over this?”

 “I’m just laying out the facts!” Dustin snapped back. “Clearly we got something wrong here. We underestimated Vecna, and by a lot.”

 “And how is repeating our obvious failure helpful?” Nancy asked, a little defensively. 

Steve understood the attitude, he'd also been wresting with his guilt since that fateful night.

“The scientific method!” Dustin answered with a bit of the same slightly forced cheerfulness he'd been displaying ever since Max woke up. He held up a hand, ticking each step off on his fingers as he spoke. “Question, research, hypothesis, experiment, data analysis, conclusion.” 

“I got a question—“ Erica pursed her lips, giving Dustin such intense side-eye Steve wondered if it was actually painful. “Why are you such a nerd?”

Dustin sighed, as though it were everyone else annoying him instead of the other way around. “The question is—if Vecna is just a guy with powers like El, how could he have survived this long in the Upside Down? What’s keeping him alive?”

Okay, fine. Attitude or not, Steve hadn’t really thought about it but maybe the kid had a point. 

“The hive mind!” Robin offered up.

“Possibly.” Dustin nodded to her. ”Probably. So, what does that tell us?”

Erica crossed her arms, leaning back heavily into the couch. “I don’t know Mr. Clarke, you wanna share your thoughts with the class?”

“I didn’t say I had all the answers.”

“That’s a first,” Robin mumbled. 

“I’m just trying to get us brainstorming here!”

A flutter of movement pulled Steve’s admittedly already drifting attention away from discussion at hand. Something in the corner, the air there shifting and bending strangely, a little like the way heat shimmers off a sun drenched black top. He watched through his periphery, not daring to actually turn his head to look as a familiar figure materialized there. 

Fuck.

Though he looked confused and disoriented at first, it wasn’t long before the long-haired apparition tried approaching one of them.

Steve swallowed hard, his throat growing painfully tight. He fought to keep his face neutral as the ghost raised a hand in front of Dustin's face, calling the boy's name loudly before moving on to Erica, then Nancy—and Steve panicked, knowing he had to do something before the figure tried the same with him. 

“Water,” he muttered, mainly to Robin as he rose and bumped her shoulder. She was the only one really paying attention to him anyway, while the others still argued the physics and limitations of the alternate dimension. 

Steve fled for the relative quiet and safety of his kitchen. He just needed a minute alone to get his shit together, but he should have expected the phantom footfalls that followed him across the tile floor to the cabinet. 

As he took out a tall glass with shaking hands, the ghost hopped up to sit on the counter just beside him and started talking to himself.

“What the hell does a guy gotta do to get a little attention, huh?” The figure held up his slightly transparent hands in front of his own face, turning them over and back again. “I-I’m kinda freaking out here.”

Under the show of irritation he sounded sad, and a little terrified.

“They can’t see you,” Steve muttered softly, regretting it the second the words passed his lips. 

He knew better than to engage with ghosts. 

Since the moment he’d first shown signs of the gift, he’d been taught by his late grandfather to leave the spirit world be, and mind his own goddamn business.

He’d only broken the rules one other time, about a month or so after they learned the full truth of what happened to Barb and he’d seen her essence lurking around his pool at night. That experience had only served to further prove the old man’s point. 

Nothing good ever came from acknowledging the dead. 

But this was Eddie. 

They’d fought together, bled together. Eddie was his–his ally, his compatriot, his friend. 

And towards the end there Steve was even starting to think that maybe… maybe one day they could be more, if he ever got up the courage to flirt back.

Not that it mattered now.

“No shit, Harrington!” Eddie spat. “I’ve been waving my hands in front of their faces, screaming Dustin's name at the top of my lungs and getting jack squat back in return. I mean what the fu—”

With a sad little smile Steve turned, finally looking straight at the other boy just in time to see his eyes go impossibly wide. 

“Wait—holy shit! Harrington, does this mean you can see me?!”

Steve winced, grimacing at the sheer volume of Eddie's voice. “And hear you, unfortunately.”

Who knew the loudest guy he’d ever met would be even louder in death. 

Actually, that tracked. 

“Steve?” Robin’s voice filtered in as she called out to him from the other room.

Steve took a deep breath, locking eyes with the adorably confused looking ghost haunting his kitchen as he shouted back to her. “Yeah?” He raised a hand to his head, rubbing at the bridge of his nose just as Robin appeared in the doorway. 

“What are you up to in here?” She asked.

“Oh, just…” Steve trailed off, trying and failing not to track Eddie’s movements as he hopped down off the counter and began to stalk towards Robin, a determined, mischievous glint in his eye. 

“ …talking to myself.”

Her eyebrows furrowed in concern. “You okay?”

“Are you okay she asks,” Eddie grumbled, tipping his head mockingly from side to side. “Pfft—I’m the one who’s invisible. Why isn’t anyone asking if I’m okay?”

“Um,” Steve fought to keep a level expression and not laugh, even as Eddie blew wet raspberries and made increasingly silly faces inches from an oblivious Robin’s nose. “No, actually. I think I might have a migraine coming on,” he lied.

“You want me to get everyone to leave?” She asked.

Yes, good plan! 

In fairness he wasn’t exactly feeling his best. He was exhausted. It had been a long few days.

A long… week and a half? 

Years. 

It had been a long few years.

And he needed some time alone with Eddie, to talk.

“That'd be great, yeah. Thanks, Rob.”

“Sure thing. Why don't you go get in bed with your eye mask on, and I'll bring water and painkillers up?”

“Oooh,” Eddie crooned. “His majesty sleeps with an eye mask? Fancy.”

Ugh, why were all of Steve’s favorite people such fucking smartasses? He glared at Eddie before he could stop himself. Which meant he was staring daggers at a blank wall right now, right in front of Robin, leaving her looking more concerned than ever. 

Shit. 

He should have known she’d wanna stay behind and take care of him. 

“I—um, t-that’s okay,” Steve stuttered out. “M-maybe you should just go on home too.”

Her face fell.

Hacking and wheezing, he forced a fake coughing fit in her direction, only barely covering his mouth with his hand.

“Very convincing,” Eddie commented with clear sarcasm.

Robin wrinkled her nose, recoiling like the germaphobe Steve knew and loved.

“Sorry, I think I'm coming down with a cold or something actually. You should get out while you still can.”

Robin bit at her lip, looking mildly dubious, but eventually she nodded. “Fine. Just promise you’ll call me if it gets any worse, or if you need anything?”

“I promise.”

While everyone cleared out, Steve hid in the kitchen, finally getting that drink of water he so desperately needed—his throat was on fire now that he thought about it—and splashed some more cold water from the sink on his face for good measure.

“You sure you’re not actually coming down with something?” Eddie asked, sitting back up on his perch on the counter. “You don’t look so hot.”

“I’m fine,” Steve said with practiced ease, though his head was beginning to throb a bit. Maybe that migraine thing wasn’t as much of a lie as he’d thought.

With the house now safely empty of prying eyes and ears, he ventured back out into the living room, with Eddie hovering along behind, and locked the deadbolt on the front door before plopping down hard on the couch, letting his head rest against the back of it.

“Okay, so what’s the plan?” Eddie asked, pacing back and forth along the floor in front of him.

Steve let his head loll to one side. “Plan?”

Eddie groaned, stopping in his tracks to throw his head up to the ceiling. “Why couldn’t it be Henderson who can see me.”

Okay, rude.

“A plan, y'know?” Eddie went on. “To get me back? To get me out of the Upside Down or whatever purgatory I'm currently languishing in?”

Steve could only stare at him blankly for a moment as the words sank in. “Eddie—” he began hesitantly, sitting up straight.

“What? Don't tell me you’ve all given up on me already?”

Oh.

Oh, no.

Steve had heard about this, how sometimes spirits don’t realize they’ve passed on, but surely Eddie had to know. What other possible explanation could he have for suddenly becoming invisible and incorporeal? 

“Eddie, what is it you think is happening here, exactly?” He asked, praying he was wrong but bracing himself for the worst. How on earth do you go about telling someone you care about that they’re dead?

“Well, clearly I–I'm…” Eddie sputtered haughtily for a moment before looking away. “I'm not sure. I’ve been separated from my body somehow, obviously. S-so It’s gotta be some weird Vecna shit, right? And uh, you can hear me and see me b-because… because we both got bit by the bats and it gave us, like, our own little freaky hive-mind type… thing?” 

He sounded less and less sure as he went on, and Steve’s heart ached for him. He remembered the bats attacking him part, but not the dying part. That just seemed cruel.

“Eddie, um,” Steve cleared his throat, rubbing his hands together nervously. “I don’t know how to tell you this but you… you died.”

“Bullshit,” Eddie snorted.

“I’m sorry, but it’s true. We came back from the Creel house and you…” Steve paused, struggling for a second to force his words past the sudden lump in his throat. “Dustin was sitting there with your—”.

“No.” Eddie shook his head roughly. “No–no, because, if I'm dead… then how is it you can see me? Huh?! Explain that!” 

“It runs in my family. My dad doesn't have the gift but my grandfather was able to see ghosts, and his father before that.”

“Suuure, Harrington,” Eddie’s mouth twisted into a wry smile. “So—not only am I supposed to believe that I'm dead, but also that you’re descended from some long line of ghost whisperers? Is this a joke to you?! I’m in dire need of–of fucking rescue, and you’re over here trying to fuck with me? Not cool, man. Not cool.”

Steve stood, almost reaching out as he itched to comfort the other boy in some way, but he knew well that it was pointless. “I’m not, I swear I'm not messing with you. I know it’s not what you want to hear, and I'm so sorry but I'm telling you the truth. Dustin, he—” Steve’s voice cracked. “You didn’t have a pulse, Eddie.”

“Stop it!” Eddie snapped.

“I’m sorry, really. I–”

“I said stop!” 

With a choked off sob Eddie moved to shove him away, only to stumble when his hands found nothing solid, or rather, as Eddie’s ghostly and very not solid form passed right through Steve’s body.

Steve held his breath as he waited for it, the sensation of being doused in a bucket of ice water, the spine tingling, creepy crawly thing he’d felt the only other time he’d let a ghost near enough to touch.

But this was nothing like that. 

Eddie felt… warm. And while Steve still shivered it wasn’t because the failed touch had been bad or painful. Quite the opposite, actually. He was left with a pleasant buzzing in his core, the initial warmth lingering, wrapping around him like an embrace before fading slowly.

Maybe all spirits were different. Maybe Barb had felt cold because she’d hated him, because it was his pool she died in—his fault she was out there in the first place.

But Eddie was…

Oh shit—Eddie. 

Steve spun to find him on the floor with his knees pulled up, hugging them to his chest, his huge brown eyes shining with unshed tears. 

Could ghosts cry?

Steve knelt down next to him, biting back a wince as the movement pulled at the bandages hiding beneath his shirt. He’d need to change those again tonight, they felt tacky with dried blood.

Eddie's voice shook when he finally spoke again. “I’m—dead?’

Steve bowed his head in a solemn nod. He would have given anything in that moment to be able to wrap his arms around Eddie.

“T-the bats?”

“There were just too many of them,” Steve explained. “It looked like you put up a hell of a fight, but I think you bled out.”

“My uncle, Wayne, do you know if he—” Eddie trailed off, worrying his bottom lip.

“Dustin talked to him. He couldn't risk telling him everything, but he gave him your guitar pick, and told him you were a hero. That you died a hero.”

Eddie barked a wet laugh, shaking his head.

“It’s the truth," Steve said, hoping his tone left no room for doubt. "If you hadn't distracted them we never would have made it into that attic. And If you hadn’t led them away when you did…” He didn’t need to say it, they both knew Dustin could—and likely would—have been hurt or worse, and those things would have gone through the gate and into the right side up.

It was exactly what Steve would have done too, had their roles been reversed.

“How long has it been?” Eddie asked, quietly.

“Three? No–no, four days.”

“And Vecna?”

“Down, but not out. We wounded him for sure but he got away. That's why everyone was here tonight.”

“Okay,” Eddie blew out a long breath, rubbing hard at his eyes. “What happens now? Do you like, help me find the light or something?” His eyes darted around as though some doorway or portal might appear right there in the living room. “Or maybe I'm going the other way. I can think of a few reasons the big guy might not let me upstairs, but what do I know, maybe self-sacrifice gets you a free pass?”

“I don’t know.”

“What do you mean, you don’t know? Isn’t this your legacy or whatever?”

“I’ve never done,” Steve waved a hand, gesturing between the two of them. “This before. I was taught to ignore the dead. Pretend I can't see them just like everyone else and let them go about their business.”

“How come?”

“Grandfather said if you get too involved, if the dead find out you can see them they’ll never leave you alone. That it’s dangerous. The dead linger for a lot of reasons, but the most common are unfinished business and revenge. Lots of angry spirits out there according to the Harrington journals.”

Eddie tilted his head thoughtfully. “Am I really the first ghost you’ve ever talked to?”

Steve thought of Barb again, the way her face had morphed into a rage-filled mask when he revealed he’d been able to see her all along, but he pushed it forcefully out of his mind.

And lied.

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

“I just told you, my grandfather—”

“No,” Eddie cut in. “I mean why, after a lifetime of ignoring ghosts, did you choose to acknowledge me?”

“B-because, you’re—“ Steve faltered, not knowing quite how to put it into words. He wasn’t sure even he totally understood. Yes he’d started developing a crush on the guy, but it was more than that. They had a connection, Steve felt it, even if Eddie didn’t. And maybe it was normal—inevitable even, when you get thrown into this shit together. But whether it was all just trauma bonding or something more, Steve couldn’t deny the pull.

“You’re—” he tried to say again as he pushed himself to his feet, only to double over, sucking air through his teeth as the dull pain in his sides turned searing and sharp.

“Steve?” Eddie shot up as he spoke, sounding worried.

“‘M fine,” Steve grit out, managing to straighten his posture without another outburst. “Jus' tired.”

Eddie raised a single eyebrow, but thankfully didn’t argue, silently following Steve as he headed for the staircase and began to climb.

Of course, this was Eddie, so he was only capable of being silent for so long.

“Hey, how come I can’t touch you, but I can walk up the stairs?” 

“I don’t know,” Steve huffed out, breath stuttering as he neared the top landing. 

Just a few more steps.

“Do you think I could, like, sit on a couch, or—or lay in a bed?” Eddie asked.

“I don’t know,” Steve repeated, trying not to sound as annoyed and in pain as he felt. He just had to make it to his room, get these stupid wounds cleaned and then he could pass out for a few hours. Maybe then he’d be able to answer questions and figure out what to do about all this. 

“What if I—”

“Eddie!” Steve barked from the top step, whirling to face him. He nearly lost his balance before catching himself with a hand on the wall. His sides were screaming at him and the throbbing in his head was getting worse too. “I really don’t know any more than you do. I don’t know all the ins and outs, or why things work the way they work.  Can you please just give it a rest for a minute?”

Eddie wilted, dropping his gaze to his feet. “Sorry.”

Fuck.

“No,” Steve sighed. ”No, I'm sorry, I shouldn’t be… y’know, when you’re—”

“Dead?!” Eddie snapped, raising his head again. He looked hurt.

“Sorry.” Steve sucked his lip between his teeth.

“Whatever.”

“Eddie—”

Eddie stomped past him and into the upstairs hallway. “Spare me the pity party. It doesn’t matter anyway. I’m telling you, if I was dead, I'd know it.”

Steve opened his mouth to argue but snapped it shut again without another word. He didn’t have the energy, and If that was what Eddie needed to believe for now to get through this, then who was he to tell him what to think? It wouldn’t change the facts but if it made him feel better, what was the harm?

Somehow Eddie had guessed the right door. He waited, leaning up against the opposite wall and very deliberately didn’t look at Steve as he walked over, and pushed into his bedroom. 

Steve went right through to the bathroom to get this over with, not bothering to close the door behind him, assuming Eddie would be able to walk right through anyway if he wanted to.

Eddie did follow, still silently brooding as he found another piece of wall to hold up.

Steve ignored him for now, he felt awful but he’d try to apologize again later once the other boy had calmed down, and carefully peeled his shirt off as he stood in front of the mirror. 

The bandages at his sides looked gnarly and gross. He’d bled again, and it looked like there was something yellow seeping into the huge squares of gauze too. He turned his body to the side, looking over his shoulder to see how the road rash on his back was doing. It looked better than the front, but that wasn’t saying much. The skin around the wide scrapes was red and inflamed. He couldn’t cover those on his own and could really only clean them in the shower, but they were shallow at least and would eventually heal on their own, he figured. 

A quiet gasp reminded him of his audience, and a quick glance over through the mirror showed Eddie staring at his torso with wide eyes.

“It looks worse than it is,” Steve said quietly, quickly looking away. Which wasn’t exactly true but the last thing he needed right now was another person trying to force him to go to the hospital. 

He knew some first aid. 

It was fine.

Turning back to face the sink, Steve ran water over a washcloth and held it to each of his dressings to soak them off. The air stung when it finally hit the wounds, as though they'd been freshly opened, and, sure enough, there was definitely some pus seeping from the edges.

No problem. He’d just have to clean them extra thoroughly.

Gritting his teeth, Steve poured a hefty amount of peroxide on a new clean washcloth and began to gently pat his right side. 

The pain was instant and excruciating. 

Bile rose in his throat, a cold sweat breaking out across his body as the world around him swam. Steve swayed on his feet, dropping the cloth to the ground as he himself began to fall. 

A sudden warmth at his back, and strong hands wrapping around his chest were the only thing that kept him on his feet. Carefully avoiding the worst of his wounds, Eddie had caught him, holding the bulk of his weight until the spinning in his head stopped.

The moment Steve could stand on his own again Eddie jumped back as though he’d been burned.

Steve’s eyes snapped up, locking with Eddie’s in their reflections as he realized with a start what had just happened.

“How?” He whispered. He could still feel the imprint of Eddie’s hands where they had cradled him to his chest. He’d felt so… real, so solid, so—alive for that handful of seconds. 

“I-I don't know!” Eddie said, a little too loud in the small space. “I didn’t even think, or-or like, I forgot that I couldn't. I saw you about to go down and I didn't want you to hurt yourself.”

“I didn’t think it was possible." Steve took a step towards him. "You should try to do that again.”

Eddie tucked his hands behind his back, moving as far away as he could without actually leaving the room. “Don't we have more important things to worry about? Like maybe getting you to a hospital?”

“No.” Steve shook his head. “I told you, it looks worse than it is.”

It was abundantly clear that Eddie didn’t believe him, but something about the accidental touch had freaked him out enough that he let it go.

As quickly as he could, Steve finished cleaning the ruined expanse of his stomach and got both sides wrapped in fresh bandages, managing to do so without nearly fainting this time, and threw a clean t-shirt on to hide the evidence. Hopefully that would stop Eddie looking at him with those big brown fucking sad worried eyes of his. 

Out of sight, out of mind, and all that. 

As much as he liked Eddie’s attention on him, these weren’t exactly the circumstances he would have hoped for.

Steve shut the lights off, and climbed into bed, pulling the covers up to his chin.

“We should try it again,” Steve mumbled through a long drawn-out yawn.

Eddie laughed softly from his corner hiding spot. “What was that, big boy?”

Steve wished he’d try to join him on the bed, but didn’t know how to ask. He untangled one of his arms from the sheets, reaching a hand out in Eddie’s direction. “Touch me?” 

The room was dark, and it could have been that Steve was a little delirious but he was pretty sure a light blush crept over Eddie's cheeks as he took a step closer, his own ringed hand outstretched.

The sight set off butterflies fluttering in his stomach.

Steve waited to feel the tips of their fingers brush, was desperate to feel Eddie’s touch again if he was honest, but it was no use, Eddie’s long digits passed right through.

“Maybe we have to–” Steve interrupted himself with another deep yawn. His body still ached but now that he was tucked in and warm in his bed, it was getting hard to fight the inevitable. 

“Just go to sleep, man,” Eddie said, his lips quirking into a small crooked smile. “It's not like I'm going anywhere.”

It should have been awkward, or weird to know someone would be there all night, lurking around while he slept, but as Steve drifted off he felt safer than he had in a long time, oddly comforted by the fact that Eddie would be there watching over him, even if he was just a ghost.

Chapter 2: This Haunted House Is Not A Home

Thanks as always to @penny00dreadful for being the best beta and an absolutely amazing cheerleader!

Permanent taglist(open): @penny00dreadful @pearynice @hitlikehammers @bookworm0690 @wonderland-girl143-blog 

@goodolefashionedloverboi @themagicalari @awkwardgravity1 @rocknrollsalad

Fic taglist (open): @sidekick-hero

[foreverautumn89]

One thing you should know is that Steve spoils the hell out of Jonathan whenever he can. Yes Steve's parents are rich but he works at the video store so Steve doesn't have a lot of money, but the little money he does have, he uses it to take Jonathan out or get him gifts.

His lack of money doesn't stop him from trying to spoil Jonathan. Even though Jonathan usually pays for himself because he doesn't feel right when he doesn't, but over the years of being together hes allowed Steve to pay for him more because Steve likes to give him gifts like that. Steve gives him all sorts of gifts. Sometimes its taking Jonathan out on an 'adventure' and other times its actual gifts. Steve knows that Jonathan isn't like the majority of girls he dated before.

Jonathan doesn't expect Steve to spend his money on him and Jonathan likes gifts that are from the heart which don't always require money. Jonathan doesn't like some generic gift like chocolates or flowers, but gifts that show you really know the person and want to give them something that will truly make them happy. And most of the time time that doesn't require money to give Jonathan something special and make him happy.

Jonathan is just as happy when they go walking through the woods holding hands and hanging out by the lake. Jonathan is just as happy when they don't go out anywhere and just stay in and cuddle and watch a movie Steve sitting up right while Jonathan is cuddling with him, his head resting against Steve's chest while Steve has his arms wrapped around him. Or even when they stay in listening to music in Jonathan's room with the window open the breeze softly drifting in as they smoke and playfully argue about music.

But then there are times where they save up their money or Steve's parents treat them and they go out on adventures that do cost money like to the water parks, amusements parks, Christmas light shows [Jonathan loves lights especially Christmas lights], haunted houses ext ext... They just love seeing and trying new things together a different haunted house than last year for example.

They want to explore and see everything try new things/explore new places/live their lives to the fullest and they always make the most of it when they do and have fun being a couple and being free from the people of Hawkins for hours. This is why they usually end up sneaking away and making out somewhere when they go out. Free from anyone from Hawkins seeing them. Well...except for the kids who always find them and look amused yet unimpressed with their shenanigans as if they're the parents in this situation because they're done with the cotton candy or treat that one of them bought now and want to go explore. And except for any friends they bring with them like for example Argyle Eddie and Robin who were supposed to be watching the kids and look just as amused finding them like that.

.

to be continued. this isn't a story but rather a bunch of headcanons that were in drafts that keep getting away from me and trying to turn itself into a story. I meant to get Stonathan stuff posted for years and never write it down. So this is me trying to change that. I realized that I have so much Stonathan content going on in my head all the time 24/7 and none of you know about any of it really. The Stonathan I have going on in my head is so advanced and a long term established relationship and there is so much to tell you and yet none of you know cause I don't post it. I usually try to perfect things before I post them but if I keep doing that these will never see the light of day. So its not always going to be great entries but I figured its better than me not doing it at all and trying to play catch up later when its too late.. Expect delivery to be very slow though because I have so much going on...

[thefreakandthehair]

@eddiemonth prompt, oct 4th: Rejection | Arsonist’s Lullaby - Hozier | Lost a/n: pre-steddie post-s4, angst with soft, happy ending because I'm a marshmallow. un-betaed because I'm challenging myself to write these in under an hour. read on ao3 | link to series on ao3

All Eddie Munson has ever wanted to do is play music. 

That’s it. There are other hobbies, of course, other things that bring him joy– D&D, fantasy novels, art– but ever since he was a kid, whenever a teacher would ask what he wants to be when he grows up, it’s always the same answer. 

I wanna play music. 

As a kid, it seems less daunting. He just has to practice, he just has to play, he just has to have the passion to make it big. To be the next Kirk Hammett, or Eddie Van Halen, or Ozzy Osbourne if he can teach himself to carry a tune. 

Making friends is hard, but he manages to find a few in middle school who can play the instruments he can’t– drums, bass. Eddie takes the role of frontman, not exactly a singer still but he’s charismatic enough to get away with it at their school talent show.

High school comes, and Corroded Coffin is revamped. New vibe, new members. He’s older now, a little more jaded with each rejection. 

No one wants their EP, recorded by hand in Gareth’s garage onto cheap cassette tapes. 

No venue will let them play, and Eddie knows that it’s probably because they’re in high school but hadn’t The Cure started in high school? 

No one believes in them, trying to push them– especially Eddie– to consider more successful careers, safer paths. 

But eventually, they book a regular gig at The Hideout and Eddie’s certain this is it. This is their big break. Until they play week after week, staring at the same five plastered faces every Tuesday. If they can prove themselves though, the owner will have to let them play on a Friday or Saturday.

He never does. 

The final nail in the proverbial coffin comes after Eddie’s final senior year. Being accused of murder should have beefed up his credibility if nothing else– he’s already been traumatized, terrorized, and hunted like a goddamn dog, nevermind almost killed via hoard of angry mutant bats. Surely, he’ll catch at least one break. 

And then the owner at The Hideout tells him he can’t play there anymore. 

The hoards of people who still blame him for Chrissy Cunningham’s death are too much for him to manage himself and, in his words, Eddie’s driving away good business. His heart shatters, his breath catches, and Eddie leaves without a word because if he were to try to speak, all that would come out is either an enraged scream or a choked sob and Eddie doesn’t want to risk either. 

He drives around aimlessly for an unknown amount of time, just circles around the outskirts of Hawkins. Maybe I’ll just leave, he thinks. Indianapolis might be far enough. Maybe Chicago. Fuck it, maybe Argyle and Jonathan can put me up for awhile in California. Eddie wants to go somewhere that makes him forget just how lost he is, how unwanted and forgotten he’s become. Being the social pariah is only fun when he’s making speeches on cafeteria tables, not when it boots him out of his one and only career path. 

Somehow, he ends up in Loch Nora. He can’t face Wayne right now, he doesn’t want to bother Robin or Nancy, he’s already let Jeff, Gareth, and Freak down in the worst way imaginable, and if he goes to his mom’s or Chrissy’s tombstones with one more sob story, he’s afraid they’ll start haunting him. Steve’s become a friend over the last year or so it makes sense. Process of elimination and all of that. 

He doesn’t have the mental bandwidth to realize that he’d started driving that way before he ruled everyone else out. 

Steve welcomes him like he always does and offers him a beer, sitting with him in companionable silence on the couch as they watch Monty Python and The Holy Grail and laugh at the same parts. Eddie knows Steve can see that he’s upset but instead of asking questions Eddie isn’t ready to answer, he just sits a little closer with their thighs touching and one arm strewn over the back of the couch, just barely grazing Eddie’s shoulder. 

The movie ends and Steve moves to switch the tape when Eddie finally speaks up. 

“The Hideout kicked us out. Can’t play there anymore.” 

Eddie sees Steve freeze from behind before turning, his eyebrows knitted together above his nose. “Are you fucking serious?” 

He nods and sighs, lifting one hand to chew on this thumbnail as he looks at the wall beyond Steve. 

“That’s bullshit, dude. Why? Because of the protestors or whatever?” 

He nods again. 

“Want me to go down there? I’ve still got my bat around here somewhere. It might be nice to swing at something that’s not trying to like, eat me.” 

Eddie huffs a small laugh through his nose and meets Steve’s eyes, their righteous anger blending with his own as he sees Steve cross his arms over his chest. It’s hard not to stare. 

 “Well, then at least I wouldn’t be the only guy in this town wanted for murder.” 

Steve shakes his head and just chooses another movie, Howard the Duck this time, before returning to his spot on the couch. It’s one of Eddie’s favorite movies but he can’t focus to save his life because Steve is even closer now, his arm draped fully across Eddie’s shoulders and creating a space for Eddie to easily just… rest. So he does. 

The title sequence starts and Eddie’s head drops to the side, resting on Steve’s shoulder. It’s one of his favorites but he can’t follow the plot to save his life. All he can focus on is the way Steve’s fingers trace symptoms and shapes against the cotton of his tee shirt, and the steady rise and fall of his chest, and the feeling of Steve’s head leaning against the top of his. 

“I had a new song and everything,” Eddie whispers, surprising both himself and Steve. 

Steve hums and tightens his arm around Eddie’s shoulders, a ghost of a hug. “Play it for me sometime?”

All Eddie Munson has ever wanted to do is play music. And maybe he still can.

[hellfirenacht]

Upside Down to Inside Out Part 1

Summary: It has been four months since anyone has heard from Eddie 'The Freak' Munson. After the Events of the Upside Down, he skips town, leaving you to reflect on the fallout and how your relationship changed during the battle for Hawkins.

Tags: Eddie Munson x Reader, angst, drug use, sfw, friends to lovers

No one had seen Eddie ‘the Freak’ Munson for months. 

After the events in the Upside Down, where he, Dustin, and yourself had created a distraction for the Demobats to allow the rest of the team to do what was needed to kill Vecna/Henry/One, everything had happened in a blur. No one talked about that night, how everyone almost died, how the world almost ended, how Eddie had cleared his name but still was seen as a murderer. 

The official story was that Eddie had been kidnapped by whoever had actually killed Chrissy and the others. The official story made Chrissy out to be some sort of druggie, which pissed everyone off, not least of all Eddie. The official story had Eddie locked up and tortured by some boogie man who had sacrificed others. 

If the whole thing hadn’t been so traumatizing, it would almost be funny how close the papers got it right. 

It was September now, and you hadn’t heard a word from Eddie in months. You’d called him so many times, even showing up at his home to try and find him. Eventually, Wayne Munson had to tell you that he wasn’t there, and that he’d packed up his guitar, his cassettes, and his clothes and left town just days after being discharged from the hospital. 

Eddie ‘the Banished’ had retreated for the last time. 

You were glad that none of the kids were there to see you completely break down over this. No, instead it was Johnathan Byers and Argyle of all people who had been witness to your downfall. You barely knew them, had never talked to Johnathan much in school and Argyle... never went back to California. You never did ask about what his parents must have thought. 

They had been the one to drive you to Forest Hills Trailer Park when your car broke down. They had been the ones to hear Wayne explain that Eddie had skipped town. It was Johnathan’s idea to take you out to an old dump with a shitty golf club from the local thrift store to help you take your anger and frustration out on a broken washing machine. 

You swung the golf club with all your might at the poor appliance. Screaming profanities, yelling at Eddie, and cursing this town that never gave him a chance. 

“FUCK!” you screamed as the golf club swung down with a clang. “Stupid- He fucking LEFT!” Another swing. “He said... he wouldn’t run away again!” Another swing as hot tears stung your eyes. “Stupid shithead- stupid FUCK.”

You had long since stopped making sense of your yelling as Johnathan and Argyle just watched you. Everything was just wrong. How the hell did you save the world and still feel like you lost everything?! It wasn’t fair, you were supposed to have cleared his name, the town was supposed to love him now the same way that you-

Another feral scream ripped through your throat as you slammed the golf club down for a final time, snapping the cheap metal and denting the appliance. You fell to your knees in a heap, sobbing uncontrollably into the dirt. 

Argyle was the one to step in, sitting you up and sticking something in your mouth and telling you to breathe in. The joint burned your throat and only reminded you more of Eddie as you coughed out smoke. Someone was rubbing your back as you cried, you couldn’t tell who at this point. You should have been embarrassed to be having this complete breakdown in front of two people you barely knew, but you couldn’t help it. 

You weren’t sure how long you were sitting on the ground with the two men. You had mostly gotten your breathing under control, and you weren’t sure if the joint that was being passed between the three of you was doing you any good. 

“So... you were close with Eddie?” Jonathan asked, once he decided that you had calmed down enough to talk. 

“I... I thought we were.” you said. “I really thought so.”

“Come on, if anyone can get Eddie to move Hellfire it’s you!” Mike pleaded. “It’s the final session and then it’s over!”

You looked at the two freshmen before you and sighed. You agreed with them, you fully agreed with everything they were saying. You wanted Lucas there, you wanted everyone there for this. It wouldn’t feel right that the campaign would end without the whole of Hellfire Club there. 

And you had some sway over Eddie, not much but some. He was your friend, the one who had singled you out and dragged you into the club. He was the one who gave you a place to belong in Hawkins, and the only person you had opened up to about things in your past. This was the same man who when you said you had a passing interest in Metal music, he’d come to school the next day with a mix tape of his favorite songs, with a track list of why they were significant to the genre. 

Eddie was your friend, and none of the others could ever truly bring themselves to stand up to him the way you did. You weren’t afraid to poke at him when he was being stubborn, you weren’t afraid to fight with him, or call him out. That’s why he liked you, if he was honest. You were never afraid or nervous around Eddie Munson. 

Well, not to his face. 

“I won’t make any promises, but I’ll try. Maybe three people voting to postpone will make him at least think about it.” you finally agree. 

Dustin and Mike were satisfied with that as you all looked over at the normal Hellfire Club table. 

“Shit, he seems really revved up today.” Dustin said, watching as Eddie laughed about something in the magazine he was holding. 

“He’s always revved up.” said Mike, who looked just as nervous. 

“Welp, time to go ruin his day.” You said with a deep breath and a laugh. “Business as usual.”

That at least made the freshmen laugh a little bit as you led the way towards the club, dropping your lunchbox on the table next to Eddie. You were creating a barrier between him and Dustin and Mike, just in case. Not that Eddie would ever actually hurt anyone. Okay, yeah he wasn’t afraid to get handsy and grab onto club members and push them around a little but there was never any true malicious intent. 

But if you were going to be the one with any actual sway over his decision, then you had to be the one sitting closest to him. 

“‘Sup, Freaks.” you said dropping down in the chair, forcing Zack to scoot over. Gareth rolled his eyes at you, as usual. He never did seem to care for you, but it didn’t matter to you that much. 

Eddie barely acknowledged you until you opened your lunch box and tossed him an extra sandwich. It stressed you out how little he always brought, and you made sure to never make a big deal about it, and he didn’t question. Eddie grabbed the bag and took a bite out of the sandwich, and you could almost laugh at his expression. He was frowning so hard, and he was clearly in some sort of mood. 

“Exactly.” Eddie said, looking at you as he swallowed. “We’re the freaks here right? Just because we like to play a fantasy game.”

Oh no, he was in one of those moods. You immediately grabbed your lunch and scooted it back; you’d already lost more than one sandwich to Eddie’s speeches in the few months that you’d been here. Oh, this was going to be much harder than you thought it’d be. 

“BUT” Eddie slammed the table with his hand and started to stand up. You couldn’t stop yourself from laughing as he climbed up on the table- how many times had he managed to stand on these tables without getting in trouble? How many teachers had just given up at this point and let him go for it knowing it would only take a moment of everyone’s time? 

Still, you never got tired of it. You never got tired of his energy and passion, how he meant every single word he said, even if it pissed everyone else off or annoyed them. The whole school thought that he would snap one day, and you assumed that’s why most people stayed away from Hellfire. This club came with a certain level of protection against bullies, no doubt thanks to Eddie’s antics. 

“As long as you're into band!” Eddie yelled out, walking along the table. You had heard him say this exact thing hundreds of times before in private that you could almost say it word for word; wait, had that been him rehearsing for this? “Or science, or paaarrrtieeess-” 

He was gaining attention now, a few people looking up and flipping him off or muttering about the freak standing and yelling on the lunchroom table again. 

“Or a GAME where you toss BALLS into LAUNDRY BASKETS!” He yelled even louder. 

Shit. You looked over at Dustin and Mike with a sigh. Oh, he was NOT going to be happy about your proposal. You were now also glad that you had bought your supply off of him a few days ago so that he couldn’t hold that over your head. He has absolutely refused to sell you weed before, or at least delayed it by a few days because you two had gotten into some spat but he always ended up selling to you when you made up. 

A few people were yelling at Eddie now, and he threw up his hands and hissed at someone. You shook your head, God he was dramatic. But you loved that about him, if you were honest. Eddie was refreshing in a sea of normalcy. It was part of the reason you felt-

“It’s forced conforming.” Eddie declared as he walked back down the table and jumped off, getting into some poor girl's face who stumbled back into a pillar. “That’s what's killing the kids!” He took a seat again. “That’s the real monster.”

You readjusted your lunch and gave him a polite round of applause, with Mike and Dustin also following when they saw your face. Flattery worked on Eddie, of course it did. Eddie was a DM, so that meant he had some form of God-Complex and any form of stroking his dumb ego could only help. 

“So, uh, speaking of monsters...” Dustin started. Eddie was eating his sandwich again and his eyes had narrowed. Eddie always had a sixth sense when some form of bullshit was about to happen, and he could already tell that he wasn’t going to like whatever it was that this kid was going to say. 

“Lucas has to do his, uh, balls-in-laundry-baskets game.” Dustin laughed nervously, trying so hard to remain calm and casual. “So... He’s not gonna make it to Hellfire tonight. And I know there’s no way we can beat your sadistic campaign without him. So, me and Mike, we were talking, shooting the shit. And we were thinking that maybe we might...”

“Postpone!” Mike said, not letting Dustin get to the point. That’s probably not how you would have handled this situation, but it was out there. 

The table immediately delved into chaos as your friends immediately started fighting with the freshmen. 

“Postpone?!”

“You can’t just drop this on us!”

“Over my dead body!”

“SHUT UP!” Everything came to a halt with the club and you all looked at Eddie. He leaned over and looked at Dustin. “Are you saying that Sinclair’s been taken in by the dark side?”

In the off season, it had been easy for Lucas to ‘play the field’ between Basketball and Hellfire. With Hellfire on Fridays and practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the kid had been able to mostly get by playing both games. He never talked about one extra-curricular with the other, knowing that neither group of friends would care about the other. 

Then Spring semester started, and Basketball season started ramping up as the Hawkins Tigers started winning games. Lucas was still benched, but he couldn’t skip games, not without losing the chance to actually play. This had been causing friction for a few months now, with Lucas skipping Hellfire and everyone needing to find a sub for the game instead of, maybe, Eddie adjusting the dungeons and encounters accordingly. But Eddie would always be Eddie, and he was a stubborn, sadistic DM. 

“Uh, something like that?” Mike mumbled. 

“Something like that?” Eddie threw a piece of crushed pretzel that he had been eating at the freshman, which you barely dodged by leaning back. 

“Jesus, Eds.” you mumbled. 

He waved you off. “And rather than find a sub for him, you want... you want to postpone ‘The Cult of Vecna’?” You could practically hear Eddie grinding his teeth, and his shoulders were shaking. 

“I... I don’t want to postpone it.-” Mike started and you had to step in. This was not getting anywhere. 

“Yes, Eddie, we want to postpone the game” you said firmly, sitting up straighter. He looked at you, jaw agape and eyes wide as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. 

“Are you serious?” he asked. “This is the final session of the campaign-”

“And this is the Championship game!” you shot back. 

“You’ve got to be shitting me.” Jeff said. 

“So we’re supposed to just postpone because Lucas has to go play with his balls?” Gareth added. 

“ENOUGH” Eddie said, his eyes were now trained on you. You did your best to stand your ground. “So it’s the championship game?” 

“Most of the subs will be there-” Mike started, but a sharp look from Eddie had him shrink back before wide brown eyes turned back to you. Freshmen he could handle, but you could be just as stubborn as him when it mattered. You and Eddie always challenged each other, and most times it was fun to get under each other's skin, but this wasn’t playful banter about a dice roll this time. 

“Can I level with you three?” Eddie asked, his eyes sweeping over you, Dustin, and Mike. He stood up and you wondered if he was capable of sitting down when he had something to say. Even during Hellfire he’d be more than happy to hop up and lean over the table, walk around and get in everyone’s faces. 

You’d called him a theater kid once and that had almost caused a fist fight between you two. It was totally worth it. 

He pointed at the members across from you.  "Jeff graduates this year. Gareth’s got, what? A year and a half? Me, I am army-crawling my way toward a D in Ms. O’Donnell’s.” There was a fire in his eyes now, and he was practically vibrating as he walked around the table. “If I don’t blow her final, I’m gonna walk that stage next month, I’m gonna look Principal Higgins dead in the eye, I’m gonna flip him the bird, I’m gonna snatch that diploma, and I’m gonna run like hell outta here!”

If you heard this speech once, you heard it a million times, and it still got to you each time. This wasn’t exactly your first senior year either. You and Eddie had tried several times to study together, to try and get your shit together enough to graduate, but it didn’t work. You both were far too easily distracted when around each other and it ended up doing more harm than good. Both of you were right at the finish line now, him needing three more credits and you needing two now. 

“Didn’t you say that last year?” asked Gareth. 

“And the year before that?” Jeff added. 

“Yeah, yeah and I was full of shit. This year’s different. This year is my year. I can feel it. ‘86, baby!” His smile could light up this whole town, and you felt yourself falter for just a moment as he made his way behind you three. “And with us finally getting out of this hellhole,” his hand fell heavy on your shoulder and gave it a squeeze before he looked at Mike and Dustin. “It means you boys are the future of Hellfire. I knew it the moment I saw you. You sat on that table right over there, looking like... looking like two little lost sheep. You were wearing a Weird Al t-shirt, which I thought was brave.” 

You had thought it was cool. 

“Thank you.” Dustin said, unsure how to take that. 

“Mike, you were wearing whatever shit your mommy bought you from the goddamn Gap.” Eddie continued. Okay so this was Eddie’s plan, ignore your protests to focus on the freshmen. Everyone at the table was laughing now, and you were losing this argument. 

That’s when you stood up, now standing above him as he was squatting by Mike and Dustin. For just a second you had the high ground. 

“Actually Munson, can I level with you?” you asked, looking down at him. He raised and eyebrow and slowly stood up as you crossed your arms. He had a few inches on you and he stepped just a bit closer. 

“Mom and dad are fighting again.” you heard Zach mutter under his breath. 

“Speak.” Eddie’s voice was low and dangerous and you had to smother the small insistent voice in your head that it was, perhaps, a little bit attractive when he was like this. 

This was not the fucking time.

“We’ve all been working our ass off with this campaign.” you said. “You’ve put us through hell and back and we’ve all fought to get to this point. You want to split the party Eddie? You want to do this during the final battle? Shit, Eds, it’s the last session! What happens after this? A few one shots until the semester is over-”

“There’s no guarantee that you’ll all fight and win. You might have to retreat.” Eddie interrupted. 

“If that’s the case then we retreat as a team!” you shot back. “Lucas is our friend, and yeah he hasn’t been around much this semester. But are you really about to throw that away just because you’re so stubborn that you won’t postpone this one time?!”

Eddie stared down at you as the rest of Hellfire held their breath. 

“I have poured my blood, swear, and tears into this campaign.” he said. 

“I know, and it shows! This is probably the best table I’ve ever played at but if we can’t end this together then what’s the point?” You straightened up. “We should go to the game.”

“Are you joking?!” Jeff asked. 

“Why would we do that?!”

“Because Lucas is our friend, Dipshits!” you turned to the club. “After he basically carried your sorry ass last semester, I would have thought better of all of you.”

“Okay mom.” Zack grumbled. 

“You’re grounded.” you snapped and turned to Eddie. “Eddie. You’re not unreasonable. Postpone the game, even by a single day. We have all of spring break to get together and finish this. You worked so hard on this campaign and we all worked hard to play it with the respect it deserves-”

“Didn’t you interrupt a villain monologue three weeks ago to talk shit about the wine at the cult gathering?” Gareth asked. 

“Okay, so that’s- shut up, Gareth.” And you’d do it again just to make Eddie roll for stupid details like that. “The point is, we should want everyone there. This is your year, yeah? You’re gonna throw away a player because you can’t wait to have everyone together?”

Eddie’s shoulders slumped and he rubbed down his face. There was a look of defeat that you held your breath for. He turned to the rest of club. 

“And what say the rest of you?” he asked, looking around the table. 

“At this point I don’t care when we play as long as we play.” Jeff said. “Sinclair’s tried to be around as much as he can for us and yeah, last year he was a big help.” 

“I’ll concede if it means they stop fighting.” Zack said. “Just get a divorce already.” 

“We can’t, we’re staying together for the kids.” you nudged Eddie, who looked like he couldn’t tell if he wanted to be annoyed or amused. He just shook his head. 

“Gareth?” he asked. 

Everyone stared at the drummer and his face was contorted into a pissed look. “I guess I can’t say no without being the bad guy. Fine, but you really owe us.”

This was good enough for you as Dustin and Mike visibly relaxed. Mike was looking as if he couldn’t believe that this actually worked. 

“I’ll cook for all of you, I promise.” you said instantly. “Next session I’ll bring food and everything!”

This seemed to satisfy even Eddie, who could never turn down free food. He still looked annoyed, and disappointed, but he had accepted the fate of tonight’s game. 

“If you don’t make those cookies, I’m sacrificing you to Vecna myself.” he said. 

“Don’t threaten me with a good time, Eds.” you smirked. 

Someone at the table muttered ‘Jesus Christ’ but you took your seat again. Mike and Dustin were staring at you as if you’d achieved the impossible. To be fair, you probably did. 

“I guess we’re going to watch Sinclair play with his balls.” Gareth said, which broke the tension and everyone laughed. 

“Man, that guy sounds like a tough cookie.” Argyle nodded as you handed the joint back to him. It had been weeks since your episode, the three of you were now laying on top of the large Surfer Boy van that you were starting to suspect wasn’t legally his.

The three of you did this a lot. When things got to be too much, when the nightmares were too stressful to deal with, the three of you would meet up and just... talk. It was cheaper and easier than therapy and you doubted any therapist was equipped to deal with teens who fought monsters and saved the world. 

“I can’t believe that Eddie ‘The Freak’ Munson wouldn’t move it.” Jonathan said. It had only been within the last week that you had started telling them about your relationship with him. They knew that you two had helped cause the distraction to blow up the Demobats, but you hadn’t talked more than that. 

“He gets wrapped up in himself.” you said quietly. “Told me once that he’d move Hellfire all the time but he had to put his foot down because nothing would get done.” 

“When Will was younger he was always at the Wheeler place playing.” Jonathan said. “They’d be playing all day until we had to put on a stricter curfew.” 

“It’s easier when you’re kids. Less shit to do.”

“Did you ever finish that campaign?” asked Argyle. “With the food and everything?”

You took the joint back and took a deep breath, holding it until your lungs and eyes burned before exhaling slowly and handing the joint to Jonathan. A tear slid down your cheek and you wiped it with the back of your hand. 

“No.” you said, your voice sounding raw. “They... after everything that happened, they don’t talk to me anymore.”

The only Hellfire members who acknowledged your presence now were those who fought Vecna. Zack, Jeff, Gareth- they had made it very clear that you weren’t welcome anymore around them. They blamed you for Eddie’s disappearance, they blamed you for pushing to move Hellfire, they blamed you for Gareth’s broken fingers where Jason Carver had stomped him for information. 

They blamed you for the breaking of Corroded Coffin.

You never had the strength to try and explain what happened. And what did it matter anyway? Without Eddie around, Hellfire was broken. A cult without a leader. The whole town would probably lynch you all if you ever donned your Hellfire shirts again. You all already had a lifetime ban from The Hideout and none of you were even 21 yet. 

“Bummer.” Argyle said sympathetically, and you just shrugged.

“I can live without them I guess.” you sighed. “Living without Eddie sucks but...”

You couldn’t keep going. You already talked about him too much today and that wound in your heart that refused to scab over just continued to slowly bleed. You wondered how much longer before there was nothing left of you. Your strange new friendship between Johnathan and Argyle had kept you afloat for now, but how long could it last? Jonathan would have to go to college and you think Argyle would have to return to California at some point. Maybe. 

“Were you two..?” Jonathan started but even Argyle shook his head.

“I just wish I knew where he was, you know? To know that he’s not mauled in a ditch somewhere.” you said. 

“Yeah man, like if there was just something we had that could just tell us where he is.” Argyle nodded. “That’d be crazy! Just push a button and we know where he is.”

“I should have had him microchipped” you laughed as another tear slid down your cheek. 

Jonathan sat up suddenly. “What if we didn’t need something?” he asked, brows furrowed as if he was trying to clear a path through the fog of his mind to a dimly lit idea that was just out of reach. “What if we needed someone?”

“What like some psychic girl who can transport through people's minds to fight off monsters and locate people just by thinking about them?” Argyle laughed, and there was a moment of silence before you and Argyle shot up to look at Johnathan. 

“EL!” 

----

Next

a/n: comments and tags make my ADHD write more, just sayin'

[drowsyr]

top ten stobin halloween costumes:

10. barbie and ken. well actually ken and ken bc there was some miscommunication over who was going as who (steve figured robin was going as barbie bc Girl and robin just wanted to go as ken and figured it would be a better costume if they swapped dolls and then did not communicate this to steve) however nobody knew who they were supposed to be bc there was no iconic ken outfit at the time

9. garfield and odie. just made up of dog/cat ear headbands, yellow/orange shirts, and new name tags on their family video vest. lazy perhaps

8. jonathan + argyle. universally panned by the party bc neither of them had long enough hair to effectively be argyle. esp bc robin went as argyle and had just recently gotten a buzzcut in a panic the week before and the funky patterned pants and button up combo artfully curated at the salvation army could not compensate. however steve’s costume included constant comments abt the smiths, the who, the clash etc which did go over especially well with nancy and argyle

7. marty mcfly. steve tried to convince robin to be the love interest from the movie but only got as far as saying love interest before robin interrupted and asked if he even knew her name (he didn’t and neither did she) and said her dad already had the vest so she should get to be marty mcfly!! at which point steve was like ugh fine. and thought about admitting that he could ask dustin for a lab coat to borrow or ask max to steal one from the science lab but didn’t bc he couldn’t stand the thought of wrecking his hair to look like doc brown. so they just ended up both going as marty mcfly. dustin was doc brown

6. luke and han solo. actually accidental they independently showed up to a party while having a minor fight and realized they were still in matching costumes. drunkenly cried in the upstairs bathroom and made up. this was pre robin’s haircut and was one of the Incidents she gave as evidence for why she needed to cut her hair

5. batman and robin. robin was able to successfully bully steve into being robin. done before robin-with-pants became recognizable so they settled on green-dyed denim shorts (a lovely contribution from the goodwill). robin strangerthings had a fully decked out utility belt lovingly rendered in cardboard and acrylic paint by will with oversight from max. max herself has gone as batman as well (and wonder woman obviously) and used the same utility belt.

4. luke and leia. only successfully coordinated movie costume. this was post robin’s haircut so she went as luke and steve went as leia. obviously went as the classic versions to match even more.

3. their dnd characters as portrayed in an epic six week campaign run by erica sinclair the summer of 1987. caused chaos in the party who had not known about said campaign at the time of it being played and were only slightly devastated by the fact that they hadn’t been informed. only erica and dustin knew who they were dressed as but erica was thrilled :)

2. butterfly + caterpillar. robin dated an art/sculpture student while in college who was really into papier mache. she made them overly elaborate costumes to model for a final project + and they took them back from her dorm after the brutal breakup brought on by a disagreement over joan jett. steve was the butterfly and robin was the caterpillar. they were theeee most inconvenient costumes to wear to a party but they got a lot of compliments and it was a great story to tell people

1. each other obviously. repeated at least four(/“five”. it’s disputed) times, including twice in one year when they were trying to hit as many costume parties as possible in one week. they still argue that the year where halloween was just on a tuesday and they swapped name tags for their shift totally counts. this is not one of the four times.

[hippiegoth97]

Last Christmas: An Eddie Munson x Reader Holiday Story Pt. 2

Description: You and the gang play White Elephant, opening and stealing one another's gifts. You end up with a present you least expect, and share a dance with friends. When you and Eddie take a turn on the dance floor, things get a little too close for comfort. Can you and Eddie salvage your relationship, or are you too far gone?

Warnings: swearing, female reader, drug use, alcohol use, angst, heartbreak, crying, light smut mention, fluff

Last Christmas Pt. 2

A crowded room, friends with tired eyes...

Eddie's POV

You watch silently as Y/N walks towards the rear of Harrington's humble home with Robin and Argyle to have a little smoke session. Usually you'd join them, since you're quite the stoner yourself. But you can see you're far from welcome, she wants absolutely nothing to do with you. Her words earlier, no feelings at all, ring in your head over and over. "You good, Munson?" Steve asks once the trio slide the glass door shut behind them.

"Not really. But that doesn't really matter, does it?" You say bitterly, taking a swig of your eggnog. Usually you hate the stuff, but you've been steadily consuming it to keep yourself in one piece. Seeing Y/N again feels just as awful as the day she left and never came back.

"Don't say that, man. Of course it does." Jonathan pipes up, flashing you an apologetic look. You just shrug in response, unsure of what else to say. You really wish you weren't having this conversation at all. Clearly you have no chance of getting Y/N back, so what's the point of rehashing the same old shit?

"Even so, do you guys really wanna hear about my extinct love life for the millionth time? It's Christmas, there's supposed to be music and presents and all that holly jolly crap. Maybe I should go, I don't wanna bring you guys down all night." You start getting up to leave, but everyone quickly protests. You sigh, plopping back down into your chair. You know for a fact they'd sooner tie you down than let you walk out that door. There's more of them than there are of you, and Steve is ridiculously strong. "Fine! I'll stay! But can we drop it? Please? I'm hangin' on by a thread as it is." You sniffle, exhaling sharply as tears prick your tired eyes.

"Eddie, we really think you need to have a talk with Y/N." Dustin says, looking away from the claymation elves singing about making toys to speak to you seriously.

You just shake your head, the thought of that alone makes you want to off yourself. "Nah, man. She wants nothin' to do with me. And I don't blame her." Your voice trembles slightly. Goddammit, here come the waterworks.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that, dude. Robin told me Y/N still sleeps in your old t-shirt. She used to sniff it for the scent of you when she thought Robin wasn't looking. She cried for hours when it didn't smell like you anymore. And she hums your guys' song all the time without realizing it, "Beast of Burden", right?" Your eyes widen at Steve telling you this. The possibility that Y/N doesn't completely hate you blows your mind. Since the day she walked out the door, she's never contacted you again. She had Robin pick up any of her stuff still at your place, exchanging it for the things you left with her. The only thing missing was that beat-up Mötley Crüe t-shirt, you figured you'd lost it while you were drunk or something.

"Either way, I don't think she's in the mood to talk. I don't wanna hurt her again." You really don't get why everyone seems to have planned this ambush tonight. No doubt Robin and Argyle are working their mojo on Y/N to convince her to speak with you. You'd love it if she did, but you can see it now. She's letting them have an earful, telling them to mind their own fucking business. She's so damn stubborn, it's one of the million things you love about her. Loved, you mentally correct yourself.

"But you're both sitting here like goddamn ticking time bombs. Any minute, you're bound to explode. Unless you resolve this. We're not saying you'd necessarily get back together, but it would be good for both of you to work towards being able to tolerate sitting in the same room." Nancy takes her turn now, and you just roll your eyes.

"You guys really can't let this go, can you? Why do you care so much about mine and Y/N's relationship anyways?" You finish the rest of your drink, setting the empty glass on the floor. You cross your arms in frustration, waiting for this stupid talk to be over.

"No, we can't let it go. Because you and Y/N are our friends, and we love you. And we've had to sit and watch you both be in pain for months. And none of us can make that hurt go away, only you guys can do that." Mike says, hoping you understand how hard it's been for everyone to watch you and Y/N suffer.

You sigh, dragging your palms down your face. Partially in aggravation, and partially to wipe your tears away. "Fuck! Fine! But I'm not gonna force it. If she won't talk, I'm gonna let her be. Fair enough?"

The group nods in agreement, murmuring various 'yes's and 'okay's as they finally drop the subject. "I'm gonna go get the others from outside. I'd say now's as good a time as ever to start the game." Max says, standing up from her cozying up to Lucas. She walks to the door, sliding it open before shouting into the cold. "Hey, potheads! Hurry up, it's time for presents!"

Y/N POV

"Alright, who wants to pick the first gift?" Jonathan asks, taking on the task of supervising this little game. Nobody volunteers, when Robin speaks up.

"How about we have Y/N go first?" She smiles at you, trying to get you in the spirit of things. You roll your eyes, she's incorrigible sometimes.

"Uh, sure. Step on up, Y/N." Jonathan says awkwardly. You take a deep breath, standing up slowly as the weed has finally decided to kick in. You walk over to the tree, looking over the plentiful pile of presents wrapped in shiny paper. You pick up a smaller one, leaving the larger gifts for the others. You return to your seat to open it, tearing the paper to reveal a jar of soaking salts.

"Ooh! These'll make bathtime very relaxing!" You say cheerily, showing everyone what you got. You actually really like this present, long hot baths are one of your favorite ways to relieve stress. Everyone murmurs in agreement, and Robin goes next. She gets a matching hat and glove set, which looks very cozy. Next is Argyle, who opens up a box of fancy chocolates.

"Sweet! I've got major munchies, man!" Argyle says, opening the box and taking one of the sweets out of its wrapper before popping it into his mouth.

"Well, safe to say that gift is out of play now." Jonathan shakes his head, his poor friend clearly doesn't understand the rules. Nobody seems to mind though, it's just chocolate. Next to pick a present is Nancy, who decides to steal your bath salts. You stand up to open another present, which turns out to be a Magic 8 Ball. You're less enthused about this item, but you figure one of the kiddos will take it off your hands at some point.

"Okay, my turn!" Steve says while rubbing his hands together. He picks up a gift bag, pulling a pack of warm socks from under the tissue paper. "Wow, just what I wanted." He says sarcastically, wondering if his parents secretly put a gift of their own in the bunch before leaving town.

"I will happily take those off your hands, Stevie." Eddie says, holding out his hands for Steve to toss him the socks. He catches them with ease, placing them in his lap. Your eyes meet again, and he instinctively gives you a small smile. You return it out of reflex, before realizing who you're looking at. You quickly frown instead, turning away to see what Steve reveals this time. It's a D&D starter set.

"Dammit." Steve mutters, cursing his inability to pick one of the better presents. Next up is Will, taking a chance with a larger box. He tears the paper away, revealing a portable radio.

"Nice!" Will says, very pleased with this find. Jonathan and the rest of the kids take their turns, most opting to open a brand new gift as opposed to stealing someone else's. The next six gifts are a Stephen King novel, the Star Wars trilogy on VHS, a Santa Claus mug with hot cocoa mix, a sketchbook, a knitted blanket, and a Walkman. Max steals the D&D set from Steve, deciding to give the game a try since the boys love it so much. Steve gets to pick for a third time, and he ends up with a thick, cozy scarf.

"Now this I can live with." Steve says, smirking as he’s got something he actually wants. Erica is last, taking your 8 Ball for herself. She claims she'll use it to make any and all further decisions for the foreseeable future. This leaves you empty handed once again, and there's only one gift left beneath the tree. Jonathan hands it to you, and everyone watches in anticipation to see what's inside.

You tear open the paper, pulling the lid off the flimsy box beneath. And inside, is a Santa hat. With devil horns glued onto it. Just like Eddie's. Leave it to you to end up with the gift that your ex-boyfriend brought. The room goes completely silent, and you don't know what to say. Your eyes dart across the room to him again, and he tries his hardest to silently apologize. You can feel the others watching you two, waiting to see what happens next. You look away, inspecting the hat for a moment. You rub your fingers over the fuzzy material, smiling slightly at the hand-stitched letters that spell 'SATAN' on the white brim. "You can trade with me if you want, Y/N." Robin offers, extending her gift to you.

"No, it's fine! It's a cute hat, cheeky." You giggle genuinely, it really plays into the sense of humor you and Eddie used to share. You wanna be a good sport, and not hurt his feelings. You pick up the hat, settling it on top of your head with a big smile on your face. It's very warm, but comfortable. You imagine you look a little silly, but you don't mind it one bit.

"Alright then, looks like the game is over. Anyone need a refill?" Jonathan asks, and every adult's hand goes up into the air. You may have graciously accepted your present, but the tension in the room has only gotten worse. You and Eddie keep looking at each other curiously, but avert your gaze when either of you get caught staring. "Yeah, sounds about right." Jonathan sighs, gathering everyone's glasses to head into the kitchen.

"You really don't mind it?" Eddie asks as the others move on to other activities. The kiddos open Max's D&D box, showing her how to build a character and how the game works. Nancy gets up to put on some music, picking out a Rolling Stones album from Steve's extensive collection. Some Girls, to be exact.

"Not at all, Eds. You know I love shit like this." You reply, realizing you just used his nickname. Maybe you don't need that refill after all. His eyes widen when he realizes what you said, hoping this means you'll talk to him...and maybe take him back. "Don't get any ideas, Munson. I'll get back together with you when hell freezes over." You quip, not meaning it in a hurtful way whatsoever.

"Well, we are in Hawkins in the middle of winter. I'd say that's pretty close." He retorts, making you laugh. It's been so long since he's done that, and you can't help missing it. Jonathan returns with the drinks, and you decide to throw caution to the wind and keep drinking. You're feeling warm and fuzzy inside, despite the perfect storm brewing between you and Eddie. You put it aside for the time being, focusing on enjoying the night with your friends. All your friends.

For the first time in what feels like forever, the group as a whole is able to fall back into the familiar groove you used to share. There's no more worried glances, awkward silences, or talks about your past relationship. Everyone's joking, laughing, and having a great fuckin' time. You have a dance with a few members of your little band of misfits. Steve, Robin, even Dustin. You can't stop smiling, downing a steady stream of eggnog the whole way to keep yourself merry and bright.

You're having a rather uncoordinated turn with Argyle, when the record begins to play a tune you haven't heard in an eternity. "Beast of Burden", the song you and Eddie once claimed as yours. You stop moving, noticing him walking over to you. He's taking his shot, hoping this is enough. "Mind if I cut in?" You look at him, finding his impossibly large brown eyes gazing at you expectantly. He gives you a kind smile, holding out his ringed hand.

"Fuck it! I'm pretty wasted. And everyone else has had a turn. Why not?" You reply with a hiccuping giggle. You take his hand, letting him pull you into his space. He clasps your fingers together, his other hand going to the small of your back. You put yours on his shoulder, sharing an awkward look as Mick Jagger begins to sing.

I'll never be your beast of burden. My back is broad, but it's a-hurtin'. All I want is for you to make love to me. The opening lines remind you of the first time you heard this song with Eddie. It was late one night, in the fall if you recall it correctly. You'd gone on a long drive all over town, not caring about the final destination as there wasn't really one in mind. The radio played real low, and you smoked cigarette after cigarette while staring out the window at the full moon while Eddie drove. Conversation was light, the two of you in comfortable bliss. And then the opening riff spilled forth from the worn stereo speakers in his van, prompting him to turn the volume up. "Shit, this is one of my favorites." You remember him saying, smiling at you to see if you also recognized it. You hadn't heard it before, but you listened closely to the words.

I'll never be your beast of burden. I've walked for miles, my feet are hurtin'. All I want is for you to make love to me. Eddie sang along with Mick, in perfect key at that. It was far from the first time you'd heard his deep, sultry tone. He is in a metal band, after all. But nevertheless, he enchanted you time and time again. And this particular evening from the recesses of your memory was no different. You watched his lips open and close in various shapes to form the lyrics, his face dimly lit by every passing street lamp. This dashboard performance in particular felt different from the others. He was tenderly asking you for something. To love him forever, to have him as yours the same as he wanted to keep you for his own.

You gladly granted the request, your heart soaring across the universe at the thought of never letting Eddie go. When the song was reaching its end, you had ended up at the edge of Lover's Lake. The maddening man in the sky reflected upon the still, black waters. Stars twinkled overhead, it was the most beautiful night. Eddie killed the ignition, inviting you to the back of the van like he'd done so many times before. You followed him like a moth to a flame, letting him lay you down on the mismatched blankets splayed about the floor. You made the sweetest love you'd ever had, sealing your promise that you thought would never be broken.

The two of you sway to the music, slowly rotating in a cautious waltz. You do your best to loosen up, bringing yourself a bit closer. Eddie's had a considerable amount to drink too, playfully crooning the lyrics of the song to you. Just like the old days. "Am I hard enough? Am I rough enough? Am I rich enough? I'm not too blind to see." Your smile grows wider at him singing for you, you used to love it when he did this. His voice is gorgeous, and he made you feel like the most special person in the world when he'd serenade you with your favorite songs.

The others pretend not to stare as they make their own pairings to dance. You ignore their approving glances and nods. It's like everyone else disappears, leaving only you and Eddie in the room anymore. Your movements are more fluid now, facilitated by the weed and alcohol. You let Eddie lean down to softly sing the repeating 'pretty, pretty girl' part of the song in your ear. His chest is flush against yours, and it's almost as if you've never been apart. You want so badly to just smash the walls down, and let him back in. Nostalgia and longing wash over you, tempting you to take what you've been wanting since the day you walked away.

He pulls back a moment, meeting your hazy eyes. You can see loud and clear that he still loves you, and he can tell you're mirroring the sentiment back at him. You can feel his heart pounding in his chest, the pace staying in sync with yours. Your mouths are dangerously close together, and your breath fans in each other's faces. The sickly sweet scent of rum and sugar cookies wafts between you. He tries to make a move to kiss you, and you almost lean into it. But when you really look at him, you can't help remembering how you two ended in the first place.

You drop his hand and push him away, a single tear falling from your eye. "I-I can't." You choke out the words, frantically looking at everyone staring at you.

"Y/N-" Eddie takes a step forward, reaching for your arm.

"Don't!" You back up again while shaking your head, turning away to leave the room. You push past Nancy and Jonathan, and you begin to sob uncontrollably. You make a break for the stairs, your heels thumping as you bound up each step.

"Go after her, you idiot!" Steve yells to Eddie, and you try to find a place to hide. It's too much, you can't just pretend he didn't break your heart into a million pieces. You can't act like everything's okay now, because it isn't. You hear another set of shoes coming up from the ground floor, just as you run into Steve's parents' room. You slam the door and click the lock, leaning against the wood while your chest heaves.

"Y/N?" You hear Eddie's voice from the other side. Why can't he just leave you alone?

"Go away, Eddie. I can't do this." You say through your tears, pulling the Santa hat from your head. You don't want to wear it anymore. You toss it across the room, refusing to look at it again. You slide down to the floor, your knees tented in front of you. Your head falls in your hands, tears and saliva soaking through your dress.

"Y/N, please? I just wanna talk." You can hear the pain in his voice, and you fucking hate it. You hear him shuffling to sit on the other side of the door, his own stifled cries spilling out. His hand brushes the finished wood, wishing he could feel you through it. "Baby, please. I-" He begs.

"Don't call me that! You lost the right to use that name a long time ago." You shout, turning around to face the solid barrier between you.

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry. Just...I don't wanna be like this anymore." His voice trembles, he's just as shaken to the core as you are.

"I don't either, Eddie. But what else is there? You ended us, when I thought you'd never do that."

"I know. And I'm a fucking idiot." Eddie replies through clenched teeth, he's so frustrated with himself for making such a dumb decision.

"Well, at least you admit it." You can't help cracking this small joke, making both of you laugh on either side of the door. Even though you can't see each other, you know exactly how the other's face and body language looks with every passing word.

"Steve said you still sleep in my shirt. Is that true?" He asks, unable to rein in his curiosity. You gasp at the question, Robin must've said something to him.

"Yes." You say softly, not wanting to admit it. "But only because it's comfortable." You try to make up an excuse, but you already know he doesn't believe you. "Robin said you were really messed up after I left. Is that true too?" You figure you might as well get some confirmation of your own while you're trapped in here.

"Shit, yeah. I don't think I had a sober moment for at least two weeks after you left. It was awful. But I couldn't stand to keep being reminded of you at every turn." Eddie recalls how those drunken, drug-addled days played out. He woke up late, head pounding from the night before. He'd crack open another beer, and smoke a blunt or two before breakfast. All he could manage to eat during that time was Honeycomb cereal and Poptarts. Not to say those stayed in his stomach long, far from it.

By lunchtime he'd be face-first in the porcelain throne, rejecting every last bit of sugary snacks and booze. And the cycle would continue. More alcohol, toss some cocaine in the mix, another joint, or a few. Reefer Rick even threatened to cut off his supply if he didn't stop consuming all the product. He had to work twice as hard to recoup the cost of the illicit substances. And all that did was further remind him of how he lost you.

"Jesus, Eddie. I'm sorry." You can't help feeling bad when you hear the words from his own lips. A secondhand story doesn't have nearly the same impact.

"Not your fault. I did this, remember?" This is absolutely killing you, you can't stand the sullen tone in his voice. It makes you want to unlock the door, to allow him back where he clearly belongs. But that's not enough. You can't put the past behind you and give it a second try so easily. Especially when he could just as easily break your heart again, deeming himself unworthy of you. Just like last time.

"Why did you? We had a good thing, didn't we?" You really want to understand why he made that decision all those months ago. He technically gave you a reason, but was that really enough to end a relationship?

"Of course we did, Y/N. It was the best thing I've ever had in my entire life." Eddie says, complete and total regret working its way through his body. It cuts like a knife, deep and jagged. More tears spring from his eyes, tapping wetly as they land on the hardwood floor below him. His heart aches for you more than he ever thought possible. You're so close, and yet you're a million miles away. If he wanted to act selfishly, he'd smash this damn door to pieces and scoop you into his arms. But he won't, because it's not what you want. And that's the only thing that has ever mattered to him.

"Then why?" You hoarsely croak out the words. You're fighting to swallow a wedge in your throat, it's grating and bitter. Like a lump of coal scraping your esophagus. You press your hand against the door, laying your head beside it. You want to be closer to him in this silly, small way.

"Well, it's like I said before. I didn't feel like I was enough for you. You were starting college soon, and I know you're gonna be something great." Eddie smiles slightly at that thought. You have big dreams of saving the world, changing it for the better. He'd listen to you talk for hours about cleaning up the oceans or regulating big corporations that over-pollute. Seeing your eyes light up when you cared about something made him even more helplessly in love with you. "Whereas, I'm gonna be stuck flipping burgers or fixing cars my whole life. Would you really wanna spend your days with someone like that?"

"I told you before, I didn't care about that. I just wanted to be with you. What you did for a job or how much money you had was always a non-factor for me. People do those things their whole lives, and there's nothing wrong with that." You reassure him, speaking sincerely. Just because others may look down upon those who work in 'unskilled' jobs, that doesn't make them worthless.

"But how could I provide for you when I make shit pay like that? You deserve someone who can take care of you, Y/N." You really have no idea why Eddie insists on this idea that he has to be the big spender in the relationship. It's oddly old-fashioned for someone like him.

"Eddie, did I ever say I wanted you to be the 'provider' in our relationship? You know better than anyone I don't subscribe to medieval ideals like that." You don't mean to come off so harsh, but it's a bit annoying that he seems to ignore this rather fundamental thing about you. "Plus, you provided plenty. You were kind, sweet, and loving. You comforted me in my weakest moments, and we made so many meaningful memories together."

"I know, you're right. The more I say it out loud, the stupider it sounds." He chuckles dryly, shaking his head. But there's something else, something he's kept close to the chest this whole time. You can sense the hesitation in his voice, the little hitch in his breath when he forces his tongue to hold back.

"What is it, Eddie? Please, tell me." You ask quietly, wanting to know what he's been hiding.

"I was afraid you'd outgrow me. You'd slowly earn your degree, make new friends. Then you'd no doubt go wherever the planet needs you, and where would that leave me? You'd see how big and beautiful the world is, and being with me would pale in comparison. And then you'd leave, finding a foxy marine biologist instead or something. Then you'd win some kinda Nobel Prize or some shit, and I'd still be here in Hawkins. With nothing to show for it." He realizes how silly he sounds now, how he's spent so long fantasizing about you leaving him behind.

"Thought about that a lot, did you?" You ask, unable to hide the smirk in your voice. You understand his fears, you'd probably have them too if the roles were reversed.

"Every goddamn day, Y/N." He chuckles again, but he sounds far from happy about it. Your face falls, there must be a way for him to see that his anxieties held no water.

"You do realize I would've taken you with me, right? If your hypotheticals ever came to be, I mean." You speak matter-of-factly.

"Really?" Eddie still doesn't understand, does he? Just as he claims to love you to the ends of the earth and back, you feel just as strongly. If not moreso.

"Yes, you big idiot!" You exclaim, grabbing his attention. "I would've had you by my side every step of the way. We would've moved in together while I went to school. Then after graduation you'd come with me to wherever I was interning at, until I’d eventually lead the charge in some world-saving research. And then you'd be right there in the audience while I accept my 'Nobel Prize or some shit', dressed in a cute tux and everything. And then we'd go home to our house, and our pets or plants or whatever." Eddie's eyes widen at your words, he never imagined that you would actually want to spend the rest of your life with him. Him, the metalhead, freak, loser, asshole that deals drugs.

"Thought about that a lot, did you?" He parrots your previous statement at you, drawing light laughs from both of your mouths.

"Every goddamn day, Eds." Another copied comment, and another slip of his nickname. You're headed for trouble if you don't knock it off.

"Fuck, I wish more than anything I could take it back, Y/N." Eddie says, desperately wanting this conversation to end in reconciliation. He wants you, no, needs you in his life. You're like the sun in the sky, the air in his lungs, the ground beneath his feet, the blood in his veins. You are everything to him.

"So do I." You reply simply, the tears have been steadily pouring from your eyes this whole time. As is the case with Eddie, you suspect.

"Would it be so terrible to try again? I miss you so much, it's killing me." There it is. That oh, so dangerous question. You've been simultaneously dreading it and wishing for it all night. How easy it would be to accept him back into your heart, to reignite the burning flame of love you used to share.

"I miss you too, more than you know. But I don't want to get hurt again. I can't go through the hell you put me in a second time." You sniffle, unable to stop yourself from remembering the endless sob-fest you had at Robin's for the first few days after your breakup.

"I promise, I will never let you go again. I'll never be so fucking stupid." He pleads, yanking at your heartstrings.

"But how do I know for sure, Eddie? I was under the impression that the first time would never come, and it did. Who's to say you won't break us to pieces again when things get tough?" As much as you'd love to be together again, you have valid reservations about the prospect.

He doesn't say anything else for a minute, carefully considering what you've said. He feels so fucking awful for hurting you, and he wants to prove himself worthy of a second chance. "What if we move in together?" He blurts out, as it's the first step in your little fantasy about the future.

You scoff, he can't be serious. "Eddie, you don't have to jump the gun like that."

"I'm serious. I wanna be with you, commit to a life with you. What better way to do that than to get a place together? We could look after New Year's if you want. I think there's a place by-" His tone is frantic now, eager to sell you on the idea.

"Eddie, slow down!" You shout, interrupting his babbling. He shuts his trap, his teeth clacking at the force. "Look, it's really sweet of you to offer. But I think we would need time to get reacquainted first, to see if this would even work again." He perks up at your words, hoping this means you're saying yes to him.

"I'm sorry, you're right. But, does that mean we can give this another shot?" He asks expectantly, crossing his fingers and praying to whatever God is up there that you'll take him back.

You sigh, shaking your head as you giggle at the thought. "I can't believe I'm actually saying this. But yes, we can try again, Eds." You say as you stand up, clicking the lock to open the door. Eddie falls forward into the room, almost smacking his head on the floor. You shriek in surprise, and he bounces back up in no time. He scrambles to his feet, his eyes meeting yours for the first time in what feels like hours. He laughs awkwardly, blushing hard as he rubs the back of his neck. You giggle in reply, rolling your eyes at his clumsiness.

You move closer to him, wrapping your arms around his neck while his go around your waist. You're standing in the threshold of the room, looking up to see some mistletoe hanging right above your heads. "Well, would ya look at that? Seems like the Harringtons have the right idea." Eddie says, returning his gaze to yours. The air between you is different now. It's no longer somber and heartbroken, but filled with unbridled joy and a dash of booze-fueled lust.

"That they do." You reply, just barely above a whisper. You can't stop staring at each other's lips, the familiar scent of Christmas treats dizzying your heads in your proximity. Eddie's just about to bring his lips to yours, when-

To be continued...

[stonathans-mystical-realm]

The disappearance of the Bat and the Camera

So remember the posts for the end of S1 how I said we'd come back to the camera and the bat? Well it's time.

Since the camera and the bat are symbolism for having a piece of each other with them at all times. And the camera and the nailbat both disappear in later seasons.

So..the disappearance of the nailbat is to represent that Steve has kind of given up on chasing after Jonathan its symbolism which makes sense with the fact that Steve is pursuing other women AND we all know that at the end of S2, [LINK to the post] Steve gave up his happiness so Jonathan could be happy...

[Warning for long post below the cut. I wrote this in a hurry so sorry for any mistakes]

He wasn't trying to get with him anymore even though he was still in love with Jonathan/but he knew Nancy could love him better than he could and she could give Jonathna things he couldn't. So the disappearance of the bat is to symbolize that. He still loves Jonathan, but hes not as intense as he is in S2/trying to be with him. Hes backed down and is TRYING to let Jonathan be happy with Nancy even though he doesn't like it and is in two minds about it/still wants Jonathan but knows he can still pursue that and become a person worthy of Jonathan's love and devotion but now isn't the right time when Jonathan is with Nancy, but still is still lonely/wants company thats why he goes back to trying to be with women. Theres too much trying to have his cake and eat it too when it comes to Steve. It's a long story, but thats the gist of it.

Now this one is a real shot in the dark/this part is reaching but its a possibility so I'm gonna write it down anyway: In S4: Jonathan's camera disappears

At first I thought this was why: I have explained this multiple times before but if you haven't been reading the main blog you're not gonna know what Im talking about so here is the gist of it: The camera has always symbolized Jonathan's connection/understanding to other people. He takes pictures of people to understand them and feel close to them [as we learned the hard way in S1-that the majority of the dummies in this fanbase still don't understand even though it was explained multiple times but ok not the point] but the point is-Jonathan uses his camera or rather the pictures to feel connected to people and understand them/he understand better through visuals. He can't read people normally, but a picture is worth 1000 words. So it makes PERFECT SENSE that now that he has best friend Argyle in his life, Jonathan no longer requires his crutch [his camera] to feel connected to people/understand them.

Also, thought it had no connection to Steve because we still dont know that Jonathan even knows that it was from Steve, so it makes no sense for Jonathan to connect that camera to Steve and ditch it because he misses Steve/doesn't want a reminder of him cause it makes it more painful.

But lets say hypothetically, Jonathan did figure it out and connect that with this: Jonathan is REALLY UNHAPPY being away from Hawkins which makes ZERO sense because thats all Jonathan ever wanted was to escape the 'hell hole'. I mean yes hes also said that Hopper the closest thing he had to a real father is dead now, but still. Jonathan should be happy at least that he is far away from all the people who caused him and his family so much pain and greif over the years and as we know, Jonathan hates the townspeople of Hawkins with a passion because they are horrible racist, homophic people who drive others into self harm and they teach people that its wrong to be themselves and what really matters in life is NOT caring about other ppl, and about love and friendship and being true to yourself. but what is important to them is…your hair and price of your clothes and how popular you are is the only thing that really matters-so understandable Jonathan hates them….

SO WHY IN THE HELL IS HE SO SAD? Yes it could just be that he misses his surrogate little brothers [Mike/Dustin/Lucas] but to me it just seems like theres more to it -something that he can't talk about. So why is he un-happy being away from Hawkins and its something he can't talk about? Unless he misses Steve?

Maybe there is a link between Jonathan's unhappiness being away from Hawkins and Jonathan can't bare to use his camera? Maybe he misses Steve?-Yea I know real shot in the dark, but its possible and like all Stonathan analysis stuff, I have to include it even if it is just a tiny possibility.

Another thing that makes me think that Jonathan's sadness is about Steve: It doesn't help that Byler and Stonathan are always so similar and being paralleled-wait till we get to the end of S4 where I can show you the parallel between Mike and Will reuniting in S4 and Jonathan and Steve reuniting in S4. Like the awkward 'greeting' and the secret feelings they can't talk about with anyone else [all of them are hiding something and the way Mike and Will act is so similar to the way Jonathan and Steve act]. But its also different because Mike and Will were best friends before their gay awkwardness started with each other so its easier for them to connect again even after fighting. Steve and Jonathan were the opposite-they were enemies. But their behavior is still so similar to each other, you can't ignore it.

[henrysglock]

Several opinions that would probably get me banned from the ST subreddit (at least some of them lol)

1) Nancy and Steve would have a toxic relationship if they got together again

2) Jason would've killed Eddie if he actually catched him (even if on accident)

3) Argyle is not a bad character and actually important to the plot + I'm so happy that Jonathan finally got a friend that isn't his girlfriend!

4) Max will probably stay blind even if she gets revived AND THATS OKAY

5) Hopper was absolutely not ready to take care of El in s2. Yes he gave her food and clothes but he abandoned her for days! (That whole argument he had with her aside) also in s3 he acted like a helicopter parent

6) Mike kissing El in s1 was rushed

7) Brenner is the actual villian of the whole story

Agree. They're not right for each other, even though Steve's grown up. Nancy's not built for a "6 nuggets" life, and she expresses as much when she says it sounds like a nightmare.

HARD agree. Jason would have murdered Eddie, undoubtedly.

YES! YES YES YES!!! Argyle my beloved <3 He's the unsung hero of this season. Where would be be without him? Stranded in Cali and completely cut off from Hawkins. That's all thanks to Argyle.

SPEAK!!! SPEAK!!!! Max should be permanently disabled after Vecna's attack, and that should be okay. She doesn't need to be magically healed in order to live a full and happy life when she wakes up, and honestly it would be very deus ex machina if someone were to magically heal her. Ew.

Anon you are on FIRE tonight!! Hopper wasn't mentally or emotionally prepared to care for a high-needs child. El is a high-needs child. She's traumatized, socially and emotionally stunted, and she's not nearly old enough to be left on her own. In ST3 he was a toxic overbearing father. Miss me with that.

Absolutely. It drives me up a wall, even if I understand why they stuck it in there the way they did. Was it purposeful? Can I see the logic behind it? Yes and yes. Does that mean it's not rushed and painfully awkward? No.

Anon. You are 7 for 7 tonight. Brenner and his curiosity without morality is the root of the entire conflict. If he hadn't been involved with the Creels the way he was, we wouldn't have a story. Kate Trefry just said it herself: There's a reason One ended up the way he did. He wasn't born like this. He was shaped. Brenner was that ultimate shaping force in our villain. Brenner, from the start, has been the ultimate evil in Stranger Things.

Send me unpopular opinions!

[atmilliways]

I want to read an absolute clusterfuck of fake dating miscommunication where Steve asked Eddie to fake date in order to show Will it's okay to be gay.

Now, this is patently ridiculous. (And I absolutely adore reading fics in which it happens anyway.) Eddie is so aware of how ridiculous it is that he takes it for a flimsy excuse for Steve to ask him out. And, well. Steve is hot, thoughtful, delightfully bitchy, and sometimes a kind of a bonehead, but ultimately a good guy. Eddie could do worse. So he accepts.

As far as Eddie is concerned, the relationship is actually real; the "fake" part is just a pretense, like gay training wheels. Kind of a dumb way for Steve, who's used to heterosexual relationships where the rules and roles are more or less clearly defined, to talk about comfort levels and boundaries and shit, but everybody has to start somewhere. It's not like Eddie has ever really dated before so, like, whatever.

But Steve is actually serious. He really wants Will to feel more optimistic about his romantic future, and has thrown his whole ass into this dipshit idea. He's relieved that Eddie agrees, because Will lights up even more every time the kid sees them together, even though they keep it subtle enough that the rest of the kids don't pick up on it and out them to all of Hawkins with their loud mouths that can't keep secrets. (Ahem, Dustin.)

Robin was not let in on this plan, because Steve has gotten too used to the nearly supernatural way they can talk using only facial expressions and vibes. If she's acting a little weird, it's because she's miffed that he didn't tell her about his bisexual awakening. (Which he has not, in fact, had. Yet.)

Nancy has a sneaking suspicion that something is going on, but she's missing 99% of the context here and has never really thought about people being gay before. She decides to investigate why Steve and Eddie are suddenly so close, getting incredibly mixed signals from both of them and even Robin when she asks her. (Over the course of the story Nancy also goes through her own private journey of gradually realizing that she might be bi, and that maybe she should break up with Jonathan and spend some time alone to figure out wtf she wants, who she even is as a person now that both high school and the Upside Down problems are over.)

Jonathan just wants to find a way to balance having shit tolerance no matter how long he smokes and using weed to self-medicate for the back pain from being brutally KO'd with a chair in season three. Argyle just wants to help him, make pizza, and chill.

Maybe it all comes to a head like that one Thanksgiving episode of Friends where everyone just kind of explodes. They each shout whatever is topmost on their mind at each other, leaving Joyce standing in the middle of the room like, "... That is a lot of information to get in thirty seconds," then snapping into Mom Mode and responding to each of them in turn. For Steve and Eddie it's like getting their heads knocked together to end a fight only, you know, nicely.

I just. I want to read about all of them being so dumb and no one knows what's going on.

[sidekickjoey]

You're On Your Own, Kid (You Can Face This)

Graphics & writing by: @sidekickjoey Beta: @steddieasitgoes Art by: @ja0netholmes/@bittlebarnes and @danadaria Part of @steddiebang 2023

Read on Ao3

A week out from Robin leaving and everything about his world changing, Steve finds himself both closer and impossibly further away from knowing what his future holds.

Chapter 5 - Pick The Petals (preview under the cut)

It’s a week out from Robin leaving for Connecticut, and Steve still hasn’t asked Eddie.

It’s rather upsetting, knowing he needs to do something but feeling so physically incapable of doing so. Steve has wrestled with the feeling for some time now, waking with it haunting him like a ghost and hearing its taunts as he falls asleep in Robin’s spare bed and his colder one back home. He isn't even really sure what he is so afraid of, which complicates things astronomically. Asking Eddie a simple question that would solve all of his problems with one yes shouldn’t be scary. If anything, doing so as soon as possible should be something he jumps to do, just to end his suffering.

And yet, Steve can’t bring himself to do it.

At the beginning of this torment, when Robin let him go free from her house, he had claimed he needed to wait a bit. He couldn’t just up and leave Hawkins in the middle of his spat with his parents and expect to not be followed like a hawk, after all. It would be better, he reckoned, to wait. An unsuspecting foe is better than one on guard. Robin had reluctantly agreed, and with a pinky-swear promise that he’d get to leaving eventually, he was let off. 

By day three, when Robin revived the conversation moments before handing in her resignation letter to Keith, Steve had changed his story. His new claim was that he was waiting to see Eddie to make the first move. ‘Can’t ask the guy something if he isn’t around, you know?’ Robin’s eyes had never rolled quite so far into her head, especially given Steve not only had Eddie’s number in his possession, but also access to it in the Family Video database before him. But, she held her tongue, and Steve held on to his excuses. 

The weekend should have been where all excuses ran out. Eddie was among a number of close friends invited over for a movie night at the Wheeler household, as was Steve. The guy most definitely would be present and available for Steve to talk to about this, or really anything for that matter. However, despite Eddie casting curious looks his way and trying to start up conversations about how he’s doing, practically begging for an in, Steve managed to not go through with asking him. He let Eddie go, leaving his future slip perpetually back in limbo and refusing to do anything else. 

Now, he knows he is only a matter of hours, not days, from his hesitancy becoming a problem. He knows his friends are slowly but surely on their way out. He knows that his window to head out with them, and to do so with Eddie by his side, is slipping away like they are. Nancy and Jonathan had even brought up leaving earlier than planned at the movie night. Argyle wants to go sight-seeing with them before all three end up muddled with work and responsibilities for ‘the man,’ as he put it. Jonathan doesn’t want to leave him hanging, especially when his ticket to NYU is sitting in his drawer placing a ticking clock on their in-person friendship. Nancy is too kind to let him do so, so it’s as good of a done deal as any.

Robin is set to leave on Friday. Her parents, ever adamant about following their only daughter off to her new start, are eager to take their time and move her into her new dorm room together. Steve is grateful to know she won’t be all on her own to do so. However, he also knows this means he's only got a few days left to figure things out with her around and, sue him, he's not ready to lose her yet. He wants to sit down and plan with her like the entire party used to plan for Vecna. He wants to make sure with her that everything is air-tight about his plan so that he won't screw up his words and scare Eddie off. The thought of going into all of that alone is enough to keep him up at night. Unsurprisingly, it does. He mourns her absence before it even comes and, worse then, neglects to reach out to her for fear he may never let her leave.

All his worries, fears, and stressors come to a head on Monday afternoon, when Steve is fresh off of a stint at Family Video. The day had been a hectic one, filled with a few large parties of middle schoolers looking to rent out any movie they could get their grubby little hands on. With Robin gone, Steve had been the only one around to fend them off. After nearly losing his voice ordering them around and threatening baselessly to quit more than five times, he's exhausted. He wants nothing more when he arrives home than to feel the sweet embrace of a shower and the comfort of a quiet bedroom, away from anyone and anything that could bother him. As such, he doesn't think twice about pushing inside his home and running up the stairs to it. 

His mother, however, does. 

[sharksscripting]

Argyle x Jonathan Byers

Purple Palm Tree Delight Is Out of Stock, Dude!

Word Count: 3k

Includes: Praise Kink, Spit as Lube, Anal Sex, Anal Fingering, Drug Use, Aftercare.

Notes: This is also very old! I also wrote about drugs when I have never done them so the effects that have been written are most likely off.. 💀

On Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/40857426

On Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/story/348756606-𝐏𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐥𝐞-𝐏𝐚𝐥𝐦-𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐞-𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭-𝐈𝐬-𝐎𝐮𝐭-𝐎𝐟-𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐜𝐤-𝐃𝐮𝐝𝐞

The phone ringed, Argyle was the one to pick it up. Luckily it was no one else.

"Hey man! Surfer Boy's Pizza speaking!" Argyle spoke into the phone.

"Glad it's you, the dr- ' purple palm tree delight ' is out. The next ' shipment ' is next week." A deep voice said over the phone; He seem like he wanted to be done with this call fast.

"Aw seriously dude? You don't got any?" Argyle frowned as he spoke back to the man on the other side of the line.

"Yes, as I said it comes in next week. Hope you understand." The man hung up. Leaving Argyle on an empty line.

Argyle decided to place the phone back in its holder, His shift ended in about 25 minutes so he should be good to go. He's been planning on smoking with Jonathan, but since his plans have been foiled he decided he'd just annoy him the rest of the afternoon.

-

Argyle finished cleaning his station, soon exciting to the van that gets payed for by Surfer Boy's Pizza. The engine started and he was off to see the Byer's family.

He soon reached the house; Knocking on the door.

"Hello Argyle! Wasn't expecting you today, would you like me to get Jonathan?" Joyce asked the slightly taller male that stood in-front of her.

"Nah it's cool man! I can get him myself." Argyle smiled at her, then walked past her towards Jonathan's room.

Instead of knocking on this door though he barged right in instead.

"Wassup Jonathan man!" Argyle said quite loud as he entered a new room in the house.

"Oh! Hey Argyle, what are you doing here?" Jonathan you was not expecting company today.

"Well dude, The guy who sells me our stuff said he can't make another ' trade ' until next week!" He whined.

"Are you currently Argyle?" Jonathan wasn't concern on how he got here. He's always high while driving.

"Nah bro i'm like so low! Oh," He reached into his shirt pocket.

"This is the last I got! Thinkin' we could split it dude?"

Jonathan shook his head no. He's been to worried to get high recently. Or rather lost in thoughts; He covers it as 'worried' though.

"But it's the last we got! You have to man." Argyle insists.

"N-No i'm really alright man. I swear." Jonathan looked up, making eye contact with the bloodshot ones.

"Fine. You're lame dude." Argyle said before snorting the crack

-

Argyle has been at the Byer's residence for at least a good two hours now. He's been sitting on the bed right next to Jonathan the whole time.

"Argyle, I think you should get going now. It's late." Jonathan states glancing over to the clock on his nightstand.

"But dude. I won't be able to get high for a week. I'll need to talk to someone! And you're like my only friend dude." Argyle said flipping over to his stomach so he could make eye contact once again.

Jonathan smiled, not because Argyle didn't have many other friends, oh no. But he did just say that he wants to spend time with him though.

"Alright fine. How about you come back tomorrow then?"

"Ughh! You're so lame dude. But I will."

The two sat up. But before Argyle left. He gave a light kiss to Jonathan's cheek. Leaving the shorter male's cheeks to flush a light pink shade.

"See you tomorrow dude!" Argyle said as he walked out of Jonathan's room, soon leaving his house.

-

The next day Argyle returned, he seemed a little drowsy Jonathan thought. However Jonathan was still confuse about the peck that Argyle gave him yesterday.

"Hey man!" Argyle said in his normal booming voice.

Jonathan nodded. His sleep has been bad recently, he's hardly been getting enough.

"You alright?" Concern lacing his tone.

"Yeah, Yeah i'm fine Argyle" Jonathan smiled up at him. Argyle didn't buy it.

"I have an idea dude!"

Jonathan nodded for him to continue speaking.

"What if we go watch the stars tonight? I heard they were gonna be pretty!" He smiled.

"Sure, What do you want to do until then?" He smiled back to him.

"Maybe we could learn to play that one game with Will and Jane?" Argyle suggested.

"Dungeons and Dragons?"

"Yeah that one!"

-

"Nice Jane! You killed it." Will smiled at her.

"Thank you Will." She smiled back, it was her first time playing a game with him. Or a board game in general. Hopper had some at the cabin, but he never had the chance to play with her.

Jonathan smiled at the three others, Some of his favorite people in the world. All together. It made him smile.

Argyle noticed him smile at the two younger kids. It caused him to smile and laugh.

-

It was now 8:03 pm, the sun was setting and Jonathan and Argyle were getting ready to leave. Grabbing blankets a few pillows and some snacks.

"Ready to go man?" Argyle asked as he held the keys, two blankets and a light blue pillow.

"Yeah! I'm ready" Jonathan said. He may have been lightly dozing off into a nap, right against the cupboard.

They soon placed all of the stuff into the back so it'll be easier to make their fort into the back later.

-

Soon reaching a nice hill Argyle parked the pizza van on the slope of it. Making sure they have a nice angle to face the stars.

"Hey Argyle..?"

"Yeah man?"

"Thank you for bringing me out here. I really just needed to get away from everything." He cracked a smile, it was glazed with a hint of sadness.

Argyle was a little sad at his statement, but glad that Jonathan would even want to be alone with him.

"Of course dude." He gave a light wink.

The sun finally set all the way, the moon rising and reveals the stars along with it.

Argyle had a little surprise for Jonathan.

"Hey Jonathan?"

"Hm? Yeah what's up?"

"Remember how your camera got lost when you were moving?"

"Yes..? Why?" He tilted his head slightly at the taller male.

"Well." Argyle reached behind him pulling out a decent sized box.

"I got you something."

Jonathan opened the box, revealing almost the same camera. But it wasn't you could tell it was new, not used once. And it had film in it.

"Wait- But these are so expensive! They're like 100- Are you sure because I can-!"

"Hush John. Trust me alright! I've been wanting to get it for you for some time. And plus, you have a chance to catch pictures of the sky now!" Argyle made eye contact whilst smiling at the boy before him.

"I- I don't know what to say; Thank you Argyle!" He placed the camera down gently but swiftly, bringing the taller man into a tight hug.

"Don't worry about it dude." Argyle said. Hugging back tightly while trying to get rid of the red that covered his face.

Jonathan soon released from the tight hold, grabbing the camera aiming at the sky, then a few quick ones of Argyle. His skin glowing under the pale moonlight. It really made Jonathan realize something. Maybe it wasn't just something he could ignore.

"Hey! No fair!" Argyle whined, gently grabbing the camera and took a few pictures of Jonathan as pay back.

Argyle soon realized how much he needed something. And it wasn't his palm tree delight this time. But he ignored it, instead focusing on the brunette in-front of him.

"You look good in these man!" Argyle said showing the camera to his friend.

"Hardly! In fact I look like I am a star in that, and not in a good way!" Jonathan complained.

"Yeah, Yeah, Whatever you say chief!"

"Are you mocking my dad?"

Argyle laughed.

"Only a little" He ruffled the others hair.

Jonathan's cheeks flushed at the quick action once again.

Argyle leaned back, landing in the mound of pillows they had stacked up in the back. He grabbed the back of Jonathan's shirt dragging him down with him. Jonathan's head landed on Argyle's shoulder.

Jonathan's eyes felt heavy; He could feel them start to close. He also felt Argyle start to rub small little circles into his back.

"Shhh... Go to sleep baby." Argyle said quietly as he too leaned back into the pillows once again, in the process he dragged a small blanket over the two of them.

-

The next morning Jonathan woke up, He could tell it wasn't a dream. He felt Argyle's hat on his head. And his new camera was beside him on his nightstand with a little note.

-

'' Hey Johnny! I have to work all day for 3 days! :( I'm sorry, hope my hat can remind you of me so I don't get forgotten! Maybe take some new pictures you can show me later?

See you later Johnny,

Love Argyle <3 ''

-

Jonathan scanned over the letter multiple times over and over again until he heard a knock at his door.

"You awake kid?" Hopper asked from outside of the door.

"Yeah! I'm up i'll be out in a sec." Jonathan replied happily, he remembered when Argyle mocked Hopper yesterday.

Jonathan soon came down from his room to eat breakfast with the rest of his family.

"Are you wearing Argyle's hat?" Hopper asked. He knew about his friend and how he sometimes smokes weed.

"Oh- Yes it is!" Jonathan said quickly hoping to avoid the conversation from continuing.

Hopper pinched his eyes shut pointing his fork to Jonathan.

"And why do you have it." It wasn't really a question at this point.

"Well-"

"Oh leave him alone Jim!" Joyce said from behind him.

"I don't trust the kid!"

"You don't trust anyone our kids have contact with!"

"Because they're all bad kids Joyce!" Hopper whined stuffing a piece of an ego waffle into his mouth.

Jonathan laughed at the situation, wondering what he was going to do for the next three days without Argyle.

-

Two days have passed now, Jonathan thought he'd be able to at least hear from Argyle; Even if it was from over the phone.

Once again he heard a knock from his door. But it was much less loud compared to when Hopper knocked.

"Come in!" He said from his bed.

"Hey Jonathan, you alright?" Will asked as he peeped into his older brothers room.

"Yeah I'm fine Will! Don't worry I swear." He smiled at the younger boy.

"Are you sure? You've been clingy onto that hat as if it's the last thing you have of Argyle." Will hinted to the three shirts that belonged to Argyle in his closest.

"I can't even see him for another day Will!" Jonathan whined to his younger brother.

"Oh suck it up. You're lucky you even get to see the person you like that much-" Will cut himself off as he felt a glare from in front of him.

"You like someone William?" Jonathan said sternly as he stood up.

"Nope bye!" Will quickly ran out of his brothers room. Shutting the door in the process.

Jonathan laughed. Soon deciding to lay down again, falling asleep wasn't part of the plan; But it happened anyway.

-

The next morning he realized he could see Argyle today. He quickly got up, brushed his teeth, combed his hair, later decided which shirt he should wear. He decided to go with Argyles Surfer Boy's Pizza shirt . It was white and has the red logo small on the front and red and white on the back. He also decided to wear a nice pair of light blue jeans with it, tucking the surfer shirt into the jeans.

He soon thought about how he was going to get to Surfer Boy's Pizza. He thought about asked Joyce but she left a while ago, the only last option was to ask Hopper. When suddenly he hears a beep from the front of the house.

He quickly ran outside to see the exact person he wanted to see.

"Hey man! Nice shirt, hop in!" Argyle stated happily.

Jonathan hastily follows the instructions, jumping into the passenger seat.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see! You'll see I promise!"

They soon we're on a street far from his house, it still looked familiar though. Then suddenly it hit him; They we're on the stargazing hill. Same one where Argyle gave Jonathan his new camera.

"Ah I forgot your hat, i'm sorry man." Jonathan says.

"Don't worry about it!" Argyle said as he gently set his hand on Jonathan's thigh, soon lightly squeezing it then placing his hand back onto the wheel. However, this action also caused Jonathan to blush a deep red. There was no hiding it with what he was wearing so he decided to face the window, avoiding eye contact at all costs.

They soon reach the same spot as a few nights before, Argyle insists they go back into the trunk once again.

"Is there a reason you brought me up here?" Jonathan asked quietly. But still audible.

"Well Johnny my sweet! There is a reason." Argyle said as he lightly placed his hand under Jonathan's chin. Tilting his head up a little so he was forced to make eye contact.

"W-Well what was the reason." Jonathan asked as he felt the blood rush to his face again, turning his cheeks the deep red once again.

"Well Johnny." He quickly pinned the other down, placing his hands onto Jonathan's wrists.

"I've been wanting you, craving you, needing you." He let out a breathe and continued.

"I just want you to know, if you don't feel the same that's completely fine-"

"Argyle."

"Yes..?" Argyle said releasing his wrists.

"Shut up, I've been thinking about you nonstop since the last time we were here. Do you even understand how bad I've been wanting you?" Jonathan finished his statement with a kiss onto Argyle's lips.

Argyle soon licked Jonathan's lower lip asking for permission to let him into the others mouth. Jonathan quickly opened his mouth letting the other male explore.

Argyle soon broke the kiss, leaving a trail of saliva from his mouth, soon the same saliva dripped onto Jonathan's shirt.

"Fuck. You are so pretty like this baby." Argyle said as his hands trailed down to Jonathan's jeans.

He looked up, making sure this was okay.

Jonathan nodded.

"Nuh uh, use your words baby."

"Yes, please, continue." Jonathan huffed out.

"Can I fuck you while you have my shirt on?"

Jonathan quickly nodded, helping in the process of removing his own pants.

"But we don't have lub-"

"Suck." Argyle said as he lifted one of his hands in front of Jonathan's face. Argyle soon worked down the rest of Jonathan's pants down to his ankles.

Jonathan was occupied with sucking on Argyle's two middle fingers he didn't even notice when Argyle used his teeth to drag down his boxers, releasing his cock from the restrainments called underwear.

Argyle soon pulled his hand away from Jonathan's mouth, leaving another trail of saliva on his shirt. Soon lowering his hand to Jonathan's ass.

"Ready baby?"

"Yes please! Just hurry up please!" Jonathan pleaded.

"I'll get there baby, no need to rush." He placed his nine saliva covered hand into his lower stomach to keep him steady.

"Be ready baby. I'll make sure you won't be able to walk tomorrow."

Argyle slowly slid one of his fingers into Jonathan's hole, leaving the other to squirm above him. He waited until he was ready for another finger to insert it. He soon stopped squirming; Meaning he was ready. Argyle pulled out the first finger then entered two at once. Causing Jonathan to moan.

"Ah fuck! Deeper please Argyle." He breathed out.

Argyle smirked.

"What a good boy, I don't even have to drag begging out of you."

He soon started scissoring the shorter male before him. This action also caused Jonathan to moan once again.

"I love your noises baby"

Jonathan's cock twitched at the praise.

"Oh? You like when I praise you baby?"

Jonathan nodded.

"Words baby, only good boys get rewards!" Argyle stopped moving his fingers.

"Yes! I like you praising me Argyle!" Jonathan whined out. Moving his hips trying to get Argyle to move.

Argyle chuckled. Soon inserting a third finger, he finally found his special spot.

"Ah fuck! Right there please!" Jonathan begged as he gripped Argyle's hair.

Argyle hit the spot a few times before removing his fingers. This caused Jonathan to whine.

"Oh shush baby you're getting the real thing now." Argyle kissed Jonathan's happy trail the slowly place the tip of his cock at his hole.

"Rea-"

"Yes fuck i'm ready! Just get inside me already! Please!" Jonathan whined before Argyle got to finish.

Argyle slid his entire length into Jonathan, finding his prostate instantly. A loud moan was released from the shorter boy.

"There! Please"

Argyle's thrust hit the exact spot over and over again until he felt a knot building in his stomach.

"I'm close baby.."

Jonathan whined in agreement.

"Please cum inside of me."

Argyle kissed him as he continued his thrust. Soon releasing inside of him, painting his walls white.

Jonathan soon came right after onto Argyle'a hand. Argyle was quick to react and scooped it up and licked it from each of his fingers.

"I love you so much Jonathan, You're so perfect. And it was so fucking sexy watching you, and it was ten times better when you had my shirt on you." Argyle said kissing him once more then pulling out. Watching his cum spill out of Jonathan's hole.

"I love you too Argyle, You're all I think about. Thank you, I love you." Jonathan kissed him again.

"You said I love you twice."

"Well I do love you."

Argyle smiled.

"Good. I was sorta getting sick of that weed, need something to keep me distracted."

Argyle glanced to Jonathan's leaking hole.

"Oh shush!"

"I love you Jonathan."

"I love you too, Argyle.