#as i said steddie endgame

[steddieas-shegoes]

Hi friend! 👋 I’d like to submit a request, if I may. It’s not an original prompt, I don’t know where I first saw it, but I haven’t seen an actual fic with this premise yet.

Will comes out to Nancy who goes “I know nothing about this BUT I know someone who does” and brings him to Eddie, who brings both of them (bc let’s be honest Nancy isn’t letting Will out of her sight alone with Eddie) to a gay bar in Indy. Lo and behold who do they see but Steve and Robin. And it’s obvious to those who know what to look for (Eddie) that they’re both looking to get lucky. Steddie endgame (obvs lol) but maybe some Byler as well if you want/can swing it..?

I love everything I’ve read from you so far and I’m sure I’ll love everything you come up with! ❤️ thank you!!!

My star ���✨✨ This is a future fic, but not future enough for Will to be 21 (I'm gonna put him at 19, almost 20 here so still like a tiny baby but also an adult). The first part of this is definitely Will focused, but there is more focus on Steddie at the bar itself. - Mickala ❤️

-------------------------------------------

“Nancy? Um, can I talk to you?”

Will had been working himself up to this for weeks, months really. He came out to Jonathan and his mom officially last weekend, though they both already knew.

He wasn’t exactly good at hiding it, and around them, he didn’t really try.

But Nancy Wheeler was smart, and she was quick to come to conclusions, and probably already had figured it out.

Plus, she was decent at giving advice, and could possibly give him some insight into how Mike felt if he felt anything at all.

That was why he was here, coming out to her, being brave.

“Of course,” Nancy replied, smiling comfortingly.

She knew. He knew she knew. But he had to say it out loud, he had to get it out there to other people.

“I just have to tell you something that’s like, a big deal, and hopefully it doesn’t bother you, but also I don’t want it to be a big deal. It doesn’t have to be, actually. I just-”

“Will,” Nancy placed her hand on his shoulder, looked up at him with a knowing smirk. “Just say it.”

“I’m gay.”

There. He said it. It’s done.

Nancy nodded once, like she was confirming that she heard him, but she already knew, which was what he expected.

“Anything else?”

“Um. I’m in love with Mike?”

“Yeah, that’s pretty obvious. Anything else?”

“What do you mean it’s pretty obvious? I thought I hid it okay!”

Nancy laughed. She actually laughed.

“The only person who doesn’t notice that you’re in love with Mike, is Mike, and that’s had a few close calls. And before you ask, I have no idea how he feels. I know he’s in denial about his sexuality, so once he clears that up, who knows. But for now, let’s focus on you. What do you need from me?”

Nancy had a “let’s get down to business” attitude that Will respected, that everyone respected, but she sometimes forgot that not everything was business.

“Well, I guess just…support?”

Nancy raised her brows.

“That’s it? You already had that.”

“I guess maybe…advice?”

“I mean, I really don’t have any for Mike. He’s an enigma even to me,” she started.

“No. I mean, it would be helpful to have it, yes, but just. In general?” Will interrupted, a blush covering his cheeks.

“Oh! About…” she trailed off as she realized what he was asking.

“Okay, well I don’t know anything about that or really anything, but I know who does!” Nancy clapped her hands together.

—-------------

“Eddie?” Will asked as they stood on his porch, waiting for him to answer the door.

“Uh-huh.”

“Eddie’s gay?”

“Well, he’s bisexual, but he would be the one who knows the most,” she answered.

“Prettier Wheeler! What a surprise!” Eddie exclaimed when he opened the door. “And my favorite Byers! Were we supposed to be doing something tonight? Fuck, did I forget something? Wayne is convinced the bats ate the part of my brain that holds memory, even though they didn’t even bite my head.”

Eddie was a rambler, sort of like Robin, but he usually at least made some sense.

“No, no you didn’t forget anything. Will just needs some guidance on something,” Nancy said as she pushed her way into the trailer. “Is Wayne home?”

“Uh. Nope. Come on in, I guess,” he said, nodding at Will.

Once they were all settled on the couch and chair, Nancy gestured for Will to tell Eddie.

Will wasn’t prepared for it, but he knew he could trust him, especially if what Nancy said was true.

“I’m gay.”

It was getting easier to say out loud, just like it had been easier to say to himself when he first realized it and started letting himself think it every day.

“Amazing! Was that a secret?” Eddie asked, somewhat confused.

“Apparently not as much of one as I thought. But yeah, just my mom, Jonathan, Nancy, and you know. Officially, anyway.”

“So you have a boyfriend? Is that why you’re coming out?”

“No. I haven’t-”

“Oh, so Mike hasn’t gotten it together yet?” Eddie asked, playing with his rings distractedly.

“Nope. But it’s gonna take a big moment for that to happen. Will just needs some guidance on other stuff,” Nancy said.

“Oh! Like sex?”

Will was as red as he could possibly be.

“No! Not sex. Just, like, being gay I guess.”

Eddie looked between Will and Nancy a few times.

“Right. So let’s go,” he said as he stood up, making his way to his bedroom at the end of the hall.

Will and Nancy looked at each other, then back to where Eddie disappeared.

Before they could say anything, Eddie was back in the room, his new denim battle vest pulled on, and his boots laced up.

“Let’s go. Got places to be, queers to see!” Eddie yelled as he started moving out the front door.

“What the hell,” Nancy shrugged, getting up and following him out the door.

“What is happening,” Will said to himself as he followed them both.

—--------------

What was happening was that Eddie was taking him to a queer bar on the outskirts of downtown Indianapolis.

He’d heard of the place during his very little research of the local scene. He’d heard it was shut down twice in the 70s because of police raids, but now it was mostly just a quiet, safe place for queer people to be themselves.

The bar was laid back, only two bartenders even on the busiest nights, usually just pouring draft beers and the occasional martini. A jukebox in the corner never stopped playing, even when they only had a handful of customers.

A sign at the door said “THIRSTY THURSDAY: QUENCH YOUR THIRST AT THE BAR AND ON THE DANCE FLOOR!”

Will felt a little out of his element as he took in the amount of people crowding the bar, the tables, the small dancing area that really couldn’t even be considered a dancefloor.

Eddie seemed right at home, and he explained it was because he came pretty regularly, usually just to try to convince the owner to let his band play sometime, but he’d managed a few bathroom hookups along the way.

Will couldn’t hide his blush at that thought, knowing that he was in a place where that would not only be possible, but that it would be encouraged, maybe even expected had his mind fantasizing.

He welcomed it; Anything to get rid of the thoughts of Mike, who would probably never get his head out of his ass even if Will came out to him.

“Alright, one drink rule for the kiddo!” Eddie said as he walked to the bar with a hop to his step.

He was always exuberant, but he just seemed light here.

Will kept looking around, taking it all in.

Nancy suddenly grabbed his arm, and when he looked over, her eyes were huge.

He followed her line of sight, only getting distracted for a moment by a very attractive man who looked to be about his age.

His eyes settled on Steve and Robin.

In a queer bar.

In Indy.

“Is that-”

“It is.”

“But-”

“Uh-huh.”

Eddie came up behind them, drinks in hand.

“Alright, drink up! Take the edge off and then you can have some wonderful experiences- what are you two looking at?” Eddie looked over and his eyes widened. “Not possible.”

“It’s them.”

“But, they aren’t. Are they?”

Eddie squinted, looking at the way they were standing, what they were wearing, the way Steve was open to the room, not turned towards Robin.

“Oh my God,” he said.

“What?” Nancy’s head whipped towards him.

“How did I miss it? I spend so much time- but, no. He- and she- no.”

“Eddie, you aren’t making any sense! What?” Nancy whisper-yelled, as if anyone could hear them over the sound of everyone else talking and the music playing.

“They’re both queer! They’re here lookin’ for someone!”

“That’s impossible. Steve is the straightest person I know. I think even Mike knows he’s more likely to-” Nancy was cut off by Will hitting her arm. “What?”

“Robin just looked over here.”

“Shit.”

“Shit.”

They all looked at each other, panic in their eyes, as they realized it was only a matter of moments before they were completely caught here.

But, really, what was there to worry about? They were here, without knowing anyone they knew would be here, clearly looking for someone.

Will turned back to them, watching as Steve and Robin both looked at them with wide eyes.

“Might as well go talk to them,” he said before walking towards them, not waiting for Nancy or Eddie to agree.

“O…kay,” Eddie sighed before following.

Nancy followed silently, and Eddie didn’t really have time to figure out what her face was doing because Steve and Robin ended up meeting them halfway.

“Hi guys!” Robin waved, awkward as always, maybe more so because of where they were. “Kinda weird seeing you here, right? Like in Indy? Or in a bar? Since Will is underage! And also this is a pretty specific establishment, so-”

“What Robin means is,” Steve starts, lines in his forehead making him look more serious than he needs to be. “Why are you in a queer bar in Indianapolis?”

Robin smacked Steve’s arm, but he didn’t even flinch, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

Like he was ready to protect Robin.

And himself.

“Well, this happens to be one of my favorite bars, and Will needed to be in this type of environment for the first time, ya know?” Eddie said in a way that would definitely give away more if Robin and Steve were actually here because they were queer.

“So you’re…” Steve relaxed slightly.

“I am. Are you?”

“Um. Yeah. Yep. I am.”

“Me too,” Robin added.

“Yeah, so am I,” Will said.

All of them looked to Nancy, who suddenly seemed to catch up to the conversation.

“Oh! Um, not me! I don’t think. I’m just here for support!” She had never looked or sounded as nervous as she was in this moment.

“So how’s the crowd today?” Eddie asked.

To be honest, Eddie hadn’t bothered trying to find a hookup here for months.

The reason?

The man standing in front of him: Steve Harrington.

He’d tried, really he had.

But every time he thought he would get beyond basic flirting with someone, he thought about the way Steve sometimes touched his arm or his shoulder for longer than he needed to when he passed by him, and the way Steve would rest his head on his shoulder during movie nights, or the way he sometimes looked at him like he wanted to devour him.

Like he was right now.

Eddie would be nervous about it, but he doesn’t think Steve actually means anything by it.

He just has a very intense stare sometimes.

“Eddie!”

“Sorry! What?” He turned to see Robin and Will giving him knowing looks. “What?”

“I’m gonna take Nancy and Will over to a table that just opened up. You coming?” Robin asked.

“Sure, in a minute. Gonna run to the bathroom first,” he said, ignoring the way Steve was still watching him.

He walked away before anyone else could say anything.

He just needed a minute or two to collect himself.

The realization that Robin and Steve were here for the same reasons he was was probably going to need more than a minute or two, but he could deal with it later.

The bathroom of this place wasn’t the best, probably hadn’t been properly cleaned since the place opened, but it also wasn’t the worst place to have a minor breakdown.

He didn’t cry, but it was damn close.

It was overwhelming to know that there were others in their little group like him, but it was also just a lot to take in that those other people included Steve.

He heard the bathroom door open behind him, but he didn’t look up, just assumed it was someone else from the bar.

He stood at the sink, looking down, gathering himself to go back out and pretend this was entirely normal when a hand gripped his waist.

His head shot up and he looked in the mirror to see Steve’s reflection looking back at him, a hesitant smile on his face.

“Hey.”

“Hi.”

They stared at each other in the mirror, silent except for their breathing and the muffled sound of the music from outside the bathroom.

“I didn’t know you were…”

“Me either,” Eddie said quickly.

“You didn’t know you were queer?”

“No! No. Wait. I did know that. I knew it a long time ago. I mean I didn’t know you were,” Eddie clarified, unable to properly focus on anything except the way Steve’s hand felt on his side.

His thumb was rubbing circles against his shirt, the fabric bunching up little by little.

“It’s a new-ish discovery.”

“How new?”

Steve looked down at where his hand was resting on Eddie, then back up, his face red.

“March.”

“Oh?”

Eddie caught up quickly, realized what was happening, and definitely didn’t want it to stop even though he wasn’t sure how far he wanted it to go in the bar bathroom.

“Yeah. This annoying guy who was trying to steal Dustin from me decided to get involved in all our fucked up shit and Robin informed me that the way I was acting and talking about him wasn’t very heterosexual. Her words, not mine.” Steve smirked. “So, I kinda just admitted to myself I was into him and now I’m here.”

“Oh. Is the guy at this bar right now?”

“Yeah. He is.”

Eddie turned around and pushed Steve against the bathroom door as gently as he could.

“You’ve been driving me mad for years, Stevie. You know that?”

“Years?” Steve gulped, but kept smiling.

“Years. And now you’ve given me all that I need to do something about it.”

“Have I?”

Eddie answered him with a kiss.

It wasn’t spectacular, wasn’t even that good as far as kisses go.

Steve seemed caught off guard, like he hadn’t actually expected Eddie to take what was right in front of him, take control.

But then he caught up.

His hands gripped Eddie’s hips tight, the rest of his body relaxing against the wall as Eddie crowded against him further, their fronts touching from head to feet.

Their second kiss came right after a pause for breath, and that one was spectacular.

It was longer, wetter, hotter.

Eddie didn’t want it to end.

But someone banged on the door and they couldn’t be those people.

As they moved away to let the person in, Steve leaned his head against Eddie’s shoulder, like he did on movie night.

“So you’re into me too?” He asked.

Eddie could hear the smirk in his tone, didn’t even need to look down or at their reflection in the mirror to know he was being a little shit.

“No, I just kiss all the boys who come up behind me in bathrooms.”

Steve leaned his head back and nipped at Eddie’s neck, sending a shiver down his spine.

“Behave, big boy. Gotta go pretend we weren’t five seconds from fucking around in a public bathroom,” Eddie said as he guided Steve out of the bathroom.

When they got back into the main room, Steve tensed, started to pull away.

Eddie let him, tried not to let it bother him.

But then he was back, head back on his shoulder, arm around his waist.

“Sorry. Just. Not used to this being something I can do,” he said so only Eddie could hear.

“‘S okay. We’re safe here, though.”

No one commented on it when they got back to the table, though they both could tell everyone wanted to.

Will seemed ready to explode with excitement when someone came and asked him to dance and everyone at the table encouraged him to go.

He wasn’t much of a dancer, but he’d learn.

Nancy and Robin eventually went back to the bar to grab more drinks, and Eddie couldn’t help but watch the way Nancy was looking at one of the women who was standing alone by the jukebox.

“Hey, is it possible that Nancy’s…”

“Oh, yeah. Robin and I have had at least four conversations about how much the Wheelers desperately need to admit to themselves that sexuality is fluid.”

Eddie pulled away to look down at Steve, baffled at how educated he was on everything and kind of hating himself for being surprised.

“You’re somethin’ else, sweetheart.”

Steve kissed his cheek in response.

—-------------------

Nancy came out to them a month later, at the same bar, while staring at the same woman who was standing by the jukebox the month before.

She didn’t really use a label, but didn’t feel like she had to.

Mike took a bit longer, but eventually, Will lost his patience and kissed him.

He came out about ten seconds later.

[paulovieorq]

Queer shipps that sould've Been Canon

These are the ones that were very hinted on the show but never became Canon

JOHNLOCK

HANNIGRAM

Bryan fueller confirmed the shipp is Canon... But It was never shown in an explicit way in the show

SUPERCORP

Do i really need to say something about these Two ?

KLANCE

This one Hurts DEEP

DESTIEL

This one Hurts even DEEPER

BUDDIE

Kristen reidel i Hope you get fired

BECCA AND CHLOE

The queerbait was also strong in this one

FINN and POE

Even the actors shipped It and Kathleen Kennedy ( president of Lucasfilm) Said that they thought about the possibility... But It was put away

JEDEDIAH and OCTAVIUS from a night in the museum... I mean C'mon

Now some shipps that were not hinted at but had a Lot of chemistry to become Canon If the writers wanted to:

STEDDIE: stranger things

I Mean... C'mon their chemistry was undeniable...

WENCLAIR: wednesy

I unfortunately don't think It is going to happen for obvious reasons... But i think they're so cute together

JJPOPE: outer banks

It would be amazing... But the writers preferred to stick with another generic straight shipp Just like 100000 others

Now this one i still have Hope to Go Canon ( and in my opinion is going to happen )

BYLER: stranger things

After seeing some analysis on YouTube and tiktok It makes A LOT of sense of them being endgame... And honestly... It would be the only way possible to end the show

And no one can Tell me that the final scene from Season 4 was not a foreshadowing that they're going to be endgame... These are literally the endgame couples behind eleven

[dwobbitfromtheshire]

Robin is a 100% a Stancy shipper, but she could also be falling for Nancy. Both can be true at the same time, especially if she starts falling for Nancy because Nancy loves Robin's platonic Steve so much. Robin said they should combine. It only makes sense that they date the same woman, and Robin wouldn't want to date Nancy without Steve anyway. Not because they're codependent but because Robin's platonically in love with Steve. I'm pretty sure that Robin is laughing at that Tom Cruise poster because she knows her best friend has the same one (we haven't seen Steve’s room since season one, he's probably redecorated by now). I love Steddie, but I think Stancy is somehow going to be endgame. Whether it's with Ronance or with Jancy. I think people also forget that the only time 'Robin' ever saw anything remotely Steddie was when Joseph Quinn improvised the big boy scene, so that was Maya's reaction. She's definitely a Stancy shipper. There's no doubt.

"God, they're so adorable. I just wanna squeeze them, you know. If I'm permitted to see a silver lining in all of this end of the world doom and gloom, it would be the rekindling of some old flames, that frankly never should have been snuffed out. I didn't mean it as a hint but if I did meant it as a hint, would that be so terrible? For me to wish happiness for my friends?"

Robin: If only we could just like combine. Think about it. . .I know exactly what I want, I found the girl of my dreams, and I just can't get the courage to ask her out. Meanwhile, you go on a million dates and you have no idea what you want, so if we just combined all of our problems, it would be solved because alone, let's face it. . .

Steve: We totally suck. . .

So, if Rovickie doesn't work out (let's say because Vickie parents moved her out of Hawkins) or for whatever reason, Stoncy doesn't. . . Stobincy! Because alone, they totally suck. (Or if they're going to date the same girl. . .Vickie, which I could see too.) Hmm. . .why do all my short posts turn into long ones. . .I always feel a little awkward when I go on my rambly rants, so bear with me. 🫣

[castlebyersafterdark]

Are there any other ships on the show you don't like besides milkvan? I have to say I definitely don't like stancy. I feel like stancy shippers are mostly Steve fans who only care about what Steve wants and his endgame. Also they all want Jonathan to die so Nancy has no choice but to end up with Steve (as if that was her only choice to end up with the guy who doesn't die). Stancy really should have been left behind in the dust back in s2. I get that they needed proper closer but I don't think a triangle is the way to do it. With that being said I do ship stonathan as a crack ship, so I don't hate Steve. I just hate stancy. Steve and Nancy are better off being friends.

Yeah, I agree with you on Stancy. It served its purpose in seasons 1 and 2 and I don't have a problem with that narrative and sequence of events. I like Nancy being with Steve, having that complicated first love and realizing it isn't love, and then moving on and getting with Jonathan. So it had to happen that way. But, I wasn't a big fan of returning to it in 4. I just think there could have been something different done with the older teens storyline in 4, and that's a big reason I just find them all so uninteresting anymore, other than Jonathan with Cali crew was pretty good, but Mike and Will and Argyle stole the show on that plot.

Most Steve fans I've found literally care about NOTHING else in the show so it's a big avoid avoid avoid for me even though I'm actually a really big Steve fan?? For what he is on the show though!! He's actually in my top 5 (Will -> Mike -> Robin -> Hopper -> Steve). Stonathan is fun, for a purely indulgent fandom thing. I think they're so funny as a pair. I much prefer them to Steddie. There's really no other ships within the show I dislike so it turns to fandom.

Not a fan of Steddie at all, and I can be mature and admit it's partial jealousy and bitterness as a Byler shipper. They get all that fanart and fic that's a higher rating which is just always been a part of fandom and yet we are lacking here so. Envy. Because I don't find them that interesting or see the chemistry, even if I mentally am treating Steve like the town bicycle hahaha. Hmm. Not much else. Most little fanon ships I just kinda don't care about but they don't bother me because they're never gonna happen in the show and people are just having fun.

Here's a potential shocker I know I've hinted at - I really, really like Jopper. And some people just hate Hopper so much and I know he's controversial but I like that he's a big damn mess and Joyce is a big damn mess and them together is messy but oh, they are so good together. I actually read Jopper fic 🤭🤭 One, it's fun and interesting to see how the other side lives. Not all of my reading adventures are for seeking out specific things I'm into. Most fic I read is actually sfw because that's just what's common around here. But oooh I do like to read a good spicy Jopper fic. Because they deserve it and I just want them to be happy and get it on, ok!!!!

[me1-atonin]

how certain i am these ships will be endgame:

(saw @theonebyler do this so i thought i would too!)

byler - 99.9%. the 0.1% of doubt is me being used to heteronormative stories

lumax - 1000% if max wakes up and i think she will bc the duffers basically said they don’t want any of the kids to die

jancy - 75%. nancy flirting with steve and 0 communication between them in season 4 is what that 25% of doubt is

jopper - 10000%. PARENTS

rockie - 90%. cute ship ig and it is very likely to happen

stancy - 20%. please duffers i really don’t want this to happen… they broke up for a reason and steve found a platonic relationship that is just as fulfilling as a romantic one.

duzie (i think that’s the ship name idk) - 95%. they seem to be going strong but they could eventually just drift apart bc of the distance

ronance - 0%. as much as i love this ship, nothing is gonna come out of it

milkvan - 0.1%. i’m really hoping that isn’t enough for them to be endgame

steddie -0%. eddie’s dead and a lot of y’all need to accept that

elmax - 0%. i love them so much but there’s no way that’s happening bc lumax is too good and i don’t think they’re bold enough for elumax (so 0% for that one too)

henderhop - 0.2%. idk i don’t really see it happening but i wouldn’t be mad

byclair - 0%. not happening at all but it’s cute

[steddie-fanfic-recs]

The Winner Takes It All

by ParadimeShifts

Rating: Explicit Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson, Tommy Hagan/Steve Harrington Characters: Steve Harrington, Eddie Munson, Tommy Hagan, Nancy Wheeler, Robin Buckley Additional Tags: Modern AU, My Best Friend’s Wedding AU, romcom, ABBA, Nancy and Eddie bestie-ism, Steve Harrington is a Sweetheart, Bisexual Steve, Gay Eddie Munson, Rockstar Eddie Munson, Past Substance Abuse, Sports Writer Steve Harrington, Crying in the bathroom at a drag bar, Tommy/Steve but you know what’s coming, tommy is a dick, Light Angst, Top Eddie Munson, Panties, Blow Jobs, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Serenading your bestie in a very non-platonic way, steddie endgame if that wasn’t clear Words: 32,831 Chapters: 1/1

Summary

Later, as he was sitting on the toilet, he remembered what Steve had said: February. The wedding was in February. Eddie checked his phone, confirming his suspicion. December 10th, 2023. “Fuck,” he swore softly, and then again, “Fuck.” A little over two months until Steve said I do, binding himself to a total stranger. Eddie wasn’t about to let his best friend get snatched up by someone who was likely not good enough for him, let alone someone Eddie had never heard of. Steve was too kind to be taken advantage of like that — too special. How things had ended up as they had, Eddie couldn’t be sure, but one way or another, he was going to get to the bottom of it.

[thestobingirlie]

Personally I don't like Stancy but the amount of people who rather want to see Steve dead in s5 than Stancy being possible endgame is concerning and annoying. Like how can you claim to love Steve but actively wish him death just so he isn't with a girl in the end. This is coming mostly from steddies and I'm sick of it. Like I said it's not my favorite end for him as well but everything is better than death. Also I don't go into Stancy tags and shit on posts like if I don't have anything positive to add I ignore it, idk why some people are so weird about this ship. Just block the tag

oh yeah, it’s very “if i don’t get you, no one will!”. like, they’d seriously rather steve was dead, just so he won’t end up with nancy? dude, just write fics where they break up lmao.

i don’t think anyone has to like a ship, and i think you’re well within your rights to write a little post complaining about the ship, etc. because god knows i’m a hater! but stancy just seems to incite so much rage in some people that they feel they have to actually attack people that ship it. and that’s just insane. it’s just a ship.

[threewaywithdelusion]

Nancy is to Steve as Angel is to Buffy.

Let me explain. I, personally, don't ship Angel and Buffy in the sense that I think they should be endgame. They were cute for a while (if somewhat creepy, what with the 225 year age difference while she was still a minor) and I enjoyed watching them together, but I don't want them to get back together.

However, what I want doesn't matter. Buffy will always, on some level, want to get back together with Angel. She will always love Angel. Every lover she has will always be measured against the Angel Standard.

This isn't to say that I think Buffy would always choose Angel. Or that Buffy doesn't hate Angel sometimes. But Angel was her first love. Her first real relationship. It was passionate and all-consuming and then it was the worst thing that had ever happened to her. Buffy, as she is today, would never exist if she hadn't dated Angel. If she hadn't loved him. If hadn't had to kill him.

Buffy doesn't exist without Angel and because of that, he's so much a part of her that she will never be able to fully separate herself from him. So even though I, personally, don't ship Bangel, I always write Buffy as in love with him. Even if she's not acting on it, even if she hates him a little, she always, always loves him.

I feel like that's not a super hot take in the Buffy fandom. But it's one that I think is missing in the Stranger Things fandom.

People debate all the time whether Steve is still in love with Nancy. Was he telling Robin the truth when he said he was over her? Was he flirting with her in season 4 because he loves her still or because she was there and he thought they were all going to die?

I propose some nebulous third thing. Steve will always be in love with Nancy. But that doesn't mean she's always the person he would choose over other potential partners. It doesn't mean he likes her all the time. It doesn't mean he's ever fully able to trust her after the bullshit/lying about loving him/cheating with Jonathan thing.

It just means that Nancy was Steve's first love. His first real relationship. The girl who gave him the thump upside the head that he needed in order to stop being King Steve and become the Steve Harrington we all know and love.

The Upside Down did a lot to shape Steve into the man he is nowadays (as did Dustin, the rest of the kids, Robin, etc). But I truly believe that it was Nancy Wheeler calling Steve bullshit that made him re-evaluate his decisions. He tells Robin on the torture chamber floor that popularity is "bullshit," using the word I'm positive he will always associate with Nancy. He re-examined his perspective on what was important because of her. He never would have helped Dustin hunt D'art if he hadn't had had his heart broken by Nancy. He might not have been there with the kids when Billy came calling. He might have gotten into college, might have never met Robin, etc. And while some of those things could have still happened without Nancy shattering his heart, I think Steve attributes them (and thus the person he became) to her.

So Nancy is Steve's Angel. It doesn't matter if you ship Stoncy or Steddie or anything else -- Steve must always be in love with Nancy. Not in a way where he chooses her. But Nancy is the one who taught him the meaning of love and also the meaning of heartbreak and anytime Steve feels either, he will think of the woman who saved him and broke him and forged him anew.

When a partner tells Steve they love him, a tiny voice in his head will always ask if they're lying the way Nancy was. When they fight, part of Steve will always hear bullshit, will always wonder if it's his fault. And when he's falling in love, part of Steve will always ask "do I love them enough to run into a house and fight a demogorgon for them?" because that was his first metric of what real love meant.

In conclusion, Buffy will always love Angel. She wouldn't be Buffy if she didn't. And Steve will always love Nancy. He wouldn't be Steve if he didn't.

[robin-the-blind-sniper-rifle]

As a former dedicated member of the TWD fandom, I give you part of my Stranger Things/Walking Dead crossover. This is Ronance endgame, and Steddie too. If anyone’s interested in this, I’ll keep going.

xxxxxx

December 15th, 1983

The streets of downtown Hawkins were deathly quiet. Brown leaves swirled around in circles, piles of them collecting on the curbs. Barely a sound echoed in the still air, no sound beyond a soft, rasping breath.

Nancy relaxed her fingers against the notch of her bow, relishing the sound the arrow made as it sank deep into its target. Swinging the weapon back over her shoulder, Nancy gave her surroundings a once over before moving to retrieve her arrow.

Once she was certain she was alone, she dashed into the middle of Main Street. Leaning down with expert speed, she pulled the arrow swiftly out of her kill, ignoring the squelch it made before wiping it on her shirt. Nancy loaded the bow again, adjusting her hair so that it sat higher and away from her back.

Hawkins was empty this time. She had a feeling.

“I thought we were meant to be hunting today.”

Nancy scoffed, turning around to face a lanky, brown haired boy. He was carrying a large backpack full of supplies and a map he had been charting for them for the past few weeks.

“We were meant to be hunting? I think you mean me, Johnathan.”

Johnathan rolled his eyes. “Same difference.”

Nancy pointed to the body by her feet, shoving it with her heel for good measure. “Same difference goes for biters, then. The less of them there are around here, the better. Fuckers can sneak up on you at any time.”

Johnathan glared at her. “We knew some of these people at one point, Nance. Don’t you think it's a bit callous to treat them like monsters?”

Nancy sighed, looking off into the distance. She didn’t want to have this conversation with him for the hundredth time. It wasn’t particularly easy to put a bolt through your English teacher’s head, but it was either that or have your face ripped off.

“They *are* monsters, John. They’re not people anymore. Besides, what if…what if one of ours comes back? Shouldn’t this place be clear for them?”

Johnathan pursed his lips, but said nothing. Instead, he turned back to his map, furrowing his brow as he looked at the X’s they had marked in every direction. He pulled a pen out of his back pocket and made two small lines across what looked like a doodle of the general store.

“That’s the last one on Main Street, it looks like. It took awhile to clear it out, but I think we’re all set for heading out. We’ve taken what we can carry and boarded up a stash of supplies in case we ever need to come back.”

He glanced at her, his eyes filled with sympathy and an equal, resigned acceptance. “We’ve done all we can for them, Nance. I wouldn’t blame them for not coming back here. They don’t know we’ve been taking the biters out, they probably think the place is still overrun.”

Nancy sighed, not wanting to admit he was right. It had been a month since everything had fallen apart, and Nancy and Johnathan were the only living left in Hawkins. The people that managed to get out scattered in a mad panic, taking what they could and leaving the rest behind.

Some didn’t make it.

Others went missing.

Johnathan’s entire family had been separated in the chaos. The only reason they were sure his mother and little brother had made it was because they hadn’t been forced to kill them a second time. As long as there wasn’t any evidence to prove otherwise, they had a chance of being alive.

Nancy wasn’t so lucky.

Her mother was among the first to go, turning naturally in her sleep and moving straight for her father. In the terror, Holly was also taken, since her room was the closest to their parents. Nancy survived purely on instinct and her adrenaline driven action of stumbling down the stairs and grabbing her mother’s largest steak knife.

Mike’s room was empty except for a large pool of blood seeping into the center of his carpet. Nancy hadn’t seen any trace of him since the night before the end, and she could only assume the worst if he was on his own.

Nancy didn’t like the idea of leaving home without Mike, but there was nothing left worth saving. Resources were already running low, and Nancy noticed that the deer she brought down were growing scarcer every day. Johnathan eventually convinced her that their time would be better spent looking for their people instead of waiting, and Nancy agreed that it was logical enough to move forward.

What Johnathan didn’t know was that she was also looking for someone else.

Someone who should have been in his place, but wasn’t.

Because she screwed it up.

Nancy shook her head, determined not to waste any more time. She slung her crossbow over her shoulder, checking right her hip to make sure she still had her knife, and her left to check the pistol she took from her father’s drawer. It was time to get the fuck out of here.

“Are we still traveling on foot?”

Johnathan nodded. He had pulled out the map of Indiana instead of Hawkins, scanning it with a discerning eye. “I’d say we should avoid the freeways if we can. There will be more biters the closer we are to the city. If we’re following your plan with the trees, the forests should be our best bet.”

Nancy made a noise of agreement. “As long as we have those ropes from the War Zone and tie our shit up properly, it should be a safe bet.”

Her idea for sleeping at night, because traveling tired was like shooting yourself in the foot, was to sleep in the tall pine trees of the Indiana forests and tie their waists to the middle so they wouldn’t fall to their deaths.

“Right.” Johnathan shifted awkwardly, as if he wasn’t sure what to say next.

Nancy rolled her eyes. “Spit it out. We need to move before dark. What are you trying to say?”

“I-I left a note. In my old house. In case they come back.”

She nodded, not wanting to entertain hope the way he did.

“I wrote Mike’s name down, too.”

Nancy looked at him, keeping her expression neutral. She had never seen herself pairing up with Johnathan Byers for anything, had never even talked to him before he’d shown up on her doorstep, covered in blood and looking for Will. She hadn’t expected they would stick together, that he would have given her the time of day.

But he had. And now they were searching for the same people.

Nancy bit her lip, clearing her throat. “Thank you. You didn’t have to.”

Johnathan gave her one of his small, rueful smiles. “I did. He’s just a kid. They both are.”

She nodded, willing herself not to lose her composure.

So were we.

[strangerfandomfiascos]

Okay so I'm ngl I completely forgot that I made this poll 😅 But as promised here's some tiny little snippets of my first fic! It's gonna be mostly Steve-centric, pretty slow burn and with steddie endgame but also pretty damn fucking angsty lol

Any tips, critiques or just general comments would be greatly appreciated - I know these little out of context paragraphs aren't much to go on but these were the only bits I've finished fucking around with 💀 I originally said I'd be ready to post the first chapter by this week but it's looking unlikely since I'm I both a perfectionist & a procrastinator plus I've been so busy & I'm super nervous because I've literally never posted a fic before and I'm scared mines not gonna be that good. Either way I've started now so I'm definitely not giving up on it so I hope to post it fairly soon! ❤️

Link to original post/poll: https://www.tumblr.com/strangerfandomfiascos/717781582090485760/would-anybody-be-interested-in-looking-at-some?source=share

[ronanceisintheair]

Would you believe me if I said I think both Steddie and Ronance are endgame 👀 (yes, even with Eddie being "dead")

There's a lot of parallels between them and many of the Ronance proofs can also be applied to Steddie

I'd believe you're being facetious and that you have minor brain damages?

Idk what parallels you're seeing, also the time spent between the two boys vs Robin and Nancy is a bit disproportionate to use the word "alot". St*ddie shippers have created a mountain out of a molehill imo.

But ship as you ship just keep your tags to your tags and stop crowding sapphuc spaces with mlm stuff.

(Also I'd rather take all character deaths than see a st*ddie endgame actually. I would sacrifice ronance and myself to the void not to see that.)

[thorniest-rose]

I forgot it said Steddie endgame too even though I read all of the tags. now all my worries about Eddie hurting Steve might be gone a little since y’all did say Steve will end up happy.

Steve will end up happy, though there's a difference between being happy and being healthy which is all I'll say 💕

[andvys]

Okay, we love Steve despite his hurr durr moments like at the end of the chapter, and we love a good Steddie x reader scene, but it's Eddie x reader's still endgame, right? They've been through so much for each other, and I feel like Steve does have feelings for her, but like he said, she just made him realize he missed having someone.

Yes we do🥺 There might be more Steddie x reader scenes, maybe in some future parts but Eddie x reader are definitely endgame!

[avi17]

I wanna hear about Stranger Things beef from a safe distance, so lemme get uhhh 6, 10, and 17

6. which ship fans are the most annoying?

Oof unfortunately every ship has some annoying fans, even ones I like (there are definitely some shitty steddie ppl who give everybody else a bad name). Not a fan of the hellcheer people who act like their ship is more valid bc it's 'canon' (first off that doesn't matter, second off it literally isn't and I will elaborate if needed). Not a fan of the harringrove people either, at least where they overlap with the Billy defenders/woobifiers. I can at least respect ppl who ship it but also acknowledge how awful Billy is, but then that dynamic is way too toxic to interest me. But I actually think the worst might be the Byler people, and I say that as someone who likes Byler (though I think Will mega deserves better). They just are the most argumentative gang in the fandom, and a lot of them are SO DEAD CONVINCED that Byler is going to be endgame, like the theories and justifications are absolutely wild and I mostly just feel bad for them because as much as I'd be down, it is absolutely not going to happen. Like. It's just not, I'm sorry. Idk I feel like this is a result of that same thing the hellcheer folks fall into, where your ship is only valid if it's canon and therefore you have to prove that it is or will be or try to pressure the creators into making it canon. It's okay if it's not, you can ship it anyways, but don't get your hopes up that high. It will not end well.

10. worst part of fanon

Big ol' hot take? The fucking black bandanna and all the wildly inaccurate fan portrayals of Eddie that it has created. I'm sorry, the ONLY reason sadist dom top Eddie is as much of a thing as it is is because of a costuming choice that realistically was absolutely not intentional. He's just a heavy metal fan with a bandanna for his hair. Nobody is flagging in their small town conservative high school, and there's no evidence he has it all the time- we literally only see him in one day's worth of clothing because he's on the run and literally can't change. XD I feel like smooth mean dom top Eddie is like a fandom telephone thing where I've seen portrayals that pulled elements from other fics, which had in turn been inspired by other fics, and the end result was portrayals that just bore no resemblance to the sweet, dorky, dramatic, vaguely pathetic wet cat man in the actual show XD The entire point of him is that he looks what people at that time consider scary but is actually a big fucking softie and wouldn't hurt a fly (yes I know that you can be a soft kind person irl and a mean dom in a scene but I legit just don't see that in him.) And I honestly think the overall most popular dynamic of this ship would be really different if it was based on actual canon characterization rather than a piece of fabric. Also woobified Billy but I said that already XD

17. there should be more of this type of fic/art

Bottom/switch Eddie 🤣

[thatonesongyouretryingtoremember]

Rating whatever ST ships I can think of bc it's night (post lemon) and I'm bored

Lumax- 10/10 so poetic and beautiful the show doesn't do them justice which is SAYING A LOT romo lumax and platonic lumax have my heart

Elmax- the first ST ship I started shipping before joining fandom! 10/10 incredible beautiful drop dead gorgeous romo and platonic elmax are perfect

Hopclair- 10/10 I may currently be running on a hopclair ANGST high, but as I've said and will not hesitate to repeat, these two NEED to team up and NEED more screentime together! Romo, platonic, and queerplatonic hopclair love in my brain

Henclair- recently found appreciation for them upon season two rewatch and reflecting join season two, cute enough for a maybe 6/10 as romo 15/10 platonic

Henderhop- I just can't picture it 0/10

Morallysus- idrk seems kinda morally sus to me :/ -10/10

Elmike 8/10 platonic and I will not elaborate

Byler- objectively 10/10 but they are not who I'm thinking about when I'm actually watching- that's when my elmax and platonic stobin brain turns on romo and platonic byler on their respective places in the timeline are literary impeccability

Byclair- adorable and I could totally see it, 7.5/10

Wheelclair- surprisingly cute but not my first instinct I do truly Get the cuteness but 6/10

Elumax- be it romo lumax romo elmax with pl hopclair, romo hopclair, or qp hopclair, still adorable to me and I actually understand them more than you do don't go near my children sorry guys blorbo is just for me actually 100/10

Stobin- 10/10 platonic and queerplatonic aromantic and lesbian solidarity!! But also their arc and how they support eachother!! Beautiful precious my precious you can't have it wow am i gatekeeping?

Rockie- unopinionated so 6/10 besties endgame material romo

Ronance- I can never stop thinking about Nancy comparing Barb and Robin to eachother but y'all's headcanons are cute 5/10

Stancy- you know me. I love Steve. I love Nancy. Which is exactly why I can't in good conscious dare ship them together! Nancy's whole thing of relating him to Barb's death (valid) is word on its own if you don't throw in the fact that Steve super cool dream directly contradicts everything Nancy wants in life! Neither of them should have to compromise their LIFE around accommodating the other! You can say what you want about "they still like eachother romantically" which isn't even really true imo but had it ever occurred to you that sometimes people can feel romantically and and decide that a friendship would do them more good? Which isn't to say they are super close friends either because honestly their friendship has gotten the least amount of attention by the writers. -20/10 romo and 7/10 potential friendship that we will never get to see on screen.

Jancy- I honestly could not care less whether they are endgame their unbreakable bond etc etc doesn't care whether they're friends or dating 6/10

Jargyle- 10/10 how does it feel to be the most perfect ship in the world? Pl, QP, romo, alterous, whatever it is these two mean the world to me

Stonathan- question why? I'm sure it's cute I just don't understand the origin of the hype. What's it ABOUT for y'all?

Stoncy- see above, both 5/10

Steddie- I actually like it as a ship kind of if it weren't for the fact I can't see Steve not being aromantic. Also while we're here thank you if you've stopped cross tagging because I'd I look up Erica Sinclair In not looking for Eddie x Reader fics 6.5/10 romo

Boyce- wait actually this might have been my first ST ship not elmax.. anyways they're adorable and I totally hated the way they did the love triangle thing. Hopper being annoying distracted me from Bob being the coolest guy in the world.

Jopper- I guess I'm cool with them now but I was so anti jopper in S2 not because I'm invested in the love triangle I fucking hate love triangles but because Hopper was insufferable in seasons two and three and Joyce had like no boundaries in season three that got weird because ofc the writers decided to build up their canon in the most annoying way possible. Maybe they could have been an 8/10 if ST writers had fucking tried at all before season four but now they're closer to a 4.5/10 for me tbh but go back to season one where their friendship was pretty cool and they've known eachother forever and all that- super fucking sweet 8/10 points taken off because I just generally find Hopper annoying (as a person not as a character I get how he's important to the story and blah blah)

Boycer- since the suffers never ruined it I mean wrote it and I can imagine them however I want- polyamorous Joyce with her two boyfriends is a 10/10

Edissy- I genuinely thought this was a joke 2/10 romo 7/10pl

Joyren- not to be a Karen hater but I kinda hate Karen 1/10

Kargyle- I love Kali with all my heart. I absolutely adore Argyle. But I don't get this ship. Like why. 5/10 romo 8/10 pl

Kalancy- yes let women kill people! I mean I'm the scenario I imagine they are def at Kali's home not Nancy's and it's def not a healthy mindset but let's not think about that.. honestly I don't think about them at all but I guess it could be cool. 8/10 romo 9/10 pl 9/10 qp

[byler-alarmist]

I am a hardcore shipper of both Byler and Steddie (the few, the proud, I guess).

Byler endgame is what Stranger Things has always been leading up to. It IS the show, even if some people haven't yet figured it out.

Steddie endgame, while an amazing and popular ship that actually makes a lot of sense and has potential staying power plus a great twist, would simply be icing on the cake.

To answer your question, though, there was a poll recently where Steddies were asked how they felt about Byler and these were the results:

^ Small sample size, yes, but it showed that quite a few Steddies have support for Byler (about 3/4s of the ppl who answered). Most just simply don't think they will be endgame.

I mean. since the Duffers killed off Eddie after brewing up a ton of chemistry and screentime with Steve, I could see why Steddies may not have hope for any mlm ships to be canon.

While I have some deep suspicions that Steddie is actually going to come back around in S5 (and despite what some commenter in the notes said, there is actually a ton of evidence in S4 to support its canonness, plus Steve queerness hints that go back to S1), this is a minority opinion amongst Steddies. They (understandably) gave up the canon hopes as soon as S4 ended, relegating Steddie to the realm of fanon forever, and they are STILL making absolute banger art and fics!!

I have noticed a trend of more than a few Steddies being in their thirties, so they have been consuming media with built-up and subsequently trashed queer ships for a very long time. They didn't come up in the Heartstopper era; they are more than a little jaded.

But yeah....in the world of fanfiction where anything is possible, it seems very strange for Steddie fics that mention Mike and Will to not have them together or pining.

One possible reason they don't see it is because to the untrained eye, it could look like Will had been getting denied/rejected by Mike since S3. If people are taking what the characters say at face value without reading into their actions, they could assume Mike is straight.

Meanwhile, Steddie had some open flirting in S4 without the burden of lines that sounded homophobic (i.e. "it's not my fault you don't like girls"), and Steve notably did not react negatively to Eddie's overtures, so it's fun to think about all their potential if Eddie hadn't died.

Which brings me to my next point, which is that there seem to be fewer prominent Steddie analysts out there. Many Steddies just see it as a great "what-if" ship that's very fun or sexy to think about, which is fine! But they are probably not reading into all the deep lore and lighting and set design and soundtrack the way that hyperfixated Bylers did last summer.

But they should, since there is an insane amount of queercoding and hints at Steddie that started even before S4 👀👀👀👀👀

Some people in the comments of that poll also said they liked Byler, but don't ship it because the kids are too young, which is silly to me because you can ship characters and think they are endgame without thinking about it as "hot". For instance, a lot of people think Lumax is going to be endgame and say that without getting weird about it.

I've never seen Steddies who were hateful of Byler though, so this is my formal request for more Steddie authors to write some background Byler into your fics!

not to be dramatic or a hater but steddie fics that have byler remain one-sided make me want to end it all

how can you see the potential with steve and eddie but not the potential for mike liking will back?????

byler rules all, idc what anyone else thinks

you think byler is unrequited? WRONG