#brief implied steddie | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

gerrystamour · 1 year ago

Text

suspended in the ether, till i felt you in my chest [chapter one]

Written for: Lex's Summer Spicy Six Fanworks Challenge Prompt: "Can I braid your hair?"

Explicit | Steddie | In Progress

So, Eddie would say yes as blandly as possible and Steve would get a little smirk on his lips and do whatever it was that he asked to do, and then Eddie would feel flustered, off-kilter and set adrift. It always felt like a test or a challenge and Eddie had no idea if he passed. Knowing his track record with tests, Eddie was pretty sure he didn’t. And now Eddie was sweating his entire dick off and struggling to keep the sweaty, frizzy mop that was his hair off of his neck, and Steve was asking to play with it. Well, not play with it, but braid it. That was an important distinction to make, because playing with Eddie’s hair would imply some level of intimacy that was decidedly not platonic, right? This is my first fill for @thefreakandthehair Summer Spicy Six Fanworks Challenge! I hope you all enjoy!

[ READ ON AO3 ]

chapter one: we are broken bodies bound for each other

“Can I braid your hair?”

Eddie blinked over at Steve, eyebrows high on his sweaty forehead while he held his hair up off the back of his neck. He could swear he felt heat pouring out of his head. Steve was strarfishing in the center of Eddie’s bed in just his boxers and a t-shirt while Eddie perched on top of the desk under his window, having a smoke and pretending he could feel a breeze coming in.

Summer had descended on Hawkins with a vengeance, as if in retaliation for the brief handful of weeks in the Spring when the portals to a frigid hell dimension opened up and attempted to take over their world. Granted, summers in Hawkins tended to be hotter than Satan’s taint, especially around the Fourth of July, but Eddie figured he was allowed to be noisy and bitchy about it if he wanted.

He'd almost died—first at the hands of a town full of angry, scared hicks, then by a swarm of demobats—and this was his first summer officially free of Hawkins High, the other frigid hell dimension in that shitty town. If Eddie had to spend the summer in the sweaty armpit of America because of dumb bullshit like “recovery” and “physical therapy” and “being under observation,” he was going to bitch and moan and throw all the tantrums he wanted.

It helped that all the stupid bullshit (like recovery, and physical therapy, and being under observation) meant that Eddie got to spend a lot of time with Steve outside of the apocalypse. They were both lucky enough to be Under Observation together, courtesy of both of them being the favoured chew toys for the demobats. From there, Steve just started staying close to Eddie, taking him to and from physical therapy, helping him with his exercises at home, coming over when Eddie was in too much pain to get up to use the bathroom, let alone get up and locate painkillers and take them.

It had been a while since Steve had to help him on a particularly bad pain day, at least one that extreme, but Steve still came over almost daily. Usually, they would just hang out and eat junk food, smoke a bit of pot sometimes; watch whatever movie Steve brought over from work. Sometimes, Steve would suggest they go for a drive and they would do just that, make like they would leave completely.

“We could get out of here, never look back.” Worded like a comment, spoken like an oath.

“You wanna run away with me, Stevie?” Tone teasing but lined with a hollow desperation.

The air in the Beemer would change as the question sat heavily in the space between them and Eddie was held in suspense, waiting for Steve to say or do anything. Most of the time, he wouldn’t hear an answer from Steve over the sound of the wind through the open windows and, like the coward he was, Eddie was too afraid to look at him after asking.

Sometimes, though, he would hear, “Of course I do, Eds.” Soft, teasing, possibly even sweet. Eddie’s delusional ass always liked to imagine it sounded as lovestruck as he felt.

Regardless of whether Steve answered or not, they would just drive, next stop anywhere big enough to disappear into with nothing but the clothes on their backs and whatever cash they had on them. Sometimes, they would be talking, usually about stupid shit that turned into rowdy, playful arguments, but most of the time they were quiet. Just letting the music play while they played at running away from Hawkins, a tension building between them that Eddie could almost feel, like the lowest tone on a bass guitar.

The furthest they’d ever gotten outside of Hawkins before one of them chickened out was two hours. Well, the furthest they’d ever gotten before Eddie chickened out.

Eddie hated to admit that he was always the first one to back down, thinking about Wayne back at home wondering and worrying about Eddie again. He would think about how Wayne would take Eddie just skipping town, not even saying goodbye or giving him any warning, after everything they had gone through.

And really, what would they even do if they left suddenly and unceremoniously like that? Especially the two of them?

Sure, they were friends now, Eddie felt secure enough in what they had going on to say that much was true, but that was tentative at best. He was still Eddie “The Freak” Munson, and Steve was still Steve. It was only a matter of time before he found out just how much of a freak Eddie was and ended everything. Eddie was pretty sure Steve wouldn’t hurt him, but still…

They couldn’t run away with each other because then Eddie would have nothing to fall back on once Steve found out. Not just about what team Eddie was batting for or whatever the stupid sports metaphor was, but the specific person he was stuck on. Even if Steve was okay with him being gay… the whole reason Eddie even had to move to Hawkins just before he turned thirteen was because he was an idiot and told a friend about his crush on him. Of course, his dad found out after the boy and their other friends beat Eddie up, and that obviously ended with him being shipped to Indiana to live with his uncle. But the key detail was that the kid knew Eddie was gay and told him it was okay, that he was fine with that. Eddie never wanted to take that chance again.

They had just returned to his trailer from yet another game of Escape Chicken. It had taken a bit longer than usual for Steve to respond when Eddie had suggested turning around this time, long enough for Eddie to turn and look at him. There was something intense in Steve’s expression, and Eddie couldn’t help the way his eyes traced the flex of Steve’s arms as he wrung the steering wheel briefly. For an exhilarating moment, Eddie had thought Steve would ignore him and keep going.

Then Steve looked over at Eddie with his brightest, stupidest, goofiest grin that never failed to make Eddie’s stomach do somersaults, and then turned the car around. The drive back to Hawkins was always light, with Steve turning up his shitty music and singing along to the dumb love songs, batting his long, pretty eyelashes at him whenever Steve caught him watching.

But this time Eddie was having a hard time shaking off that moment just before Steve turned around. That moment where it really felt like Steve wasn’t going to stop, and if it hadn’t been for Eddie sitting there asking to go back home, Steve probably wouldn’t have. How long did Eddie have before Steve disappeared, with or without him?

“Eds?”

Steve’s voice brought Eddie out of his spinning thoughts and back to the matter at hand, which honestly wasn’t much better for Eddie’s constitution.

Because the matter at hand was Steve starting their other game of chicken, the one that Eddie wasn’t sure who was winning or losing , if either of them even were because maybe it wasn’t even a game like the one in the car.

It still kind of felt like Eddie was the first one to flinch every time, though.

This round was always started by Steve, with him offering some sort of physical attention, and Eddie wanted to say no— knew that he should say no— but he was always, always too weak.

How could he be expected to turn down the opportunity to have his fucking crush touch him, no matter how chaste? Sure, he felt like a fucking creep saying something innocent and nonchalant— “Sure, man. Knock yourself out.”— while knowing that his thoughts were anything but. Sure, it felt like taking advantage when Steve would get close enough that Eddie could smell what remained of his cologne through the musk of his sweat. But there was really only so much Eddie could withstand; he already turned down running away into the sunset with Steve, the least he could allow himself was whatever platonic scraps of physical affection the man would offer him.

Obviously, Eddie never initiated this little game, even before he realized how he felt about Steve. Being a queer alone made Eddie’s acceptance of Steve’s touches risky enough, and once he figured out how he felt about him? It was stupid that he kept letting it happen, but at least he never started it. Plausible deniability and all that.

Stupid and pathetic as it was, he would take what he could get for as long as possible.

Knowing his track record with tests, Eddie was pretty sure he didn’t.

And now Eddie was sweating his entire dick off and struggling to keep the sweaty, frizzy mop that was his hair off of his neck, and Steve was asking to play with it. Well, not play with it, but braid it. That was an important distinction to make, because playing with Eddie’s hair would imply some level of intimacy that was decidedly not platonic, right?

The real issue was that he just needed to tie his hair up, but Eddie couldn��t find any of the silk ties that Jeff’s mom had given him after helping him cut an elastic band out of his hair during his second senior year. His hair was even curlier with the sweat and humidity, which made it way too unruly to risk a ponytail or bun with a normal tie. Of course, braiding it solved all of that, didn’t it?

“Dude, what?” Eddie asked dumbly as he snuffed out his cigarette in the ashtray by his knee, trying to stall a bit before he gave his inevitable consent to have Steve’s hands on him in a strictly platonic manner.

“Your hair— do you want help with it? I can braid it for you, get it off your neck,” Steve offered again, sitting up on Eddie’s bed and gesturing at him. He was sweaty too, his shirt soaked through and his face red from the heat. Somehow, Steve’s hair was still gorgeous, in spite of the sweat dripping from his hairline and the muggy, oppressive air around them.

“You know how to braid hair?” Eddie asked rather than give Steve a response to his offer, raising an eyebrow at him. It wasn’t like Eddie actually doubted Steve’s abilities; he hadn’t doubted Steve since he jumped into a haunted fucking lake without hesitation.

Steve rolled his eyes with a put-upon sigh. “I used to braid Carol’s hair all the time,” he answered, and that piqued some of Eddie’s interest since Steve didn’t mention his friendship with Carol or Tommy H very often these days. “I stayed in practice helping Max when she’d let me before everything. C’mon, you’ve been bitching and moaning since we got back, and it stopped being cute, like, an hour ago.”

“Aw, Stevie, you think I’m cute?” Eddie teased with an exaggerated flutter of his eyelashes, managing to keep from grimacing outwardly as his mouth got away from him.

Something passed over Steve’s face and Eddie couldn’t place the expression, and it didn’t help that it was gone as quickly as it appeared. If he had to name the look, Eddie would have called it sad, but that didn’t make sense. Eddie didn’t say anything that could have hurt Steve’s feelings, so he couldn’t be sad. But what else could that expression have been?

“Last time I’m offering, Eds. Do you want help or not?” Steve asked with another bitchy eye-roll that Eddie couldn’t help but snort at.

“Alright, Stevie, have at’er,” Eddie said as nonchalantly as possible, gesturing grandly at his frizzy mane. “I mean, good luck, I guess.”

“It’ll be easier if your hair’s wet,” Steve said simply, getting up off the bed and stretching with a groan.

His t-shirt, soaked with sweat and sticking to Steve’s skin, rode up with the motion and showed off a freckled and scarred strip of Steve’s midriff. Eddie wanted to lick the skin that was revealed, taste the salt of Steve’s sweat, make his own marks and leave it shiny with his spit. When Steve lowered his arms, the shirt stayed lifted where it was stuck to his skin.

Eddie quickly diverted his gaze as he cleared his throat. “Yeah, of course. Should I get like a bowl? Or we might have a spray bottle kicking around,” Eddie said thoughtfully, rubbing the back of his neck. He jumped when Steve let out a loud bark of laughter.

“Or, I was thinking you could just hop into your shower real quick?” Steve suggested, crowding his space just enough that Eddie could practically taste the salt of his sweat. It was unreal just how much Eddie was obsessed with Steve’s fucking scent, just the smell of clean skin, sweat, and cologne. It never failed to fill Eddie’s head with thoughts of how he’d smell during other activities.

That thought alone had Eddie jolting back with a nervous laugh that came out too loud to pass off as casual. Oh well, he’d just roll with it. “Right! Of course, shower. You’re right,” Eddie said with another loud laugh, giving himself a self-deprecating eye-roll.

Steve crossed his arms over his chest with a little smirk. “Make sure you use that new shampoo I got you, and the conditioner—”

“Yep, got it, Stevie,” Eddie interrupted quickly, his heart skipping a beat at remembering the gifted haircare products that Steve had seemed almost nervous about giving to him. It had been a lot, and Eddie knew it had cost a lot, but Steve insisted he have all of it.

“I mean that leave-in stuff, the mask—” Steve started again, following him out of the room, and Eddie paused in the hallway to raise an eyebrow at him.

“You wanna join me? Just to make sure I wash my hair properly?” Eddie asked blandly, and he was legitimately impressed that he was able to deliver that line so smoothly. The thought of Steve joining him in an enclosed space while naked was something Eddie usually only indulged in when he was alone and in his bed.

The comment had Steve stopping in his tracks, his mouth clicking shut as he glanced away from Eddie. It was… not unexpected, necessarily, but it also wasn’t the scoff and eye-roll Eddie’s smartass comments usually garnered. Fear gripped Eddie as he realized he might have fucked up, that he said too much and all the rumors from high school clicked into place.

“Welp! I’ll be right back,” Eddie said, too quick and too loud, before spinning on a heel and disappearing into the small bathroom of the trailer. Hopefully, he could figure out a good excuse for inviting his friend into the shower with him with minimal freaking out.

Steve wasn’t sure just how long he stood outside the bathroom door just listening to the water running while his brain came back online after Eddie’s comment.

The thought of joining Eddie in the tiny stall had Steve’s head full of heat and static, and a very large part of himself was tempted to say, “screw it” and do just that. It was easy to imagine it, crowding Eddie against the wall and slotting their hips together, getting each other off in a frantic, hungry frenzy. Without really meaning to, Steve’s thoughts wandered further, his daydream shifting to imagine Eddie on his knees, his smart mouth occupied while Steve buried his hands in those curls he was obsessed with. Then his mind supplied him a very vivid fantasy of his cock sinking into a different tight heat—

Sucking in a sharp inhale, Steve shook his head and quickly went back to Eddie’s room. He couldn’t just stand there in the middle of the Munson trailer getting a hard-on while listening to Eddie shower. There had to be something to do with manners or whatever. And as much as he wanted to go into that bathroom—he was invited, right?—he wouldn’t because he was working really hard on giving Eddie the space he needed, waiting for Eddie to finally act on what they both felt.

Because they both felt it, right? Steve definitely thought so most of the time, with all of Eddie’s shy smiles and delighted giggles whenever Steve made a joke, or the way he would lean into Steve’s hands when he’d accept a massage, or the way those big brown eyes would watch Steve’s mouth sometimes rather than meet his gaze while he talked. But then, when Eddie would deliver his flirtatious little lines, they would come out flat, sarcastic almost. Some sort of tone that was so deliberately uncaring, it threw Steve off completely.

What did it mean when someone so animated and vibrant turned so flat? Was that just how Eddie flirted? Part of him was convinced that was the case, and Steve just had to get used to Eddie’s style, because he knew how Eddie felt, had known at least somewhat for months now.

Steve found out back when Eddie had just barely woken up from his coma and was so high on pain medications, it was doubtful he really registered that he had company, let alone what he was saying to them. It made for some really funny moments that had Steve wishing he had some way to record them.

Then one day, Steve had been helping Wayne while he practiced redressing Eddie’s healing injuries. Mostly, Steve’s job was to keep Eddie sitting up and make sure his hands stayed put and didn’t get in his uncle’s way. When the bandages were pulled away from the stitched-together skin of his midriff, Eddie looked down with an exaggerated grimace.

“What the fuck, I lost three tattoos and a nipple?” Eddie whined, like he always did when the bandages came off. Steve usually just snorted and listened to his complaints, but there was something extra to Eddie’s tone that he didn’t like.

“I mean, yeah, but you’re gonna have sick scars, dude,” Steve said with a winning smile when Eddie lifted his pout to look at him. Winking, Steve added, “Chicks dig scars, the whole bad boy look. Seriously, trust me.”

“If you say so,” Eddie sighed, still pouting dejectedly, and Steve frowned. Then Eddie said, “Don’t really care what girls like, though.”

At the time, Steve didn’t really register the way Wayne had fumbled the roll of medical tape, too caught up in getting Eddie to smile again. “Of course, you don’t,” Steve teased, winking at Eddie.

Eddie giggled. “Stop that, why are you winking? You look dumb,” he laughed, and Steve felt like he'd won something. Still smiling, his dimples out in full force, Eddie leaned closer to his face and asked, “What about dudes, though?”

The hospital room went very quiet as Wayne sucked in a sharp breath. Steve just blinked at Eddie, their eyes locked while he processed the question slowly. “What?” he asked dumbly after a few moments.

“I think that’s enough of this conversation—” Wayne started to say.

“I said!” Eddie interjected loudly, glaring almost childishly at his uncle before his attention returned to Steve. “What about dudes? Men? Boys? What do they think of scars?”

It was a bit embarrassing how long it still took for the dots to connect for Steve, but once they did, he blushed and glanced at Wayne nervously. The man was watching Steve with that hawkish stare of his and Steve had to look away. He could still feel Wayne’s stare burning holes into the side of his head and God he just hoped this wasn’t the first Wayne was hearing about this, too.

“Y-yeah, dudes dig scars, too,” he finally stammered out, meeting Eddie’s gaze once again. Eddie was squinting at him almost suspiciously, so Steve added a quiet, “A lot.”

Eddie’s expression split back into his goofy grin and Steve’s stomach did a little somersault. “What about you, big boy?” he pushed, his tone strange as if he had attempted to purr or something. If the moment wasn’t so whatever this was, Steve would’ve laughed.

“What about me?” Steve asked stupidly. He knew exactly what Eddie was asking.

With the biggest eye roll, Eddie asked, “Do you like scars, Stevie?”

That was the question of the century, at least it was for Steve, because the moment it left Eddie’s mouth, three things immediately clicked into place in Steve’s head.

The first being that yes, Steve was absolutely into scars. He didn’t have much experience really seeing scars on anyone else other than himself, but he still knew. The second was that he knew he was going to like Eddie’s scars, a part of him liking that some of their scars would match even. And third, there was a part of him that was hungry, possessive even, at the thought of Eddie with scars— especially Eddie with scars that matched his.

“Y-yeah, Eds, I like scars,” he managed to say, but he was nearly bowled over at the intensity of Eddie’s grin when it widened even further.

“Do you think they’re sexy?” Eddie asked, and Wayne sucked his teeth.

“Boys—”

“Yeah, I do,” Steve answered, taking a page from Eddie’s book and trying to ignore Wayne. It was a little hard to do when the man was packing up the gauze and medical tape quickly.

Eddie’s grin shifted into a smirk as he leaned so close to Steve’s face. “How sexy—?”

A surprisingly big and strong hand fell heavily on Steve’s shoulder, startling him.

“Alright, boys, that’s quite enough,” Wayne said sternly, and Eddie just laid back on the bed and giggled loudly up at the ceiling. Steve’s stomach had felt squeamish, especially when Wayne’s eyes met his with something fierce and angry in them. “Harrington, a word outside. Now.”

Steve did not waste time standing up and following Wayne out to the hall. The man kept walking, so Steve silently followed until Wayne led them to the stairs. Once the door behind them shut, Wayne spun and pinned Steve with a hard stare.

“Sir—”

“No, you’re going to listen to me, Harrington,” Wayne interrupted, and Steve’s mouth snapped shut with a loud click. Once he was satisfied that Steve would keep his mouth shut, Wayne nodded once and in a low, dangerous voice he said, “Now, you’re not going to repeat a damn word that you just heard in there. If I catch even a whisper of what he said—”

“I won’t,” Steve interjected, grimacing when Wayne’s expression darkened. “Please, just—he’s not the first friend I’ve had that’s—I would never do that, okay?”

Wayne’s eyes were narrowed suspiciously. “He’s too high for his own good right now, he probably doesn’t even know what he’s saying,” he said, his tone almost challenging and Steve glanced away. The thought of Eddie saying all of that, implying all that he had but not meaning any of it? It hurt a lot more than it probably should have, given that Steve only realized his feelings for Eddie specifically less than ten minutes ago.

When Steve managed to meet Wayne’s eyes again, his expression was far less suspicious, more thoughtful than anything. “Don’t bring any of this up unless Eddie does, got it?” he eventually said, and Steve began to protest.

Selfishly, he wanted to clear up whether Eddie meant it as soon as possible, to hear Eddie repeat all of it and fill in the gaps. He wanted to hear Eddie say he thought scars were hot too, that Steve’s scars were hot.

“Sir—”

“Listen, Steve, I know my boy and I know he doesn’t do well when he feels cornered. Even if you go in gentle, he’s gonna lash out and probably say something that cuts down to the quick,” Wayne pushed sternly, and Steve shut his mouth with a small nod. “You can take my advice or not, up to you, but I promise you it will not end well if you push.”

Steve was tempted to go against Wayne’s advice, to just clear everything up the moment Eddie was properly lucid again. But then he thought about possibly losing Eddie when he had a chance at something, that he could blow that chance because he was impatient and pushy. There was no way that Steve would take that risk, so he begrudgingly did as Wayne told him; he didn’t bring it back up, and he didn’t push Eddie to bring it up himself.

Still, Steve decided to show Eddie that his feelings were reciprocated; he flirted and teased, offered physical affection and helped him out as often as he could, cooked for him and Wayne and kept him company. He spent weeks just trying to show Eddie that he wanted him, too. That Eddie could finally close the distance between them, and he wouldn’t be turned away.

Then one day when Eddie and Steve had been grabbing something to eat after their monthly check-up with the government doctors, some hick had spat something vile and cruel as they passed their table. Eddie made a crude gesture back at them, looking all the world like he didn’t give a shit what they thought, but the moment the asshole was gone he deflated.

“I fucking hate it here. Can’t wait to get the fuck out,” Eddie grumbled, and Steve’s chest squeezed. He hadn’t considered that Eddie would want to leave, which he immediately realized was stupid. Eddie hadn’t been treated well by the town his whole life, and things had only gotten worse since spring break. Of course, Eddie wanted out.

“You’re leaving us, Munson?” Steve asked as he tossed a couple of fries into his mouth.

Eddie sighed, shrugged. “No plans yet. Probably wouldn’t anyway,” he said with a heavy, put-upon sigh.

“Why not? What could possibly be keeping you here?” Steve asked with a grand gesture at the diner around them, though he was obviously meaning the whole town.

Eddie glanced at him, cheeks turning pink, before he looked away and cleared his throat. “People,” he eventually said with another shrug, and Steve was positive he saw Eddie’s eyes glance over at him again as he said it.

“Oh,” Steve thought, his heart hurting at the thought of being part of the reason Eddie was staying in a town that despised him. At the same time, he felt like flying, the knowledge that he was enough of a good reason to stick around. Or, he was at least one of the good reasons.

“You shouldn’t make your decisions based on other people,” Steve said after a minute. “I’m sure they’d understand if you left.”

“They would. Definitely would,” Eddie agreed with a hollow little laugh. “I wouldn’t make it a day out there alone, though.”

Without even thinking about it, Steve asked, “Then why don’t you ask if they’d go with you?”

Eddie laughed out loud at that, but it was a hollow and almost bitter sound, his big brown eyes rolling. “Yeah, right. Believe me, Stevie,” he said in a low tone, meeting Steve’s eyes so pointedly, it felt like a challenge. “No one’s gonna wanna run away with me, not really.”

So, Steve started putting out hints that he wasn’t planning on staying in Hawkins forever, that he was looking for one good reason to leave, that he would run if Eddie just said so. He started mentioning trying to go to college again, looking at schools elsewhere, as far away from Hawkins, Indiana as possible while staying in the country; throwing in comments about getting an apartment big enough for himself and at least one roommate. Steve always talked about his plans to or around Eddie, and sometimes he would respond and play along before slipping into that deliberately deadpan flirtation.

It was confusing and felt like he was getting nowhere most of the time. Sometimes, though, Eddie would seem so close to taking down the walls around him, to bringing up his feelings, the conversation from the hospital, anything that would finally end Steve’s waiting. At the same time, Steve would wait forever if the alternative was potentially driving Eddie away.

Steve was happy enough with just Eddie’s friendship, even if that was the only type of relationship he would have.

“That’s a mighty serious face you’ve got on, Harrington.”

Jumping, Steve looked over at Eddie as he returned to the bedroom and immediately had to look away.

Eddie was wearing only a pair of boxers, squeezing his hair out with his towel as he wandered closer to where Steve was sitting on the bed. Glancing back at Eddie, Steve looked at the scars that covered his torso, how many of them matched his own, but then there were the scars over his chest and up the thick column of Eddie’s throat. There was nothing Steve wanted more in that moment than to put his mouth and tongue on every single twisted patch of skin.

As Eddie approached and tossed his towel onto the bed, Steve realized he had slipped the handle of a comb into the waistband of his boxers, the line of it following his happy trail. It captivated Steve’s attention for just a few moments too long because suddenly Eddie was standing directly in front of him and clearing his throat.

Looking up at Eddie’s face quickly, Steve smiled weakly at his raised eyebrow. His expression was strange, like he was unimpressed, but it was pinched, almost forced. Eddie’s eyes were wide and bright, and maybe it was just Steve’s own feelings, but there was an almost hopeful look behind them.

“You okay, Steve?” he asked, and Steve nodded quickly, grabbing the comb out of Eddie’s waistband. His fingertips brushed the smooth skin of Eddie’s lower abdomen and Steve was very interested in the way Eddie took a shuddering breath at the contact.

“Yeah, I’m perfect. Just admiring the view,” Steve said with a little smirk. Eddie’s blush was brilliant and the way the corner of his mouth twitched up had Steve’s heart soaring.

Then the hint of a smile turned… cold? It wasn’t mean, but it wasn’t the cute, bashful smile Steve had hoped he’d get.

“Of course, you are, big boy,” Eddie shot back flatly before rolling his eyes and crawling onto the bed, and something sour settled in Steve’s gut. “How do you want me for this, Steve?”

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, Steve leaned back against the wall at the head of Eddie’s bed and patted the space between his legs. “Right here, I guess. Or if you want, you can sit on the floor, and I can braid your hair like that?”

At that, Eddie actually scoffed and threw him a raised eyebrow. “You want me on my knees with your hands in my hair, Harrington?” he asked coolly, his knowing smirk very close to something Steve recognized, but on someone else’s face. Then Eddie did that eyeroll of his and something clicked in Steve’s mind, and he barely registered when Eddie said, “I’ll sit in front of you like this.”

Steve just nodded and muttered quiet instructions for Eddie to move his head here and there as he braided Eddie’s hair—he was doing something Max called a Dutch braid because he thought it would be more Eddie’s style than a French braid—but his mind was stuck on the sarcasm, the eyeroll, the flat flirtation.

It reminded him of Carol but not quite. He could just remember all the times she would have some poor sap following her around, trying to get in her good graces, and the way she would flirt before rolling her eyes to Tommy and him. She would laugh at the boys as they walked away, and most of the time Steve could tell that they never realized she was making fun of them.

Once Steve made that association, it forcibly knocked everything that happened between him and Eddie into a new perspective. God, of course just because Eddie was into men didn’t mean he would be into Steve, and here he had been so fucking obvious and pushy with his crush. He was pushy, overbearing, and apparently couldn’t take the very obvious hints that Eddie had been throwing him all along.

And in hindsight, it was very obvious, Steve just never saw it because he thought Eddie wasn’t like that. Steve thought he actually found someone who wanted him as much as he wanted them, found someone who was direct and vocal about what they did and did not want. In the end, Steve never considered that Eddie might be just as petty as other people he knew, that he would be like everyone else who made fun of him for not keeping up. For having to be told everything out loud and in detail. For not taking hints, reading body language, and being too damn much.

Hurt settled deep in Steve’s core, but it was tangled up in an anger so fierce he had to work hard not to accidentally pull Eddie’s hair. The kids had a grace period for being shitty to him, but adults like Eddie? Absolutely not. He'd put up with too much for too long to take it without calling it out, especially if that’s what was happening.

Steve would rather admit his feelings and ruin their entire friendship forever rather than continue something where he was just the butt of another joke he wasn’t in on.

As he reached the end of the braid, Steve realized he didn’t actually have anything to tie it off, but he could see a hair tie on the bedside table. Leaning over, Steve accidentally yanked on Eddie’s braid, and he hissed.

“Damn, Steve, you haven’t even asked for my safeword yet,” Eddie flirted before chuckling as Steve tied off the braid, and something hot and angry flared in his gut and he opened his mouth to tell Eddie to fuck off.

“Are you making fun of me?” Steve asked instead, and he cringed at how embarrassingly small and sad his voice sounded.

The anger that was simmering in his gut was immediately doused by the hurt. It was like a bucket of cold water was dumped over Steve’s head and all he had left was the grasping, gnawing want for someone he apparently would never get to have. Suddenly he was standing in a bathroom at a loud Halloween party all over again while the person he loved called him bullshit and said they didn’t love him and never did, and he just wanted to scream about it. Part of Steve wanted to hit something, but he worked very hard to not be that person anymore, so he just balled his fists up in his lap.

“W-what?”

Steve didn’t even realize he was blinking up at the ceiling until he was returning his gaze to Eddie’s face, and the naked confusion Steve saw there was almost comforting.

“Are you making fun of me?” Steve repeated, this time a bit more firmly. “If you’re not—if you’re not interested in me, just say so.”

Eddie’s eyes widened. “Steve—what?” he asked haltingly, and Steve just ran his hands back through his hair.

“C’mon, Eds, I’m—fuck, Eddie, I’ve been trying so hard to follow Wayne’s advice and give you space, and do what I can to show you I’m—I want you so much and I thought you wanted me, too, but you’re just—” Steve stopped himself as his eyes stung with tears and he pinched the bridge of his nose, taking a deep breath. “If you aren’t actually interested like I thought, just tell me. I don’t think I can take you laughing at me behind my back, too.”

“Stevie—” Eddie started, but the nickname hit Steve deep and he let out a shaky sob.

“Shit,” he said, digging the heels of his palms into his eyes, fighting back the tears. Steve didn’t want to cry at all, but especially not in front of Eddie while he wasn’t certain that he wasn’t being laughed at.

Cool hands were on Steve’s cheeks and a weight settled across his lap. “Stevie, please, can you look at me?” And of course, Steve couldn’t deny him anything, even now.

Dropping his hands and tipping his head back against the wall, Steve looked up at Eddie and willed his tears away. Eddie was a lot closer than Steve expected, even knowing the man was in his lap and holding his face gently.

“I think I’ve been missing something because I didn’t—shit, Stevie, I didn’t know,” Eddie insisted earnestly, his rich brown eyes huge as he searched Steve’s face. “I’ve been fucking… I don’t know, pining for you for months, Stevie. Maybe even years, I don’t know, just—”

“I know,” Steve said miserably, his confusion mingling with his hurt in a nauseating mixture in his stomach, turning his eyes skyward as a tear fell. Eddie immediately caught it with his thumb and wiped it away.

“You know?” Eddie asked, his voice tight and Steve nodded, pinching his nose a bit and sucking in a sharp breath.

“Y-yeah, in the hospital, we talked about scars being hot, and you asked me if I would think your scars are hot—Wayne stopped the conversation,” Steve explained around a heavy sigh. “I didn’t want to scare you off, so I just—I was hoping you would see that I feel the same way and finally say something.”

“Steve, I’m so sorry, I don’t—I literally don’t remember a lot of the hospital,” Eddie admitted, and Steve laughed.

“Yeah, I’m starting to figure that out,” he said with a sigh, chewing on his lip as he returned his gaze to Eddie’s face. “If you feel the same, why’ve you been pushing me away?”

“Because I’m a coward, Steve. I was running away,” Eddie replied with an explosive sigh, stroking Steve’s cheeks with both thumbs.

“Don’t say you’re a coward, because you’re not,” Steve argued fiercely, hating the way Eddie talked about himself. His interjection just seemed to make Eddie sadder.

“Listen, Steve, I don’t know how much you’ve experienced as a dude into other dudes in a small town like this, but I just—I don’t act on vague gestures, Steve,” he said, and Steve frowned as confusion swirled. “I can’t act on that shit if I want to keep my head from being caved in by angry hicks, okay?”

And that… well, that stung, and Steve felt a moment of frustration at himself for feeling that way. It made sense that Eddie would be afraid; Steve knew exactly what sort of attitudes Eddie would be up against in a town like Hawkins if they knew, or what would happen if Eddie flirted with the wrong guy based on a misunderstanding. Steve got it.

But Steve wasn’t just some guy, he was Eddie’s friend. They almost died multiple times together, Steve helped nurse him back to health. He thought they were close, that Eddie knew he was at least safe to be himself around, even if he didn’t want to be with him.

“Steve?” Eddie pressed, sounding nervous.

Taking a deep breath, Steve nodded a bit. “Th-that makes sense,” he agreed after a few moments, giving a bit of a self-deprecating laugh. “I’m just—I’m sorry.”

Eddie’s brow furrowed. “For what?” he asked, his huge eyes wide as Steve met his gaze again.

“For whatever I did that made you feel like I would maybe hurt you,” Steve said with a one-shouldered shrug. “I know I was shitty about this in high school, but I thought I’d turned—”

“Steve, fuck, no! That’s not—shit, okay, start over,” Eddie groaned loudly, tipping his head back to whine a bit. “Jesus H Christ, I hate talking about my feelings. This is so fucking hard.”

“Tell me about it,” Steve teased with a chuckle.

“Can you actually close your eyes and not look at me for this, Stevie? I just—I need to say a bunch of shit and I don’t think I can do that with you looking at me,” he confessed after a few moments of silent thinking.

Without hesitation, Steve closed his eyes and relaxed against the wall. “Eyes are closed, not looking at you,” he said quietly and waited.

“I was pretty sure that you wouldn’t hurt me if you found out I was gay, Steve. But there’s—there would be no way to know for sure unless you found out and that not knowing was fucking terrifying,” Eddie said in a rush, and Steve could feel the way he began to shake. “And then there’s—there are guys who say they’re okay with it, but the moment they find out you have feelings for them that’s—the thought that you might be fine with me being gay, but not about my ridiculous crush… I couldn’t risk it.”

Steve could hear the heavy weight of history there, that Eddie wasn’t just talking about a hypothetical scenario he created in his head but a real memory, something formative and traumatic. His heart ached with how badly he wanted to soothe that pain so Eddie never felt like he couldn’t love someone loudly ever again. Of course, he wanted to ask about it, if only because he wanted to know everything about Eddie, and Steve could guess that he would tell him, regardless of how uncomfortable it would make him. That was also a conversation that could happen another time.

Steve rested his hands on Eddie’s hips, rubbing his thumbs up and down the spurs of his hips. A soft smile came over his face when Eddie jumped at his touch, and Steve sighed with relief when Eddie leaned into it.

“That makes a lot of sense actually,” Steve said, squeezing Eddie’s hips. Then, tentatively, he asked, “Can I hold you?”

Eddie let out a sound that was mostly a sob, but Steve could hear the word ‘yes’ tangled up in it so he quickly wrapped his arms around Eddie and held him tight against his chest. It was still oppressively hot, and they were both sweating, and honestly the way any bare skin that was showing stuck together was unpleasant, but that was alright. It was perfect, because Eddie was in his arms and Steve knew he returned his feelings.

“Can I ask you something, Steve?” Eddie asked as he rested their foreheads together.

“Go ahead,” Steve said instantly, his eyes still closed.

“Why did you think I was making fun of you?” Eddie asked nervously.

Grimacing, Steve shrugged. “I didn’t think you were until today, honestly. It was just—you started rolling your eyes today,” he responded, his mouth twisting. “It reminded me of something someone else would do when she was making fun of guys who had a crush on her.”

“Shit, Steve, I’m sorry,” Eddie said softly and the hands still holding Steve’s cheeks didn’t let him shake his head. “No, don’t, it’s—shit, Steve, I should’ve just not flirted with you. Really tried to have my cake and eat it too with all that.”

Steve let out a bark of laughter, squeezing his arms around Eddie even tighter. Eddie practically melted against him, and Steve desperately wanted to look at him again.

“Eds, can I open my eyes now?” Steve asked and, at Eddie’s little nod, he blinked his eyes open. With Eddie’s forehead against his, their faces were way too close, and Steve felt himself go cross-eyed trying to meet Eddie’s gaze. Laughing, Eddie moved to pull back, but Steve lifted a hand to hold the back of his head, keeping him close as he glanced down at Eddie’s lips.

“Steve?” Eddie asked quietly, his voice soft and tentative, almost unsure.

Sighing, Steve leaned closer, his breath ghosting over Eddie’s lips as he asked, “Can I kiss you, Eds?”

There was a moment where Eddie tensed, and Steve was getting ready to apologize when those perfect hands slid further back to tangle in his hair. “Want you to know I’ve never kissed anyone before,” he admitted quietly, and something warm and fond bubbled up in Steve’s chest. “Just because I might suck.”

Steve just smiled and shook his head. “You’ll be perfect, I know you will,” he hummed before guiding Eddie’s lips to his own.

[ TBC ]

[ READ ON AO3 ]

Taglist! @patchworkgargoyle @scarcrossdlvrs @steddieas-shegoes @steve-harringtits @mylilplanet @afewproblems @xenon-demon @steddie-there @inairbinad @matchingbatbites @starryeyedjanai @scoops-stevie @vecnuthy @hellion-child @sidekick-hero @rugbertgoeshome @estrellami-1 @spectrum-spectre @stobinesque @spicysix @lets-try-to-be-normal-otakus @sentient-trash @legitcookie @theheadlessphilosopher @corrodedbisexual

#lexssummerfanworkschallenge #steddie #steve/eddie #steddie fanfic #steve x eddie #stranger things fic #gerry writes

250 notes · View notes

corrodedcoffinfest · 11 days ago

Text

Seven Deadly Sins Pop-Up Masterlist

What a week! Thank you so much for all of your participation throughout this pop-up event!

This week, we covered 7 prompts and there were 45 total entries from 10 unique participants: 43 Fics, 1 Piece of Art & 1 Fanvid were submitted.

I tagged the entries so you can also sort the entries by sin:

Or by word count:

331 | 666 | 1031 | 1313

Fun fact: Wrath was the most written for sin!

Don't forget there is also an AO3 Collection if you'd like to use it!

Stay tuned. A new pop-up event announcement is coming very soon.

The Sin: Pride Fic Submissions:

pride's gonna be the death of you by @steddieas-shegoes | Rating: T | WC: 331 | CW: implied drug use, implied drug addiction | Tags: modern au, famous corroded coffin, angst with a hopeful ending

My Own Version of You by @thisapplepielife | Rating: M | WC: 1313 | POV: Eddie | Pairing: Steddie | CW: Mild Gore, Body Parts, Consent/Ethics (it is a take on Frankenstein) | Tags: Monster AU, Mad Scientist Eddie, His Henchmen, Reanimation, Steve Was Dead and Now This?, Crack Taken Seriously, Spooky Season Fun

Corroded Coffin Fest Halloween - Pride by @jo-harrington | Rating: T | WC: 1313 | Tags: Friendship, humor, angst, typical DnD shenanigans, Dungeon Master and Player dynamics (Eddie is a ruthless DM, but his players are little assholes and he isn't a tyrant).

pride by @the-unforgivenn | Rating: M | WC: 1313 | Pairings: Eddie Munson, Wayne Munson, Gareth Emerson (kinda) | CW: Eddie refuses to ask for help following his idiotic display of machismo in Jeff's basement. Thank Christ Wayne isn't deterred and ignores Eddie's foolish pride and gets him the help he needs.

Pride, Sloth & Wrath by @xzerosparrowx | Rating: T | WC: 331 | POV: Eddie | Tags: Eddie is Pride and Sloth, Steve is Wrath.

The Sin: Greed Fic Submissions:

you get what you deserve by @steddieas-shegoes | Rating: T | WC: 331 | CW: none | Tags: famous corroded coffin, jeff’s inner monologue, supportive corroded boys

greed by @the-unforgivenn | Rating: T | WC: 1313 | Pairing(s): Corroded Coffin vs Killswitch Records | CW: Angst, embezzlement, mentions of neglect, malnutrition, basically running ragged to the point of no return. food, health mentions. Modern!AU

Corroded Coffin Fest Halloween - Greed by @jo-harrington | Rating: T | WC: 1031 | Tags: Minor FOI compliance, friendship, angst, guilt, regret, self-doubt, self-hatred, desperation, implied trauma responses

The Sin: Lust Fic Submissions:

lust by @the-unforgivenn | Rating: E | WC: 1313 | Pairing(s): Eddie x Reader, Gareth x Reader, Eddie x Gareth x Reader | CW: Smut! Oral (f & m receiving), unprotected sex, dirty talk, pet names, a smidgen of voyeurism (but everyone's into it), teensy bit of angst, happy ending

I Know We're One (Just Me & You) by @thisapplepielife | Word Count: 666 | Rating: M | CW: Recreational Club Drug Use | POV: Gareth | Relationship(s): Gareth & Eddie | Tags: Lust as a Desire To Gratify the Senses, Unrestrained (Non-Sexual) Gratification, Gareth & Eddie Experience the Hug Drug Together, Or as Coolio Said: Rollin' With My Homies

not while i'm on my knees by @steddieas-shegoes | Rating: E | WC: 666 | CW: sexual content, semi-public sex | Tags: established relationship, famous corroded coffin, love confessions, blow job, hand job, interrupted sex

Corroded Coffin Fest Halloween - Lust by @jo-harrington | Rating: M | WC: 1313 | Tags: friendship, teenage angst, humor, smut/male masturbation (not graphic/detailed), fantasies, crack fic

Other Submissions:

The Sin: Envy Fic Submissions:

envy by @the-unforgivenn | Rating: M | WC: 1313 | CW: Allusions to smut, jealousy, modern!au, implied that Corroded Coffin met in college | Tags: Eddie Munson x you, references to Gareth Emerson x you in the past

Wham, Bam, Thank You, Ma'am by @thisapplepielife | Word Count: 666 | Rating: M | CW: Talk of Off-Screen Sex, Recreational Weed Use, Period-Typical Objectification of Women | POV: Eddie | Relationship(s): Off-Screen Gareth/OFCs | Tags: Gareth's on a Hot Streak, None of the Rest of Them Can Understand It, At All

envious for nothing by @steddieas-shegoes | Rating: T | WC: 666 | CW: mention of recreational drug use | Tags: season 2 era, eddie has a crush on steve, he doesn't do anything about it in this but it's there, introspective eddie

Corroded Coffin Fest Halloween - Envy by @jo-harrington | Rating: T | WC: 1313 | Tags: Friendship, angst, teenage angst, happy ending

The Sin: Gluttony Fic Submissions:

Corroded Coffin Fest Halloween - Gluttony by @jo-harrington | Rating: T | WC: 1031 | Tags: Friendship, teenage shenanigans, boys will be boys, food/eating, implied sickness

never fall in love with your best friend by @steddieas-shegoes | Rating: T | WC: 331 | CW: very brief mention of implied sexual content | Tags: jealousy, Gareth has a crush on Eddie, side steddie implied

gluttony by @the-unforgivenn | Rating: E | WC: 1313 | Pairings: Bisexual!Eddie Munson x Reader (could also been seen as bi, not explicitly stated), background Steve Harrington x Reader's Best Friend (unnamed) | CW: Overstimulation, oral (f receiving), degradation, bisexual!Eddie Munson, pet names, teasing, edging, vaginal fingering + other hand stuff, unprotected sex, rough sex, and a delightful little bisexual surprise at the end.

Corroded Coffin Fest Halloween - And To All A Good Fright by @xzerosparrowx | Rating: T | WC: 666 | Tags: Friendship, humor, angst, disagreement, supernatural encounters, friendship

The Sin: Wrath Fic Submissions:

Corroded Coffin Fest Halloween - Wrath by @jo-harrington | Rating: T | WC: 1313 | Tags: Friendship, humor, teenage angst, Freak #3 is named Dave in this universe, bullying, emotional outburst, revenge, typical Halloween pranks, Hopper needing to put his Sheriff pants on (still ACAB)

the wrath of gareth by @steddieas-shegoes | Rating: T | WC: 331 | CW: temporary character death, grief/mourning, canon-typical violence | Tags: everybody lives (by the end anyway), eddie comes back wrong (or right if you're into that kinda thing), gareth is maybe the best friend ever

Front Page News by @thisapplepielife | Word Count: 1313 | CW: Language, Property Damage | POV: Goodie | Relationship(s): Steddie, Background Buckingham | Tags: Modern Setting, Famous Corroded Coffin, Pissed Off Eddie Munson, Lavender Marriage, Steve & Chrissy, Secret Relationships, The Goddamn Prying Paparazzi, Chosen Families: No Matter How Unconventional

wrath by @the-unforgivenn | Rating: M | WC: 1313 | Pairings: Corroded Coffin, manager Phil, and some protesters | CW: Some overzealous protesters and a very naïve Eddie. Literally tried to turn the other cheek and got socked in the face for it. Minor injury, not well described. Oh, and some cheeky retribution and sexual innuendos (bandter, if you will)

Other Submissions:

Wrath - GreatWise by @alicetallula | Medium: Art | Pairing: GreatWise | Details: Done using ink pens, a metallic ink pen, alcohol markers, gel pens, acrylic paint pens and Photoshop for the name of the sin.

The Sin: Sloth Fic Submissions:

Corroded Coffin Fest Halloween - Sloth by @jo-harrington | Rating: T | WC: 666 | Tags: Family, angst, teen angst

sloth by @the-unforgivenn | Rating: M | WC: 1313 | Pairings: Eddie Munson, Corroded Coffin | CW: Angst, self-sabotage, negative-self talk, allusions to excessive drinking and recreational drug use

you belong in a boat out at sea by @steddieas-shegoes | Rating: E | WC: 1313 | CW: none | Tags: gareth and di established relationship, masturbation, vaginal fingering, gareth does his favorite thing in the world: eats his wife out

Not Just Sundays by @thisapplepielife | Word Count: 1313 | CW: Language | POV: Eddie | Relationship(s): Steddie | Tags: Corroded Coffin Trying to Make it On the Road, Steve Back Home in Hawkins, Failing at Managing the Distance, Good Uncle Wayne, A Touch of Angst w/a Happy Ending

#corrodedcoffinfest: seven deadly sins #masterlist #corrodedcoffinfest #mod post #ccf

21 notes · View notes

steddiemicrofic · 4 months ago

Text

Steddie Microfic July 8th-14th Masterlist

The first one of many by @fuctacles | Rated G | no cw | tags: ren-faire, pre-relationship, transfem stevie, smitten eddie

adding one more by @steddieas-shegoes | Rated G | no cw | tags: established relationship, fluff

thoughts on an unjust detention by @loveinhawkins | Rated G | cw: implied/referenced homophobia | tags: missing scene, post season 2, pre season 3

untitled by @estrellami-1 | Rated T | no cw

A one-time thing by @just-my-latest-hyperfixation | Rated E | cw: alcohol and drug abuse | tags: car sex, rough sex, fuck buddies, pre-season 4

One Last Breath by @stranger-stardustt | Rated T | cw: main character death | tags: angst, unhappy ending

Day One (Of The Rest Of Your Life) by @yesdangerpls | Rated G | cw: prison | tags: established relationship, future fic, Eddie went to prison after Vecna

last one by @worldswcollide | Rated G | no cw | tags: established relationship, fluff

Illusory Courage by @tinytalkingtina | Rated T | cw: dead chrissy cunningham, brief description of vecna'd body | tags: fantasy dnd au, tiefling steve harrington, anti-tiefling racism, steve harrington has bad parents, half-eld eddie munson, pre-steddie, past chrissy cunningham/eddie munson, first meetings

Time Marches On by @marvel-ous-m | Rated T | cw: major character death | tags: established steddie

Take a Chance, Roll the Dice by @adverbally | Rated T | no cw | tags: established relationship, Dungeons & Dragons

gatekeeping. by @thefreakandthehair | Rated G | no cw | tags: established/married steddie, future fic, successful corroded coffin, rockstar eddie, charmingly bitchy steve

mommy's girl by @katyawriteswhump | Rated M | no cw | tags: trans-fem stevie harrington, no upside down au, angst and feels, platonic stobin, steve has an awesome mom and not-so-awesome dad

#steddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #steddiemicrofic #steddiemicroficjuly #masterlist

42 notes · View notes

steddie-fanfic-recs · 10 months ago

Text

Before He Cheats

by Penny00Dreadful

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationship: Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson Character: Eddie Munson, Steve Harrington, Rick Lipton Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Songfic, Before He Cheats - Carrie Underwood, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Steddie boys do not cheat on each other in this fic, Vandalism, Getting Together, Steve Harrington is a Sweetheart, Eddie Munson Needs a Hug, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Referenced Eddie Munson/Rick Lipton, Steddie Endgame, Confident Bisexual Steve Harrington, Queer Eddie Munson, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Revenge Plot, Bisexual Steve Harrington, Baseball bats, Payback, Eddie Munson Has A Pierced Dick Tho It Never Makes An Appearance, sorry - Freeform, Brief Mention of the Scoops Uniform, Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington Are Best Friends, Queer Language, Pre-Relationship, Happy Ending Words: 4,441 Chapters: 1/1

Summary

“Munson Home for the Recently Deceased, you stab ‘em we slab ‘em. How may I direct your call?” “Is that really how you answer the phone?” Eddie smiled to himself. “Got you to laugh didn’t it?” OR Eddie gets a call from some Steve guy, dropping the news that Eddie's boyfriend has been cheating on him with this Steve person and Steve had no idea up until today. And Eddie rarely takes that shit lying down. Songfic: Carrie Underwood - Before He Cheats

#steddie #steddie fic rec #oneshot #1-5k #au modern #getting together #hurt/comfort

60 notes · View notes

justmeinadaze · 2 years ago

Text

The King, The Bat, and The Runaway Part 3 (Steddie X You)

A/N: Not sure why this took me a billion years to complete but alas lol what's odd is I like writing for this three this way...maybe all the angst lol but it kills me to! I've said it before I hate (love) reading stories where couples have spent time apart for one reason another but pinning...ugh. Maybe it's cause I've experienced it with an ex and that hurt sucks lol

I do want to write like an alternate time line where she does go looking for them after like 5 years or something. Or even one where they do get on a plane and follow her to Europe to find her. Or both. Hey... I'm flexible lol

Warnings: Steddie relationship and all that implies (I regret nothing!), Smut for sure with angst and feels, they do have a conversation where they show off their scars to each other and talk about what happened within those 10 years, mentions of domestic abuse and shitty relationships (its brief), flashbacks involving Eddie first being in Hawkins so there are mentions of the bruises from his dad :(, um...I think that's it.

Word Count: 4559

You stare into the void of your closet, tuning out your boyfriend as he shouts at you from the bedroom.

“I don’t understand why you insist on avoiding this question every damn time! I get they are based on people you knew in high school but the way you write them… it feels like you were in love with them!”

Sighing you hang up your dress from that evening and come out in your pajamas.

“Let it go, Noah. It doesn’t matter. They are kids I used to know. End of story.”

“See, Y/N, it’s not ‘end of story’ because you’re still writing said story!”, he points at the manuscript on your desk. “Why won’t you tell me more?”

“Ugh. I’m done having this argument. I’m going to bed. You can either join me or go home.”

Noah exhales as he places his hands on his hips before sitting on the edge of you bed. “Y/N, baby. I love you so much. I just… You keep this locked up so tight. Should I be worried?”

You softly smile as you sit beside him and kiss his cheek. “Honey, you are the only man in the world for me.”

He smiles as he places a peck on your lips. “I better be. Okay, let me take a shower and then I’ll go to bed with you. Hey, you probably already know this but your favorite band released a new single today. You should listen to it. Tell me if it’s amazing.”

After he shuts the bathroom door, you immediately grab your headphones and search for Corroded Coffins new song. You leaned against your pillow, closing your eyes as Eddie’s voice filled your ears.

#################

You smiled tenderly in their direction, neither one of them making any real move towards you. After making a decision, you take one of Steve’s hands, bringing him to the bed and placing him next to Eddie. Your skirt falls to the floor as you kick it to the side before slowly unbuttoning your blouse and tossing it away as well.

“I’m, uh, I know I don’t exactly look the same but—”

“Don’t.”, Eddie cuts you off. “Don’t even finish that sentence. You’re still fucking gorgeous.”

“What happened here?” Steve’s fingers gently traced along a scar on your outer thigh.

“I’m an idiot.”, you laugh. “I went hiking on this remote island off the coast and tripped. They warned us about slick slopes but I’m me so… cut a big gash that bled everywhere.”

“What about this one?” Eddie points to a small but noticeable scratch on your arm.

“My literary agent and I were coming back from an event and someone hit our car. We were fine but some glass from the window cut me. Here to.” You lift his fingers to graze the much tinier scar on your shoulder. Steve’s eyes linger on a circular scar near your ribs. “Oh, you don’t want to hear about that one.”

“Hey. Yeah, I do.”, he gently tugs on you so your more in front of him. “It looks deep.”

“When I got home from traveling, I met this guy…We weren’t together very long but—”

“He hurt you.” Steve’s voice filled with anger.

You hung your head. “He didn’t mean to. We got into a fight and he meant to throw something behind me but hit me instead. After that, I uh, did what I do best….I ran.” When you finally found the courage to look at them again, they both seemed extremely upset. “See, I told you didn’t want to hear about this.”

“No, hey, no.” Eddie pulled you so you were back in front of him. “We do. We just… hate that you experienced that…especially alone.”

“Because we would have beat his ass.”

“That’s for damn sure.” You grin as they both laugh.

The metalhead brushes your hair away from your face before leaning back to lift off his shirt. Your grin stretches further along your face as the pads of your fingers trace all the new tattoos, hovering over the heart you noticed when you saw him play.

“I got that one after we signed with our first label. If I had known you were going to refer to me as a vampire, I would have gotten some like Dracula teeth or something.”, he chuckled.

“What did you say when he got it?”, you asked Steve.

“Pfft. I didn’t even know he got it until over a year later. Mr. Sex Appeal here took off his shirt at the first concert I was finally able to make and I won’t lie, it surprised me. I don’t hate it though. Better than this other bullshit.”

“Wow. Rude.”, Eddie teases. He turns his attention back to you and twists his body so you can see the scar on his back. “We were playing at one of those festivals and I was fucking wasted. I jumped into the crowd and those kids fucking dropped me; landed on some glass on the floor. I kept playing though.”

He lifts his hips as he pushed his pants and boxers to the floor. Steve grabs your hand, tugging you out of Eddie’s way and onto his lap. You leaned your head against his as you wrapped your arms around his neck.

You absorbed all the never-before-seen tattoos on his thighs and calves as he points to a scar on his right leg. “About 5 years ago I was dating this girl who was just off the walls. We got into a bad argument in our hotel and she went full Sid and Nancy literally throwing a fucking knife at me! Jeff drove me to the hospital and I needed like ten stitches.”

“How come I didn’t hear about this?”, Steve asked.

“Probably because our manager kept it out of the papers AND paid her off as long as she agreed to stay away from me.”

“And you didn’t tell me because…?”

“Sir, you’re a lawyer. I aint tellin’ you shit.” You giggled as Eddie laughed. “No, man. I was just a little embarrassed. Everyone warned me about her but… Plus you were doing so well with what’s her name at the time.”

“Ah, yes. What’s her name.” Steve grins sarcastically as he unbuttons his shirt and points to the long scar leading from the top of his belly button to just below his chest. “Yeah, things were going so well, I needed surgery to remove the ulcers she gave me.”

“Steve, oh my god.” You pushed him back as he balanced on his arms so you could get a better look.

“You told me you were getting your appendix removed, you asshole!”

“I told you that because you were on tour and I didn’t want you to cut that short to come stay with me in the hospital because I know you would have. It’s fine. The doctor said it was a routine type thing.”

“Did your mom or dad come?” You feel yourself start to panic slightly.

“Of course not. You know my family.” He chuckles but stops when he sees that look in your eyes. “Hey seriously. It wasn’t a big thing.”

“You were all alone in a hospital having surgery. I…I would have been there. I didn’t know. I…”

“Y/N, honey, it’s okay. I know you would have.”, he kisses your cheek. “That’s why I didn’t tell your parents either.” Steve sighs as he turns to Eddie. “I told Michelle—”

“I’m still calling her what’s her name.”

“AND she said I was being overdramatic. When I came back home, she was gone, thank God. That relationship was the worst. She was basically a 5’4 version of my father. I didn’t realize it till after I got sick.”

He taps your back with his fingers and you take the hint, sliding over to sit on Eddie’s lap as he slides off his slacks and underwear. “Do I have any on my legs?”, he mumbles as he looks. “Oh! That case you guys mentioned last night? I didn’t just add money to the settlement but a couple of weekends I went over there to help them with some other things if they needed it. One family had a roof that was leaking and damaging their ceiling. Me and some of the other people were able to help fix it for a cheap price but my dumbass slipped off the ladder. Thankfully, I just cut my knee.” Steve gestures towards the line along his knee.

“So, nothing has changed in ten years. We’re all still clumsy and we all pick terrible fucking partners.” You and Steve laugh but Eddie just sits there smiling up at you.

“I think I made a good choice in choosing you that night.” His arms wrap tighter around your waist as he leans his head onto your chest. “Shit, every time I chose you, good things always followed.” Your fingers tangled in his hair as his lips travelled up your skin to your neck. “I missed you so fucking much, Y/N.” His palm gently rested against your cheek as he guided your lips to his.

###################

“Class! Settle!”, the teacher claps her hands, trying to be heard. “Now I want you all to welcome our new student here. This is Edward Munson.”

“Freak.” Jason Carver pretends to hide his remark behind a cough as you roll your eyes. The teacher scowls at him as she lightly pushes the new boy towards an empty seat.

He definitely was different than a lot of the people around here; at least visually. The only contact he made with anyone was glaring at Carver as he passed him to his desk. His hair was buzzed to the point that he was almost bald. The black shirt he wore hung off his frame, seemingly two sizes too big but when he leaned over to put his backpack on the floor his sleeve rose and you noticed the bruises on his arm that looked like fingerprints.

Your heart broke from him as you connected those bruises to the black eye that was prominent on his face. This boy had been through something awful.

When lunch came around, you found him sitting alone at a table near the window, his arms folded across his chest defensively.

“Hi. I’m, uh, Y/N. Is it ok if I join you?” Eddie sighed through his nose as his jaw tightened. You slowly descended into the chair in front of him. “I see you didn’t get any food. You can share some of mine if you want. I never finish it anyway.”

You found yourself getting self-conscious as he continued to glare out the window. “So…how do you like it here—”

“Can’t you people just leave me alone?!” His sharp tone made you jump.

“Well, excuse the fuck out of me.” You get up and move a couple chairs down, away from him. Out of the corner of his eye, he watches you pull a book out of your bag as you pick at your tray.

The table shuffles as he stands up and you keep your eyes on the pages in front of you as you hear the screeching of the chair being pulled back across from you.

“Have…have you read that book before?”, he asks. You glance over at him before placing your novel down on the table.

“Invasion of the Body Snatchers? No but in class they showed us the black and white movie. It was so cool so I begged my mom to buy me the book.” Eddie’s eyes meet yours for a brief moment before he glares down at the floor. “Have you read it?”

Eddie slowly nods his head. “Have you seen the 70s movie they made? It’s actually pretty scary.”

“There’s another movie!? I didn’t know that. You should come over to my house sometime and we can watch it.” His eyes widen in amusement at your excitement making you panic slightly. “I mean you don’t have to, of course. I just…I think you seem cool and I think it would be fun to hang out with you.”

“You think I seem cool?”

“Yeah, and don’t let people like Jason “douchebag” Carver get you down. Don’t let him make you think otherwise, okay?” For the first time since you saw him, a smile gradually paints his lips and you return it with one of your own. “Do you want some of my pretzels, Edward?”

He leans forward taking the snack that you offer him. “Eddie. I prefer Eddie.”

###############

You revel in the taste of him as his tongue invades your mouth and you gently guide him back against the mattress. His hands abruptly grip your hips when he feels you begin to grind against him.

“Wait. Wait, wait. Shit. I just… I’ve been wanting to taste you again so fucking bad.”

You smirk as you playful squint at him. “Are you not devouring me right now?”

“Not yet.” Eddie winks before lifting you, spinning you around so your hands and knees were on the bed, your ass displayed before him.

As you searched for the other man, Eddie’s tongue licked a long stripe through your sex causing you to close your eyes as you moaned. A strong hand reached for your face, pulling you to a set of lips that tasted like a mixture of mint and whiskey from the previous night.

Steve.

You reached for his neck pulling him closer to you as Eddie’s tongue moved in and out of your entrance, whining when you feel him abruptly move away.

“Shit, Harrington. I’m being selfish. You didn’t get to taste her pussy last time, did you?”

“Not directly. You coated my fingers so I literally only got a taste.”, he chuckles.

The bed jostles as they switch places and you cry out when you feel a tongue enter your body again. Steve’s technique was much different than Eddie’s. While the metalhead seemed to play with his food, the other man knew exactly what he wanted, hitting every sensitive spot with an aggressive passion that had you seeing stars.

“F-fuck, Steve. Just like…don’t stop. Ed-Eddie?”

“I’m right here, sweetheart.” He came around towards your end of the bed, stumbling forward as you reached for his cock and wrapped your lips around him. “Jesus! Whoa. Slow down, baby. Mmm-- it’s ok.” Eddie’s hands lifted your hair into a ponytail so he could watch you take him.

You pulled back, pumping him as your eyes looked up into his. “Don’t—mmm—Don’t want slow. 10 years was—fuck—slow enough.”

He smirked at you. “Did you hear that, Stevie?” The boy didn’t verbally responded but you felt his head shake against you as his lips wrapped around your clit.

“Show me…show me the men you are now…please. Please, please. Fuck!”

Your body trembled as the coil snapped and you came, your upper half falling flat against the mattress.

##################

“Y/N Y/L/N.”

“Steven Harrington.”

You didn’t even glance his way as you continued putting books in your locker. You were supposed to meet Eddie near the front of the school so you two could bike over to the movie theater to see District 9 and you didn’t want to keep your best friend waiting especially for King Steve.

“I was thinking you and I could go out sometime. Maybe go see a movie or something.”

“Wow. I’m not sure why you would think that. Now fuck off and leave me alone.”

As you shut your locker and start to leave, he loops around you, blocking your path.

“Shit. Look I’m sorry. Believe it or not I’m not very good at this. I just…always see you at lunch with the other kid that makes you laugh and hearing it… I think you’re really beautiful and sweet so I thought I’d shoot my shot, you know?”

As you listened to him speak, you took note of his demeanor and words. What stood out to you most was that he didn’t refer to Eddie as a freak like the other kids did. He seemed so jittery as he bounced on the balls of his feet and as he said that last sentence his eyes shifted nervously to the floor.

“I’ll, um, leave you alone now. I’m sorry if I bothered you.”

“Steve?”, you called as he started heading down the hall. “Eddie and I were going to go see a movie tonight. Would you want to tag along?”

“Oh. Um…is it ok with him? I don’t want to impose.”

“Naw, he’ll be fine. He may seem scary on the outside but he’s a sweet person. Plus, for some reason, he trusts my judgement. If I trust you than he will to.”

Steve flashes you a big toothy grin. “Ok. Sounds like fun.”

“And just so we are clear, Harrington! This is not a date. I don’t like you like that, okay?”

################

Steve’s hands roughly grabbed your hips, lifting your ass higher in the air as he guided his cock into your entrance. You both moaned at the feeling before he gradually pulled back until it was just his tip, watching between your bodies as he pushed himself back in. As your eyes rolled back, you clawed at the sheets underneath you, relishing in the feeling of him again.

He bent over you, placing his chest against your back as his hand came around to grip your jaw.

Opening your eyes, you were met with Eddie’s face as he kneeled in front of you.

“Does he feel good?” You nod your head as he moves some hair away from your face. “Tell him, Y/N. I think he’s earned it.”

Steve’s lips kissed your shoulder before he aggressively delivered slow, hard thrusts that pushed him so deep he punched the air from your lungs.

“Steve! Fuck… feels… amazing.”

He pushed up on to his knees pounding into you as you whimpered, your upper half collapsing flat on the bed, allowing him to take what was his. What was always his and Eddie’s. No matter how many men you had dated or been with, hell even before graduation night, your heart belonged to them.

“Steve, I…fuck… I love you. I love you both.”

His movements stalled as he and the metalhead exchanged a look. The man leaned over you again, his breath warming your ear.

“Do you mean that?”

“Yes. I love you so much. I missed you.”

He slowly began pumping into you once more, his hand sliding under your body and reaching to circle your clit.

“I love you to, honey. Cum for me, Y/N, please. I’ve waited so long to feel you again.”

With your body pushing back against his, the coil snapped and you mewled into the mattress below you.

“That’s it, baby. Fuck. Can…can we cum inside you?”

Your arm reached behind you to bring your lips to his. “Please, Steve. I need you to.”

His strong hand held the back of your neck, pressing you into the bed as he chased his high. The sounds of his grunts echoes through the room before his hips sputtered and you felt his spend warm your insides.

#################

“Yes! We are finally free! Ha ha!”, Eddie tosses his graduation cap in the air and away from you three.

“Really, Ed?” Wayne shakes his head as he smiles.

“Oh, I’m so proud of you guys!” Your mom excitedly hugs the three of you. “Steve, sweetie, where’re your parents?”

“Uh, Sweden, I think.”

You wrap your arms around him as he does the same.

“So…what’s the plan for the night?” Your dad quickly tries to change the subject which the boy appreciates.

“Well, Mr. Y/L/N, we are going back to my trailer—”

“MY trailer.”, Eddie’s uncle interrupts.

“And we’re going to sit on the floor, reading the bible and going over college applications.”

You and Steve laugh at the metalhead as your mom rolls her eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Just stay safe and don’t do anything stupid. Now get together I want to take a picture.”

Wayne obnoxiously forces his nephew’s graduation cap back on his head before stepping out of frame as Eddie wraps one arm around your back as you do the same. As he holds up the rock and roll symbol with his fingers, you and Steve can’t help but laugh as the camera flashes.

###########

Steve collapses on top of you as you both try to catch your breath. Your hand reaches behind you, your fingers running through his sweaty hair as you gently place your lips on his. He rolls off you and as you turn on to your back, you are met with Eddie’s soft but passion filled kisses.

“You ok, sweetheart? Do you need anything?”, he whispers.

Grinning, you climb onto your knees and wrap your arms around his neck. “I need you.”

He smiles as he kisses you again, his own fingers running through your messy hair.

“Do you want me to show you how rockstars do it?” Eddie playfully sticks out his tongue when you giggle and nod. “Keep your arms around me, ok?”

“Always.”

His smile grew as he hooked his own tattooed arms under both your knees and lifted you into the air. After adjusting you slightly, he moved his hips, thrusting his cock inside of you. Your jaw went slack as your eyes squeezed shut in pleasure, never feeling anyone this deep inside of you or at this angle. The muscles in his shoulders and chest tensed as he pumped into you.

“Oh…oh my god, Eddie. Please.”

His eyes scanned your face before your forehead fell against his. “Fuck, Y/N. I missed you so much. Mmm-I love you to, baby. I…I never stopped.”

You gripped your arms around him tighter as you lifted your hips to meet his, your pussy fluttering around him as you watch his eyes roll back and close.

Eddie swivels his body around falling flat with you onto the bed, unhooking your limbs from his neck and lifting your leg over his shoulder, holding it for leverage as he pounded into you.

You whimpered as his thumb abruptly came down to play with your clit.

“Please…please, please, please, Eddie!”, you begged; your body trembling as you came.

The metalhead hovered over you, his hair lightly brushing against the sides of your face as his beautiful eyes penetrated yours. Your palms reached up to cup his face as his pace quickened nearing his own release.

“Cum for me, baby. Please. I need you to cum inside of me just like Steve did.”

Just as he had on graduation night, his head fell into the nook between your neck and shoulder, his hips faltering before you felt him thrusting his seed deep into your pussy.

You try and cover the hiss that leaves your lips as Eddie pulls out knowing how he’ll react.

“Fuck, princess. I’m sorry. I didn’t hurt you did I.” He smiles as he watches you laugh. “What?”

“Steve’s right. You’re a big rockstar yet you’re still exactly the same. No, Ed, I’m fine. I’m just sore.”

Steve comes around to the side with a rag in his hand and gently cleans between your legs. “Do you need anything? I’m sure Hugh Heffner here has a pretty awesome shower.”

Eddie narrows his eyes at his friend. “I do actually but I also imagine Elle Woods over there also has an expensive shower so he needs to calm down.”

#################

“Steve. Steve. Jesus fucking Christ, STEVEN!”

Steve rolled over onto his back slowly, trying carefully not to move you too much. “What, Munson? Lower you voice.”

“Y/N’s not here.”

“What? What the fuck are you talking about?” He fully opens his eyes as he reaches for you but to his dismay his friend was right. “Where is she?”

“I don’t know. She’s not in the trailer or outside anywhere but all her stuff is gone.”

The man immediately bounced up from the bed and started reaching for his clothes. “Maybe…maybe she went to go food or something.”

“Without telling us? Or hell even inviting us. That’s not like her.”

“Yeah but neither was last night…”

Eddie grabbed one of his shirts from the floor as he waited for Steve to get dressed. “Did we fuck up?” The other man was silent as he tied his shoes. “Do you regret it?”

He rose to his feet and collected his keys. “No. I mean… she’s our girl, right? I’ve never…cared about anyone the way I do her. She makes me feel—”

“Wanted.”, Eddie finished. “Yeah… I know how you feel. I don’t regret it either.”

Steve pats his back comfortingly. “Come on, dude. Let’s go find her.”

#############

Steve woke up to the sound of thunder crashing against the house. His head leaned back against the pillow as he listened to the sound of Eddie snoring next to him. A familiar sense of panic washed through him when he reached over and realized you weren’t in the bed with them.

He hastily tossed back his covers, grabbing his boxers as he flew down the hallway. His hand gripped his chest when he found you in one of Eddie’s band t-shirts, leaning against the backdoor as you watched the rain.

You smiled when you saw him standing there offering him the cup of coffee in your hand.

“You phone buzzed a few times. It may be your law firm but they can’t seem to get along without you.”, you giggle until you notice that panicked look in his eyes. “Steve? Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m, uh, I just woke up and—”

“And I wasn’t there. Fuck, baby, I’m sorry. I didn’t think. It started to rain and rockstar has a nice view.”

“You know, you two keep making fun of me and my house but I didn’t hear any complaints.” Eddie saunters into the room, coming up behind you as he wraps his arm around you and rests his chin on your head.

“Your phone kept going off too, Eds. To be fair, we did sleep all day but damn.”

“No one’s bugging you?”

“No one I care about more than you two right now.” You grin as Steve leans down to kiss your lips before Eddie gently pulls your hair to do the same. “I, um, I don’t actually have a permanent address I’m attached to. Before a book launch, they have me on the road. I was thinking, maybe, I could get an apartment or something near your firm.”

“Why don’t you move in with me? You and Eddie…if you guys want to. I mean I’m sure Munson has like 50 mansions but—”

“I’m not Mick fucking Jagger.”, he laughs. “I have this house and a relatively large house near the beach in California with the guys. All I have to do is pack a bag and my guitar.”

They both look at you with earnest, waiting for your answer.

“Let’s do it.”, you smile. “Geez, when word gets out, I guess people are going to finally figure out who The King and The Vampire are based on. Maybe now they’ll stop asking me who The Runaway is in love with.”

“Who IS she in love with?”, Steve grins snarkily in your direction.

You meet his sarcastic smile with one of your own.

“Both.”

271 notes · View notes

steddieunderdogfics · 8 months ago

Note

https://archiveofourown.org/works/52680118/chapters/133252987

I'm not a rock, you are not an island by @atmilliways

For cannon divergent rec.

The tag for this was Steve comes back wrong. And yes... yes he did.

Steve gets 'killed' by vecna

Eddie calls Vecna out about it

Just genuinely a fantastic story

I'm Not a Rock, You're Not an Island by atmilliways

@atmilliways

Rating: Mature

83,659 words, 1/1 chapters

Archive Warning: No Warnings

Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, POV Eddie Munson, Post S4, Eddie Munson Lives, Gay Eddie Munson, Eddie Munson Has a Crush on Steve Harrington, Bisexual Steve Harrington, Steve Harrington Has a Bisexual Awakening, Steve Harrington Has a Crush on Eddie Munson, Pre-Relationship, Sharing a Bed, Friends to Lovers, Angst with a Happy Ending, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Trauma Bonding, Shared Trauma, Codependency, Comes Back Wrong, Possessed Steve Harrington, Hurt Steve Harrington, Implied/Referenced Suicidal Thoughts, Self-Sacrificial Suicide Attempt, Late Night Conversations, survivor's guilt, Dissociation, Brief Vampire Eddie Munson, Brief Possessed Eddie Munson, Eddie Munson is having trouble figuring out what's real (thanks Vecna), unreality, Paranoia, Dream Sharing, Steddie Big Bang 2023 (Stranger Things)

Summary:

Steve died in the Upside Down, the night Eddie was nearly killed by bats. He came back anyway, but he isn’t himself. And Eddie runs his mouth because, well. It’s the end of the world, right? What does he have to lose? He never expected it to actually work. There’s a lot still going on. They still have a lot they need to talk about. And Eddie Munson still has a lot to lose.

Thanks for the rec!

Know a fic that deserves extra love? Submit through our asks or the submission box!

#steddie #steddie fic recs #steve harrington #eddie munson #steve x eddie #stranger things #canon divergent #pre relationship #bisexual awakening #hurt/comfort #rated m #friends to lovers #angst with a happy ending

28 notes · View notes

steddieholidaydrabbles · 11 months ago

Text

Week 1 Masterlist

Week one is done and you guys have been doing an incredible job! Whether you pre-wrote and scheduled posts or have been writing every single day, you deserve a hug and forehead kiss!

Please check below for the full masterlist of week one. Check the tags on them (especially for Came Back Wrong day, that was a heck of a round of submissions) and don't forget to support writers and artists by reblogging their work!

DAY 1 - OPEN MIC NIGHT

a bit of tear inducing nerd music by @lingeringmirth | Rated G | no cw | tags: modern au, fluff, lotr references, steve harrington can sing, smitten!eddie munson, nerd!steve harrington

your heart sings to mine by @steddieas-shegoes | Rated M | cw: alcohol, implied/referenced recreational drug use | tags: mutual pining, idiots to lovers, love confessions in the rain

You Say Bark, I Say Bite by @thisapplepielife | Rated T | cw: language, smoking | tags: pre-s4, pre-steddie, platonic stobin, corroden coffin

checking it twice by @cranberrymoons | Rated T | no cw | tags: coffee shop au, modern setting, established relationship

Untitled by @redlegumes | Rated T | no cw | tags: open mic, karaoke, queer bar, holiday season, Christmas

A song for the night by @atimeofyourlife | Rated T | no cw | tags: pre-steddie

I want you to want me by @sidekick-hero | Rated T | no cw | tags: exes, open but hopeful ending

open mic by @yellowsweater-bluevest (art)

DAY 2 - CAME BACK WRONG

beautiful in all its wrongness by @lingeringmirth | Rated G | cw: kas!eddie, angst, self-sacrificing steve | tags: one-sided crush (or is it?)

hide away by steddieas-shegoes | Rated M | cw: mentions of blood, canon-typical violence | tags: vampire eddie munson, emotional reunion, soul bond

sometimes dead is better by @thisapplepielife | Rated M | cw: canon death, monster!eddie, body horror | tags: horror, hurt/no comfort, dark, pet sematary vibes, dead dove:do no eat, post-s4, steve pov

Untitled by @redlegumes | Rated T | no cw | tags: steve harrington has bad parents, found family, christmas cards, holiday cards, return to sender

In the ruins by @just-my-latest-hyperfixation | Rated M | cw: apocalypse, off-screen character death, imprisonment, body horror, blood and gore, hurt/no comfort, starvation, vampirism | tags: darkfic, came back wrong, vecna won, unreliable narrator

Break it first by just-my-latest-hyperfixation with art by @house-of-the-moving-image | Rated M | cw: mind-control, brainwashing, possessive behavior, referenced character death, aftermath of trauma, aftermath of injury, kidnapping | tags: kas!eddie munson, dark eddie munson

a small surprise by @atimeofyourlife | Rated T | cw: steve has bad parents, diet culture | tags: de-aged steve harrington

peppermint chocolate by @cranberrymoons | Rated M | no cw | tags: vampire eddie, morning fluff, established relationship

disoriented and afraid by @lingeringmirth | Rated T | cw: major character death, vampire eddie, dark, dead dove: do not eat | tags: post-s4

ruins of a future once held sure by @lingeringmirth | Rated G | cw: major injury | tags: hurt eddie munson, angst, grief, injury recovery, hopeful ending, pre-steddie, post-vecna

let the impulse to love and the instinct to kill entangle to one by @sidekick-hero | Rated T | no cw | tags: fluff, first kiss, kas!eddie

his lips still blue by @klausinamarink | Rated T | cw: hypothermia, supposed character death | tags: established relationship, supernatural/horror vibes

DAY 3 - MUTUAL PINING

Pining for the Fjords by @lingeringmirth | Rated T | no cw | tags: matchmaker robin, monty python references, getting together, kissing, bisexual steve harrington, eddie munson lives

if you call me back by steddieas-shegoes | Rated T | cw: angst with a happy ending, mention of being drunk | tags: mutual pining, long distance friends, friends to lovers

Loving from afar by @atimeofyourlife | Rated G | no cw | tags: mutual pining, pre-steddie

Obviously by @thisapplepielife | Rated T | cw: brief period-typical internalized homophobia | tags: dual pov, post-season 4, idiots in love, just make a move already, platonic stobin, eddie and gareth are best friends

Take my hand (we'll make it, i swear) by @just-my-latest-hyperfixation with art by @house-of-the-moving-image | Rated G | cw: steve getting vecna'd, some violent imagery | tags: idiots in love, fluff and angst

speak a little louder by @cranberrymoons | Rated T | no cw | tags: fluff, flirting, nerds in a basement

Stolen Pine by @redlegumes | Rated E | no cw | tags: idiots in love, pining, christmas tree without glasses, light theft

DAY 4 - MEET CUTE AT WORK

stumbling into you by steddieas-shegoes | Rated M | cw: sexual innuendo, semi-public handsy making out | tags: making out, getting together, rock star eddie munson, modern au

Art by @house-of-the-moving-image

Punch me out by @just-my-latest-hyperfixation | Rated E | cw: Blowjobs, dirty talk, slight degradation kink | tags: no UD au, company christmas party, bathroom sex

Get a Grip on Yourself, Munson by @lingeringmirth | Rated T | no cw | tags: transfem stevie harrington, trasnmasc eddie munson, dad eddie munson, everyone's bi, fluff, flirting

Baby, You Can Drive My Car by @thisapplepielife | Rated T | cw: weed, language | tags: mechanic!eddie, business guy!steve, fluffy meet cute

Cats know best by @atimeofyourlife | Rated G | cw: mention of animal injury and amputation | tags: pre-steddie

hey sweetheart by @cranberrymoons | Rated E | no cw | tags: modern au, line cook eddie, waiter steve, hooking up

There can only be one Santa driving a DeLorean by @redlegumes | Rated T | no cw | tags: mechanic au, matching sweaters, bad flirting

Love Over Box Labels by @klausinamarink | Rated G | no cw | tags: modern au, no Upside Down, the romanticisms of working at warehouses

DAY 5 - FREE SPACE (DOMESTIC FLUFF)

never take it for granted, this domestic bliss by @lingeringmirth | Rated G | no cw | tags: domestic fluff, singing, baking

won't ever learn by steddieas-shegoes | Rated T | no cw | tags: tooth-rotting fluff, established relationship, steddie dads

The biggest, brightest, gaudiest display in all of Indiana by @just-my-latest-hyperfixation | Rated G | cw: one slight mention of PTSD | tags: Post-Vecna, everybody lives, pining, steve harrington has a crush on eddie munson, christmas

A Solid Plan by @thisapplepielife | Rated E | cw: sexual content | tags: established relationship, teamwork makes the dream work, if you build it: he will come, idiots in love, silly sex mishaps, first apartment, flat pack furniture

the scrooge who stole christmas by @cranberrymoons | Rated T | no cw

Breakfast in bed by @atimeofyourlife | Rated G | no cw | tags: established relationship, fluff

DAY 6 - COOKING TOGETHER

powdered sugar nose by steddieas-shegoes | Rated M | cw: food as a way to flirt, allusions to sex, fade to black sex | tags: established relationship, fluff, subtle praise kink

Art by @house-of-the-moving-image

Hungry for you by @just-my-latest-hyperfixation | Rated M | cw: sexually explicit language | tags: No UD AU, modern au, record shop owner!eddie, restaurant owner!steve, sexual tension, top steve, bottom eddie

Mixing it up (Moving us on) by @katyawriteswhump | Rated T | cw: alcohol and drug use, implied chronic pain/illness, angst | tags: fluff

Catch Fire by @thisapplepielife | Rated M | no cw | tags: established relationship, idiots in love, first home, cooking mishaps

Life lesson: Never share a kitchen. by @atimeofyourlife | Rated T | cw: angst, ambiguous ending

have a cup(cake) of cheer by @cranberrymoons | Rated T | no cw | tags: future fic, rockstar eddie, teacher steve, evil pta moms

Tradition by @maxinemaxmayfield | Rated T | no cw | tags: first kiss, post-s4, getting together, friends to lovers

and they dance by @lingeringmirth | Rated G | no cw | tags: domestic fluff, established steddie

Crepes and Cake Batter by @klausinamarink | Rated G | cw: post-domestic argument | tags: stress baking, hurt/comfort, sad steve

DAY 7 - HANUKKAH

the fifth night by steddieas-shegoes | Rated T | no cw | tags: non-practicing jewish eddie, getting together, first kiss, flirting

You Know Why by @thisapplepielife | Rated T | no cw | tags: canon divergence post-s4, eddie munson lives, gift giving, mutual attraction, flirting and wooing

Kindling the light by @atimeofyourlife | Rated T | no cw | tags: jewish steve harrington

#steddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #steddieholidaydrabbles #stranger things #masterlist

41 notes · View notes

strangerthingsocweek · 9 months ago

Text

Stranger Things OC Week Masterlist

Thank you to everyone who participated and/or encouraged the first ever Stranger Things Original Character Week! It's been fine getting to know these characters and I hope you continue to develop them and include them in your writing and art!

INTRODUCTION

she runs a tight ship by @steddieas-shegoes | Rated T | cw: mentions of illness (just a cold), mildly suggestive language | tags: future fic, corroded coffin, robin gets to have a girlfriend because i said so

Doc: An Introduction by @tboygareth | Rated G/T | cw: mention of unsafe binding practices | tags: nonbinary character, transmasculine gareth emerson, canon typical monsters

Tania Dyer and Johnny Wallace by @cxwzkeys

one scoop, two scoop, girl scoop, boy scoop by @dartlekey | Rated T | cw: implied sexual harassment, misgendering, period-typical homophobia

freaks to the front by @patchworkgargoyle | Rated T | cw: language | tags: canon setting, post-season 4, kali prasad and her crew, dustin henderson, jeff, gareth

ALTERNATE UNIVERSES

play a melody for me by @steddieas-shegoes | Rated M | cw: suggestive language, implied sexual content | tags: modern au, college au, awkward flirting, first kiss, getting together, disaster lesbian robin buckley

entangle to one by @starryeyedjanai | Rated M | cw: prostitute steve, transmasc steve, werewolf omc

i wanna be adored by @patchworkgargoyle | Rated E | cw: under-negotiated kink, some emotional self-harm behaviors, unprotected sex | tags: modern au, rough sex, penetrative sex, cunnilingus, dom/sub undertones, impact play, aftercare, first kiss

down on your knees (to save your soul) by @gerrystamour | Rated T | no cw

LOVE IN EVERY FORM

how lovely to love them by @steddieas-shegoes | Rated T | cw: mention of alcohol/being drunk | tags: side steddie, side platonic stobin, meg needs a break, meg gets a break, established relationship

Let me in your ocean, swim by @dartlekey | Rated M | cw: implied parental abuse, internalized homophobia, cursing, brief sexual content

SONGS

you're gonna go far by @steddieas-shegoes | Rated E | cw: semi-public sex | tags: getting together, vaginal fingering, dirty talk, falling in love

date night by @patchworkgargoyle | Rated M | cw: vague mentions of non-sexual nudity | tags: so much fluff, song lyrics in fic

80S, 90S, TODAY

new in town by @steddieas-shegoes | Rated T | cw: mention of alcohol abuse/dui | tags: hellfire club, 80s era, high school

FAVORITE TROPES

just the king by @steddieas-shegoes | Rated T | no cw | tags: only one bed with a twist, steve and meg are so bitchy, high school sleepover vibes except they're both grown ass adults

PARTY TIME

meet your new best friend by @steddieas-shegoes | Rated T | cw: mild language | tags: modern au, future fic, dustin/erica getting married, marriage proposal

Art by @llamalpaca

#stranger things #original character #strangerthingsocweek #writing challenge #masterlist

16 notes · View notes

steddiebang · 1 year ago

Text

I Wanna Be THE Guitar Hero | Teen and Up | 33,540

Author: @abbididathing (AO3, Twitter) / @theroundeviloftable (Tumblr) Artist: @hextotal (Twitter) Beta Readers: @songstone, @finalmoondragon, @sefestis, @teeniestbabbles

Steve surprises Eddie with the newly-released video game that he thinks is perfect for him: Guitar Hero. Shenanigans ensue, the game isn’t as perfect for Eddie as Steve once thought, and some tension develops. But then, Eddie gets a tip from the kids that changes his whole outlook on the game and he forms a plan to surprise Steve this time around. Or: a long-form prose love letter to established-relationship Steddie and their domestic chaos.

Fic | Art

Pairings: Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson, Robin Buckley/Chrissy Cunningham Characters: Steve Harrington, Eddie Munson, Robin Buckley, Chrissy Cunningham, Dustin Henderson, Will Byers, Joyce Byers, Jim Hopper Tags: Guitar Hero: World Tour, xbox 360, brief mentions of Halo and Call of Duty, playing video games with your boyfriend, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, sorry only a bit of angst to break up the sweetness, just two dudes being bros (stupid in-love heart-eyed idiots), Alternate Universe - further future than canon, Not Canon Compliant, Alternate Universe - No Upside Down (Stranger Things), set when the game came out in 2008, brief arguments, some spicy make outs and implied spice but nothing too graphic overall, Smoking, steddiebang23, Dustin and Will helping the boys out as they do, mentioned Robin/Chrissy but not a main pairing, referenced smoking addiction and withdrawals from quitting, Making Out, domesticity remains my bread and butter Trigger Warnings: smoking and references to addiction/withdrawals

#steddiebang23 #steddiebang23 masterposts

16 notes · View notes

devondespresso · 1 year ago

Text

<< Asks temporarily turned off so i can try actually getting through all the fundraiser messages, I'm sorry >>

Hey babes and non-babes alike, I'm Devon (or Dev, or Devi, or whatever fun nickname comes to mind!!) (Devonias on ao3) and I'm a writer, beta reader, and now technically artist (i now have an art sideblog: DevonDrawspresso!!)

Any anti and nsfw reblogs get tagged accordingly, have fun and thanks for dropping by!! 💕

(non-screenshot) dividers by the awesome @/saradika-graphics!!

Tags

Latest Fic:

For You, Love - | Kas!Eddie Steddie | 1082 words | M | ao3

Chaptered Fics

• more than 10k words •

We'll Be Alright (aka The Steve Henderson AU) - | ~90k so far | Mature | ao3 link (to be added once posted)

Light of my life, the peanut butter to my jelly, my favorite project, and yet: no chapters officially posted. BUT you can find all the little snippets and rambles about it under the tag. i have a longer explanation of what it is and why its not posted here but basically i can promise you that there will 100% be content posted no matter what (so that entire word count, updated regularly, exists and will be shared eventually 💕)

Oneshots

• between 500 and 10k words •

Steve isn't eight years old. And he definitely isn’t 8 years old. He's nineteen, too close to twenty, sitting in the doorway of a room that isn't his, in a house he didn’t grow up in, stopping himself from getting comfortable leaning back on a door frame despite the current strain in his back, because it would only hurt the wound there more.

Ficlet for the stwg prompt "Sunshine" that turned out better than I could have imagined! Quiet, serious, and emotional, it's definitely my favorite posted work so far!

Steve opens his eyes, glances towards Hopper and finds him looking out into the dark ahead, warily. Steve follows his gaze, and his stomach turns. There’s a powder blue convertible stalling in front of his house—roof uncharacteristically up and hiding the interior—haphazardly parked half off the road. The people in the front seat are arguing, and there’s smoke billowing out the back still like they’re ready to take off at any second. Hop rolls closer, headlights lighting up everything. Steve leans forward to get a better look, and Tommy’s face turns around in the driver’s seat to look back at them.

A very late gift fic for the lovely @/momotonescreaming following the STWG prompt "Home"! Serious hurt/comfort with a sweet and hopeful ending, I ended up spending over three weeks getting this just the way I wanted and now I'm super happy with it!

Claudia Edine Henderson never wanted to get married. Not really. But she wanted kids, so that meant either getting married or seeing if the daycare was hiring. Anthony Laurence Goldman wanted a family. She thought that meant the same thing, so they married. And it was good. They had a beautiful baby boy, Dustin Clarence Goldman, healthy save for a defect with his bones. No collarbones, and the high chance he’d need a little extra medical attention down the line, but he’d still be living long and happy, and she couldn’t ask for more.

short and sweet ficlet for the stwg prompt "Claudia", because how could I refuse Claudia?? Sweet, relatively light, half-backstory with a cute and hopeful ending, it didn't take as many hours as My Sunshine, but I still love it!

Steve went over to the media room and dug through the little bin of batteries under the phone, pulling out an opened pack that had just enough left. He took both aids off, changed the batteries, and put them back on to make sure they worked. He heard a strong thud from his bedroom, followed by muttering.

so far my silliest ficlet, using the prompt "Tell a story to stay out of trouble", set in an au where Steve is hoh from canon events and was adopted by the Hendersons! featuring brothers goofing off, cousins getting up to trouble, and the titular Mr. Crayola Henderson!

He had taken a moment and then slipped himself out of bed, across the room and down the hall, down the stairs and around the dark silhouettes of walls and doors and furniture on his way to the kitchen. He followed the countertop with a light hand, feeling over towards the sink and cabinets above to tip a glass from the cabinet into his palm. He found the faucet by the faint glimmers of moonlight reflecting off the metal, filled his glass halfway, and drank lukewarm water, soothing his arid throat. Touch ghosted over his sides, the smallest pricks against his shirt, and Steve’s reflexes took over, elbow jabbing back behind him towards the touch, force strong and urgent that spun him around, back hitting the counter as his defense met no resistance. Steve exhaled, inhaled, exhaled. But there was nothing there.

a spooky little something to practice getting into writing with greater success than expected!! Definitely dark, definitely not happy, mind the tags and enjoy some creepy shit!

Since We're Alive Now - | Chrissy Cunningham and Eddie Munson | 5843 words | T | ao3 link (soon) | cw: referenced/implied self-image issues, swearing, brief references to physical injury, strong self criticism, and canon typical tone in some areas but with happy ending

summary and little spiel at the bottom coming eventually soon eventually

Never Again (Mature) - | ao3 link |

Nancy is trying to have a good time with her boyfriend after their November from hell. It would be a lot easier if the last time they did this wasn't the same night her best friend died, but she needs the break to avoid those thoughts, even just for a night. Apparently, she doesn't get a choice.

My one and only Explicit fic for the foreseeable future because I really wasn't actually ready to write this one anyway. For anyone that doesn't want the sexual themes, the M version replaces the opening sex with barely a makeout, with everything else nearly identical! Also my first fic posted like ever! yay!

Drabblessss

• fics less than 500 words •

cause idk im the kinda guy that doesn't really scroll blog tags, i find masterlists helpful so I'm using both and you can pick your poison.

all drabbles under #devon's drabbles and listed out here. the tag is chronological and the pinned list is with blatant favoritism

Chicken Noodle Oops! - | G | Steve & Dustin | 126 words | ao3

Sweet and Spicy | G | Steddie | 384 words | ao3

Restless (Ed, go to fucking sleep) | G | Steddie | 431 words | ao3

Surprise, Bitch Babe! | T | Steddie | 691 words (i know it breaks the "drabble" category im sorry its just got drabble vibes) | ao3 pending

(all ao3 posts are archive locked to avoid scraping, sorry for the inconvenience)

#im sorry i swear i change the look of this thing constantly fhalfhdjk #good news is fics and links are almost always up to date lol #as of right now works get posted on tumblr first and get cross-posted to ao3 sometimes with minor changes #often times changes get edited into the original tumblr post (though usually aren't more than phrasing format or grammar changes)#if i ever decide to change something major ill probably put a poll up to see what people would prefer i do to preserve the original #usually tho ive edited a ton before posting so my critical eye has already had its fun

9 notes · View notes

made-ofmemories · 2 years ago

Text

When Life Tears You Asunder, But You’re Not Alone

(Chapter 18/19)

General Warnings/tags: Found family, implied Wayne/Susan in future chapters, Max & Eddie have a sibling like relationship, fluff, hurt/comfort, Lumax and Steddie make appearances throughout the chapters but the primary focus is on the familial bonds between characters

Chapter specific warnings/tags: This is very much a lumax and steddie focused chapter, lots of fluff! A tiny bit of period typical homophobia but it isn’t particularly directed at any of the characters it’s just an acknowledgement of it existing.

Word count: 3569

Summary: Billy was a pretty shitty brother, there was no denying it, but Max still finds herself mourning for the sibling relationship they never got to have. With him gone she thinks so are her chances of ever having the big brother figure she’s always wanted. Then in a turn of events that she never saw coming, Eddie Munson waltzes into her life. Or more like, almost runs her over.

Notes: Co-written with the wonderful @ladydorian05 and crossposted on AO3.

Series masterlist

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

“I see Steve’s car, park over there,” Max says, slapping Eddie’s arm to get his attention as she points at the car in question. They’re 15 minutes late, even with Eddie’s questionable approach to speed limits and Max has been stressed about missing the beginning of the movie she and Lucas are meant to be watching for the entire journey.

The van has barely come to a halt when she hops out, “Max! Wait, you-” Eddie sighs when the only response he gets is the slam of the passenger door closing, and hops out of the van to follow her.

“What’re you doing?” Max whisper-hisses when she hears him call for her and turns to see that he's following her to Steve’s car.

“You forgot your glasses.” He explains, holding them out for her to take.

“I know. I did it on purpose.” She says as if the thought of any other explanation is utterly ridiculous.

“You’ll get a headache.”

“Aw, I didn’t think you cared.”

“I care when I’m the one who’ll have to endure your grumpiness the whole way home.” He narrows his eyes at her, still insistently holding out the pair of glasses between them.

“He’s right.” It’s Steve, he’s barely out of the car, clearly not planning on sticking around, leaning with one arm braced on the roof of the car and the door still open, “Besides, they’re not so bad once you get used to them.” He shrugs. He’s wearing his own glasses, he’s been wearing them more frequently ever since that day in Family video when Eddie saw them for the first time.

Her gaze flickers to Lucas who nods with a soft expression on his face usually reserved for Max, “You should wear them.”

“Alright, fine.” She huffs, holding her hands up in surrender before she takes the glasses from Eddie and slides them on, “Ok, we’re going now.”

“I’ll pick you up at 9, Lucas!” Steve calls out to the pair of retreating forms heading for the mall entrance.

“10.” Max bargains, turning to look at Steve without slowing down.

Steve looks to Eddie who shrugs one shoulder in response, who is he to stand in the way of young love?

“Alright, 9:30,” Steve calls back once he realizes Eddie is going to be of no help.

“Deal.”

“They’re adorable,” Steve comments, they’re both hanging around watching to make sure the pair make it into the mall when Max slips her hand into Lucas’.

“Almost enough to warm this cold dead heart.” Eddie jokes, crossing both hands over his chest and leaning against the other side of Steve’s car for a brief moment before he pushes himself away, “Well, see you around, Stevie.” He says, turning to leave once he sees Lucas and Max disappearing behind the sliding glass doors of the mall.

“Actually,” Steve calls and Eddie stops in his tracks, “I was wondering if you wanted to hang out until we have to pick them up?”

“It’s Valentine’s day.” Eddie states, confusion furrowing his brow, “You don’t have a date to get to?”

“Nope, I’m free all day. So? What’d’ya say? I mean, unless you have a date or something?”

“Um no, no date.” Eddie assures him. He might be of the opinion that this entire day is one giant capitalistic nightmare, but if he had to spend it with anyone he’d choose Steve over anyone, “Hanging out sounds good.”

“Alright, let's go.”

They take Steve’s car, it’s clean and it smells like the little pine tree air freshener hanging from the rearview mirror rather than the greasy smell of old fast food cartons and the faint scent of weed that seems to linger in Eddie’s van.

“So,” Eddie starts, letting his head loll to the side as he looks over to Steve who is concentrating on the road, his hair looks nice today, even nicer than usual, “How come Steve Harrington doesn’t have plans on valentines day? You practically have girls lining up at your door waiting to go on a date with you and instead, you’ve ended up playing chauffeur and hanging out with me. It doesn’t add up, man.”

“I like hanging out with you.”

“You’re avoiding the question.”

“I don’t know,” Steve sighs and drags a hand over his face whilst keeping the other on the wheel, “I guess I just realized there isn’t much point unless you’ve got someone who makes it worth making a big deal of.”

“No one special then?”

He shrugs, “There’s someone, but I don’t know if he feels the same way.”

He.

Steve glances over, taking his eyes off the road for just a fraction of a second, he’s trying to judge Eddie’s reaction most likely. Eddie almost misses the gesture entirely, his brain working overtime trying to process the new information. He’d had his suspicions after Robin had refused to tell him whether Steve was into guys or not, but it wasn’t like he could just walk up to him and ask the question outright.

“Well, you’ll never know unless you tell him how you feel,” Eddie blurts out, truthfully he isn’t sure what he’s meant to say in the situation but staying silent feels wrong.

“I guess, I just don’t want to lose him as a friend, y’know?”

Eddie hums affirmatively, he knows that feeling all too well.

There’s some cheesy pop hit playing on the radio that Steve keeps humming along to as he drives. It’s endearing and the only reason Eddie doesn’t kick up a fuss about the music choice. Eddie has never heard him sing and it’s difficult to judge just from the low humming mingling with the sound of the radio, but he thinks he’d have a nice singing voice.

He realizes halfway into their journey that he doesn’t actually know where they’re going. The roads look familiar, but he doesn’t fully put all the pieces together until they’re parked outside of a local pizza place that Eddie knows well, as it turns out there aren’t all that many restaurant choices in small town Hawkins.

Steve insists on buying, Eddie doesn’t put up much of a fight.

“We’re not eating here?” Eddie asks when Steve grabs the box of pizza and 2 sodas from the counter and gestures towards the door with a nod of his head.

“No, come on,” Steve says, leaving Eddie scrambling to get up from the seat he had taken whilst they waited.

The next time Steve stops the car they’re overlooking Sattlers quarry. Steve hops out first, grabbing the food from the back seat. Eddie follows.

“I used to bring Max out here all the time,” Eddie explains as he follows Steve around to the back of the car. Steve perches himself on the trunk and Eddie copies the action, letting his feet rest on the bumper, “We usually sit down by the water.” He adds, gesturing down to the pool of water at the bottom of the steep drop in front of them.

“Yeah?” Steve flips open the cardboard lid of the box revealing a pizza covered in all of Eddie’s favorite toppings. They’d ordered pizza once a few days after Eddie had gotten out of the hospital and it surprises him a little that Steve had paid enough attention to be able to recall his pie of choice, “It’s nice out here… quiet.”

Eddie lets out a noncommittal hum in acknowledgment, “Bet you bring all your dates out here.” He teases.

“Actually, you’re the first.”

The sincerity of it shocks him, Steve is full of surprises today so it seems, and Eddie crams half a slice of pizza into his mouth as an excuse to delay his response.

“Well, consider me honored, my liege.”

“On the contrary, I’m the one honored by your presence, my good sir.” God help him, he swears he won’t be responsible for his actions if Steve starts talking nerdy to him. “How was your last campaign with the kids?” Jesus Christ! Eddie is torn between wanting to leave immediately before he does something he might regret, like kissing Steve’s pretty lips, and wanting to live in this moment forever.

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

“Damn, everything on the listing is either a romcom or we’ve seen it with the others,” Lucas says looking at the list of movie titles and showing times.

“I wouldn’t mind rewatching something.” Max shrugs.

“Didn’t you say you wanted to watch something new?”

“Yeah, but it’s better than Mannequin which is our only other option.” She pulls a face of mild disgust, they’d seen the trailer for it last time they were at the cinema with the rest of the party.

Sure she’d sat through all of those romcoms El loved so much, maybe even enjoyed one or two more than she’d like to admit, but they still weren’t going to be her first choice… nor her second, third, or fourth.

“The closest showings for the ones we both like are in like an hour or two and if we consider the time Steve and Eddie are picking us up, we shouldn’t go for those.”

“What about Dead of winter?” Lucas suggests. They’re standing to the side of the ticket line, not wanting to jump in until they know what they’re going to be watching, “We haven’t seen that one and I heard it’s a thriller.”

“Sure, dead of winter it is,” Max agrees, letting Lucas link their hands together as they head for the ticket booth, “If each pays their ticket, we can split the cost for the popcorn and sodas.”

“Umm, actually I was planning on paying for both of us, I’ve been saving so I’m sure I have more than enough,” Lucas says.

Max knows that it's common and even expected for the guy to pay, and normally she wouldn't refuse someone offering to pay for her. It’s cute that he wants to be chivalrous, but she knows that it wasn't just that Lucas has saved up his allowance, she knows he's been doing odd jobs around his neighborhood again. She likes him, she cares about him a lot, and she doesn't want him to spend all his money on this date when she can contribute.

She's not sure if she can really call her feelings for him love, not yet at least. But, if they're in for the long run, she wants to make sure he knows that they're a team, that they can do these kinds of things together, that burdens and responsibilities can and will be shared between them.

“Lucas, it’s fine, I can cover it. You don't have to pay for everything. Besides, Wayne’s been asking me to help him fix his car, Eddie’s van, and my mom’s car. He always slips me a few bucks after.”

“Wait, Eddie’s uncle is teaching you how to fix cars and paying you after?” She hadn’t thought it was a big deal, but he sounds impressed.

“Pretty much. I refused at first, but he’d slip it in my jacket pocket or inside my backpack when I wasn’t watching so I just gave up.”

She still remembers the first time he slipped the bill into the pocket of her denim vest, the thing got shredded when she washed it. It hadn't been fun picking all the little paper bits from that load. Even if she now accepts them when he hands them to her, she developed the habit of checking every single pocket of every piece of clothing that she places in the washer.

“Eddie also lets me keep his loose change sometimes, when I have enough I take it to Family video, and Steve exchanges it for bills, he's always complaining about never having enough change.”

“That’s awesome.” Lucas muses as they advance a spot in the long line for the tickets. It seems that just about every couple in Hawkins had the same idea for today.

“Yup.”

“Hey, now that you mentioned Eddie, what’s up with him and Steve?” Lucas asks, turning to look at her with a raised eyebrow.

“What do you mean?” Shit, she needs to tread carefully. This could be about anything, from just them hanging out a lot to him noticing Eddie’s crush. She would hate to accidentally out Eddie.

“Well, you can’t tell me you haven’t noticed the stares, the longing looks, I had to watch Eddie staring at Steve’s lips for an entire conversation the other day,” Lucas explains, “I’m pretty sure Gareth has noticed too he keeps making these weird vague comments during D&D.”

Oh Gareth has definitely noticed, that she’s sure of.

“ Hell, one of the reasons I asked Steve to drive me here today was because you mentioned Eddie was dropping you off. I just, don’t know, hoped that maybe they could have their own little date or whatever.”

“One of the reasons? What’s another reason?” Max asks. So, it seems like he has noticed the ‘something’ between them.

“I would have gotten all sweaty if I biked here. But don’t change the topic. ”

“You… would be okay if they got together like that?” She needs to know that she didn’t misunderstand his words, that he’d be really okay with Eddie liking guys. She thinks that he is okay with it, but one can never be too cautious, especially in a small town like Hawkins. Would she really be outing her brother if her boyfriend already figured out that he’s into guys?

“Sure! They’re both our friends, I want them to be happy. Wouldn’t you?” He squeezes her hand. Oh, shit, now he’s the one thinking that she might not be okay with it.

“Of course I would. It would at least put an end to Eddie’s pining. Don’t tell him I told you this, and I’m serious, you can’t tell anyone.”

“I’m sworn to secrecy, I promise.”

“He actually bought Berlin’s ‘Take my breath away’ single.”

“What!? Eddie buying something not metal? No way, when?”

“I’m not exactly sure when, but I’m sure it happened after he watched Top gun with Steve, he kinda told me after I spent a whole week bugging him about the tape.” Max laughs.

“Holy shit, he’s whipped,” Lucas comments amused.

“I know. It’s a bit sad to watch the yearning on his face when he listens to it.”

“He really can’t see that Steve might… I don’t know. Let him down gently or even give him a chance if not because he reciprocates his feelings then because he cares?”

“I actually have a feeling that Steve might also be into him. But I don’t think either of them know how to go about it. Anyways, enough about them, this is our date. No more talking about other people’s relationships at least until 9:30.”

“Okay.” Without noticing they had gotten to the front of the line. After getting their tickets the line for the popcorn is less crowded, they get 2 medium sodas, popcorn and make a compromise on a box of Whoppers.

Their theater isn’t that full. The other couples probably went for the romcoms. The movie is quite good, even if they missed some of the plot when they began to throw the crunchy chocolate balls and popcorn for the other to catch it with their mouth making a bit of a mess around them.

“I actually liked the movie, even if it was frustrating how you could clearly see how she could have saved herself sooner,” Max says, helping Lucas to gather their trash on the way out of the theater.

“Oh but she did so well in the end.” He comments.

“They had it coming.”

“We still have time, what do you want to do?” Lucas asks, checking his watch once they’ve located the nearest trash can and his hands are no longer occupied by the empty soda cups.

“Let’s go to the record store, I want to find more patches for my vest.”

Lucas manages to find a Gremlins patch, it’s circular with a black background featuring ‘Stripe’ from the movie and the word troublemaker embroidered at the top. Max smiles when he shows her it and he insists on buying it for her. Meanwhile, Max gets a skateboard one and one in the shape of a hand making the rock 'n roll sign adorned with a black spiked wristband. Once the patch bin has been thoroughly scouted, they move on to the tapes section.

They still have a little more than half an hour before Steve and Eddie pick them up, even after they finish browsing the record store. They’re wandering aimlessly around the various storefronts when Max spots the unfamiliar bubblegum-pink exterior of one of the restaurants in the small food court.

"I didn't know there was a place that sells milkshakes."

“Must be new,” Lucas comments, following her gaze, “Do you want one?”

"Yeah, sure. But not from here. I'm loyal to one place and one place only."

"The diner." He rolls his eyes with fondness.

"Damn right!"

"I'll radio Steve. Maybe he can take us both and if Eddie went home, we can call him from the diner."

Eddie and Steve turn up 10 minutes later. Max and Lucas are waiting in the parking lot for them and share a knowing look when they see Eddie already seated in the passenger seat, talking animatedly and smiling broadly when Steve pulls up. Max had suspected they were together when Eddie’s van was still in the parking lot and Steve’s car was nowhere to be seen, but that didn’t mean anything Eddie could have headed inside whilst they were busy watching the movie or taken a walk.

Steve holds the door open for them all and Max and Eddie head in first. She picks their usual booth and glares at Eddie when he tries to join her.

“Dude,” She says pointedly, both eyebrows raised as she tries to not so subtly gesture towards one of the other tables.

“What?”

“Sit somewhere else, I don’t want my brother crashing my date.” She explains.

“May I remind you that your brother is the one who drove you all the way out to the mall on Valentines day?”

“First of all, it’s not like you had plans anyway. Secondly, you got a date with Steve out of it so you can’t complain.” He doesn’t deny it, which is interesting. She’ll be sure to grill him for all of the details later, well maybe not all the details, there are some things she does not need to know.

Eddie sighs dramatically, but listens to her and goes over to Steve who is standing by the counter making their order. They’re too far away for her to hear their conversation but she sees Eddie tap Steve’s bicep to get his attention and the way he uses his head to gesture to one of the tables on the opposite side of the room.

She gets a strawberry milkshake and lets Lucas pay this time, he pushes it across the table towards her and takes a sip of his own chocolate-banana one. Her glasses slip down her nose when she leans forward to reach the straw in her glass and she pushes them up with the tip of her index finger.

“I like your glasses,” Lucas blurts, it’s a little out of the blue but she appreciates the compliment, “they suit you.”

“Thanks.” She’s smiling bashfully, taking another sip of her milkshake as an excuse to avoid eye contact.

“I don’t think I could pull them off.”

“Hmmm, I don’t know about that,” she muses, “I think you could.”

“Yeah?” He reaches across the table taking the corners of the frames in hand, he hesitates for a second, only sliding them off her face when she doesn’t make any effort to stop him and then slides them onto his own face, “What do you think?”

A laugh bubbles out of her at the sight, he’s posing with an exaggerated pout on his face, “Yeah, you’re right they look much better on me,” She tells him in a joking tone. She lets him place them carefully back onto her face rather than just handing them back.

There’s a moment of comfortable silence whilst they both enjoy their milkshakes, listening to the pop music playing over the radio and the chatter surrounding them. It’s busy, probably the busiest Max has ever seen the place but that’s not exactly unexpected given the day.

“Do you think your plan worked?” She asks, jerking her head back in the direction of Steve and Eddie’s table.

She has her back turned to them so she can’t see them without making it obvious that she’s looking and they’re too far away to eavesdrop on their conversations, that one’s her own fault.

“I’m pretty sure they’re holding hands under the table,” Lucas informs her, craning his neck subtly to try to get a better view, “So I’d say it was a success.”

Risky, but the staff are busy fulfilling the rush of orders and most of the customers are busy paying attention to their own conversations and dates. It’s unlikely anyone is looking at Steve and Eddie tucked away in the corner. Besides, even if someone did say something, who would believe them? Eddie ‘the freak’ Munson and Steve ‘the king’ Harrington, holding hands? No way. Yeah, she thinks giving into her curiosity and turning in her seat to look at them, they’ll be just fine.

#stranger things #lumax #Lucas Sinclair #max mayfield #steddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #stranger things fic #st

12 notes · View notes