#confirmation that Eddie is the first person he can be honest with

[fromxxthexxashes]

Things we got this (6x14) Episode:

1. Eddie screen time

2. Tia Pepa

3. Eddie acting as fruity as ever

4. Buck telling Eddie to ghost his date

5. Chimney screen time

6. Ravi screen time

7. More character building for Ravi

8. Leader chimney

9. Eddie going on one (1) failed date

10. More on how Kevin’s death still affects Chim

11. Ravi homecoming (and Buck bear hugging him into the air)

12. Eddie saying he’s ready to open himself up (with no specificity on genders btw)

13. Maddie singing to Jee while Chim watched her

Things we didn’t get:

1. Anything to negate queer Eddie

2. Anything to negate Buddie!canon in the future

[rogueddie]

A Spot in My Life T | 953 words Prompt for @steddielovemonth: Love is keeping a spare sweater or blanket in the car because they always get cold

Steve Harrington is a bitch.

It's something that Eddie knew, all through high school, but he had thought that Steve had somehow became a new person- thanks to the Upside Down and constantly almost seeing the world end.

Steve isn't a bad guy, he can admit. He's still trying to keep an eye on everyone, make sure they're ok, even checking in with Eddie in his own way.

But he's very sly about it, hiding it being playful jabs, eye rolls and cocked hips.

It rubs him the wrong way. And it's only made worse by how much Eddie still likes him. It's as if the bitchiness only draws him in more, even as it makes his chest burn with irritation.

He tries to avoid Steve for as long as he can. He knows that finally befriending him like they both want will only end badly, but he knows he can't resist the temptation.

He enjoys the time before as much as he can, reveling in how often Steve will try to corner him so they can hang out, how much he whines and pleads and pushes. He enjoys the illusion that Steve could feel anything for him like he does for Steve.

And, when they finally do hang out, his fears are confirmed.

Steve is amazing. He's funnier than he comes across as at first too. He pays attention to what Eddie says and tries to get him anything he wants.

He's the type of friend that anyone would fight for, Eddie is sure. It explains how he ended up so popular in high school too.

If Eddie had known what Steve is truly like, he'd have been lining up for a scrap of his attention like everyone else.

"They're assholes," Steve explains, when Eddie finally asks about his old lackeys. "Tommy always took shit a step too far. I didn't need them. Probably shouldn't have befriended them in the first place."

"They were your friends," Eddie reminds him.

Steve sighs, leaning back. "Yeah, I guess. Just wish I'd realised sooner, how they were getting."

He never complains about the kids, not genuinely. In the quiet moments, when Steve is honest with an almost painful degree of vulnerability, he talks about how amazing the kids are. He talks about how honored he is to be friends with Dustin.

It only makes Eddies feelings inch ever closer to 'the L word'.

"You should talk to him," Robin suggests. "He really is amazing."

"I know, but... guys that are ok with lesbians still get weird about gay men, you know?"

"Yeah, but Steve isn't like that. Did he ever tell you the full story of how I came out to him?"

"It was after the Russian torture drugs, right?"

"We were in the bathroom, near the cinema. I thought we might have puked it all up, so we decided to test it, ask each other questions. So, I asked him if he was ever in love..."

"Oh... oh no."

"Oh yes. He liked me, told me so, and that's when I came out to him."

"Holy shit, Robin."

"But that's my point. He was a little surprised, sure, but he started making jokes, like, immediately. Didn't phase him at all. He got with it immediately. We're just friends, and that's not a problem for him."

Eddie groans, throwing his head back so it thumps into the wall behind him. "But that just makes him more hot!"

The story plagues his mind, to the point that it's the only thing he can think about when he picks Steve up for their next hang out.

In the dead of winter, Steve feels the cold worse than anyone else that Eddie knows. He runs hot, and the sudden temperature drops brings out the worse in him.

He's shivering when he climbs into Eddie's car.

"Fuck, why isn't your heating on?" He whines.

"It's broke," Eddie reminds him. "It's fine, don't worry."

"Don't worry? I'm gonna get hypothermia, Eddie! I don't want to turn into an ice sc- what is that?"

He takes the blanket that Eddie had reached back to grab, staring at it.

"It's a blanket."

"No shit, I mean... it's yellow."

"Yeah? You like yellow."

"You got this for me?"

"You see anyone else shivering in my van?"

"No, it..." Steve pauses, glancing at Eddie before slowly wrapping the blanket around himself. "Sorry, uh... thank you. This is, um, nice."

"it's nothing."

"It's not. Just- take the thanks, Ed."

"Alright, alright."

They're silent for the rest of the drive. It's so unusual for them that it has Eddie nervous, glancing at Steve every other moment.

When they finally pull to a stop, Eddie turns to Steve, who stays where he is. He stares out the front window for a moment, before turning to face Eddie.

"Are you alright?" Eddie asks.

"Yeah, I am. Enjoying the warmth."

"That all?"

"... yeah."

Eddie rolls his eyes. "You're a terrible liar."

"Wh- hey, I'm a good liar!" He tries to glare, but quickly backs down with a huff. "Alright, fine, but it's really sappy! Don't say I didn't warn you!"

"Oh, no, the horror."

"Shut up. I was just thinking about how, like... there's so many little things in your life that are for me. My tapes in your room, spare clothes in your closet, this blanket... I really appreciate it, man. You've made space for me in your life. It means a lot to me."

"Oh, right. That's... yeah. Of course, Steve. You're always welcome. I love- uh... spending time with you."

"Good. I love spending time with you too."

"Good."

"Great."

Steve's smile is wide and goofy. He's sure that his own is just as cheesy.

[hippiepowrs]

one night lookin' pretty

eddie munson x fem!metalhead!reader

you and eddie hate school dances, but you decide to go to the prom this year--with someone who isn't eddie. eddie does not like that, but can't say anything.

a/n: this is my first longer fic so i hope you like it. prom season is coming up so this is kinda self indulgent (as if all my fics aren't). this one is for all my weird girls out there! title from one night in the city by dio btw. :)

warnings: hurt/comfort. angsty for a while but gets fluffy. swearing. a guy being a total asshole to reader. reader wears a dress. reader and eddie both self-described as 'freak.' eddie being a jealous and insecure idiot. both are oblivious as fuck. eddie is REALLY dorky. eddie's backstory and parents--i did not read that book so i don't care if it's canon. idiots in love in the end. pretty cliche but i don't care!

wc: 3.8k

It’s prom night, and Eddie is sitting alone on his couch. Without you. 

Usually, you guys skip every school event together in favor of watching a shitty movie and smoking half of his stock, but tonight was different. Someone asked you to the prom, and it wasn’t him. 

He’s been acting off for the past two weeks, you noticed. He’s been quiet and snappy, and has been opting to jack up the stereo instead of talk on your drives home. When you asked him what was wrong, he pushed you away. So, you left him alone about it. He made it clear he wanted his space.

He didn’t even want to show up to see you in your dress. You called him last night to see if he would come over–he told you he was sick. He wasn’t fully lying, though. The thought of you going to that stupid school dance with that stupid school boy made him nauseous. It didn’t make sense to him. How did you switch your views on the prom so fast? Months ago, the two of you laughed at the idea of going. Now, you were dressed up all pretty, just like all those popular girls you claimed to hate. He had to watch that sleazy ass car pull into to the trailer park, right up next to his. He’d never admit that he watched you step out of your trailer with that guy, and wished it was him. 

Being completely honest with yourself, your date isn’t even exactly your type. Todd isn’t some freak like you or your friends, but he isn’t a complete asshole either. He asked you in the hallway two weeks ago, and your instinct was to laugh at him. You laughed in his face, but he didn’t budge. He really wanted to take you to the prom, so you told him you’d go. It felt nice to be wanted. It was okay that he wasn’t some rock n’ roll dude like you’re into–it’s not like you’re marrying him. It’s just the prom. 

You and Todd arrive at the Hawkins High gym, hand in sweaty hand. Pushing the anxiety clawing at your throat back down, you give him a smile as you walk to get your photo taken together. The frilly, glittery background reminds you that this place isn’t for you. Again, you push that down. 

The music isn’t really your style, either, but everyone is having so much fun you feel the need to pretend. None of your friends are here, so you’re stuck. Maybe you should have pregamed, you think. Too late now. Todd pulls you onto the dance floor with a fervor you’ve never seen in him. You don’t understand how a person can have so much fun dancing to this shitty music. It’s a lot easier to get through when you pretend that Todd is Eddie, and you’re dancing to mixtapes in his room. You decide not to think about the implications of that right now. When the song ends, you offer to grab punch for the both of you. Maybe it’ll be spiked. 

As you make your way back to Todd, you see him chatting with a few of his friends, and from this distance you can just begin to hear them.

“So, when do I get my twenty bucks from each of you? She’s totally ruining my reputation right now.” He laughs, and your stomach churns.

“Okay, yeah, you proved us wrong. You got her here, you danced, you win.” His friend confirms the fear that’s been looming over you like a dark cloud since Todd first asked you out. 

“You at least better hold onto her long enough to get her home with you tonight, man!” Another friend cackles, and you think you’re going to vomit.

How were you stupid enough to think that he actually liked you?

God, you’re so gullible. 

At least there’s nothing to lose now, you think. Walking over to him, drinks in hand, you dump both of them on his head. They splash on his stupid hair and drench his stupid suit. The music keeps playing. A few people turn to look. The room doesn’t stop for you like some trashy romcom. Everyone just keeps going. 

Storming out to the parking lot, nothing can stop the burning tears from pouring down your face. You slump down against the brick wall, fabric of your dress sticking to the rough sidewalk. The warm spring air feels sticky on your cheeks. You wish you had stayed in with Eddie.

Eddie, Eddie, Eddie. You need to call Eddie. Todd drove you here, so it’s either Eddie or walk, and these heels already hurt enough. Your body feels like dead weight as you drag yourself to the payphone on the wall, punching in the number that’s engraved into your heart. 

“Hey.” You greet, choked up. You’re trying to keep your composure. You know it won’t last long.

“…Hey. Havin’ fun with Mr. Popular?” There’s a bitterness to his tone. Usually he would’ve picked up on the fact that you were crying in a split second, but tonight he was too angry.

“Uhm, not really. Could you, uh,” you sniffle, blowing your thin cover, “pick me up? Like, now?”

You can almost hear his demeanor shift over the phone. A beat of silence passes.

“I’ll be right there.” He’s clearly still upset, because he hangs up the phone without saying goodbye. But his one-sided irritation can’t override the facts: he cares about you so much that he immediately hops in his van and starts speeding to the school, even faster than normal.

You sit back at the edge of the sidewalk, staring into the empty night over the parking lot. God, this is so cliché. Freak gets taken to prom as a joke; left crying outside. You know how pointless it is to cry over this guy. You don’t even care about him, to be honest. But it’s not really him you’re crying over. It’s the extensive disappointment you repeatedly put yourself through after expecting different results—it’s the fact that you haven’t stopped thinking about Eddie all night. 

As you begin to probe deeper into the ethical implications of falling in love with your best friend, said best friend whips into the parking lot, tires skidding as he pulls right up to you and parks. He drives just how he lives his life—with a sense of urgency and passion you don’t see in many. His van stops diagonally in the middle of the pickup lane, and he hops out of the driver’s side door, so worried he can’t be bothered to close it before sprinting to your side. 

For the past six minutes—which is Eddie’s new personal record on getting to the school from Forest Hills—his mind has been racing with every possibility of what could have happened to you tonight. Maybe Todd had another girl, or is just boring, or maybe you got totally Carrie’d and some assholes poured pig’s blood all over you. Not likely, but hey, you never know the determination of Hawkins’ resident assholes. At least if you got Carrie’d you’d look metal as fuck. That would be a good album cover. But that’s not the point. What he’s more worried about is the possibility that that dickwad touched you in any way. Just the thought is enough for him to completely light up—he got pretty close to breaking his steering wheel from how hard he was gripping it. 

“What happened?” He tries to act nonchalant, but that’s something he’s never been good at. 

Your head is held between your knees, looking down into nothingness. He’s staring daggers into the top of your head, and you can almost feel the fact that he wants to say ‘I told you so.’ Reluctantly, your wet eyes tilt upwards, the rest of your head following. 

“Let’s just talk in the van.” He sighs. 

You don’t budge. Your legs feel far too wobbly to imagine getting up right now. He has zero patience at the moment, it seems, as evidenced by the fact that he almost immediately picks you up bridal style and carries you directly to the passenger’s side of his van. He fumbles with the door handle for a second before setting you down gently in the seat. You watch him drag a frustrated hand over his face through the windshield as he walks back to his side, and although you know you didn’t do anything wrong, you’re worried that you did. 

The engine roars into life, turning your seat into a makeshift massage chair. Eddie pulls out of the parking lot as quickly as he pulled in, but with a little more focus. He doesn’t turn his music on, which is a bad sign. 

“It was a bet,” is all you can say, voice soft and defeated, “because, of fucking course it was.” You stare out the window, head tapping against the glass as he hits a pothole straight on.

“I told you that asshole was bad news.” His voice is laced with venom. He’s never been good at controlling his anger—especially when it has to do with you. 

You stay silent. Anything you say right now will probably just piss him off more. 

“Why do you—why do you always do this to yourself? You’re always finding these guys that just want to take you out to say they were able to take you out. They treat you like a fucking trophy.” He scoffs. 

You look at him again, tears still silently falling. Even if you wanted to say something to that, you can’t seem to find your voice. 

“I just don’t get it. You’re, like, totally perfect,” he coughs, gripping the wheel harder, “and these guys you find are total douches. You can do so much better.”

“It’s not like there’s anyone better around here,” you mumble while staring out the window, like some kid talking back to their parent for the first time. 

“That’s not my point!” His yell rings out against the hum of the engine, the dull drumming being the only sound left as he hangs a sharp right turn. “I just don’t understand why you’re so eager to find some guy that you throw your morals out the door.” Eddie’s eyes dart to you for a moment before looking back at the road. 

“I haven’t thrown my morals out the door.” You argue softly. 

“Yes, you have! We always said we’d never suck up to the bullshit they want us to do, that we’d never let them turn us normal, and here you are at the fucking prom.”

“Eddie, it’s prom! It’s not like I fucking stabbed my mother!”

“We’re supposed to be the freaks! We’re Hellfire! We piss people off! That’s our whole thing! You can’t just—fuck—just throw that out!” He groans angrily, pulling into Forest Hills, slowing down as you near the Munson trailer. 

“I’m not throwing it out.” You say, much more firmly. 

“You’re throwing me out!” There it goes, the root of the entire issue. He’s always been worried that you’ll find someone cooler, someone less abrasive, someone who will make you laugh and smile more than he can. Logically, he knows that would never happen, but he can’t help his fear. He throws the van into park and slams the door as he gets out. 

Eddie was eight when he met you. He’d been living with Wayne for a little over a year by the time you moved next door, but he was still struggling. His mother left him first, then his father. He missed his mom a lot, but his dad probably caused him more pain, knowing that he had the choice whether or not to stay, but Eddie wasn’t enough. Uncle Wayne was nicer to him than his father had ever been, but that can’t fix a broken kid. 

Then one day, you showed up in your ratty hand-me-downs, a year and a half younger than him. He thought that girls had cooties, but you were different. You didn’t giggle or try to hide your gaze like the other girls did when they made fun of him to each other. Instead, you walked right up to him and said hi. 

You were new, and you didn’t have the best clothes—he could tell you were probably going through something similar to him—so the kids at school kicked you to the curb. You were just as pretty as the other girls, he thought, if not prettier, as much as a seven-year-old can be. But that didn’t really seem to matter to them. Your lunchbox was plain, theirs had characters. 

When the two of you got to be in junior high at the same time, him in the eighth grade and you in sixth, he thought for sure that you would find new, more popular friends. It was incredibly shocking to him that you’d rather hang out with some dorky boy with an ugly buzz cut who’s two grades ahead of you than the other pretty girls, but he wasn’t going to complain. 

He’s lived with that fear constantly since then, always preparing himself to see you walking into school one day in some pastel sweater instead of your band shirts and battle vest. He knows you won’t, he knows you’re better than that, and he feels so guilty for always expecting the worst, but he can’t help it. 

You hop out of the passenger’s side of the van, holding up the skirt of your dress like some elegant princess. But instead of some grand, ornate staircase, you’re simply walking up the concrete steps of the Munson trailer and following Eddie, who’s storming inside. 

“Eddie.” You sound like a scolding mother, tears having dried up a few minutes ago, and you shut the door behind you. “Why do you think so lowly of me?” Your voice cracks with the weight of the question. 

Eyes widening, Eddie never realized quite how much his thoughts could affect you until right now. “I don’t,” he says softly. “You’re the best person I know.”

“You say that, but you always think I’m gonna leave you for someone else. You’re my best fucking friend. I’m not just gonna cut you off at the drop of a hat.”

“I- I know that,” he stammers out, a little shaken. 

“Do you?”

“Look, I,” he sighs, finally turning around, “I’m just scared. I’m scared that one day you’ll wake up and realize how fucking lame I am, and you won’t want to deal with me and all my bullshit anymore.” 

“The world isn’t against you, Eddie.”

He opens his mouth to quip back something snarky, but he closes it as he thinks about your words again. 

“You hate yourself so much that it’s beginning to rub off on me, because I’m friends with you, and if I like you, you think that surely there’s something wrong with me, too.” 

He’s stunned into silence, your words stabbing him straight through the heart. 

“Can you at least tell me why you were being a dick for the past few weeks?” You switch the subject slightly with a sigh. 

Eddie takes a deep breath. “Because of Troy asking you to prom.”

“Todd.”

“Yeah, whatever. He was my problem.”

“Why were you mad at me for that, though?”

“I knew he was gonna hurt you.”

“You didn’t say anything about that, though. You just said he was an ass once and then pushed me away for two straight weeks.”

Standing in the middle of the dark trailer, Eddie is presented with two options: confess his lifelong, undying love for you, or don’t. He knows that the only good and honest explanation he can give you involves a love confession, and he hates lying to you. But one thing trumps the fact that he hates lying to you, and it’s that Eddie is a complete and utter pussy. 

Eddie is, and always has been, a pussy. In middle school, you acted as his bodyguard—self-appointed, and very passionate—which only made him get bullied worse. You didn’t care. You’d defend him until the end of time. You’d take a hundred tugs to your ponytail or face-plants in the lunchroom so that he wouldn’t have to. You weren’t very loud or talkative in school, until it came to defending Eddie. 

To Eddie, you’re this glowing beacon of light and hope in his life. Everything good comes from you. And if he confesses his feelings to you, and you don’t feel the same, that pillar comes crashing down. 

But…what if? What if you did feel the same? That’s stupid, he thinks. Clearly you don’t, because otherwise you wouldn’t have gone to prom with another guy. And he’s sure you already know about his big, fat crush, and you’re choosing to act like you don’t notice.

“I’m sorry.” You can tell he’s nervous by the way he’s fingering riffs on the side of his thigh. 

“You always get so upset when I talk to guys. It’s not like there can be only one guy in my life.” 

“I know that, it’s just–” This is going to be the worst decision he’s ever made, and he knows it, but he can’t stop himself. “--I’m jealous, okay?”

“Obviously you’re fucking jealous, dickweed.” As you call him your favorite nickname, the intent behind his words reaches you, and your cheeks begin to heat up. “…Wait.”

“Have you seriously not picked up on this yet?” Eddie is genuinely surprised at your reaction. “You—you’re perfect, you know that? You’re the coolest person I’ve ever met, and I don’t know how you do it.” His voice is softer than normal. 

“Yeah, but—like, are you serious?” You ask. 

“I wouldn’t joke about this. I’ve been, like, totally into you forever. I’m surprised Gareth or Jeff didn’t say anything to you.”

“They did a while ago, but I thought they were messing with me.” 

“Okay, I honestly can’t blame you for that.”

A moment passes in silence, and you think about how to respond. 

“You know, I didn’t really want to go with Todd.”

“What? Why did you then?”

“I hoped that you would ask me,” you admit, eyes drifting to your feet, “but it was kind of a stupid thing to expect.”

His jaw goes slack as he hears you speak. 

“I guess that I’ve just kinda had this pipe dream where we’d go to prom together, and I’d be able to dress up all pretty, and we could dance together.” You avoid his gaze, until you hear him scurrying down the hallway. 

He emerges back out with his stereo in one hand and a cassette in the other, scrambling to place it down on the kitchen table and shoving the tape inside. He immediately skips to the song he has in mind. The familiar sound of Tommy Lee’s piano starts from beside you, and before you can figure out what’s happening, he’s offering his hand to you. 

“May I have this dance?” 

A smile grows on your face. “God, you’re such a fucking dork.” Your insult doesn’t come without placing your hand in his. He’s bright red, and he’s never slow danced in his life. 

Mötley Crüe’s Home Sweet Home is interrupted occasionally by the sound of feet stepping on feet and the subsequent ow!’s that follow, as well as the flustered giggling of two idiots in love. 

Eddie pulls you a little closer, his hands firmly planted on your waist. “You look really beautiful tonight,” he murmurs, “sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.” 

He feels extremely underdressed compared to you, him in his favorite torn up pair of black jeans and an Exodus muscle tee, and you in your stunningly gorgeous dress, looking prettier than any princess he could ever imagine. 

“Thank you,” you mumble back, flustered, “you don’t look too—fuck!—too bad yourself, you know.” A playful giggle comes with your words, and a huge grin grows on Eddie’s face. 

“Yeah?” He teases, looking right in your eyes. 

“Yeah.”

“Can I kiss you?”

“I thought you’d never ask,” you giggle, staring right back. 

Leaning in, he lets out a nervous laugh before pressing his lips to yours. It’s not some magical explosion of energy that cures all your problems and fixes world hunger; but his lips are soft and warm, and he tastes like weed, gummy worms and a hint of shitty beer, and it feels right. 

You kiss him a few more times before the song ends, all quick and chaste but completely full of love. Pulling you along with him, not wanting to let go, he pauses the tape and the trailer goes quiet again. 

“Was I better at that than Troy?”

“Todd.”

“Point still stands, fuckface.”

Eddie drags you down the hall to his bedroom, the familiar ambiance warming you like a comforting blanket. Jumping onto the bed with a plop, the boy pats beside him invitingly.

“Can I change first?” You ask, ecstasy of the moment wearing off, allowing you to remember how itchy this damn dress is.

“‘Course. Your shirt is clean if you want it.” He calls it your shirt, but it was his at one point. The old Metallica tee used to be his favorite one, too, which meant it got a lot of wear and tear. But then you started wearing it at sleepovers, and it quickly became your shirt. Eddie didn’t like to wash it afterward because it smelled like you. He always felt like a creep for that.

Your hand tries its best to wrap around and pull the impossibly tiny zipper down, but it doesn’t want to budge. Eddie, watching you as intently as ever, quickly notices and jumps up to help you. His fingers move to your waist, soft and nimble, and gently undo the zipper for you. You let your dress fall to the ground, and he looks away, flustered. It’s not like he hasn’t seen you in your underwear before, but now it feels a lot more serious.

Quickly throwing on the hole-filled Metallica shirt and a clean pair of his boxers, both of you hop back into his bed. You’ve shared plenty of nights here before, but once again, now it feels different. You sense that it will become a common theme for your life in the near future. His hands snake back around your waist and pull you next to him, and you allow your head to rest against his chest.

“So… does this mean you’re, like, my girlfriend now, or what?” A goofy smirk is plastered across his face as he asks. 

You try to playfully shove him off of you, to no avail. “Are you seriously fucking asking me that?” You’re trying so hard to act angry, but your giggles give you away.

“Yes, yes it does.” You seal it with a kiss. Then one on his cheek, and the other, and his forehead, and the tip of his nose.

reblogs and notes always appreciated! | requests are open!

[ladykailitha]

Look, considering I've only gotten involved in Stranger Things after season four and therefore haven't been around the fans during other new season filming starts, but my brothers/sisters/nb in fandom what the honest fuck is going on right now?

I have been a part of other fandoms when new seasons started filming and the worst I'd seen was BBC Sherlock. And you lot are behaving worst then they did.

And Jesus fuck, that's a fucking low ass bar.

(Again I am ship and let ship, kinktomato, and headcanon free for all)

But this is just what I've seen in my small deliberately secluded corner of the internet so forgive me if I get some things wrong.

Ronance fans have turned on Steddie fans.

Steddie fans are trying to eat each other over who tops and who bottoms between two horny, barely out of their teens, men.

Eddie is confirmed dead.

Dustin is trying to become Eddie.

People want Will dead because Noah Schnapps said some stupid shit regarding genocide.

And Argyle isn't coming back.

I'm going to give you my feelings on these so buckle up lets go:

1- Steddie and Ronance fans have turned on each other. And I know this because I doom scroll through steddie tag. That Ronance fans think Steddie fans are delusional and that they're going down after season five airs and there will be more Ronance fans because they're perfect for each other.

Where to even begin on this? First, never tell a shipper that their ship is never going to be canon because they don't care. Just ask all the Destiel, johnlock, and merarthur fans. Steddie fans are just going to ignore all but the most salient parts of season 5 if Eddie doesn't come back and write AUs for the rest of their lives. You know, like they have since the last scene on the Piggyback faded to black?

Secondly, I don't think I've seen much Ronance without Steddie. Granted I only read Steddie, but it seems that the two ships are tied pretty heavily together. The fruity four comes to mind. So maybe it's that they're getting tired of being a side ship next to a massive one like Steddie. Who knows. But apparently they're bitter.

And I say that because they keep tagging their anti-Steddie posts as Steddie to make sure we see it. Honestly, I just block them and go about my day. But seriously, I've never understood people's need to be shitty like posting hate on the tag for that thing. If you don't like it, fine. Block and move on.

Thirdly. Lastly. Maybe. I don't like Ronance. I saw the charms when I first joined the fandom and it was cute. Until the more I read and I realized that most of the time they don't bring up that Jonathan is even a person let alone Nancy's current boyfriend. That most of the time Steve is written wildly out of character about not caring that they're a couple and that he just wants them to be happy. Like, one Jonathan is severely under used in the fics I've read. Like Will doesn't have an older brother anymore. It's all Steve or Eddie. Which considering how you like your flavor of queer for Eddie or Steve (gay/pan/bisexual) Will talking to them about being gay makes sense, but Jonathan showed us in the last season that he is going to protect Will no matter what. Then blip! in fanfics, he's gone.

And then the whole Steve being okay with Robin not only dating an ex-girlfriend of his, but the ex. The one he thought he was going to marry. The one he dreamed a whole fucking future on. That was still hurt by two fucking years later. You either think very lowly of Steve or you just don't care. Because if you think Robin and Steve are the same person/share the same braincell/ride or die for life, there is no way even if Nancy threw herself at Robin would she even consider it. (I can write a whole ass post just on this by the way, don't get me started.)

2- This is the most recent bullshittery due to a current event about Sub Eddie. This is the worst discourse in any fandom and the worst offenders on either side tend say the most homophobic shit imaginable.

And it's pointless. Whether you think Steve is a top or bottom, whether you think he's dom or a sub. Same with Eddie. Everyone has their own flavor they prefer and they won't always match up with yours.

Personally I write them whatever feels natural for the story. But here's the major crux of the matter. I don't believe a little nerd in Bumfuck, Indiana has any idea what flagging is. I'm sorry. Left pocket, right pocket. Doesn't matter. The likely of him even knowing what BDSM is is pretty slim. I grew up in a small town. There will be some people that know, but that's because they know adults in the scene.

Don't like, don't read. Seriously, guys. Let people enjoy what they want to.

My personal feelings on the matter is that Steve is a bottom/sub because he deserves to be taken care of and Eddie would absolutely want to be that person for Steve, in and out of the bedroom. Again, you do you, beau.

3- The tombstone. Sigh. It was hard to see that. Not just because it confirms he's dead, but because it's been defaced. Most likely like fans have said, "BURN IN HELL" the poor bastard.

Having a tombstone doesn't necessarily preclude Eddie's return. There are several ways he can still comeback Kas! theory not withstanding. But the wank here is people jumping on Steddie shippers and Eddie fans in general pointing and screaming "see!"

Like we didn't have campaigns for Barb and Bob and (Billy). If someone's favorite character has died, don't be dicks when they want them to be resurrected a la Jim Hopper. Because that right there is the main reason people will still hold out hope until the final scene fades to black, okay?

I guess this one is just be nicer to each other, okay?

4- *sob* like holy fuck. Dustin you sweetheart. The long hair, the torn Hellfire t-shirt, the rings. The horns and sticking out his tongue. That poor boy needs several hugs STAT! And of course, people can't leave well enough alone on Facebook, I couldn't tell you how many of the comments were "steddie fans are going to make this all about them, aren't they?" Even though there wasn't a single comment by a Steddie making it about Steve/Eddie. But so many eye rolls. The other half were death threats against Noah Schnapp.

Which brings me to...

5- Noah Schnapp said some really shitty things about Zionism and the attack on Gaza. There is no escaping that. He said them. He double downed on them. And while yes it sucks he said those things, let's not forget he's still young and stupid. He's barely 18/19 years old. I remember being that age and saying stupid fucked up shit, and hoo boy does this make me grateful I was well into adulthood when the internet became a thing (24ish).

There are a lot of reasons to be upset by his comments and I get that. But death threats and calls for his dismissal/boycotts just seems excessive to me.

One, because the story began with a kidnapped little boy and a runaway little girl. If you get rid of one of them especially this close to the end it would fuck up the story. Now if there was more than one season left, sure. But this is literally the end. And for all we know, Will's character may already be doomed by the narrative. So calling for it now isn't go to do anything. Especially since they already had all the scripts written and would have finished filming if it hadn't been for the strikes.

Two, one person on the cast said something stupid and hurtful and you want to boycott the entire show for it? Like, what did David Harbor, Joe Keery, Maya Hawke, Millie Bobby Brown and all the others do to deserve you boycotting their show? If the last season tanks it could seriously hurt their careers, but hey Noah Schnapp said something bad, so fuck them?

I'm going to stop there, because this is another one I can go on and on about, but yeah. Don't hurt other people in your rush to vilify an 18 year old.

6- Eduardo Franco recently said that he didn't get a call so he didn't think he would be back. He was sure that ship had sailed.

Fans are upset, naturally. Argyle was a sweetheart and deserves better than to be cut from the story like that.

But thanks to the incident with David Harbor and Jim Hopper supposedly being dead, a lot of fans are saying he's only saying that because it's a "secret" he's coming back. Which would make sense for Eddie or any of the other character died. Martin Brenner, for example, but not Argyle. There would be no need for subterfuge. Plus, he would already be out in Georgia if he was coming back.

It's sad that he was done dirty this way, but if they split up the filming like they've done before there is still a chance he might get to come back, but as far as the current filming is concerned, yeah Argyle isn't coming back.

***

Just... be kind to each other. Remember that the other people on the end of the URL is an actual person with feelings. That people can like what they like so if they aren't hurting you, don't hurt them, okay?

[steddieas-shegoes]

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

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

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

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

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

“Nancy? Um, can I talk to you?”

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

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

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

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

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

“Of course,” Nancy replied, smiling comfortingly.

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

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

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

“I’m gay.”

There. He said it. It’s done.

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

“Anything else?”

“Um. I’m in love with Mike?”

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

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

Nancy laughed. She actually laughed.

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

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

“Well, I guess just…support?”

Nancy raised her brows.

“That’s it? You already had that.”

“I guess maybe…advice?”

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

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

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

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

—-------------

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

“Uh-huh.”

“Eddie’s gay?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“I’m gay.”

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

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

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

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

“No. I haven’t-”

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

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

“Oh! Like sex?”

Will was as red as he could possibly be.

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

Eddie looked between Will and Nancy a few times.

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

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

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

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

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

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

—--------------

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Will kept looking around, taking it all in.

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

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

His eyes settled on Steve and Robin.

In a queer bar.

In Indy.

“Is that-”

“It is.”

“But-”

“Uh-huh.”

Eddie came up behind them, drinks in hand.

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

“It’s them.”

“But, they aren’t. Are they?”

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

“Oh my God,” he said.

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

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

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

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

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

“Robin just looked over here.”

“Shit.”

“Shit.”

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

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

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

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

“O…kay,” Eddie sighed before following.

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

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

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

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

Like he was ready to protect Robin.

And himself.

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

“So you’re…” Steve relaxed slightly.

“I am. Are you?”

“Um. Yeah. Yep. I am.”

“Me too,” Robin added.

“Yeah, so am I,” Will said.

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

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

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

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

The reason?

The man standing in front of him: Steve Harrington.

He’d tried, really he had.

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

Like he was right now.

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

He just has a very intense stare sometimes.

“Eddie!”

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

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

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

He walked away before anyone else could say anything.

He just needed a minute or two to collect himself.

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

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

He didn’t cry, but it was damn close.

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

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

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

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

“Hey.”

“Hi.”

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

“I didn’t know you were…”

“Me either,” Eddie said quickly.

“You didn’t know you were queer?”

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

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

“It’s a new-ish discovery.”

“How new?”

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

“March.”

“Oh?”

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

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

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

“Yeah. He is.”

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

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

“Years?” Steve gulped, but kept smiling.

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

“Have I?”

Eddie answered him with a kiss.

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

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

But then he caught up.

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

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

It was longer, wetter, hotter.

Eddie didn’t want it to end.

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

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

“So you’re into me too?” He asked.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“‘S okay. We’re safe here, though.”

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

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

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

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

“Hey, is it possible that Nancy’s…”

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

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

“You’re somethin’ else, sweetheart.”

Steve kissed his cheek in response.

—-------------------

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

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

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

He came out about ten seconds later.

[lover-of-mine]

to be totally honest, i think a lot of 'they should get a slowburn!' stuff is from people who are nervous that they're not gonna do buddie at all and are preemptively looking for reasons why hope will not be lost if it doesn't happen in s8.

like, i get it, i'm still not 100% convinced it'll happen (i hope it will!) but sometimes you just gotta accept the possibility of disappointment, y'know?

Look, I'm no one, I'm a girl with a hyperfixation and a blog who happens to watch too many procedurals. But Buck and Eddie have been following the procedural slowburn format since season 2. It's worse now with the added context that Buck is bi. So the impression is that buddie is building up to something. There are meta elements during 704 that make me go 👀 like the blue and green and the way they had Eddie ask Buck if he's jumping ship and Buck explicitly say he's not. I think they set a plan in motion during 704. And I think that plan has an actual timeline based on the amount of episodes they had confirmed at the time the episode aired, so the rest of season 7 and season 8. Could I be wrong? Absolutely. I'm wrong most of the time if it's not about patterns on the show. But every interview we had this season makes it seem like they have been trying to tell this story but fox wasn't letting them and abc did. It took them 4 episodes to make Buck bi. They left the opening disaster and the first thing they did was make Buck bi. They didn't have to. To keep Buck and Eddie on the impossible will they/won't they if they're not planning on getting them together is smarter. Now they're actually possible. If they're actually possible, our very annoying side of the fandom is just gonna get more annoying asking for them to just get together already. Everyone involved could've given up. They were being blocked by the network. The writers could've given up. Buddie is a story about love even if they never get romantically involved because the writers made a conscious choice of writing how much those men love each other. And they spent a significant amount of a reduced season making sure we knew that will always be the case. The amount of buddie we had this season is absolutely completely insane. Both of them were in relationships with other people. I made a post about that earlier in the week, but they could've made different choices and separated them. And it's not like all their scenes were at the firehouse and where just getting coworker time. The camera panned to Eddie. Bobby's goodbye tour had them together all the time. They were explicitly put in a co-parenting position. Eddie is the only person they made a point of showing Buck come out to because he comes out to everyone else accidentally. It's a love story no matter how you look at it and not getting them together would be such a miss of a narrative that has been set up like this. Because legit, if they accidentally set up what could be one of the greatest slowburns in television, someone in that writers room needs to take a good look at their life. They want to tell this story. Why would they gamble on not being able to deliver and honest to God go down in television history by dragging it out when the pieces are already in play? During season 6 I get it, they didn't have all the pieces, they didn't have the time. Now they have most of the pieces and a whole season. Madney was set up in 12 episodes. And they had to work through a kidnapping and a murder attempt. A MURDER ATTEMPT. Why is Eddie being messy suddenly something that's gonna take seasons and seasons to resolve? Give me both of them single and I can get them together in one episode. All they need is one conversation. Just one. It's not like it's an impossible task to create an arc that's gonna use 12 to 15 episodes next season to work out the last bits and get them together in a nice way. The only thing they necessarily need to "fix" before getting them together, is Eddie not being queer. Everything else can be worked through while they're a couple. They're so close. The idea of dragging it out just to drag it out is so........... They've been a slowburn the whole time. This would just force them to stand on the fire.

Obviously, they don't have to go there. But for me we're at a 90% chance of them going canon next season. But if they don't, that's life. It's just that those men are somehow closer than they've ever been. And they are in a great position to explore what their relationship looks like because Chris was removed from the play, and it's so close I can taste it. That storyline writes itself. And I really hope they see that and that kicking Eddie back to the ground had a purpose. Because Bathena and Madney also started once Bobby and Maddie decided to drag themselves out of their trauma and stop letting it define how they live their lives. It's RIGHT THERE.

Anyway, I got carried away. Yes, all we have is hope and it might not happen, but I will continue to make noise for it to come because if there's one thing I do is live for the hope of it all.

[mazzystar24]

same anon talking about eddie’s slut era, just wanted to add:

it would honestly wreck me too to see eddie with yet again another person keeping him from buck and i feel like if they gave him a gay slut era it would seal the buddie coffin because the fandom would all flock to whatever underdeveloped man they try to throw at him and it will be like…. you made them both queer just for them to not end up together??

like i get that it would be great rep for both of them to be queer but i’ll be pissed if they actually go for them both being queer and then don’t let them be together… bc again they are not real people, they are characters so their sexualities can be about each other to an extent, and honestly people wouldn’t have thought either of them were queer if it weren’t for each other so what would be the point??

the thought of eddie kissing or doing anything sexual with anyone other than buck at this point just turns me off the show bc they’ve built this whole reputation of him having a weird relationship with sex and casual dating (yeah ik it has to do with not wanting to complicate things with chris) but this is mr. “sex makes everything complicated” himself, like even without having to worry about chris (which lets be honest…. he’s going to still be focused on chris anyway even if he’s in texas) he wouldn’t go out and sleep around all willy nilly… like the man’s not a prude, but he’s not buck 1.0 either and giving him a slut era to me would feel like a disservice to the character (which they’ve already done anyway with his 7b plot but i don’t want them to make it worse)

Gently and lovingly disagree with the first point cos like both being queer for me would be like confirmation it’s inevitable andddd slut era at least means there is no underdeveloped guy just a bunch of randoms

No cos you’re right like your wording is gonna piss off people but I get what you mean like it’s the same debate of if one was a woman they’d be canon already, it’s like once they confirm them both queer it’s then an intentional writing choice to put attraction on the table through that confirmation

I think his relationship with sex really depends on where they go with him cos there are the Demi truthers, the gay truthers, the ace truthers, etc - like I’m team gay Eddie so for me I see his relationship with sex as more so relating to his lack of attraction to women like he views it as something he HAS to do

[family-tree-of-ships]

So, I’ve been thinking.

Buck has some seriously bad taste in girlfriends over the course of these glorious 6 seasons, before he decides to see if the other side can bring some light in. I mean, all of the women he has seriously dated had some strong likable qualities to them and they all wanted what’s best for Buck (I’m trying at my own share of optimism here). I think, from all of them, Abby was his most successful one (before it obviously crashed and burned and shattered his big wonderful heart). It had something none of the other ones had. Acceptance and honesty. Abby accepted his job, listened when Buck was caught up into his head about the stresses of the job. Buck accepted her problems with her mother and helped her through while she was alive and for a good time after she passed. Buck was honest with her, as she was with him. They had been through their fair share of trials and tribulations. Up until she left for Europe, I honestly liked them together.

Once they’re officially over, all the other relationships he has either miss one or the other.

Ali couldn’t get over the dangers Buck was open to while on the job.

Taylor fully accepted his job, even was honest and genuine with him at some point. Buck didn’t reciprocate either. He couldn’t get over her intense ambition for every new story she could use to her benefit (to which she obtained by breaching his trust, both when they first met and when they were well into their relationship). He wasn’t open with her, again, in many circumstances. Even cheated on her with Lucy, for whom he didn’t have any sort of feelings other than attraction. When you get drunk, the truth comes out. There’s no devil, just a complete lack of self-restraint. If Buck truly loved her, which we know he didn’t, since her answer to her confession was literally “Good.”, getting drunk should’ve confirmed his affections, not completely contradict them. Buck, seems like an affectionate and happy drunk, since that’s who he is. If he loved Taylor, we should’ve gotten a sequence in which he calls her and starts spitting dramatic declarations or even comes home to her because when you love someone, they’re your home. Your instinct is to go them, not kiss the next person you see. Then, he lies, once he gets to his apartment, after this ‘mistake’. And asks her to move in. Because he got nervous. He couldn’t be honest with her. When they found out, they brushed it off quickly, never to be mentioned again. As if they wore both scared. They break it off, eventually, after a story that should’ve remained private made the headlines. It was an important breach in trust, but it shouldn’t have been enough for Buck, considering how loyal he is (just look at how much he waited for Abby). But it didn’t need to be too much, since there wasn’t anything too significant or tethering between them to begin with.

Natalia was fascinated by his death, which was an instant message that this wasn’t going to last in any way, shape or form. Buck is also dishonest with her, about Lucy and his history with her, again. We can understand this, it shines a bad light on him if he confesses he has cheated before, but didn’t he say she sees him? Shouldn’t that bring out at least some kind of easiness into ending up saying the truth? Apparently not.

We can see why the majority dislike Buck’s choices in the women he dates long-term. Ali and Natalia never get fleshed out. Abby and Taylor do and you, as a watcher, can even sympathize with them, but they both end up really hurting Buck. So, what can you do? Settle for what the show gives you? Fandoms don’t do that, especially when they aren’t satisfied.

Okay, so who reaches those two requirements and is constantly present in Buck’s life, who is properly fleshed out? You guessed it.

Drumrolls, please.

Eddie.

Do we even have to talk about acceptance? Come on.

Eddie has been here since season 2. Through a near death experience, then another one, then a lawsuit and then another one (there’s a lot, enough to fill a whole card-based game). Buck has also had to suffer through two of those near-death meetings with Death that Eddie has had. They’ve fully had each other’s backs within the first 48 hours of meeting one another. Honesty between them is natural and that is expressed in a lot of scenes. To list a few, we have Eddie having panic attacks when he thinks of committing to Ana. He goes and talks about it with Buck and Bobby and then breaks it off with her. Secondly, when Eddie finds about the fates of his army friends and destroys his bedroom through a fit of rage brought on by helplessness and fear. A very vulnerable state to be in (let’s be honest, how many damn people have seen Eddie cry his eyes out?). Buck goes in, listens to him, gives him advice and we later see them both patching up his wrecked bedroom walls. Thirdly, we have Buck going to his house to get some reprieve from the constant worry his friends have for him, knowing that he won’t be pushed here, but comfortably accompanied. He falls asleep immediately (let’s ignore couch theory before I go bonkers). That’s both of them expressing vulnerability and raw honesty. More than they’ve done with any lover, no matter how fleshed out.

There’s clearly an answer here. We’re going to wait until they find it.

[fics-and-quotes-andthelike]

It Started With a Smile

Title: It Started with a Smile

Pairing: Eddie Munson x female reader

Word Count: ~2,609

In which the reader sits in on a game of D&D, and fondly looks back on some memories that she’s made with Eddie.

A/N: My first ever fanfic! I hope you guys like it, but I’m open to criticism and advice if you have any.

Let me know if there’s any other fics that you’d like to read, just give me a character and a prompt!

If there was anything that you’d learned over the past two years, it was that D&D was a heartless, brutal thing.

You smiled lightly as you watched Eddie animatedly describe another challenge that the party had to face, while the group groaned and started talking over each other as they tried to figure out what to do next.

If you were being honest, you didn’t understand a word of what was happening. But you saw that it made Eddie happy, and that was enough for you.

You’d tried to get into D&D before, honestly, when Eddie had first caught your attention at school a few years before.

You couldn’t help but smile a bit at the memory.

It had happened when Jason was being his usual thickheaded self during your lunch period. He had been subtly poking at a young boy in the cafeteria that you now knew as Dustin Henderson. Dustin had tried to brush him off, and made some offhand remark about how the only thing Jason had going for him was basketball, and how he’d be lucky if he even got through high school.

It was a simple, stupid comment. Nothing worth getting truly upset about.

But of course, you can always count on Jason to over exaggerate and do something reckless.

Jason had shoved at Dustin’s shoulder, catching the attention of everyone within a few feet of the pair. Including you.

You’d stood- not sure what you were going to do, but certain that you weren’t going to let Jason pummel a child- when Eddie Munson appeared out of nowhere. “Good ol’ Dustin,” he’d said as he pushed the boy behind him. “Never knows when to shut his mouth.” He pointed a ringed finger at Jason as he slowly walked backwards, away from the jock. “Not that you’re any better, hot stuff.”

Eddie and Dustin continued their retreat, Eddie with a large smile on his face, leaving Jason angrier than before. Your eyes tracked them as they moved, your cheeks heating slightly when you got a good look at Eddie’s smile.

Luckily, Chrissy had suddenly appeared by Jason’s side, and had led him away before things could escalate any further.

Eddie and Dustin made it back to their lunch table unscathed, except for the slap in the back of the head that Eddie so kindly bestowed on his poor friend.

After that incident, you’d kept a closer eye on the person that Jason so fondly referred to as the school’s “resident freak”. You’d noticed two things right off the bat.

The first thing you noticed was his smile. The way that it transformed his face and made his eyes light up. It was common for Eddie to wear a smirk or to stick his tongue out at others, but the times that you’d seen him smile at his group with pure joy in his gaze confirmed that his smile was your favorite expression to see on him.

The second thing, obviously, was that Eddie was head of the school’s D&D club. As soon as you’d noticed that, you decided to learn everything you could about the game to try and impress him.

For the next week, you researched a few things here and there in between classes, gathering a few random facts and campaign ideas.

You probably should’ve double checked your sources. Or at least looked at basic rules and regulations. Like the fact that you were supposed to come up with a name.

One day, in between classes, you had seen Eddie chatting with his D&D group by his locker. You decided to mingle, hoping that at any moment, his friends would walk away and you would be able to show off your knowledge.

If your heart would stop trying to beat out of your chest, of course.

Before you could even blink, Eddie’s friends walked away, and he turned and started walking down the hallway in your direction.

Your brain short circuited, but somehow your legs carried you over a few steps, and your mouth started moving.

“Hey,” you said as you stepped directly in Eddie’s path.

Eddie had stopped in his tracks. He looked at you blankly, no malice in his eyes, but no joy or expectancy either. “Hey,” he responded warily.

You cleared your throat nervously. “I was wondering if I could join your club.”

At that, Eddie’s head tilted in confusion. He looked at you quizzically, as if he expected you to burst out laughing and run the opposite way. Or maybe he was just genuinely confused.

“Your D&D club,” you elaborated, silently thanking your brain for sending the right words to your mouth.

Eddie looked you up and down. “You don’t look the type.”

You flushed in embarrassment and stuck your chin in the air stubbornly, suddenly feeling your confidence come in waves. “That’s pretty harsh of you, don’t you think? Judging other people based on appearance.”

Eddie’s face had changed immediately, a small smile on his face and he looked back up at your eyes. He huffed out a short laugh. “We wouldn’t want that, would we?”

You could feel your cheeks heating up. “No, we wouldn’t.”

He paused one more second, eyes fixed on yours, before he finally shrugged. “Alright, then. I’ll see you tonight.”

To say that your brain had short circuited again was an understatement. It felt like your brain had just shut down for good.

“To-tonight?”

He smiled then. The smile that had caught your eye that day in the cafeteria.

“Yeah, we’re starting a new campaign. Let’s see what you got.”

He walked away then, and your eyes tracked his receding form until he turned a corner at the end of the hall.

You’d practically jumped for joy then, before the bell had interrupted your celebration and sent you running to class.

You would have to brush up on some terms and spells and such, but you were sure that you’d be fine. You knew various spells, how the dice worked, and now you had a group to play with. How hard could it be?

Looking back on it now, you had to laugh. It had gone worse than you had ever expected.

It had started out smoothly. Eddie had asked for your name, and you had happily provided, and introduced yourself to all the other members of the group, including Dustin, who you remembered from that day in the cafeteria.

That’s as far as you made it without embarrassing yourself.

When Eddie had switched gears and asked your character name, you panicked and said a name that you would never repeat in public out of mortal shame. The party chuckled under their breaths, with Eddie waving a hand to quiet them down. When you were asked what class and level you were, you’d completely blanked. You had no idea that you were meant to create your own character with its own backstory. (Which, looking back, made complete sense.)

The party members obviously caught onto your ruse immediately, but when they tried to grill you, Eddie had slammed a hand on the table in front of them to silence them, and allowed you to sit in on their campaign to “watch and learn”.

And you tried. You really, truly did try. But even after an evening of sitting in on a campaign, you had no idea what in the world was going on.

You told Eddie as much when they were done for the day. He had laughed at first, but quickly grew serious and asked you why in the world you would lie and pretend to be interested in a thing like D&D.

You shrugged and looked away. Honesty was the best policy, right? “I wanted to talk to you,” you muttered. “And I knew you liked D&D, so I just…” you trailed off in embarrassment.

Eddie had smiled, then. That smile that you adored. He shoved his hands in his pockets and said, “I’m sure we can find something else to talk about.”

Your head whipped around to face him. “Really?”

He laughed lightly. “Hey, if you’re willing to deal with me and these guys, you must really want to talk. And you stuck it through tonight, so you automatically won yourself a bit of my time.”

You’d laughed, relief flooding through your veins. You didn’t notice the look that Eddie sent your way. Earlier, his glances at you had been full of uncertainty or confusion. But now? He couldn’t help the curiousness or the beginnings of happiness that crept into his gaze when he looked at you.

Eddie had walked you out to your car, the two of you talking as you slowly made your way across the parking lot. You found out about his uncle, and he found out that your parents were rarely ever home. You learned about his band, and he found out that you were music obsessed.

When you’d finally made it into your car and watched Eddie walk away, you gave a quiet squeal and covered your face. The campaign might have gone horribly for you, but at least Eddie was still willing to give you a chance.

Things had only gotten better from there. You and Eddie had exchanged numbers the next day at school, and it turned out that while you weren’t very skilled at D&D, you had other things in common.

For one, you genuinely liked the music he played and you fell in love with his band. He liked the fact that you knew how to crochet, and he enjoyed watching you as he worked.

And even though there were things that you didn’t share an interest in, you loved each other enough to support each other in everything that you did.

Not that you loved Eddie. Well, you did, but you weren’t sure if he loved you back, so you’d never said it out loud before.

You almost had, once. You cringed at the memory.

You and Eddie had been friends for about a year, and he’d finally summoned the courage to ask you on a date. You’d said yes, of course, and Eddie had taken you to the Starcourt Mall to watch a movie, get some ice cream courtesy of Steve, and buy you a beautiful spring dress that you planned to wear on your next date.

As Eddie drove you home, his hand wandered over to yours and he gently intertwined your fingers with his. You couldn’t stop the blush that crept up to your cheeks as you squeezed his hand lightly.

When you reached your house, Eddie was the perfect gentleman and walked you all the way to your front door, your joint hands swinging between you.

He smiled at you as you reached the porch, bringing your hand up to brush his lips against your knuckles. “Had fun tonight?”

You smiled back, taking a step closer to him. “Yeah. Lots of fun, thank you.”

“You don’t need to thank me, darling, it was my pleasure.”

You giggled and looked down. “Does that mean there’s going to be a second date?”

Eddie had smiled, his arm winding around your back to pull you up against him. He let go of your hand to brush a strand of hair away from your face and cup your cheek.

“Of course there’s gonna be a second date,” he said. “And a third,” he said before he kissed the tip of your nose. “And a fourth”, he said with a kiss to your forehead. “And a fifth,” with a kiss to your cheek. “And a hundred after that,” he muttered as he tilted his head down to press his lips softly to yours.

You swear you had felt fireworks explode in your stomach, with sparks shooting behind your eyes and your heart beating out of your chest as your brain turned to mush.

Things weren’t any better on Eddie’s end. His knees had turned to jello and he felt lighter than he’d ever felt before. He couldn’t think of anything but you, and the way your hands were pulling him closer and closer still, while your lips danced gently against his.

You gripped Eddie’s shoulders and pushed a hand through his wild hair as you continued to kiss each other in the dim light of your porch.

When you finally pulled away, you saw that Eddie’s cheeks were absolutely scarlet, and that his smile was bigger than you’d ever seen it.

In that moment, you’d felt no fear. Being honest about your feelings seemed so easy. You took a deep breath. “Eddie, I lo-”

A dog barked aggressively nearby, causing both of your heads to snap around. You tensed up as Eddie’s arm tightened around you. Once a few seconds had passed, Eddie let out a small chuckle. “You alright?”

You nodded, feeling your courage slip away.

“What were you going to say?”

You looked up at him, his eyes gentle as a smile tugged at his lips. You smiled softly and leaned forward to press one more kiss to his lips. “Nothing. I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah?”

A flicker of something had crossed his features, and a small pit of regret settled in your stomach. But he masked his features quickly, and gave you a nod and a smile. “Yeah. See you tomorrow.”

You couldn’t help but smile at the memory now, though you wished that you could gather up the courage to finally tell your boyfriend how you felt. Especially now that you’d been dating for more than a year.

Your gaze focused back on Eddie, who, to your surprise, was looking right back at you. “What’re you smiling at?” Eddie asked softly. You saw that his attention was momentarily diverted from the game in front of him, his eyes focused on you.

“Eddie, pay attention!” Dustin shouted from across the table, the other party members clamoring in agreement.

Eddie ignored them all, his gaze steady.

You smiled at him and shook your head. “I’ll tell you later. I promise.”

Eddie smiled back at you, his hand reaching out to gently intertwine your fingers as he turned back towards the party.

Everyone muttered some variation of, “finally, Eddie,” right before Eddie threw another challenge their way that led to loud frustration and anger.

You settled back and got comfortable as Eddie let go of your hand to continue to gesture and speak.

Throughout the evening though, he would turn towards you, a loving smile or quick hand brush reminding you that he appreciated your presence.

And when he looked over at you, a smile on his lips as he blew you a quick kiss, you realized that it was time to tell him how you felt. Not now, of course, you would never interrupt an active campaign. But today was definitely the day.

Meanwhile, only half of Eddie’s brain was focused on the campaign. The other half was in a mixed up jumble, worrying about what would happen later when he took you stargazing and told you that he loved you.

He couldn’t help but smile to himself as he thought about what your reaction would be.

He glanced back at you once again. He could only hope that you felt the same.

A smile pulled at your lips as Eddie looked back at you again, his tongue poking out between his lips as he made a funny face.

You laughed good-naturedly as a smile broke through his features.

He didn’t turn right back around this time though. He stood, both of you with a smile on your faces, each thinking the exact same thing.

Oh, how I love that smile.

[diazfox]

https://www.tumblr.com/diazfox/747945105989779456/lets-all-be-honest-the-fandom-doesnt-care-about

It’s interesting this anon seems to be confused how buck Tommy people are being told they are fetishizing things, because all I keep seeing is Buck Tommy endgamers posting how hot they are. How they want to see them kiss over and over and over. How they keep going and watching the one kiss they did have for the 40th time in a row. Or I see them ranting and raving how Tommy’s so nice and patient with Buck. (which that’s called being a decent human being??) but I’d like to know what they considering his behavior when he made a very pointed comment about closets in front of Eddie and Marisol? Knowing full well Buck wasn’t out to anyone? Or when he just got in an Uber and left Buck there without communicating fully? And never actually apologized to him for it? Just a I didn’t want you to feel pressured. Which again A) communicate that before leaving him in front of a restaurant, and B) How was any of his reaction meant to not make him feel pressured. And not to excuse Buck because his reaction was not good at all during that date but ✨he apologized✨

But the people on the buddie side are posting how they want buddie, the relationship they have seen for 6 years be built from the ground up, the way their foundation has been solidified, the way they are each others best friend, their person, the way they love each other, the way they co parent Chris, the way they are there for each other like no one else, the way it’s been nurtured, the people who want this and to not just settle, because that’s exactly what it would be. Oh we got bi Buck confirmed let’s just settle for the first random person he comes across. Which is insane to me that people are actually ok with. Like He’s been on 1 bad date with Tommy. He’s kissed him once. And he’s known him for, per the show, 2 weeks. 2 weeks vs 6 years of blood, sweat, tears, love, vulnerability, emotional connection, chemistry, family building, trust.

this ate anon, thank you!

the 2 weeks vs 6 years really helps to put things into perspective and i'm glad people like u can see where i'm coming from instead of just screaming at me that i'm being insecure about my ship (what? are we 10 year olds?) and/or being a bucktommy hater and not letting people enjoy things (idk how many more times i'm gonna have to repeat that i hope nothing but the best for bucktommy)

i 100% support the bi rep and everything bucktommy bc its fucking adorable and buck deserves to be pursued, to be flustered and be on the receiving end instead of giving all the time. but let's keep our eye on the ball please? let's not settle for something just bc it's canon or bc it's enough. let's take a moment to reflect deeply about why we want to give so much support to a ship we've known for a grand total of 4 episodes and want an endgame for them when we barely know tommy (and a good part of what we know is alr quite controversial to begin with.)

[outrunningthedark]

I’m a big Buddie fan, but I have to say that I don’t hate the idea of Tommy and Buck, it could be the chance for Eddie to be jealous and wonder himself why does he feel like that… in my mind, it works haha! But…who knows what TM think about it…

I think what you're envisioning is how Tim would prefer to tell the story (I honestly think he was ready to take the plunge at the end of season 4/start of season 5 with the will + "gay panic", but y'no. Not his call.), but because Repressed Eddie or Canon Buddie isn't a possibility for now, he's going to write scenes in a way that can be seen as "proof" by the fandom while the general audience thinks he's just a concerned friend. I'm going to assume the only person in the firefam who might have an inkling of Buck's attraction to men is Maddie, being his sister and all. Hen is a close second, especially with how much more time they've spent together on screen. ("I was just waiting for you to say something first.") So when Eddie finds out, or has it suggested to him? He's probably going to be taken aback. The GA will read it as him wondering if he did anything to make Buck feel like he couldn't be honest. The fandom will read it as Eddie questioning everything he thought he knew, wondering if he would have ever been an option for Buck had he said something sooner. (Did he miss his chance?) Same goes for a hypothetical Eddie and Tommy scene after the truth is out. Eddie giving Tommy a bit of a side-eye, analyzing him differently now that he's dating Eddie's best friend and not just helping on a call? The GA: "LOL. Eddie treating Tommy like he must treat one of his sister's boyfriends." Us: "Ohhh, he's jealous." And then maybe, possibly, down the line when Canon Buddie can be #confirmed, little moments like these will be reexamined and reexplained to support Eddie always having strong feelings for Buck, but never allowing himself to fully unpack what it meant because it never felt like the right time. TL;DR If you're getting a "vibe", it's by design. Tim & the writing crew just don't know what they can do with it yet.

[giuli328]

Agnosis | Eddie Munson Fanfiction

chapter one: welcome to the jungle

wc: 969

synopsis & masterlist here

next chapter

————————————————————————

Eddie finally unpacked his last box. It only took him about two months, and if he was being honest, the only reason he finally did it was to find the Paranoid cassette tape that was hidden at the bottom of the box.

He was still finding it difficult to actually believe that Paige Warner got him a record deal with WR Music along with a room in her LA apartment. Maybe it was because he hadn't actually signed the deal yet. The contract was sitting on his nightstand under a pack of cigarettes and a bottle of Coke. The thing was, once he signed it, he'd be in. And that meant he'd have deadlines to make and a very public reputation. His reputation that used to be "small town freak who worshiped the devil and followed in his criminal father's footsteps". The Munson name felt like a curse to him. Even though no one here thought of him that way, he couldn't help but feel like an imposter.

In the two months he'd been here, he'd been to the venues on the Sunset Strip so many times that they knew him there. He wouldn't admit it, but it made him feel so cool whenever they'd acknowledge him by name. He wondered if this is what his favorite rockstars felt whenever they were in the area. He daydreamed about signing autographs and performing on stage. The only playing he did while he was here was writing and practicing in his room. He missed Corroded Coffin and playing Wednesdays at The Hideout, but he'd be lying if he said he wished he was back in Hawkins. In Los Angeles, he was somebody. He felt like he belonged there, even if his own self doubt was trying to convince him that he didn't.

"Hey Eddie." the bartender at The Roxy greets him.

"Hey, who's playing tonight?" Eddie asks.

"The headliner's new tonight. A band called Agnosis. Their sound is like Fleetwood Mac but slightly heavier. They're rock, not metal though, sorry kid." the bartender chuckles.

"That's alright. I'll do that myself up there one day." he chuckles.

Eddie orders a drink and finds a spot to watch the show. As the stage hands set up and the lighting turns into purely stage lighting, the crowd begins to fill up. There's a makeshift band logo on the drums that reads the band name.

"What does Agnosis even mean?" Eddie thinks to himself.

Suddenly the band starts playing. The crowd begins to cheer as the drums come in first, then guitar, and finally out comes the lead singer with a big entrance. Eddie takes note of the crowd's reaction when she comes out. They beam at her and he can tell that she has stardom written all over her. He also happens to think she's really pretty. As her eyes scan the crowd, he almost blushes when she looks in his direction.

As the band plays through their set, Eddie could almost swear that she sings directly at him a few times, he even catches her smiling at him from time to time. Or maybe it's just the fact that it's so crowded and Eddie hasn't been able to focus on anything but her for the past twenty minutes. He'd rather it be the first option though.

After their set, Eddie can't seem to get her out of his head, it's like her voice and person is permanently etched into his brain. So much so that he practically thinks he's hallucinating when he hears the familiar voice order a drink right next to him. He turns slowly to look at her, as if she'll disappear if he looks too quickly, and his mouth falls slightly agape when his eyes confirm that it is in fact, her. Suddenly he's nervous. He doesn't know if he should even say anything to her, but he knows he'll regret it if he doesn't. He'll also regret it if he comes off sounding like a total loser, but he thinks maybe he'd regret that a bit less.

"Hey" he blurts out with a smile.

"Hi" she looks back at him with a small smile and then looks back at her drink being made.

There's a little bit of silence as Eddie plans what he wants to say. He settles on "great show". He figures the less words he uses, the less likely he'll stumble over them.

She looks at him again and smiles. "Thats surprising. Usually there's a superiority complex there that prevents metalheads from admitting to enjoying anything but metal" she jokes.

Eddie laughs. "Oh I definitely do find metal superior to all. But there wouldn't be metal without rock. So you know, thank you."

She chuckles. "I highly doubt that I personally have absolutely anything to do with the pioneering of metal, since it was around before I even started playing. But I'll take it. You're welcome."

Eddie smiles at her warmly, enjoying the playful energy going on between them, and feeling a lot more comfortable with her than he thought he'd be.

"So if not just metal, what else?" she asks.

"Actually, my mom was the one that made me a music lover in the first place. And uh...she raised me on chicago blues, country, bluegrass, and rock. I still listen to her old Muddy Waters tapes sometimes, when I miss her." Eddie says.

She realizes by the end of his answer, that his mom passed, and her face becomes more sympathetic. "I'm sorry" she says softly.

"It's alright. I was six when it happened so uh...you know, time heals all wounds or whatever" he smiles reassuringly.

The bartender finally hands her the drink she ordered and she stands up. "What's your name?" she asks.

"Eddie. What's yours?" he says.

"Y/N" she answers.

[tellthemeerkatsitsfine]

Well, I think I made a mistake by putting Jordan Brookes first in the running order of my (first) Edinburgh Fringe experience. I thought it would be cool. Start the Fringe with the only person who has ever held the title of Edinburgh Fringe Festival Champion (they've changed the name of the Perrier so often, I'm just going to call it Champion as a name that's standard across eras) for more than a year. That's fun. And I very much like all his NextUp shows (I think there are four and I recommend all of them, but especially Bleed and Body of Work, both of which are also on YouTube for free), so it's a safe bet.

Unfortunately, he has set the bar way too high. I came away thinking... is there any chance all Edinburgh shows are that much better if you see them in person than on a recording? And I'm sure that helps, but that can't be the main reason why tonight was so good. I'm pretty sure tonight was amazing because Jordan Brookes has written an incredible show that no one else can live up to.

I mean, it does help that this was a rare case of me seeing a show in person. I think I might get clowning now! This wasn't a clown show or anything - I don't think, certainly more laughs came from things he said than things he did - but he did a lot of throwing his body all over the place in ways that made me laugh tonight, and that I know would not make me laugh on a recording. I've said for ages that I know my inability to "get" clowning may just be down to me watching most comedy on recordings, maybe it's only funny in the room. But to be honest, when I said that, I didn't really believe it. I really thought it was just a weird thing I don't understand. However, it turns out that people doing absurd things with their bodies is actually very funny, if they're right in front of you. Who knew? (Lots of people knew.)

Oh I've been here one evening and have already been able to play comedian spotting! I am very, very bad at recognizing faces, so I'm not going to be great at that game throughout the week. But in his show, at one point Jordan Brookes was reading a list of made-up names, and he said "Edward Hare", and I thought, "Isn't Eddy Hare one of the guys in Crizards?" Later on some people came out to do background dancing during the show, and it was really funny, but I kept being distracted by thinking "Is the guy on the right that guy from Crizards, or do I just think that because I heard his name earlier?" At the end of the show, the backup dancers were outside giving out flyers to their own shows, and the guy I recognized gave me one that confirmed he was Eddy Hare from Crizards, so score one against my face blindness there.

More significantly, throughout the show, I kept seeing this one guy in the audience and thinking "Is that Jin Hao Li or am I a racist?" I'm pleased to say that after the show, I saw a woman go up to him, I heard her call him "Jin" and tell him she was a fan of his comedy. Score two points against my face blindness in one night! I've seen one Fringe show ever, but I've already watched one comedy show while sharing the audience with another comedian - one I like enough to have booked his show later in the week. That's what festivals are for (according to my previous experience of festivals, which are folk music festivals where I'll frequently see a show with one musician on stage and one in the audience, then at the next show the second musician will be on stage and the first in the audience).

Seriously though, Brookes was amazing. We walked by him on the way out, the guy in front of me told him "That was the best show I've ever seen at the Fringe." The guy who said that had the look of someone who's probably seen a lot of shows at the Edinburgh Fringe before. And I thought... it's the best show I've ever seen at the Fringe too! I know I've only seen one, but I feel like that would be true even if I'd been coming for years! It's too high a bar!

Anyway I then went for a walk through the Royal Mile and surrounding area at night, and I don't know nearly enough words to describe how incredible that was.

I spent so much time in the run-up to this trip reminding myself that not everything will be as cool as it looks on the internet, real life is mundane everywhere. To try to lower my expectations so I wouldn't be disappointed. What I hadn't prepared for was the possibility that it really would be this beautiful.

[dinosaursatemymom]

St characters ranked by me

even though nobody asked

Lucas Sinclair

Max Mayfield

Erica Sinclair

El/Jane Hopper

Steve Harrington

Will Byers

Robin Buckley

Joyce Byers

Jonathon Byers

Hopper

Murray

Mike wheeler

Dustin Henderson

Argyle

Nancy Wheeler

The entire town of Hawkins

Eddie Munson

Vecna/Henry/001

Billy Hargrove

1- do I even need to explain myself? Lucas solos, end of story, but in all seriousness this guy is just such a good person, whenever he screws up he always takes accountability and apologizes. Lucas is a green flag and good character.

2- Max is a good character, and I wish that her depression has been explored more. I think most of her sarcasm is a defense mechanism and closing off as a trauma response, which I relate to a lot as closing off is also my defense mechanism.

3-Erica is a great character, she's funny, shes nice when she needs to be and it's clear she really does care about her brother. She's wayy too young to be dealing with all the upside down stuff though.

4- El is great, and I would love to see her again her independence and more of a sense of self.

5- Steve is a good guy, he makes mistakes(like a lot) but he tries to make up for them(cleaning off the spray paint, and helping with the camera for example) I definitely think that his whole thing with Nancy this season was weird, but tbh I think the duffers just don't know what to do with him anymore. Cause he was supposed to die, like more than once. All in all I like him as a character.

6- Will is a good character I just think he needs to stop being sidelined so much, which has already been proven to come to fruition in s5.

7- Robin is also a good character who needs more screentime. I would like to see more of who she is separated from Steve.

8- Joyce is good mom, she loves her kids and really tries to help them.

9- Jonathon was a bitch for most of s1, which can be written of as trauma response. He's a great big brother. I would love to see him owning up to his mistakes better, and being honest with nancy. I'll say that the whole taking pictures thing was creepy and he should've apologized to more than just Nancy.

10- I like him, although he makes mistakes, as we all do, but he doesn't really own up to all of them. And in certain moments he was an asshole, but all in all I like him for the most part.

11- Murray is Murray. He's the chaotic neutral. He's not a matchmaker, he's just sick of everyone's bullshit.

12- I have a lot to say about Mike, but as of right now this is where he stays. Because unless he gets confirmed get with IH he's just a little shit.

13- Dustin is funny and nice, but he's also a cocky little asshole a lot of the time. He is the exact type of person I would be friends with in real life though. 😅

14- I like argyle, but he is definitely not fleshed out enough. I need him fleshed out more in the next season.

15- I don't like her very much, shes kinda just a rich entitled white girl. She strung Steve along in s2, she told Jonathon he was pulling the Oliver twist routine and barely apologized. She got all smug when Jonathan apologized. She can't take accountability for her actions well, and that just ticks me off.

16- I don't know much about them but yk.

17- I don't like eddie. I don't get why people like Eddie, he's a greasy twenty year old who basically bullies high schoolers for not being freaks enough. He also sells drugs to minors as a twenty year old. He was kinda at fault for the whole basketball dnd game thing, he acts like having any other interests is wrong and tbh he just feels like the semi-attractive white guy to ship with other semi-attractive white guy. I was sorta indifferent to him at first but then the fandom kept adding him into everything where he absolutely did not need to be. Like, no, he's not gonna come back to life and mentor Will who's gonna come out to him.

18- do I need to explain this? Really? He's evil

19- racist, sexist, greasy, abuser, likely homophobic. Just a shit person let's be real.

Okay that's it this is all my opinion though, please don't hate.

[demadogs]

Hi! I'm warning you beforehand of the long ask incoming.

I just wanted to say that I agree so much with your post on why season 4 is better than season 3.

Also I'd like to add that while I preferred volume 1, I think the people who dislike volume 2 so much are exaggerating a bit. Sure the monologue threw us all at first, but we've already figured out how it was necessary for byler's development. Most of the complaints I've seen are related to the 2 days time skip and the ending being rushed. But they have already stated in multiple interviews that it's supposed to feel that way. This ending is like in star wars (in that one movie where everyone loses at the end, I don't remember the name sorry). You're supposed to feel disappointed and like everyone has lost. They said tons of times that the end of this season will tie directly with the begging of season 5, so those things that weren't addressed due to the time skip will most likely be addressed in the first episode of season 5 (and it makes a lot of sense because the finale was already 2hours 30min long and addressing of this quickly in some additional 10 minutes is worse than giving it it's proper time within a whole new episode). For example, we didn't see reactions to Eddies death but it's already confirmed that it will be important for some character's development in the next season (specially Dustin's) so they didn't "skip scenes of mourning Eddie" they just saved them for the future to give them the proper time to be better addressed.

Also, Eddies death was necessary and inevitable, I'm sorry. Not only for character development, but also because if he survived, there's no way they could have convinced the agents and the FBI that the Earthquakes were Vecna's fault and not his (him sacrificing his own life was literally his way to escape jail because otherwise he would already be sentenced).

And finally, while killing main characters can be a good thing if done properly, the people who complain the loudest about this seem to ignore the multiple interviews where the Duffers said that they are not interested in being Game of Thrones and that they are more concerned about giving every character a happy ending. You may personally not like this choice, but it's not like they didn't warn you about their creative intentions (it's their show at the end of the day and they can write it however they want).

It's important to remember that it's an unfinished story, like a book divided in 5 chapters, with only the final one missing. Would you rate the book before waiting and reading the final chapter? Because I wouldn't. I'm sure once we get the final season we'll fully understand the choices made in previous seasons, and only then will it be the right time to give an honest opinion about the whole thing.

i agree with all of this. i remember some time in july i posted something talking about how right now i hate the monologue but i really really hope one day i love it. and thats kinda happened now. seeing it in a different lens makes me appreciate how much thought they put into everything and s5 will only increase that.

and i agree about eddie. i loved him and i cried and didnt want him to die but ive never thought that it was a mistake to kill him. and i wouldnt bring him back if i could. he served his purpose as a character. there are a lot of characters in different shows that i LOVE but i also love their death scene.

[chase-the-windandtouch-the-sky]

Also, I'm feeling a lot of Big Things™ after that episode, and so I'm just gonna write em down to get them out of my system. Under the cut as not to drive anyone insane.

The Good:

I love that Daniel was a manifestation of Buck's own insecurities. I thought they did it really cleverly, Margaret calling Daniel 'needy' and having everyone question his place all the time was Buck's own experience projected on another person. He, in turn, took the role of what I assume he thought how they would treat Daniel and how much they loved him.

DAD!BOBBY DAD!BOBBY DAD!BOBBY

The fact that they confirmed this that Bobby brought 'one child' into he and Athena's marriage had me SCREAMING and I LOVED Athena's scene with Buck and her ordering. Angela Basset you are such a legend

Chris telling Buck he needed to come back from wherever he is with Eddie crying in the background? 10/10, no splash, no notes, can you hear the shrieks from my grave

Chimney almost immediately believing Buck - I literally have no qualms with this because of COURSE

Hen being her true icon self no matter the reality, I love that Buck's subconsciousness was like 'nope, she can't be changed, she is perfect'

I loved the 'I'm feel really guilty about that' towards leaving Chris - same Buck same

Self-love: I love that he came back for himself, not because he needed to give pieces of himself away, but because he recognized that a messy, loving world is better than any fake perfection he could dream of

The Weird:

I'm sorry but drugged!Bobby was so strange to me. The way I'm making it make sense to me is that it's what someone who doesn't really know what an addict looks like and made up a cartoonish version of addition in their head. With the pills and the alcohol and the weird hoodie... Reminds me of those weird D.A.R.E. productions at school where they're like 'this is a Fire Captain! And this is a Fire Captain ON DRUGS' *ominous music here

The Bad:

I feel like two people had their hands on the script here: Someone who wants Buddie and someone who doesn't. And that's not to say any ill-intention, but I felt like there were very separated threads going on. Between Eddie being his first 'memory' to the second being the tsunami with Chris, it was like they were setting up the thread at which Eddie and Chris tether his life. And instead an overabundance of Buckley parent redemption? It was like 2 thoughts were going on simultaneously that I didn't quite understand. Look - I understand if Buddie doesn't happen, despite the writers having the making of an honest to god epic queer romance on a mainstream show (scream), but it felt so out of step with itself

As for the Buckleys... listen, I am all for forgiving people and learning to grow with them, but also I think it could be SO powerful to have a storyline when you realize that is not an option. That the healthier pick would be to say no, move on, and grow for the better without toxic people in your life. THAT is powerful to me. Eddie's story with his dad was so beautiful and organic and it makes sense for them. The Buckleys? I felt like the person in the theater shouting "GET OUT OF THAT HOUSE" to Buck because he's about to be pretty girl murdered by his fake family.

I feel like giving a popular character the capacity to be 'I forgive you, but your role in my life isn't necessary because I've outgrown you' is such a powerful statement and could genuinely help so many people in toxic situations. Giving them the strength to see someone realize their own worth, set boundaries, and be okay with that change. I'm going to take the Buddie of it all out of the equation to prevent any comments about 'shipper goggles,' and simply say sometimes walking away is powerful and enough.'