#dustin henderson needs a hug

[morganski-19]

Chills Right to the Marrow Part 40

ao3 link| part 1 . . . part 37, part 38, part 39

Steve’s not at work today. Dustin went to Family Video to see if there was anything new, the rest of his friends at the arcade down the block. But Steve isn’t here. Robin is, but he isn’t.

“Where’s Steve,” he asks. Urgency in his voice.

“Called out today, something came up.” There’s only confusion in Robin’s voice. Like Steve not being here is something normal. “Why?”

“Is he ok?”

Steve doesn’t call out for no reason. Dustin’s seen him be here slipping pain killers under his sleeve while he has a migraine. Turn the lights off in between customers and close the blinds. But he was still here.

It’s only been three weeks since “the big one.” Another one couldn’t have happened this soon. Nancy would have told him if he had one. She promised him that she would. Unless she doesn’t know about it either.

How much does Steve hide things when it goes wrong? How many layers does Dustin have to search just to find answers? How long will Steve have to be in pain for him to realize that it hurts other people too?

“Yeah, he’s fine. Like I said, something just came up.”

Dustin doesn’t believe him. Fine means nothing. Fine could mean blood draining out of his face and falling on the floor. Fine could mean trapped in bed because moving seems impossible. Could be stuck in a loop of panic that won’t stop, no matter how hard he tries.

Fine with Steve almost never means fine. Dustin knows that.

He turns on his heel and heads out of the store. He walks down the street to the arcade, to his bike that’s chained up outside.

The wind almost knocks his hat off, but he doesn’t care. He doesn’t care when his walkie crackles in his backpack. A faint voice asking where he went. It doesn’t matter right now.

All that matters is the spiral in his mind. The belief that if he can’t see it, then he can’t know it didn’t happen. Faces of death molding together into one. All warning him of what could happen. Of what did happen. Of what should have happened if the luck ran out.

A tear catches on his lip. The saltiness the only reason he knows that he’s crying. Vision blurring as Steve’s house comes into view. As he drops his bike onto the grass and struggles to find his key. Hand shaking so much, he has to steady it with his other just to get it in the lock.

“Steve,” he yells when the door opens. Running upstairs, not bothering with taking off his shoes. “Steve.”

His bedroom is empty. A made bed with nothing else. He isn’t here. He isn’t stuck there.

“Steve,” he calls out again. Hearing his voice bounce off the walls, echoing. Drawing out his cries for a seconds longer than it should. Emptiness surrounding him.

He runs back down the stairs, calling out again. Nothing again.

A list forms in his mind, and he checks it off. Steve’s car was in the driveway. His shoes are by the door. His keys are on the table. His bed it made. There are dishes in the drying rack.

He has to be fine. He has to be ok. He has to be.

“Dustin?”

There Steve was. The final check off his list. Standing straight, looking like he slept. Put together. Alive. He was alive.

Dustin crumbles. The panicked sob breaking out of his chest. Steve rushes forward. Holds Dustin upright as his knees start to bend. Push the hair out of his face and ask him if everything was alright. If he was hurt. What happened.

“You.” Dustin can’t voice himself properly right now. He means to say, you’re ok. Or maybe something else. Maybe place the blame on him for making Dustin like this. For making him come all this way.

He gets brought to the living room and forced to sit. Until the breath evens out, actually fills his lungs. Until the tears dry on his cheek. Until he’s calm again.

A cold glass gets pressed into his hands. He drinks the water. Returns to normal.

Steve is sitting next to him. Alive. Perfectly fine. Nothing is wrong.

“Your radio was going off like crazy,” Steve fills the silence. “I told them that you were alright, where you were. You scared the shit out of them.”

Bold words coming from him, Dustin would say. If he could. If his mouth would cooperate with him.

“Do you want to tell me why you biked here?”

Dustin takes a deep breath. Feels the stretch in his chest. The relief as he releases it slowly.

“Why weren’t you at work?”

“That’s what this is about?” Steve doesn’t mean for it to come out the way that it does. The apology of his face says that. “I called out. Eddie has his physical therapy appointment today and Wayne has to go to work right after. He can’t move that much after therapy, so I took off to help him.”

“Oh.”

It was so normal. It was so normal, and he blew it out of proportion. He just panicked. Saw something that wasn’t right and immediately went to the worst. Right back into that hospital room. To all those times before.

Steve turns to him. Face full of concern. Full of worry. “Dustin, talk to me. What’s going on?”

“No one tells me anything,” he exclaims. “I have to find out everything from someone else, or days, or weeks later. I never get told anything by the person themselves. I’m always the last to know.”

“Dustin-.”

“No. I’m tired of the excuses. I’m tired of you saying that it’s not my thing to worry about. Because I do. No matter how hard you think you shield me from it, I worry about it. Every day I wake up and wonder if your head is killing you. If when I see you later, you’re going be how you were before, or a ghost of yourself. If I’m going to look at you push yourself for my betterment. When I know that you’re in pain.”

Steve looks at him like he doesn’t know what to say. Even if he did, Dustin wouldn’t give him the chance to. He’s not done.

There’s so much he needed to say.

“You’re like a brother to me, Steve. You’re family. I don’t know why you think you can just get away with hiding this from me, but you can’t. Because I love you and all I’m asking is to know what is going on with you. Is that such a big thing to ask?”

Before Dustin can take a breath, Steve hugs him. Holds him close, sniffling. “I’m sorry.” He takes a shaky breath. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”

“Sucks, right?”

Steve snorts. Pulling back. “I’ll be back in a second.”

He leaves the living room, going up stairs and returning with a small book. A planner. He hands it to Dustin, motions for him to flip through it. Its pages are filled with notes. Some days are blank, some are overflowing. There’s a mix of different hand writings.

“Every time I get a migraine, I write it down. The severity, if I had to take any pills. If I called out from work, if I went home early. On days when it gets really bad, Robin fills it in. She writes down what I eat and when. If I was nauseous, if I left my bed at all. Everything.”

Dustin lands on three weeks ago. To the day after Eddie came home. That day was marked at an eight. The next day a nine. The one after that, also a nine. Then an eight. Then it went down slowly over the next day.

“It started after Starcourt, when I got them more frequently. The doctor suggested I keep a journal for a few months, to make sure nothing else was going on. That it wasn’t getting worse. I’ve kept one ever since.”

“This,” he points at the date. “This was the big one?”

Steve nods. “It’s the most painful, lasts a few days. I get then about once a month. They average at three days, building in the days before and then being really bad, before going down again. The bad days is what we dub ‘the big one.’ I don’t really count the build up to it, because it’s normal. Until it isn’t.”

None of this was normal. To most people, this wasn’t normal. But it was to Steve. He walked through life like this. Where he can’t go a week without a migraine. Or even just a small headache. This was his normal.

“I can’t promise I’ll always tell you when they happen. When it gets bad, I can barely open my eyes, let alone want to speak. But, if you really want to know, I keep this on my desk. You can look at it anytime.”

It’s everything he wanted, right here in his hands. Worse than he was thinking, but he knows.

“Thank you.”

Steve nods. “I’m sorry it took me this long to tell you. I really didn’t want you to worry about it. And I didn’t know how much it was affecting you. I would have told you if I knew sooner.”

The front door opens, Wayne calling out that they were back. There’s shuffling in the hallway. A muffled argument. A slammed door.

Steve sighs. “Give me a minute. Then I can drive you home, ok.”

Dustin nods. Closing the book and running his fingers around the corners. They were all going to be ok, he tells himself. They were all going to be ok.

tag list (closed): @the-they-who-nerded, @insteviewetrust, @croatoan-like-its-hot, @jettestar,

@tinyplanet95, @steddie-as-they-go, @slv-333, @littlecelestialmoth, @thatonebadideapanda,

@fandomsanddeath, @marismorar, @wonderland-girl143-blog, @glass-bottle03, @gutterflower77,

@here4thetrama, @goodolefashionedloverboi, @jaytriesstuff, @cryptid-system, @manda-panda-monium,

@resident-gay-bitch, @anaibis, @xxsutherlandxx, @forevermineliv, @mugloversonly,

@gregre369, @n0-1-important, @different-tale-student, @spectrum-spectre, @tartarusknight,

@devondespresso, @swimmingbirdrunningrock, @cheertain, @anti-ozzie, @autumncrocusandladybug,

@greeniebean911, @cr0w-culture, @stillfullofshit, @connected-dots, @daisynotquake,

@morgannotlefay, @a-little-unsteddie, @dolphincliffs, @maskofmirrors, @me-and-my-sloth,

@papergrenade, @waelkyring, @sweetheartprincess28, @katouasobj, @astercomoasflores

[kennahjune]

Allow Me to Propose Something:

How about, instead of his parents forcing him, Steve actually just? Likes? Sports?

No parental forcing or peer pressure just— he like sports. He likes swimming and basketball and maybe soccer and track.

Steve just liking sports because he’s allowed to have his own interests outside of the Party and older kids.

I always see Steve changing how he dresses and changing his music interests and all this other bullshit in Steddie fics and you know what?

Fuck that.

Steve dragging Eddie to every one of Lucas’ basketball games. Steve watching football and soccer and basketball games with Lucas and Wayne and Eddie silently watching with them because Steve is happy and Wayne is happy and hell— Lucas is happy, so why the fuck not?

Dustin and Mike still being skeptical of Lucas joining the basketball team post-Vecna (especially with Jason now dead and what Andy did to Erica and Lucas’ new ties to Eddie and—) but both of them finally realizing that sports brings just as much joy to Lucas as DnD does. And that’s honestly more than enough.

Steve still wearing his polos and blue jeans and clean white sneakers because that’s his style and how he’s comfortable.

Steve still listening to Wham! and Queen and ABBA and all his other musical interests cause that’s what he likes to listen to and that’s what he finds pleasing to his ear.

Steve having his own interests because he’s his own person and he’s allowed to have his own personality.

Because frankly— fics where Steve changes entirely so he can date Eddie make me really sad.

[lunabug2004]

Why the Troy and Angela Situations Should Not Be Compared (+ Why Mike's Reaction Is Valid)

One of the things that gets my blood boiling as a Mike defender is when people try to compare the bullying/El's reaction to said bullying between the Troy and Angela scenes. They are not the same thing, not even close! Yes, they're both cases of bullying, but two very different levels of extreme.

Yes, I understand that words can hurt just as much, if not more, than a physical weapon, and Mike understands this too, that's why he tries to connect with El the morning after. But in the real world, one without monsters or powers, the one they believe they're living in at the time, violence is almost never the answer, it only makes things worse, as it did. Mike also understand this. Now, yes, it took him a minute to figure out that El didn't quite understand this yet, but he works to fix his mistakes as soon as he does.

Now, let's look at season 1's incident. Troy is threatening to cut Dustin with a knife if Mike doesn't jump off the quarry cliff. Two lives are in immediate and direct danger in this situation. El, literally at the last second, saves Mike as he's falling, so that's one problem fixed and one less life at stake. By this time, yes, Troy has moved away from Dustin, but he is still holding the knife! And then he aggressively steps towards El, threatening her with it, so she snaps his arm and makes him drop it. This is self defense, as well as defending her friends from a dangerous situation.

In season 4, Angela publicly humiliates El. Yes, it's awful, and yes, she deserves the smack that she gets for it, but it's nowhere near as bad as what Troy was doing. Angela isn't putting any lives in immediate danger, she's not brandishing a weapon! Legally, El smacking Angela is assault, because at the point of the roller-scate-smack, the ordeal is done with, and there was no physical harm done. I'd like to add that I'm aware of El falling, and that she may have been hurt, but technically no one touched her, so it still isn't technically self-defense (I may be wrong here, pls correct me if so). This is a very unfortunate situation, and I feel terrible for El, as should everyone, but I'm a firm believer that when it comes to bullies, you shouldn't fight fire with fire, and Mike seems to carry this belief as well, as he repeatedly tells the boys to just ignore their bullies in s1. @foodiewithdahoodie has an old post (can't find it irl, but it's stuck in my brain) in which they say El treats Angela, a normal girl who is not a serious threat, with the same extreme hostility she shows the UD monsters, and I completely agree with this. El is flawed, and Mike's not a bad person for reacting to those flaws, that just happen to include unnecessary violence, the way a normal person would.

Anyways, what I'm getting at here is that these two situations are completely different (again, Troy has a literal weapon, two peoples' lives were being actively threatened!) and Mike's reaction in both circumstances were completely valid! In season one, he was seconds away from death, and so when El saved him and made the threat go away, he was eternally grateful for her defense. In season 4, he tries so hard to get to her when he realizes what's going on despite having just found out she'd been lying to him for months, and he was even completely on El's side, trying to find and comfort her, until she hit Angela, then he believed she went too far (she did), so he made that known. He's never been one to sugarcoat when he disagrees with certain behaviors, and he doesn't start here, he tells it like it is: Angela doesn't look fine. It also is just a lot to process, so it doesn't surprise me that it takes an overnight thought-session for him to figure out where he went wrong, and again, he tries to make it up to her! To connect with her, bringing down some of his walls in the process! She just disregards his experiences, then brings up him not saying ILY, so he gets defensive and puts back up his walls, and they never get to continue this conversation! (This is an analysis for another day in and of itself tbh)

To reiterate, it just irks me when people compare these scenes to try and make Mike out to be a bad person, when they are nowhere near the same situation! His reactions being different makes total sense, esp when adding the shock-factor of it all! I'll stop talking now cuz this could go on forever and I lowkey feel like I'm just repeating myself now.

Pls tell me your thoughts on this!

[sabbathbloodysabbeth]

Never Say Die [4]

Part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | you’re here | Part 5

Quick note, the tag list is full. So now the only way that you can get notifications about the next date is if you turn on notifications on my blog. (Which if you are hesitant about this, I don’t spam my board at most I’ll post twice a day so this can be a option for you :) though I’m not sure if there’s any other way or notifying people. If you know a way let me know!

Steve was laying in his bed, blanket pulled off from him as he stares out at the night sky. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, though he made sure to shut his door. The only thing allowed to see him this vulnerable was the full moon outside. As time slowly passes by, he feels like one of those princesses that’s stuck in the castle. He hasn’t been able to do anything yet, Hopper and Joyce were currently in the process of coming up with a backstory as to how he was alive. He misses a lot of things more now that he was home compared to when he was locked in the prison. He misses being able to be seen with Robin. He misses being able to relax in a bed. Though, no matter where he’s been he knows the one consistent thing that’ll always be there for him.

The moon.

The moon that watched him get tortured in his cell, sometimes even left outside in the freezing snow for a night for a punishment. Of course there were nights the moon wasn’t there. Especially the nights when the new moon was taking its turn on the calendar. But even that brought him comfort. In his eyes new beginnings were always over the horizon.

Dink!

It was coming from his window. Before his brain can think he’s already tossed himself on the carpeted floor. Rug burn already catching to his knees as he crawls over. Careful for whatever or whoever to not see him. He was being ridiculous. He was on the second floor. There was no way anyone could see him. His breathing is loud and shaky as he keeps his arms tightly crossed around himself. He knew he could fight, but in that moment he was prepared to hide. Though in reality, if it really was something he couldn’t be getting himself killed right when everyone just got him back. That and if he was laying there bleeding out from whatever was being shot at his window, who was supposed to warn Hopper and Joyce.

Steve really needed to slow his role. Think rationally, right as another small thunk like noise comes from the glass. Closing his eyes he takes the moment to think rationally. He’s heard that noise before. When he used to sneak into girls rooms before everything. The smallest of pebbles he could find would be thrown at their windows to catch their attention. Someone was trying to get his attention. Now he needs to come up with the decision of whether or not this person knows he’s alive or not. If this went wrong the whole town would know he was alive and think he was being kidnapped. After a few more moments, he lets his deductive skills kick in. He felt like Sherlock Holmes.

There was no way someone he didn’t know would be throwing pebbles at his window. It was definitely someone he knows. Why they didn’t just go through the front door was beyond him. Or how they snuck by Hoppers senses.

He moves slowly after the third pebble hits the frame of the window, a bit louder then the others. Carefully placing his hands underneath as he lifts the window open. A silent as possible. He pokes his head out, a small pebble hitting him in the cheek right as he does. Hissing in slight pain as his hand flies up to hold the agitated skin. He glares down, trying to see who it was. But once again his vision wasn’t as good as it used to be. Nor was his hearing. He had taken his hearing aid out, so there was just a slightly muffled blob standing in his lawn.

“Hold on. I can’t see, and I can’t hear you.” Steve whisper yells. Moving and grabbing his hearing aid. Getting it situated before he’s sliding on a shirt, one that used to be to tight on him. Now it was a bit loose, from the slight weight loss from the prison. He was gaining it back with muscle, forcing Hopper to work out with him in their basement. A small corner designated to his small gym and the other side of the basement designated to DnD. “Who is it?” He hisses out. The fuzziness from his ear clearing up. Focusing on the person below instead of the crickets that surrounded them.

“It’s me.” The voice whispers back. Steve can’t help but snort a little, holding back a laugh.

“Well- me. If I could recognize you by voice I would. But I’m not hearing you that well still.”

A small groan is heard before the male, Steve was able to figure that much out. The guys voice was deep and scratchy. As if he spent a lot of time smoking.

“It’s Eddie!” Eddie says a lot louder then before. Steve frowns as he hears the other.

“Oh.” He says dumbly. “What do you want?” Steve asks. Unsure as to why his best friends other best friend was currently outside his window like some secret boyfriend. It was very strange being on the receiving end of this.

“Well- Robin was supposed to be here with me but we were going to kidnap you and take you out for the night. But her parents busted her climbing out the window.” Eddie rambles out quickly. Trying to stay as silent as possible.

Steve raises a eyebrow, something seemed off in the others statement. Though Steve wasn’t going to look to far into it as he puts a finger out telling the other to hold on. He moves to his closet, tossing on a sweater. Moving and sliding on a extra pair of shoes. His regular pair were downstairs. He moves to the window, as silent as possible. Moving to dangle out. Hearing the slight cursing of one Eddie Munson.

“Dude, you could have taken the front door.” Eddie hisses out.

“No I can’t. Hopper is like- superhuman. He can since when the force is off or some shit.” Steve hisses back. Looking down for a second before he’s swing himself over and throwing himself to the shaky pipe that went up the side of the house. Sliding down with ease. Though he wasn’t sure whether or not it would be sturdy enough for his weight to climb back up.

Steve hops down in front of Eddie, wiping his hands off on his pants as he grins jokingly. “Like a ninja.”

Causing the other boy to hold back a snort of laughter. Moving to wave Steve along to follow him. Steve does, creeping next to the house and moving his way down the path. Once or twice, Steve’s hand flies out to catch Eddie from falling on his face. But other then that they eventually make it to the guys van. Where Steve moves hopping up into the passenger side.

Nearly jumping right back out when a group of people yell “surprise!” At him. His hands shake in his lap a bit as he gathers himself. Looking confused as he looks at all of them curiously. No wonder Eddie seemed like he had been lying. Because he was.

“We wanted to surprise you.” El says with a smile. “Know its been a while since you’ve left the house, and we all know you loved swimming so we wanted to take you to the quarry.” She rambles out. Face a bit pink, and it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that she was the one that arranged this.

Eddies sitting in the drivers side, key in the ignition with a fond smile. Before his face contorts up and he’s turning around and yelling. “Hey shit face, yeah you Henderson. If you’re eating my last can or Pringle’s I’ll make sure to shove your head up your ass so far that no one’s going to be able to reach that far to pull you out.“ Steve’s head turns back looking at the boy who’s hand was currently stuck in the can of Pringles. Making a oopsie face.

***

It doesn’t take long for them to get to the lake. The kids were already in swim suits and throwing themselves in the water. Eddie is a bit hesitant, and so is Steve who doesn’t want to pull his shirt off. Though there seems to be more of a reason to Eddie who looks at the water a bit haunted. Steve recognizes that look. He looks at malls like that now.

“Hey everything okay?” He asks curiously. Moving to dip his toes in the water. Pants rolled up to his ankles.

“Yeah.. it’s just. When everything went down one of the gates was - well under the lake. Dustin called it water gate.” Eddie laughs a little towards the end. “And well… I’m not the best swimmer but I wasn’t going to force Robin or Nancy to go down there. And shit face Henderson decided he was going to force his way onto the boat. And I got tugged down. “ he explains. He doesn’t seem to really be there. His voice is off somewhere else.

Steve hesitates before he presses a hand on the others shoulder. “You don’t have to go in you know. I’m not.” He says softly.Eddies looking at him confused before Steve clarifies. “My- well my wounds haven’t fully healed. And if I let any of my stitches touch the water then I’m fucked.” He laughs.

Eddie grins as he carefully pulls up his shirt revealing a bandage around his middle. Steve could only imagine what it was hiding. Steve grins as he moves and lifts his own up. He was no longer in the bandage state, his side just had a huge gash. Eddies eyes go wide. He’s about to say something but one of the kids yell at them to join. Both declining, showing their wounds at the same time. Steve doesn’t even process that Eddie’s side was bandages heavily on the same spot as his. Just on the opposite side of his body, closer to Steve with the way he stood.

Silence falls over them again. Neither of them knowing what to say. “You know you’re nothing like how I remember you being.” Eddies voice echos through the night. Staying hushed under the kids screaming.

“Oh- yeah. When you nearly die numerous times you kind of figure that it’s time to stop being a douche.” Steve laughs gently. “And there’s more important things then social heirchy.”

“I- I wished I learned that sooner.” Eddie admits as he looks awkward again.

“What do you mean- you were like. All fuck society norms and shit.” Steve laughs gently.

“Well- doesn’t mean I still wasn’t a twat about jocks and shit.” Eddie chuckles bitterly. “You know I was at the mall the night it caught fire or whatever. I was in the movie theaters. And I seen you. Right before you died. Your face looked like it was smashed into bricks, you were laughing at whatever Doc had said. Then when you stumbled out, obviously not okay. I thought you were fine so I didn’t make a fuss out of it. But I know if you weren’t some Jock from the high-school I would have checked to make sure you were okay. ” Eddie rambles out a bit. “And god did I feel guilty when I seen your name on the list of people who died that night.” Tears are rolling down his face. Steve tries to interject but he doesn’t get a chance to as the other starts to talk again.

“You know Henderson worships the ground you walk dude? “ Eddie tilts his head to look at him. Wide eyed, as he doesn’t hide a single emotion. “And god, I just. I got so jealous that this kid. This amazing kid who reminded me of myself when I was his age. Worshiped someone who used to look down on kids like us. And I was just- an entire asshole. The poor guy was still mourning you and confiding in me about how much of a nice guy you were, and I just sat there listened, and didn’t believe a god damn word he said. Here I thought he was just coming up with stories about a dead kid. And instead I was the asshole that I declared war against in high-school. It was no is fucked up.” Eddie eyes are watering more. Hands shaking as he pulls a cig out, lighting it soon after.

Steve just stands there and listens. That’s really all he could do. He takes a shaky breath as he pauses looking out at the kids in the water. “We are all just kids you know. We aren’t… we aren’t made to to handle all of this shit normally. If there even is a normal. Just know I don’t hold it against you, neither does Dustin. If you ever need to rant more about it I’m here.” Steve smiles sincerely. Watching as Eddie nods dumbly.

“You know, you’re the first one to act like this isn’t all normal. The kids.. god the kids were great when everything was happening. Robin was freaking out but she knew what she was doing. Doing things I can’t even imagine doing. I’m sure you know how it is.” Eddie rambles out.

Steve nods his head in understanding, “trust me… none of us are normal.” He laughs gently. “You’re relatively new, you’ll catch signs of things they do when others don’t.”

“Like how you flinch whenever anyone raises their voice?” Eddie asks curiously.

“Yeah.. yeah exactly that.” Steve answers softly. Letting the silence take over the both of them. Unaware that he had been that obvious.

Oh my god, thank you to everyone who has been supporting me throughout this. Especially for the comments. Those I have found are hard to come by and every single one has been making my day. I haven’t gotten a chance to respond yet, but I love every single one. (So don’t be ashamed to freak out in the comments. The long paragraphs are amazing. I just haven’t gotten a chance to respond) I have never gotten this much support for something I’ve written ever.

Next thing, I would put this on ao3 but I kind of wrote them straight to tumblr and it would take me forever to copy and paste each individual paragraph on there. I’m already putting a lot of time writing the tag list and writing it itself so for now this Is a tumblr exclusive. (Though I know in the future I’m probably going to do a rewrite and include everything that I wanted to, but have been to exhausted to write out)

Like I can’t express how thankful I have been for the support. I’ve gained close to a hundred followers in two days and I love that but it’s crazy to me that that many people liked my work.

Though I will be lurking in the comments tonight, ;) so I’ll probably respond the best I can!

Tag list;

@totallynotagoraphobic @flustratedcas @shunna @spookednsaucy @steddie-as-they-go @estrellami-1 @xxbottlecapx @gregre369 @ellietheasexylibrarian @thing-a-ling @radioactiveartz @bestwifehaver @idkwwhatimmdoiing @goodolefashionedloverboi @bringmethelow @thescribblerdragon @starman-jpg @lilaclilyroses @resident-gay-bitch @wolfscreations @adhdsummer @victor-thee-corvid @happymediummm @decadentworld @sidebarre @foundintheshallows @jamieweasley13 @yellowdevilkitten @catlovesfandoms @gryffindorsareidiots @thephantomhood @vampireinthesun @awkwardgravity1 @itsall-taken @gezell-igg @chaoskiro @daeb820 @liketheocean @croatoan-like-its-hot @malicia62 @thebrazilianatheist @anaibis @evix-syne666 @an-deeznutz @yikes-a-bee @0o-queendean-o0 @alyelf @starlight-archer @weirdandabsurd42 @zerokrox-blog @lolawonsstuff @mightbeasleep @michael-the-angelo

(If you see your user in the tag and it didn’t tag you let me know and we can try figuring it out in the comments)

[oncamelliastreet]

i really hope in season 5 there will be some acknowledgment of mike jumping off of a cliff while he’s presumably finally letting some of the years worth of trauma he’s been keeping bottled up out. i mean, he’s a great friend, but he barely hesitated to sacrifice his own life and he was only 12, and the only people who know about it are dustin and el. i really hope it comes up to will or joyce or even hopper just to see somebody finally acknowledge that the mental illness this boy is dealing with is genuinly serious suicidal ideation since a very young age and somebody will tell him that they’re glad he’s still here and give him a goddamn hug

[lennadanvers]

Dustin's Mom kinda adopted Eddie

You know when Eddie is hiding in S4 E2, and Dustin, Robin, Max and Steve go looking for him? I was just watching that. And when Eddie has Steve cornered, they all swear on Dustin's Mom that they want to help.

And Eddie lets Steve go.

When they swear on Dustin's Mom.

All I can think about is that sweet lady, who just worries about Dustin, welcoming his new friend from school. She doesn't see him as dangerous, or a freak, he's just Dustin's new friend who's given him a place at his table at lunch. He makes his son happy. That's all she sees.

When he meets her, Eddie is wary. He always is around parents. But Dustin's Mom just offers him food and worries that he's eating enough, and that he's safe, and is his jacket warm enough? Does he need anything?

Eddie has a soft spot for the lady. Her home is like a little shelter he can escape to. She is like a maternal figure for him, even if he doesn't like to think about her like that -he has feelings about maternal figures. But still. It's like she doesn't see what everyone else in that goddamned town sees. She sees just a boy, like the other boys his son hangs out with. One that gave Dustin a place in highschool. One that he admires. And Eddie is so charming, I bet he bows when he sees her, calls her Queen Henderson or something. She finds it endearing.

So when they all swear on Dustin's Mom, he trusts them.

Dustin swears on his mom, and Eddie remembers her offering them little sandwiches on a yellow plate. Robin and Max swear on Dustin's Mom, and he remembers the first time he crossed the door and she smiled at him, all warm and worried -no one worries about him like that (Wayne loves Eddie, but he doesn't go around asking that many questions, his love is more quiet and calm; she, on the other hand, makes a fuss about him being too skinny or cold. It's kinda nice). If Robin and Max are Dustin's friends, they know her. They know how she is.

If they swear on her, he believes them.

Terrified, traumatized little Eddie puts his safety at risk because of Dustin's Mom. He knows they are telling the truth.

Because the only way Eddie himself would swear on Dustin's Mom is if he was telling the truth.

Idk, just thought it was cute. Even if later on she suspects Eddie, it'd only be more heartbreaking. I'm rewatching, maybe later there is another silly little line that makes this theory crumble. For now, I'll be happy believing this. Thank you for attending my ted talk. You're welcome.

[nicxxx5]

max and mike got close when the byers left for california. they found comfort in each other being the same person, different font. dustin and lucas knew because they'd see them hanging out but never told anyone or intervened because they could see how the two had bonded and that their hang outs were their thing. when the cali crew gets back mike is very distraught about max and will and el are a little confused.

when the group arrived back in hawkins, they knew they were most likely in to receive unfortunate news left and right. they were still unprepared for the news about max. they knew el's fight with henry hadn't gone as smoothly as they had hoped, but the condition max was in was still difficult to comprehend. however, her condition wasn't the most surprising thing the cali group faced upon their return.

after dustin delivered the news mike, el and will quickly made their was to the hospital. although arriving to hawkins and catching up with some of their friends and family incredibly briefly was enough to make anyone's head spin, that didn't mean will and el didn't notice mike's face become sickly pale and look as though he was about to vomit when hearing about max. of course hearing that their friend was left with severe broken bones and in a coma after being possessed by a serial killer in another dimension would be hard on anyone, but from what they recalled of the two's relationship, mike's reaction was a little more than they were expecting.

as they approached the hospital mike appeared to seem more and more anxious. this confused the siblings even more but argued to themselves that hospitals probably made mike anxious after all that they've been through as they did to them. also the situation they were approaching was not one they ever anticipated them having to deal with.

when they finally found the room max was being treated in they entered and were greeted with the sight of lucas and erica sitting by max's bed side while lucas read to her. they embraced each other, relieved to be together again after the past week. while el approached max's bed side the boys hung back to give her space.

mike had begun to look as though he was about to collapse. his skin was white as a sheet and damp, and his hands were shaking as if someone had hooked him up to a live wire.

out of the corner of his eye will caught mike's current state and knit his eyebrows together in concern. "mike? are you okay? you look sick?"

mike didn't even glance his way. his eyes were locked on max's frame. "i-...i-" he looked like he was trying to swallow a rock.

their interaction gaining the attention of the others in the room, el, lucas and erica turned to look at them.

"mike?" although things had appeared tense on the ride down to hawkins, el was still concerned for him. she stood up from her place at max's side.

mike, his mouth opening searching for words and his eyes darting around the room, finally shook his head. "i can't- i can't. i need to go. sorry. i'm sorry." and he turned for the door.

bewildered by his friend's actions will turned to him. "mike what? mike what's wrong? mike wait!" he moved to go after him.

"wait."

will stopped and turned to look at lucas. his friend had a look on his face that clearly meant he knew something will didn't. "give him some space. this is probably really hard for him. i wish we could have warned you guys." lucas sighed.

el and will shared a look, telepathically agreeing that their was something they were missing.

will turned back to his friend. "yeah, i mean this is really hard for all of us. but for mike to run out like that? i don't get why he would..." he trailed off struggling to find the word to sum up mike's actions.

lucas sighed again and his eyes trailed off. "yeah, well, mike and max...while you guys were gone and the rest of us in hawkins were struggling to move on and adjust to high school...mike and max became...surprisingly close."

will raised an eyebrow. "what do you mean?"

lucas sat with his hands folded in his lap. "i mean that they'd hang out together. more often than they'd hang out with dustin and i" he look away "a lot more often than max and i."

el and will looked at each other surprised by what they were hearing but didn't say anything to allow lucas to continue.

he looked back at them and continued "i don't think they knew that we knew. i mean, it's not like it's wrong for them to hang out. it was just a little strange considering how much they'd argue since day one, so i guess we were at least a little surprised. but we never said anything because we didn't want to make things awkward and those two were already dealing with enough shit, more than the rest of us i think looking back on it."

"what do you mean?" el asked this time.

lucas sighed "i mean out of those of us left here in hawkins i think they had lost the most after what happened at starcourt. even though he was a piece of shit, max watched her brother die, then her step dad walked and i don't think she's talked to her mom since that summer because her mom is either at work or passed out from drinking."

he turned and looked at el "i think you leaving took a toll her too." el looked up at him, surprised at this acknowledgment. "i know you two got pretty close last summer and i think she missed you and having a friend she could talk about stuff with that she couldn't with us guys" lucas half joked because he knew there were somethings that were talked about girl-to-girl that couldn't be talked about girl-to-boy, even girlfriend-to-boyfriend.

lucas turned will "and mike lost you." will's head shot straight up and his eyes went wide. lucas continued "i know we're the party but...you and mike were different. you were always close in a way that you weren't with dustin and i. i mean, all he ever did every day since you left was complain about he could never get through when he tried calling your house in california because the line was always busy."

will stared at lucas as if he didn't believe what he was hearing, and honestly he didn't completely believe it either. after third wheeling his sister and mike's relationship, only actually gotten through to him a handful of times on the phone and received no letters, it was shocking to hear that mike apparently tried calling him every day.

lucas continued on "my point is is that i think because they lost so much so close to them and because they're more similar than the two of them would probably ever admit they gravitated towards each other and started hanging out on their own, especially when they were having bad days. i remember on days where max seemed more withdrawn than she already was, or days were mike was quieter but simultaneously more irritable than usual, i'd look over and see max's skateboard outside the wheeler's garage, or sometimes mike's bike outside max's trailer when i'd try to go and see if i could get her to talk to me"

"dustin said he'd sometimes see them together out side at lunch or walking to and from school together. neither one of us said anything because i think as strange as it was i think we were both at least glad" he paused for a second "maybe even relieved, that if they wouldn't talk to us, they at least had each other they could talk to. so yeah i think that's probably why mike ran out. i think this is a little harder for him than he might lead on."

as he finished speaking will and el turned and looked at each other, processing the information they were given but still surprised but what they were just told. neither one of them had realized just how much their friends' dynamics had changed while they were away.

finally will spoke "wow...i never thought i'd hear of the day where mike and max weren't at each other's throats throwing insults" he offered partly as a joke but also as a way to express his disbelief to the situation at hand.

lucas chuckled "yeah, like i said man, we were surprised too but it seems that they're able to help each other out. definitely in a way that i'll never understand and honestly i'm a little nervous to try."

will and el both laughed at lucas's attempt to throw in a joke when suddenly the door opened slowly.

mike peaked his head around the door then walked in, almost timidly, with his arms full of what looked like some snacks.

he cleared his throat and looked around the room "hey," he said "sorry. i- um-...hospitals you know, just, kinda make uneasy, and um, i guess see max- uh-"

"it's alright man" lucas cut him off sensing his struggle

mike glanced at him briefly "right. i- uh, got some snacks before i came back, because i figured we haven't had much since we got back," he looked at will and el. then he turned to lucas and erica "and i figured you guys are probably hungry as well and i don't know how long you've been here without eating, so, uh yeah, here-" and he started passing snacks around.

he passed out some chips and candy. mike got to will and handed him a bag of reese's pieces. "i got you these because i know they were your favorite and uh, i- uh, hope they still are" mike said to him awkwardly as he handed him the bag with a slightly shaky hand, looking to and away from his face.

will took the bag and he smile at mike "they are mike, thanks." and he began opening the bag.

mike let out what seemed almost like a sigh of relief and he went to go sit in an open chair that happened to be by max's bedside. he looked over at her and a look of longing and despair came over his face. it was a look you'd see on someone who just lost something incredibly valuable to them.

no one said anything though. they just let the two of them be, because that's how max and mike worked with each other.

[edvinssmedvin]

Choking Part 3

Read more here: 1 2

Summary: Dustin thinks Eddie and Steve are acting a little strange. Just a small baby snippet with Dustin’s pov

CW: Dustin being nosy, as usual, Forcing oneself to talk while nonverbal (not said but implied)

It had taken Dustin a whole week of chores to convince his mom to let him go with Steve and Eddie, even then she just thinks they are going to some dinosaur museum.

How old does she think he is? Dinosaurs are such a middle school thing to be excited about.

Plus, after fighting freaky mind creatures, he has yet to be surprised by a new discovery.

So here he is, waiting on the porch for them to pick him up.

He pushes up his sleeve slightly, checking the time, 8:20.

So twenty minutes late.

He isn’t usually surprised when Eddie is late but this? This is the performance of the lifetime. He’d expect him to be early! Dustin was so excited he almost worked himself into a panic attack! And for what?!

Goddamnit they better get here.

Wait- what if they’re hurt? He just sitting here! He should go see-

Steve’s Beemer pulls around the corner of his street, calming his mind.

He can make out Eddie in the driver's seat just by his messy hair. Weird, Steve never lets anyone else drive it.

He lifted his hand in a wave to Eddie in the window.

He grabs his bag and rushes down the front steps. Mentally cursing himself when he notices his shoes are untied and he almost trips.

But slick as always, he saves himself just before eating dirt.

He opens up the back door, “What took so long?” He rushes out just as he shoves himself inside. Trying to ignore the fact that Steve and Eddie most definitely saw him frail around.

He looked toward Steve in the passenger for an answer but when noticing his sullen expression, it was like the air got thick, the atmosphere tense. He gaped for a moment before his eyes were darting to Eddie and then back to Steve. He goes to close the car door, slowly like he was trying not to scare off a stray cat.

“What? No hello?” Eddie joked, he could clearly tell he was trying to cover up what was going on. Eddie put his hand on Steve’s thigh, smiling. A reflection that seemed foreign on Eddies face, the smile missing his eyes.

He narrowed his eyes at Eddie before turning to Steve but when he looked at him, he yelled- “What the fuck!” Why isn’t he saying anything? “What happened?” He yelled once more, for good measure, obviously.

“Nothing Dustin, Just tired.” Steve answered him, his sentence choppy. It reminds him of El when he first met her. Huh.

And when Steve’s eyes truly met his, just by a look Dustin could tell some kind of enteral battle was going on in that noggin of his.

He looked back at Eddie who has been glaring at Steve like Dustin couldn’t tell.

Ah,

So a lovers quarrel. That he could fix.

Easier said then done.

Next part here —>

[zombieboyxdd]

i love dustin and steve so much :( they're like siblings to me i don't care

AND THE BAT TATTOO IM NOT OKAY IM GOING TO EXPLODE

Yeah seems like he's just dropping him off there to me

[loveinhawkins]

picturing Dustin watching at the trailer park, right after Eddie says, “Hey, Steve? Make him pay.”

And for some reason Dustin’s reminded of ‘84, of his conversation with Steve on the railroad tracks, it’s like before it’s gonna storm, you know? You can’t see it, but you can feel it, like this, uh... electricity, you know?—although he’s grown enough to suspect that Steve might not know everything in that regard.

And it’s not electricity he senses, not exactly, but it’s definitely a storm of some kind: something fragile. Something—someone—that’s very scared.

Dustin’s running before he’s even registered his decision. “Steve!”

Steve turns around, and he already looks like he’s about to ask a question—something practical, like whether Dustin’s forgotten something—and Dustin feels a twist of regret, that that’s where Steve’s mind goes; yeah, they’re all ready for battle, so it makes sense, but…

Feeling suddenly very young, Dustin barrels into Steve and hugs him.

He hears Steve’s surprised inhale, his hesitancy, before he returns the hug in full force.

For a little while, it’s like the world narrows down to only this. No ash in the air, no nightmarish red in the sky. Just the two of them.

Dustin’s about to pull away when he feels Steve’s chin dig into the top of his head. Hears him sniff, very quietly, like he’s trying to hide it; and that makes Dustin think of the tunnels, or afterwards, really, when Steve held onto him with shaking hands, kept saying, “We’re okay, we’re okay.”

So he just keeps hugging back.

Steve’s the one to let go; he’s smiling, but he looks a little sad too, forehead creased with worry.

“I need a ride tomorrow,” Dustin says.

Steve huffs. “Oh, yeah? Where to?”

Dustin taps his nose obnoxiously. “That’s for me to know and you to find out.”

It’s bullshit, of course; Dustin doesn’t need a ride anywhere.

Steve rolls his eyes, but some tightness in his jaw finally eases. “God, you’re such a dick.”

“Bright and early, Steve!” Dustin adds smugly. “Five am!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Steve says, waving him off, and for a moment it’s like they’re just in the school parking lot. He looks as if he’s about to say something else, then thinks better of it—glances back to where Robin and Nancy are waiting. He pulls Dustin in with one arm, a brief but tight hold. Nods, as if to himself. “Go on, scram.”

Dustin runs back to the trailer with a stitch in his side but a smile on his face. He knows it’s naive to think he can fix everything, but in this moment at least some part of the universe has been righted, even while in The Upside Down.

Eddie’s standing right where he left him, like he’s been frozen the whole time.

“Hey,” he says quietly. “is he, uh… is he okay?”

Dustin’s reminded that of course, Steve isn’t the only one who’s scared.

“Yeah, he will be,” he says, which he thinks is a more accurate answer than a simple yes or no.

It’s funny how life works, he muses while gathering supplies for the trailer defences. There’s no way he’d have thought even a week ago that Eddie would be sincerely asking him about Steve’s well-being. Whenever he happened to bring Steve up at Hellfire, Eddie would imitate him in a comedic falsetto, “Oh, Steve this, Steve that.”

For a minute, Eddie remains rooted to the spot, still staring in the direction of where Steve went—like he’d watched helplessly as Steve walked into the eye of a storm or something.

“You just gonna stand there and gawk?” Dustin says.

Eddie snorts. “So rude, Henderson.”

And it’s not like Dustin really knows, not when Steve and Eddie are still barely dancing around it themselves. Still, he can pick up on some things.

Like when they’ve finished setting up everything, waiting for the go-ahead for Eddie to start playing his guitar—to pass the time, they recount the high points of the day, keep it light. It’s a practice Eddie used to implement after campaigns.

And look, Dustin’s damn good at picking up on patterns. Like, he loves Steve, but he’s pretty sure the reality of him driving the hotwired RV doesn’t quite match up to how Eddie’s currently waxing lyrical about it.

He’s making it sound like it was something outta James Bond, Dustin thinks, when he’s sure Steve drove right into several trash cans.

Suddenly he knows exactly what he should do.

“Steve this, Steve that,” he sing-songs.

Eddie flushes; Dustin cackles.

“Fuck off,” Eddie says, but he’s smiling as Dustin keeps laughing, like he knows there’s nothing mean-spirited in it. He keeps going, Steve this, Steve that, talking right over Dustin’s teasing—somehow finding even more moments where Steve truly shines.

And Dustin doesn’t know everything, not even close, but at the very least, he knows that this feels right.

[morganski-19]

Chills Right to the Marrow Part 24

part 1, prev part

“Oh, come on, Maria,” Eddie yells at the TV. Having fallen victim to the soap operas that run nonstop. “If you stopped sleeping with your sister’s husband, maybe she wouldn’t hate you anymore.”

Dustin snorts, finishing up his math homework. Struggling to balance his notebook over his knee. But it was worth it to spend time with Eddie. Eddie who is awake and making progress. So fast that he might actually get out of the hospital in a week or two. Have physical therapy for a while and then be back to himself.

Then everything can really start to feel like normal again.

Steve finally gets there after work. Looking alive and awake instead of drained.

He laughs when he realizes what Eddie’s watching. “Maria still sleeping with Logan?”

“Yes,” Eddie exclaims. “Like what is she thinking?”

“I’m not sure any of these people have actual brain cells,” Steve snorts when he sits next to Dustin. Eddie starting to fill in the storyline Steve has missed in the past few days.

Dustin laughs while trying to get some of his biology homework done. The test is next week and he wants to do well. Wants to prove that he’s still able to get an A after everything. That the one thing he’s prided on isn’t permanently ruined.

There’s a slight rustle as Eddie flips the blankets off of him. And again as he starts to move, slipping one leg after the other off the side of the bed. He isn’t trying to stand. He couldn’t possibly think that’s a good idea.

“What’re you doing?” Steve asks, beating Dustin to the punch. Trying to hide the concern in his voice.

“Going to the bathroom.” Eddie braces his hands on the edge of the bed, ready to try and stand.

Steve shifts to the edge of his seat. “Do you need help? I can call a nurse or something.”

“I think I can use the bathroom by myself, Harrington,” Eddie snaps. Tension rising in his voice.

He pushes himself up, arms shaking as they take on his full weight. His legs extend to a standing position. Causing his full body to shake like his arms. Struggling to keep himself upright. To hold any weight at all.

“See,” he says, voice laced with pain. One hand gripping the handrail, shaking more than the rest of his limbs. Holding most of his weight. “Perfectly capable.”

Dustin can’t help but stare helplessly as Eddie takes his hand off the rail. Tries to step forward, but his legs succumb to the weight. As he falls forward, right into Steve. Steve who stood as soon as the fall started and put himself between Eddie and the floor. Creating a much softer collision.

Steve’s hands grip under Eddie’s armpits, holding him upright. While Eddie’s knees give out and he slides to the floor. Soft and controlled by Steve. A choked sob erupts from Eddie’s throat as he swears.

“Hey,” Steve tries to soothe, “hey, it’s ok. We can get you to the bathroom.”

“Nothing is fucking ok,” Eddie says defeated. Sitting on the floor with his legs splayed behind him. Hands coming up to bat Steve’s hands away. Eyes mirroring the lost, fearful look he had back at the boat house. Glossing over with tears too tired to be shed, but waiting just in case.

Steve looks to Dustin for help, not sure where to go from here. He doesn’t know Eddie like Dustin does.

Dustin shoves his homework off to the side. Sliding off his chair and onto the floor. Filling the space that Steve leaves when he slides over. Still keeping a stabilizing hand on Eddie’s shoulder, but letting Dustin take lead.

“It might not be,” Dustin starts, not sure if it’s in the right spot. “Things might not be ok. And they might not be ok for a little while. But what matters is that you’re awake. You’re getting better, and it takes time and that sucks.”

“I can’t even lift a fucking spoon without getting exhausted,” Eddie interrupts. “I can barely sit up by myself. I used to be able to do so much, and now I’m stuck in this body that I don’t even know how to control anymore.” Eddie takes a shaky breath through his teeth. Exhaling it sharply before taking another. Chest heaving. “And everything, everything, hurts. So much. All of the time and it never stops. I wake up and it hurts, I can’t sleep because it hurts. I’m so tired of it all.”

His head hits the side of the bed as he lets out a breath. Hands shaking as they come to press at his eyes. The tremble traveling down all the way back to his shoulder. Dustin never noticed the severity of it before.

“I know you are, I can’t imagine that you’re not. And if I were in your place, I’d be just as frustrated. But there’s going to be a day where the pain gets better. As your body heals and you learn how to control it again.”

Dustin takes a deep breath, trying to find a way to verbalize the thoughts in his head. To find any way to make Eddie feel better. Coming to the conclusion that there isn’t one answer to this. No one thing that will make the pain subside, or to completely take Eddie’s mind off of it.

But his friend is near tears on the floor of a hospital shaking in pain. Muscles so weak that they can barely hold their own weight. Time spent recovering that he will never get back. Leaving him with unimaginable pain, and memories that are only adding to it all. Maybe things he can’t even remember.

All Dustin can do is try. The same way that Eddie wakes up and tries to get better. The way Steve finds way to make his migraines more manageable. The way that Wayne can step into the hospital day after day before going to work. And the way that Max is learning how to navigate life again.

The way they have all adapted to circumstances thrust upon them than none ever believed could happen. All they all can do is try to make tomorrow better than yesterday. Understanding that there will be times it becomes a little bit worse, and then has to get better all over again. This merry-go-round of healing that none of them have perfected. But try to.

“You will get better, Eddie.”

Eddie huffs. “And if I don’t.”

“You will,” Steve cuts in. “I know cause I did. The bites healed, my head got better. Not without leaving their own unique scars. But you get used to it after a while. The pain, it’s still there, just sometimes isn’t as loud.”

“Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and feel like they’re still biting me.”

Steve scoffs. “Yeah, phantom pains are a bitch. Wait until they start itching like crazy. They’ll give you a cream for it, it doesn’t help.”

Eddie lets out a sarcastic victorious sound. “Help me get back on the bed, please.”

His voice sounds so defeated it hurts. Dustin doesn’t say anything about it though. Knowing what it took just to ask for help. Not needing to make this more difficult that it actually was.

They get Eddie back into the bed. Watching as he falls into the mattres, seeing almost immediate relief. They call a nurse in, see a glimpse into Eddie’s life while they’re not there. What life has been like for him.

What it will be like for him. For who knows how long.

“Your head,” Eddie says after a long break of silence. The question directed at Steve. “I didn’t know there was anything wrong with it.”

Steve nods, gently. “I’ve had about four concussions in my life. Two really severe ones and then two other’s that did not compare. But I get migraines, real bad ones. And there’s this ringing in my right ear that just won’t quit sometimes.”

“Shit, that sucks.”

“Yeah, it does. The migraines get so bad I can barely get out of bed. Barely eat anything. Robin has to come over at feed me smoothies or water so I don’t dehydrate.”

Dustin just sits there and watches as they talk about it. Their pain. Not understanding the full depths of it. The complexities that come only with experience. But he watches as Eddie calms down, knowing that he’s not alone in this. That someone else can understand even a crumb of what he’s going through. Steve looking relieved to finally tell someone else what he’s been going through. To have another person understand.

Eddie eventually falls asleep. Listening to some story Steve thought of to change the subject. To help get Eddie’s mind in a place outside of the hospital. It’s so peaceful when the hospital quiets down as the hours go by. Dustin used to find it excruciating. Now he knows that it means people are at some sort of peace.

Something everyone could use, even for a short period of time.

“You did good in there,” Steve says as they finally leave. “I didn’t really know what to do, but I think you calmed him down a bit.”

“I just hate seeing him like that.”

“I do too.” Steve puts his hand on Dustin’s shoulder. “But he’ll get better, just like you said. It will take a long time, and he might never get back to the place he was before. But he will get better. You’re helping to remind him of that.”

Better isn’t perfect. But it’s good. And good is better than bad. Dustin can take the better this time. Knowing that it will never be perfect, but it will be enough.

next part

tag list (capping at 100, only 5 spots left): @the-they-who-nerded, @insteviewetrust, @croatoan-like-its-hot, @jettestar,

@tinyplanet95, @steddie-as-they-go, @slv-333, @littlecelestialmoth, @thatonebadideapanda,

@fandomsanddeath, @marismorar, @wonderland-girl143-blog, @glass-bottle03, @gutterflower77,

@here4thetrama, @goodolefashionedloverboi, @jaytriesstuff, @cryptid-system, @manda-panda-monium,

@resident-gay-bitch, @anaibis, @xxsutherlandxx, @forevermineliv, @mugloversonly,

@gregre369, @n0-1-important, @different-tale-student, @spectrum-spectre, @tartarusknight,

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@papergrenade, @waelkyring, @sweetheartprincess28, @katouasobj, @astercomoasflores

[bellatrixscurls]

Dustin with a… hammer? | an Eddie Munson Series

pairing : henderson!reader x eddie munson. summary : eddie is your longtime crush. so what happens when you get him all alone, one wednesday afternoon? warnings : eventual smut, friends to lovers, dustin freaking out, kissing, pet names. a/n : this will be a series. please lmk if you like it!

You heard a loud bang, and seconds later your door was slammed open, revealing an unkempt Dustin with a… hammer? in his hands.

“Y/n/n! You have to help me!” He screamed at the top of his lungs, yet you remained unimpressed and it was driving him nuts. “Get up!”

You squinted at him, eyeing the hammer in his hand. And then his face again. “What are you doing with that, you wombat? Put that down” you rolled your eyes and looked back down at your book.

Yet you could hear his breathing, well, it wasn’t something unusual. But he was getting agitated and you could feel it in the air. “It’s Eddie” spluttered Dustin, and your ears immediately perked up. “W-Well, actually it’s Vecna. But I am way more concerned about Eddie.”

“What’s up with Eddie?” You asked, looking back at him as you walked down the stairs, your brother following right behind. Your book was already long forgotten, and any plans you had had before Dustin mentioned Eddie.

You liked the boy. He was sweet, pretty, and he always gave you free weed, blushing like crazy when you kissed his cheek as a thank you.

“I am supposed to meet him here in a few minutes, but Steve called and said that he needs me because Vecna is back and he wants Max and obviously-” he rushed out, but when you gave him a weird look he paused, clutching at his chest. “I need you to distract him until I get back from Steve’s.”

Your eyes were shining. And if Dustin saw, he didn’t say anything. He accepted the urgent nod you gave him, and left, but not before hugging you and yelling “He should be here soon.”

This should be good.

♡

You made sure to do it all. You took a shower first, using your favourite sprays and creams. You put on perfume, cleaned the living room, put on cute clothes. Well, not too cute, you didn’t want him to realise what you were doing. At least not at first.

It was perfect. You had waited for some alone time with Eddie since forever, and Dustin gave it to you on a silver plate, albeit unknowingly.

You jumped a bit at the knock on your door, adrenaline rushing through your veins. “Henderson, you better be ready! I even came a few minutes late so you could-… Oh, hello. You don’t look like you’re into D&D” he smiled that charming smile of his, and you took a moment to admire him. He was wearing a black shirt, black jeans and black boots. His usual clothes, but now he seemed to look even better in them.

You smiled back, opening the door so he could come inside. “I could be” you mumbled and he heard it. Of course he did. His eyes met yours, a mischievous glint in them as he kept eye contact, making his way into your living room.

“So” Eddie rubbed his hands together, falling back down on the comfortable couch. “Where’s Dusty Bun?”

You laughed out loud, sitting down next to Eddie, keeping a fair distance at first. “I see you met mother” he hummed and looked at you expectantly, to which you responded with a shrug and a small “What?”

You tried your best puppy eyes on him, hands toying with the hem of your bycicle shorts. Eddie bit back a smirk, shaking his head “He isn’t here, is he? Little fucker.”

“Actually, he told me to take care of you!” You rushed out when you noticed Eddie beginning to get up, and he looked back at you, wide-eyed. “No! I mean, he told me to stay with you until he gets back.”

Eddie exhaled loudly, ring clad fingers covering his face. “He said what?”

You were taken aback. Was he annoyed?

“Yeah, I’m sorry” you mumbled, mood already ruined. You didn’t know what to do, so you just kept fiddling with your fingers.

Eddie raised his head, looking at you through the space between his fingers. He fucked up big time. His eyes softened and one of his hands found your thigh, squeezing gently. “No, sweetheart. I just- God, he’s cancelled on me too many times now. The campaign is in two days, for fuck’s sake.”

You hummed, hand covering his, still on your thigh. His eyes met yours and he was looking at you carefully, feeling his whole body tense at your touch. “I could try to help you. I mean, I know a few things about D&D. Dustin won’t stop talking about it.”

Eddie’s heart swelled in his chest at your offer. If there was anything he liked more than a pretty girl, was one who actually showed interest in the things he liked. Especially D&D.

“Buckle up, dollface.”

♡

“God, Eddie” you sighed, finally finishing your 3 hour session of helping Eddie with his campaign. He was really passionate about it, and you loved hearing him talk, occasionally asking you for your opinion, which made you feel included and content. “This is harder than it looks. Now I understand why Dustin freaks out so much about every game.”

Eddie chuckles, running a hand through his curly hair and messing it up a little more. “What can I say, sweetheart? It’s not for the weak.”

“What are you implying, Munson?” You snort, swatting his shoulder as he laughed even louder.

Even his laugh was something to die for.

Eddie tipped his head back, leaning on the couch. “I’m joking, Y/n. You have helped me a lot, Henderson must thank you for not getting in trouble with me.”

He put on a serious face, big eyes looking at you as seriously as he could. But it didn’t last long as you both burst out laughing. He was so unserious.

“I’m joking, obviously” he rolled his eyes, still laughing a little bit. “I have some weed in my bag by the way… That’s not a joke” he grabbed his bag from the floor, searching through it.

You put your hand over his, stopping him. “I have some in my room. Come” you took a hold of his hand, dragging him up the stairs and straight to your room.

You left Eddie to sit on your bed as you searched through your makeup drawer, taking a big amount of weed from there.

Eddie’s eyes widened when he saw how much it was in there. “Woah, I don’t have that much weed at home… Where did you- how do you have that?”

Looking down at the floor timidly, you responded. “S all the weed you have ever given me.”

His eyebrows shot up, a confused look on his face. He understood, I mean, he saw the weed, but he didn’t understand… the other parts. “Why did you keep all of that? Sweetheart, that’s gold. How come you have never tried that?”

Sighing, you sat on the bed as well, legs crossed. “I don’t exactly smoke, Eddie” you explain to him, hoping that his questions would stop there. They didn’t.

“Well, what the hell do you use weed for? Wait- you snort it? That’s so fucking cool-”

“Eddie, I don’t know how to!” You raised your voice, and his words are cut short, a flabbergasted look all over his face. “Anytime you’d offered me weed, I couldn’t just say no to you. I wanted you to think I am cool.”

He said nothing and you felt even worse now. You’d just, albeit indirectly, admitted you had something for the boy, and he had no reaction. “I just wanted us to have things in common and-”

Warm. He smashed his lips against your own, and they were so soft and warm. He couldn’t hold back anymore as his once gentle hands found your hips, gripping them and bringing you to sit on his lap.

When Eddie pulled away for a moment to catch your breath, he leaned his forehead against yours, your hands still holding his face between them. You took your turn to look at him confusedly, breath uneven. “Your lips are soft” you blabbered and Eddie chuckled, kissing your nose.

You were staring unseeing into Eddie’s eyes, and he couldn’t help but bring you even closer to him, face against your neck. “You are so perfect. Fuck- I love kissing you.”

His lips were a sin against the sensitive skin on your neck. So skilled and full, you just had to grip the back of his neck, head tipped back in pleasure.

“You can do more” you whimper, pleased when you felt Eddie’s bulge against your clothed cunt, closing your eyes tightly at the sinful feeling.

Heavy silence enveloped them as Eddie stilled, because, well… he had two options. Possibly screw his friendship with Dustin or… not.

Oh no. Eddie began to panic.

“I can’t” he pulled back, shaking his head as if he was having a whole ass discussion in his mind. And boy, was he. “I can’t, Y/n. This is not right, that’s not how this is supposed to happen.”

He got up, brushing down his clothes with his hands. You had no words as you stared up at him, shivers ran down your spine when you realised that he was practically running down the stairs and you were left alone. He didn’t care, of course he didn’t. You had tried everything to make him like you, but it still wasn’t enough for him.

[augustweary]

Bonus hugs that I missed the first time.

The triple hug appreciation post!

A hug between two characters is amazing, but a hug between three is spectacular.

[wonderlandwalker]

First Impressions | Eddie Munson x Reader

Stranger Things Masterlist / Inbox Summary: Eddie learns that Dustin has a recently reunited sister, and from the moment he meets you he's a goner. (read part 2 here) Content Warnings / Tags: Pure fluff, henderson!reader, tiny mention of a fight but nothing descriptive, not edited, no use of y/n Word Count: 1.4k A/N: Eddie brain rot cause I couldn't keep it in. Don't know if this is my best work but I'm planning to write more chapters on this so it's just a start, hope you like it

“You need a ride home after this?” It was more of a formality than an actual question, he always drove Dustin home after a session.

“Oh that’s okay, my sister is picking me up.” Dustin didn’t even look up from packing his things away, but Eddie’s head shot up.

“Your- you have a sister, since when?” As far as he knew Dustin was an only child, but now he was wrecking his brain trying to think if he had ever mentioned you before.

“I know you’re bad at math Eddie, but I just told you she’s driving so try and put the pieces together.” Dustin was looking up at him now, challenging him.

“Alright smartass, it’s time for you to shut up.” He told him as he ruffled through his hair, leaving behind an agitated Dustin trying frantically to fix it. 

The others had already gone home, but Dustin stayed behind late to help Eddie finish up, a habit that became more and more common as the two grew closer. When they finished packing up Eddie locked the door behind them, and while walking to the parking lot decided he wasn’t quite done interrogating Dustin.

“If you have an older sister, how come I've never seen her around before?”

“I mean she’s been around during holidays before, she lived with dad though but they had a big fight so she’s moved here.” It seemed like a sore topic, so Eddie dropped it for now.

As they got to the entrance of the school and felt the cool air on their skin Eddie indeed noticed another car in the usually empty lot, and you were sitting on the hood of it, a book in your hands as you patiently waited. The last rays of sunshine graced your figure as if the heavens themselves were blessing you, and Eddie had never been so sure he’d seena goddess in his life. It was just like the tales he knew so well, the ones he still devoted his life to, it was as if they were becoming true. You looked up when you heard them approach, smiling at the sight of them and giving Dustin a quick side hug as they reached you.

“It’s nice to meet you, I’ve heard a lot of good things.” You held your hand out for Eddie to take, but all he could do was look at it, staring ahead as if hitting pause in a game, he stood still. He wanted to react, to not make the most horrible first impression possible, but the longer he looked at you the worse it got, getting lost in sight of your smile.

“Alright, not a fan of handshakes, noted.” You chuckled as you withdrew your hand, and Eddie cursed himself for not having taken the opportunity to feel how soft your skin must’ve been. You looked at him again, your eyes piercing straight through his soul and he wondered if maybe he had found himself in one of his fantasy worlds, he must have. But the next second he shook himself out of it, because you were real, you were real and in front of him and expecting him to say something.

“I’m Eddie.” he said, nodding his head as if to confirm his own statement.

“So I’ve been told.” Another giggle slipped past your lips, and Eddie wasnt sure if it was from nerves or entertainment, but he was dying to hear more of it, even if he had to make a fool of himself to do so.

Dustins head kept going back and forth as if watching a tennis match of idiocracy. He had never seen Eddie so flustered, so used to the man flaunting with every opportunity that presented itself that this seemed quite out of character. In full disclosure, it was kind of freaking him out to see Eddie so beside himself, and it was freaking him out even further that he couldn’t figure out why. It was probably blatantly obvious to anyone else, but maybe it was for the best that Dustin couldn’t place where the tension originated from, either way, his patience had run out

“Can we go home now, I still have to call Mike to discuss our net strategies” You tore your eyes from Eddie, deciding that maybe it was for the best to head home.

“Yeah alright, maybe I’ll see you around Eddie.” You gave him one last smile as you got in the car with Dustin and drove off, but it took him another minute to pick his shambled ego up from the concrete ground as he berated himself for not being able to utter one coherent sentence. As he got in his van and drove home as well he decided he’d have to grill Dustin for more information on you the next time he’d see him. As he got to the trailer he grumbled a hello to Wayne before disappearing to his room, ignoring the backhanded comment he got about his grumpy disposition. 

He wondered if he’d ever be able to convince you he was cool, whether he’d be able to get you to agree to see him again, but after what just transpired he figured the odds were slim. Not that he’d give up so easily, he didn’t have much of a reputation to lose and if he’d be able to get you to laugh again that would be more than enough. But he didn’t get to wonder for long as Wayne knocked on his door, he was ready to tell the man to leave him alone, but the next sentence was one that confused him immensely

“Someone on the phone for you.” Wayne held the phone out to him, expecting him to get up from the bed and take it, but Eddie didn’t move an inch.

“For me, you sure?” He was still not quite sure what to do.

“Unless another Eddie is living here I’m pretty sure.” He moved his hand again to accentuate the phone that was still on hold, but once again Eddie just sat there.

“If you want I can tell her to call back-” That’s when he sprung into action, snatching the phoen out of Wayne’s hand 

“No! No, I got it. Thank you.” The old man simply chuckled as he left again, closing the door behind him to give his nephew some privacy.

Eddie cleared his throat once before picking up the line put on hold. 

“Hello?” he asked, still not quite sure what to do.

“Hi, Eddie it’s me, just wanted to see if you were doing alright.” your sweet voice blessed his ears once more. He doesn’t know what he did to get the universe on his side like this, but he was grateful for it nonetheless.

“Yeah I’m good, listen-” Eddie figured this time he shouldn’t waste his chance, and he probably had some making up to do.

“- I’m sorry if I freaked you out earlier, just never seen anyone that pretty before.” You were giggling again, and it brought the biggest grin onto his face.

“You didn’t weird me out at all, it was kinda cute. I had to bribe Dustin to let me use the phone so I don’t have much time but I was wondering if maybe you’d like to go out this weekend?” Maybe he should’ve waited a beart before answering, but he was too eager to care.

“Go out, as in a date?” It got him blushing, the red creeping up on his cheeks as he wondered if that’s really what you were asking

“I mean, kinda, if you want to.” He could almost see you blushing on the other side of the line as well, and he decided it was now or never.

“I’d love to.” 

“That’s great, I’m still kind of new around here, do you know any good places?” Your smile was present as you spoke, and he was already looking forward to seeing it again, now knowing he wouldn’t have to wait long.

“How about I come and pick you up, we can go to the mall.” His confidence was growing with the minute now, absolutely elated by the turn of events.

“Im looking forward to it” He wondered what you’d wear, knowing whatever it was it would look beautiful on you, and he knew he’d spend the entire date amazed at your presence. 

“Me too” he said before the both of you hung up the phone, he had already started planning the most amazing evening out, and maybe, he thought, maybe this year really would take a turn for the better.

[part 2 here]

[catherinnn]

I thought of this at work today and I couldn't stop laughing: Imagine Dustin having an older sister who's back from college. So when they need a sub for Hellfire, he asks her because she's the one that taught him how to play in the first place. As soon as she walks in Eddie's brain short-circuits because "Jesus H. Christ Henderson, why didn't you tell me your sister was my dream girl?!?!? I would've at least brushed my hair!"

Que Dustin not sure whether he should be disgusted because his sister keeps flirting with his DM all night or excited because there is now a very strong possibility Eddie could become his brother-in-law now.

Roll for Initiative eddie munson x henderson!reader warnings: nothing much really, just fluff overall. eddie self-doubts for just a second, no use of y/n, cursing. a/n: thank you so much for requesting! I really hope you like it. reblogs and comments are very very appreciated. 2.2k words masterlist

“So,” Mike starts talking, Dustin takes notice of his sarcastic tone. “Who the fuck do we know that secretly plays D&D and would want to sub for Lucas”

“Um, well…” but before Dustin can get a word out Mike interrupts him.

“I mean, we’re fucked! Eddie’s gonna hate us and kick us out of Hellfire!”

“Dude-“

“No Dustin, I’m serious! I’m gonna kill Lucas and all his stupid new friends”

“Mike! Do you remember what I told you earlier? About my sister?”

“Uh… no?” he confesses.

“Honestly! Do you ever listen to me?!” Dustin claims angrily. “What I told you is that she’s coming back home. And she used to play, dude!”

“Are you serious?” Mike exclaims, unable to believe their luck. He asks “When does she get here?”

--

Dustin's heart pounds with anticipation as he waits at the doorstep. It had been months since he last saw you, and he couldn't wait to catch up.

And as your mom’s car pulls into the driveway, Dustin cannot contain his excitement. He rushes to greet you, nearly stumbling over his own feet in his haste. You step out of the car, a weary smile on your face as you spot your little brother.

"Dustin!" you exclaim, opening your arms for a hug. "You've gotten even taller since I last saw you."

“You think so?” he asks with hope.

“Oh right? He’s turning into a whole handsome tall man already!” your mom butted into the conversation and you both cringe at her choice of words.

“Ugh, I missed you!” you hug him again and he laughs.

Once you’re inside the house, Dustin wastes no time in bombarding you with stories of his D&D campaigns. He told you about the epic battles and the incredible DM the club has. You make a mental note to tease Steve as soon as you see him since he’s no longer Dustin’s coolest older friend.

“That club sounds so fun!”

"Do you think... would you want to join our club as a sub?" he asks eagerly. "We're short one person since Lucas joined the dark side”

You frown in confusion and he explains. “He’s in the football team”

“Really?” you ask surprised.

“Yeah…” he sounds disappointed. “Anyway, would you help us? Please”

“You’re sure they won’t mind?”

“They would be so thankful if you help us beat Eddie’s ass”

“Okay, sure then” you agree laughing.

--

“Come on! We’re gonna be late!” Dustin shouts from the living room waiting impatiently for you.

“I’ve been ready for like ten minutes, you’re the one who’s taking so long” you answer calmly, not knowing what all the fuss is about.

Meanwhile in the drama room in Hawking’s High…

“Alright gentlemen, are we ready to start?” Eddie says as he walks in.

“Umm no, Dustin’s not here yet” Mike stops him.

“Well, where is he?”

“He’s probably arriving any time now”

“Wheeler, we don’t have all day-“ Eddie starts complaining but the door opening abruptly interrupts him. An agitated Dustin walks in and starts apologizing, but Eddie’s not listening to him.

The club leader still frozen mid-sentence, his brain seemingly short-circuiting as he laid eyes on you, standing by the door. He stumbled over his words, his thoughts are silent but screaming at the same time. Suddenly, the room seemed smaller, the air thicker, as if a spell had been cast upon him.

However, you’re still oblivious to the effect you had over him.

“Soo, who’s this?” Gareth finally asks after waiting for Eddie to ask that question, but he was not even moving.

“Oh, this is my sister” Dustin starts introducing you. Eddie’s trance is broken when he hears your name, the prettiest name he’s ever heard. “She’ll sub for Lucas”

“She will?” Eddie asks with a hint of hope in his voice. All of the sudden hoping Lucas won’t be able to join Hellfire ever again.

The rest of the boys are waiting expectantly for Eddie to ask you all types of question until he finds an unsatisfying enough answer and he’ll decide you can’t sub. But he never does. So Gareth starts asking if you even know how to play D&D.

“Sure she does, she was the one who taught me how to play in the first place” your brother steps in.

You tell the boys your level in the game and for some reason they all seem surprised. They start murmuring among each other. But you notice how the boy on the big throne leans over to your brother to whisper something. You play dumb and walk closer to them.

"Jesus H. Christ Henderson, why didn't you tell me your sister was my dream girl? I would've at least brushed my hair!" He whispers-shouts and a smile starts forming on your face.

You’d be lying if you said he hadn’t called your attention. His big puppy eyes, all the rings on his hand. You don’t know why he says that about his hair, you thought it looked really good like that.

At any rate, you take a seat next to your brother, which just so happens to also be next to Eddie. Happy coincidence. And you start playing, Eddie sets the scene. He makes you imagine every single little detail so you feel like you’re actually there. He makes different voices for each character which makes you giggle. He even stands up, or leans over on the table, he talks to every single one of you, not forgetting about anyone. It’s mesmerizing to see him like this.

“I love how passionate you get” you comment and it makes him smile so hard.

He noticed before, every time he would change the tone in his voice to imitate a character, you’d laugh, and now he keeps changing voices just to hear it again.

“Give me the gold! He says. Or I’ll set my hungry wolves free, right this second!” Eddie acts and without failing he’s able to hear your snorts. It distracts him in the best way possible. “You have an adorable laugh” he tells you with a smirk.

This obviously makes you giggle once more, this time with a pink blush decorating your cheeks. “Thanks, it’s just- you’re cute making all the voices”

Now it’s Eddie’s turn to blush and smile once more.

Dustin notices this exchange —all of the other boys did— but he can’t decipher how he feels about it. On the one hand, he feels a little jealous and uncomfortable that you two keep flirting. But on the other hand, it would be really cool to have Eddie as his brother in law.

However, the game continues and so does the places Eddie takes you all to in your minds. So much so that at one point you start getting dizzy.

“Wait, where are we again?” you ask.

“In the mountains near the lake” Gareth answers.

“Are we close to the palace?”

“No no, the palace is behind the woods” Mike explains now. They have more of an advantage than you do, they've been playing this campaign for weeks now.

“Wh- Do you have a map?” You finally ask Eddie and he nods passing it to you.

“Here’s the palace” he comes closer and signals on the map, “and here is where you are”

“Oh, okay”

“You know, if you’re still lost I can stick around to guide you” he whispers giving the closeness.

“Well, you’re the bad guy here,” you argue imagining you’re still inside the game. “How do I know you won’t try to kill me?”

“Me?” he gasps acting offended. “I would never!”

“You already killed Jeff!” you accuse him.

“Yeah, but he’s not half as pretty as you are. I’d miss you too much” he makes sure he’s whispering very close to you now, just because if Jeff heard him he’d start acting offended. Just because of that… no other reason.

“Can we keep playing now? My mom will be here in like ten minutes to pick me up” Mike complains.

Those ten minutes fly by. Before you even realize it, Mike’s mom is honking in her car to hurry him up. And so you finish for the day, starting to gather all your things.

“You know, you owe me a pencil” you tell Eddie.

“Oh really? Why’s that?” he asks playfully.

“I only borrowed it to you! I did not gift it!”

“So you’re calling me a thief? First a killer and now a thief? Glad to know you think so badly of little old me”

“I didn't just called you that!” you say in you defence and he makes confused face, signalling you to continue talking. “I also said you’re cute. You’re a really cute thief and killer”

He starts laughing. “Are you always this charming, or is it just when I'm around?"

“I could ask you the same thing”

“Oh only with you, sweetheart” he promises.

“Me too” you admit a little shyly.

“Yeah?-” he tries to keep flirting but Dustin cuts him off.

“Are you ready? Let’s go”

“Wow, since when are you so eager to leave hellfire?” Eddie notices.

“No reason” he lies, he’s still not sure if all this flirting between you two would be something good or not.

“I think he’s a little jealous his sister is taking all of Eddie’s attention” Gareth teases him.

“No, I’m not!”

“Aw Dusty bun!” Eddie joins in the teasing.

“I’m not jealous! Ask her out for all I care!” he says but regrets it as soon as it left his mouth.

“Really?” Eddie checks in but Dustin is a very proud person, he’s not one to bend. So he nods encouraging his friend.

Good thing you know him like the palm of your hand.

“Let’s go dingus, mom’s probably waiting for us”

Eddie feels this as punch right on his chest. Did he read too much into this? Were you not actually interested? Was it just some playful flirting?

As you walk out the school and into the parking lot. You open the car so your brother can get in but tell him to wait a second, and you walk over to Eddie who was about to get in his van.

“Wait! Thief!” you call him and he turns around. “I think you should, you know… ask me out”

He feels the happiness creeping back into his body. “Yeah? I should?” his playful tone back in his voice. “Would you want to go out with a thief and a murderer?”

“If he’s as cute as you are, then I’d think about it” you make him laugh again.

“How about tomorrow night? I’ll pick you up at eight” he proposes.

“I’ll be ready”

“Good”

“Yeah, good” you walk closer to him. “See you tomorrow then” and before leaving, you give him a kiss on his cheek. Hiding your need to kiss him more after seeing his flushed face. You’ll have plenty of time for that tomorrow.

Dustin sees you getting in the car with the biggest smile on your face. “Did you ask him out?”

“Um, yeah… listen-“

“It’s fine, really”

“No, listen. I know that maybe it’s a little uncomfortable to think of one of your best friends going out with me. But I promise I would never do anything to hurt him and make it weird between you two-“

“I know that, and I know he wouldn’t do that either” he interrupts you. “I’m just- I’m worried that I won’t be a priority to you or to him anymore”

“Dustin, are you kidding? You could not be more wrong about that!” you argue. “Imagine this date goes well, we’ll start hanging out at home and watch movies with you, we could go out to eat all together, go to the cinema, anything! You name it!”

And the more he thinks about it that way, the more he loves that idea.

So the next day, he helps you choose your outfit, he tells you which hairstyle will look better and then hurries you up when it’s 7:50 pm and you’re still putting mascara on.

“You look fine already! Amazing even! Grab your jacket cause he’ll be here any minute now!” and as soon as he says that, he recognizes that car outside with the loud metal music, seconds later he hears the door knocking.

“I’ll get it, mom!” he yells so his mother won’t embarrass you.

“No, you won’t. I will” you stop him before he can open the door. “Go back to your comic-book. I’ll be back in a few hours”

And he waits until you get back. 

When you finally do, he’s on the couch watching TV but mutes it as soon as he hears you.

“Hey” he notices the big smile on your face is on again. He also notices your lips are a little puffy and he cringes at that thought.  

“You can go to sleep happily now, the date went amazing” you explain. “God, I think I’m love with him!” you comment as you go up to your room.

“Already?” he judges a little.

But as you promised, the three of you hang out together most of the time. And as long as he looks away when you two kiss or ignores the fact that Eddie’s spending the night in your room after you all catch a movie and order some pizza. He’s really happy that you two found each other.

[wynnyfryd]

Trailer Park Steve AU part 5

part 1 | part 4

“…Henderson? Oh, holy shit, Henderson!!”

Eddie sounds like a kid on Christmas morning as he comes bounding across the street, movements like a great dane tripping over gangly limbs. He barrels into Dustin and tackles him in a great big hug, swings him off the ground in a circle and puts him back down so they can do some elaborate handshake with slaps and switchbacks and an ending tap-tap of their ankle bones.

What the fuck?

Steve watches this whole thing go down with his hands on his hips and his face doing something horribly sour because seriously what the actual fuck? Stupid handshakes with Henderson are his thing.

“What are you doing here, man?” Munson asks Dustin with a jovial pat on the back. Dustin’s squeezing him around the middle, tucked into his side like a little kid hugging a giant teddy bear, face just lit the fuck up with excitement over this. Steve feels his nostrils flare in a brief flash of petty rage.

“Steve!” he shouts happily. “Why didn’t you tell me you’re neighbors with Eddie?”

Eddie’s face falls when he looks up and sees Steve. Feeling’s mutual, dickwad.

“You’re here to see Harrington?” He asks in a voice like flat soda, all the earlier enthusiasm sucked out into the void. He takes a tiny step away from Dustin — just the smallest bit of distance, a subtle lightening of his touch against his shoulder — but Steve doesn’t miss the flicker of hurt that passes between Dustin’s brows. As if he needed another reason to hate this guy.

“Uh, yeah?” Dustin asks, confusion coloring his tone. “He’s my brother.”

“He’s your what?”

Steve’s chest swells with pride. “He said I’m his brother.”

“Not my blood brother,” Dustin clarifies, and Eddie makes a little noise. “But yeah. He’s fucking awesome. And you’re fucking awesome—”

“Language?” Steve tries for Claudia’s sake, but Dustin’s on a roll now, getting louder and more exuberant as he starts talking with his hands.

“—And oh, holy shit, this is the best! Wait ‘til I tell Mike and Lucas about this. With you guys living so close, we can hang out all the time! And we won’t even have to make two bike rides!”

Dustin leans in to squeeze Eddie in another hug, so stoked he’s bouncing on his toes a little (so stoked he doesn’t even bother to ask Eddie if it’s cool if the whole party shows up at his door, but that’s Dusty for you). His face is turned into the front of Eddie’s shirt, and over the top of his baseball cap Eddie gives Steve this look that Steve’s pretty sure he returns. Serious. Somber. Resigned. A fucking gallows stare, because…

Because fuck. Fucking- goddammit.

They’re gonna have to pretend to tolerate each other now. For Dustin.

Steve’s left eye starts to twitch.

—

“Are you selling him drugs?”

“Excuse the fuck outta you??”

Okay. Yeah. Bad start. Backtrack. Steve knows this is not the right way to approach a conversation, especially not when it’s Saturday night and you just interrupted your neighbor’s house party to be an accusatory dick to him. The Munson trailer door is wide open behind Eddie, and Steve can see a couple guys he vaguely recognizes from school sitting in the living room — a chubby white dude, a nerdy black guy, and a baby-faced kid with a scowl to rival Mike’s. They’re eating pizza and smoking cigarettes and sipping some cheap-ass brand of beer, and Steve is clearly interrupting.

“Sorry,” he tries again.

“Wow,” Eddie smirks. “Didn’t know you knew that word.”

“Shut up, man- just— ugh.” He takes a deep breath, wills himself to stop rolling his eyes at the guy he needs to ask a favor. “I’m sorry, okay? Can I just talk to you for a second?”

Eddie considers him for a moment; chin tilted up, lips pursed; and then he steps onto the porch and shuts the door behind him. “I’m listening,” he murmurs around a fresh cigarette, hand cupped around the end to light it.

He holds the pack out to Steve. “You want one?”

“Do I- what?”

Eddie shakes the box for emphasis. “Do you want one?”

“No, I heard you, I just…” The weird ceasefire between them is tripping him the hell up. He doesn’t think it’ll go too well if he says that out loud, though. “…Yeah. Fuck it. Thanks.”

“Sure.”

They smoke in silence for a moment, shoulder to shoulder, looking out into the dark of the woods that kind of freak Steve out if he lets himself look too long. Something about the branches like long, spindly fingers in the dark; like jittering spider legs; like a Mindflayer made of—

“You wanted to ask me something?”

Steve rubs his brow with his thumb, lets the panic out on a slow breath. “Yeah, I just… Look, I’m not trying to— I mean, I shouldn’t accuse you of anything, man. I just spent the afternoon getting myself all worked up thinking about it after he left, and- and Claudia needs me to look out for the kid, so—”

“Who the hell is Claudia?”

Steve tilts his head at him. “Dustin’s mom?”

“Oh.”

“I thought you two were close.”

Eddie shakes his head, curls bouncing around his shoulders, “Nah, man, not yet really. I mean, don’t get me wrong, the little guy’s cool and all — smart as shit, too—”

“Isn’t he?”

“Fucking genius. He’s gonna cure cancer or some shit, I swear.”

Steve catches himself smiling; hides it behind another quick puff of smoke.

“Anyway,” Eddie says, “I don’t really, like, know the dude. We just met because I run Hellfire.”

Oh. “The DnD club?” No wonder Dusty’s obsessed.

Eddie shoots him a look, a quick blink of pleasant surprise. “Yeah, exactly.”

“Cool. He loves that game.” Steve pulls in more smoke, takes his time on the exhale; lets the nicotine buzz swim in his veins. He forgot how nice it feels. “So yeah, Claudia— his mom—asked me to look out for him, y’know? And I just, I know you used to supply the weed for my house parties and shit— and it was good quality shit and all but I don’t—”

“Hold on,” Eddie says, snorting a little in disbelief. “You think I’m gonna sell weed to Dustin?”

Huh. “You wouldn’t?”

“Hell no! One, he’s way too young; that shit’s, like, bad for young minds or something, allegedly.”

Steve frowns to himself, thinking back to him and Tommy smoking weed in Tommy’s basement in middle school; the brain damage they probably gave themselves doing it. Whoops.

“Secondly, can he even smoke? I thought he was sick or something.”

“What? Why would you think he’s sick?” Oh, shit, is he sick? Does Steve not know about it because he missed all those family dinners?

“Dude, take a breath.” Eddie waves a dismissive hand, wafting smoke in pretty tendrils under the trailer’s flood light. “I just meant, like, chronically. ‘Cause of his bones and shit?”

“Oh,” Steve breathes, relieved. “Oh, yeah, no, he’s fine, he’s just like missing collarbones and stuff; he can bend like Gumby.”

Eddie laughs at that, dimple popping out, and Steve can’t help but laugh a little, too, remembering the last time he told someone that. “Don’t tell him I said that, though, he’ll get pissed.”

“Scout’s honor,” Eddie salutes.

“You a boy scout, Munson?”

“Nah, Harrington. Just figured you were.” His eyes are bright and playful, sort of magnetic as he drops the last of his cigarette and stubs it out with the toe of his boot. “Anyway, I gotta get back to the boys. You wanna stick around for a beer, or are you satisfied with my answer, Nanny Steve?”

“Okay, do not fuckin’ call me that,” Steve laughs, sharp and short. Tries to season the words with a glare, but Eddie’s face is too impish and pleased to hold on to any real anger. “And I appreciate the offer, but I think your friends would try to kill me.”

“Mm, yeah,” Eddie agrees, wiggling his fingers as he waves a hand to gesture at the whole of Steve. “Gareth is not exactly a fan of your kind.”

Aaand he’s pissed again. Jesus Christ. “My kind?”

“Yeah. Jocks? Rich assholes?” His lips tip up in a crooked smirk, “Or, well—”

“Don’t.”

Steve’s just done with his stupid jokes suddenly, and Eddie must hear how much he means it because he raises his palms in surrender and steps back. Always stepping back and away, this guy. Fucking coward.

Steve doesn’t know why he reacts like this, but the shame is turning to fiery fury in his gut, curdling his blood like sour milk, pricking hot at his lash line. Damn it; he’s not about to let Eddie Munson of all people see him cry.

He scoffs at himself, shoves his hands into his pockets. “Whatever, man,” he sniffs as he turns his back on him, “Enjoy your party. Screw you.”

—

The most pathetic part, Steve thinks to himself as he writhes and twists in his tangled, sweaty sheets; 2am and he’s up again after a nightmare because of fucking course he is; is that somewhere between the insomnia and guilt over the way their conversation imploded earlier, his staring-blindly-at-the-ceiling-until-his-eyeballs-start-to-burn morphs into, like, daydreaming about how it could have gone.

He keeps repeating the scene in his mind, rewinding the tape to let it play out in richer detail.

It goes like this:

1. Eddie comes over.

2. Eddie comes over and apologizes.

3. Eddie comes over in the middle of the night to apologize because he’s so, so sorry that he just can’t wait until morning, even though it wasn’t really his fault; no, Steve’s the sorry one; no, Eddie is; no, they’ll both agree to do better, for the kids.

4. It’s two in the morning, after the cars are all gone and the party’s died down, and Eddie comes quietly across the yard; taps gently on Steve’s window so he doesn’t wake his mom.

Steve leans out and snaps, “What?” because he’s still a little pissed, and Eddie makes big, contrite eyes and plays with his own hands; fingers dancing in nervous circles; spinning rings.

“Listen, I, uh—” Eddie begins, “I might have… Shit, man, I might’ve been a bit of a massive dick earlier, and seeing as we have to play nice on account of the kiddos, I— do you- I mean— come have another smoke with me? Please.”

Please.

Please.

Please.

It’s a pleasant dream. Steve rewinds again, lets it play out in his head for a few more loops. Falls asleep just as he’s getting the dialogue right.

When he wakes up, Munson’s van is gone.

They don’t talk again for weeks.

—

part 6

tag list got absolutely outta hand lmao and i can’t tag some of y’all bc of your privacy settings, so sorry if i didn’t tag you but here ya go i did my best 🩷 follow the tag #trailer park steve au for future parts. @steves-strapcollection @discorporatedmess @questionablequeeries @nburkhardt @disrespectedgoatman @a-little-unsteddie @thedragonsaunt @ledleaf @perseus-notjackson @devondespresso @loop-deloo @annabanannabeth @thewyvernkore @callas-shitshow @sentry-nest @aliea82 @anne-bennett-cosplayer @steddie-as-they-go @insominaticthoughts @lofaewrites @crazyhatlady86 @gothwifehotchner @potent-idiocy @discount-izukumidoriya @hbyrde36 @goldensnitchbcs @mightbeasleep @lawrencebshoggoth @beckkthewreck @silversnaffles @dawners @hellion-child @stray-bi-kids @iswearitsjustme @ilovecupcakesandtea @slowandsteddie @gaysonthefloor @pennyplainknits