#kinda hellcheer

[bigdumbbambieyes]

thinking about Besties Chrissy and Billy again 🤍

like they’re outside at a party and Eddie’s drunk and obnoxiously flirting w Chrissy, with her ex-boyfriend Jason within earshot bc he’s stupid, and Billy’s content to watch with a smirk as Eddie makes Chrissy blush bc it’s fun to watch and he knows they like each other

but Jason’s had too much to drink and he’s still a little sore about Chrissy breaking up w him last month so he leaves his friends and goes over to the three of them, starts pushing Eddie and tells him to “knock it off she doesn’t like that”

and Chrissy bristles at Billy’s side, he can feel her tensing, because Jason’s pushing Eddie again and Eddie’s drunk and floundering for words and the next thing they know, they’re scrapping

and it’s really not that bad, they’re drunk so they’re mostly falling down and wrestling, but Chrissy is uncomfortable so Billy sighs bc he knows what to do

handing Chrissy his lit cigarette, Billy mutters, “hold this,” and once she’s delicately taken it between two manicured fingers, he pulls Jason off Eddie easily and tells them to fucking quit it

and Chrissy, from her place on the porch, smiles to herself

[beady-eyed-munson]

[frankenstein-ate-my-left-shoe]

one chance

111 words | T | for @steddiemicrofic's july challenge "one"

here's the text! without the names/usernames, it's 111 words exactly!

Your Local Freak™ @/edmunsn what i would give for one (1) chance with king steve.. pls.. i promise id blow your muind chris c. @/86theham uhmmm.. chris c. @/86theham eddie, sweetie, this isn’t your priv Your Local Freak™ @/edmunsn can you come over and kill me dead? It’ll only take a sec… ok cool. thanks

Your Local Freak™ @/edmunsn what i would give for one (1) chance with king steve.. pls.. i promise id blow your muind Robert M. Buckley III @/bobin 👀 Robert M. Buckley III @/bobin @/steveharrington Your Local Freak™ @/edmunsn i hate you

Your Local Freak™ @/edmunsn what i would give for one (1) chance with king steve.. pls.. i promise id blow your muind steeb @/steveharrington open my dm munson Your Local Freak™ @/edmunsn no steeb @/steveharrington fine. be there in 5 Your Local Freak™ @/edmunsn ???!!!

Your Local Freak™ @/edmunsn what i would give for one (1) chance with king steve.. pls.. i promise id blow your muind Your Local Freak™ @/edmunsn update:

[fanaticloser]

I need a tag that says “Fake dating but one of them thinks it’s real and the one who knows it’s fake actually falls for them and there’s angst but they end up together in the end”

[libraryofgage]

Mermaid/Pirate Steddie Part Three

Part One | Part Two

I got side-lined by the Modern Steve in 80s Hawkins fic for a hot minute (that big boi is at, like, 73k; he hefty), but here's the next part!

As always, if you see any typos, no you didn't ;P

In the port city of Socotra, past the first big plaza and down a few side streets, is a small two-story shop with a sign that reads "C. C. Elixirs and Solutions." The shop is owned by a very nice young witch named Chrissy Cunningham who, currently, is doing her absolute best to not laugh in Eddie's face as he spins his tale of accidentally entering into courtship with a merman.

"Anyway," Eddie says, pacing in front of the counter with his hands splayed and his hair a mess, "I was wondering if you'd have anything that could help me."

Chrissy covers her mouth, swallowing down the bursts of laughter threatening to bubble up her throat. After a moment, she asks, "With what, exactly?"

Eddie turns to look at her, gesturing to the shop as a whole. "C’mon, Chrissy, you gotta have something here for me, right? Like, I don't know, a fucking manual or whatever."

"Of course I don't have a...," Chrissy trails off, frowning slightly as she looks at the storeroom door behind her. She's getting a very familiar feeling. It settles at the top of her spine like a shiver that's just waiting and waiting to happen but never does. Usually, this means something.

"Give me a second," she says, barely hearing Eddie's agreement before she heads into the back.

Her storeroom is a chaotic mess that only makes sense to Chrissy. Precarious stacks of books are randomly scattered across the floor, some of them holding plants or knickknacks on top. A few tables are filled with potion ingredients, magical artifacts that still need cataloging, half-filled notebooks, and dozens of pens. A few bookcases line the walls, and Chrissy wanders over to one of them.

She scans the spines, passing over books about fae marriage customs, common selkie family traditions, and in-depth essays analyzing Phoenix mating dances. Finally, her gaze lands on a thin, unassuming book. Its cover is made of sea-foam green leather, with waves etched into the spine instead of words. When Chrissy pulls it off the shelf, the front cover is blank. She doesn't remember getting this book, but this can happen in magic shops. Sometimes items just appear where they know they'll be needed.

Chrissy flips the book open, landing on the front page and grinning at the dedication that reads, "To all the hapless fools in love with a sea dragon's descendant. Here's to hoping you don't royally fuck it up."

Yeah, that's perfect.

She heads back to the front of the shop, immediately noticing that Eddie has placed trinkets and rocks on the counter. She recognizes a few of her protection charms (made of genuine silver, she'd like to add), some quartz of varying colors, and a ring set with a prismatic shard. Chrissy stares at the items before looking up at Eddie with a raised eyebrow.

"Stevie would love all of these," Eddie says, shrugging with absolutely no remorse or shame as he drops a coin purse onto the counter.

Chrissy sighs and digs a few coins out, ensuring they're all gold and all real by biting them before nodding. "You know, land-based magical items don't actually work on merfolk," she says, pushing the purse back to Eddie as she places the book on the counter as well. "So those protection charms and that prismatic ring won't do anything for him."

"Yeah, but they're pretty. He'll like them," Eddie insists. He then notices the book, and his eyes light up hopefully. "Did you find something?"

"Yep, seems to be exactly what you need," she says, sliding it closer to him and watching as he opens it to a random page.

"A common practice among merfolk is to collect trinkets during their pod's travels. Some trinkets won't be personally interesting to the merperson, but can be later used as courting gifts if they're relevant to the intended mate's interests or likes," Eddie reads, tilting his head slightly with a genuine interest that Chrissy usually only sees when he discusses new songs he's learned during his travels.

"Consider that one on the house. But I expect to meet this merman once you've finished your honeymoon phase," Chrissy says, pulling out a small velvet bag and placing the other items inside.

She gives it to Eddie, smiling once more when he nods, digs into his pockets, and drops another small pouch onto the counter. "Almost forgot. Here's some of that 500 year old ginseng you mentioned before," he says.

Chrissy blinks, staring at the pouch. Before she can say anything (like, for example, demanding to know how Eddie got his hands on so much of such a rare ingredient that only the most qualified of practitioners can even dream about seeing), Eddie has gathered his things and practically run out of the shop with a hurried goodbye thrown over his shoulder.

Excerpt from "The Lovelorn Fool's Guide to Merfolk Courtship"

The most important thing to know about courting merfolk is the levels of courtship, of which there are three. In order, they are:

Gift-giving: merfolk collect various trinkets throughout their life, including items they personally do not find interesting. Upon finding a potential mate, they will go through their collection and gift items they think the potential mate will like. To learn more about trinket collection, refer to Part II.

Harmonizing: unsurprisingly, singing is important to merfolk. In addition to being an enjoyable pastime, singing is another mode of communication. The ability to harmonize with a potential mate is vital, as it proves the two are well-matched. To learn more about song types, refer to Part III.

Pod Introduction: the final stage of merfolk courtship, pod introduction is the most important. Pods are sacred, and introducing a potential mate to the pod is an incredible show of trust and commitment. To learn more about pods and their structure, refer to Part IV.

Of these levels, gift-giving often takes the longest. Some merfolk give hundreds of gifts before moving to harmonizing, and others give one. Be patient and try to return each gift you receive.

While these are the levels of courtship, the actual establishment of mateship (consider this the merfolk equivalent of marriage, only it's far more permanent), involves the gifting of scales.

You can find more on this in Part V.

----

Steve stares longingly at the small window in Eddie's cabin, tracking the clouds and lingering on birds that soar by. He knows he can't be on the deck when they've docked, but scales, he's bored.

Are his guppies bored, too? Do they still play games, or are they too worried about Steve to sweep through the waters? Has Robin lost a few scales from exhaustion and stress? How quickly after hugging him is she going to kill him for being away for so long?

With a sigh, Steve drags his eyes away from the window and looks at his tail. Kelp is still wrapped around the wound, but he knows it's almost healed. He can flick his fins without hurting, and the wound has mostly scabbed over, fresh scales beginning to creep over the cut. Maybe a few more nights, and Steve will be ready to jump back into the ocean and find his pod and guppies again.

But that would mean leaving Eddie behind, and...Steve really doesn't want to do that. Because Eddie is the closest Steve has ever actually come to finding a potential mate.

He starts to sink into the water to submerge his head beneath the surface so his disgruntled and stressed air bubbles can rise from his gills. Before he can fully slide under the surface, though, Steve hears the familiar sound of Eddie's excited, hurried footsteps.

Steve perks up, gripping the edge of the tub as Eddie slams into the door, cursing at the pain as he opens it and stumbles inside. He looks at Steve immediately, his cheeks flushed and his eyes wide and a grin tugging at his lips to reveal dimples. He's carrying a small pouch in one hand and a book with a sea-foam green cover in the other.

"Stevie!" he says, kicking the door closed and walking over to the tub, "I got you stuff."

With that, Eddie crouches in front of the tub and holds the pouch out to Steve. He doesn't seem to notice how Steve's gills flutter, air pushing out in an excited, flustered pattern that would have made Robin tease him. Eddie doesn't know that, though, so Steve tries to ignore his gills and takes the pouch.

He opens it carefully, his gaze immediately caught on a ring set with a rainbow-colored stone. Steve's eyes widen, his mind swirling around the pretty color and how well it matches his tail and how it looks to be the perfect size and how it would still glitter even when Steve is deeper than the sun can reach.

He pulls the ring out, turning it over a few times before sliding it onto his left ring finger. He was right; it fits perfectly. It has a strange but ultimately harmless magic attached to it. Steve grins brightly, a small, barely noticeable hum bubbling from his throat as he looks back into the bag.

He pulls out each rock, studies them intently, and approves of their color and shimmer. With a nod, Steve places them carefully in the tub, clustering them on the left side of his tail, the side further from the door, for protection.

Finally, Steve pulls out a few of the protection charms. They're small and made of a material Steve immediately recognizes as something that tarnishes in water. He really likes them, though, and it would be a shame to not use them for something.

"Eddie," he says, looking up to see Eddie staring at him, his excited smile turning dopey.

"Yeah, sweetheart?" he asks, leaning forward and resting his arms on the tub.

Steve leans forward, taking a lock of Eddie's hair and studying it carefully. After a few seconds, he decides it's good enough. "Turn around?" he asks, his gills fluttering again when Eddie does so without question. After taking a second to calm himself, Steve asks, "Can I do your hair?"

Eddie hums, leaning his neck on the rim of the tub, giving Steve full access to his hair, the ends of which are dipping into the water. "Of course, Stevie. Whatcha wanna do?" he asks.

"It's a surprise," Steve tells him, moving some until he's partially sitting on his tail so he can properly face Eddie's hair. He places the pouch on the edge of the tub, letting it precariously balance, before running his fingers through Eddie's hair.

He's done this enough times for Max to know how to fix tangles without pulling. As he works, Steve relaxes, falling into a familiar rhythm, and starts to hum softly. It's a lullaby, one that he doesn't get to sing the guppies to sleep with anymore, but they tolerate it when he's caring for wounds or helping them scrub their tails or braiding their hair.

Steve divides Eddie's hair into sections and starts braiding. Every other inch, Steve takes one of the charms from the pouch and braids it into Eddie's hair. By the time he's done, the braid is decorated with silver charms, standing out nicely against Eddie's brown hair.

"Okay," he says, using a thin piece of kelp to tie off the braid, "It looks good."

Eddie hums, reaching back and carefully running his fingers over the braid. Steve watches, suppressing the urge to grab Eddie's hand. "Did you not like them?" Eddie asks, dropping his hand and turning around. The charms clink against each other, creating a quiet song that makes Steve's heart light and happy.

"I liked them," Steve says, pushing the pouch on the edge of the tub into Eddie's lap. "They tarnish in water, though. And their magic felt too strange. They look better on you."

"So, you gave me a gift?" Eddie asks, his smile hopeful and his eyes bright. Steve can't help returning the smile with a nod. In response, Eddie leans forward even further, like he's acting on impulse more than anything else, and presses his lips to Steve's cheek.

Steve's eyes widen, his gills burst, and his ear fins flare in response. To the untrained (human) eye, his reaction is similar to a cat puffing and bristling when faced with a threat. To the trained eye (Robin. And other merfolk, but mostly Robin), Steve's reaction is entirely common for especially flustered merfolk.

It's never happened to Steve before, and that just makes him feel more flustered. He doesn't want Eddie to see his flared fins, so he does the first thing he thinks of; Steve pushes forward and wraps his arms around Eddie's shoulders, hugging him tightly so he can't pull away. "Thanks," he mumbles, "for the gifts, I mean."

He hears Eddie laugh and feels Eddie's hands slide across his side and to his back to return the hug. "Of course, Stevie," Eddie replies, his breath warm against Steve's gills and sending a subtle shiver down Steve's spine. "I'm glad you like them."

Steve is gone. He can't imagine being away from Eddie. He can already see Eddie and the guppies meeting, and he can see Robin fucking with Eddie just to see how he reacts. Steve can see Eddie in the water with him, grinning as his hair floats around them. Steve can see Eddie and him lying together on a beach, warm on the sand and basking in the sun.

Most of all, Steve can imagine giving Eddie a necklace or bracelet of his scales. Maybe that should scare or worry him, but all Steve can feel is excited and warm, and he's more than happy to bask in that feeling for a while.

----

Tag List (the tag list is full! I wasn't able to fit everyone, so if you aren't on here, I'd suggest following #high seas steddie. I think you should still get updates on your dash if you do)

@mugloversonly, @raisedbylibrarians, @thegirlwiththelibrarybag, @savory-babby, @vankaar, @beckkthewreck, @itcanbepalped, @imfinereallyy, @finntheehumaneater, @mightbeasleep, @weekend-dreamer7

@whenindoubtb72, @troublemaker2azz, @just-a-tiny-void, @upallnightogetloki, @mxmakessense, @ellietheasexylibrarian, @haelreadsshit, @y4r3luv, @starman-jpg, @littlewildflowerkitten, @estrellami-1, @stevieschrodinger, @gaelicblue, @they-reap-what-we-sow

@5ammi90, @noodle-shenaniganery, @acrolius, @hallelujahimatheist, @rainbow-freckle, @desidrarry-wolfstarshipper, @goodolefashionedloverboi, @79chevyimpala, @aliea82, @hopefulcookieoperatorpersona, @sani-86, @queenie-ofthe-void, @goosesister, @hello-fellow-nerds, @luthienstormblessed, @xtkxkrzrizir, @potato-of-the-lord, @geekymagicalpotato, @child-of-cthulhu, @aizawa-emma, @m-owo-n, @newtstabber, @cartercaptainofthemoon, @spectrum-spectre, @a-little-unsteddie

[angstyastro]

A quick Chrissy doodle bc I like her smile

[dreamingofmaidensandmonsters]

With six months off for bad behavior

It was crazy to keep meeting her like this over the years since that talent show in middle school. It was like they were always meeting for the first time.

A little fic for @hellcheerweek 2024! This is for day 1 (instalove), I always forget to post here!

[bettercraic]

ok so i dusted off a draft that i started working on pretty much when i started listening to "diet pepsi" on a loop in september and here it is

i usually find it really hard to write self contained short things like these but that's just a prison of my own making so i let it tf go and just ended it where i did

[friendsdontlieokay]

Currently rooting for Edancy as twins where Eddie is the older twin but acts dumber and Nancy's the younger twin who acts more matured

[neutron-stars-collision]

( source) https://x.com/rippedpromdress/status/1746289127975272824?s=20

I'm actually going insane.

[ivyodessa]

@hellcheeranniversaryweek Day 4- Medieval

Tristan & Isolde AU

The willows swayed above them as the sweat cooled on their bare skin, the breeze caressing their bodies like an invisible lover.

“I wish we could stay here forever.” Christine said, her soft voice breaking the quiet that had settled over them after their lovemaking.

“I could build us a little house deep in the forest,” Edward said with an easy smile, “I could fish from the stream. Live like no one knows who we are.”

“I could spend my days reading to you,” she smiled at him sweetly.

The mirth in his eyes dimmed before he asked haltingly, “When do you have to be back?”

Her smile faded as she answered quietly, “Soon. I told Bragnae I would be back by midday.” Her lady’s maid would be able to hold off suspicion if she were a little late, but not too much.

“I suppose we should cross the bridge then, your Grace,” he said it in jest, but it still stung. The reminder that he was her subject, and more importantly, the king’s wife.

She watched him as he stood to dress himself, admiring the lines of his strong body littered with scars. The shiny skin of the largest scar sat on his chest, healed by her hands the day he washed up on the beach all those months ago.

But they were in Cornwall now, far from the place they first met. Far from the private refuge of their seaside cabin where she nursed him back to health and they opened their hearts to one another.

She cleared her throat as she lifted her shift over her head, “Maybe….maybe there is a way,” she said tentatively. He turned to her as he pulled his shirt over his head and the intensity of his stare momentarily left her breathless.

“My father’s men talk. I know they plan to conspire with the dissenters at court to overthrow Henry.”

Edward’s eyes widened and his brows lifted, the information bowling him over, ““He…he is my king.” He struggled with what to say next, “He saved me from death, I owe him my life.”

“And he is my husband,” she took a deep breath before continuing, “But every day his rule grows crueler. He will stop at nothing to expand his kingdom.” She reached out to grab his hand, “He has never been unkind to us, but I worry the day may come when we meet his wrath.”

Edward’s face morphed into a pained expression, nodding solemnly at the truth spoken so plainly aloud. Henry’s mind had become warped and his sanity seemed to be hanging on by a thread, much like Edward’s loyalty to his king.

“In the midst of all the chaos, we could slip away. Go wherever we please,” she looked up at him, eyes shining brightly with the spark of hope and promise of freedom.

The thought of never again having to hide away in stolen moments, to be with each other out in the open…it was at once exhilarating and terrifying. Was there truly a chance for them to be free?

She reached her hands up to gently cup his face as he bent down until their foreheads touched, staring into one another’s eyes.

“How many have you loved before me?” she whispered into the stillness between them.

“None,” he said back simply, hands resting on her hips. The heat of his hands through her thin shift igniting the spark within her hot enough to set a kingdom ablaze.

“And after me?” she asked, her voice taking on a desperate edge.

His voice was all warmth as he smiled and said “None.” One of his hands coming up to cup her jaw and pull her into a gentle kiss.

“For all time, they’ll say it was our love that allowed a kingdom to be brought down,” he said solemnly. She frowned and nodded as her thumbs gently stroked his jaw before he spoke again,

“Well then…let them remember us."

He pulled her to him with the arm now wrapped around her waist and crushed his mouth to hers. Sealing their fate, and the fates of many, with a kiss.

[bigdumbbambieyes]

falling stars au where Billy and Chrissy fall to earth at the same time but get separated by only a few miles — enough to span the distance of one end of Hawkins to the other

Billy falls into a pool, boiling the water and cooling him, his eyes full of starlight and his skin smelling like outer space, staring up at his home in wonder and awe — until there’s someone yelling at him, an angry person with dark hair and equally dark eyes, holding…some kind of makeshift weapon, maybe.

it’s Steve, freaked out and wondering what the hell he’s done so wrong in his life that not only does he have to worry about flower-faced monsters, people are falling from the sky

but as Billy crawls out of the water, dripping wet and naked, Steve pauses

the guy is gorgeous

and cold

because he’s shivering now, in the cool August night air

Steve takes him inside and sneaks him upstairs, telling his parents that the noise they all heard was just some dumb kids fucking around, while Billy looks around his room, wrapped up in a pool towel

his hair is blond and spun with bits of golden sun, constellation freckles across his nose. Steve dries him off and gets him clothed — which Billy quickly begins to hate — and he asks where Chrissy is

“who’s Chrissy?”

“she’s…mine.”

Billy doesn’t elaborate

so they spend time together, days, looking for Chrissy and exploring Hawkins together. Billy pretends to not care, saying he’s most interested in finding Chrissy, but Steve sees the looks of interest and awe Billy has on his face whenever he experiences something new

he admits it’s their first time to Earth. they wanted to explore it before being bound to the sky; their home

Billy and Steve grow closer and closer as the days pass, tension building, nearly kissing but always being interrupted

but one day, Eddie nearly hits them with his van, comes to a screeching halt, and there she is in the passenger seat: Chrissy

with her nebula eyes and long milky way hair, climbing out of the van and running to Billy, embracing him tightly just as he does to her, before their lips meet

Eddie and Steve sharing confused and concerned looks, because they’ve both fallen for their stars, but maybe they don’t have a chance — maybe they never did

and the two fallen stars hold each other close, relieved and happy to finally be reunited, before excitingly chatting in a language older than any on Earth

Chrissy fell near the Munson trailer that night and Eddie took her in, much like Steve did to Billy, and they’ve been searching ever since

they share a quiet secret: wishing they could stay but they know they can’t

(or maybe they do?)

(idk, i think this is a cute and potentially heartbreaking au kfnfkf)

[biillys]

yo the idea of billy throwing basketball games simply becos fuck jason carver uhh this got long oops

like. okay. so billy and eddie are outside at a party one night, it's cold as fuck, it's winter, the party's raging inside, but billy's like yeah fuck that. lets go smoke up outside. and drags eddie out there, pulling up some pool lounge chairs to lay on while they talk about nothing and everything.

then like. the back door swinging open and chrissy and jason stumbling out, chrissy looking on the verge of tears and jason looking like jason always does. so fucking cool calm and collected, talking so placating down on chrissy like she's the one being unreasonable.

chrissy not even trying to talk back because what's the point. it's never got her anywhere.

and jason gets so frustrated by her lack of answers, the way she won't even look at him, the way she keeps fucking crying, like he's the bad guy, that he grabs her by the arm, maybe shakes her a little. tries to get her to realise she's being dramatic, the she's the problem here.

eddie and billy watching on from their front row seats, both of them having seen this story played out before so many times, from when they were so so young. and chrissy's so fucking good, okay. eddie, who doesn't even fuck with this crowd, knows this. has had the fattest fucking heart eyes for her since middle school. and billy's just like. chrissy cunningham is like. fucking sunshine. who the fuck would ever want to hurt the thing that lights up the room, lights up the entire fucking world.

chrissy asks jason to let go. jason grips her tighter. eddie edges slowly off his seat, and billy throws his joint to the ground and sits up.

"yo, carver. she asked you to let go."

jason and chrissy turning to them instantly, finally realising that they're there.

jason lets go like he's been burned. chrissy hugs herself close.

"come on, chrissy. let's go back inside," he says, eyeing the town fucking freak and their high schools ex basketball captain–forcefully demoted after too many fuck ups and detentions–before reaching over to grab her hand, trying to pull her in.

chrissy twists her hand out of his grip and takes a step back, and billy finally pushes out of his chair, him and eddie coming up to stand behind her.

"or," billy starts, "you go inside, and us three will stay right here."

jason looks at them all, chrissy looking so small between them, and watches as she slowly takes another step back, standing almost shoulder to shoulder with the boys.

he laughs, feeling fucking insane. jesus christ, he's given chrissy the world, the last few years of his life, his entire fucking future, and she's out here crying and running into billy hargrove and eddie munson's arms, like they could do anything for her.

"you made the wrong choice tonight, chrissy, and you know it. i'll pick you up for school on monday, and we'll talk about it," he parts with, eyeing the guys one last time before walking back inside.

chrissy letting out the breath she was holding the second the door closes before turning around to face the two people behind her.

"thank you," she croaks out, and before she can even try and leave, eddie's offering her a seat.

"it's okay. there's only two chairs, and i should start walking home anyway."

"two chairs, three of us–the math adds up," billy counts on fingers, pushing eddie down onto one of the lounges before jamming himself beside him, eddies arm wrapping around his waist automatically and billy squirming around to get comfortable. eddie looks up to her then, face apologetic, then rolls a hand out to wave at the now free seat beside them.

chrissy looks at them, the house, the side gate, the chair, then back at them. cautiously, she basically tip toes to the chair before slowly sitting down then curling up, dragging the towel that billy was using as a blanket over her.

"by the way, there is not a chance you are walking home. have you seen this fuck up town? people like your boyfriend exist, okay. fuck that. if you don't want me or munson here to drive you, then i'm calling in heather, okay?"

"heather will eat her alive," eddie cuts in, sounding alarmed.

billy elbows him, "heather waters plants. she knows how to be delicate when the situation calls for it."

eddie looks at chrissy then, at the way her hands are still shaking and her eyes are still glassy, and thinks, yeah. this is a delicate situation.

okay then the idea of chrissy and jason not breaking up because nothings ever that simple, but sometimes when eddie passes her in the halls, she smiles at him, even says hi to him occasionally. sits next to him in class once when their teacher said to hell with the seating arrangement, and eddie has a slight breakdown and bails halfway through class to go smoke up behind the school. and sometimes at cheer practice, when the guys also have basketball practice, billy gets benched (on purpose) and comes over to hang out. maybe even tries to learn a few cheers before reallsing his legs can not and will not ever bend that way, no matter how many times chrissy and carol try to show him.

and maybe one day, things really fucking spiral, and chrissy doesn't know what to do. doesn't have a single person to turn to or call for help or cry to. looks down at the positive pregnancy test in her hands and has flashbacks to the night she's tried so hard to forget, to block out, the night she never fucking wanted, and thinks. her entire life's over.

her mom will kill her, jason will lose his fucking mind, her family will probably disown her, she'll be kicked off the cheer squad, will probably have to drop out of school, and she can't even get rid of it because she doesn't know how.

doesn't have her own car to get there, doesn't have money saved up to pay for it, doesn't have private access to internet that her mom or the school doesn't monitor. and going anywhere local to even try find those answers is out of the question, with this town being so small and her mother knowing everyone, and everyone knowing her.

so. she goes through the motions and she gets ready for school, sits at the table as the rest of her family eats breakfast, and waits for jason to come pick her up. she sits passenger seat while he lets his christian playlist float out through the speakers, barely listening to a word he says as her tells her his plans for the day.

she makes it through first period then second then third, makes it all the way to lunch before she can't keep her stomach in control anymore and runs to the bathroom to throw up. she sits on the ground for a while before pushing herself up, and then in a moment of reckless bravery, she doesn't go to her second last class, but instead, she walks out the back of school, to where she's heard the rumours of eddie munson doing business, and thinks. she's really got nothing left to lose.

except when she turns up, it's not just eddie. it's eddie, and it's billy, and it's tommy hagen and carol perkins, and all four of them are smoking and laughing and looking like they don't have a worry in the world.

she looks at them and feels every bit of composure she had slipping, her eyes instantly wet.

billy spots her first, but eddies by her side in a second flat.

"are you okay? are you hurt? what happened?" eddie word vomits, his hands coming up to her face like he wants to touch her but holds back at last minute.

"did jason do something? 'cause i will fucking kill him. just say the word," billy looks around behind her, like jason's about to pop out, but when nothing happens, he focuses back on her.

she stands there a moment longer before shaking her head, then nodding, then cries harder.

"okay, well, this seems personal,"'carol states, dragging tommy by his hand and walking past them, "so i'm gonna let you guys sort out the damsel in distress, and me and tommy are gonna go fuck around under the bleachers. unless," she stops, pushing her way in front of billy slightly, "you want me to stay, and all the guys to go. 'cause if i say the word, they'll all leave. promise."

chrissy looks at her and thinks maybe, out of everyone, carol could be the best choice. surely the most sensible and most obvious. but for as much as she likes her and knows her, for some reason, she trusts eddie and billy more.

"i'm okay. you can go with tommy," she says softly, trying to smile lightly.

carol nods at her, then glares at the guys. "i find out you made her cry more, i'll kill you both."

"yes, ma'am."

"yes, boss."

okay then the idea of chrissy finally getting herself together enough to finally stumble her way into asking for a ride to planned parenthood, or even just to borrow one of their phones so she can research the information herself.

billy and eddie joining every dot together straight away and both being like. oh. we're gonna kill that mothefucker.

eddie being like you can have my phone, you can have my wallet, my car keys, my entire fucking heart. i'll give you the world, just ask.

and billy being like. jesus fucking christ. can you pretend to be like. smooth and casual for five seconds, she's literally having one of the worst days of her life.

billy and eddie spending the rest of school hours researching everything for her and eddie literally handing her all the cash she needs plus more, and billy calling to book the appointment for her, making sure it's a few towns over because he's not stupid, and them all figuring out a game plan to skip school that day. eddie has it the easiest, billy's got some wiggle room 'cause he's already a fuck up in his dad's eyes, so what's one more thing, but chrissy's like. terrified. but then she thinks about being pregnant and having an actual baby at the age of seventeen, who's father would be jason carver, and thinks. she can be brave for one day.

okay and then that happens, and it's emotional as fuck, and they all get super close etc

and then finally. the basketball aspect of this.

the idea of jason like. counting on basketball to get into college, like he's got his future mapped out, and basketball is apart of it. and billy's like. well obviously i'm gonna ruin this guy's whole fucking life.

like billy was captain, back when he first rolled into town, when harrington fell from grace, and he hated every second of it. fuck this town, fuck these people, fuck his dad, billy didn't want to play. so he fucked around, he read the school rules, he figured out what the lines were to get kicked off, and he toed them every day. but he was good enough that when he decided to put effort in, the team won. so coach never completely got rid of him. just stripped him of his captaincy and benched him a lot. and that was the way billy liked it.

but then billy's like. well jason's captain now, and all eyes are on him, scouts included. fuck yeah.

then the idea of like. billy putting effort into games again, bringing the team together seamlessly in a way jason never could, only to purposely throw games, occasionally getting all up in some other team members space and literally muttering to them their strategy, before taking the ball then passing it to patrick, completely ignoring jason who was open, then letting tommy take over.

the idea of billy literally sinking a basket for the other team when they were tied at the last minute, before turning around to high five the opposite team then flip the bird at his captain.

the idea of their coach like tearing his fucking hair out and dragging billy into a private meeting like what the fuck are you doing out there, hargrove? and billy being like. make me captain again and i'll stop riding the other teams dicks. and the coach being like. not a chance. and billy being like. it's either that or bench me, and you know i'm too good to bench. and coach being like. co-captain. i can make you co-captain. and that's it. and you need to start being a team player for this team. and billy's like. i'm on it, coach! [salute]

the idea of billy being the smuggest motherfucker alive, jason having to stand beside him as his equal, looking like it physically pains him.

the idea of like. a super important game happening, maybe they made it to the grand finales? idk basketball. either way, everyones like. surely billy won't throw this game. this game's important. it's crucial. there are college scouts. and billys like. i'm gonna let everyone shine that i deem worthy of shining, i'm gonna make sure tommy gets the ball, i'm gonna let patrick fucking blitz this shit, and then. right at the last moment possible. i'm gonna ruin it.

and the idea of jason like. losing his shit, like barging his way over to billy who's in the middle of literally hugging a guy from the other team, and billy turning to him with the smuggest look on his face like. so proud. and before jason can even throw a punch, billy's got him knocked down to the ground, jaw fucking cracked, and then billy's offering him a hand up, whispers 'have fun at college', before shoving him straight back down to the ground and stepping over him, walking away.

and like. ofcourse chrissy and eddie get together, and billy eddie and tommy form a band becos i said so, and chrissy has a bisexual awakening when she finally does meet heather, and they all stay the best of friends for ever and ever, and they never rly have to deal with jason ever again.

[alengmae]

Isekai au:

Where Billy gets thrown inside ST the show (season 3) and he proceeds to fuck up the show's flagship love triangle steve-nancy-jonathan and kick some monster ass.

[ebongawk]

Eddie and Chrissy have a big fight/argument/misunderstanding (but with a happy resolution please 🥺). Just for hurt/comfort sake.

Eddie couldn't wrap his head around it.

Reconnecting with Chrissy Cunningham (yeah, that Chrissy Cunningham) five years after leaving Hawkins to snap at his heels while he went out and made a name for himself had, at the time, seemed like an act of fate. He'd just gotten out of a year-long situationship that ended when their mutually agreed upon exclusivity had, apparently, been too exclusive for her.

Eddie wasn't heartbroken or anything. He didn't really let his attachments take up that much space in his chest, but it was disappointing to realize that, yet again, he was deemed not enough by a person with whom he'd expended so much time and effort.

But, whatever, right? Who gave a shit. Rockstars weren't supposed to dip their fingers into one honeypot at a time, anyway, so to speak. And Eddie was kinda in a place where he should have wanted to explore that.

(He didn't, but that seemed secondary.)

Then, in aforementioned act of fate, Chrissy Cunningham showed up at his signing booth at the end of a show, and all that space in his chest he hadn't allowed another person to occupy was suddenly pitched with a For Sale sign, paperwork drawn up and just waiting for her to take out the mortgage.

Wonder of wonders, she fucking did.

They'd just celebrated a year together by buying an adorable little three-bed townhouse in Carlsbad. It was kinda dated – the wallpaper had definitely been picked out by someone's grandma – but it was theirs, and Eddie fucking loved it. Chrissy did, too, if all the squealing was anything to go by.

Producers called up about a week later to let him know they were going on tour for four months, and Eddie and Chrissy were torn between elation and devastation, since she could only go with him for the first month before she had to be back at work.

Which was fine. They made it work. Eddie called whenever he had a chance and Chrissy had sent him off with polaroids and a letter about how much she loved him and the stuffed frog he'd won her at the San Diego County Fair and it was fine.

Except, recently, shit had been weird.

Like, weird weird.

Like, Chrissy could only talk for a few minutes weird. Like she'd missed his nightly phone call a few days ago because she'd been "out", and when he'd called her last night, he swore he heard a man's voice on the other end of the line.

He asked, and Chrissy explained that she forgot to mute the TV, but that was completely unlike her. Chrissy never forgot that kind of stuff because she always lamented that it was impossible to focus on their conversation if she had distractions in her periphery.

It hit him like a goddamn ton of bricks.

She's cheating on me.

And it didn't make sense, but then it did, because who the fuck wanted to wait around for some asshole guitarist in a band that barely had name recognition? For four fucking months? She was a publicist, for fuck's sake, she made plenty of money to support herself and Eddie was just the dead goddamn weight that nobody wanted––

He didn't want to believe it. But she knew he was getting home the following day, so Eddie did what any sane person would do. He boarded a plane twelve hours earlier than was originally planned, took a taxi to their new house, and was going to catch her in the fucking act.

Even if it ripped his heart to shreds with fucking dragon claws and made it impossible for him to ever love anyone else. That was just the fucking price he'd have to pay for trusting someone, he supposed.

The entire trip home (six hours), all he could think about was what he was going to say when he found her in bed with someone else. And he kept choking on his own tongue to keep the bile from coming up his throat.

Unlocking the door, Eddie set his duffel bag and guitar in the foyer, automatically toeing off his Reeboks (Chrissy was adamant about no shoes in the house) and walking down the hallway toward the kitchen.

It was empty.

Then, from up the stairs, a soft, continuous banging noise. Like a hammer tapping against a nail or––

Or a fucking bedpost hitting the wall.

Taking the stairs two at a time, Eddie rounded the corner and practically barged into their bedroom, shoulders heaving and fists clenched.

Empty.

A blink, then two, and Eddie looked around. There was something different about the room. Like, yeah, okay, it'd been a while since he'd been home, but the walls were... definitely not green when he left. Because they were covered in that awful wallpaper.

Right?

And... did they always have those built-in bookshelves around the picture window? And that window seat?

He nearly went to investigate, but then the banging started up again, and Eddie whirled around, looking at the ajar door of the empty guest room down the hall. Heart in his throat, he approached and cursed his own fingers for trembling like that.

(Didn't these hinges used to squeak?)

The room was not empty like it'd been when he left it.

In the middle, beneath a clear tarp, was a huge desk that was stacked with boxes. He couldn't make out everything hidden within them, but his synth pedal and headphones were spilling out over the cardboard tops.

Chrissy was standing on a stepladder in the corner, holding a hammer as she hung up... was that soundproofing?

Standing beside her was a man. A man Eddie immediately recognized as his uncle, given the bald head and set of shoulders. And, in the opposite corner of the room, Jonathan Byers and Nancy Wheeler were screwing things around the pieces of soundproof that were already hung.

Things like...

A guitar mount.

Jonathan looked up, his eyes widening as he let out a loud, "Oh, shit," at the unexpected ghost haunting the doorway. His statement made the other three pairs of eyes turn on him, each of them widening with shock.

"Eddie!" Chrissy shouted, nearly toppling off the stepladder in her haste to get down. Wayne's arms automatically stretched to catch her, but she was halfway across the room, practically leaping into Eddie's surprised embrace. "You're early!"

"Uh," he said, his voice breaking as his mind struggled to comprehend what was happening. "Y-Yeah. Just, uh, caught an earlier flight."

Chrissy's pointy little chin dug into his chest, her grin broad and her eyes glimmering in the sunlight still streaming through the window. "Well. I can't even be mad that you ruined your own surprise, I guess. I'm too happy to see you!"

Eddie's hands were still trembling.

"Surprise?"

"Yeah!" she said, still giddy with excitement. Not quite leaving his uncertain embrace, Chrissy turned, broadly motioning toward the room. "I was building you a studio! For, um, for songwriting and stuff. Because I know you have to make appointments to go to the recording studio. So, we took down all the drywall and double-insulated in here, and we're just finishing up the soundproofing tiles!"

Fuck, she was still grinning. Looking up at him with bright, expectant eyes as she waited for his response.

Before he could formulate one, she bounced, her eyes widening again. "Oh, and! And! Look what I did to the bedroom!"

She grabbed his hand, walking him back toward the room he'd already seen and whipping the door open with a flourish.

"Ta-da!" she exclaimed, motioning toward the walls, the shelves, the window seat. "That wallpaper was awful, so it was the first thing to go. Then, Wayne came down a couple weeks ago and helped me fit these shelves in, so we'd have somewhere for all our books! Isn't it lovely?" She gave a dreamy sigh, leaning her head against his chest and wrapping her arms around his midsection.

Oh, fuck.

Oh, fuck.

She was–– Jesus Christ, he'd been so fucking convinced that Chrissy was cheating, and she'd been... She'd been rebuilding their goddamn house from the inside out. Creating a home for them, where they'd just been living in a place they liked.

She wanted him to come back to a home he could love.

"Not," he rasped, trying to blink away the sudden buildup of moisture in his eyes. "Not–– Not cheating?"

Chrissy's brow furrowed, her grin growing confused as she shook her head. "No?" she said, giving a little giggle. Then, she looked at him for a long moment, her smile gradually falling as understanding lifted the shades from her eyes. As the furrow in her brow creased from misunderstanding to complete heartbreak. "No," she repeated, more sure, more broken, and Eddie felt, all at once, like the world's biggest asshole.

She unwrapped her arms from around him, stepping back.

"Chrissy––"

"I'll, um," she interrupted, backing out of the room. "You can explore, I'll just... I have some stuff to finish up, okay?"

"Wait, Chrissy––"

But she was slipping out the bedroom and down the stairs, making Eddie feel fucking awful for assuming the worst. Because he knew her – of course he knew her. And of course Chrissy would never do something like that. She–– God, she was so fucking good, way too good for him, and he couldn't reconcile that so he made her the villain?

Old insecurities were fucking impossible to shed.

Their three guests were still in the guest bedroom – the studio – and Wayne gave him a smile as he finished up his wall of soundproofing.

"Crazy, huh?" he laughed, joining Eddie in the hallway when Eddie couldn't bring himself to enter the room. "She was a gosh darn dictator, trying to get all this finished before you made it back. I think even Miss Wheeler in there was impressed." Wayne chuckled.

He just looked at his uncle, lost, and said, "Wayne, I think I fucked up."

(to be continued)

[pollenallergie]

Joseph and Grace on a panel together at Fan Expo Portland, January 12th, 2024 <3