#let Mike wheeler heal

[lillie98]

I know we’ve all swooned over Dustin singing “Not While I’m Around” from Sweeny Todd to Max in the hospital, but have we considered swapping in Mike? He feels incredibly guilty for Max’s involvement in their mission and believes everything to be his fault. He sits by her side, keeping her safe and defending her from evil, especially while under her coma. Even while she is defenseless, locked inside Vecna’s mind, Mike will keep her safe. No. Matter. What.

I would love to see a scene like this where Mike sits at her bedside (preferably when she can’t respond) and pours his heart out to her. He tells her about his depression, survivor’s guilt, and self-appointed duty to protect her. Despite their constant bickering and antagonism, Mike and Max are two sides of the same coin. They operate on the same wavelength: Everything that goes wrong is mine to fix. I brought this upon myself therefore I don’t deserve help or assistance. Even if Max can’t respond and assure Mike he does in fact deserve help and none of what’s happened is his fault, it would lighten Mike’s burden to acknowledge and name his emotions out loud. Duffers, if you read this, I am begging you to add this scene. Please let Mike Wheeler be vulnerable, acknowledge his trauma, and start to heal. ❤️‍🩹

[uselessnbee]

no you don't get it guys you don't get it i need i fucking NEED a s4 rewrite that focuses on madwheeler. where Mike and Max are both cursed and they're dealing with this together and just ahhhhhh i need it i need them protecting each other i need the moment when the party finds out about Mike's curse too and no one knows his favorite song but Max i need the moments with them just knowing each other so well i need their friendship i need my edgy twins i need this guys

[hoteadepresso]

on top of my throat infection and stuffy nose today I woke up with one of my eyes swollen and red as hell (probably viral infection as well since that can go together with throat infection)

should I made a mature decision to let it rest today? absolutely

will I end up spending the whole day in front of my computer screen making Mike vid? totally

[62percentmaplesyrup]

idk but mike getting vecna'd just feels so right

do you think Vecna is going to target Will in s5, whether it's him getting vecna'd or Vecna just being bluntly obvious that he wants Will? I feel like every monster (except s4 and kinda s3) is always somewhat out to get him and he deserves a break but we know the Duffers aren't going to give him that

I think we’re going to get fooled, actually, so are they! I think Vecna is going to target Will, torment him with nightmares and the what could be, but in the end, it’s going to be Mike who gets Vecna’d!

Everyone is gonna be so focused on Will that they’ll miss the signs with Mike!

[shutuperce]

your fall 2023 byler reading list 🍂🍂

BIG BYLER FIC REC DUMP cause i haven't been writing a lot but i HAVE been reading and y'all need to read these! hope u enjoy as much as i did <3

got your spell on me, baby - @astrobei -Stranger Things (TV 2016) [Archive of Our Own]

Words: 7,919

TW: none

'To be fair, Will’s costume is great, now that Mike knows what it is. And, okay, wait-

“Oh, this is so good. This is so good.” Max points at Mike, wheezing. “Because you’re dressed as-”

Will’s still looking straight up at the sky. The length of his neck is very, very flushed. Mike can feel his entire face going redder than Vader’s lightsaber. He clenches his hands into tiny little fists, and says, around a groan: “I’m not Han Solo, guys.”'

THE halloween byler fic. the party at college, bi lucas sinclair content, halloween party shenanigans.

these nerds, using star wars to flirt 🙄

background lumax & their amazing couples costume, el & will power sibling duo!!!

bowie references to heal the soul

all in all one of my favourite getting-together fics for this time of year :)

what a match: i'm half-doomed and you're semi-sweet - @perexcri - Stranger Things (TV 2016) [Archive of Our Own]

Words: 28,150

TW: guns, blood, gore (just demodogs though no human gore)

'One month ago, if you had asked Will Byers what he’d do if Mike Wheeler threaded his fingers through his hair, looked him dead in the eyes, and started leaning in for a kiss, he wouldn’t have said this.

He wouldn’t have said he’d be staring right back into those yawning dark eyes, one hand on Mike’s waist, the other against his cheek. There wouldn’t have been any lightning in his veins or blood rushing in his ears.

He wouldn’t have said that Mike Wheeler would be tilting his head in the opposite direction, eyes widening just the slightest as if asking permission, his mouth slightly parted.

He wouldn’t have imagined it at all.'

SO SO GOOD. apocalypse post s4, background jancy and platonic stobin, interruption trope x10000 so it's SO SATISFYING at the end.

WILL WITH A GUN.

jonathan & mike solidarity <3

all in all amazingly well written mike and will being blushing messes. love them. fluff in the apocalypse.

take my hand, wreck my plans - @parkitaco - Stranger Things (TV 2016) [Archive of Our Own]

Words: 6,297

TW: discussion of past trauma

'"I am not taken," he says out of habit, even though he kind of is. He and Will aren't together - he blushes at the thought - but they do spend an awful lot of time together, and Mike doesn't ever find himself wishing he was anywhere else. "Will and I are-"

"Ooh, I didn't even say anything about Will!" Max crows. "Oh, this is excellent."

Mike hides his face in his hands even though she can't see him. "Oh my God. Can you put Lucas back on, please?"

Max cackles in to the receiver, the sound fading as Lucas presumably wrenches the phone out of her grip. "We gotta go, Mike," he says, laughing a little. "Max has class and I'm driving her."

"Tell her she's the worst," Mike grumbles, fiddling with the phone cord.

"Say hi to Will for me!" Lucas sings, and hangs up before Mike can protest.

Mike groans and flops back on his mattress. It's going to be a long year.'

part of a series!! byler college au, friends-to-lovers, background party friendship, AND THEY WERE ROOMMATES. OH MY GOD, THEY WERE ROOMMATES??

taylor swift title... do u really need any other persuasion

the whole series is just AMAZING. mike & will getting a break, living together at college and figuring shit out <3

i might be hoping about this - @astrobei - Stranger Things (TV 2016) [Archive of Our Own]

Words: 15,321

TW: none

'Will lets out a small squawk as Mike’s hand— his very cold, very freezing hand— finds its way around the blankets and under his sweater. “I’m sick, you weirdo,” he says, half-laughing into the side of Mike’s head, “I have a fever.” 

“I don’t care,” Mike mumbles, “you’re warm and I’m cold. This is nice.”

“You’re going to get sick,” Will tries, for the umpteenth time, but it’s pointless. Mike Wheeler is stubborn and hardheaded and he never does anything halfway— not even this.'

established byler at college!! so yeah i have a love of college byler and this is one of my top fics for sure. 2nd astrobi fic on this list because i love their writing <3

will gets sick, mike takes care of him. need i say more?

silly goofy guys living together & doing silly goofy domestic shit

this fic makes me SOFT.

accidentally on purpose - @itsromeowrites - Stranger Things (TV 2016) [Archive of Our Own]

Words: 5,019

TW: none

'It starts out with a kiss. An accidental kiss. Because Mike is sleepy and Will is pretty, and who can really blame him? And then there's another one, just as accidental. But the third? Well, that may be a little more on purpose.'

literally smiling so hard at this fic. like hello. soft secret boyfriends and loads of party content, all the kids are okay <3

established byler, how the party finds out. all fluff all the time. jonathan attempts the Talk. mike has no idea what's going on. et cetera.

background lumax, lucas & dustin being lil shits together, and el using her powers to cheat at splashing games. all in all a good time!

and if I get burned, at least we were electrified - anonymous - Stranger Things (TV 2016) [Archive of Our Own]

Words: 14,958

TW: none

'“I’ll leave you be until lunch,” Max starts negotiating, nodding at him as if that’s a good deal. Which—considering it's Max, it is, but Mike doesn’t want to give in just yet. She sighs. “I won’t laugh about the sweater anymore. Or the weak disposition that gives you stupid allergies all the time.”

Mike’s frown deepens, but she wasn’t as mean as she could have been, so he’s gonna take it. He needs to get this out anyways, or he’s going to keep running in circles as if stuck in a hamster wheeler—an accurate representation of his brain when it comes to Will, really. He presses his lips together and tries to figure out a subtle, non-funny way to say it, but he comes up blank.

Fuck, whatever: “I almost kissed Will. Again.”

Max actually has to cover her mouth with her hand, disguising a worryingly loud snort with a cough. The teacher turns their way and stares, then goes back to explaining the exercise on the board. Mike scribbles it down while Max gets herself under control.

Screw his life.'

senior year, post-vecna. the party being friends but also little shits to each other.

madwheeler bandmates!!!

will steals mike's entire closet

they are Dumb Idiots who are mutually pining from afar

and other lovable tropes. takes place in november so good fall vibes :)

[chaosgremlinmunson]

STWG 11-13-2023

Prompt: Paladin

Steve sat in the corner of the room waiting on the kids to (please) finally finish the stupid nerd game they were playing, he was looking intently at a notebook in his lap as he doodled, a knight-like figure coming together in a cutesy cartoon figure. He heard his name and glanced up seeing Dustin leaning over the table eyebrows furrowed at Mike.

“What do you mean he'd be a barbarian, clearly he'd be a paladin or a knight?! C'mon man, seriously your issues with Steve are getting ridiculous!” Dustin was shouting at Mike, his fingers pointing in his face while both of them steadily were turning redder and redder.

“Dude, no, seriously he's so dumb he'd be a barbarian, or maybe a tank. He knows how to hit, not how to strategize! Clearly he wouldn't be able to be someone in a military tank or who followed a religion. I'm surprised he knows how to tie his shoes.” Make snarked back smacking Dustin's hand out of the way.

Eddie was watching the interaction, his brows furrowed and looked over to Steve who was slowly slouching down in his seat, his eyes downcast. He promptly clapped his hands to get their attention.

“Mini Wheeler, your thief Fenizio is in the dark alley near the guards, you are trying to steal the goblet of Ariella, it's enchanted to heal anyone who drinks from it and you know it's being taken to the palace for King Lionos. Roll for stealth.” Eddie has a wicked gleam in his eyes and Mike looks slightly startled. Still, he picks up the die and rolls grimacing as it lands on a four, “and that's a miss!” Eddie crows, “the guard turns just as you reach into the pouch at his side, he grips your arm and throws you to the ground, his foot stepping onto your chest pinning you in place.”

“Shit.” Mike hisses, “I want to pull my dagger and slice into his ankle.”

“Roll initiative.”

Mike rolls the die again and it lands on a 6.

“Another miss. The guard leans down further placing you in shackles and raises you to your feet marching you straight to the palace and into the dungeon. The adventurers you're with are fading slowly from the poisons and now you've been captured. In the time it takes for you to escape the next day you come to find the entire party dead, you yourself walking into a trap. The adventure ends, and so does the journey for justice.” Eddie says leaning back on his throne.

“What the fuck Eddie?!” Mike yells, “why did you kill all of us, that's bullshit!”

Eddie rolls his head to look over at Mike with a pitying smile on his face, “Let this be a lesson, that man” he points in Steve's direction who's looking at the table shocked, “is a goddamn hero. You forget I was there when he did for you all?! You forget what he's done for everyone here?! He's a good man, and a damn good friend to all of you. Stop treating him like dirt, and until he tells me each and every one of you has apologized for treating him as abysmally as I've witnessed today, all of our sessions are over. I'll take the time to come up with new campaigns, but I won't play with any of you until this is fixed, and no, Steve will not be taking any of you anywhere. Birdie and I are gonna have a talk, and we'll both make sure we keep him occupied, constantly. Now shoo, and take the time to think about what you all did. Oh, and before I forget, Steve isn't taking any of you home today either, get in the van.” He turns his attention to Steve then, “Stevie, I need you to drive home for me, birdie and I will be there shortly. These kids are going home and the three of us are going to hang out, talk and have fun. Can you do that for me?”

Steve nods numbly, and stands leaving the room before any of the kids can say anything, he gets to his car and drives home. At least he knows someone cares for him, he'd never seen Eddie as angry as he just was.

[moonfruito]

the reason the duffers never let mike or el have a conversation with nancy is because she'd single-handedly end their relationship like i firmly believe one talk with nancy wheeler could fix both of them. either it's a 'we were taught a bad model of love from our parents and if you can't bring yourself to say i love you to the person you're supposed to be in love with then you might be dating them simply because it's easier and safer and you probably love someone else' or it's a 'if you need to have a perfect relationship in order to feel like you're normal you're probably using that relationship to avoid the pains of your trauma but staying in it will only hold you back from growing and healing and you don't need a boyfriend you need to figure out who you are and who you want to be because the ideal of girlhood you're chasing isn't real because girls aren't meant to be pictures we're meant to be people' and either way it would be over for them. we're witnessing strategic containment of nancy wheeler to love triangle drama because she'd change them in minutes.

[dodger-chan]

Look we all have to write the steddie flirting through DnD scene don't we?

Consider this a Christmas gift if you celebrate and something to do while everything's closed if you don't. (Also on AO3)

“How touchable are my boobs in this?”

“I think I’m falling in love with Eddie.” Steve replied. He had not meant to say that. He’d been helping Robin pick out clothes for her date with Vickie that night, and the thought had just hit him. Steve tried again. “Your boobs look great. Vickie will definitely want to slip her hands under that shirt.”

“Perfect.” Robin threw herself down on her bed next to Steve. “Let's go back a few seconds. Why do you think you’re falling for Eddie?”

“I stole one of Dustin’s old DnD manuals and I’ve been looking through it to figure out how their nerd game works. I bought my own copy of Sacred Heart. And I'm trying to read The Hobbit for the third time.”

He was forty-eight pages in, the farthest he’d made it yet. He might make it through the whole book this time, now that he’d decided he could skip the songs. 

“Oh, it’s like when you studied for the SATs with Nancy!”

“Even though I’d already taken the exam. Exactly.” Steve sighed. “It’s been going on for weeks. How did I not notice until now?”

“Because you’ve spent most of your life purposefully ignoring it when you liked a guy.” Robin ruffled his hair. “Hey, at least finding him hot isn’t news, right?”

“Yay for small victories, I guess.” Steve fixed the mess Robin had made. “But what do I do about it?”

----------

A part of Steve had wanted to show up in his rattiest t-shirt and jeans, to do his best to blend in with the rest of the club. But it wasn’t like the other guys didn’t know who he was. And Steve wanted to find out if Eddie might like him, not some nerd that looked like him. So Steve wore a polo shirt and his best jeans. The only way he could have looked less like he belonged was if he’d pulled his letterman out from the back of his closet.

“Are you playing with us Harrington?” Eddie asked when Steve sat down at the table.

“Um, is that okay? Bobbie had a thing come up and she asked me to sub in for her.” Robin’s thing had been a second date with Vickie. At his house, so the girls could kiss without worrying about getting caught. Steve needing to spend four hours in the Wheeler basement gave them plenty of alone time, too. “I might need some help with the math, but Robs gave me a character sheet and some basic instructions.”

Eddie and his friends exchanged looks. Steve really hoped they weren’t going to tell him to get lost.

“Steve? You’re playing?” Dustin practically threw himself down the stairs when he saw Steve. “How did we finally convince you? Was it Robin? Where is she?”

“Robin’s busy. I’m her sub. If Munson’s cool with it?”

Faced with Dustin’s pleading eyes, Eddie didn’t stand a chance.

----------

Steve mostly kept quiet at first, observing how Eddie ran the game, what strategies the kids preferred to use. Mostly he let them make the decisions and when they were in combat he hit the biggest enemy with his morningstar until it stopped moving.

It felt kind of familiar, but way less painful.

After a little while, Steve thought he had the hang of it enough to try Robin’s plan.

“Wait a second,” he stopped Mike before they attacked the mysterious cloaked figure. “Isn’t everybody’s health kind of low?”

“We don’t have time to rest and heal, Steve.” Mike was being weirdly patient with him. “The enemy has already seen us.”

“Yeah, but I could try charming him instead of fighting. Robin said her character was supposed to be charming.” She’d had this long explanation about charisma that Steve hadn’t followed but she’d summed it up as flirt with the NPCs. “If I flirt with him, maybe he’ll let us by without a fight.”

“He’s a guy, Steve,” Dustin pointed out. “Robin’s character is also a guy.”

“Gay people exist.” One of the older Hellfire members, Steve thought his name was Gareth, spoke up. He hadn’t expected any of Eddie’s friends to help him out with this. The three of them had their eyes on Eddie.

Eddie wasn’t saying anything.

“He’s seduced at least one girl in every town we’ve passed through,” Lucas explained. “Usually two or three.”

“It’s kind of a running joke,” Will added.

“He could like both.” Steve said it with a casualness he did not feel. “Some people do.”

“Buckley’s not going to be upset you made her character a little gay?” Eddie asked him.

“Nah, she won’t mind.”

“Then roll for seduction.”

Right as he rolled, another of Eddie’s friends - Steve had missed his name during introductions - bumped into the table. The dice fell onto the floor and one rolled under the sofa.

This was apparently a catastrophe.

“We won’t be able to get the die without moving it! We’ll never know what you rolled!” Dustin whined.

“Couldn’t I just roll it again?” This was, for some reason, the worst question he could have asked, as it sparked a lecture on the sacred and inviolable nature of the dice rolls.

“Have him role play it,” Jeff suggested. Eddie shot his friend a dirty look.

Steve briefly wondered if Robin had been talking with the older members of Hellfire, but that didn’t seem likely. They wouldn’t have any reason to help him out. 

“I don’t mind.”

“If that’s what you want.” Eddie shrugged. “Show us you can be as charming as your character.”

“I’m pretty sure I’m exactly as charming as Sir Dingus des Cheveux.” Steve wasn’t sure if he should be flattered or disturbed by how much Robin’s character was based on him. Though it certainly made playing him easier. “Tell me what I see.”

“I already did. Cloaked figure, no obvious weapon.”

“Yeah, that’s what I’d notice if I was looking for a fight. Can I see his hair? His face? His eyes?”

“Um, his hood is up, so no.” Right. Eddie was going to make this difficult.

“Okay so I step forward and I stand, uh, shit. It’s hard to describe.” Steve could be just as difficult. “Can we act it out?”

“Act it out?”

“I mean the NPCs are all you, right? So if you could stand in for this guy?” A lot of flirting was physical and, for Steve, automatic. He didn’t know exactly what he was doing until he was doing it. 

“Do it, Eddie.”

“Yeah.”

“I’ve always wanted to see The Hair at work.”

Eddie’s friends egged him on. Lucas nodded along with them. Dustin had grabbed a blank sheet of paper and seemed prepared to take notes. Will seemed somewhere between uncomfortable and fascinated. Only Mike looked unhappy about it, but that was just how Mike was. 

Date a guy’s sister for a year and not even saving his life could make him smile at you.

Eddie rose from his seat.

“Okay, Harrington. Charm me.”

Steve stepped forward, until he was almost close enough to touch Eddie.

“Hi,” he said, tilting his head to one side. He smiled a slightly goofy smile that he knew invited teasing. “What’s a nice boy like you doing in a dungeon like this?”

Eddie burst out laughing.

“Seriously? That’s what you’re starting with?”

“Is that you or the character laughing?” Steve asked.

“Both.”

“You have a beautiful laugh.” Steve spoke in character. Eddie stopped laughing, surprised. “I bet your face is just as lovely.”

“He pushes his hood back to reveal the face of a drow. The face is not lovely, but scarred. One particularly nasty scar on his right cheek creates the illusion of a smile. He says, You lose.”

“I don't know about that.” Steve stepped a little closer and lifted his hand. “May I?”

Eddie nodded.

Steve pushed Eddie's hair away from his face, lightly brushing Eddie's scars. Taking care that the back of his thumb caressed the most prominent one, the one that tugged down the corner of Eddie's lip and gave his smile a permanent look of irony.

“You have the most expressive eyes I've ever seen,” Steve murmured. Eddie pulled back.

Shit. That wasn't in character. Steve tried again.

“I think I won, but I wouldn’t want to contradict anyone with such enchanting eyes.” He dropped the smile but kept the teasing tone. “What do I lose?”

“Your life,” Eddie replied, but his heart clearly wasn't in it.

“You don't want to kill me.” Steve’s smile widened. He'd won this round as soon as Eddie had laughed. “If you’re having trouble thinking up a forfeit, can I suggest a kiss?”

“Okay, okay,” Eddie said with another laugh. “You have successfully seduced the drow. He does not attack your party, or summon reinforcements. Your one night stand allows for a long rest. Because the drow is a cleric of Loviatar, you only recover half your health.”

“Worth it.” He winked at Eddie before sitting back down at the table. “Sir Dingus had an excellent time. Is there a fantasy version of asking for a guy’s number? In case I have to sub in for Rob again?”

He didn’t want to saddle Robin’s character with a boyfriend when Robin had been using him to flirt with girls, but he didn’t want to leave Eddie with the impression that Steve moved on from people as quickly as Sir Dingus did.

“The life of an adventurer is hardly conducive to long term relationships.” That did not answer Steve’s question. “But, he tells you his name is Ghauntel Kenduis and should he see you again, he will remember yours.”

--------

Dungeons and Dragons was not the worst way to spend an afternoon. The combat was kind of boring, and the bickering over what the party was going to do next made Steve sympathize with the guys who’d stuffed nerds into lockers. 

Okay, DnD was not his thing at all and the only thing he really enjoyed about it was getting to flirt with Eddie.

Well, Eddie’s characters, which wasn’t exactly the same thing. And after that first time, he hadn’t had to do nearly as much roleplaying. But it was still fun.

“You kept breaking character,” Eddie commented when the game was finished for the day. 

“What do you mean?” The kids had, unsurprisingly, vanished upstairs as soon as it was time to clean up. A little more surprising was that the rest of Hellfire had also cleared out, leaving Steve and Eddie alone.

“When you would flirt. You kept losing the characters. You’ve never played before, so flirting with me instead of my NPCs would be an easy mistake to make. Or…” Eddie trailed off. “Nah, you’re just bad at the game.”

“I mean, I am. And breaking character wasn’t something I tried to do on purpose.” Steve stepped close to Eddie again. Close enough to reach out and touch him. “But I kept doing it because I wanted to flirt with you.”

“Why?” Eddie asked. “I'm a freak and kind of an asshole a lot of the time. And I’m not exactly a pretty face these days.”

“Well, it turns out that weird and passionate nerds are kinda my type.” And Steve was sick of dating girls who weren't his type. “May I?”

Wordlessly, Eddie nodded.

Again, Steve pushed Eddie's hair back, tucking it behind his ear. Eddie leaned into Steve's touch.

“You really do have the most expressive eyes. I wish you didn't feel like you have to hide them.” 

Steve slid his hand over the scars on Eddie's neck. Slowly, carefully, he brought their lips together for a kiss.

[writeroutoftime]

Safe and Sound

(this picture is not mine and credit belongs to this twitter account here! if you are the owner and want me to take it down, please let me know)

pairing: eddie munson x reader (gn)

summary: (based on the fanart above) after everything in the upside down, eddie was recovering in the hospital, never alone with his faithful members of hellfire. one day you come to visit and see the above scene before finally letting the emotions of the past few weeks catch up with you

warnings: none

words: 1.2k

a/n: soooo, I've had this idea forever and think this fanart is so insanely cute! please enjoy because this was so much fun to write, and I would love to know what you thought! have a lovely day!

oOoOo

Your footsteps echoed against the linoleum floor as you made your way down the hall. This journey had become an almost daily experience. So much so that you barely noticed the strong smell of disinfectant that lingered in the air. You shifted the bag on your shoulder, smiling briefly at the crinkle that resulted from the snacks you had brought.

Just a few doors away from your destination you heard shouts of screaming and scuffling. Instantly, your heart began to beat faster, and you hurried your steps until you stood right outside your boyfriend's room. You were about to enter, ready to take on whatever danger awaited you on the other side when you heard Eddie's voice ring through, laughter undercutting his threat.

"You are so dead for that, Wheeler!"

Leaning against the doorframe, you peaked your head into the hospital room and relaxed the moment you saw the scene before you. Four teen boys surrounded your boyfriend as he sat up in his hospital bed. On top the blankets was an intricate board game, pieces scattered about, and a D&D guidebook near Eddie's lap.

A soft smile crossed your face as you continued to watch the five of them so involved in their fantasy world. You knew it was a welcomed distraction for Eddie who had been restless over being stuck in his scratchy, hospital bed for the past week. The way Eddie's face lit up as the story continued made you feel warm. It wasn't until the droplet hit your cheek that you even knew you were crying.

The tiniest groan from inside the room caught your attention, and you noticed the way Eddie shifted, trying to find a respite from the pain his scars and healing wounds caused. Silently, you wiped the tear away and straightened the non-existent wrinkles from your clothing. Clearing your throat, you revealed your spot from the doorframe, pulling the boys out of their game and back to reality.

"Sorry to break up the party, but I think it's time to call it a day." you encouraged, stepping inside to press a kiss to the top of Eddie's curls.

"You heard the boss, boys. We'll pick this up next time." Eddie echoed, closing his guide and helping to collect all the pieces. "And don't think I'll let your betrayal slide, Wheeler. You better watch out." Eddie warner, pointing a figure at Mike as he walked out of the room, rolling his eyes good naturedly.

The rest of the party followed, all offering various shouts of goodbyes to both you and Eddie. As they cleared out, you dragged your designated chair next to Eddie's bed and pulled out the snacks you knew he had been craving.

Laying them all at before him, you offered up a sly grin. "I figured you were sick of the slop they call hospital food, so I brought you some treats from the outside world."

"And this is why you are the best and I love you!" Eddie groaned out, immediately digging into a can of pringles. "Oh, this tastes amazing, I could die I'm so happy right now."

You flinched at his choice of words and once again when Eddie's groan of satisfaction morphed into a hiss of pain moments later. Immediately, you rushed to help him lay back and get comfortable in a position that wouldn't aggravate his healing wounds. Once settled, you sat back down and grasped Eddie's hand tightly.

"How have you been feeling today? Do you want me to grab a nurse? We could get you something for the pain, I'm sure." you rambled, wishing you could do anything more to alleviate his pain.

Eddie's response was to lift your hand and press a soft kiss across your knuckles, offering you his signature puppy dog eyes. "No more than yesterday." he promised. "Besides, I don't want to be relying on those pills. Having you here with me makes it all better."

His words did little to ease your worries and you could feel the dam burst inside you as all the emotions from the past few weeks spilled out. After everything that happened with the Upside Down, you felt as though you had to be the one to keep it together; to be strong not just for Eddie but for everyone else involved.

It was you who stepped up and offered to be the shoulder to cry on, to deal with the lies you told Hawkins Hospital, and everything else that came with the aftermath of dealing with the supernatural. But in your mission to be the strong and tough one, you had never allowed yourself a moment to grieve and process what happened, which is why it all poured out in that moment.

Shoulders shaking, you let the sobs escape your lips, thankful Lucas had shut the door on his way out. Exhausted, you fell forward onto Eddie's bed and buried your head in his lap. You had almost died. Eddie had almost died. You had watched as he bleed out before your eyes and nearly subcumed to his injuries before the staff at the hospital could save him. It was you who had been dealing with nightmares for the past few weeks and relieving the worst moment of your life each time you closed your eyes.

Eddie looked down upon you stunned and unsure of what he could do. His strong hands rubbed up and down your back as he encouraged you to let it all out through soft whispers and gentle "shhhhhs" until you could calm down. Minutes later you lifted your head, hair askew and eyes puffy as you looked into Eddie's eyes, feeling slightly ashamed.

"I'm sorry, Eds." you mumbled, scrubbing at your eyes. "You didn't need that when you're still trying to heal."

"Hey, hey." Eddie interrupted, cupping your cheeks as carefully as he could. "You don't need to apologize for a second. I know life hasn't been easy on you these past few weeks. Talk to me, babe. What's going on?"

You opened your mouth, closed it, and took a deep sigh before you finally allowed yourself to voice your fears and frustrations. "Eddie, you nearly died." you whimpered. "I held onto you as you were bleeding out and we tried to get you to the hospital in time. I know you were trying to save us, but I-I just can't those images out of my head.

And I'm just so scared, all the time. Scared that I'll blink or won't be here and you're going to slip away from me again. I can't lose you, Eddie, I just can't." you admitted, tears streaming down your cheeks once more.

Stunned into silence, Eddie engulfed you into his arms as best he could from his spot on the bed. His heart ached to know you had been carrying all those thoughts and feelings around. He knew what he did had been reckless, but he did it to save you.

"Sweetheart, look at me." he said, lifting your head up, taking your hand. He pressed your hand to his chest where you could feel his heart thump against his ribcage. "Feel that? I'm still here. I'm still with you, and I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. I'm sorry you had to go through all that on your own." Eddie comforted, pressing sweet kisses anywhere he could on your skin.

"I know it's not as simple as telling you all that," Eddie continued. "but together we'll heal and move on from this together."

With a watery smile, you nodded your head. "Together." you echoed. Things wouldn't be solved in a day, but you knew your future was bright with Eddie by your side.

[strangerfigs]

anyways. I think with bylers friendship being secured and in place, this is where it is going to end up going with them:

to me, s4 ends with mike and will healing, and repairing the bond back to the way it was in s2. I think that, mixed with the PAINTING, mixed with Mike only ever being able to express genuine vulnerability in front of will, mixed with an APOCALYPSE, will lead to this. Honestly, I think we truly have seen traces of this already throughout the series but with byler being on the same page again and mike open to that and mike being in a relationship with el, like seriously, seriously this is where I see it going! and then el will end things probably but like, literally, mike literally has been emotionally cheating on her the entire time with will but i predict s5 to be much more intense because mike has embraced will fully back into his life and their bond has not been this strong since s2 and i really do not see either of them pulling away from each other because wills speech to mike in the van literally concludes that he is NOT going to pull the bandaid off and that it doesn’t hurt less to do that and basically solidifies that he has 0 plans of withdrawing from mike but will put his feelings aside for him instead even if that does SUCK for him to do, and while the painting plot is definitely going somewhere, I think that it’s just going to end up being the nail on the coffin

I think we have already seen el hurt by mikes emotional cheating and i think that she is going to be able to spy it pretty quick now that mike has let his guard back down with will and has committed back into their friendship because she was able to see how much mike cared for will in s1 and there was definitely jealousy that came with that but as mike wheeler once said, el’s not stupid!

[eddiemunson-reader-shame]

Good morning Hawkins in my daily struggle to power through Flight of Icarus despite my problems with it, I present to you:

Eddie Munson x Reader Headcanons - Hellfire Club Edition

Author’s Note: Y’all I am fucking STOKED! I’m finally meeting up with some old buddies this Saturday to play D&D again for the first time in four years! Me and my friends have been trying to find someone to DM for us for a while (my lover doesn’t want to which is totally fair). And I fell in love with Eddie helping Gareth make his new character in Flight of Icarus, and I feel like we have a significant lack of Reader in Hellfire Club headcanons. So, from one D&D nerd to the community, please enjoy these headcanons which is basically just me gushing for five hours about D&D.

For context: Let’s say Hellfire Club meets Fridays in the Drama Room after school hours.

Okay, first and foremost, Eddie plays Advanced Dungeons and Dragons in 1986 like its 2024 fifth edition in Hellfire Club.

Flight of Icarus got one thing right: Eddie doesn’t give a shit about rules half the time. While it’s a great guideline to start off from, I feel like Eddie would be big on homebrewing.

There may be some homebrew campaigns and a good majority of the storyline in the main campaign is improv, but that doesn’t stop him from respecting if there are players who want to follow the game rules.

He will tease the shit out of a rules lawyer though.

I can see Mike Wheeler as the rules lawyer at first, only to be thoroughly humbled by the first homebrew one shot Eddie put him in.

Eddie will either help you make a character in private or with the boys in case you need more brains to help explain things to you.

If you’re really new, he has his own private session 0 with you to roll for stats. He will meticulously go through all of your character’s details with you and help explain things no matter how many times you ask. He’s very patient, and he loves when you ask him questions.

It makes him feel happy you care so much about his hobbies!

Another big one: Eddie allows multi classing. You wanna be a Cleric who was torn from their order and forced into a life of crime as a Rogue?

“Bitchin’. We love a sassy holy member of the clergy that’s reverted to a life of crime. Let’s decide together how many levels you want in each class.”

You want to go for a specific subclass that cancels out your main class? *cough DRUID cough*

“Fuck it babe. I’ll allow you to keep your armor proficiencies, your spells, AND I’ll lift the requirements for castle worship only. Your Druid can pray for cleric spells in the woods.”

Hellfire Club is literally so relaxing even though there are insults thrown every five minutes and you might find yourself making enemies for the few hours Hellfire Club meets. But it’s not serious. It’s all in good fun and everyone makes up after.

Eddie often uses the Rule of Cool: If you make it sound cool, he’ll allow it in a campaign.

HOWEVER…

Eddie Munson is your sweetheart, your love of your life, your one, but he is a fucking BASTARD of a DM sometimes.

If you get a high roll, he will throw all manner of shit at you in a campaign.

You have a tanky build? Try soloing five groups in a row with no healer bitch.

Spellcaster with a high level arsenal of spells? Your long rests to regain spell slots will never know peace.

Cleric with high level healing spells? Woe, Silence be upon thee.

This mother fucker will not go easy on you if you’re a first timer, but thankfully he will explain to you in detail what he’s doing, what he’s rolling for, etc.

But that’s only for your first game and only because you’re his baby.

If you have a solid idea of how to play, good luck bro. You’re gonna need it.

You, Jeff and Frank collectively (jokingly) plan to one day jump Eddie after school if he continues his traditions of thinking of sadistic ways to kill your first character for a new class.

You tried to warn the freshmen about Eddie’s bullshit but they didn’t believe you. Especially Dustin, who defended Eddie to the death and chastised you for calling Eddie a “shit licking whore” of a DM because hey, that’s your boyfriend! Be nice to him!

… Dustin now only refers to the DM’s commentaries as “And now a word from our Shit Licking Whore…”

I can see Eddie becoming one of those DMs whose goal is to fucking win at all costs even though it’s really not the point but… you know. He seems like he’d have a competitive streak.

Based on Experience: You make eight in Hellfire Club. For a normal campaign that’s way too many goddamn people and turns can take fucking forever. Eddie often gets impatient and hates when the campaigns get mind numbing.

So Eddie’s devised this solution: One Shots have to be rolled for with a d20 to determine who gets to be one of four players, winners need the highest scores of the group. Hellfire Club’s main campaign though is anything goes, Eddie alone DMs, and all Hellfire Club members can play. Because the main is anything goes, it’s also the hardest. And once your character is dead, there’s no revives. The main campaign is not the most newbie friendly. You can opt out of it if you don’t feel comfortable with the main campaign.

The one shots are mainly official campaigns from the sourcebooks, but there are some homebrew ones allowed as long as Eddie checks them over first. These ones are the easier games to get into.

Eddie will allow anyone who wants to DM a chance to DM these one shots, because he honestly gets sick of being the forever DM and actually wants to play sometimes.

You prefer Eddie as a player because he will strategize beforehand with everyone while he rolls up a character. He will base his decision on everyone else’s, fulfilling any role you need. He also will help explain to you about certain encounters or walk you through picking spells or such as you level up.

If you need help while Eddie DMs, the best people to sit with are Gareth, Jeff, and Mike. Gareth and Jeff have the most knowledge about how spells work and helping you to walk through what would benefit the party. Mike is an invaluable tool to have being a former DM, and while he may get annoyed if you ask too many questions, he can tell you just about anything regarding abilities, monsters, or what effects certain spells have. He’ll also help you pick a weapon proficiency that matches your character’s needs.

If you need cheering up, sit next to Dustin or Frank. Franks got the depression snacks in clutch and Dustin will try to cheer you up if your character dies in a famous Eddie Munson death scene.

Dice Jail for Bad And Naughty Traitor Dice get thrown in a mason jar by Eddie’s DM screen. He shakes the jar full of the shitty dice and you all have to scream “SHUN THE TRAITORS”.

Eddie keeps his dice in a Crown Royal drawstring bag. I said what I said.

He even buys a bottle of Crown Royal for you so you have a matching bag for your dice too.

You best believe anything you need to start off the campaign, Eddie is going to buy it for you.

I will only say this once: Session 0 is the best day ever in Hellfire Club. Eddie goes all out: Pizza, drinks, snacks, candy, music, a little bit of the devil’s lettuce, he goes all fucking out.

[strangerquinns]

Deadly Reunion| Chapter 24

Eddie Munson x female!reader // a stranger things apocalypse au

summary: You and Eddie have been best friends since childhood. But when the outbreak happened five years ago, you were torn from one another in the chaos. but now you’re left alone, after your group was killed by another radical crew, leaving you to seek out what was once home. // zombie apocalypse Hawkins set in 1993

warnings: angst + adult themes w/ descriptions of violence, blood, torture + other zombie apocalypse related issues (no use of y/n)

word count: 3k+

smut warning: p in v, fingering, creampie - if wanting to skip look for (**) at the beginning and end

⪻ previous chapter | next chapter ⪼ | stranger things masterlist |chapter one

The warm, musky, smoky scent that always seemed to hang onto Eddie was keeping the anxiousness building within your gut down at the moment. Over the last few days, your nerves became more and more shot. Hopper was pressing harder on training, planning, and strategizing. Each night you dropped down into Eddie’s bed like a dead weight. You were ignoring the fact that your body wasn’t fully healed from before.

If you made it out alive, you could rest then.

You sat at the table hearing the low vibration of conversations around you. Your side was pressed tightly against Eddie’s with his arm wrapped around you. The food in front of you was more picked over than eaten at all. Looking around the table you watched as others spoke to one another.

Robin teased Steve as usual. Jonathan and Argyle were in some deep conversation at the end of the table, too far to really hear what they were saying. Eddie, Gareth, Dustin, and Mike were in some deep debate over something to do with D&D. You weren’t really paying attention enough.

“We having a bonfire tonight?” Gareth asked, drawing your attention back to them. “You know…before everything?”

“Should everyone get a good night's sleep?” Mike asked, his eyes darting around the cafeteria.

“Don’t think anyone is going to be doing much sleeping tonight, Wheeler,” Eddie spoke, pushing away his tray with a heavy sigh. The weight of everything came down heavy over the table.

You were no longer the only one lost in the worry and fear of what tomorrow was going to bring.

“We can still do it,” You spoke softly from beside Eddie, forcing a small smile onto your face. “Better to be together, for those that want to?”

“I like that idea,” Robin spoke up, everyone else at the table now turned toward the rest of you. “Cause I know for a fact I’m not going to be sleeping much tonight. Would be alone in my dorm room anyway.”

Robin sent a playful glare your way, which caused heat to move up your body and settle on your cheeks.

Everyone stood from the table and moved together to exit out of the Lab and out back where Gareth and Eddie’s trailers were settled. Eddie reached down and grabbed your hand tightly, keeping you closer to his side as the two of you walked.

“Are you ok?” Eddie whispered softly, so the two of you would be in your own conversation, everyone lost in their own.

You looked up at him and could see the worry clear over his expression. Tension clear between his brows, “Are any of us ok?”

Eddie let out a soft, humorless chuckle, “No. I guess that was a stupid question.” He paused and took a deep breath. “Just…noticed you barely ate and have been quieter than usual.”

“Not really hungry,” You shrugged slightly, “Can’t really think much about anything. It’s like the nervousness is filling my stomach enough.”

“Promise me tomorrow you’ll force something? I don’t want you going out there on an empty stomach,”

“I-I…” You pressed your lips tightly together, “Don’t make me promise anything, Eddie. Please.”

“This one thing,” Eddie spoke firmly, a tone of begging to his voice. “I won’t ask of anything else.”

You sighed heavily and slightly nodded your head giving Eddie the answer he wanted. By the time the two of you joined the others at the pit outside Eddie and Gareth's trailers, a fire had already started, and the others were sitting around. Gareth had pulled out the whiskey he’d pulled out the night you were reunited with them. Another old glass jar was placed into your grasp, a shot already inside, as you took a seat on one of the logs around the fire.

“A toast,” Gareth spoke, raising his drink up, “To the last night we might all possibly be together,” He spoke somberly “I hope to see all your faces come back through tomorrow – but just in case…it’s been real.”

“Not morbid at all, dude,” Argyle spoke before knocking back his drink, everyone else around him doing the same.

“He’s not wrong,” You spoke up, feeling the burn of the whiskey move down your throat before warming within your belly. “We could all come back tomorrow, but…the reality is we might most likely all won’t.”

“We can’t go into it with that mindset,” Steve spoke up, his eyes connected with yours. A stern, authoritative, firmness behind them that made you shrink back slightly. “We have to go into that we’re all coming back, and we’re killing every single one of those assholes.”

While everyone around you cheered and seemed to toast to that – you sat in silence. Looking down at the amber liquid as your head, and heart seemed to battle and keep you sitting in a sort of limbo. On one hand, you wanted all of them dead, these were the same group that killed your entire camp, your mother. Your best friend. But on the other hand, now that you knew Wendy, was amongst them – you didn’t know what to think. You didn’t want her dead. If anything, you wanted her to come back with you all. But after the attack, she took part in, that was never going to happen.

“What were the scouts able to find out about these cowards?” Jonathan asked, your mind drawing back to the group around you.

“They have a leader, some dude named Henry Creel. Can’t really find out much about him for obvious reasons. But he’s tall and blonde. He walks around like he’s the King or some shit so it’s not hard to point him out.” Steve spoke.

“He’s fuckin’ creepy looking.” Robin shuttered “Has these deep-set blue eyes that are just cold. Scary seeing him through the binoculars.”

“Learned a few of others that seem to be high in power, or at least, Creel trusts.” Steve continued, “Some dude named Neil, another named Billy – Billy looks like his son honestly.”

“How large is this group?” Dustin asked.

“Not much bigger than ours, but with how they move, it’s our disadvantage.”

“We also aren’t 100% sure if they were coming or not,” Eddie spoke up, his arm wrapped around you as he pulled you tighter into his chest. “We could be going in and they are fully prepared.”

“Why don’t we stop talking about this and forget for the rest of the night,” Robin spoke “I’m sick of the impending doom cloud that’s been hanging over us these last few weeks…ever since Nancy died.”

“Come on, let’s go to bed,” Eddie whispered into your ear.

You nodded your head gently and allowed Eddie to help you up from your seat. A few of the others had dissipated and went back to their beds. Gareth, Argyle, Dustin, and a couple others were the only ones sitting at the fire. Eddie guided you up into his trailer and pulled the door closed behind him. The two of you didn’t speak, but moved in sync, as you slowly undressed.

Eddie came up behind you and wrapped his arms around your waist. His warm lips pressed against your chilled skin with small kisses. It caused your body to erupt with goosebumps. You closed your eyes and seemed to relax back into him more, feeling his bare chest against your back, his calloused fingers exploring your body. You let out a soft and gentle moan as his fingers teased your nipple, pinching it gently.

Eddie slowly turned you in his arms and pressed his lips to yours with his hand gently caressing your face. When he pulled back, neither of you spoke, just continued to undress the other. Eddie brought his hands up to gently touch your face, staring down at you with so much love, it made your chest tighten slightly. He bent down and pressed a kiss to your forehead, then your cheek, before settling on your lips.

“Come ‘ere baby,” Eddie whispered against your lips before leading you to the back of the trailer, moving you down to lay across the rumbled sheets of his bed.

*smut 18+*

You reached out and grabbed for him, pulling him over your body, needing to feel him against you. It was like the moment he was even out of reach; your body craved him. Eddie slowly moved up your body as he placed kisses along your scared skin. You couldn’t keep your eyes off of him, squirming slightly beneath him, as the ache between your legs grew. As Eddie wrapped his lips around your peaked nipple, sucking and rolling his tongue, his hand moved down between you. His fingers teased against your slit before thrusting two fingers. You moved your hips down against his hand, needing more, the stretch of his fingers not enough.

“…please, please…Eddie, please,” You begged, pawing at his chest lightly.

Eddie liked watching your face whenever he was pleasing you, hearing the soft whimper and moans coming from your swollen lips. The faces you made as he watched you.

“What baby?” Eddie spoke softly, moving up to press a kiss along your jaw. With your head tilted back against the pillows, it gave him better access to your neck. “Tell me what you need.”

Your hand moved and fisted through his dark curls, pulling on them, to bring him back over you. Your lips brushed against his slightly – barely touching. His thumb added pressure to your clit with his fingers moving a little faster. Your breath got caught in your throat for a moment before a raspy whimper of his name came from you. The erotic sound of his fingers between your legs could be heard along with your moans. Your slick moving down between your cheeks and spreading between your thighs.

“You…you, please…oh-fu..fuck,” Your fingers tightened with the sheets beneath you, knuckles turning white.

Eddie could feel that you were close with how you were tightening and fluttering around his fingers. But just before he could send you over the edge, Eddie pulled his fingers out. You gasped at the feeling of him moving away from you, your eyes widening slightly. But before you could mutter a word of protest, you watched as Eddie brought his fingers to his mouth, before sucking on them. You watched as his tongue moved along his slender digits, sucking your slick off of them, and moaning as he did so.

“…Eddie,” You spoke with a breathy whimper, your hand still fisted within his curls.

Eddie smirked slightly before bending down to press a kiss to your lips, his tongue moving against yours so you could taste yourself. He shifted between your legs, Eddie reaching down between you both, rubbing his cock against your slit. Your hips moved up to meet with him before Eddie thrust deep inside of you – slowly. Your hand moved around to move down his back, your nails dragging along his pale skin, as you felt the stretch of him inside of you.

He pressed his body against yours holding himself up slightly on his elbows, rolling his hips against yours. The two of you moved together tenderly, with caressing touches, and soft kisses. Neither of you wanted this moment to be over quickly. You needed to feel one another because the truth of tomorrow still hung there.

“God, you feel so good sweetheart,” Eddie whimpered, pushing back slightly as he started to move faster, looking down to watch as his cock disappeared into you. Between you an erotic mess that both of you seemed to create. “…can’t get enough of you f-fuck,”

You whimpered as you felt the knot within you tighten more and more, knowing that you were going to cum.

“Eddie,” You spoke, nails digging deeper into his biceps.

“I know, pretty girl, I know,” Eddie spoke caressing your face softly, you leaned into his touch, “Can feel you…feel this perfect fuckin’ pussy squeezin’ around me” Eddie snapped his hips harder against you, hitting that sweet spot inside of you, making you moan and gasp for him louder. “Give it to me, I wanna feel you – want to feel this sweet pussy cum,”

Hearing his words and moans was enough to send you over. You fisted the hair at the back of his head, pulling him back to you, as you fell over the edge. The heels of your feet digging into his lower back to draw him deeper into you. Eddie pulled away and pressed his forehead against yours as the two of you panted softly.

**

“Fuck, I love you,” Eddie spoke, his dark eyes looking down at you intensely, his thumb rubbing against your cheek as he held your face.

“I love you,” You smiled before pecking his lips gently.

Neither of you said more, not needing to. Instead, Eddie moved gently from between your legs before getting out of bed. He came back with a wet cloth and cleaned between your legs before tossing it off to the side. He crawled back into bed and pulled the blanket over the two of you, encasing your bodies in warmth. You went right back to his side and nuzzled your face into his neck as he held you. The two of you lay there in silence, the wind hitting against the trailer, as Eddie moved his hand up and down along your back.

As much as you hoped, the sweet relief of sleep wouldn’t be coming to you easily tonight.

The day was heavy, you felt it the moment you woke up, it seemed to wrap around your shoulders and weigh you down.

You and Eddie moved through the motions of the morning.

The two of you opt to eat in the trailer and join the others at the cafeteria. Holding to your promise, you ate a little bit of food. Only really having the stomach for a couple pieces of toast. Eddie had taken some bread from the pantry that was baked earlier in the week.

Before you knew it the sun started to go down which meant it was time to get ready and meet at the front. Eddie dressed in his usual attire – his dark jeans, leather jacket, bandana wrapped around the lower half of his face with his dark curls pulled back from his face. After putting his hoots on, he slipped one of his knives inside and grabbed his pack. Your attire wasn’t far off from his – you wore all black as well with one of your old jackets. You grabbed your sheath and strapped it to your thigh and placed your knives inside.

The two of you left the trailer and moved toward the front of the labs where everyone seemed to be waiting. Hopper stood at the gate with his arms crossed at his chest and a darkened look on his face. Weapons were passed out along with ammunition if needed. A holster sat on your hip with a pistol inside as a shotgun was strapped across your back.

Amongst the crowd, you spotted Robin who was standing off to the side with Steve. It wasn’t long till her eyes shot up and connected with yours – both of you giving the other a small smile. You wished that you were grouped with all your friends, so you could see for yourself that they were all safe. But you were lucky to even be placed with Eddie – something you were sure he asked Hopper for.

“Now!” Hopper spoke loudly, his voice booming over the crowd and causing everyone to stop and look in his way. “We are about to embark on something that his group had never had to do before. But I have all the faith that we will achieve what we all want by the end of tonight. I want everyone to be vigilant…be safe…and watch each other’s backs. I know I am asking a lot of you tonight. But in the end, it was for the better of this camp. They have taken too much from us. We do this for Nancy, Sarah, and any other life that was lost due to these monsters.”

From the corner of your eyes, you saw Eddie look down at you for a moment, reaching over to squeeze your hand tightly.

“Everyone is to sweep through their planned parts of the old mall, never end a section alone! Once your area has been cleared, move on to the next till we all meet in center court. We don’t fully know what we’re expecting – but let us come out as the victors.”

Everyone around you seemed to let out a roar or cheer of some sort, causing you to jump slightly. The people atop the gate slowly pulled it open before the large group of fighters started to pour out – some marching off to the left with Enzo and the others to the right with Hopper. You kept close to Eddie as the two of you moved with the group that was going off to the right. Each step you took caused your heart to jump more and more up into your throat.

“How about when all of this done, we got back to Ricks? Get away for a few days?” Eddie asked, his voice low as he spoke to you.

“Ricks?” You questioned, “Yeah, yeah that sounds good.”

Eddie smiled slightly, but this time, it didn’t reach his eyes like usual. “It’s a date then baby,”

You nodded your head and tried to force a smile onto your face, reaching for his hand and holding onto it tightly again. Finding peace in feeling the warmth of his hand in yours.

Ok! Ok! I am so sorry for this long pause between updates. I had a lot going on these last two weeks. Work, family, other shit - but I am back. The next chapter is going to be all battle. I was gonna place it here with this chapter but a nearly 6k+ word chapter seemed like a lot! If you enjoyed it, please like + reblog, it really helps! Come and chat or comment I love seeing people's views on the chapter updates! Hopefully, the smut wasn't too bad - but I wanted Reader and Eddie to have a moment before death, violence and zombies came back into the picture!

@mopeymopeymouse / @aris-house / @brxkenartt /@akiratoro420

@stylesxmunson/ @aactuaaltraash / @fandomgirl17 / @ches-86/ @chaoticcancer / @munsonology / @bellamy-barnes / @theonlyh3artbreaker / @idkidknemore / @familyvideowithsteve / @eddiesdingus / @thefemininemystiquee / @the-world-is-a-mess-and-so-am-i / @xdarkcreaturex / @lunr-flwr / @cherry-omi/ @im-emma22@munson-enthusiast / @munsonmecrazy / @jupitar-jul / @katiemrty/ @maddie-luvs-eddie /@eddiemusworld/ @ih3artdanielle / @eddiesguitarskills / @hargrovesswifee /@chaoticcancer / @rh1nestonecowg1rl / @atombombbibunny /@munson-enthusiast / @hellf-1-re / @fangirling-4-ever / @corrcdedcoffin /@sidthedollface2 / @emma77645 / @eddiiiieeee /@beep-beep-sherlock / @moldy-khunt / @bokutoswifey /@trixyvixx / @lma1986 / @plk-18 / @sav12321

[castleclerics]

mike going blind in s5 theory

i've had this this very weird gut feeling since s4 came out that mike is going to go blind to some extent in s5......

mike and blindness is mentioned a couple of times (but not too many for ga to notice) and idk why but i can really see mike becoming physically disabled in some way by the end of the show. maybe that's because i'm projecting but idk i can't let go of the idea for some reason it just feels right to me???

not only does lucas tell him that he's blind but he needs to "wake up" and if you take it in a literal sense it sounds so vecna’s curse-y

it's interesting that he's also literally blinding himself in s4 but in s3 lucas blinds him

(gif credit to emblazons)

literally why is it always lucas. even the “did mike see it? then it doesn’t count.”

and in s2 after will gets possessed lucas asks the party “do you think it’s true sight?” and later in the same episode mike brings up will having true sight in the av room.

also in s1 lucas has his wristrocket and says “the demogorgon’s not real. but if there’s something out there i’ll shoot it in the eye and blind it.”

maybe it’s lucas’ bridge to max and mike, them both having dealt with blindness to some extent ? and mike is super paralleled to max and max couldn't see anything after getting vecnaed. and he's obviously screwed next season with henry so i could see them healing max and making you relieved she's ok then throw you for a loop and pass the concept of her being blind onto mike.

eddie also says vecna is "missing" his left arm and eye but our vecna isn't missing an eye, it's just blindness. and it’s also the wrong eye.

and it just reminds me of “oh no lucas my arm lucas look my armmmm” and mike is grabbing the opposite arm that vecna is missing/is his claw hand... mike wheeler blind in left eye s5 real i'm calling it

(and i know these mentions of blindness are probably all a metaphor for mike's deal with his sexuality and being blinded by internalized homophobia but they usually never stop with just one meaning, these writers love their double and triple meanings/foreshadowings and making them literal lmao)

this part is just me rambling but thinking about how this could relate the queer aspect of mike wheeler; will being gay but also having his supernatural problems add so many layers to his character. so mike being queer and blind possibly because of the supernatural forces would be so interesting and add a similar level of depth to his character like will being tied to other planes of existence and henry do. and since the supernatural things in this show are literally a metaphor for forced conformity, mike and will's issues outside of their sexualities are both caused by this metaphor for forced conforming that they will accept and understand how to live with once they accept their queerness.

the forced conforming is seen in every character on this show and by the end of s5 i believe they'll be released from those societal expectations, and for mike that means sexuality-wise like will. his possible blindness could be the visual and physical representation of the damage of that conforming.

also just one last fun thing: there's a really small band called mike wheeler band that have these songs (the first one reminding me of "only love makes you that crazy") but look at the other one :O

[fckyouiwontdowhatyoutellme]

I should do important stuff but my brain was like "hey remember that thing that happened to you years ago? Yeah well make that steddie and give it to the tumblr crowd!" Yeah so i do that now instead. (Apologies for mistakes, I'm only halfway through my first coffee)

Eddie was touchy, that was known amongst pretty much everyone by now. He was also a menace and a bisexual desaster and while the latter was only known by certain people, evryone knew he was a menace too. The current victim of his touchyness was no other than Steve. Yep. That Steve. Notorious ladies man and hopeless crush of one Eddie Munson since 4 years.

Through the unfortunate fate of the Upside Down Eddie got closer to his crush than he ever dreamed before. Sure okay it took him almost dying and months of physical therapy and healing but he'd take anything if it got him closer to the man of his dreams. Sue him, he's in love.

By now it was nothing unusual to be invited to hang out with the older teens of the Upside Down crew, wich is how he found himself squished between Steve, Robin and Nancy on the Wheelers couch. Was the couch made for four people? No. But it got him almost on top of Steve wich was more body contact than he expected from today. Counting in the poking/tickling attacks on Steve earlier today.

He loved to tickle Steve ever since he found out where to poke. It was an accident when Eddie was slipping on the tiled floor of Steve's kitchen, arms flailing and grabbing the first thing within reach to stabilize himself. Said first thing was Steve, who flinched as soon as Eddie grabbed his sides. He tried to play it off as being surprised by the sudden impact of the other's hands but being the menace he is, Eddie dug his fingers into Steves side, earning a yelp and a slap to his fingers. That was the moment he knew Steve was ticklish and he was gonna use it as an excuse to be close to him.

You see Eddie may be a little slow on the uptake when it comes to flirting, but he knew how to bother people the right way to get a reaction out of them. With Steve that meant poking his sides at random whenever they were together. Usually it earned him a playful slap on the fingers or Steve would just duck away with a "Come on man, stop it". But recently his reactions had changed the slightest bit. He'd still duck away or slap Eddie's hands but the last few times it was always accompanied by the faintest blush on his cheeks. Eddie took that as a hint to up his game and see where it would lead him, maybe his crush wasn't as unrequited as he thought.

Today he was this close to screaming in frustration. When he met up with Steve, Robin and Nancy to search a birthday present for Mike, he didn't let the presence of the girls stop him from being all over Steve. A poke to his ribs here, coming up behind him for a surprise double poke attack there. Eddie couldn't help himself, he just had to touch Steve or he'd feel like exploding. But not only Eddie had upped his game, no to his delight Steve finally got the memo to show an actual reaction to his teasing. And what a reaction that was. One moment his hands were poking Steve, the next he found himself pinned to the nearest wall. His hands held in a strong grasp above his head and body very close to his own. "You really are a menace today, are you?" Steve asked with a surprisingly sweet smile.

For a moment, Eddie was speechless. Was this some crazy realistic dream? Because the only time this happened so far was in his dreams. But he quickly found his words again when he saw the playful glint in Steve's eyes. "What you gonna do about it Stevie, huh? You know this won't stop me for long" he said with a grin, hoping his voice didn't sound as squeaky as it was in his head. Speaking of wich, his brain currently was an endless loop of 'holy shit, holy fuck, steve is touching me, aaaaaaaaaaaah'.

Steve let out a small chuckle and released Eddies hands from his grasp, taking a step back. "I'll find a way to stop you, trust me Eddie" with that he turned around and went back to searching Nancy and Robin. Eddie took a few deep breaths and only now noticed that his face was burning. He probably looked like an overripe tomato and his pants felt a little tighter all of a sudden but holy shit that reaction was only egging him on more. Call him crazy but he wanted to see what else Steve came up with.

Wich gets us back to Eddie being squished on the Wheelers couch. The day of shopping and hanging out had turned into an impromptu movie night/sleepover and now they were watching some movie. Eddie had no idea wich one because his brain was still racing with memories of earlier and 'holy shit i am so fucking close to steve'. The other three teens were commenting the movie and usually Eddie would be with them but not today, oh no he was still on a mission. Mission Get-Steve-to-do-something-to-me-so-I-know-if-I-can-kiss-him, wich was resuming after Eddies internal freakout of being very very close to Steve. He was so close that he could see every freckle, every mole on his face and neck and he wanted to trace every one of them wether with his fingers or his tongue. There were two moles on Steve's neck that looked like a vampire bite and before Eddie knew it he reached out to run his finger along them.

Steve's breath hitched ever so slightly and Eddie could feel him shivering the tiniest bit. Was he ticklish on his neck too? Only one way to find out. Steve's eyes were still glued to the TV, like he was trying to ignore Eddie's fingers on his throat. Slowly Eddie moved his fingers around the side of Steve's neck, featherlight in his movements to lull him into a false sense of security. There. When he reached the spot just below his ear, Steve let out a muffled little noise. Feeling a grin spread across his face Eddie moved his fingers a bit faster around the spot, resulting in Steve twitching and pressing his lips together to stay quiet. He shot Eddie an annoyed look but it was disrupted by red cheeks. Eddie only grinned wider, trying to look as sweet and innocent as possible, still slightly scratching Steve's ticklish spot.

And then, just like earlier Steve was on him in a split second. Grabbing Eddies hand, yanking it away from his neck and quickly intertwining their fingers. Eddie barely heard Robins protest of almost getting elbowed in the face over the blood rushing in his ears. Steve was holding his hand. Their fingers were intertwined and it felt like a puzzlepiece clicking into place. Eddies heart was racing and he suddenly had the terrifying thought that Steve could probably feel it through his pulse. It only got worse when Steve leaned over and whispered: "Is that what you wanted Eds?". Eddie tried to tug his hand away from Steve, this was too much to handle for his brain right now. "Nope, you stay here. I don't mind holding your hand if it means you stop tickling me" that fried Eddies brain entirely and he actually stayed still for once in his life. Or at least for the rest of the movie.

As soon as the movie was over, Robin announced that she was hungry and so Nancy called for a snack break. The girls went to the kitchen to order some pizza, leaving the boys alone in the living room. Steve has let go of Eddies hand when Nancy turned on the lights and he already missed the warmth. When Steve went to go to the bathroom he used what little time he had to gather his thoughts and make some mental notes to his mission status. So far tickling Steve got him an embarrasing half boner at the store and some really nice handholding. That could have been enough for now but no, Eddies lovestruck gremlin brain (or heart?) demanded more. If he didn't control himself at least a little bit he'd probably do something stupid tonight. Like jumping Steve and kissing him senseless infront of the girls. He had at least a bit of decency to not make them watch this, but well a man can dream.

They decided to pop in another movie until the pizza came and this time Steve took Eddies hand without a word, the "Stay still" was left unsaid. Somehow it helped slowing down Eddies racing thoughts and kept him grounded. It was nice and he liked the feeling of Steve playing with his rings. It felt so nice that his only logical conclusion was to shift the tiniest bit closer to Steve and rest his head on the other's shoulder. He didn't care that Nancy gave him a knowing look from where she was nestled to the armrest, he didn't care that Robin was eyeing their intertwined hands with a tiny grin (she held Steve's hand all the time no need to make a big deal about it) all he cared about was his hand in Steve's and the fact that he didn't get pushed off his shoulder yet.

About halfway through the movie the doorbell rang and destroyed the peace in Eddies mind. As soon as Nancy, Robin and Steve jumped up to get the pizzas his brain was in gremlin mode again. Before he knew it he was back to poking Steve in the ribs and found himself slammed to the wall only seconds later. Steve's body now flush against his, hands pinned above his head like earlier. "I told you to stop that" Steve sounded a little breathless and Eddie only managed an apologetic grin when he saw the tiny little blush covering Steve's cheeks. They both were aware that the girls were only a few feet away at the door. Eddie still wanted to do something stupid, but he managed to hold back. He didn't know how exactly, but it was an impressive effort.

"Make me!" was the only thing he said with a smirk. A challenge. To see if Steve would go as far as he would. Judging by the fact that his eyes flickered down to Eddie's lips for a split second, he would. Their moment was interrupted by Robin announcing loudly that they should get a room because she didn't want to watch this while eating. Steve let him go, strolling back to the sofa and grabbing his pizza as if nothing happened. Eddie quickly followed, trying to be as normal as he could.

The rest of the night went by fairly uninteresting, besides Steve casually holding Eddie's hand during the movies. Sometime after midnight they all got tired and decided to call it a night. Nancy retreated to her room, Robin curled up on the lazy boy and Steve arguing that Eddie takes the sofa because he sometimes has back pain. Steve himself decided to just sleep on the floor.

When Eddie woke up the next morning he instantly knew it was way too early. To his surprise he found Steve already awake when he turned around. Had he been watching him? Eddie gave him a sleepy smile and quietly asked for the time. Steve awkwarly contorted and tried to look into the kitchen from his position on the floor wich had Eddie stifle his laughter. "Uuuuh I think 7:40am" came a whispered answer when Steve rolled back facing Eddie. It was unfair how sweet he looked with sleep rumpled hair and disheveled clothes. Eddie felt his heart beat faster again and a smile threatened to spill over his face. Steve gave him a confused look. "What?" he asked but it was swallowed by a yawn, wich made him look even cuter in Eddies eyes.

"Nothing" he answered and sat up, patting the space next to himself, "C'mere, that floor can't be comfortable". Steve huffed out a tiny laugh and hoisted himself on the sofa in one not so graceful movement that had his spine crack.

"What makes you say that?" Steve's voice was muffled by the pillows he fell face first into and Eddie had to stifle his own laughter. Steve adjusted himself, curling around Eddie like a dragon around his hoard and bliked up at the other boy. "Mornin' Eds" he said softer than he ever talked to Eddie before and aforementioned metalhead wanted to melt. If anyone had told him a year ago that he would be graced by the sight of a sleepy Steve Harrington looking up at him with nothing but sleepy fondness, he wouldn't have believed them. But here he was, Steve pressed against his back, his head almost in his lap and if Eddie didn't know better he'd think he was still dreaming. It felt all too natural to sink back into the couch a little deeper, leaning against Steve's torso and burying his hand in the boys incredibly soft hair.

"Mornin' Stevie" he whispred back, equally soft. If this really was a dream he never wanted to wake up because right now, pretzeled together with Steve on the goddamn Wheelers sofa of all places his life felt perfect. Not even Robins snoring could disrupt that moment. Steves eyes had closed again the moment Eddie started playing with his hair and his hand came up to search for Eddie's unoccupied one, slotting their fingers together like the night before.

Eddie must've fallen asleep again too, because he woke up to something tickling his neck. Said something turned out to be none other than Steve. Precisely Steve's lips that were currently trailing the softest of kisses up and down his neck and cheek. He turned his head slightly to see Steve still having his eyes closed but in between the kisses he saw the tiniest smile on his lips, like he knew exactly what he was doing to Eddie. "Your heart is racing" he whispered.

Eddie was still half asleep and mumbled out a "Uuuh its always like this". He instantly felt stupid when he heard Steve giggling and couldn't help but bark out a laugh. Unfortunately that only startled Robin awake, wich made Steve laugh even more. They were both by now laughing and almost slipping off the sofa while Robin shot them a death glare. So much for a little more time in the soft bubble they created for themselves. After that Robin woke up Nancy and whatever mood was between them evaporated by the time they made breakfast.

The rest of the day went by without anything else happening. Eddie didn't want to provoke Steve in broad daylight, the thing they had this morning was enough to last him a few days without the constant need to be around Steve.

Or so he thought.

Because two days later he found himself at Steve's place for another movie night. This time without the girls, just the two of them. Was that supposed to be a date? Had his weird approach of flirting worked? Eddie was nervous all of a sudden.

"You're right, your heartbeat is actually that fast all the time" Steve commented from where he had laid his head on Eddies chest.

Eddie just poked his ribs, grinning at the way Steve twitched. "Told you so" he sing songed in an attempt to mask this nervousness. He actually like puking his guts out any minute now and wouldn't that be romantic? As if Steve sensed his inner turmoil he grabbed Eddies hand and began playing with his rings. It instantly calmed both of them down.

For a while they silently watched the movie, only for Eddie to let out a "blergh" when two characters on screen kissed. Steve looked up to him with furrowed brows. "What? You don't like kissing Eddie?".

Eddie only looked back perplexed, stammering out: "What? No.....I uh......uhm.....i don't hate it but.....i dunno". Smooth Munson, very smooth.

Steve wiggled himself up a bit higher so he could look Eddie in the eyes, his gaze only flickering down for a second. Eddie was pretty sure he looked like an overripe tomato again, and he was sweating. Neat. But despite that he felt a soft pair of lips press to his own and his brain short circuited.

Yep that's the death of Eddie Munson. Death by kissing the most beautiful man he knows, what a way to go. 'Kiss back you fucking idiot!' was the only helpful thing his brain supplied to all this and as soon as he did, it shut down again.

He doesn't know how long they were kissing but it didn't matter, he was kissing Steve, Steve was kissing him. That's all that mattered.

When they finally parted, Eddie sunk back into the couch cushions. "You okay there?" Steve asked with a smile in his voice, still hovering over Eddie.

"Eeeh no, because the fucking man of my dreams just kissed me? I am so not okay in the best way, how about you?" Eddie answered, shoked by how strangled his voice came out.

"Hmm, in that case I am also so not okay because I just kissed the man of my dreams too and he even kissed back" with that Steve leaned down, resting their foreheads together. "And if he doesn't mind I'd love to kiss him again even if he can be a menace sometimes"

Eddie just nodded dumbly and pulled Steve down by his shirt to crash their lips together. They didn't know how long they kissed, with wandering hands and barely a break to take a breath. In the background the movie ended but neither of them cared, too caught up in one another.

They only broke apart for a bit longer when Eddie poked Steve's ribs again, earning a delightful squeak from the younger. "Just for the record, don't think you can distract me with kisses sweetheart" he said with a smirk.

Steve only smirked back, snaking his hands towards Eddies wrists. "Maybe not with kisses, but I have my ways"

[tartarusknight]

So supernatural au for Stranger things. Well, it's a more unnatural version. Still with the Upside Down, just a different version!

Season 1--->

The Wheelers were human, and Nancy was shown how to protect herself at a young age. But she befriends a banshee Barbara Holland and keeps to herself for the most part. But she falls for Steve Harrington, who was a siren. People warn her away, tell her that it's just because he's spelling her to love him.

Barb is the most protective. So she goes with Nancy to Steve's. Even though she's been feeling off since the youngest of the Byers pack went missing. And when she goes up with Steve, she swears she can hear Barb's scream.

Afterward, Nancy talks to Jonathan Byers from the Byers' pack, and they go looking for their friends/family. Only when they go looking, Nancy finds a weird portal. When she goes in, she's sees a creature she doesn't know. Before Jonathan's able to get her out there, it bites her.

And that night, she feels her body change. Jonathan is with her as Demagorgan's bite changes Nancy. The small scars form on her face, letting her face open up. Her nails are able to lengthen into talons. Jonathan walks her through dealing with the transformations, and Nancy develops a close bond to him.

And after everything goes down, she joins the Byers' pack. But other than that, nothing changes.

Season 2 --->

The next year, as the demodogs start acting up, Nancy, who's already struggling with Barb's death, snaps under it all. She yells at Steve and blames him for using his sirens call on her. How they couldn't really be in love and that it was all just bullshit. She goes to Jonathan, and it all stays the same.

Steve is stopped by Dustin Henderson, a young satyr. The boy had been trying to take care of a young creature, and it had escaped. Steve agreed and grabbed the trusty nail bat he had gotten from Jonathan.

They still go to the junk yard. Steve still protects them. Lucas, the young Gorgon and Max, the young Harpy. Before they head back to the Byers with the rest of the group.

And when Hopper, the human chief of police sees the young fae girl whom he had taken in, a new version of hell breaks loose. Steve, thankfully, is left in charge of the kids since a siren wasn't known for fighting (no matter how much Steve proved that he was strong).

And when Billy, the argogant werewolf, shows up, Steve protects them. He is doing his best, but Max still saves his ass. But he's brought into the younger kids' party/pack after that. Afterward, they headed into the tunnels, and Dustin was able to speak softly to Dart in his satyr speak.

Season 3--->

Has Steve with a witch Robin at Scoops. With Dustin pulling them into the Russian conspiracy. Then Erica joins as well later on. It has Steve trying to use his siren song on the Russians, but since Steve hadn't used a drip of it since Nancy, it comes out wrong and doesn't work. Robin is able to heal him a little, but without her herbs and books, she's trapped as well.

Little Gorgon Erica saves them by turning the doctor to stone, and Dustin gets them out.

Season --->

Eddie Munson is a known vampire. His dad had been one before he went feral from accidentally taking to much blood from his wife and killed himself in his greif.

That made Eddie half vampire, the other half human. But when Chrissy the sweet merfolk die in his living room, Eddie is quick to be blamed. He goes into hiding and is relieved when Dustin finds him.

And Steve, who had sworn off dating in fear of never being able to be with someone who truly loves him, falls for Eddie. And well, with Vampires' ability to charm others as well, he can't be charmed, and they can trust that they love each other for who they are.

That's it. That's my idea... all I got. Thoughts????

Steve - Siren

Nancy - Were-Demogorgan

Mike - human

Byers - Werewolves

Barb - Banshee

Sinclairs - Gorgon (think Medusa)

Dustin - Satyr or Cyclops

Max - Harpy

Billy - Werewolf

Eddie - Vampire

Robin - Witch

El - Fae who was experimented on and made more powerful.

Hopper - human

Jason - Minotaur

Chrissy - Merfolk

[infinite-orangepeel]

a whumpy af steve harrington excerpt from ch. 1 of my soft dom eddie fic

aka this boy has a lot of unresolved trauma & eddie munson is going to help him heal

(the rest of the chapter that contains the actual smut will be linked below, i’m scared of tumblr shadow banning me again for posting the full thing in here)

TW: panic attacks, discussions of mental illness, suicidal ideation, vomiting/nausea (as symptom of panic attacks), disordered eating habits, ptsd, heavy themes, lots of emotions

★○★○★○★○★○★○★○★○★○★○★

It comes down to this. Steve Harrington doesn’t trust himself. Not anymore. Not since everything went to shit in The Upside Down and Max ended up on life support.

Honestly, he didn’t feel all that abnormal about it for the first few months. It was easier to ignore the magnitude of his problems when his friends were clearly struggling right alongside him. There was something about strength in numbers or a sense of community–being convinced he wasn’t the only one totally fucked up in the aftermath of the final battle.

Regardless, it kept him afloat for a while.

Robin often called in the middle of the night to vent about her own flashbacks and the nightmares they prompted. The two grew accustomed to seeking comfort on opposite ends of the telephone line, twisting the cords around their fingers and whispering “ me too, I have that one too,” as to not wake the monsters underneath their beds. Sometimes, it got so bad that the sun would rise and they’d still be trying to snap each other out of it. Yawning through the agony of another sleepless night and fixing themselves cups of black coffee to alleviate the ensuing exhaustion.

Lucas had shown up on his doorstep enough times that Steve finally had another key made. He was tired of coming home from work and seeing the boy sulking there out in the cold–grief written plainly all over his face. Steve handed him the key on a carabiner clip–so Lucas could comfortably carry it around on his belt loop–and assured him he was welcome day or night. Steve’s parents had moved out of town after the infamous Hawkins’ “earthquake,” so Steve was solely in charge of approving any and all guests at the Harrington household. Lucas, of course, was at the top of his list–he was family, they all were. As long as the boy agreed to let himself in, warm-up on the couch, and grab a snack from the pantry–he could come over any hour he needed. No more rotting outside with tears forming icicles on his cheeks. Steve wouldn’t have that.

El refused to leave her bedroom–holed up beneath a fort of blankets and wouldn’t speak to anyone for days on end–until Hopper called up the gang and they elected ‘Babysitter Steve’ to go handle it. He was the most qualified in their eyes, what with his protective older brother attitude, gentle approach, and dorky jokes. Sure enough, El didn’t banish him right off the bat–not like she had with some of the others–namely, Mike Wheeler. She let him get close without protest and when he hugged her, she fell apart against his chest–guilt pouring out of her at the fact that she hadn’t been able to save Max from Vecna. He brushed the knots out of her hair with cautious fingers and listened. She just needed someone to listen. That was all it took. By the end of the night, she was sandwiched in between him and Hopper on the well worn couch, openly laughing at the plot of Pretty in Pink.

Nancy wore a poker face for the most part, but she wasn’t completely immune to the lasting effects of trauma. She held it together in public, like the first lady at a brutal press conference–politely smiling and waving for the crowd. She’d made it her personal goal to distract the kids from what was really going on–with Max–back at the hospital. This manifested itself in her implementation of weekly game nights, arcade afternoons, and community service outings. Naturally, Steve attended more than a handful of these events–lending a helping hand to rangle the younger teens. It was only once the kids had been dropped off at their respective addresses that Nancy would let her artificial smile fall and tell Steve what was really on her mind. The loss, the fear, the worry. He’d hold her hand– platonically of course, it wasn’t like that anymore –across the center console of his BMW and nod along to the tune of her suffering. It was one he knew well, played on repeat.

Thus, Steve managed his own anxiety by keeping that of the others at bay. His role became narrowly defined as the one who would help you regulate your breathing through the course of a vicious panic attack, the one who was considered reliable in a world that had become anything but. It gave him a sense of purpose and a reason to keep moving forward. He couldn’t simply hide away in his oversized bedroom when he knew his friends were busy laying catatonic in theirs. So, day after day, he pulled himself up by his bootstraps, usually forgot to eat, chugged excessive amounts of caffeine, and set out to mend all of the broken wings but his very own two.

Eventually, there was healing. The ball started rolling around the time Max woke up. After four months of breathing tubes, IV’s, heavy medications, and machines keeping her alive–she opened her eyes one day and slowly began to inhabit her body again. Within a few weeks of round-the-clock physical therapy, solid foods, and monitored pain management–she was discharged from the ICU and returned home. Cane in hand, coke bottle glasses on the bridge of her nose, and slight gaps in memory–she wasn’t the same, but she was as close to it as she could be and that was all that mattered. She was breathing on her own accord–beautiful, steady inhales and exhales–that alone was a miracle in and of itself.

After Max settled back into her normal life, everyone else seemed to follow suit. Once the high school was fixed up by the hands of a devoted construction crew and summer came to a close, the kids started in on their sophomore year. Fall semester provided a new routine that included basketball practices, D&D campaigns (Will Byers quickly ascended to President of Hellfire Club in Eddie’s place), and tests to study for. On top of all that, somehow Steve was going to have to teach each of the little twerps how to drive, which absolutely terrified him. However, there was no way he was going to let anyone else instruct his kids on how to be safe behind the wheel. Yeah, no fucking way.

The Party finally had the opportunity to just be kids–for the first time in almost four years–and Steve was happy for them. Really, he was. Now, they could ride their bikes around the neighborhood–just for the heck of it, not because they were pedaling away from otherworldly monsters. They could waste time down by the lake and not have to search the murky waters for the dead body of their missing friend. They could be innocent and stupid and naive and not have to worry so much about the life altering consequences.

And, as happy as he was for them, Steve just couldn’t help but selfishly miss the era in which Lucas spent most nights on his couch–talking about nothing until the wee hours of the morning. The era in which El asked him to drive her to Family Video each Saturday–ready to pick out the next chick flick that would make Hopper groan. His schedule and his house suddenly felt a lot emptier without a bunch of rugrats calling upon their favorite babysitter. The silence often felt like it could swallow him whole. He hated it.

As for Nance and Robin, they had their own paths to explore–ones that unfortunately, didn’t directly involve Steve. That was okay, but it also wasn’t.

Nancy was reapplying to Emerson–early decision–and like everything else she did, she was hellbent on her college essays being absolutely perfect. She made the local library her second home as she wrote and edited and then edited some more. Steve knew there was not a chance in the world that Nancy Wheeler wasn’t going to be accepted to the school of her dreams and become an incredible journalist. She was destined for greatness. Always had been.

Robin landed herself a girlfriend and was so lovesick it hurt. Vickie quickly became the center of her universe. She had this insane gravitational pull on Steve’s best friend and he’d never seen anything like it. Robin looked like a whole new person, shining from the inside out. They did their best to include him in their plans on a regular basis, but Steve really didn’t want to burden them with his presence. Not that the girls ever made him feel that way. He was just a bit too aware of the fact that no couple looks forward to having a constant third-wheel, so he backed off when he could and lied about being busier than he was–acting like there was a laundry list of activities for him to attend to.

Truthfully, he spent most weekends alone in front of the T.V. or picking up extra shifts at the video store. Unsure of how he suddenly became the only one stuck in the past, haunted by creatures that no longer walked the Earth. It didn’t make sense. Why couldn’t he move on like everyone else? Max had been kissed by death and yet, she made it to school every day and somehow, still found the energy to ask Lucas to the Sadie Hawkins dance. Steve, on the other hand, had exited The Upside Down with minor injuries–practically, unscathed–but for some reason, he dry heaved into the toilet every morning and questioned his entire existence. Spitting up bile and wondering how long it would take before his heart jumped ship, too. He imagined it would only be a matter of time, before the center of his own being decided it was unwilling to marinate in the sad toxic wasteland any longer. Abandoning him and begging to be flushed down, along with the rest.

It’s definitely less than ideal to have some idiot ring your doorbell, when you’re right in the middle of balling your eyes out–facedown on the living room floor–and wondering why God or the universe or whatever the fuck just had to plop you down on this cursed planet in the first place.

It’s actually super embarrassing and kind of the stuff of his nightmares, but that’s exactly the position Steve Harrington finds himself in on a random Tuesday evening.

There’s nothing special about it. Just another day trying not to break apart at the seams, wasting the hours by choking on his unforgiving past. Nothing left to do, but wallow in self-hatred and stare at the popcorn ceiling.

In theory, he could just play dead and ignore the irritating chime of the bell, but on the off chance that it’s one of his friends or the pizza delivery guy has arrived early–he begrudgingly gets up and makes his way to the front door. Dizzy from standing up too fast on an empty stomach, he reaches out for the wall to steady his gait. Unable to find the motivation to clean up his appearance before wrapping his trembling fingers around the cold doorknob. Whoever it is, is just going to have to deal with the mess–just like Steve does every single day.

There’s no nice way to say it. Steve looks like shit. There’s dark circles ringing his sunken eyes that make him look like the kin of the local raccoons. The same ones that devour his uneaten groceries from the garbage cans each week. It’s a charitable donation–philanthropic even. He goes on a depression fueled hunger strike and his furry nocturnal neighbors get a feast fit for a king.

Due to his inability to nourish himself anymore, his cheeks have hallowed out, his muscles have shrunken down, and his once tan skin appears jaundiced–sickly yellow. There’s acrid bile drying on his cracked lips from the most recent upheaval of his guts. This time it was spurred on by the grotesque image of Vecna’s corpse-like face. It keeps popping up in his mind without warning, like one of those jack in the box clown toys–raking the sharp nails of nausea across the lining of his stomach.

He doesn’t immediately register who the person on the other side of the door is, which is laughable, because it wasn’t all that long ago that Steve carried the guy’s limp body out of an alternate dimension and gave him mouth to mouth. They’re not exactly strangers.

Thirty seconds go by before his brain starts back up and processes the identity of the man standing before him. As if the secretary of his memory had disappeared from the front desk and took a while searching the filing cabinets to fill in the blanks:

Mr. Harrington? Sorry about the delay. We’ve located the files. That’s Eddie Munson you’re looking at. We’re sure of it.

“What are you doing here? I thought you were-” Steve starts, roughly wiping at his bloodshot eyes to make sure he’s not hallucinating. Anything is possible when you’ve lived through what he has.

“-in hiding?” Eddie says nonchalantly, leaning against the porch–he’s taller than Steve remembers, “I was. Spent a lot of time bored as shit in a rather crappy hotel room, but Hopper gave me the all clear yesterday and I just moved back into my Uncle’s place. Sorry if I stink, it’s because I’ve been carting boxes around all day–you’ll have to get over it.”