#max mayfield headcanon
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steddieasitgoes Ā· 1 year ago
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Okay but Max waking up from her coma, only to learn that sheā€™ll probably never regain all her strength in her legs.
Lucas and the boys totally think this is the end of the world, especially since she loves skateboarding so much (and letā€™s be honest itā€™s a small town, theyā€™re bound to be slightly ableist mostly out of naivety), meanwhile Max is already doing sprints in her wheelchair down the hospital hallways while El times her.
A few weeks later, sheā€™s pulling her first wheelie and the boys and El are all cheering her on. Lucas might also be watching through his hands ā€” heā€™s definitely going to go gray before 30 because of his girlfriend, but he loves her so much he doesnā€™t care.
One of the first things she does when sheā€™s fully recovered is go to the skatepark. She gets a lot of weird looks from the skaters, but she ignores them all and rolls into the pool just like sheā€™s done a million times before. Itā€™s one of the happiest moments of her life.
Fast forward to her early twenties and Max is the number one girl in the wheelchair BMX (WBMX) world. Sheā€™s better in her wheelchair than she ever was on a skateboard and sheā€™s happier too.
Nothing will ever slow down this Zoomer.
Disclaimer: As someone who does not use a mobility aid, please call me out if any part of this is ableist!
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groovinrightalong Ā· 1 year ago
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Do u have any trans masc Max Mayfield headcanons?
I havenā€™t thought much about it but now I have so MANY thoughts!
-Max hasnā€™t had a lot of positive relationships with the men in his life, so it takes a long while for the ā€œhm I donā€™t feel quite rightā€ to click. He doesnā€™t feel super comfortable as a girl, but he looks at his step-dad and Billy and is like ā€œwell I donā€™t want to be anything like that, so this has to be okay.ā€
-He definitely knows more about gender/sexuality stuff than the others because of growing up in California. So heā€™s thought a lot about it over the years, but just kept coming to the conclusion that heā€™s a tomboy (again, no positive relationships with men.)
-Itā€™s actually because of Lucas (and the rest of the Party, by extension) that he really starts to get more comfortable with the idea. Because Lucas is sweet, and heā€™s gentle, and so unlike any of the other men heā€™s been around. Lucas is the first person that kind of cracks his view on gender roles and what exactly defines a man.
-He butts heads with Mike a lot at first just because of how insistent Mike is about him being a girl, how heā€™s different and unwelcome because of it, but (if this is also transmasc Mike) they realize theyā€™re actually really similar and grow closer because of it, or (if this isnā€™t transmasc Mike) Max realizes that it isnā€™t the ā€œgirlā€ thing that bothers him, itā€™s the fear of replacing El.
-If itā€™s both transmasc Max and transmasc Mike, Mike comes out WAY earlier than he wouldā€™ve on his own.
-The boys are all really supportive when he comes out (which would probably be around the season 3 era). They donā€™t really get it at first, but heā€™s their friend, and theyā€™ve always been very vocal about how theyā€™d kill for a friend if needed. And really, seeing Max as a boy isnā€™t all that different from what they were doing already, so itā€™s an easy adjustment.
-In a similar fashion to Max teaching El about being a girl in the show, the guys take him out on a ā€œboys onlyā€ night. It isnā€™t really any different than their usual hangouts- they go to the movies, play video games, eat way too much junk food, but the boys only title makes Max feel all fuzzy and warm inside.
-He comes out to Billy while heā€™s dying. He didnā€™t ever really plan on doing it at all, but his step-brother is dying in his arms and he needs to get it off his chest before itā€™s too late. Billy is a lot of the reason it took so long for him to feel comfortable as himself, and he thinks Billy knows that once itā€™s out in the air. Unfortunately, Billyā€™s dead before he can really give much of a reaction, just a weak little ā€œIā€™m sorry.ā€ And thatā€™s nowhere near enough to make up for everything.
-He comes out to his family that night in a screaming match with his step-dad. Neil is an asshole about it, but it doesnā€™t really matter because the whole argument starts because heā€™s gonna leave them. Susan is incredibly supportive, and she turns around and kicks Neil out even though sheā€™d been begging him to stay moments before. Gives Max one of those big, therapeutic hugs where Max just sobs into her shirt.
-Max cuts his hair off after Billyā€™s death. Heā€™s never had a problem with his hair, he actually likes it long, but heā€™s messed up over everything that happened. He leans a lot more into the stereotypes he hated as a kid, acts rougher and more stand-offish. He breaks up with Lucas, stops hanging out with the rest of his friends. He feels awful, because this is the first time in his life that heā€™s only surrounded by people that support and love him, but he feels like he doesnā€™t deserve it.
-(Vecna has a field day with all that)
-Post canon, he does grow his hair back out again. Lucas dramatically informs him that men with long hair are hot (bi king), to which Max shoots back that that would mean Mike was hot. Lucas gives Mike a quick once over and is like I mean, yeah.
-Lucas likes to greet people and go hi, yes, this is my boyfriend Max. Heā€™s so cool. He pretty much single-handedly saved Hawkins that one time. And Max stands there with his face bright red in his hands like oh my god shut up
-Lumax and Byler double dates with an obnoxious amount of homo, striking fear into the hearts of conservative smalltown Indiana
YES I love this sorry for making it angst near the end but yes yes transmasc Max I love himšŸ’ž
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messrsbyler Ā· 2 years ago
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listen, max returns from her coma, blind, and she comes back full with tophā€™s unhinged energy. it just fits so well with max.
them going through the woods, being as quiet as possible to not alert all the monsters lurking behind the bushes and trees.
after a long silence of no action happeningā€¦
max: wait!
everyone, on edge: WHAT WHAT?
max: i think i saw something behind the trees over there! *points at a random tree*
mike, panicking and lifting his trophy weapon to protect the same will byers that has a gun and perfect aim: WHERE? MAX WHE-
max, laughing and losing her shit:
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mike: i hate when she does thatā€¦
everyone: *groans*
hopclair: *pat max proudly on the back*
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dwobbitfromtheshire Ā· 2 years ago
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What if Neill Hargrove moved Max and them to Hawkins to try and bribe Max's birth father for money, but it didn't work? Steveā€™s father traveled a lot. What if he happened to visit California a few times? Susan stuck her kid in an abusive situation, so it's quite possible she hadn't been faithful to her first husband. What of Steve is Max's half-brother, and they just don't know it?
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sinclairstarz Ā· 8 months ago
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would max like Superbad or Gone Girl more. im struggling
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space-invading-pigeon Ā· 2 years ago
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Everyone jokes about Steve being the babysitter or the mom friend, but no one actually appreciates everything he does until he gets sick. Steve is the epitome of a doting parent; sure, he's only twenty and the seven kids he's adopted aren't actually his in any legal way, but those kids are his pride and fucking joy. Anyone who sees Steve with those kids can tell that he loves them deeply, which is why Steve is the only person in the Party that can convince their parents to allow anything- their parents KNOW that their kids will not only be well looked after, but they'll be genuinely enjoying themselves too.
Because he's a single mom except he's actually just barely out of his teenage years with no kids, he gets a lot of shit from everyone about it; he's known almost exclusively to the Party as Mama Steve (when he isn't in earshot of course). That's all fine by Steve, he always wanted a big family and now he has it. The problems start to appear when the Party realizes that Steve Harrington flat out ignores his own needs until they're so pressing that he's physically unable to do anything.
It all starts when Robin is told by Keith, of all people, that Steve has called in sick. Robin, of course, panics and calls him, and when he doesn't answer she calls Eddie to check on him. He and Steve had gotten closer since spring break, so it wasn't unusual for a member of the party to call either Eddie or Steve to check in on the other.
Eddie checks in to find Steve Harrington, badass warrior prince incarnate, sobbing from a blanket mountain on the couch in his living room. No one has ever actually seen Steve cry before, so Eddie freaks out, but it's just the result of a high fever and watching Old Yeller by himself. After calming the sick man, Eddie managed to coax some medicine into him and call Family Video to let Robin know that, yes, Steve is alive and no, he wasn't going to die of fever, but he only manages to get Steve to sleep by reading to him (Eddie finds it disgustingly adorable, even more so later when Nancy mentions that Steve loves stories but struggles with what he calls "moving letters"). And for the next two weeks, Steve is down for the count. Joyce and Claudia Henderson take turns making sure Steve is alright (Joyce because Steve is one of Her Kids, and Claudia because Steve is the Older Son she never had) while Eddie, Nancy, Jonathan, and Robin all try to take his place.
By the end of the first day, Nancy calls it quits: Mike is a bullheaded terror who only ever seems to like Will, El, or Eddie, and even then he doesn't always listen to them, so the Wheeler siblings fight even more ferociously than usual. She can't get El or Erica to listen, either; Erica is a force to be reckoned with, and El will only nod passively before doing what she wants anyway. By the end of day three, Jonathan is out. He won't say what happened, but he told Max to be nicer to the Party one time and, ten minutes later, he was tearfully saying that the kids were little monsters.
Robin lasts longer, almost an entire week, by chattering at the kids until they give up and listen to her. She meets her match when Dustin and Erica try to commandeer the Family Video computer again: Dusting sneaks past and almost breaks the computer just trying to get to it while Erica does Erica and argues until Robin the Rambler runs out of words. The morning of day seven is very dark for her.
Eddie, through what he believes to be the universe's acknowledgement of the depth of his affection for Steve and also sheer force of will, lasts the whole two weeks, but just barely. Mike argues over everything, no matter what; Will is skittish at the best of times and disappears constantly (thankfully, not like his Upside Down episodes - the boy just can't stop getting distracted and wandering away from the group), only to reappear directly behind Eddie and scaring him into an early grave; Lucas gets frustrated easily and can never seem to find the right words to communicate his thoughts and feelings, so he snarks and lashes out before awkwardly trying to mend the situation; Erica is so completely herself that it can be dizzying when the full force of that hurricane is directed towards Eddie; Dustin practically follows Eddie around like a little duckling, demanding updates on Steve or ranting about one of his many interests; El spends most of her time with the Party learning about how girls her age act through Max or practicing her braiding on Eddie. The worst of them all, though, is Max. Despite having healed up, she's still in physical therapy to rebuild her muscle strength and dexterity, and her eyesight is bad enough now that there's talk of her getting a service animal. It isn't that she needs a little extra attention that makes her the worst, though: it's that somehow, she still chases the most mischief. Eddie has only narrowly managed to keep her from assaulting no less that nine people in the two weeks that Steve is sick, and he knows she's definitely tried to commit arson at least twice that often.
Finally, after two weeks, Steve feels better enough to return to his usual activity, and Eddie begs him to never get sick again.
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ymaohoh Ā· 8 months ago
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Nancy ā€œfuck itā€ Wheeler
Steve ā€œfuck my lifeā€ Harrington
Robin ā€œwell fuckā€ Buckley
Jonathan ā€œfuck thisā€ Byers
Billy ā€œfuck meā€ Hargrove
Eddie ā€œfuck offā€ Munson
Chrissy ā€œoh fuckā€ Cunningham
Dustin ā€œfuuuuccckā€ Henderson
Will ā€œfuck fuck fuckā€ Byers
Mike ā€œfuck everythingā€ Wheeler
Max ā€œfuck youā€ Mayfield
Lucas ā€œfor fucks sakeā€ Sinclair
Erica ā€œwhat the fuckā€ Sinclair
Based on this post
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harringroveera Ā· 1 month ago
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AU where Steve and Billy are in a school play together?
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inconspicuousdreamgirl Ā· 5 months ago
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13 days off Ronance moments since itā€™s pride month!!!šŸŒˆ
Day: one
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The time when Robin noticed a Tom cruise poster in nancys room, then proceeded to dress incredibly similar almost exactly like his character in the film taps (1981). I know itā€™s not exact but Robin really was like ā€œNancy likes Tom cruise so Iā€™m gonna dress like himā€.
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yesimtrashforit Ā· 3 months ago
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headcanon:
After the events of season 5, Max and Will both start to drop insanely unexpected dark jokes abt trauma and stuff and Lucas and Mike respectively scold them for it bc they don't like hearing them talk like that.
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fandomcentralsposts Ā· 2 years ago
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dont get me wrong, I love protective Steve that is very near and dear to me, but where are all the protective Eddie fics? Did everyone forget how unhinged and intimidating he was in his very first scene and throughout his time on the show? Mike and Dustin were literally scared of him. Give me Eddie, who intimidates anyone who tries to hit on Steve and lets Steve use scary metalhead bf privileges, give me Eddie, who just death stares into the soul of anyone who jokes or insults Steve in a way that actually makes his bf feel bad, give me Eddie who would pick a fight with anyone who dares bully Lucas, Dustin, Mike or Max in high school, give me Eddie who watches over Max when she's alone in her trailer and makes sure none of their weird neighbours bother her.
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I mean, come on bro could be an absolute menace when he wants to be.
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plistommy Ā· 6 months ago
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Eddie: Itā€™s not exactly a car, Steve.
Steve: So, what? What is it? What do I need to drive?
Eddie:
Eddie: *smirks* well you can definitely ride something-
Max: Ew, what the fuck?
Robin: Ughh
Steve:
Steve: What is he talking about?
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wretchedgirlyboy Ā· 3 months ago
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mike wheeler and max mayfield would be really good at fortnite. lucas and dustin would love fall guys. el and will would fw animal crossing.
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insertsacoolname Ā· 4 months ago
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Headcanons since everyone else are busy dealing with leaks
Modern Day Party and their favorite anime shows lol
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You can send headcanon ideas btw! (No ship for now please ā˜ŗļø)
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iamfarfromvibingrightnow Ā· 8 months ago
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Happy trans day of visibility to them specifically
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metalhoops Ā· 1 year ago
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Everyone whoā€™s touched grief knows itā€™s bigger than two hands can hold. The inexperienced try to string together the right words to lighten the load and those who grieve wear a momentary mask of comfort, feeling instead heavier. Those whoā€™ve experienced grief know there are not enough words in the world to replace something as simple as a small action.Ā 
You donā€™t remember the platitudes and false virtues strangers assign to the dead, but after a long day when you find your fridge full of precooked meals, youā€™ll remember who dropped off the potato salad.Ā Max was sick of people who didnā€™t know her, telling her how kind her brother was. How funny he could be. How talented he was.Ā 
No one, save the rare few, know what to do with complex grief. Max didnā€™t know how to unpick her thoughts, let alone put them into words and hold them up for someone else to see and understand. That didnā€™t mean she didnā€™t want to be understood.
She didnā€™t know how she could miss someone so deeply while being in some small part, glad they were dead. No one tells you what to do when your thoughts betray you.Ā 
By the time Max and her mother moved into the trailer park, people had stopped telling her how much they missed Billy, which was a small blessing. Theyā€™d also stopped dropping off food or offering to do their laundry. Max and her mother had been too proud to take anyone up on that offer, but she missed the thought.Ā 
Two months had passed, and it felt like everyone forgot Billy existed, that anything had happened. Lucas and the other boys had started asking her to hang out again. The unspoken grace period given to her and her mother for mourning had ended. Now it was back to business as usual.Ā Her mother returned to work, and Max was left alone in an empty trailer full of boxes.Ā 
That was when Steve arrived with a Tupperware container under one arm and a fancy untouched toolbox under the other.Ā 
ā€œFigured youā€™d need some help,ā€ the boy muttered, kicking off his shoes, not waiting to be invited in.Ā 
He knew better. If heā€™d asked, Max wouldā€™ve told him to piss off.Ā She couldnā€™t understand why Steve of all people was able to read her moods so well.Ā 
Steve hadnā€™t been much help rebuilding the furniture, but heā€™d supplied the Allen key and screwdriver so she couldnā€™t complain. He was good at unpacking boxes. With the two of them working, the task had taken a day, as opposed to the week it wouldā€™ve if sheā€™d done it on her own. She was meant to be in school that day, but she couldnā€™t bring herself to go. Sheā€™d expected that to be the last she saw of the older boy but instead, he made a habit of checking in on her.Ā 
Steve kept dropping off meals. After a week he started driving Max around on the days the mere mention of school threatened to topple her. Sometimes sheā€™d hang around the back of the video store. On other days heā€™d drop her off at the arcade and sheā€™d play Dig Dug until her eyes burnt and her fingers cramped.Ā 
She didnā€™t know exactly when itā€™d happened but somewhere along the way, she found herself getting strangely attached to the guy. Sheā€™d lost one brother but gained another.Ā 
That was why when Steve stopped driving home at night, sheā€™d sent Eddie to get him.Ā 
Max didnā€™t know much about Eddie Munson. His uncle and Maxā€™s mother infrequently drank coffee together at the communal picnic tables. Nothing ever happened. Max knew her mother and how she acted around her boyfriends. This was different. They just sat together, mostly in silence, watching the sun go down. It kept her mother from drinking so much or so early. What Max did know about Eddie Munson was that he owed her.Ā 
One night when her mother was out, the cops came poking around the trailer park, asking her if sheā€™d seen anything suspicious. Max wasnā€™t dumb, quite the opposite. She knew Eddie sold drugs. She also knew the cops wanted to pin something on him.Ā She wasnā€™t altogether sure why, maybe there was some pressure to put someone behind bars from the kinds of places that had neighbourhood watches.Ā 
It was only when crime started to leak into the suburbs that people went searching for the culprits. Some rich kid spikes a girlā€™s drink in Loch Nora and the next thing you know, theyā€™re looking for drug dealers in trailer parks. The guy will get a smack on the wrist, while Eddie? Heā€™ll get thrown in jail and the people of Hawkins will sleep a little better at night, knowing all is right and just in the world. Until the same guy does it again. Then another trailer park kid is marched off to the stocks.Ā 
Max had learnt how the world worked young. Itā€™d been out of some strange sense of solidarity that sheā€™d kept her mouth shut about Eddie. When the cops split, sheā€™d given him the heads up to keep his nose clean while there was blood in the water. She hadnā€™t done it for a favour. But if nothing else, she was opportunistic.Ā 
Steve wasnā€™t driving home most nights. Max knew because sheā€™d take note when the Beamer shot past the trailer park. Some days it was in the dead of night, others, the early hour of the morning. He wasnā€™t staying over at girlsā€™ places like sheā€™d first thought. Even if he wasnā€™t the golden boy heā€™d once been if someone slept with Steve Harrington, the whole town knew within the week.Ā 
Sheā€™d followed him one afternoon, riding her skateboard at a safe distance. Heā€™d drive around, past their houses, as though on his own neighbourhood watch. Heā€™d finish his patrol and pull up at any number of odd locations, the train tracks, the junkyard, the woods. At first, sheā€™d worried he, like Billy, was possessed. After long days of silent observation, she realised the kind of ghosts that possessed Steve were of his own making.Ā 
Max didnā€™t know what to do until she saw the light on in the Munsonā€™s trailer past midnight. She stalked across the way, pounded her fists on the fly screen, and called in a favour. She asked Eddie to check on Steve. Heā€™d looked at her like sheā€™d grown a third head but agreed.Ā 
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Eddie Munson didnā€™t do favours but Red was a good kid, so heā€™d made an exception. He began his quest by driving past the Harringtonā€™s manor, hoping for his own sake to find the BMW parked in the drive but Max had been right, Steve wasnā€™t home, nobody was.Ā 
Eddie was tempted to check all the usual spots heā€™d go if he were a meathead jock with ample time and money. There was skull rock, the notorious Harrington make-out spot and a has-been jock party was going on in the next suburb over from Loch Nora, but Redā€™s instructions had been clear. If Steve wasnā€™t at home, sheā€™d rattled off a list of places he might be, each one growing stranger.Ā 
That was how Eddie Munson ended up in the junkyard. The place was surprisingly well-lit, despite the late hour. He worked his way through an overgrown thicket, cursing himself for wearing his white Reeboks. Heā€™d be scrubbing out grass stains with a toothbrush for the next week.Ā 
Mounds of trash and scrap metal shot out of the dried grass like rocks rising from the ocean. Amongst it all, burning bright as a lighthouse was a rusting yellow school bus. It stood in stark contrast against the blue, black night. A dull glow bled out of the vehicleā€™s shattered windows.Ā 
Eddie found himself drawn to the little island of light as a moth flocks to a flame. His feet moved swiftly, eager as a young child at the prospect of adventure.Ā He slipped in through the half-open door of the bus and was greeted by another body slamming into his.Ā 
Eddieā€™s head cracked against the metal bus frame, making him groan. It wasnā€™t until he tried to move that he realised there was something sharp pressed against his neck. Against all his better judgment Eddie swallowed, feeling a broken bottle nip at his skin.Ā 
Eddieā€™s eyes flickered to theĀ wielder of the weapon. A once mighty king had fallen like his surrounding kingdom, into a state of disrepair. Steve Harrington. Heavy is the head that wears the crown.
ā€œHarrington,ā€ Eddie spoke, keeping his voice soft and even, as though speaking to a wild animal that could startle.Ā 
There was a manic look in Steveā€™s eyes Eddie knew well. Heā€™d never thought heā€™d see the ghost of himself dance across such a pretty and foreign face. The days before Eddie moved in with Wayne were better left alone. He knew the wide-eyed vigilance of people whoā€™d grown used to fending for their lives. It was a look heā€™d never imagine Steve Harrington capable of.Ā 
A glint of recognition shifted over Steveā€™s face and the eyes of years long past were gone as though a trick of the light. The bottle disappeared from his neck, shattering as it dropped against the floor of the bus.Ā 
ā€œShit, Munson. Sorry,ā€ Steve uttered, moving out of Eddieā€™s space.Ā 
Eddie was surprised Steve remembered his name. Across the six-odd years the two had gone to school together, Harrington had spoken to him a grand total of three times. The first, to ask for a pencil in Spanish. The second had been a disgruntledĀ ā€˜hey, manā€™ as Eddie sidestepped his lunch tray on one of his biweekly jaunts across the jock table and the third, which Eddie only now recalled, had surprised him.Ā 
Heā€™d gotten a D in history. Itā€™d been the final nail in the coffin, solidifying the fact that heā€™d once again have to repeat his senior year. Eddie spent the rest of the class carving his name into the underside of his desk with his thumbnail until it was bloody and covered in splinters.Ā 
Heā€™d almost lasted until the end of class before he had to excuse himself with little plan of where he was going or what he was doing. He knew he wanted to get away, that he needed to be anywhere but there. He wasnā€™t sure whatā€™d tipped Harrington off but as he shuffled past the former kingā€™s desk, his eyes downcast, a hand shot out to snag Eddieā€™s forearm.Ā 
ā€œHey, Munson? Thereā€™s always next year,ā€ Steve muttered under his breath.
From anyone else, it wouldā€™ve sounded condescending, but Steve genuinely meant it. Eddie hadnā€™t known what to say. Heā€™d felt a sudden lump rise in his throat. He took off, thinking itā€™d be the last time heā€™d see Steve Harrington. Heā€™d wished heā€™d been so lucky.Ā 
ā€œSo, Harrington, whatā€™s someone like you doing in a place like this?ā€ Eddie asked when his heart rate returned to a regular rhythm. He heard a snort escape Steveā€™s throat as he leaned back against the opposite wall of the bus.Ā 
ā€œYou wouldnā€™t believe me if I told you.ā€Ā 
Eddie wanted to know when Steve had started to sound so world-wearied. Nineteen-year-olds shouldnā€™t sound so worn thin. The closer he looked at Steve, the more he saw. His eyes were chaliced with the kind of purple, blue bruises that came from weeks of sleeplessness. There was a pale pink scar, slicing a line from his bottom lip to his jaw. In time, itā€™d fade into obscurity, but for now, in the cold of the night, it stood out like a crack in fine china.Ā 
ā€œWhat are you doing here?ā€ Steve asked, sliding down the wall to a seated position, as though once again settling in for the night. Eddie heard glass tinkle and grind under Steveā€™s body.Ā 
Had his parents kicked him out? Was he hiding from someone? Eddie knew fuck all about Steve Harrington and heā€™d liked it that way. Screw not doing favours. Red owed him one after all this was said and done.Ā 
ā€œFinding a new place to pedal goods. New chief of police has been riding my ass,ā€ Eddie lied. It wasnā€™t as though he was going to tell Steve he was sent on a fetch quest by a fourteen-year-old.Ā 
A flicker of pain shifted across Steveā€™s face before disappearing. It was a moon sinking below the horizon line, leaving no trace of the momentary night as a false smile painted his face the colour of a sunrise.Ā 
ā€œCanā€™t say Iā€™d recommend this old rust bucket. Isnā€™t drug dealing in a junkyard a little cliche?ā€ Eddie rolled his eyes and sank to the floor of the bus, nudging Steveā€™s foot with his.Ā 
ā€œKeep giving me lip and youā€™ll have to pay double.ā€Ā 
Harrington never brought from him. The freckled asshat, he used to hang around with would buy weed once in a blue moon, but never Steve.Ā 
ā€œYou got anything on you?ā€ He asked to Eddieā€™s surprise. He hadnā€™t exactly come prepared. He searched the depths of his pockets, finding two small ziplock bags and half a pack of rolling paper. He threw them Steveā€™s way.Ā 
ā€œOn the house. Looks like you need it,ā€ He mused and watched as Steveā€™s fingers worked, quick and methodical. Hagan had obviously shared his stash with Harrington.Ā Ā 
ā€œGot a light?ā€Ā 
Eddie fetched his Zippo from his back pocket and leaned over to light Steveā€™s joint. The guy looked surprised. He shouldā€™ve handed the lighter over. Too late now.Ā 
Steveā€™s lips were poised so close to Eddieā€™s fingers. His face illuminated by flame, caused Eddie to shift closer. He lifted a hand to Steveā€™s cheek, acting under the guise of trying to shield the flame from the breeze filtering in through the broken windows and half-open door.Ā 
ā€œYou got anything stronger?ā€ Steve spoke, breathing a plume of smoke into the night air. Eddie wasnā€™t sure it was wise, but heā€™d never counted wisdom as his strong suit.Ā 
ā€œBack at my place.ā€ Steve snorted, smoke billowing from his half-pursed lips, his eyes beginning to haze over.Ā 
ā€œPeopleā€™ll talk.ā€Ā 
People always talked when it came to Steve, but surely not in the way the boy was implying. Ramrod straight, Steve Harrington couldnā€™t make a gay quip, not about himself. Maybe he was embarrassed about what being seen with Eddie could do to his dwindling reputation.Ā 
ā€œIā€™m pretty good at keeping a low profile,ā€ Eddie supplied, and Steve nodded stoically.Ā 
ā€œStealthy, like a ninja,ā€ Steve replied.Ā 
It was Eddieā€™s turn to choke out a laugh. Goofy had never been a quality heā€™d assigned to Steve Harrington. He supposed the trait had its charm. It worked on Eddie.Ā 
ā€œLike a ninja,ā€ Eddie echoed.Ā 
When heā€™d said yes to Red, heā€™d assumed heā€™d drag Steveā€™s likely-intoxicated, ex-jock ass home and call it a night, but looking at the boy across from him with the joint tucked between his lips and the thousand-yard-stare, Eddie had to admit there was a change of plans.Ā 
ā€œHave you heard about the worldā€™s best ninja?ā€ Eddie asked, his once pristine shoes nudged themselves beneath Steveā€™s Born in the USA style blue jeans.Ā 
Steve shook his head, a flicker of curiosity dancing over his face, his stupid floppy hair, falling in his eyes.Ā 
ā€œThatā€™s why heā€™s the best,ā€ Eddie insisted and felt his insides grow warm when Steve cackled. He was pretty when he laughed. He looked more like the guy heā€™d been back in high school, more carefree.Ā 
Eddie wasnā€™t a stranger to sitting with people and talking them down on their worst nights, but a relative stranger was new.Ā 
Eddie stood and extended a hand to Steve. The boy clasped onto his ringed fingers and pulled himself up.Ā 
ā€œMy vanā€™s parked half a mile up the way, you coming?ā€ Steve shrugged and followed close at Eddieā€™s side.
The two walked in relative silence, standing so close their hips played the role of balls in a Newtonā€™s cradle, knocking against one another in a rhythmic pattern.Ā 
Back in the familiar landscape of his van, Eddie was once again hit with the strangeness of the situation as he watched Steve slide into his passenger seat, snubbing out the remains of the joint in the ashtray. He thought of their spit mingling in the little petriĀ dish and pushed that thought aside. Heā€™d always been good at holding back those kinds of thoughts. It came with the territory.Ā 
ā€œWhy do you need something strong?ā€ Eddie asked as he turned the ignition.Ā 
If heā€™d learnt anything from his uncle, it was that hard conversations were best had behind the wheel. That way no one could storm out. Heā€™d admitted to his uncle heā€™d failed his first senior year as the two sat at the juncture between Maple and Main. Heā€™d come out to Wayne along Lakeside Dr.Ā 
ā€œWhy did you really come to the junkyard?ā€ Steve countered. He was smarter than he looked, or at least, smarted than Eddie had assumed.Ā 
ā€œIā€™ll show you mine if you show me yours,ā€ Eddie quipped after a second, watching as a bemused smirk twitched onto Steveā€™s face.Ā 
ā€œItā€™s been a hard year, man. Hard couple of years,ā€ Steve confessed. Eddie wasnā€™t going to let him get off that easy.Ā 
ā€œIs this to do with you getting unceremoniously shunted off the top of the Hawkinsā€™ High totem pole?ā€ Eddie asked.
He had a feeling whatever it was ran far deeper than just popularity, but this was Steve Harrington. Steve was pretty and popular. He wasnā€™t allowed to have real problems. Thatā€™s not how the rich and stuck-up operated.Ā 
ā€œHonestly? No. Think that mightā€™ve been a good thing.ā€ Steve drummed his fingers against the passenger door.Ā 
ā€œThen was it the thing with Wheeler?ā€ Eddie asked, watching Steve cringe. Maybe he should leave it alone.Ā 
ā€œPart of it. I donā€™t know.ā€ What followed was a loaded silence.Ā 
Eddie kept casting glimpses from Steve to the road, watching as his face screwed in concentration as he searched for words.Ā 
ā€œI feel like itā€™s my job to protect everybody,ā€ He admitted, his voice barely raising above a whisper.Ā 
ā€œAnd I donā€™t know how. I feel like Iā€™m supposed to have all the answers but I just... I feel like a kid, whoā€™s in way over his head.ā€ Steve pulled his knees up to his chest, and settled his chin on them, not daring to look in Eddieā€™s direction.
He was a year older than Steve and he felt like a lost kid most of the time, as though he was an imposter masquerading as someone who knew what the hell he was doing. He wondered if that feeling ever went away.Ā 
ā€œRed sent me to check up on you. The kidā€™s worried,ļæ½ļæ½ Eddie confessed watching as Steveā€™s head snapped to look in his direction.Ā 
ā€œSheā€™s got enough on her plate without worrying about me.ā€Ā 
Steve didnā€™t need to say what Max was dealing with. Eddie knew. Hawkins was a small town, and Billy Hargreaves was infamous. Eddie had a bad feeling about the guy from day one, but that didnā€™t mean he couldnā€™t feel sorry for him, dying in a mall fire. Hell of a way to go.Ā  Heā€™d heard rumours Max had been there when it happened. Then again, heā€™d also heard talk of Steve slinging ice cream at the mall. Eddie could see a picture beginning to form. He didnā€™t like it.Ā 
The two didnā€™t speak for the rest of the drive back to Eddieā€™s trailer. There was nothing left to say. Steve continued to tap his fingers absentmindedly, so Eddie leaned over, turning on the radio. The tape deck played the thrashing guitar and pounding beats of the latest Slayer album. Eddie liked it well enough, but he cringed, preparing for Steve to chew it up and spit it out. He didnā€™t. He shut his eyes, rested his head against the passenger window and promptly fell asleep. Eddie would be damned.
Unsure of what to do with the sleeping boy and the blaring music, Eddie drove in circles around all the familiar back roads of Hawkins, steering clear of the potholes and dirt tracks. It wasnā€™t until Eddieā€™s eyes started to droop that he called it a night, pulling up outside his trailer, flicking his floodlights twice in the direction of the Mayfieldā€™s, letting Max know heā€™d gotten Steve home safe. Well, heā€™d gotten Steve to his home safely.Ā 
Eddie was contemplating the logistics of getting Steve out of the car when the boy began to stir. His eyes fluttered open for a second to meet Eddieā€™s before he groaned and turned to bury his face into the car seat. Damn it all. Eddie had managed to go for years without developing a crush on Steve, it wasnā€™t goddamn fair he was about to do it now.Ā 
ā€œGood morning, Starshine,ā€ Eddie teased, walking around to open the passenger door for Steve.Ā 
ā€œWelcome to my humble abode. I have drugs or you know... a comfortable bed. Pick your poison,ā€ Eddie spoke as the two made their way to his trailer.Ā 
As they stepped into the main room, Eddie watched as Steveā€™s eyes scanned the place, lingering on Wayneā€™s collection of mugs and novelty hats, a ghost of a smile on his face. Eddie grabbed onto Steveā€™s wrist and led him down the hall.Ā 
ā€œThe drugs and the bed are in my room,ā€ Eddie explained as they went.Ā 
Eddie nudged the door to his room open with a flourish of his hands.Ā 
ā€œThis is where the magic happens,ā€ Eddie explained and watched as Steve quirked a brow.Ā 
ā€œMind out of the gutter, Harrington. I was talking about literal magic.ā€ Eddie smirked gesturing to his stack of Dungeons and Dragonsā€™ manuals, handbooks, and campaign notes.Ā 
ā€œYouā€™re such a nerd,ā€ Steve grumbled flopping onto Eddieā€™s bed.Ā 
Maybe it was the high thatā€™d made him seem looser, but Eddie liked a Steve who took charge. He crawled under the covers, making himself at home in Eddieā€™s bed.Ā 
ā€œDemogorgons suck ass,ā€ Steve uttered after a moment, his face muffled by Eddieā€™s pillow. He wondered if heā€™d fallen asleep on the ride home and driven them into a ditch, because there was no way Steve was in his bed, talking about D&D. Eddie liked demogorgons, something he elegantly articulated by muttering,
ā€œYou suck ass.ā€ As he flopped beside Steve in bed. Steve snorted.
ā€œThatā€™s one thing I havenā€™t tried,ā€ he confessed. Yes, he was high. Eddie couldnā€™t imagine a sober Steve making that confession openly.Ā 
Eddie settled on top of the covers, hyperaware a sober Steve might not be as receptive to waking up beside Eddie. He was in over his head.Ā 
ā€œAre you okay with this?ā€ Eddie questioned as he rolled over to lay on his side, propping his head up to get a better look at Steve, half smothered in his sheets. As much as people talked about Steveā€™s love life, they also talked less favourably about Eddieā€™s, or his lack thereof.Ā 
ā€œYouā€™re not going to punch me in the face in the morning?ā€ Eddie concluded, voicing his concerns. His heart was tugging him closer to Steve, but he wasnā€™t willing to do anything theyā€™d both regret.Ā 
Heā€™d been shockingly open to letting the boy into his innermost sanctum. Maybe he had a saviour complex, but he wanted to know how much of a commitment the two would have, how long was the piece of rope that tied them together? Was it a momentary truce or the start of something?Ā 
ā€œNo,ā€ Steve breathed after a beat, seeming equal parts understanding and offended Eddie had asked.Ā 
The two lapsed into silence. Eddie was left wondering if Steve had fallen asleep again, but the rise and fall of the boyā€™s chest was too shallow. Steve eventually let out a groan and rolled to face Eddie. Whatever momentary reprieve had allowed him to sleep in the car had passed.Ā 
Eddieā€™s gaze was once again drawn to the growing blue beneath Steveā€™s eyes. He had stuff that could help Steve sleep, but he knew from experience, drugs could only do so much. They were numbing jell on a knife wound, a momentary relief from pain without fixing the real problem.Ā 
ā€œCanā€™t sleep?ā€ Eddie spoke, trying to get inside Steveā€™s head, to unpick what was going on with him. Steve nodded miserably.Ā 
ā€œAnything I can do to help?ā€ Eddie wondered.Ā 
There were no guidelines for the strange turn the night had taken. Steve opened and shut his mouth, gaping like a fish on dry land. He had some thoughts, it appeared, but none he was willing to voice right away. Eddie felt strangely endeared to the boy in his bed. Heā€™d give him anything he asked, even if he didnā€™t think it was smart.Ā 
ā€œIs it true, what people say about you?ā€ Steve asked after a long pause.Ā 
That wasnā€™t what Eddie had expected. He blanched and watched as Steveā€™s eyes swelled, his panic rolling off him in waves, crashing head-on into Steve.Ā 
ā€œNever mind, donā€™t answer that. Christ, that was invasive. Sorry,ā€ Steve fumbled, sinking further beneath Eddieā€™s sheets to hide his face. It appeared it was a night for confessions.
ā€œWere you asking about the satanic shit or the gay thing?ā€ Eddie spoke candidly, his fingers knotting in the covers.Ā 
You didnā€™t come out to just anyone. You sure as hell didnā€™t come out to someone like Steve unless you had a death wish, though Eddie was quickly learning the Steve Harrington that existed in his head and the one lying in his bed were two different creatures.Ā 
ā€œForget I asked,ā€ Steve repeated, rolling over to turn away from Eddie, a faint flush dusting his cheeks.Ā 
ā€œI donā€™t worship the devil and Iā€™m not gay,ā€ Eddie found himself confiding.
He watched as Steveā€™s body went still. Eddie couldnā€™t see his face, but he could tell his mind had kicked into overdrive.Ā 
ā€œOh, cool,ā€ Steve spoke sounding suddenly distant, as though that hadnā€™t been the answer he was looking for. Eddie didnā€™t know Steve Harrington at all.Ā 
ā€œBut Iā€™d be lyinā€™ if I said you were the first guy Iā€™ve had in here, Steve,ā€ Eddie continued, giving away more than heā€™d intended.Ā 
Steve peered over his shoulder and quirked a brow. He didnā€™t look shocked or disgusted as Eddie had anticipated. He looked relieved.Ā 
ā€œLike Bowie?ā€ He wondered aloud. Eddie couldnā€™t help but roll his eyes.Ā 
ā€œYeah, like Bowie- I mean, I have a preference. Guys suit me better, I guess. But sometimes a girlā€™ll surprise me.ā€Ā 
The conversation felt intimate, surprisingly more so than when heā€™d admitted it to the guys in Corroded Coffin. With them, there hadnā€™t been follow-up questions. The guys had been supportive, but they hadnā€™t known what to say. Itā€™d been another fact about Eddie theyā€™d taken in their stride without much acknowledgement. He hadnā€™t felt the need to explain himself. He didnā€™t know why, but when it came to Steve, he felt like he needed to explain the whole thing in intimate detail.Ā 
ā€œMe too,ā€ Steve muttered, sounding entirely unlike himself. He was quiet and unsure; two traits Eddie had never assigned to the Steve that lived in his head.Ā 
ā€œI mean... for me, girls are easy. Guys are... new?ā€ Once more, Steve sounded unsure.Ā 
ā€œMaybe not new because itā€™s always been there but I just left it alone.ā€ Eddie wondered whatā€™d spurred on the change, whether it was a near-death experience or something else entirely. Eddie was good at reading between the lines.Ā 
ā€œSteve, Iā€™m going to ask you again, okay? What do you want me to do?ā€Ā 
Steve sucked air in through his teeth, gripped the sheets and finally let his shoulders sag.Ā 
ā€œCan you just... hold me, for a bit?ā€ Steve asked at last, sounding as though Eddie had placed a loaded gun to his head.Ā Of all the things Eddie had been expecting, that wasnā€™t it.Ā 
Eddie moved closer, lining up his hips and Steveā€™s back, throwing an arm around the boyā€™s waist. It was different. Eddie was used to closeted guys wanting to have sex with him, but they didnā€™t hang around long after.Ā 
He thought back to Steveā€™s words. The guy wanted to protect everybody, from god knows what, but who was looking out for him? He hooked his chin on Steveā€™s shoulder. He smelled faintly of cologne and something chemical, hairspray.Ā 
ā€œThis okay?ā€ Eddie clarified. Steveā€™s body felt stiff and unresponsive in his arms.Ā 
Steve hummed. It took him a moment to relax but when he did, he practically melted into Eddie. The boy pushed back, fitting their knees together. Eddie was thankful theyā€™d decided to keep their jeans on, fearful of what any more skin-to-skin contact would do. Steve cradled Eddieā€™s palm to his heart and dropped his chin to his chest, so Eddie could feel the ghost of the boyā€™s breath dance across his fingertips. Steve was a renowned good lay, but the Harrington charm went deeper than that. The guy was good at cuddling, something Eddie hadnā€™t thought was possible until he had every inch of Steve pressed and curled against him.Ā 
ā€œThis okay for you?ā€ Steve asked after a moment, his breath tickled against Eddieā€™s knuckles.Ā 
ā€œGreat for me,ā€ Eddie confirmed sounding as breathless as he felt.Ā 
Steveā€™s heart beneath his hand thundered, letting Eddie know the boy wasnā€™t as cool and collected as he was pretending to be. He didnā€™t point it out. He did two things very out of character for Eddie Munson. He remained still and silent. Steveā€™s breath grew deep and even. Eddie leaned closer, pressing his face into the nape of Steveā€™s neck as the boy began to whimper in his sleep.Ā 
ā€œI got you,ā€ He assured.Ā 
ā€œYouā€™re safe. Mā€™not going to let anything happen to you.ā€ Eddie promised.Ā 
It took time, but Steve settled and at last, Eddie let the long night swallow him whole.Ā 
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Max decided Eddie Munson was useless. Sheā€™d watched him pull up outside his trailer around three and she hadnā€™t heard from him since. Sheā€™d thought the idiot would at least give her a heads up on how things had gone with Steve, but it appeared she had to do everything for herself.Ā 
At 10 a.m. when there was still no sign of life from the Munsonā€™s trailer, save for Eddieā€™s uncle pulling in around six, Max stalked over and wrapped her knuckles against Eddieā€™s bedroom window. After a moment a mop of curly brown hair popped into view.Ā 
ā€œWha?ā€ The boy grumbled, still half asleep.Ā 
ā€œHow did things go last night?ā€ Max asked, taking the tone of a scolding mother, talking to a very small, very dumb child.Ā 
ā€œGood,ā€ Eddie confided a goofy grin crossing his face. It confirmed Maxā€™s suspicions. Everyone else, save her, was useless.Ā 
ā€œWell, where the hell was he? Did you talk to him? Did he seem weird? Is he okay?ā€ Max rattled off a list of rapid-fire questions only to be hushed by Eddie.Ā 
ā€œHeā€™s sleeping, Red. Keep the volume down.ā€Ā 
Max opened her mouth to ask what the hell Eddie was talking about when she caught a familiar glimpse of styled, sandy hair peeking out from beneath the sheets. Max, unlike most people, wasnā€™t an idiot. Sheā€™d grown up in California, she knew the way the world worked. She didnā€™t need anyone to spell it out for her.Ā 
ā€œGross,ā€ She grumbled. Not because Steve and Eddie were both men but because Steve was like her older brother and Eddie was- she didnā€™t want to think about it.Ā 
Max let out an elongated sigh, squared her shoulders and spoke.Ā 
ā€œYou like scary movies, right Munson?ā€ He seemed like the type.Ā 
Eddie nodded.Ā 
ā€œMichael Myers hasnā€™t got a thing on Max Mayfield. You do anything stupid with Steve and Iā€™ll show you how I got the nickname Mad Max.ā€Ā 
Eddie swallowed thickly and nodded. It was all for show, but someone had to say it. Someone should always be in Steveā€™s corner. Max had the feeling Steve wasnā€™t used to people looking out for him. She knew the feeling.
ā€œSir yes sir,ā€ He breathed, faking a salute. Max rolled her eyes.Ā 
She had a feeling she was going to regret bringing Steve and Eddie together but when hours later, Steve showed up at her house with a Tupperware container full of spaghetti and a secret smile on his lips, she had to admit, for once she might be wrong.Ā 
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