#mike doing everything he can to support lucas

[fryeswiththat]

I will never shut up about the parallel between Mike and Lucas both losing someone they love and doing anything to get them back

[subcultureblues]

Don’t You Want Me (Baby?) Pt 1

———

Steve and Eddie are either hooking up or dating - and are about as bad at keeping a secret as they are dealing with their feelings. (Dustin POV)

1 / 2 / 3 / 4

———

“For the record, I still think this is dumb.” Lucas said over the wind.

“Yeah, well, you’re dumb.” Mike said, sharp witted as always.

“Got you there.” Will grinned, sidling up beside him on his bike. Mike shot him a look, vaguely betrayed. Will shrugged innocently and kept peddling.

“Alright, alright, let the court record reflect you’re both morons.” Dustin sighed, peddling between the bickerer’s bikes and cutting ahead.

All four boys skirted to a stop outside the trailer park. Dustin wiped at his forehead under his cap, the humidity creeping back up on them as soon as the air stopped it’s rushing by.

“Dude, if Eddie wasn’t picking up the phone, well, there’s probably a reason for that.” Lucas said, in that tone of his. The demeaning one.

Dustin just shook his head. Name one good reason to ignore your party? One good reason. Dustin certainly couldn’t!

He started walking his bike up through the dusty lot, leaving the rest with little choice but to march ever onward.

“Maybe he’s still sleeping.” Will said, lingering a bit behind the pack.

“At 1 in the afternoon?” Lucas rolled his eyes.

“What? He does, like,” Mike’s voice dropped to a paranoid whisper. “weed, right? Jonathan’s always sleeping in?” Mike looked behind them at Will, who shrugged.

“Eddie,” Dustin said his name rather uncharitably but he’s at his limit here, really, he is “has been dodgy weeks now. Doesn’t answer the phone, he’s never free on the weekend, never hangs out after Hellfire anymore - I’m telling you guys, somethings up.”

“Or maybe - he’s finally graduated after the third try and he’s tired of hanging around high schoolers all the time.” Lucas rolled his eyes.

Dustin shook his head at Lucas, because that can’t be it. Eddie loves them. Well, he loves Dustin and likes the rest of Hellfire’s fresh meat well enough. They bonded, alright? - after everything they went through in the Upside Down. Hell, they’re practically brothers. And it’s not just Dustin who thinks that, Eddie had said it first. Well, he called him ‘the little brother I never wanted’ but had said so sarcastically. Obviously, he’d meant the opposite.

Hard to feel wanted right now though, considering as of circa maybe a month ago, Eddie’s been MIA. He still shows up to Hellfire, obviously. But that was about it.

After stopping the clock on the apocalypse and banding together to clear Eddie’s good name, it kind of become a thing - Eddie taking them out to get slushies after a game. Calling up Eddie to tell him, not ask, but tell him they were all going to the arcade. He’d even gone to Eddie’s trailer a few times so he could help Dustin homebrew his subclass!

Steve had started tagging along too, usually. Him and Eddie even getting started to get less awkward around each other after a while. Not best friends or anything, Not like Dustin was hoping. But friendly. It had been totally awesome! And totally annoying that he had mysteriously gone to ground.

It’s possible Dustin’s being, well he doesn’t want to say needy...

It’s just, Steve started picking up extra shifts at work and spending a whole lot of time with Robin. Not that Dustin didn’t support their relationship. Steve’s been single so long, it hadn’t started verging on pathetic exactly, but it was a near thing.

It’s just hard for a guy not to feel neglected.

The four boys had almost reached the trailer when they heard it. At first Dustin dismissed it, surely the trailer next doors’ doing. But no, that music definitely coming from Eddie’s.

That in and of itself, wouldn’t be unusual. Eddie is likely the loudest human being on the planet. No, the weird part is it’s not thrashy, garbage can lid, Eddie-music but goddamn…

“Is that - “ Mike said, trailing off from sheer befuddlement.

“Culture Club.” Lucas could barely hide the cackle in his voice.

“What in the -“ Dustin muttered, throwing his bike in the grass and wandering up to the door like it was a gate to another dimension. For all he knows, it might just be.

“Eddie?” He knocked on the door. Nothing. He tried again. Obviously, someone’s home.

Dustin’s only met the man briefly but he didn’t take Munson Sr for being the bubblegum pop type.

Besides, Mr. Munson certainly wouldn’t be playing anything this loud unless those late nights at the plant had him going deaf. Dustin peeked through the window into the living room. More nothing.

“Oh man.” Lucas shoved him to press his face against the glass too. There was a slow smile creeping across his face, like he was suddenly overjoyed they had come to the trailer park after all. Lucas wasn’t gonna let their DM live this one down, not any time soon. “I thought he was supposed to be cool.”

“He is cool.” Mike said.

Dustin just sighed, threw his hands up, and started rounding the corner of the RV. Eddie’s van was here, ergo Eddie. Dustin was sure he’d be lurking around here somewhere. The rest of the boys followed, their previous hesitation now nowhere to be seen.

“Come on.” He gestured towards the window. They all leaned in and Dustin was already furiously rapping on the window. “Ed - “

Dustin’s eyes went wide. And maybe his face a bit pink.

Eddie was here alright.

He was laying in bed. Very much not alone. There were two of them, lying in bed together. They were under the covers but Eddie was sprawled out on top of someone, a thick curtain of hair hanging over both faces. Clearly, ew, kissing, based on, and Dustin might be scarred for life here, a hand gripping Eddie’s hair at the base of his neck. He could just barely hear their sadistic DM… giggling… over the music.

As for the tunes, the obvious culprit was in the corner of the room. Eddie’s little cassette stereo.

“Eddie?” Dustin blanched before he could stop himself. And it was of course, in that exact moment Culture Club decided to betray them and Karma Chameleon ended.

Will went to shush him, grabbing his shoulder to drag him away but oh shit, Eddie definitely heard that. The guy squawked and jolted up in bed, swooping the covers up to hide them both in their immodesty. Eddie’s eyes peaked over his elbow like a vampire leering over his cloak. He gaped at the window, clearly rather horrified.

The boys all threw themselves out of the frame, Dustin pressing up against the back of the trailer.

“What the fuck - “ he heard Eddie say. “What the fuck.” He sounded almost angry but closer to panicked. There was a vague whispering match, but whispering was never really Eddie’s strong suit, so they heard him just fine.

“Relax.” Eddie said, though he did not himself sound relaxed. “No, it’s fine. We’re cool. You need to - I need you cool right now.”

They heard something like a grown man crashing off the bed and gracelessly hit the floor.

“I know, I know, I know. I know! Christ, I’m sorry, ok? I didn’t - I’ll deal with it. Just - “

The boys were already turning tail and scurrying back to their bikes. Gone entirely red in the face.

“I told you this was a bad idea.” Mike said, the hypocrite bastard.

“No you did not!” Dustin huffed.

The front door swung open with a bang and Eddie came spilling out towards them as he, oh gross, scrambled to get into his jeans. He was still shirtless and sweaty, hair fluffed up like an angry cat. Looking rather frantic.

“It’s not what it looks like!” He actually looked properly pissed, hands shaking with it as he did up his fly.

“We didn’t see anything.” Lucas put his hands up, but the guilty way he refused to meet Eddie’s eyes kind of gave up the game.

“Nothing!” Will squeaked, beet red and squeezing his eyes closed tight. Just in case they hadn’t made themselves look incriminating enough.

“God, of all the shit fucking timing -“ Eddie’s fist clenched up in front of him and he let out a frustrated noise, eyes darting around the trailer park. “Look I can explain. If you just, ergh, give me a minute to think of something.”

“No need! We didn’t see anything, promise.” Mike assured him again, his voice nearly steady. Good for him.

“Right so. I guess, did I mention I’ve take up recently taken up semi pro Grecian wrestling - “

“Do you have a girlfriend?” Dustin couldn’t help interrupting him. Lucas smacked him. He gave Lucas a face, which was returned, so Dustin did it again even harder. But fuck Lucas cause it may have been the right thing to say. Eddie stopped fluttering, looked right at him. Squinted, scanning his face.

“You know you can just tell us. If you did. You could have just told us in the first place.” Dustin didn’t get why Eddie wouldn’t. Did Eddie think this kind of thing was too ‘grown up’ for them. They were high school freshman for Christ sake! The only one of their little crew who didn’t have a girlfriend was Will. And I guess Steve.

Allegedly.

Of course, Dustin didn’t believe that for a second.

“I - what?” Eddie perked up.

“If you had a girlfriend. Do you? Is that - “

Eddie huffed out a hysterical laugh. It was weird. But then, Eddie wasn’t exactly the poster child for Normal. Dustin crossed his arms.

“Sure. Yeah.” He took a big breath as he looked behind him back into the trailer. “I have a... my girlfriend.”

“Sorry. For coming over.” Will said, timid like a mouse.

“It was Dustin’s idea.” He took Mike for many things but never a rat. Dustin sputtered indignantly, throwing up his hands.

“And we didn’t even see anything, really! So if you’re worried about your girlfriend’s modesty, like - we didn’t see anything, we swear! Right guys?.” Lucas insisted. Mike and Will bobbleheaded in agreement.

“What the hell are you squirts doing here, anyways?” Eddie said, scrubbing roughly at his forehead.

“I needed to get my binder.” Dustin said flatly. And maybe to remind Eddie that hey, he’s still here too. Like, right here.

“Your fucking - “ Eddie said in disbelief, and then he laughed. “Your binder.”

“You weren’t answering the phone.”

“Yeah well I was busy.” Eddie said, eyes wide and awfully antagonistic.

“Busy getting busy.”

Eddie turned his wild eyes on Lucas

“Thin ice, Sinclair. Thin fucking ice.”

That just made him chuckle again. At least he half tried to hide it behind his hand. But Lucas always was the least cowed by Eddie.

“Is this why you haven’t been hanging around anymore, like all month.”

“Jesus. Henderson, I’m sorry, ok? Hard as it is to believe, I do have a fucking life outside the game.” Yeah, Dustin thought, it was pretty hard to believe. “Look, just give me a second.”

“I’ll be quick - “ Dustin made a move to come inside.

“No.” Eddie firmly hip checked him out of the way.

Eddie slipped back into the trailer. Through the open door Dustin could just barely make out the words.

“False alarm. No - actually. I’m being serious. They think - “

They think what? Think they have a right to be here at Eddie’s trailer. Taking up space in Eddie’s life. Well they do. The party almost died saving the world side by side with Eddie, they had more right to be here than that - Dustin just grumbled. He wouldn’t call her a harlot. But only because Susie’s voice was already in the back of his head, admonishing the thought.

Eddie came back and pushed the binder hard into Dustin’s chest. He was stumbled back a step. “Now scram.” He said, not leaving room for Dustin to get a word in edgewise.

“Look, I’m sorry I haven’t been around but I… See you at Hellfire, ok?” Eddie slammed the door in their faces.

“How great could this even chick be?” Dustin frowned. Great enough to edge the party out of Eddie’s life it seems like.

The other boys just shrugged. They all picked up their bikes.

“I mean, why can’t he just like, bring her along when we hang out or something.”

“I told you, maybe he just wants to hang out with someone his own age for once.” Lucas said.

Maybe Eddie’s too cool to bring his new girlfriend around his dorky freshmen friends. Is he embarrassed to introduce them to her or something.

“Come on.” Will said. “We should get back to Mike’s.”

“Yeah. Yeah whatever.” Dustin said.

———

“Since it’s Friday, our parents said me and Mike and Lucas could go to the arcade for an hour before it gets dark.” Dustin said to Eddie as they walked through the empty school hallway after Hellfire.

“No can do, compadre. Fight the good fight against those Space Invaders in my steed, yeah?” Eddie grinned down at him over the few boxes of mini in his hands.

Dustin huffed.

“What? Too busy hanging out with your girlfriend? Dustin said petulantly. “Just bring her along if your - “

The three most senior PC’s in Hellfire skid to a stop in front of them. Dustin and Eddie nearly walked straight into the wall of them. It was almost comical the way all their heads swiveled around to oogle at him. Jeff only just managed to choke back a chortle.

Dustin was honestly offended on Eddie’s behalf. Sure, dude was a drug dealing, super duper senior nerd/freak/metalhead combo who had been semi-recently accused of ritualistic dismemberment - but certainly someone was into that.

“My -? Oh yeah my, my - that.” Eddie winced, avoiding many, many eyes.

“Oh, and you have a girlfriend now do you?” Gareth huffed a laugh, in clear disbelief. Eddie glared daggers at him.

Dustin really didn’t see why it was that hard to believe. Eddie was like, really cool. It was an indisputable fact. If all of them could see it, why couldn’t some weird, off the wall alt girl see it too.

“I don’t want to hear a fucking word from you. Any one of you.” Pointing rapidly at all three of them, like he was warding off the words waiting right at the tip of their tongues.

“So who’s the lucky lady, Munson?” Jared said, like he had ‘held action, Vicious Mockery’ and simply couldn’t help himself. He was fighting a positively delighted smile. Eddie flushed.

“The DM giveth and the DM taketh away, and you would be very wise to remember that, Ser Elias.” Eddie said loudly, still jabbing his finger about like it made him more authoritative.

“Sorry man, just joking around.” Jeff grinned good naturedly.

“Yeah, I mean, good for you dude.” Gareth said, with a genuine smile. He tapped Eddie on the chest who childishly batted Gareth’s hand away.

“No, don’t do that. I - seriously guys, we’re not - it’s not like that. I’m not ‘dating’ anyone.” Eddie deflated, looking uncomfortable. The unflappable Eddie, looking all too flappable after all. He tucked a piece of hair behind his ear and huffed. “Just someone I’ve been screwing around with alright.”

Eddie walked past them. Dustin almost felt bad for bringing it up. Almost.

He turned to Gareth.

“So you guys don’t have any idea who it is?”

The guys looked around at each other, all of them shrugging.

“Who knows.” Jared shrugged again, this one still no more helpful than the last.

“Unless,” Gareth straight up giggles, “it’s that suburban mom Eddie’s been swooning over since sophomore year.”

“Yeah right.” Jared chuckled, shoving Gareth forward. They all continued walking.

“That… doesn’t seem like his type.” Dustin said, suddenly confused and perturbed and feeling like he doesn’t know Eddie Munson at all.

“You’d be surprised.” Jared grinned and clapped a hand on his shoulder.

They exited the school just in time to see Steve getting out of the car. Usually after Hellfire he didn’t bother. He just wanted to get the kids rounded up and out of the parking lot as quickly as he could ever really manage. Not today though. Eddie walked to Steve’s Beemer, parked in the stall next to his van.

“Munson.” He said with a small smile. He grabbed one of a few boxes of minis out of Eddie’s arms.

“Uh, Harrington.” Eddie gave a hesitant smile, before bowing his head with predictable theatrically.

“Hi, Steve.” Dustin said from behind. Steve gave him a fond nod before looking back up to the DM.

“So, uh, how was the session?” He said kind of awkwardly.

“Bordering on child abuse.” Eddie beamed.

“I got knocked out, twice.” Lucas windged, holding up two fingers as he walked by.

“Whatever keeps you humble.” Steve shrugged. He turned back to Eddie. “So. Uh. Any plans for this weekend?”

Eddie blinked, then he raised his eyebrows with a haughty grin. “Dunno, had a few things in mind.” He shrugged.

“Cool. That’s cool. I did too. But uh, then my parents came home from their trip early.” Steve scratched the back of his neck. “So, you know, guess there go my plans for the weekend.”

“Huh.” Eddie frowned. “Bummer.”

“Shotgun!” Dustin decided, throwing open the passenger side door.

Mike, Lucas, and Will who also couldn’t care less about their inane small talk, were already piling into Steve’s car. Steve was lingering though, helping Eddie load his stuff into the van. Dustin’s glad they’re making an effort to be friendly acquaintances, especially since he’s pretty sure it’s mostly for his own sake. But come on, it was like, 3 small boxes. They had space invasions to thwart.

And of course, Lucas was still bitching at Dustin about his failure to come through with a healing spell.

“I’m a bard, what did you want me to do?” Dustin rolled his eyes.

“You have healing word!” Lucas said, to which Dustin roll his eyes. Again.

“Which does like, 2D-nothing!” He looked out the window, wishing Steve would hurry the hell up already. Him and Eddie were still talking? What the hell did those two even have to talk about? Eddie was giving Steve an optimistic grin, but Steve was just shaking his head.

“Cure wounds than!” Lucas groused.

“Well, then you should have thought about that before you went down thirty-five feet away.”

“You could have dashed.” Lucas crossed his arms.

“Ugh. That would have defeated the whole - ugh!” Dustin rolled the window down impatiently. “Steve is it cool if I eat in your car?“ Dustin hollered. He wasn’t actually gonna, he just knew how to get the man’s attention.

“Absolutely not! You know the rules.”

“Don’t worry, it’s just a granola bar! Nature Valley.” Dustin shouted back.

“Don’t even think about it Henderson!” Steve said, already rounding the car. Eddie laughed brightly.

“Harrington?” He said.

“I - Yeah. Fine. Fine, alright.” Steve said to which Eddie smiled triumphantly. That better mean they were done with their little pow-wow.

Eddie climbed into his own vehicle. Steve opened the Beemer’s drivers side door but he didn’t get in yet. Instead he stood there running his hand through his hair muttering something to himself.

“See ya, nerds!” Eddie called out, lowering his own window. There was a chorus of goodbyes from the Beemer. “And Harrington -“ He started the van and a blast of guitar poured out. He smiled that Eddie smile. “You worry too much.” He said. And then he swept out of the parking lot with the sound of his obnoxious music on the wind.

“Yeah. Sure.” Steve muttered sarcastically. He got behind the wheel, Dustin’s threat of snacking seemingly forgotten.

“What was that about?”

Steve just waved him off and started the car.

Dustin eyed Steve skeptically. So what, were Steve and Eddie like, actually friends now or something?

Maybe he knows.

After a few minutes, Dustin finally broke and asked.

“Soooo, do you know who Eddie’s been seeing?”

“What?” Steve says, nearly swerving over the line.

“Jesus!” Lucas swore from the back.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Steve chuckled awkwardly, eyes now, thankfully, firmly fixed on the road.

“Of course he’s not gonna tell Steve.” Mike grumbled.

Dustin stroked an imaginary beard. The fog of mystery only grew thicker and thicker.

“His secret girlfriend.” Mike said, like a little know it all.

Steve just huffed a, sure.

“I bet she’s like, some badass metal chick.” Mike said reverently, looking out the window. “She probably has like face piercings and crazy dyed hair. Or like a shaved head or something cool like that.”

Dustin sighed. She probably was badass. Way cooler than they were. Way too cool to bring around the dork squad.

“Does that sound like anyone you’ve seen around here?” Lucas said skeptically.

“Yeah, I dunno. Gareth said he was into like… suburban moms.” Dustin grimaced.

“Excuse me?” Steve sputtered.

Will made a disgusted noise.

“I know.” Dustin shivered.

“Better watch out for your mom then.” Lucas snickered. Dustin shot him a dirty look.

“Yeah, no way.” Mike shook his head. “He had to be messing with you or something. Eddie probably has like, groupies and stuff.”

“Please. That man has no game.” Lucas said. Steve snorted but played it off like a cough.

“That man runs the game.” Dustin said defensively.

“You know that’s not what that means.” Lucas said.

“The real question is, how long has this little dalliance been going on for?” Dustin pondered.

“Hey, you nosey little twerps. I really don’t think this is like, any of your business.”

“At least a few weeks right?” Lucas spoke up.

“And how do you know that?” Mike said.

“Cause that’s how long it’s been that Eddie’s been using the phrase ‘busy’ to get out of stuff. I mean he’s a jobless, drug peddling hobo, I don’t think I’ve seen Eddie be busy like, ever.” Lucas said, scratching his chin. “Until a few weeks ago that is.”

Dustin grinned widely. “It’s elementary, my dear Watson.”

“It’s invasive is what it is.” Steve grumbled. “Also, he’s not a hobo. He has a house.”

“Well, I guess, technically it’s a trailer.” Will said, rather pedantically.

“Well, it’s got four walls. And he lives inside them. Ergo…”

“He’s also been a lot nicer.” Will said thoughtfully.

“Huh?” Dustin and Steve said, and looked at him in unison.

“The last couple weeks, don’t you think?” Will said, smiling faintly. “He’s been nicer than usual. Or happier. I guess.”

“I guess.” Dustin said.

“You think?” Steve said.

“Okay,” Dustin should have a houndstooth cap and a pipe. “We have our timeline. Now, we need to root out suspects.”

“Alright, this, whatever this is, stops here. You nosey little twerps need to mind your own business.”

“But - “

“I don’t want to hear it. No buts.”

And that was the end of that. For now at least.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4

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[morganski-19]

Chills Right to the Marrow Part 55

ao3 link| part 1 . . . part 52, part 53, part 54

Dustin wakes up with a cold sweat, panting. The early morning sun making its way through the window. Illuminating his room. He blinks away visions of broken glass on his floor, the body of his cat. The truth that his mother can never know, the secret he keeps from her.

He’s jealous of the people that have someone else in their house to talk to about this. Mike has Nancy, Lucas has Erica, Will and El have their entire house. Steve has Eddie, and Robin considering how much she stays over there. He has no one.

Something pounces on his bed, startling him. Tews coming up to bump her head into his arm, purring.

“Jesus,” he jumps. She continues to rub against his arm until he starts to scratch around her collar. “Be glad you’re cute.”

He gets out of bed, heading to the kitchen. Tews following beside him, probably wanting food. He pulls out the container from the pantry and fills her bowl, watching as she goes to eat it. A different scene flashes in his mind when he blinks. He wishes he could ignore it.

“Dustin,” Claudia’s voice comes from the doorway. “She didn’t wake you up, did she?”

“No, I was already up. Just needed some water,” he lies. He hates that he has to lie, but it’s better for her.

Claudia squeezes his shoulder, moving toward the cabinets to get him a glass. Filling it before filling up the coffee pot. He takes the glass, sitting down at the kitchen table. Knowing that he isn’t going to be able to go back to sleep.

“You ok, Dusty,” his mom asks. Coming over to place the back of her hand against his forehead. “You haven’t been acting the same.”

Dustin wishes he could tell her. Wishes that she could really know what’s going on. So maybe she could help. Have some sort of answer so he doesn’t have to find one. Some way to make him feel like he used to. But she has the blessing of not knowing, he needed her to keep it.

“I’m fine,” he lies. Mind racing to think of a quick excuse. “Just tired.”

She makes the face, the all knowing mother face. Her lips pinching in the way that shows she knows he’s lying, but cares enough to say it gently. She sits down across from him. “You’ve been through so much these past few years. With Will going missing, then the fire at the mall, now the earthquake. Seeing your friends get hurt. And knowing you, you wanted to do everything to fix it, and feel bad because you can’t figure out how.

“You might think you’re hiding it from me, but you’re not. I saw you go to that hospital day after day to check up on them. I see you when you come home and the smile drops. See the pain in your eyes. I’ve tried to be here for you in the ways that I can, but I’m not sure it’s enough.”

He didn’t know she knew. Stupidly, he thought he was hiding it. He thought he was putting up the right front to make sure she never knew.

“And I just,” she continues. “If you think you need to talk to someone, there are resources we can look into.”

If only it were that simple. If only he could go and talk to someone. But even then, he can’t share the full truth. He can’t share what really haunts him at night. All of it would still be laced with lies. The papers he signed kept the secrets in a closed group. Not allowing anyone to come in. He doesn’t know how he could sit with a therapist and talk about this while trying to make sure he wasn’t saying too much.

“I—” he starts. Not sure how to tell her that it can’t work like that. Not sure how to communicate how much it meant to see him, and extend a helping hand.

“Just think about it,” she cuts him off. “And know I’m here if you ever need to talk.”

He nods. “I will.”

She stands, walking over to him and cupping his face with her palm, before going about her normal morning routine. So innocent to the ways of this town.

But, what she said, he forgot that she was there too. That, when Will’s casket was lowered into the ground, it was her hand on his shoulder, giving support. It was her that was called to the hospital each time he got hurt. It was her he came home to, and faked being ok.

She knew, on some level, that he could never tell her what really happened. Maybe that’s not what matters. The past can’t change, or be shared, but the future can. The promise of brightness is still there, and he wants to bask in it. He wants to move forward, get better, grow.

He wants all of it, but can’t figure out how to untie the binds that wrap his feet.

For one of the last times, he guesses, he bikes his way to Steve’s house. The heat of August slowly rising with the sun. He hears the birds chirping as they fly around, sees the squirrels start to gather their nuts. A deer runs through the woods. The familiarity of early mornings comforting.

This town holds so many memories. Good, bad, downright ugly and frightening. But it was still his home. All of them sewn together to make a feeling that he can’t describe, but everyone has. No matter where he goes, or how much he grows, this town is still the reason he is who he is.

It is terrifying to think that he will always remember, that he will never forget. But maybe forgetting is more terrifying than remembering.

“You’re here early,” Wayne comments as Dustin bikes up the drive.

“I just—” He doesn’t know why he’s here, he realizes. Just got on his bike and went somewhere familiar. Somewhere he didn’t have to hide. “Wanted to come over, I guess.”

Wayne shrugs, unlocking the door. “Rough night?”

“Kinda, it’s hard to talk about.”

“Lot of things are. Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t.”

That was the whole problem. Dustin would talk about it, but there’s only so many people that he can. Those people were his friends, with their own issues. Why would Dustin ask to dump all of his stuff on top of theirs?

“Everyone keeps saying that. You, the guys, my mom.”

Wayne studies him for a moment, before nodding his head and leading him to the living room. “You know, there were a few buddies of mine that fought in ‘Nam. When they came back, something was different about them that no one else could understand. They just came back from a war they were forced to fight, not a lot of people can say that.”

Dustin sits on the couch, listening.

“They all had their own ways of coping. One of them drank, another was in and out of prison. But the one who’s still alive, he found a group of vets and talked about it. Found the people that understood and worked with them to live past what happened to him.”

“My mom thinks I should go to therapy,” Dustin says quietly. “But I can’t.”

Wayne nods. “I know. My buddy didn’t want to go to therapy either. Didn’t have the community that he wanted. That’s why he went to the group.”

An idea starts to form in Dustin’s mind.

“Point is,” Wayne continues, “is that I’ve spent the past few months surrounded by all of you. Seeing the way you act, and react. You’re so young and already seen so much. More than anyone would have ever asked you to see. I don’t want to see it kill you like it did to them.”

A support group. With scheduled meetings. People who understand. Not just bringing it up whenever you were going to break. Stopping it as the bend began.

Dustin would be willing to do it. It was just a matter of convincing everyone else.

“I got to go.” He stands up, abruptly, rushing toward the front door.

“Woah,” Eddie says as Dustin almost runs into him. “Where are you going?”

“Dustin,” Steve asks.

They were coming out of the hall where Eddie’s room was. Eddie was wearing Steve’s old basketball shirt. There wasn’t time for this.

“I’ll explain later,” Dustin rushes as he pushes on his shoes. “But I’m coming back to whatever is happening there,” he circles between Steve and Eddie with his hand. Watching as their faces flush as he runs out the door.

He mounts his bike and feels the familiar push on his pedals. Biking down the streets he knows by memory. Until he gets to Mirkwood and pedals through. Right up that rocky hill in the woods.

He thinks back to one of the first time he biked up this hill. How it forced the breath out of his lungs and cause him to stop. Take a few minutes to catch his breath before he could continue. Now, he can do it no problem. Keep traveling like that hill was the smallest in the world. He was stronger now, older.

He was different. So, so different from that kid he used to be. Different, but still sort of the same. He still loved science, he still loved his friends. Love the same movies. But there was so much that was different. He was taller, needed to get a whole new wardrobe of clothes. Had to get a new bike, outgrew the old one. His hair was longer, and he took better care of it now.

But when he smiled, when he laughed, it was all the same. And the outside, well, everyone changed as they grew up. He wanted so much to go back and do it all over, but can’t help but think that he’d still end up right here.

There were things that he’d never choose. Horrors that would be better off unseen. But Dustin was still Dustin if he let himself be.

He knocks furiously on the Byers’ door, a tired Will opening it.

“What are you doing here this early?” he asks

“I have an idea.”

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[ladykailitha]

Everything I Ever Wanted Part 3/4

Hello! We're almost done with this lovely story just one more to go.

It's chapters like this that make me wish I was a better artist so I could draw Steve's wedding clothes. But alas, I'm not so I can only hope I described it well enough.

The wedding/bonding ceremony of the century. Steve and Eddie being absolutely gooey for each other and their shared rut/heat. And with the heat comes sexy times so mature fun ahead.

Part 1 Part 2

****

Steve and Eddie’s bonding and wedding ceremony was the event of the decade everyone from royalty to who’s who in film, music, and sports all wanted an invite.

A world famous rockstar bonding to a wealthy and glamorous former escort?

Yeah, everyone wanted a piece of that action, but sadly they were all out of luck. It was an intimate affair where only their closest friends and in Eddie’s case family were invited to attend.

Jim and Joyce Hopper stood in for Steve’s parents (he didn’t even bother to invite the Harringtons) and Wayne stood in for Eddie’s.

All of Steve’s friends were there. Nancy and Jonathan’s younger brothers, Mike and Will. Lucas and Max were there, of course. With Erica in tow. Dustin, too. Nikita was there, too. Steve insisting on it after their lunch together. She had brought her boyfriend, a beta actor who looked at her like she was the sun.

Steve was happy for her.

Robin was his maid of honor with Jeff as Eddie’s best man. Chrissy and Elinor rounding out Steve’s side of the aisle and Gareth and Brian rounding out Eddie’s.

Everyone had been expecting Steve to wear a dress being an omega. But Steve surprised them all. He wore white, skin tight pants that had a poofy train attached at the waist, a white lace bodice with a sweetheart neckline. It was daring and provocative. Steve loved it.

Eddie was standing at the end of the aisle in a leather jacket over a white button up that was only buttoned up halfway. His skin tight pants were tucked into leather boots. He had on all his chains and leather bands and bracelets.

His groomsmen were all dressed similarly, but Steve’s bridesmaids were all in silver sheath gowns. Well except Robin. She was a grey suit that was like Steve’s white suit but without the train, and with a black bodice instead of grey.

The fashion mags would have been scandalized for sure, but Steve refused to conform for anyone. He had spent too long under societal pressures and wasn’t going to let society dictate what he wore to his ceremony.

Jim walked Steve down the aisle and handed him off to Eddie.

The officiant gave the usual spiel on the importance of the bond and how like marriage it is a commitment not to be taken lightly, then he veered off script a little as spoke of Eddie and Steve.

“Never before have I seen a couple so deeply and categorically in love with each other as these two people,” he said. “In their case the bond isn’t just a next step. It’s the next step. The only step left in their journey together.”

Steve and Eddie looked at each other so fondly that the crowd all cooed.

A single tear slipped down Eddie’s cheek and Steve gently wiped it away.

“Do you, Edward Nicholas Munson take Steven Aaron Harrington to have and to hold through bond and matrimony, sickness and health, hardship and success?”

Eddie squeezed Steve’s hands. “I do.”

“And do you Steve Aaron Harrington take Edward Nicholas Munson,” he said turning to the omega, “to support and sustain through all that life may take you both?”

“I do.”

“Then I now pronounce you as husbands and bondmates. You may kiss each other.”

Steve and Eddie leaned in for a chaste but deep kiss.

A cheer went up and Steve and Eddie parted with great reluctance.

White and black confetti went up as they walked back down the aisle arm in arm, their groomsmen and bridesmaids falling in behind them.

****

Once they got to the reception Robin helped Steve remove the train from the back of his suit so that he could move around more freely and put on a tuxedo jacket over the top of the bodice to match Robin’s suit.

Everyone came up and congratulated them. They cut the cake, they had their first dance.

The one thing they didn’t do was the tossing of bouquet and garter. Steve’s outfit precluded a garter and he didn’t want to lose his bouquet that way.

The food was good, the alcohol flowed freely, and everyone had a good time.

It wouldn’t be until after their honeymoon that Steve would learn that his parents had tried to crash the reception, but security had handled it so well, that no one had known until after the event.

Steve and Eddie had planned everything down to the minutest detail. Including having their wedding and honeymoon before their shared heat and rut.

They had actually wanted to enjoy themselves and not be mindless fuck machines.

They opted to spend three days at a lovely castle nestled in the Scottish Highlands and then two days on Welsh beaches.

When they came home, they had found that Robin and Jeff had made sure they had everything they needed for their fuck fest as Jeff kept calling it. Robin called it their reat. An unholy combination of rut and heat.

Steve hated it.

So of course Robin refused to call it anything else.

Steve’s nest had been painstakingly been put in Eddie’s bedroom, new items being added from Elinor, Chrissy, and Jim and Joyce Hopper. Eddie’s comfort items had already been integrated before the wedding.

Steve collapsed happily into the folds of his nest without even so much as taking off his shoes.

Eddie snorted and swatted playfully at Steve’s ass. “At least take off your shoes, you brat.”

Steve chuckled and rolled over to do just that. Then he removed all of his clothes. Just shucked everything off.

Eddie was about to say something snarky when Steve’s scent reached his nose.

His spicy chocolate scent had become sweeter and spicier then it normally was.

He reached between Steve’s legs and found that, yup, his husband was slick and open.

Steve threw his head back and moaned. Eddie licked his lips and manhandled his omega further up onto the bed.

“You already starting without me, sweetheart?” he growled into Steve’s ear.

“Hit the lights, baby,” Steve groaned in response. If his heat had come early then Eddie’s rut would no doubt be right behind.

Eddie lowered the lights and closed the drapes, then got undressed. As soon as he crawled onto the bed, he could feel his skin tighten and heat up. A sure sign his body was reacting to the omega in front of him.

“I need you so bad, Eddie...” Steve groaned, his back arching off the bed.

Eddie spread Steve’s legs and settled between them. He rubbed his hands soothingly over Steve’s sides and thighs until his body relaxed enough for Eddie to line up and pressed in.

The omega cried out in utter bliss as his alpha’s cock slid all the way in. Steve jack knifed off the bed as pleasure hit him.

Eddie rubbed his hands over Steve’s abs and stomach. “Is it too much, baby?”

Steve wanted to immediately answer no, to shake his head, to demand Eddie to just fucking move! But he forced himself to actually take stock of what his body needed in that moment. Just like he would force an alpha in their rut to do the same.

He let out a shuddering breath and then another.

“I never knew it could feel like this,” he huffed, more than a little breathless. “I know why us escorts aren’t allowed to spend our heats with alphas, but holy fuck I was not prepared by how intense it actually is.”

Eddie continued to brush his fingers lightly over Steve’s overheated skin in soothing circles. He was glad his rut hadn’t hit yet, so that he could be present for his omega’s first heat with him, instead being overtaken by lust.

“I’m going to start slow, Stevie,” Eddie murmured. “I promise it’ll get better once I get moving.”

Steve gulped but nodded.

“Uh-uh,” Eddie said wagging his finger. “Words, baby.”

“Yes, honey. Please move. I need it. I need you!” he blurted, before he arched his back again as pleasure hit him with another wave.

“I’ve got you.”

Eddie started with small, easy movements because while Steve was used to normal and rut sex, heat sex was not in his wheelhouse as it were. Once Steve got used to the smaller movements, Eddie ramped it up to longer and faster thrusts.

“Oh, Eds...” Steve moaned as the friction began to build up heat in his lower abdomen.

“You feeling good?” Eddie asked, reaching out to cup his cheek gently.

All Steve could answer in response was to turn his head and kiss Eddie’s palm.

Eddie melted from the sheer tenderness of it all. He had a lot of sex. Had even done so with a couple of alphas in his early days when he was experimenting with his sexuality before he decided it was men first gender and omega second gender for him. Betas, too, he supposed. But definitely not alphas.

But in all those encounters, he had never felt this warmth between his partner and him.

It was something he didn’t realize he craved before Steve. That love and connection. And holy fuck did he get it from Steve in spades. Even when Steve was still working as an escort, he never let Eddie think for a moment that he wasn’t completely and totally in love him.

Flowers waiting from him in his dressing room after a concert. Food delivered to his hotel room when he was just too tired to go out. Little text messages with just heart or a kiss.

Eddie devoured the attention like a man, starving.

And now with this beautiful creature below him, soaking up his touch and reveling in the pleasure Eddie was giving him?

He was in paradise. Heaven. Nirvana. Elysium. Didn’t matter what you called it, Eddie was there with this ethereal being who was begging for his knot.

Just pleasure bubbling out of those perfect lips.

And who was Eddie to deny this man anything? He buried himself deep into Steve, his knot blooming just past the opening, locking them together. Suddenly he was coming and coming. It felt like it wasn’t going to stop.

But it did and Eddie was spent. Not just sexually, but physically exhausted too. He laid down on Steve and just murmured inanities into his omega’s ear.

Steve wrapped his arms around him and caressed his back and hair, telling him what a good strong alpha he was. Eddie’s inner alpha purred. It rumbled deep and happy.

Steve’s omega chirped back, sated and serene.

****

It would be several days before they were both aware at the same time. It was then when Eddie decided to do the bite.

They both had about a day left in their cycles and there was no better time for it.

Steve got down on all fours, presenting his ass to Eddie in the most delicious way imaginable. Eddie lined himself up and gently slid in as he had the first time, but now Steve was ready for the wave of pleasure that took over him the second Eddie entered his body.

Despite all the sex they had had over the week, Eddie knew he wasn’t going to last long. He gingerly pulled Steve up so their bodies were flush against each other.

“You ready, Stevie?” he asked into the crook of Steve’s neck.

Steve nodded, all ready breathless from the pleasure sending wave after wave through his skin.

“Okay, baby,” Eddie murmured. “It might sting for the first little bit, but your endorphins will quickly override the pain and it’ll feel like you’re high.”

“Oh god,” Steve huffed. “Okay. Yeah. Let’s–”

He was stopped short by Eddie starting his thrusting. He had one hand on Steve’s hip and the other arm draped over his shoulders to keep them as close to each other as possible.

The knot formed quickly and too soon Eddie was filling up his pretty, little omega’s cunt. Steve’s head dropped from the sheer instinct and Eddie bit down on Steve’s soul patch as the area was called. It would send the bonding chemical right to Steve’s brain, and his blood mingling with the saliva in Eddie’s mouth would when swallowed would bind Eddie to Steve. It takes longer for the alpha to bond to omega as it has farther to go, but it would be as strong for either one of them.

Some alphas had tried to cheat the system so that omega would be bonded to them, but they could fool around with other omegas by not being bonded to the one they bit, by trying not to swallow. There were even some sketchy products that came out in the early 1960s that claimed to prevent the blood and saliva from being swallowed. But the claims were bogus because there would always be some remnant left on the teeth or under the tongue and all it would take would a swipe of the tongue and a swallow and they were bonded anyway.

Eddie licked up the blood on the back of Steve’s neck, his saliva during knotting producing a healing component to close the wound. As the process neared the end, Steve gasped and suddenly he was coming too.

“That’s it, sweetheart,” Eddie cooed. “You did so well. I love you so much.”

Steve came again, his body shaking with the strength of his bond to Eddie. He could feel it alter his brain chemicals. Eddie lowered him onto the other side of the bed so as to not have him face plant into his own cum.

Eddie cleaned Steve up and then when he was able to stand, cleared off the bed and put down clean sheets. One of the few times they’d been able to do that over the course of their cycle.

Once done they laid down on the bed and cuddled.

“How do you feel, baby?” Eddie asked, running his fingers through Steve’s hair.

“Those faux bonds are fucking liars, love,” Steve growled. “I thought this would be just more intense versions of that. But no. This is real in every way I never thought possible. Everything is brighter and clearer. I feel like I’m floating and I don’t want to ever come down.”

Eddie chuckled and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “So good then?”

“Fucking fantastic!” Steve chirped.

Suddenly Eddie had a lap full of horny omega and he couldn’t be happier.

“Hey, babe,” he murmured sweetly. “You ready to go again?”

Steve responded by grounding their cocks together. Eddie threw back his head with a high pitched whine.

“Yeah, Stevie,” he gasped. “Just like that.”

****

The next morning they woke up both heads clear of their cycle and wrapped up in each other’s arms.

They showered and ate and puttered around their kitchen, cleaning up after themselves.

“How are you feeling, sweetheart?” Eddie asked as Steve made a list of food they would need to replenish.

Steve rubbed the back of his neck where there would be a bond mark showing the world that he was taken if he ever wanted to cut his hair. The mark was warm to the touch and he traced each indent of Eddie’s teeth.

“I feel good,” he murmured. “Safe. Contented.”

Eddie smiled up at him with that closed lip smile he only ever bestowed on his omega.

“Everything you ever hoped for?”

“Everything and more.”

****

Part 4

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[pythoness94]

Honestly? i think it would make more sense for Vecna to go after Mike then Will at the point. NOW NOW, let me explain. Okay? Listen, we all know Vecna is gunning for Will, we know he wants Will either gone or for something else. However, in every plan, every time Venca gets his grubby mitts on Will, there is something that steps in his way. Mike, Mike found El and convinced her to find Will. Mike stopped the possession. Mike figured out how to do the sauna test and played a big part in season 3. In season 4 he helped pull El out of the possession (all be it poorly, and barely, he sucked ass but it's fine, he has internalized homophobia.), drove across the country to get back to Hawkins. Like, honestly, don't you find it kinda weird that the Venca shit started to happen the MOMENT Mike was out of Hawkins, and only Mike? Mike is important to every single party member, even Jonathan and Steve to an extent. Even the people Mike isn't really connected with (Robin) he's connected with the people they're connected with (Dustin.) The ONLY person Mike isn't fully connected to is Max and Vecna took her off the board early, not just to lower moral but to take off the only other potential leader that wouldn't COMPLETELY fall apart if Mike was to die.

If Mike was to die, the entire house would crumble with him. Will would fall apart (Which is just what Vecna wants.) Nancy and the entire Wheeler and Byer family would too. Nancy because her vision came true and she couldn't protect him and the Byers not only because Mike is like a third son to them, but because of the lost of Will that would come with it. Dustin would fall because he already lost Eddie, then he would lose everybody else in one fail swoop if Mike was to die. Lucas, same reason and he lost Max. El? even if they aren't dating, Mike is important to her. Mike was the first person to see El HAS a person and not just a means to an end. He gave her a name that wasn't a number. El would not only lose the party, her best friend (Max) and her first friend ever. (Mike.) El would lose everyone. Mike is so interconnected to the party that he is the support beams; you take out the supports and the house falls with it. Venca KNOWS that. So, hear me out, Will wandering off isn't him getting fully possessed but a vision like Nancy had. He's taunting Will, he's going "Keep an eye on your heart or else you'll lose it." so that way when he swipes Mike away, and Mike would be vulnerable more so to Vecna because he lost Holly, Will would be EVEN more guilty and therefore exactly where Vecna wants him.

I think Vecna would go. "alright, this kid keeps fucking up my plans, he keeps figuring everything out and bringing everyone with him, he keeps bringing Will and El back. I'm going to torment the fuck out of him and monitor him at all times until I can get rid of him." I have no clue how church gate would fit into this, but I just know that it would make the most sense for Mike to get beamed by Vecna.

[fandoms-in-law]

That Bitch's Boundaries

Summary: Steve decides that to make the point about him having boundaries the boys teasing has gone over he isn't giving them lifts until he gets an apology. He gets to bitch at Nancy and Jonathan over how things have happened between them when they try to interfere with that.

Author's note: Most of this was written while I was working and frankly, I CBA to add in descriptions of actions and tone anymore than I already have done. But I do like having fics that are just or at least mostly speech occasionally

My Idea for Today: Steve turns the story back on the party. If they keep bringing up shit from his past, he'll do the same. "Okay Nance, let's talk about bullshit." "Sure Jonathan, wanna talk about creeping? About taking pictures through bedroom windows?"

/\/\

“Hey Dustin, quick question. I know where your too far line for teasing is, but where’s mine?”

Blank looks met him from most of the boys, though Will looked thoughtful. “You- You don’t have any.”

“You don’t notice them, do you?” He raised an eyebrow looking over all the kids. “Even when you always push past them. So is it all your friends who aren’t allowed boundaries like that, or should I start enforcing them with no lifts or last minute movie nights?”

/\/\

“Steve, Mike said you aren’t doing your job any more.”

Steve glanced around Family Video then down at himself pointedly. “You ask while I am working, Nancy. Maybe trust your eyes over Mike on this one.”

“You’re refusing to give them lifts or have them over, why?”

“Excuse me? I might do that a lot, but it isn’t my job and they don’t want me around. The amount of insults thrown my way says everything.”

“King Steve can’t take some teasing?”

“Constant insults isn’t some teasing.”

“Just pick them up and stop ignoring -” Nancy began but Steve cut her off.

“Bullshit. They’d ignored me saying my boundaries were crossed. They can cycle and deal with consequences. But you never did, did you? Let’s revisit bullshit with the party later.” Robin appeared in his eyeline, nodding supportively out of Nancy’s view.

“I don’t think that’s needed. It would be-”

He cut her off again. “Pointing out that you weren’t innocent in the break up which Mike at least believes you were. You don’t order me around and should never order someone to forgive other, Nancy.”

/\/\

“Byers, what’s up?”

“Nancy asked me to talk to you. Get you to talk to the kids again.”

“Oh, I’m still talking to El and Will, don’t worry about that.”

“The rest of them?”

“Can apologise first.”

“For saying shit? Like you’ve never done that.” Jonathan scoffed.

“Tell me how Will would react to learning that when he was missing you were taking creep shots through me window and then decide if having boundaries against the kids is so bad.”

/\/\

“Harrington?”

“Hey Eddie, what’s up?”

“How far did the shitheads go for you to do this or was it the frequency?”

“Mostly the frequency. You’re not pushing for me to forgive them?”

“Wouldn’t work and Robin’s gone guard dog in here since Byers tried that. You’re a bitch but you’re still allowed boundaries. What was the too far point beyond how often they said shit?”

“Doesn’t matter, normal ‘Steve couldn’t figure anything out’ shit.” Steve paused at the twitch in Eddie’s expression, “I know that look; What are you scheming?”

“Most of those assholes get the point better if its an NPC. Apologised to Lucas and got the scorn for jocks Mike and Dustin had started copying gone in one session. You up for helping me make a character you to make the point?”

“Sure, any of their characters have siblings? Nance and Jonathan have back stories I’d like fitting in somehow.” Steve had implied that he’d keep quiet if the pair backed off, but that didn’t stop him from getting the kids to question what they didn’t know about happening more.

“Bitch.” Eddie grinned. “Lady Applejack does, unconnected to Lucas and Dustin has a brother too. I think because he wanted to talk you into playing. Kid’s beginning to mope now; 2 weeks without you. Has he tried apologising?”

“Blamed Steve for it all while claiming to apologise.” Robin called, passing them to re-shelve some videos.

“She won’t let me accept half-arsed apologies and is writing up a boundary list for me to use. I was gonna bring back the you suck board instead. 5 strikes and they’ve gone too far so no lifts for some amount of time.”

“Glad to have Guard Dog Buckley on the case.”

“Woof.” She called over, deadpan for a moment before laughing with them.

/\/\

Steve didn’t like refusing the kids lifts or movie nights. He loved them and sometimes could only believe everything was over if he had them all close by. He just couldn’t deny that their constant criticisms and insults hurt him. They might have started off teasing but each day felt more and more genuine and harder to brush off.

When he mentioned it, Robin said he didn’t have to accept it, just because they smiled and included him specifically a lot of the time, and it stuck in his mind. So he put this in place, and even tried writing out an explanation that he’d given to Nancy when she left after failing to convince him to give them lifts again.

It was meant for the kids to read, but she’d read it while stood outside Family Video and he’d watched her throw it to the back seat of her car so Steve doubted the kids ever saw it.

That was until they turned up outside his house after the next Hellfire session and Mike pulled it from his bag, a glare shot in the direction of the Wheeler’s home. “Steve? Can we talk?” He asked, tone making it sound like a demand.

He was still holding the page when they were all seated in Steve’s living room. “Nance didn’t give us this. I found it in her car when I was looking for something else. When did she get it?” He now sounded carefully neutral.

“About a week and a half ago.” Steve simply replied.

“Eddie made you an NPC today!” Dustin burst out excitedly, but dimmed after as if the character had been a difficult part of the days campaign.

Steve nodded at him, wondering if more was going to be said on that. “I know, helped make the character even. Didn’t ask how it would fit in the story though.”

Erica rolled her eyes, bringing Steve’s attention to her. She hadn’t been involved in the no-lifts, or normal support, weeks, so he wasn’t sure why she was here if the rest were intending to apologise. “So that stuff with my older sister, was that something that happened with Nancy?”

“Munson changed those connections but at least sort of.” He hedged, having forgotten how the characters related to the party since talking through the character creation with Eddie.

“Then my brother stood in for Jonathan?” Dustin asked, voice quiet as if questioning his place again. Steve was used to jumping in to prove those thoughts wrong, but couldn’t with everyone around, even ignoring the reason this discussion was happening.

Steve twisted a little there, before replying, “More or less, but that was changed the most to fit your campaign and the setting. Couldn’t edit your backstory to make it fit more either.”

The boys all looked at him closely for a moment before Will coughed, “I’ll ask him later, since you don’t want to share more.”

“Thanks for picking up on that. Just remember, we’ve all grown up and changed since any of that happened.” Steve cautioned, knowing how easy it can be to assume something just learnt is recent for the people actually involved in it.

“Which was when?” Lucas asked.

Mike’s expression twisted, “Nancy’s stuff I guess was the Halloween Will got possessed, but you and Jonathan have always barely talked.”

“It’s better if will asks about it and decides if he wants to share then. I’m not going over that with all of you right now.” It was an uneasy thought, to consciously be refusing to talk about one of the few things they could through all the Upside Down experiences.

“Fine.” Mike’s grumble had him fighting a smirk, maybe it would do the kids some good to not be told all the drama.

Dustin leant forwards now, “And we are sorry. It was cruel of us.” He began, Lucas and Mike nodding along with him while Will hunched in uncomfortably and Erica glared at them judgementally. “I didn’t realise it happened so much, Steve. You’re like my brother and I’ve hated not seeing you these last two weeks.”

“Me too, but I felt shit about myself hearing everyone you’ve been saying.” Steve nodded, but held his arms open. “Come on, you’ve got some apologising still to do, but let’s hug it out now.”

There was no hesitation when Dustin hurried into the hug.

Lucas barely waited for them to separate before going, “But why stop talking to Erica? I get us, like we went too far with teasing you, but she’s the same to everyone.”

“He didn’t. How long till you’d have tried making me get him to talk to you if you’d known? Steve gave me 2 ice cream deliveries, one each week, and let me know what was going on. Why do you think my dice got left in Nancy’s car? Now can I get revenge on anyone over this mess?” Erica stated, as ever able to make everyone else sound dumb for not realising what had been done.

Lucas Mike and Dustin all yelled, “We’re apologising! There’s no need!” in a rush, looking so scared by what Erica might come up with that Steve couldn’t hold back a snicker.

“Then get to apologising, dumbasses.” She gestured back to Steve and leant back fully intending to wait and watch.

[eilissxx]

hello everyone, today I will tell you how I would develop Mileven's relationship if I were a scenarist and they were the main couple of the series 🥰🥰

(yes, including that Will is in love with Mike)

Ok, let's imagine that Mike is a really VERY good friend who decided to go looking for Will at night in the dark forest after will goes missing, where he finds El. Let's make Lucas and Dustin the antagonists of their love story - they will not trust El and literally force her to look for Will, while Mike will see that El is very exhausted and tired of using her powers. I would insert many other scenes with Mileven, for example where Mike would read to her or teach her how to play nintendo or dnd. They would talk a lot more and El would tell him about Papa and the lab. When the guys find Will's "corpse", Lucas and Dustin will be the ones yelling at El, and Mike will protect her and go home with her, where there will be a scene of them hugging each other calmingly. All the other actions in the series will remain almost the same, except that Mileven won't kiss.

in the second season, Mike would assure everyone that El is alive, although absolutely everyone else thinks that this is not so. He would continue to call her on the radio and starts looking for a lot of information and stories about the lab and Brenner, accidentally comes across information about Terry (like Hopper in the first season) and learns, for example, some rumor that a girl who can move objects was seen near Terry's house. Mike goes there, but arrives too late and goes to Pennsylvania, since Terry's sister said that El would be there. Mileven meet completely by chance after El escapes from 008, and they have a very emotional reunion. They go home together, where they meet the others. Afterwards, they go to the snow ball, but, again, do not kiss.

in the third season, Mike will be the one helping El learn new things in the world - he will run away from Hopper with her, drag her to shops and cinema. They will go through the school curriculum, and others will make fun of them like "you are so in love" (a cliche, but where would we be without it?), Mike will make El friends with Max. In this case, I wrote the scene of the Bylers' argument somewhere in the first episode - Will will simply be jealous, and then he will hear a Russian code with Dustin and go with Steve's team, Robin, etc. to the Russian base. Mileven would have a conversation in which Mike would explain to El what falling in love is, he would already understand that he loves El, but does not want to pressure her, because he knows what she has been through. Again, we insert a bunch of scenes with Mileven and some small quarrel (for example, Mike will forbid El to use her powers, since he will be very worried about her), and in the end they have a super cute reconciliation and hugs, before Byers-Hopper family leaves for California. Mike and Will are talking too and Will starts to let him go.

In the fourth Mike gets Vecha'd. Not right away. First Mike comes to California for vacation, they spend their day with Will and El well for everyone, and when El is humiliated by Angela, Mileven has a conversation, the main reason for which is that El did not tell Mike that she was bullied at school (she did not tell about it because she did not want to be uncool for him, and Mike was upset that El did not fully trust him). Then El is taken to the lab and the others go after her, but!!! we change Argyle to a nice kind good handsome guy Will's age, who came with a pizza delivery, let's call him Stan (because the WillArgyle couple sounds scary). Between the whole trip, we are shown a conversation between Mike and Will, where Will admits that he had feelings for him, and Mike does not reciprocate, but everything remains the same between them. There will also be a bunch of scenes of Will and Stan with heartfelt conversations and support. All this time, Mike will not notice the signs of Vecna's presence and will simply think that he is imagining things. The four of them get to Nina's project much earlier, Mike meets Brenner and Owens and argues with them because of El. Mileven make peace and talk a lot together, Mike supports her. Later, they learn that Max is in danger and El goes against all odds to fight Vecna, but everyone notices that "something is going wrong" - suddenly Vecna ​​takes Mike at gunpoint, El does not have time to save him and Mike ends up in a coma.

I can't really say anything about Mileven in season 5, it just hasn't come out yet, but I'm sure Mike would have been an incredibly important character and would have had a deep connection with El that would have helped them win. The whole slowburn thing would have ended with them kissing in season 5, and Will would have accepted himself, completely let go of Mike in season 4 and started dating Stan (yeah, no van scene).

In conclusion, i can only say that this is an insanely easy trope to write, which even the most inexperienced writers in the world can come up with. However, the scriptwriters went the other way, and don't even tell me that they simply didn't think of the option i suggested. The story of Mileven can be harmoniously watched ONLY in the format of a slow development of a relationship, which in this case has a deep emotional connection and understanding, which we never saw.

anyway, Byler is endgame.

[chirpsythismorning]

Some of the evidence supporting Mike not being in love with El is brutal. No, but seriously.

In s3, when El's leg is injured, instead of Mike putting his arm around her waist, allowing him to take some of the weight off her injured leg, he puts his arm around her shoulder, basically having the exact opposite affect of taking the weight off of her, instead just adding more weight for her to have to carry.

Now, I’m not coming at Mike here, I’m actually coming at the writers, because this choice here has everything to do with them using this gesture to signal Mike’s lack of feelings for El, even at the expense of realism.

I say this bc any person with common sense, including Finn and everyone around him and Millie filming these shots, would've known it looked unnatural for Mike to be adding more weight onto El as opposed to taking some off of her.

This means that what Mike did here, Finn was directed to do, and therefore it was for a specific reason.

And we know they could have easily made the opposite choice, because they show us Max AND Lucas doing it.

See how putting an arm around El's waist looks so much more natural? Because homegirl is injured and clearly needs help taking weight off her leg to qualm some of the pain she's experiencing there, which is why Max and Lucas are shown here doing it the correct way.

And so, why can't Mike do the same? Why are the writers making a point to show Mike being incapable of simply taking some weight off of El, instead doing the exact opposite?

I don't think it's as deep as Mike not being able to do something intimate, and that's bc, again we see Max and Lucas doing it.

I honestly think what they're trying to convey with this choice here, is that Mike thinks he's helping El, when he is in fact doing the opposite despite his best efforts. The implications of that and how that sort of aligns with their romantic relationship and what it leads to at the end of s3, going into s4, is pretty spot on.

I do think Mike thinks he's doing the right thing by being with El instead of voicing any doubts at the end of s3, because he is under the assumption that she is in love with him. I do think he believes he is indebted to her and that this is the least he can do after everything they've been through together, which has mostly been riddled with romantic pressures and so continuing that instead of disputing it seems like the only option anyways. Not to mention, he does care for her deeply, so it's not hard to imagine that he's a teenage boy confusing deep care for love (he literally tells us this is his problem when he can only say care and not love to El's face... but that's a whole other conversation).

Still, when it's all said and done, Mike's not actually doing El any favors by being with her romantically, if that is not what he truly wants.

Because that's the sad truth about all of this, which is that you would never want someone to be with you just because you want them. If you knew that they truly couldn't have those feelings for you, you'd want to know, right? You don't deserve someone just because you have deep feelings for them. And I think there's so many layers to this idea, bc many people are capable of not giving Byler a chance bc they truly believe Mike could never return Will's feelings. Will also feels this way atp, so though it hurts, he rips the band aid off, because he would never want Mike to be with him just out of pity or something. No one would want that. And so it all really comes down to who Mike truly loves romantically and wants to be with. And the right thing to do, even if it hurts someone, is to be honest, because being with them just bc you think that will make them happy is never going to be enough if you aren't truly feeling it, or worse, feel it for someone else.

We see how Mike's inability to be honest with El at the end of s3, leads to a season of Mike feeling deeply insecure and undeserving of the love El has to offer him, and even though he does try, he always comes up short. Despite Mike putting up this front that they are the perfect couple, the details are telling us something is off. And it gives him away.

Another example that I think is very similar to this loaded gesture from Mike to El in s3, is the scene in s4 when they hug in the airport.

Common sense ppl, picture this: You're reuniting with your long distance girlfriend. Then suddenly, she runs up to you, with her arms wide open, and instead of opening your arms wide to embrace her properly, you take the bouquet of flowers you brought her as a gift, and shove them against your chest just as she approaches to hug you, effectively squishing the present you got for her (a pretty delicate present at that) for no reason other than to... what exactly?

Like?? El isn't even squishing the present Mike, she's trying to hug you, dude! Your gf is trying to hug you properly and you threw the gift you got for her in between you so you could throw in a careful! x3??

Again, this has less to do with Mike's thoughts and reasoning behind this gesture in a literal sense, and more to do with the simple fact that this is a narrative choice! Mike is not a real person! There are real people sitting down and writing this and actors are having to do multiple takes to act it out. What feels natural for a situation is going to be what is often chosen 9 times out of 10, because of realism and wanting the audience to see stuff happening that is believable. That 1 time though, when it's not being done the way it would usually be, is usually because there's a specific reason for it.!

So the question really is, not why is Mike doing this, but why are the writers having Mike do this, and what message are they trying to convey about Mike's feelings based on his behavior, in these moments where he's just not capable of committing to El genuinely, one way or another?

[strangerfigs]

GTFO!!!!

season 3 episode 5

Lucas: it’s up to us

Mike: up to us to do what exactly?

Lucas: find Billy and stop him

Mike: okay yeah that’s a really nice sentiment but even if el could find him again, and that’s a pretty big if, then what?

Lucas: We burn the shit out of him and make sure he doesn’t escape this time.

Mike: Okay, then what?

Lucas: Then we win.

Mike: No, see, that’s the problem. We don’t. We don’t win. We got the Mind Flayer out of Will before and he just came right back. We don’t just have to stop Billy, we have to stop the Mind Flayer.

Lucas: How in hell do we do that?

Mike: I don’t know.

Will: Maybe El does.

Mike: *turns to the bathroom that El and Max are inside* What the hell are they doing in there?

-

This scene is CRAZY… The absolute CONTRAST multiple Byler scenes (where Byler is ALONE btw) is CRAZY. It’s also crazy to me the only quote I don’t have is from season 3… of course?

Season 1

Will’s body is found.

Mike — “IT'S NOT WILL. IT CAN'T BE.”

-

Mike — “All I know is Will is alive. Will is alive! He's out there somewhere. All we have to do is find him.”

Season 2

Mike – “You're like a spy now. A superspy. Spying on the shadow monster. If you know what he's seeing and feeling... maybe that's how we can stop him. Maybe all of this is happening for a reason.”

Will – “You really think so?”

Mike – “Yeah. Yeah, I really do.”

Will – “What if he figures out we're spying on him? What if he spies back?”

Mike – “He won't.”

Will – “How do you know?”

Mike – “We won't let him.”

-

Season 4

Mike – “You don't trust Owens?”

Will – “No. I don't know. I mean, he's been good to us and good to El, but he wasn't able to protect me. That was you guys who saved me. That was you guys.”

Mike – “Looks like it's gonna be up to us again.”

Will – “It always is, isn't it?”

-

Mike — “I have no idea what's gonna happen next. But, whatever it is, I... I think we should work together. I think it'll be easier if we're... we're a team. Friends. Best friends.”

-

Mike — “She’s never lost before. Not like this.”

Will — “She’ll have another chance.”

Mike — “Let’s hope not. Let’s hope One is dead and rotting.”

Will — “He’s not. Now that I’m here… in Hawkins. I can feel him. And he’s hurt. He’s hurting. But he’s still alive. It’s strange knowing now who it was the whole time but I still remember what he thinks and how he thinks. And he is not going to stop, ever. Not until he’s taken everything and everyone. We have to kill him.”

Mike — “And we will. We will.”

-

There are several things I’d like to point out here. Let’s start with the first that’s the most obvious.

1) Mike clearly has no interest or instinct in comforting Lucas as opposed to Will who he consistently aims to comfort, support, and provide hope for. It’s actually just crazy to me, mostly because Will knows this version of Mike so well, which is why he pushes Mike offer comfort, support, and hope to El. Because he so successfully does it with Will. Will expects him to be that way with them all but he isn’t, but all the times that Mike acts that way toward him, they are alone, so Will truly has no idea that Mike only has this optimistic/hopeful/supportive attitude with him

2) Mike’s general optimism and hope. Especially when comparing it to the scene where Mike is saying “looks like it will be up to us again” and “I’m not sure what happens next but I think we should work together. I think it will be easier if we’re a team.” The general optimism and hope Mike feels here is unparalleled in regard to literally anyone else. Will gives him hope. Being around and with Will brings him the sense that everything is going to be okay, and that it will be easier to navigate. This is a sidenote but I’d also like to point out that Mike also shows self-sufficiency and self-worth and confidence around Will with him saying, “looks like it’s going to be up to us again,” as opposed to feeling useless when he is around or thinks about el. ;_; Mike also holds onto hope that Will is still alive in season 1, not even believing it when he witnesses Will’s body being pulled out of the water! Will gives him so much hope. Even in the scenes where he is comforting him, you can tell that he really believes what he is saying… that they will win because of the hope and confidence Will instills in him, along with the visceral need to protect him. Also, the scene between majority Mike and Lucas in season 3 — Mike only stops doubting everything and their ability to win when Will speaks up. Mike then switches the conversation to what El and Max are doing in there, indicating ALSO, that Mike has discovered some hope from what Will said — that maybe El would know what to do. It’s actually just… insane that that shuts him up and gives him a place to put his hope in, even though he was literally just doubting El’s ability to find Billy again in the literal same scene, which really just goes to show that it’s Will that is giving him hope, it’s not necessarily that he believes in El, it’s because Will is a symbol of hope for him. Which brings me to my next point…

3) Mike doubting El’s ability to find Billy again vs Mike quite literally believing that Will can use knowing what the Mind Flayer is seeing and feeling to STOP HIM, literally saying, maybe that’s how they can stop him… maybe that it was all happening for a reason (instilling hope and comfort and support) while also believing in Will, and seeing him as a source of hope, even though Will is unsure of his ability to do that himself, Mike is fully confident in him. However Mind Flayer does end up spying on them as well. VS again, Mike not believing in El in this scene, saying that literally out loud, but also throughout s3, about her capabilities and powers, and that she can’t find Billy… even though she can and literally does… but Mike has no confidence in her (and I know that this has been pointed out a ton) but its just insane. Then, in s4, Mike saying he believes that she can FLY and MOVE MOUNTAINS even though that’s just so out of range of what she can do with her powers. (And again!!! He says this because Will encourages him to!!!) It’s just such an over correction because it is unauthentic so it’s not what Mike actually BELIEVES. And this is probably a stretch but the “And we will. We will.” Is so important here. That single word “and” is so important here because it indicates that he is unified with Will; that they are are a Team and Working Together and by doing that, they will kill him. Idk? It’s just interesting that they included that “and” because it’s so unnecessary if it just means absolutely nothing. Also - I think it’s OF COURSE important to point out that Will is with him when he is “empowering” Eleven during that monologue. He gave him hope to believe in Eleven just like in this season 3 scene.

Like, sorry, but ;_; if Mike gives Will the courage to go on, then Will gives Mike the HOPE to keep fighting because Mike doesn’t need courage. He has enough of that — he is willing to jump off a cliff for his friends, but he needs HOPE, because he is a broody, moody little man full of self doubt and an instinct to protect his loved ones. <3 they are just so beautiful your honor

4) one more thing that’s also so obvious but just obviously obvious mike treats will so differently than dustin or lucas even though they are all “best friends” as mike wheeler once said in s1. ok thank you

[formosusiniquis]

🪱 Wiggle Wednesday🪱

Thank you @paperbackribs who tagged me last week, I saw it while I was in class and immediately forgot until I saw people posting their things today. But I'm always excited to share my current brainworms

This is a scene from a fic that I pick at every now and then, so it's basically always on the brain. It started as something about Lucas and Steve and trying to explain away the slight anachronism of Steve (popular and rich) being in Nikes before Jordan made them cool (thank you Air) and it has turned into something much more about Lucas and also his Mom relating through a shared love of basketball and Steve is also there.

It’s a Friday night after the end of the world, and strangely Lucas is at a basketball game.

Or maybe it’s only strange because it’s so normal.

A Friday night in a small town and there isn’t much to do except support the home team. Only Mom won’t watch football, she calls it barbaric, so she reserves all her team spirit for November when basketball season starts. Lucas’ skin itches a little under the Hawkins Tigers shirt he’s wearing, as he’s pretending to be normal when a couple weeks ago he learned monsters were real. What can he do though? Mrs. Byers has Will on house arrest, Mike is still mourning Eleven, and Dustin hasn’t been allowed out since Will’s Lazarus act.

Maybe he’s being too sensitive. Steve is here, who Lucas mostly knows from Mike complaining about being Nancy’s stupid boyfriend. Steve is playing like everything is fine, even though Lucas knows Steve knows. He heard whispering about it with Nancy when he went to the bathroom the last time he was at Mike’s. But Steve is smiling as he paces down the court. Miles better than the other players around him, when Steve has the ball Lucas feels like he does when he’s watching a real basketball game on the couch with his Mom.

If Steve can act like things are normal. If he can sink three pointer after rebound after assist, maybe it’s okay that Lucas is wearing his Tiger green. He floats down the court and everyone cheers. But no one cheers right. When #21 Hagan gets a rebound off of Seymour’s best player, a girl’s voice screams so loud it makes his throat hurt. No one cheers that way for Steve. It’s just excitement for the game, not for him and the way he is playing.

When the game ends, Hawkins 73: Seymour 42, and the crowd storms the court Lucas stands by his Mom in the bleachers. She hates feeling the push of the crowd against her and as he gets older, and people’s hands get rougher, he’s starting to understand. He’s too old to be caught standing by his Mom though. After everything, he knows better than to move too far away from her; going to the game with your Mom is one thing, being the kid getting called out over the intercom because she can’t find you would be life ruining.

Lucas watches the thinning crowd while he waits. Parents and girlfriends crowding their sweaty players. He doesn’t want to get caught looking at any of those boys for too long now that they aren’t playing. He isn’t sure why. So he keeps looking for something familiar.

Steve is standing beside a short, dark haired man who’s got what his father calls a beer gut. He doesn’t look anything like Steve, but he’s also the only adult anywhere near him. He’s the only person at all that’s really near Steve. They’re talking excitedly about something. He claps Steve on the back and whatever he says next has Steve looking down toward the floor.

“Is that Steve’s dad?” he asks his mom before thinking about why that might be a weird question to ask her.

“Who?” The way she says it makes him sure she hadn’t actually heard the question. She’d caught a name, when he interrupted her conversation with the lady next to them, but not enough to answer. It’s a free chance to drop the issue. To say sorry, never mind, and go back to watching people move on the floor below them.

“That guy,” she slaps his hand down as he goes to point. “The guy next to Steve, number 8, is that his dad?”

“How do you know him?” The question, instead of an answer, startles him enough that he looks at her instead of Steve. Stern, he knows he doesn’t want to lie to her, but he also isn’t sure how to say that this random high school boy saved two of his best friends’ older siblings' lives.

“He’s Nancy’s boyfriend. Mike talks about him.”

If he’d just waited. He would have gotten his question answered without asking Mom. They both watch as that man says one more thing to Steve, shakes his hand, and walks out of the gym. “I don’t see Nancy here.” Because they both know he doesn’t really need his other question answered anymore.

“I don’t think she really likes sports.”

Mom sucks her teeth, a judgmental tchk that has heat climbing the back of his neck when it's not even for him. "Well that's a shame, he's a good player." There's finally enough space on the floor that they could leave. He wants, desperately, for them to just go cause something about this conversation is making him feel guilty again. "Do you want to to say hi?"

There's nothing he wants less than that. Lucas thinks if he has to go up to this guy, who went toe to toe with a monster, while his mom trails behind he'll die. Lucas thinks if he says hi to a guy who has only seen him maybe twice in the context of Mike Wheeler's house, and has to sit there while Steve blankly accepts his congrats he'll melt into the floor.

"Can we just go home? I still have homework."

And some tags to @fuctacles, @cauldronoflove, @thefreakandthehair, @stevespookington, @stevieharringtonwifeguy

@eriquin, @grasslandgirl, @augustjustice, and anyone else who wants to play!

[castlebyersafterdark]

I wonder if the rest of the party have heard the things Mike says during sex to Will, or even Will's noises woops, and - In the nicest, not actually mean, best friend way - I wonder if they bring it up or do some light teasing about it especially to Mike 🤭🫣 wonder what they think (maybe not freshly together Byler but after some years when everyone's super chill)

I think these two are so funny because they really try to be so "normal" about each other, but once their friends know and everything's cool, and they have support... they're embarrassingly obsessed with each other. I mean, they always havs been, but now it's of a different flavor. "Which one is the clingy boyfriend?" Uhhhhh BOTH 🤭 anyway, as they get more open with their affection, the comfort level raises. Maybe too comfortable haha. Cue the party side-eying as Mike and Will get lost in their own world. Always whispering to each other, sneaking a kiss whenever its safe and they can, personal space becomes nonexistent. The infamous handsy-ness during movie nights - dead giveaway when Will involuntarily squeaks or whimpers while Mike thinks he's being subtle under their shared blanket. And their friends absolutely calling them out for a conspicuous hickey. And they're always sneaking away.

One day at school, Lucas is in the boys bathroom during third period. As he's standing in front of the sink he hears the sound of a palm slamming against the locked stall door, the last one in the row. Rolls his eyes and winces at the unmistakable babble and breathy moan of one Mike Wheeler. "That's it angel. Fuck, you're perfect, babydoll, so fucking pretty." Plausible denisbility to the gender of the other participant, but he's one of the few who knows the truth that it's Will Byers on his knees. He makes fun of them at lunch, mostly for the fact that they couldn't even make it to ten a.m. that day.

Another time, Dustin learns his lesson the hard way when he shows up early to Mike's house for a campaign session planned for later that day. He opens the side door to the basement and hears before he sees the insatiable, insufferable duo. Mike sitting on the couch, with Will straddling him, riding him slowly with unmistakable noises punched out of him as he bounces on Mike's lap. Both fortunate for his sanity and unfortunate for the reality of what he's walked in on, he doesn't get much of an eyeful, because Will's wearing that damned wizard costume. And Mike's got part of his homemade armor on. But Dustin is not safe for long. The worst part is their banter. Kill him now. "Ohhh, Michael. That's right, lay your hands on me, you’re the only, hmm, only one who can save us. Take me, oh god, take me and be healed, take what you need from me." "Yes, William, so good, come on, give me what I need. Give me your wisdom, your body." "Uhhh, oh yeah, Michael, that's good. Say my name again, address me by my full name, love." "Uh, fuck yeah, Will the-"

Slam. He's done. He's going home now that he shook himself from the transfixed shock as he was subjected to that trainwreck. Dustin’s going to be ill. If it was just walking in on his friends having sex, fine. Awkward, but ultimately hilarious after the fact. That??? He could have lived his entire life without knowing that. Especially with whatever the hell those accents were. Screw going home. He's heading over next door to Lucas's to immediately tell him what just happened.

[jokeringcutio]

"D&D Saturday" - Stranger Things & FFNAF Crossover - Reader Insert (Implied William Afton x Reader & Eddie Crush, Implied Eddie x Steve) (1...)

AN: Reader works at Freddy's and meets interesting characters. Not sure how to tag this, can be seen as a follow-up on [this is a nice job ](Black Phone) & [ The Star Clown ] (One Piece) which doesn't feature Eddie or Steve), or can be seen as the first of a series involving Stranger Things characters in this setting.

Summary: You're working at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza Place for William Afton and Mr. Henry, when it's a D&D Saturday. Your colleagues are discussing who they would date. The curly-haired Eddie keeps stealing glances. But then Steve enters and you have a hunch something is going on between the two.

Fandoms: Five Nights at Freddy's, Stranger Things. Rating: Teen? Warnings: None really. Girls discussing boys. Creepy older boss Afton. Possible EddiexSteve. Possible Reader x Eddie/Steve attraction. Modern-day life/Contemporary setting. Lucy is sweet and Erica is up for some. Not betaread. [ Support x ]

Dungeons and Dragons. An entire Saturday filled with sweaty teenagers and adults alike, playing imaginary heroes in the grand hall that usually hosted kids' parties. Events like this took place every once in a while. It was a way for Mr. Henry and Mr. Afton to gain a little extra money and show they played an important role in society.

You darted through the crowded hall of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza Place, the fabric of your uniform clinging to your skin like a second shadow. It was hot in here, and stuffy. Your arms balanced a tray laden with vibrant bowls, each brimming with sugary concoctions meant for the hungry adventurers at the tables. The cacophony of arcade games and children's laughter was punctuated by the occasional clatter of dice on tabletops.

A group of mostly teenagers caught your eye. You’d seen them here before, they usually played with the arcade machines down the hall. Approaching the table where Will, Mike, Dustin, Lucas's little spitfire of a sister Erica, Gareth, and Jeff were huddled, you caught fragments of another realm spilling from Eddie Munson's lips. He was their Dungeon Master, a weaver of worlds, his hands orchestrating the rise and fall of empires with a mere flick of his wrist.

"Behold, the cavernous abyss opens before you," Eddie's voice rumbled, deep and gravelly, commanding the room's attention despite the surrounding chaos. "A pit of despair where only the valiant dare tread."

Intrigue snared you, halting your hurried steps as you lingered at the edge of their table. You stood there, rooted, while Eddie painted scenes of dark fantasy with his words. His long, curly hair framed his face, the dim light catching in those wild locks as if he possessed an inner fire that threatened to consume the very air.

He was hot all right. Mesmerizing. Beautiful.

"Will you cower? Or will you leap into the maw of madness?" he challenged, eyes dancing with a ferocious glee that seemed to mock the very notion of fear.

The players leaned in, ensnared by his narrative. And so were you. All other sounds faded to a distant hum, drowned out by the beating of your heart and Eddie's hypnotic cadence. No wonder his group was one of the biggest. He had a way with words, telling tales like a true artist.

"Darkness claws at your back, whispering secrets of power and ruin," he described everything so vividly that you could see shadows slipping along the walls, transforming the restaurant into a menacing forest. You wanted to hear more, to know how this story would end. But you were supposed to be working and knew your boss was always watching and listening in.

“Do you like what you see?” Eddie’s voice wrapped around you, and you realized with a start that his dark eyes had turned to you.

Wait. Was he talking to you now?

"Want to join us?" He asked, his voice dripping with flirtation and edged with a charisma that was hard to resist. Eddie's invitation sliced through the din of clattering dishes and muffled conversations, directed solely at you.

The world around you seemed to pause, every eye at the table briefly flickering towards you.

“I… I,” you stammered.

“There’s room in the party for one more,” Eddie's dark eyes burned upon you, a mischievous smile curving his lips. His question was bold, his eyes raking down your body, obviously taking in the fact that you wore a uniform and were on duty – and then bluntly ignoring this.

“The devil knows they need every help they can get,” he added with a dramatic roll of his eyes while he gestured at the group around the table, earning him shouts of ‘oi’ and ‘hey, not fair dude’ from the others.

Blushing under the intensity of Eddie's stare, you stammered. "I…I can't. I am working,” you gestured rather helplessly at your uniform. He must have seen it. Why did he still ask you to join?

"Oh man,” the shout came from the boy wearing the cap indoors, covering his dark curls. Dustin, wasn’t it? “ Eddie's going all heartbreaker on the waitress!"

Oh, So that was why. Was Eddie flirting with you? Did he do that more often?

Laughter erupted from the table, your cue to escape. You seized the opportunity to back away, to retreat into the safety of routine and responsibility. Yet, Eddie's smile lingered in your mind, the glint in his dark eyes, the mischievous curl of his lips. Would you have joined if you hadn’t been on duty?

With measured steps, you navigated through the maze of tables. The bar loomed ahead. Just a few more steps and you’d have a place to hide behind. Erica and Lucy, your colleagues, huddled there, eyes sparkling with secrets and sin.

"Check out the back," Erica said the moment you got to their side, a wicked edge to her voice. “Lucy can’t stop talking about the big bloke with the blond hair over there.”

"Golden boy's got charm," Lucy murmured.

Erica agreed, nodding toward the far end where a blond guy leaned into the game, unaware he was being watched, weighed, and measured. Their laughter spilled over, sharp and sweet like shattered candy.

Lucy's gaze flicked to Eddie, then back to you. "And what about curls? Dark and dangerous has its perks."

"Metalhead's got mystery," Erica conceded, her grin all teeth and trouble.

Your eyes followed theirs over to where Eddie sat and you felt your cheeks flush.

Had they seen you talking to Eddie?

Erica’s grin told you they had.

"Who needs golden boys when shadows beckon?" she teased you. Oh, they knew. They knew.

“Shut up,” you said, carelessly waving a hand to brush it off.

“But he’s got a fine figure, girl,” Erica said, wiggling her eyebrows. “No need to feel ashamed to admit it. Of all of the guys around here, there are only a few that would do. And he’s definitely one of the better ones.”

"Shadows can hide monsters," Lucy said, but her eyes showed a glint of giddiness. She wasn’t warning you to stay away, that was for sure.

"Or treasures," Erica countered, though her eyes never left the figures at play.

"Treasures," you echoed, “this whole Dungeons and Dragons game is starting to affect your minds.” You dropped the empty tray in the trolley and came to stand with them behind the bar.

“So what if?” Erica asked, challenging you while she rested her elbow on the bar and wiggled her eyebrows.

“You’re going to play along with them?” You asked, curiously.

“Na-ah, I’d never be caught at one of them tables,” Erica replied a little too brusquely. “I’m not a nerd.”

“Would you?” Lucy’s soft voice caught your attention, but there was no judgment in it. Such a sweetheart she was. You turned to see her leaning on the bar, both arms in front of her, her chin resting on her hands. Her eyes firmly upon the room to keep track of anyone who might need her.

“I’m not sure,” you answered truthfully.

Erica snorted, but before she could say something teasing, the door swung open and the three of you fell silent. A young man came in, hesitating as he looked around, and then smiled as he noticed the three of you behind the bar. He instantly headed your way.

He was well-built, you noticed, in his early twenties probably. Brown eyes sparkled with kindness as he approached. But the hair. Gosh, that brown hair!

Your gaze clung to him, the way his shadow stretched across the scuffed floor, how the light caught the edges of his brown hair, accentuating the fullness and fluffiness of it.

"Look who's here," the only girl at Eddie’s table called out a little too loud, making it obvious that it was meant to be heard by your new guest. "Steve!" she called out, her voice a melody laced with mischief. "You rolling dice with us tonight?"

“You're early,” the boy you knew to be Dustin hollered.

“Game hasn’t ended yet,” one of his friends – Gareth? – shouted.

“Sure hasn’t,” Eddie piped in, a mischievous grin spread across his face. “Can wait another minute, big boy?”

Your lips parted, but no words came. There was a spark between the two young men and all you could do was watch, heart thudding against your ribs. There was definitely something going on between those two.

Your friends would be so disappointed to learn they wouldn't stand a chance.

“Sure,” Steve – you now knew – waved at the group and then turned to continue his way to the bar. He ambled over, his smile warm and inviting.

“You’re not going to play?” Erica asked the moment he arrived, and he chuckled, then shook his head.

"Nah, the only thing I am playing is chauffeur today." His eyes twinkled while he placed his right hand atop the bar. “I’m driving some of the kids.”

Kids, you thought. Most of them were around fifteen or sixteen years old and he still called them kids. It was cute in a way.

“Are you a big brother or something?” Erica asked, still doing all the talking. But Steve shook his head once again.

“More of a babysitter. Well, used to be,” he said with a frown when he seemed to realize how silly that sounded with the kids being teenagers and all. “But it just… stuck, you know.”

He pointed at the fridge behind the bar. “Can I have one crystal green one, please?” He started to take out his wallet.

“One crystal green coming at ya,” Lucy replied, rushing over to the fridge and beating a clearly agitated Erica to it. Erica’s expression soured even more when Lucy put the drink on the counter and took the time to help Steve as he paid with one swift wipe of his card.

“So have you ever played?” Erica asked, clearly trying to get Steve’s attention again and ignoring how Lucy was working on Steve’s order.

“D and D?” Steve asked, surprised, like a deer caught in the headlight – as if no one had ever asked him that question before. He put his hands inside the pockets of his coat, awkwardly shuffling on his feet. “Naah, I am more of a er…”

“Hey Mom, can you get us a Coke and a soda while you're at it,” Dustin shouted across the hall and Steve flinched.

“More of a mom?” Erica asked while grinning cheekily.

Steve flushed, clearly not at ease, while Lucy piped up from behind Erica’s back. “Ah, a mom. Isn’t that lovely,” not a question but a statement. She didn’t seem to notice how shy Steve turned at her comment, his cheeks flushing red and his lips parting in a stammer.

“Shall I get you a Coke and a soda then?” Lucy professionally asked, turning her big doe-eyes on Steve who was still looking all flustered.

“Yes,” he said, nodding. You noticed how he was still fumbling with his pockets.

“I never eh,” Steve looked over his shoulder, his eyes directed at the group and you followed his gaze. Eddie looked up. Dustin smirked and held up two thumbs. Steve let out a loud groan at this.

“I never played this game before, if you wish to know. I’ve no idea how it works. Driving those kids around is heroically enough for me,” he joked.

Erica cocked her head, grin undimmed. "Our knight in shining armor."

"Someone's gotta keep these streets safe," Steve said with a mock salute, the gesture a dance between boyish charm and the weight of something more – something you had no idea about. As if he was older than his age, had seen more horror than he should have.

"Safe from nerds or Demogorgons?" Erica chimed in, her laughter a silver bell in the dim room. You’d heard a lot of talk about Demogorgons as they featured in today’s one-shot as the bad guys. Apparently, Erica had been paying attention too - despite claiming she would never play the game.

"Both are equally terrifying," Steve shot back, the corner of his mouth lifting.

“I bet,” Erica said, handing him the Coke and soda. She stood behind the register, cashing Steve’s payment with a flirty smile. Steve remained polite, you noticed. Still smiling that kind smile, but not reacting to Erica’s flirty comments as he paid.

Definitely not into Erica, you made the mental note.

You leaned against the counter, the hum of conversation and clinking glasses a backdrop to your silent observations. Steve's laughter, a rich melody, floated across the room. Yet, his gaze… Those brown eyes betrayed him. They flicked. Once. Twice. Thrice.

His eyes were drawn like magnets to where Eddie sat.

And Eddie returned the glances with a wicked little smile every single time.

Something's there, you thought. Not just camaraderie. More. A lingering look too potent to be platonic. The glances and smiles only confirmed your suspicions.

Steve drained his drink before gently placing the empty bottle on the bar. He stood, broad-shouldered silhouette moving with a purposeful gait. Toward Eddie. His stride was a silent confession, each step an unspoken word.

"Erica," you said, turning to Erica and Lucy, "I think you might have to try someone else.” They both looked at you skeptically. “Steve might be into guys." The words fell like stones in still water.

Erica's laughter pierced the air, sharp and sudden. "Gay? Steve 'The Hair' Harrington? The boy who has been dating all the girls while in high school?" She snorted, shaking her head, curls bouncing. "That's rich."

"Watch," you said, nodding toward where Steve approached Eddie's table, a gravitational pull in every motion. The way their eyes met, the sparkle you saw between them, the way Eddie smirked and Steve smiled, leaned over him. A silent whisper passed between their lips, each mindful of the audience they had.

“Oh wow,” Lucy said almost breathlessly, obviously seeing what you saw.

"Nonsense," Erica huffed, not ready to see what the two of you saw, though her tone wavered.

"So, who are we gonna date? I call dibs on Steve," Erica declared as she leaned over the bar and cocked a brow, completely ignoring the obvious. Her fingers drummed on the countertop, a rhythm to her racing heart.

Lucy leaned back, arms crossed, her gaze fixed on the distant figure at the rear of the room. "I’ll take Blondie back there," she said, a smirk played on her lips, confident, challenging.

"Lucy, you don't even know his name," Erica teased, her laughter dancing in the air.

A shrug. "I don't know his name... yet." Lucy's words dripped with promise, a huntress eyeing her prey.

They turned to you, twin sets of eyes bright with curiosity. "And you? Who would be your pick?" Erica asked, her voice lilting with mischief.

“I bet you’d go for the curly-haired one,” Lucy murmured, batting her lashes at you. “He’s dreamy in a sort of Goth-Punk kind of way.”

You were certain those weren’t the right terms to address the man, but still, you couldn’t help how your eyes wandered and found him. Eddie. His gaze locked onto yours, a spark igniting in the darkness. That smile, lopsided, dangerous.

You quickly turned your gaze away but were certain the others had seen you looking.

“I knew it,” Lucy said with a victorious smile.

"Ladies," a voice like gravel rumbled behind you.

You spun, heart leaping into your throat to find your boss standing right behind the three of you. Because... of course. The worst scenario you could think of just had to become real.

William Afton loomed behind you, his presence casting a shadow that felt too cold. The aviator glasses perched on his nose magnified his predatory gaze.

"Perhaps you should focus on serving rather than fantasizing about dating our customers," he drawled, his tone edged with something unspoken, something dark.

You nodded, mutely, the warning clear. Get back to work. Don’t talk about our guests like that.

"Of course, Mr. Afton," you managed, your voice barely above a whisper.

His smirk was knowing, causing a shiver to run down your spine.

"Good girl," he said, the words a caress and a brand all at once.

Had the others heard that? But when you looked at them, they were already rushing into the hall, busying themselves in fear of being reprimanded by Mr. Afton again. And when you turned to your boss, he was no longer there but had returned to his office, his door ajar. Listening, lurking.

You quickly busied yourself behind the bar and suppressed a shiver.

Surely you had imagined his words?

Yep, that was totally it.

Your eyes drifted back to Eddie at the table, Steve by his side, half bent over him, their breaths mingling. And then Eddie’s dark eyes shot up to meet yours.

He grinned.

[dwobbitfromtheshire]

A/N: I had to write this. I needed Nancy and Steve being parental as well as Steve being bitchy. Everyone's relationship is up in the air except for Robin and Joyce's. Joyce is clearly with Hopper. Robin is always with Vickie because people hate on Vickie for no reason. Anyways, love to all, no matter what you like. Unless you like Billy, then I'm judging you harshly.

Steve was already annoyed because his date backed out at the last minute, but now he was even more annoyed when he found out from Robin that they wouldn't be at Lucas's game. Just for one night, Lucas wasn't asking them to abandon the game completely but to take one night off. Don't they understand that this is what Lucas was afraid of? Not being able to be a jock and to be able to still be a nerd? Of losing his friends? One night wasn't an unreasonable thing to ask for. Sometimes, being a good friend means supporting them when they need it even if you don't like it or understand it, not all the time but sometimes. How do they expect Lucas to compromise for them when they need it if they never do it for him?

Steve was too in his own head to notice that someone else was striding towards the drama room. He arrived at the doors at the same time as Nancy. Their hands reached for the door handle. They stared at each other, and for a moment, Steve had forgotten what he was doing. Nancy looked so beautiful when she wasn't angry at him. Oh, she was angry. Was she angry at the same thing he was? Oh, right, Mike, Dustin, and Erica.

"You mad at the kids for abandoning and replacing Lucas, too?" Steve asked.

"Yes!" Nancy exclaimed.

"Well, let's do this together then, shall we?" Steve asked.

They opened the doors, causing them to bang loudly against the walls. Nancy and Steve stormed in, their hands on their hips.

"Hey, assholes!" Steve and Nancy exclaimed in unison.

They paused and looked at each other in surprise for a moment before turning back to them.

"Oh my God! They're together and they're both pissed!" Dustin shrieked.

"You're damn right we're pissed!" Steve yelled.

"Lucas asked for one night for you guys to be there to support him, and you couldn't give him that?" Nancy asked.

"It's not our fault Lucas went to the dark side!" Mike exclaimed.

"The dark side? So, all people who play basketball are Darth Vader?" Steve asked.

"You know Darth Vader?" Dustin asked.

"Of course, I do! I can be a little nerdy sometimes!" Steve exclaimed.

"He reads comic books, too!" Nancy yelled.

"What? Why didn't you say?!" Dustin asked.

"Whenever I try to join in on your conversations, you brush me off and scoff!" Steve yelled, and then his eyes went soft, as well as his voice. "Do you guys just think of me as a dumb jock who gives you free rides?"

"Nice mom guilt," Nancy whispered to him.

"Thanks," Steve whispered back.

"I mean, really, everything that Steve’s done for you. . .for Lucas, especially in Starcourt. He saved Dustin and Erica's life!" Nancy exclaimed. "And do you just think that all people who enjoy basketball are assholes?!"

"Nice dad guilt," Steve whispered.

"Thanks," Nancy whispered back.

"Hey, Mike, didn't you promise Will that you wouldn't join another party?" Steve asked, snapping his fingers at him.

"That's right, I mean, if D&D means so much to you, then why are you sitting here in another party?" Nancy asked.

Mike opened his mouth and closed it again, unable to find the answer. Dustin looked incredibly guilty. Good, Steve thought. Eddie scowled and stood up.

"Who gives a fuck about some stupid laundry basket game?" Eddie asked. "This is when we play. It's not our fault that Sinclair chose the wrong game."

"Lucas gives a fuck about that laundry basket game!" Steve snapped. "He wasn't asking for you to give up the game completely, he was asking for one fucking night so he that he wouldn't feel like a freak for enjoying both games! He wanted his friends to accept him for that and for someone who stood up on a fucking table to preach against forced conformity - yeah, Robin told me about that - here you are trying to force Lucas and his friends to only comform to D&D!"

Steve was pleased to see that Eddie looked like he had been slapped in the face.

"That's not - I mean - ," Eddie stuttered.

"Yeah, Robin was pretty much agreeing with you until you went after science and band," Steve said. "I mean, are you telling me that all of you have the same exact interests? Do you all like the same food? Do you all like the same music?"

"The problem isn't basketball. The problem is that every group has their assholes but they also have their good people, too," Nancy said, looking at Steve.

"And sometimes people can crossover into other groups," Steve said. "It happens."

"We didn't think Lucas actually enjoyed basketball," Dustin said.

"Yeah, he told us he wanted to stop being bullied," Mike said.

"Hm, and which group was he talking about?" Steve asked.

"What happens when one of your players gets sick?" Nancy asked.

"Well, yeah, we postpone then because it's a good excuse," Gareth said.

"A championship is a good excuse," Nancy replied. "But it's nice to know that you guys aren't completely heartless."

"Heartless?! We're not the ones beating the shit out of people because of what they like!" Eddie snapped.

"No, you're just letting them know that they're replaceable if they decide they need to explore other options," Steve said, and then he scoffed. "Can't believe I ever had a crush on you."

Eddie's eyes widened as the whole table gasped dramatically.

"You're fucking with me," Eddie said.

"No, I'm not," Steve said. "I like men and women. I know that liking more than one thing is a hard concept for you to grasp."

"That's not, I mean, you can like whatever you want, but liking basketball and D&D is different than that," Eddie frowned.

"I don't see how," Nancy said, shaking her head. "Do you guys play every day of the week?"

"Well, no," Eddie said.

"Well, if you don't play every day of the week, then it's not going to be the end of the world if you wait just one more day?!" Nancy asked.

"Okay, enough of this. I don't care if you guys come or not, but Dustin, Erica, and Mike, you guys are coming to the game to support your friend," Steve said clapping his hands.

"But - " Mike started to say.

"You heard your mother! I mean, your Steve! You heard Steve!" Nancy exclaimed, shaking her head again.

Mike and Dustin ducked their heads as they gathered their things. Erica held her head up high as she did the same thing.

"I didn't do anything wrong, they tricked me!" Erica exclaimed.

"Erica!" Nancy scolded.

As they were leaving with the kids, Steve overheard one of them - Frankie? - speak up.

"I wasn't ever going to say anything, but I, uh, kind of like watching basketball," Frankie said.

"Fine, fine! We'll go to the goddamn game," Eddie said.

It didn't take long for them to catch up with the group.

"Decided to join us assholes, huh?" Steve asked.

"Yeah, look, you were right, and Nancy was right. . .it's not going to be the end of the world if we wait one more day," Eddie said. "And of course, I know that Sinclair isn't going to turn out like those assholes especially if he has the support of his friends."

"Yeah, well, I'm not the one you need to apologize to," Steve said.

"Yeah, that's true. . . So, you have a crush on me?" Eddie asked.

"Had. As in past tense," Steve replied.

"Yeah, I suppose I deserve that," Eddie said. "I am curious to know if you are seeing anyone, though."

"I just tore you a new one," Steve said, looking at him in confusion.

"I know," Eddie grinned.

"Well, I'm kind of seeing someone," Steve said.

"Kind of?"

"It's on and off."

"Is he being intentionally vague?" Eddie asked Nancy.

"I can't say," she grinned.

"By the way, was I little too bitchy in there?" Steve asked Nancy.

"No, you were perfect. I know someone else who would have loved it like a certain someone did," Nancy said.

"Okay, you two aren't bad assholes, just annoyingly vague assholes," Eddie said, and they both giggled. "This is going to be a long game."

The game wasn't so bad as Eddie had thought it was going to be, especially when Chrissy jumped up and waved excitedly at the sight of him. He eventually got caught up with it when Lucas was sent in to play. He was glad he did come when he saw the pure joy on the young man's face when he saw almost everyone he cared about was there to cheer him on. When Lucas scored the winning shot, Eddie hugged Nancy and Steve both tightly. He needed to be reminded every once in a while that it's not just about him and what he likes. He started Hellfire to give lost sheep like Lucas a place to belong, and he almost ruined that because of a few bad eggs who happened to like basketball. Besides, people needed to know that just because you have different interests doesn't mean you have to be enemies.

"Thank you for making me come," Eddie told them. "I would have regretted it."

A week or so later. . .

"So, Nance, what were you saying about it not being the end of the world if I postponed the game for a day?" Eddie asked with a cheeky grin as he laid in his hospital bed.

"We stopped it before it could happen," Nancy rolled her eyes. "Do you regret going to Lucas's basketball game?"

Eddie grinned as he thought about the pure joy on Lucas's face.

"Nah!"

"Well, no one stayed dead, so there's that!" Chrissy grinned.

"Well, Hopper's still dead," Steve said.

"Oh, yeah," Chrissy frowned.

Suddenly, there came a knocking at Eddie's hospital room door. Robin got up to answer it.

"Steve, you were wrong. Hopper is very much alive!" Robin exclaimed. "Holy shit!"

Robin let Hopper and Joyce into the room. Moments later, Vickie skidded in behind them.

"Hey, guys, did you hear? Someone said they saw Chief Hopper wandering the hospital!" Vickie said and glanced at Hopper for a moment. "Hiya, Chief! Isn't that crazy, Robin? He's supposed to be dead, right?!"

"It takes her a moment," Robin said. "She gets there eventually."

"Oh my God! . . . Eddie, is that your mom?"

[artiststarme]

When Life Gives You Lemons...

I love biting into lemons and limes so now Eddie does too. I hope you guys like it and please leave your thoughts in the comments!

~*~*~*~

Eddie Munson was an anxious guy. He wasn’t ashamed to admit it. After everything he’d been through in his life, especially after his Spring Break from hell and the murder accusations posed by the angry mobs, he thought his anxiety was warranted. His friends understood, as did his boyfriend and his uncle, and they all tried to support him in the ways they knew how. 

When his hands started to shake and his breaths started coming out in pants, they all had a technique to try and get his nervous system settled. Dustin would try to distract him with D&D discussion, Mike would try to talk about long hairstyles, Lucas and Max would bring up arcade games, and Robin would start rambling about literally any subject that she could think of (one time it was rabies and the reminder of the Upside Down made everything worse. Steve liked to distract him with hugs and kisses which worked about 75% of the time. And Wayne had him suck on a lemon slice for a few minutes one day when he started panicking at home during a flashback.

The strong acidity of the lemon shocked him enough that he was able to fix his breathing and calm himself down from the forthcoming panic attack. From then on, he had a tried and true method of shocking his nervous system back to baseline when he was having a flashback or panic attack. 

However, he neglected to inform his friends of this method. 

They were all having a Party gathering at Steve’s house for no particular reason when the conversation grew somber and turned to how Chrissy’s family was doing after the events of Spring Break. Just hearing her name was enough to flood Eddie with terrified dread and he could feel the dredges of panic start to overwhelm him. Without even thinking, he dug his emergency lemon out of his jeans pocket and took a huge bite through the rind. 

Immediately, all conversation stopped as the entire group watched Eddie mow through a whole-ass lemon. Concurrently, Eddie had his eyes closed in peace as the lemon’s sour taste scared away the feelings of panic. He breathed a sigh in relief as his hands stopped shaking and his vision started to clear. 

“I’m sorry, what the hell is that?” Murray exploded as the group remained silent. 

Eddie’s eyes shot open and took in the varying horrified, confused, and exasperated looks of his friends. “What, you’ve never seen a guy eat a lemon before? Get off your high horse, asshole.”

Murray's jaw dropped in offense but Joyce put a hand up to curb his angry rebuttal. “Eddie, we have better food than just lemons. If you want a hamburger or a hot dog, Hop can warm it up for you.”

Eddie smiled at her, “why thank you, fair maiden. However, my thirst has now been quenched and I am satiated!”

And then he took another bite of his lemon. The juice dribbled down his chin and the Party could only watch as he chewed the sour fruit without even a wince.

The kids were looking on in wondrous amazement questioning if that was something people just did. The adults were looking at him in horror, or utter irritation in Hopper's case. None of them seemed to want to get too deeply into it.

Robin just shook her head at him in obvious disgust before turning to talk with Nancy. The others of the Party went back to their separate conversations as well but Steve shook Dustin off and made his way to Eddie. 

“A lemon, huh?” He asked him, leaning into Eddie’s shoulder. Eddie's heart settled further with the comfort of his boyfriend so close.

“It’s like lemonade but better for you because it doesn’t have sugar, man.” At Steve’s prodding look, he sighed. “It calms me down when my brain decides to go haywire. You guys mentioned Chrissy so I bit into my lemon. It’s fine.”

“Okay,” Steve nodded as he walked away towards the kitchen. 

“Where are you going?” Eddie questioned him, absolutely puzzled. They were in the middle of a conversation and he was just walking away? Rude!

“To put lemons on the shopping list. If it helps you to suck on a lemon, I want to make sure I have some available to you when you’re over here.” Steve answered him, scribbling horrendously onto his list. 

Eddie could feel his face go starry-eyed and felt his heart jump with affection. He loved this guy and he was definitely going to keep Steve Harrington around for a long time to come. Forever, preferably.

Permanent tag list:@doubleb11 @nburkhardt @zerokrox-blog @newtstabber @i-less-than-three-you @carlyv @pyrohonk @straight4joekeery @trippypancakes @conversesweetheart @estrellami-1 @suddenlyinlove @yikes-a-bee @swimmingbirdrunningrock @perseus-notjackson @anaibis @merricatty @maya-custodios-dionach @grtwdsmwhr @manda-panda-monium

[annachronisme]

It could be worse, right ? Part 1.

Part 1 - Part 2

This was not how it was supposed to go. It was last Friday before breaks. He had a whole new campaign he had made just for the occasion and it was one of his best ones so far, if he could say so himself. 

And everything had been fine, it was great even, but he couldn’t shake that feeling, the one that left him on edge, ready to bolt for the door at any moment. It followed him all week, making him more fidgety and irritable than usual. When they had started the campaign, he tried to convince himself that it was probably nothing, everything was going fine and he should stop worrying. 

It worked to some extent, he had started to relax. 

Until Steve Harrington barged in. 

Harrington had thrown open the door of the drama room, his arms full of brown bags. Eddie was already on his feet, ready to fight if it came to it. A jock, even a retired one, was never good news when it concerned him.

A jock was a jock, that's what he thought. His freshman sheep could say whatever they wanted about Harrington, about how cool he was and how badass, he would not believe a word. That’s King Harrington they were talking about. He was not cool or badass, and he was especially not friendly with nerds like them. 

The kids had not even moved, just casually waving at Harrington like everything was fine and completely ignoring him. 

“Harrington. What can us humble peasants do for you?” His voice was dripping with venom and he was greatly aware of the glare he received from his new sheeps. They seemed protective of the man, even little Wheeler, first to usually sneer when Dustin would rent about the man.

What the fuck. 

“Hey, Munson. I’m just leaving those here.” He said amicably, shaking the bags he was holding, not bothered at all by the animosity he was shown by the club leader. Putting the bags down, he rummaged through it before passing snack after snack to the kids, who just shrieked in excitement. He hit baby Wheeler's hand when he tried to open a bag of candies and shoved a bagged sandwich to each of them. “Eat your sandwich before your snack or I’m taking it back.” He said with a glare. He threw a quick side eye at him before taking yet another sandwich out. “ I didn’t know if you wanted anything so I bagged more just in case. “ He said, handing them sandwiches. 

“What took you so long ?” Henderson piped in, the little shit. He was quickly supported in his whining by the other two. Harrington rolled his eyes but said nothing. 

“Thanks, um, Harrington.” he mumbled, gobsmacked. 

“You’re welcome?” Confusion painted Harrington's face, like he didn’t even think he would thank him. What an asshole. 

“See you later, nerds.” He said, ruffling Dustin and Mike's hair. Luca had dunked out of his way, before walking to the door. 

He saw from the side Gareth and Jeff looking at each other for a reaction, while himself was still transfixed by Harrington. 

He seemed to really care about the kids. And if that was not a shock in itself, the fact that he fought off the rest of them while delivering food for the kids was definitely one. He vaguely heard Wheelers ragging at him to continue where they were left,supported by the other two. He was just sitting down when Harrington decided to surprise him again. 

“Wait!” all eyes turned on him, still standing by the closed door. He looked embarrassed by all the attention, which was weird. The Steve Harrington he knews liked attention. But maybe he didn't. “ I um wanted to ask Munson something. “

“ What?” 

“In private, Munson.” He gritted through his teeth. They all started to speak above each other, Henderson and Sinclair interrogating Steve loudly, while Mike protested vehemently. He was not the only one, Jeff and Gareth were also very much against them talking. 

“Shut up!” Blessed silence. Damn were they loud.  

“Whoua. You need to teach me that one.” Harrington piped in.

What in the multiverse is happening. 

Without a word, he walked around the table to join Harrington right beside the door. He was sure he heard him yell to Henderson to not eavesdrop. Turning his back to the other, he felt the other boy grab his arms, pulling him closer than was really necessary and he was going to protest, loudly, but something caught his eyes, something he didn’t like. Harrington looked pale, a frown marring his face. 

“ Munson, don’t panic.” he whispered. Yeah, that’s not reassuring at all. “We’re locked in.” 

[groovinrightalong]

Do u have any trans masc Max Mayfield headcanons?

I haven’t thought much about it but now I have so MANY thoughts!

-Max hasn’t had a lot of positive relationships with the men in his life, so it takes a long while for the “hm I don’t feel quite right” to click. He doesn’t feel super comfortable as a girl, but he looks at his step-dad and Billy and is like “well I don’t want to be anything like that, so this has to be okay.”

-He definitely knows more about gender/sexuality stuff than the others because of growing up in California. So he’s thought a lot about it over the years, but just kept coming to the conclusion that he’s a tomboy (again, no positive relationships with men.)

-It’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 he’s gentle, and so unlike any of the other men he’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 he’s different and unwelcome because of it, but (if this is also transmasc Mike) they realize they’re actually really similar and grow closer because of it, or (if this isn’t transmasc Mike) Max realizes that it isn’t the “girl” thing that bothers him, it’s the fear of replacing El.

-If it’s both transmasc Max and transmasc Mike, Mike comes out WAY earlier than he would’ve on his own.

-The boys are all really supportive when he comes out (which would probably be around the season 3 era). They don’t really get it at first, but he’s their friend, and they’ve always been very vocal about how they’d kill for a friend if needed. And really, seeing Max as a boy isn’t all that different from what they were doing already, so it’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 “boys only” night. It isn’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 he’s dying. He didn’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 it’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 it’s out in the air. Unfortunately, Billy’s dead before he can really give much of a reaction, just a weak little “I’m sorry.” And that’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 doesn’t really matter because the whole argument starts because he’s gonna leave them. Susan is incredibly supportive, and she turns around and kicks Neil out even though she’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 Billy’s death. He’s never had a problem with his hair, he actually likes it long, but he’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 he’s only surrounded by people that support and love him, but he feels like he doesn’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. He’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 him💞