#mike needs to talk to murray

[jonathanbyersphd]

Double Byler Exes to Lovers/Wedding AU fic is a go because I got the STRONGEST mental image of Byler helping Jonathan pick a first dance song (in reality he's had it planned out for years)

And FOR SOME REASON (revenge/mess/tomfoolery) he plays I Will Always Love You and the two of them are just sitting going THROUGH IT

[hotchocolatebeforebed]

I don't want Mike and Will to get Murrayed.. I *need* them to get Clarked.

Like Mr Clarke has known them since they were 12 and obviously knows them very well. He's literally the sweetest and I feel like the boys trust him and his opinion a lot (even years later) so him talking to them and telling them it's ok would be so cute 😭

[hippielittlemetalhead]

So... I lied about getting a full fix-it to This → Part 1. Y'all get parts focusing on different characters for now as Hop traverses his guilt trip. I won't say it gets worse before it gets better but... kinda in places? I promise it's a happy ending though!!

What do you want from me I'm stressed and depressed and I like making my blorbos suffer (a.k.a projecting my trauma instead of doing the healthy shit my shrink tells me to)

You've been warned... But I do hope you like it.

So here we have Part 2 (Pride and Prejudices: Joyce Edition)

He goes to Joyce about it first. Thinks about her gentle herding of the trio that has become the Hopper-Byers brood. Thinks about how she put everything he was feeling about Mike and El and their giggling and the fucking door into words that kept him from looking like an imbecile (if he'd have ever used them instead of fucking it up 'winging it'). Thinks about the way her voice stays soft and kind of quiet even when she's spitting in his face about listening to her (and every time she's been right) and how that's translated to talking down government goons and wrangling the army of children that seems to get bigger each time they have to fight interdimensional terrors. So he goes to Joyce about what Murray said, the noise Steve made with That Look in his eyes and his bandages peeking out from under a shirt that looks like one of the Henleys he's been missing since coming 'back from the dead' and they dug out his clothes from storage. (El wouldn't let her throw anything out, not until she was ready to say goodbye. Thank whatever god[s] there may be she never needed to)

He doesn't expect Joyce to make a face like he suggested inviting Owens to family dinner. He doesn't expect the scoff and eye roll as her shoulders tense and her hands flex at her sides like she's about to let loose her (honestly really attractive) righteous fury. About the Harrington kid.

Maybe he should have asked when the kids weren't home. Before El quietly told them the bullying wasn't as bad as it was in California but some people still made fun of how she spoke and how all of her friends were boys (and just as quietly asked they not do anything. Asked that they let her and The Party handle it until they couldn't). Before Will came home sulking about something idiotic Mike said or did or something the kid missed (though lately the latest Wheeler mistake is followed by bashful mention of the Emerson kid doing something specifically to make Will feel better in the moment). Before Jonathan came home from 'job hunting' or 'volunteering at the school's relief center' reeking of weed and his long-haired friend in tow (less than usual but still enough to make Joyce feel guilty for missing it for so long, for making the boy grow up so fast that he spends his days out of his mind instead of the weekend bender like when they were kids). Before The Party had come by with what homework the school was still giving out and talking over each other about all the latest small-town gossip a teenager can get their hands on (Eddie's name has been cleared but he's still laid up at the hospital. Susan Mayfield has been noticeably absent according to every nosy housewife in Hawkins considering her daughter is in a coma. The Hagans, Carvers, Perkins and a handful of other 'well to do' families have skipped town taking most of the sports population with them. Steve has been letting people displaced by the damage crash at the Harrington mansion. Steve has kept up hours at Family Video somehow and is a regular volunteer at the various relief centers in town. Steve has been giving all of them rides and may have told Dustin he's thinking of trading in the Beemer for a bigger vehicle for all the kids and people he chauffeurs about. Steve keeps a room empty and waiting for when Max wakes up before her mother makes an appearance. Steve. Steve. Steve.)

He doesn't expect the way she spits his name like she's talking about Dick and Margaret under the bleachers over a smoke before the yard teacher catches them. The rant about bullies and broken cameras and trashed kitchens and dead monsters in her fridge. The crack in her voice when she crosses her arms to stop their shaking as she lays sin upon sin at this boy's feet.

And maybe before that would have been enough.

He doesn't expect the stone in his stomach or the burning in his chest as he looks the woman he loves in the eye and says "So I guess we should tell Nancy to break up with Jonathan before he pulls a Lonnie, huh?" It's a low blow. He knows from the hurt anger on her face and on the purse of her lips. He knows that's why he said it. "That kid is lucky to be alive let alone walking and have we ever even thanked him for keeping the fucking kids alive each time they pull their dumb shit when the world goes to hell? Does that sound like anything his folks would have ever done for us? Hell for their own fucking kid they practically signed over to ME of all people?"

He's shaking now too and Joyce has her hands fluttering between them like she wants to reach out. To touch, comfort. Pull him close and tell him to take a breath.

"He called me 'His Hop', Joyce" He barely has enough breath on him to squeeze the words past his tight throat. "Called me His Hop and watched Ellie and the kids when I just couldn't and you were at work. I don't think I've seen his folks in town since the mall was opened and all the donors had that big party. Don't think I've spoken to them since '83 and they made me the kid's guardian when they aren't around cause they didn't want to fly down for a government sized concussion."

By now he knows El and Will are peeking around the corner, their eyes wide and worried. Jonathan has his door cracked and Angus (is that the hippie's name? He can't remember) is whispering something about heavy auras. Joyce is staring somewhere off in the distance, wringing her hands and biting her lips like she's facing an interdimensional portal shaped problem.

"The kids are planning to have one of their games in a few days." Her voice is brittle in a way he's not used to anymore. Not since she pulled her youngest out of hell and faced down a demon clawing through her walls. "He always drives them over and- and disappears until they need to head home. I can make sure he stays for dinner. Like the rest of the kids. I know Claudia has been having him over so I- I can get some recipes from her that he likes."

Something in his shoulders shakes loose and he reaches out to pull her practically shaking from into his chest.

"I don't know what to say to him Hop. He's not Mike and he's not like either of my boys. In my head he's just always been..."

"Dick and Margaret's brat." He sighs out and rests his cheek on the top of her head as she nods and presses herself in closer.

He's aware of eyes on them. Confused and worried and judgemental and he'll pay that piper next. These kids taught him how to be a dad again once, they can do it again, right?

Part 3

Part 4.1

@thelittleclare @jackiemonroe5512 @0body0disphoria0 @strangersteddierthings @lingeringmirth

Part 4.2

Part 5

If I missed you in the tag list I'm sorry I tried 🙃🫡 Tell me what you think? 🫣🥲

[upsidedownwithsteve]

BAD FOR BUSINESS: THE BONUS LEVEL

Steve Harrington x fem!reader 18+

It was the first shift you’d had with Steve since you’d made each other come in the front seat of his car.

It had been as you expected: a little awkward, a little nerve wracking. Gazes meeting across the arcade, dim lights hiding Steve’s pink cheeks, your frantic, wide eyes, the hitched breaths every time the other came a little too close.

You stayed away for the most part, hidden behind the cash desk while Steve helped Mike Wheeler and his friends with the jerky controller on Space Invaders. But then the eight o’clock was rolling round and the customers left, Robin vacuumed the floors and Murray was hurrying out the door and telling you that you were in charge of locking up. The rain came when Robin left, her jacket stretched over her head as she ran to her mom’s car and then it was just Steve, watching you from across the desk.

The weather outside was a roar above your head, a deafening din of water of rain on the roof and with the machines powered down for the night, it was the only thing you could hear. Maybe, if you listened hard enough, you would’ve been able to hear your own heartbeat under it all, matching the erratic beat.

“You gonna help?” You asked Steve, just to break the tension. You gestured to the stack of receipts and tickets and coins on the desk that still needed counted. “Or are you just gonna gawk?”

Steve turned pinker under the lights, ultraviolet and fuschia, neon aquamarine from the glow of the games and Steve was too pretty under it all, prettier with his flushed cheeks. It gave you a little piece of normality back when he narrowed his eyes at you, brows furrowed, gaze bored. But his nose was still tinted pink when he reached your side and when his arm brushed yours, you hated and loved how close he was.

Your stomach flipped, tumbled, an endless fall into something you couldn’t make out. Not yet.

You stood in silence for minutes, maybe ten, maybe fifteen. Maybe it had only been one. But the tension was too much, it was splitting at the seams, it was cracking you open, a yawning, stretching ache in your chest, beating at your bones and—

“You’re not doing that right,” is what you said. And then you just shut up, lips sealed, features pinched as if in pain because it was taking you everything you had to not talk about the kiss. Both kisses. The two fucking kisses you’d shared with Steve fucking Harrington.

And it was easier to fight about it than anything else.

Steve scoffed like you knew he would, eyes rolling, lips curling. “How the fuck can I be doing it wrong?” He bit. “I’m counting tickets, princess, not balancing million dollar cheques.”

You didn’t say anything. You couldn’t. Because he was side by side with hand brushing yours every time you both reached across the desk and he was warm, he was solid and he was wearing the same cologne from the Photo Booth and if you were going to put your smart mouth to use again, it was going to be against Steve’s.

It was too hot and suddenly the rain above wasn’t the loudest thing in the room. You swallowed hard and tried to block out the best of your heart against your ribcage. It was so loud, you wondered if Steve could hear it too.

“What? No argument?” Steve glanced at you from the side of his eyes, frowning. You weren’t sure what gave it away, maybe your tensed shoulders, your blown out pupils. Whatever it was, it made the boy too bold. “You’re lookin’ a little warm, princess, you okay there?”

Smug. Steve sounded smug and it was fucking infuriating.

And then you were on him.

Or maybe it was the other way around, you were sure. It happened seconds ago, but you couldn’t remember. You couldn’t remember anything. All that mattered now was that your lips were fused to Steve’s and he was crowding you against the counter, his hands splayed against your sides, fingers slipping up over your ribs and making your shirt slide with it, bare skin exposed for him to touch, a gasp wrenched from his throat at the feel of you, your hands grabbing at his hair and pulling hard.

He was moaning, but maybe you were too, gasping into each others patted mouths and swallowing each others noises, noses smashed to cheeks and hands roaming, bodies pressed together in a desperate bid to get as close as possible with your clothes still on and you’d never been so glad that Murray never bothered with working security cameras.

Steve was saying your name, whispers of it between curses, making it sound like a prayer, like you were something holy, that you were gonna save him but you decided then and there you’d do whatever it took to make Steve sound the way he did - even if you went to hell with him.

But then he was pushing you away, panting, big hands curling around the backs of your knees and you were on the desk, tickets and coins scattering, sitting in a pool of neon lights and the silk of your splayed skirt.

Steve sucked in a breath, wrecked sounding. He’d never looked prettier. Swollen lips, pink cheeks, hair a riot from your teasing fingers, his eyes darker than they were supposed to be.

“I wanna go down on you, so fuckin’ badly.”

You swore out loud, brain glitching for a second, stuttering over the words that had gotten stuck in your throat and you were nodding, frantic, head bobbing and jaw hanging loose because Steve was dropping to his knees and sliding his palms up your thighs.

“M’gonna need some confirmation here, princess,” Steve urged, kissing across your knee, his hair tickling at the insides of your thighs.

You were tingling, an electric kind of buzz running under your skin, your body a livewire and you hadn’t felt this turned on since god knows fucking when. It was a filthy, pretty thing, dirty and wrong and in an inappropriate place with a beautiful boy who you’d tricked yourself into hating.

Supposedly.

So you let some sounds rip from your throat and thankfully they made words, desperate pleas of agreement and Steve was grinning, looking like he’d had all his wishes granted as he mouthed his way between your thighs. He didn’t hesitate and there was no shame from you either as he dragged up your skirt, fingers hooking into the cotton of your underwear so he could pull it to the side. He groaned, a breath punching from him as his lips parted at the sight of you, pretty and wet and waiting.

He made you squeal, smiling against you as he leaned in to kiss at your folds, delicate little things against your slick skin, nose nudging at your clit and then you moaned his name and he lost all sense of control.

“Steve, oh— ohmygod, fuck!” You lurched forward, body curling over him as you grabbed at the boy’s hair and Steve just answered in kind, hands curling around the tops of your thighs to pull you closer to him, your ass perched precariously on the edge of the counter, toes skimming the floor and you were almost riding his face, hips rolling as he held you up and licked broad stripes over your cunt.

He only moved back to press a surprisingly sweet kiss to the juncture of your thigh but he had your eyes rolling when he looked up at your from under his lashes, lips pink and wet from you. “M’so goddamn hard right now, you have no idea.”

You were crying out, an awfully loud moan ripping from your lips and you were putty, you were a mess. And for the next fifteen minutes, you were entirely Steve’s. He took you apart with his tongue and his lips and you let him, his blunt fingernails leaving half moon markings in your hips that’d you stare at in the mirror later.

And when you came, hard, grinding down onto Steve’s mouth, his chin, his nose, you let go of your manic grip on his hair and smoothed a hand over his temple instead, coaxing him closer before you gasped out his name, breathless.

The next morning, nobody could answer why there were tickets scattered over the floor, hidden under machines and stuck to forgotten bubblegum. And when the rest of the team looked to you and Steve for answers, you both just walked in opposite directions, matching smiles hidden in the shadows between the neon lights.

[cluelessbees]

Yknow what ? I think Byler getting Murray’d would be more heartfelt than anything else.

Because like-

Murray doesn’t just call out Jopper and Jancy because it’s obvious. He points it out because he knows they’re being stupid. In their cases, it’s really just them not communicating their feelings to one another and trying to pretend they don’t exist.

But with Byler it’s like…it’s different.

Because it’s not just that is it? We’re not just watching two people pine over one another whilst being oblivious to the fact they other likes them back. We’re not just looking at two people who can’t communicate well. There’s more to it.

Because they’re two boys who have been best friends since childhood. They grew up at the peak of the AIDS epidemic. They live in a small town and they’re expected to act a certain way. It’s different for them.

I don’t think Murray is gonna waltz in acting all holier than thou and essentially out both Mike and Will to one another. He’s a smart man as we’ve seen. He’s attentive. He doesn’t just call jancy and jopper out to prove a point he knows what they both need to hear so they can get over their miscommunication hurdle.

I think he’s going to go up to them. Either both or just Mike or Will or whatever, and he’s going to talk to them about it. Because that’s what they need. They need someone to talk to them about it. And I don’t think he would start with just directly talking about it. I think he (and this is me headcanonning Murray as queer) would open up first. Like about his own experiences- to show them that he gets it, and he knows what it’s like. And then he would casually bring up the whole byler thing.

Hmmm something along the lines of...

Okay– picture a conflict Mike Wheeler sitting by himself – either on the couch or on the floor or whatever. And, he’s stuck in his head. A lot had happened. He broke up with El and he’s struggling to grasp what he’s feeling about his best friend. And there's this…weird tension between them that– he just– he can't put his finger on. But they’re off. They aren’t clicking like they used to and Mike can’t seem to fix things. 

So he sat alone, trying to understand or comprehend whatever he’s feeling whilst everyone else is god knows where in the house. Will was in the kitchen though. Mike knew that much. And then suddenly, he felt a weight on the couch seat next to him or the space on the floor beside him was no longer there and he heard the words of Murray Bauman pull him out of his thoughts with the weirdest fucking ice-breaker he has ever heard.

“Y’know…I was like you when I was younger.” 

“Really?” Mike asked – mostly out of disbelief as he scanned Murray. No way. Not a chance. 

“Oh yeah…” Murray smiled, nodding to himself as he continued. “I know it's hard to believe it, but I was this…brash, stubborn, reactive teen who loved going against authority. I was very...headstrong in my beliefs.” 

He paused and Mike turned to him. Murray had his head down, looking at his lap silently, and Mike didn’t know what to do but watch or…more– listen to the silence. 

“And…I was also in my head a lot.” Murray looked up, turning to Mike once before looking forward again. “I was angry at things – at people and at myself because…no matter how much I pretended like I loved being a freak…a part of me hated that I wasn’t normal…”

Mike felt cold. His heartbeat raced as he turned away from Murray – facing forward and staring at his lap as he continued to listen.

“Yeah?”

“Oh yeah…I was-- going through a lot of stuff internally that I tried pretending didn’t exist.” He paused again – taking a deep breath. “I was…in love with someone who I didn’t want to be in love with.”

“...You were?” 

“Yeah…” Murray laughed to himself. “Yeah…it was– well he was…my best friend.”

Mike held his breath.

“I fell for him. And I was mad at myself for falling for him. Because even though I knew it wasn’t wrong…I just kept thinking about how I wasn’t supposed to like him. Because that’s not normal– Well ‘normal.’” Murray airquoted, rolling his eyes. Mike’s eyes were glued onto him at this point. 

“So…I grew angrier. And I took it out on myself. On him. Even though he didn’t deserve it. Even though I loved him– I just..I let my fear get the better of me and I pushed him away until I lost him…And I hated myself for doing that.” He breathed, another pause, before finally turning to Mike. “It took me a long time to realise that there was nothing wrong about loving someone.”

Murray tilted his head towards the direction of the kitchen as he raised his eyebrows – and it clicked to Mike.

“I..” Mike’s throat felt dry. “You know?”

“I had a hunch.”

“Is it obvious? Does he–”

“No, he doesn’t know. Your secret's safe with me, kid.”

“Okay– good.” Mike paced his breathing. “I just…I– I can’t lose him because of this. If he knew– if– if he knew he would–”

“He’s your best friend right?” Murray cut him off.

“What? Yes but–”

“Then. he could never hate you, Mike. Not about this.”

“How do you know that?”

“Call it…another one of my hunches.” Mike knitted his brows together.

“Look – kid, I’m not going to force you to tell him or anything. It's your choice at the end of the day. And I can’t say much, but it doesn’t take a genius to know how much that boy cares about you. And you care about him, correct?”

Mike nodded. 

“And you trust him?”

Mike nodded again. “With my life.”

“So…all I can say is…if you trust him? Then...trust him with this.” Murray began to stand up. “Take it from me. Holding it in only hurts the both of you.”

And then Murray leaves

Anyways yeah thoughts––

[ago0112]

The Bear - Sleight Of Hand Movie Posters

The Bear and films go hand in hand. @chefkids has mentioned movies that influenced the Bear, @thoughtfulchaos773 talks about filmmaking please see the link (thank you for your help! :)) and we discussed the horror themes of S3. (Check out thoughtful for that too.)

We know anything that can be read or seen in a scene is important.

So, let's talk about the movie posters from S1,S2 & S3. Sorry gang, it's a bit long lol.

Each season has a set posters that depict the plot of the season and where the next might go.

S1 - All the Right Moves, Marked for Death, Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day, Speed, Jumping Jack Flash, and Only The Lonely

All the Right Moves- a talented footballer who longs for something more outside his hometown and the family job. (Carmy)

Marked for Death- Main character, DEA agent, his partner is killed in an undercover drug deal. Main character returns home to Chicago to find it taken by drug dealer. (Carmy and Mikey)

Ghostbusters- I don't think I need to explain this one. Lol S3 and haunting and how they have to work together

Speed - the 2 main characters need to stop a bad guy before a bomb goes off. The characters become love interests. (Every Second Counts, Sydney and Carmy.)

Jumping Jack Flash - Whoppi Goldberg is a computer genius who needs to help a secret agent. The characters become love interests. AND HE STANDS HER UP AT A RESTAURANT. I shit you not. (Sydney and Carmy) Also, every second counts theme and calling someone cousin is in this movie.

Groundhog Day -another I don't need to explain BUT it's interesting this theme is more striking in S3. AND how Bill Murray's character falls in love

Only the Lonely - now this one I'll link here. This one needs it's own post. But essentially it's a guy who cares for his mom but he meets a girl, likes her and starts dating her despite what his family and friends say.

BUT I THOUGHT THE BEAR WASN'T A ROMANCE. THEN WHAT THE HECK IS THIS DOING IN S1 SAYING THE PLOT OF S2 and part of S3 and probably S4?!

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Only_the_Lonely_(film)

S2 - Rounders, Alien, White Squall

Rounders - Main character MIKE loses 30k to mobster KGB. And how he pays it back.

Mikey had the original loan and don't forget KBL. Carmy is now left with it.

Alien - this is S3!!!! Alien life force takes over one of the crew and they get tormented (fucked) by it. (Carmy gets taken over and Sydney is left to figure out her shit :()

White Squall - S2 and S3 - how they need to overcome a storm together and learn together

S3 - 25th Hour and Say Anything

25th Hour - guy spends his last day before going to jail trying to make things right. (Possible S4? Main character has a love interest!)

Say Anything - another 80's love movie. "The film follows the romance between Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack), an average student, and Diane Court (Ione Skye), the class valedictorian, immediately after their graduation from high school." <Wikipedia

What I will say about this movie is that the girls DAD does not approve of Lloyd. And Lloyd makes GRAND GESTURES.

Now, again, a romance when we're told it's not...Pppffftttttt! It's been a freakin romantic plot since the start.

Let me know what you think.

[brbsoulnomming]

Tell Me Sweet Little Lies Part 18

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | AO3

-----

Fortunately, Eddie doesn't actually have to participate much once he and Robin make it back to the living room. The best seating seems to be reserved for the injured and injured adjacent, since Max is already sitting between Lucas and El on one of the couches, with Dustin and Steve on the other. Steve scoots over, leaving the middle cushion open for Eddie to claim, and Robin comes to sit on the armrest of the couch by Steve. He drapes his arm over her thigh, and she checks his shoulder with her hip, shooting him a little smile.

He watches them for a moment, attempting to be an adult and sort out what he's feeling about it now that he knows Steve and Robin are soulmates, but after a few moments he concedes that's going to take longer to process than he's got right now.

Everyone else is scattered around the room in various seating - Will and Mike squished together in the armchair right by Max, Lucas, and El's couch, Erica curled up in the second armchair, Nancy, Jonathan, and Argyle occupying what looks like chairs dragged in from the dining room.

Conversation goes around in circles. There isn't an active threat forcing them into a quick decision, which apparently means they interrupt each other and veer off on tangents and attempt to solve at least four problems at once.

Eddie's a little too floaty from the pain meds - and a little too occupied with Steve's thigh pressed up right against his own - to join, but it's nice, listening to them. It reminds him he's not alone.

They talk about what to do with Vecna - nothing, for the moment, just continue to let El rest and rebuild her powers, with El and Will keeping an eye on Upside Down things; what to do about the gates still open in Hawkins - regular patrols, no one goes out alone and everyone brings a weapon and their walkie with them at all times; what to do with Hopper, who has apparently been alive this whole time and was being held in a Russian prison after being captured at Starcourt - which, sure, of course, it's not like that's the craziest thing that's happened this week. Some guy named Murray is working with his contacts and they're going to spin a story to present to the Hawkins PD.

Eddie watches Steve out of the corner of his eye when he feels him go tense at that one, sees him shift his hand on Robin's leg so it's palm up. She immediately takes it, lacing their fingers together and giving his hand a squeeze. He debates with himself for only a moment before he lets his own hand rest on Steve's knee, squeezing it lightly as well.

Both Robin and Steve turn to him, smiling at him in a way that makes warmth bloom beneath his ribs - Steve with surprised affection, and Robin with a pleased little knowing. He ducks his head and pretends to be really focused on what the group is arguing about.

At some point, the conversation shifts to what they're going to do about Eddie's situation, and, unfortunately, then he really does have to focus.

He doesn't really want to. They don't really seem to have a lot of ideas other than to get Hopper reinstated at Hawkins PD, to work with Murray to come up with a story to pin everything on Henry Creel, carrying on in his father's footsteps.

It just makes him tired.

"This is a lot of talking for what's essentially wait until everyone's back up to full strength and then we can figure out the details," he says after a while.

Steve snorts next to him. "It's not like Eddie's going anywhere," he tells the others. "He's safe here until we figure it out."

Some part of Eddie - the Eddie he was before all this, who didn't need anyone and was convinced Steve Harrington was a jackass - kind of wants to bitch about being under house arrest at the Harrington palace.

But, well. That part is a fading ember compared to the rest of him that wants to grab onto that and take it as an excuse to make himself at home in Steve's life and never leave. The rest of him wants everyone to just get the hell out already, so he can stop trying to pretend he isn't pants shittingly nervous about finally telling Steve he thinks they're soulmates.

Platonic soulmates, he reminds himself.

It takes forever.

Everyone stays for dinner, and Eddie really wants to be pleased about that, to bask in the sounds of so much life, of bickering and teasing and shouting and a fierce, aching love that's woven into every word spoken and every one left unspoken, into every gesture and laugh and shout. To bask in the way that it includes him, how easily he's been folded into it all, how it makes him itchy and content all at once. To bask in the way it makes Steve come alive, golden and vibrant and looking like he's never been happier.

It's just that it also makes him even more antsy about confirming once and for all if Steve is his soulmate, and every time he sees him light up or look so goddamn fond beneath a bitchy expression, he kind of wants to bite him. Or, barring that, get his hands on him, run his fingers over the words etched on Steve's skin to see if it's really true, what he's heard about. If it really does feel like nothing else when your soulmate finally touches the words they've marked you with forever.

Robin keeps shooting these little looks at him, which doesn't help at all, especially because he catches Steve looking back and forth between them with a little scrunch to his forehead - that only gets deeper every time Steve meets Robin's eyes and she just looks back at him, wide eyed and innocent.

She does loudly mention her curfew multiple times, though, and that she's sure Eddie is exhausted after being subjected to them all day, which is worth the protesting shouts she gets from his Hellfire trio.

When they finally all leave, well. Eddie is kind of exhausted, and he tips his head back to rest on the back of the couch for a moment.

"You want me to carry you upstairs?" Steve asks.

His voice is teasing, but when Eddie cracks open one eye to look at him, he looks sincere.

"Thanks," Eddie grumbles. "But I think I'll try to keep what's left of my dignity."

He does kind of want Steve to carry him up, is the thing, but he definitely doesn't want to admit it. Or to deal with it while he's still trying to figure out how the hell he wants to do this.

Steve looks like he wants to say something scathing about Eddie's dignity, but he holds himself back, and offers out a hand to help him up instead.

"Yeah, yeah," Eddie grumbles, deciding to respond to whatever Steve thought of anyway, just to show him that nope, he can't get away with that.

He does take his hand, though, and leans on him as they walk up the stairs. He counts each step as they go, telling himself over and over that okay, he needs to get this sorted out before they reach the halfway point - before they reach the top - before they make it halfway down the hall - at least before they get to Steve's room, come on -

Eddie plops down onto Steve's bed, silently cursing himself as he accepts the bottle of meds Steve offers him, downs two and hands it back.

"So," Eddie says, because he's an idiot. "You and Robin, huh?"

Steve's brow furrows in confusion, which - yeah, fuck, of course it does, because Eddie literally announced that out of no where, and he focuses on that and not on how cute Steve looks.

"She told me this morning," he clarifies. "About the whole two soulmate thing."

His expression clears up, goes all warm and fond even as he rolls his eyes. "That's what all those looks were about, I knew it was something."

When he looks back at Eddie, his expression is a little more closed, eyes a little wary. "Yeah. She and I are soulmates, and we've both got another one we haven't found yet."

Eddie nods, hoping he's accurately conveying just how cool he is with this. In the grand scheme of things, his maybe soulmate having another soulmate is a whole hell of a lot more normal than everything else that's happened in his life recently. "The same one, you think?"

That gets a small smile. "Nah, we've compared." Steve picks at the label on the bottle of pills, not looking at him. "You don't think it's weird? Or I'm - just greedy, or something?"

He flinches, just a little, because if he's being honest - yeah, if he'd found out a year ago, hell even a few months ago, that Steve Harrington had two soulmates, he probably would have rolled his eyes and called him greedy. Little rich boy taking more than his share, Mr. Popular Jackass who of course has two people destined to fall over him. He thinks back to what his uncle had said to him, before high school, and feels shame curl at the bottom of his gut.

"I think," Eddie says after a long moment, because he's still an idiot, but he doesn't want to run anymore, he doesn't. "That I'm your other one. Your - uh, platonic. You and me, platonic soulmates."

Steve looks - all right, Eddie can't actually figure out how he looks.

"I think I like weird," he continues, because he doesn't know how to shut up. "I think you're so, so different from everything I thought you were, and I'm still a little pissed off about that, man, the Munson Doctrine was sacred and here you are blowing it all up. I think if I had to have a jock for a platonic soulmate, I don't want it to be anyone but you."

Steve's looking up at him with these huge, liquid eyes, now, and Eddie's tongue feels like it's glued to his mouth, and then -

"I didn't miss you before I even met you," Steve says, and Eddie feels the quick prickle of heat around his ankle, and -

"Holy shit," he says, laughing because he doesn't know what else to do with all the feeling bubbling up inside of him, because -

Because Steve'd told him that Nancy was the only person that he'd ever wanted to be his soulmate so bad that he wanted to test it, and it - it's not the same, it's not, and when he comes down from the high of having found his soulmate he's going to realize how fucked he is if he doesn't get over this crush on him, but -

"I didn't think about my soulmate all that often," he says, just so Steve can have the same feeling he does, and then he ducks his head a little, hand tugging his hair in front of his mouth. "Yeah? You wanted it to be me, too?"

Steve quirks a little smile. "Yeah. I really did."

Eddie groans. "Jesus, Steve, you can't just say stuff like that to me."

Steve's smile grows. "Too bad. I'm going to say stuff like that all the time, you're going to have to learn to take it."

Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck don't think about that, nope, don't think about Steve - his soulmate Steve - telling him how much he wants him and showing Eddie how to take it and - Eddie laughs, feeling it bubble up through his chest, a little bit giddy and a little bit hysterical.

Before he knows it, Steve's huffing out a little laugh, too. "I knew you lied in there with Mike, man, I could feel it. I just couldn't drop my pants in the middle of the living room to check what it was, but when I did, you were going to be so busted."

"I mean, you could have. There were a few people in there who probably would've appreciated the view," Eddie teases. "You might've scarred Mike for life, though."

Steve's lip curls into a grimace, and then they're both giggling again.

"Thanks for being brave," Steve tells him quietly when they've managed to put a lid on their laughing.

Eddie twitches, barely resisting the urge to twist to check to see if he's got a new lie on him. It's just - Eddie hasn't been brave. The one time he did decide to be brave, he nearly died, and people keep yelling or almost crying at him about it, so he's pretty sure they think that was more stupid than brave. "For being what now?"

"For being brave about this," Steve says. "I've kind of wondered if it might be you for a while, just kept telling myself it wasn't the right time to ask."

Oh. All right, yeah, he did beat Steve to it, didn't he? He grins at him. "So when did you first start wanting it to be me, huh?"

Steve rolls his eyes, and for a few moments Eddie thinks he's not going to answer, but then he says, "In the woods, when we were trying to find the gate. After you tried to make Lucas feel better, got him and Dustin distracted."

That - Eddie wasn't expecting that, even though part of him thinks yeah, it would be about the kids. "Really?"

"Yeah. I mean, I suspected earlier. There wasn't a lot that could give you away, but what you said about jocks being violent monarchs - some of your table speeches had similar phrasing."

Fuck.

It's - he'd known, that he and his soulmate would have to talk about why they stopped talking. Known that he and Steve would have to talk about it. He'd just kind of hoped it was another one of those things he could add to his pile of later.

"Steve," he says softly, but he can't think of what to say to continue, and it just hangs heavily between them.

"I know," Steve says after a moment. "I figured that was why you stopped talking to me. That you realized I was one of the kind of people you hated."

He wants to tell Steve that he wasn't, but he's too worried it'll be a lie. Steve was the kind of person that Eddie used to hate - not really because of anything Steve had done, but because of what Eddie assumed about him, because it was easier to believe all the popular kids were the same than maybe some of them were different.

"You aren't," he says instead. "The guy I was talking about - he graduated the year before you - you're nothing like him. You weren't even back when we were in high school. You weren't a bully, man, just kind of a bitch. I was the one who didn't care about the difference."

Steve considers that for a moment. Then, "I'm still kind of a bitch."

Eddie lets out a bark of startled laughter, hand coming up to press against his abdomen. "Fuck, dude, don't be funny, it pulls at my stitches."

Steve grins at him, entirely unapologetic.

Eddie almost hates to ruin it, but - shit, he has to know, and he lets out a slow exhale. "That why you stopped talking to me, because you knew I didn't want you to?"

Steve's grin fades, but he looks like he'd kind of been expecting that question. "That was part of it. But also, I was mad at you," he admits. "Everyone always had these expectations of who I was and who they wanted me to be, and when I saw you talking about jocks and popular kids like they were the enemy, I realized you had them, too. I knew I wasn't going to live up to yours."

"Fuck my expectations, you're better than anything I could have dreamed of." Eddie - hadn't meant to say that, and he spends a quick moment freaking out a little in the back of his mind, because that didn't sound platonic at all.

Steve doesn't seem to think anything of it, though, just gives him a pleased little smile, ducking his head like he thinks it's going to hide how his ears have gone pink.

"It's not like your expectations were that unreasonable, lumping everyone together aside," Steve says. "I could have taken a step back and wondered why it pissed me off that you expected me not to be a violent jackass, but I was too busy getting wrapped up in all that popularity shit. I'm sorry for that."

There's a pause, then, "I'm not sorry for being a jock, though. I like sports, that's not going to change."

"I don't want it to change," Eddie says, but it comes out more like a promise. "You already did a hell of a lot of changing, man."

Steve gives him a little crooked smile. "I guess a good thump on the head will do that to you."

Eddie grimaces. "Upside Down shit?"

"Nah, just Nancy and Jonathan, actually. When Jonathan and I had that fight in the alley, I - I was angry, and hurt, and I wanted to make him hurt. It comes easy, you know, knowing what to say to hurt someone the most. How to be cruel."

The other side of being good with people, yeah, Eddie knows that. He'd never been on the receiving end of it, but he'd heard the gossip about what happened when Steve Harrington got pissed. It's what he meant when he said Steve was a bitch.

"Later, I was sitting with Tommy and Carol, listening to them talk about jumping him as soon as he was released from the station and I just kept thinking - I sounded exactly like my dad in that alley. That's the kind of people that Tommy and Carol were, and that's who I was going to be if I stuck with them."

"But you didn't," Eddie says.

"But I didn't," Steve agrees, giving a little shrug.

Eddie's quiet, in case Steve wants to say more, but it seems like he's done talking about that, because after a few moments he gives Eddie a little smile.

"So I, uh. I told you mine, you gotta tell me yours now. When did you change your mind and decide you wanted it to be me?"

"Oh, uh. Same as you, actually. I didn't admit it until after the first time in the Upside Down, but when we were in the woods, and you looked at me like I was doing something good, and I - yeah." Eddie's pretty sure he's a little flushed, now, and he looks away.

Steve just gives a little hum, and Eddie looks back at him, eyes narrowed, but he can't quite make out his expression. Eddie barrels on past all that, then, not giving him time to do - whatever that face he's making is a sign of.

"I wondered way earlier, though," he adds. "I kept getting stuff about not being all that hurt and not wanting to go to the hospital, and then you'd show up all beat up. Which, by the way, I was really mad at you for, you kept scaring the shit out of me."

"Sorry," Steve says, and he does look reasonably apologetic. "At least I went to the hospital this time?"

Eddie raises one eyebrow, assuming the withering look he gives him is enough to tell him exactly what he thinks about that. "How about you stop needing to go to the hospital, huh?"

Steve looks at him, quiet for a long moment. Then, "You're the one who said I'm a paladin."

"And I already regret it." Eddie nudges him with one knee. "Mike's convinced you're a barbarian, anyway."

Steve makes a face, like he's immediately having some regrets of his own. "Mike's in on this now? I'm still not playing with you guys any time soon."

Eddie grins at him. "Any time soon isn't never, man, I-"

He cuts off as he realizes that this is the second time that Steve has said he wasn't playing any time soon, and it prompts him to remember -

"You lied!" he shouts gleefully.

"What?" Steve asks, caught off guard.

"Hang on, gimme - just let me-" Eddie grunts as he tries to pull off his sweatshirt too quickly, ends up twinging his shoulder, and has to do it more slowly.

"There," he says triumphantly. "Left shoulder blade, it says I'm never going to play this thing with you, man, you might as well stop asking."

Steve wrinkles his nose. "How do you know that was about this?"

"Because you're good at adjusting your words to make sure what you're saying isn't technically a lie, and this fits. I'm right, aren't I?"

Steve is looking at him like - well, like Eddie probably looked at Steve when Steve told him that he knew what it meant when Eddie's face shut down. Like he didn't realize Eddie noticed that about him, and Eddie almost lets himself get tripped up on it, but - no, he doesn't want to go there, doesn't want to let them get off track.

Instead, he just waggles his eyebrows at Steve, who groans.

"Okay, okay. I knew after I said it that those kids were going to wear me down sooner or later, I just didn't want them to know that."

Eddie scoots a little closer, until their knees are brushing together. "Have you played yet?"

Steve tips his head back, like he's looking to the heavens for support. "I played. Erica wanted to practice as a DM, so Robin, Dustin, and I played for her first game. And before you ask - yes, I did have a good time, but I don't really think it's something I'd want to do all the time."

Yeah, all right, that's fair enough, and it doesn't really put a damper on Eddie's glee. It means it's pretty likely that he could get Steve to play for a one-shot sometime, maybe even a short campaign.

If he's honest, part of him was a little worried that he might not look at D&D the same way after all of the comparisons to a campaign he was doing, but no, he feels the same excited energy that he has before. It's a relief to know that this wasn't taken from him.

Steve's tipped his head back down and is looking at him, now - or, more accurately, looking at his bare torso, eyes scanning a clear line from his neck and shoulders down to his waist, and back up again. Eddie's mouth goes dry, and abruptly he feels - self conscious? Hesitant? Some kind of nervous energy, which is stupid, because it's not like Steve Harrington would - but shit, Eddie knows the way Steve looked at him after washing his hair, he doesn't think he was so out of it that he could conjure that out of nowhere -

"Let me get the first aid kit," Steve says, pushing himself up.

And right, yeah, the first aid kit. For the bandages that Eddie almost forgot he was wearing, which is a far more likely reason that Steve was staring at his bare chest, except - well. Except there'd been a hunger in Steve's eyes, and Eddie doesn't think it's just because the guy was so damn eager to change out his bandages.

He drops it, though, reminds himself platonic over and over again until Steve comes back with his massive first aid kit.

Steve strips off his own sweater before he sits back down on the bed, and Eddie doesn't bother to try not to look. Now he doesn't have to feel bad about letting his gaze sweep over every bit of that perfect, hairy chest, eagerly reading any bit of writing he can see, and - wait.

"Can I?" Eddie asks, making grabby hands at him.

Steve looks down at himself, sees where Eddie had been staring - at I love it when coffee is so weak you can barely taste it just below his collarbone - and huffs out a little laugh. "Yeah, sure."

Eddie reaches out, just barely brushing over the words with his fingertips, and Steve sucks in a harsh breath.

"Bad?" Eddie asks, going still.

"No," Steve says. "Just different."

He's going to take that as permission to continue, so he keeps going, rubbing his thumb over If I could have a whole swarm of silverfish in my room, I'd be so happy on Steve's side. Steve shivers, and Eddie reminds himself - platonic.

"Here, let me-" Steve reaches down, carefully peeling off the bandages from around his stomach.

His demobat bites look a lot better than the last time Eddie saw them - less open and weeping, more stitched and healing, which makes Eddie give a soft sigh of relief.

There's ink leading up to one of the bites, looking like it got cut off, and Eddie leans in a little to see it better.

For your mo, it says, and Eddie barks out a laugh.

"For your modesty, dude," he says, lightly touching it with one fingertip. "It caught me. It was for my own sanity, I knew I was going to keep trying to see your writing."

Steve huffs out a little laugh. "I didn't even feel it."

"The gaping stomach wound probably edged it out a little," Eddie teases. "You feel it now?"

Steve's gaze catches and locks on his. "Yeah."

Eddie swallows. "You said it was different?"

Steve hums an affirmative. "From Robin's. It feels different when she touches her words."

Right.

Of course it does.

"How does hers feel?" he asks. He half fears it'll come out jealous, but - no, it just sounds curious, and he realizes that's mostly what he feels.

Curiosity, not jealousy.

"It's changed, but at first it was… fizzy," Steve says. "Like butterflies in your stomach, or drinking a beer too fast. Now it's like - holding hands in the rain, or the first drink of hot apple cider when it's cold. Like coming home."

Huh.

"Poetic," he says, half teasing and half sincere. "What does mine feel like?"

Steve considers that for a moment. "Electric," he decides. "Like static shock, or the moment before a first kiss. Or a metal guitar solo in the Upside Down," he adds slyly, then reaches out for him. "Can I…?"

"Yeah, uh, go ahead."

Steve's eyes scan over him again, like he's looking for something, and Eddie's gaze drops down automatically to his own torso. Which - is covered in gauze and medical tape, and at this point he's pretty sure there's more bandage showing than skin.

"Not a lot of real estate left, though," he says.

It comes out shakier than he'd meant it to, and he sucks in a ragged breath. If at least one of his lies on Steve had gotten cut off, he knows that means a decent number of the words on his own skin are gone.

Fuck.

He hasn't really looked at himself, but now he wonders which ones it is, what words he'll never see again. If it's the ones that he read over and over again, that made him smile so wide when he was fourteen, the ones that made him so fucking angry, the ones that scared the shit out of him. It shouldn't matter, he tells himself, because they aren't meant to have this many words between them anyway. It's supposed to mean there's something wrong with them, that there's too many lies to make things work, but - it's different, it means something else.

It's always meant something else, to Eddie.

"Hey," Steve's saying softly. "Eddie, hey, look at me."

Eddie nods, already preparing to hear Steve tell him that it's okay, that it's better this way, that less words are a good thing, and then looks up.

"I'm not taking my rain check now."

There's a sting somewhere on his lower back, and Eddie blinks at him.

"What?" he asks.

"My rain check," Steve repeats, like it's supposed to make more sense a second time. "To tell you the things I like about you. I'm not taking it right now."

Eddie's mouth goes dry, and he feels like he can't do anything but stare at him.

"I don't think you have a good heart," Steve says.

Lie, blooming over his spine.

"I don't think you're clever. I don't find you funny. I don't think you're really good with the kids. I don't think you're brave."

Each one of them a lie, writing themselves on Eddie's skin forever, and every one of them steals more and more of Eddie's breath. Fuck, if he keeps going, Eddie's going to kiss him, going to ruin this right after he found it.

"Steve," Eddie says, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I'm not proud of you."

"Touch me," Eddie blurts out, sounding a little strangled.

Steve's brows furrow, pupils blown wide as he looks at him.

Eddie forcibly wrangles his thoughts back into some semblance of order. "Didn't you want to…?" he trails off, gesturing at his own torso, jerking a thumb at his shoulder where he knows at least some writing is visible.

"Oh!" Steve swallows, looking like now he's the one who has to get his thoughts back in order. "Yeah, yeah I did."

He reaches out determinedly before Eddie can try to think too much into that, resting his palm flat on Eddie's chest for a moment - right over his heart, and Eddie wonders if he can feel how quickly it's beating, if he - then it slides up, smoothing over where some of his words peek out from under the bandages.

Fuck.

Despite Steve's halting poetry about how his soulmate touches felt, Eddie wasn't prepared for this. It feels like -

It feels like Steve's fingers running through his hair, blunt nails scratching over his scalp, little goosebumps shuddering over his skin. Like hot water washing everything away, strong hands cradling his head in their grip.

"Oh," he breathes out, not really meaning to, but his entire brain has just shut off.

"Yeah?" Steve asks, sounding pleased, and his hand sweeps up, stroking over any bit of soulmate ink he can find. "What's it feel like?"

"Like a hot shower after a week in the Upside Down," Eddie tells him, because that's true, and easier than admitting it feels like when Steve washed his hair for him.

Steve huffs out a little laugh. "Pretty damn good, then," he teases, then pulls his hand away. "Speaking of showers - we should both probably take one before we change these bandages. You want help with yours?"

Yes, fuck yes, he really does.

And yet -

"Nah," he says, and it's not a lie. He knows there's no way he can handle being in the shower with Steve after all this. "I can stand long enough now, I should be good."

If Eddie didn't know any better, he'd think there was a brief flash of disappointment in Steve's eyes. But he doesn't say anything, just helps him remove his bandages, gets out a clean set of clothes for him and gets the shower going.

"I'll be right outside, just yell if you need anything," Steve says before he steps out of the bathroom and leaves the door open a crack.

Eddie takes a few deep breaths before he looks at himself in the mirror. It's… not as bad as he was expecting, really. He'll have scars over his stomach, scattered across his chest, curving up to his neck, but it's no where near as bad as it could have been if the bats had been able to go at him even just a little longer.

He's lucky, in more ways than one.

The shower goes - fine. He manages. He can't really wash his hair, but he gets the rest of him okay, gets to look at Steve's shower products and grin a little at his shampoo and conditioner - Faberge Organics, with honey and wheat germ oil. When he's finished, he even manages to mostly towel off and get dressed, forgoing the shirt for the moment.

He pokes through the first aid kit while he waits for Steve to take his turn in the bathroom, not entirely surprised at how well stocked it is, considering everything.

When Steve's finished, Eddie insists on bandaging him up first, carefully wrapping them around his stomach and trying not to think about Nancy doing this for him in the Upside Down, or what he'd thought it might mean then, or what it means that Eddie's doing it for him now.

It means they're soulmates, and Steve trusts him. When it comes down to it, that's all that really matters.

When he's finished, Steve twists a little so Eddie can spread some ointment over his shoulders and back, hissing in sympathy at the healing skin there.

Steve slips on a short sleeved t-shirt, then returns the favor.

His hands brush over the words on Eddie's skin often enough that he's reasonably sure it's purposeful, especially because they linger on the ones that Steve'd just put on him.

Eddie huffs out a little laugh, more to diffuse the way the feeling keeps bubbling up inside him than anything else. "This a thing for you?" he teases.

To his surprise, Steve's ears go a little pink. "I mean, kind of? It's - nice. I know everyone says that having so many lies is bad, and it's supposed to mean more when you only have a few to touch like this, but…"

He trails off, but he looks like he wants to say more, so Eddie stays quiet as Steve finishes bandaging him up.

"Did you know you can get them removed?" Steve asks after he's done.

There's a surge of panic, and Steve must see it in his eyes, because Steve's own eyes widen.

"Shit, I'm sorry, that - wow, that was really bad timing, I can't believe I just said that when you-" he cuts off, gesturing at Eddie's torso. "I don't want to remove ours, I'd never remove them."

The panic fades, a little, though he still has to resist the urge to cup his hand over his own side, where some of his words are missing.

"I'm okay," he says after a moment. "You can keep going."

Steve frowns, looking uncertain.

"Please," Eddie adds. "I like it when you talk to me like this."

And that's the right thing to say, because it makes Steve light up a little.

"Okay," he says. "Just - let me know if it's too much, okay?"

Eddie nods.

"My parents never had any visible words, no matter what they wore," Steve continues after a moment. "It was a point of pride."

Of course it was. It usually is - that's not something exclusive to the rich. The fewer lies you have, the better your match is, everyone is supposed to want that.

"They always told me to be careful what I said, that my match was going to be someone like them, someone who didn't have lies between them. Said I would be messing up her life if I told too many lies and she had to have a visible mark. I believed them."

"What changed?" Eddie asks, before he can help himself.

Steve gives him a crooked little smile. "When I was like eleven or twelve, my mom got a few on her arm, where she'd have to wear long sleeves to hide them. Never knew what they said, but I saw them. I was… I don't know, shocked, I guess. I couldn't believe what happened. She wore long sleeves for a couple of days, and the next time I saw her arm, they were gone. I asked her what happened, and she just - looked at me, and told me it was nothing to worry about. 'The Harringtons aren't liars, sweetheart, those were a mistake.'"

Jesus Christ.

"I didn't really know what to think at first. But then I heard her and my dad fighting. She was yelling at him about the money she just wasted getting his little mistakes corrected." Steve's face mimics a cold expression, then, a haughty sneer at his lips as he says, "'What good is all that Harrington charm if you can't even get your little bimbos into bed with you without lying? The next time I see any words, that's the end of your trips alone.'"

He deflates, rubbing absently at the back of his neck. "It was like - the cheating wasn't even worth fighting about anymore, but the lying? That's when I started realizing that it was all about appearances with them."

Eddie's quiet for a long moment, fitting all of that into what he knows about Steve - and what he tried to figure out about his soulmate, all those years ago. "She was the one you lied to about being able to handle it by yourself."

That little crooked smile is back. "Yeah, after she started going with my dad on his business trips. I figured out how to handle it eventually. You, uh. You really helped a lot, you know, when you started talking to me. Made me feel like I wasn't alone."

Fuck if that doesnt make him feel all warm and pleased, knowing that Steve had gotten something out of it like Eddie did, even if it had gone sour for a while.

"My uncle helped me talk to you most of the time," Eddie admits. "I think he knew that it was probably going to go south at some point, but he wanted me to figure that out on my own, you know?"

Steve smiles. "Your uncle sounds like a good guy."

"He is," Eddie replies, trying to push past the twisting in his gut at the reminder that Uncle Wayne is out there with no idea what's happened to him right now. "Course, he also called us little jackasses with no impulse control."

That makes Steve laugh. "He was probably right," he says, eyes gleaming with mirth. "Anyway, I, yeah. It's how I figured out I had two soulmates, because Rob got freaked out at all the words appearing on her skin at first. It wasn't until we actually met that we figured out how we both really feel about them."

Eddie's breath catches, mouth going dry. He licks his lips, trying to work up enough saliva to speak. "How's that?"

Steve's quiet for a bit, brows scrunched just a little like he's trying to figure out how to put it into words. "They're a lifeline," he decides finally.

And what the fuck is Eddie supposed to do with that?

"So I just, yeah, it's kind of a thing for me." Steve runs his thumb over a scattering of ink on Eddie's sternum. "I get it."

Nope, no, Eddie is not equipped to handle this right now, not prepared to deal with the shuddering feeling that rocks into him with Steve's touch to some of his words at the same time that Steve just validated every feeling he's ever had about having so many lies splattered across his skin.

He sucks in a ragged breath, and just barely manages to get out, "Thanks. For, uh." Eddie clumsily jerks a hand at himself, vaguely in the direction of one of the lies that Steve had just said tonight.

"Yeah," Steve says, and fortunately for Eddie's everything, that's it.

Admittedly, Steve looks pretty drained, too, and Eddie gets the feeling that he's not the only one feeling wiped from this much emotional honesty.

With his soulmate.

He kind of thinks that exhaustion or not, there might be too much on his brain to sleep quickly tonight, but his brain has also apparently decided it would really rather just not.

It shuts off pretty much the second he's under the covers and flat on his back.

This ended up being the longest part so far, but I hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it! We're definitely winding down now - I anticipate probably six or so more parts to this and then it'll be wrapped up.

-----

Part 19

Tag list (always happy to add more!): @vampireinthesun @koibug @estrellami-1 @mentalcyborg @allbimyself26 @questionablequeeries @the-s-is-silent @whimsicalwitchm @a-gae-af-racoon @tinyplanet95 @n0-1-important @velocitytimes2 @swimmingbirdrunningrock @newtstabber @jcmadgirl @roblingoblin285 @lexyvey @paperbackribs @goodolefashionedloverboi @evix-syne666 @raisedbylibrarians @stxrcrossed186 @nightmareglitter @greekgeek24 @starman-jpg @crazyhatlady86 @imfinereallyy @manda-panda-monium @deleataecount @prideandsensibility @chaoticvictorianspirit @maydillydally @disrespectedgoatman @scarlet-malfoy @i-less-than-three-you @hbyrde36 @hallucinatedjosten @dragonsandgayships @arepaconchocolate @g4ys0n @novelnovella @bisexualdisastersworld @ghostofyourvampiregf @scarletyeager @pettrichore @nerd-and-nervous @hiimlevi @queenie-ofthe-void @cinnamon-mushroomabomination

[divinisable]

Mike isn't clueless, but calm down.

So I'd like to talk about the fact that Mike def isn't clueless but some of you are giving him a bit too much credit bc he also def doesn't have anything about his situation under control.

In s1 & 2 everything was mostly subconscious, being gay was wrong but it wasn't something he knew about himself. Mike just cared about his best friend a lot and none of what he felt was of questionable nature to him. And besides, he had El, she was a pretty girl and really nice to him, he cared about her a lot too.

And it wasn't until s3, when puberty came around, that Mike had to push down some confusing thoughts and feelings that we can see him projecting on Will during their fight. At the end of said season, he does come to a very very scary conclusion that he's now actively hiding in s4.

“We're friends. We're FRIENDS!” , Mike repeats ; as if Will needed the reminder more than he did, it isn't right to think about these kinds of things anyway. Atp he's fully admitted to himself that he's gay but isn't happy about it at all. Therefore, even if Will's feelings for him were presented to him on a silver platter, – which they were – he will still choose to ignore and deny them because 1. his tainted mind is obviously misreading the situation and 2. he can't do anything about it, because being gay is still not okay. Two wrongs don't make a right. And he knows what they do to people like him, especially in Hawkins. He can't afford to take that risk, he's already lost Will too many times to fuck everything up just bc he wanted to satisfy a stupid whim.

Imo he's going to need someone to open his eyes. He's too scared to do it on his own. Murray, Robin, Lucas, anyone. He'll eventually realize that being gay is okay and he CAN kiss Will on the mouth.🙏🏻💯

[glisten-inthedark]

what are your thoughts on the overall plot of season 5? its a heavy question i know but you wanted something to do 😭

and im not talking just byler im talking

-whos getting killed

-whos getting vecna'd but lives

-is max gonna come back and in what condition

-if holly gets taken whats gonna happen and will she die

-how invested will karen wheeler be

-how destroyed is hawkins gonna be and how are they gonna get around

-jancy vs stancy: whats gonna happen there

-if byler is gonna end up endgame, how is it happening and how will el react?

im talking full season 5 analysis 😌 cmon weve got the season names now lets put it together 🙏

(obviously you dont need to answer this bc it is a kinda broad question but even just one of the questions there yk)

Hello! Ok I love these questions, let's see what we can do with them!

So considering we already know when the next season will take place, I feel like we will start with El and Mike already broken up and we will see how it happened by flashback.

I also believe that Mike will be attached by Will's side like a baby koala and won't leave him alone because now that Will feels Vecna, he will be afraid of what might happen to him.

We will see Mike and Lucas's bffsness rising again and we will see Dustin coping with Eddie's death.

This part of more of a want than what I necessarily think might happen but this is my kingdom and I make the rules lmao. I want a lot of Jonathan and Steve interactions (by themselves). God, they can learn so much from each other so I need to see them actually talking and to be honest I do think they will and that they might end the season as friends. (I hope, Duffers please don't fuck this up more than you already have).

I also think Mike is Vecna's target. We know that he doesn't want to kill Will, but he absolutely sees Mike as a threat to his evil lord plan, so I think he'd want to target him specifically. I'm not sure if it will be the traditional Vecna target we saw already, because we don't know for sure that this was the only thing he could do, but I do think Vecna will use Mike to hurt Will and make Mike face his feers and traumas.

I do think Max will come back but she will probably be blind. I don't know for sure if she'll have any other disabilities but I do think her blindness should be permanent.

Ok this will be a controversial opinion but I don't think the Duffers should kill anyone. Someone dying has become almost predictable at this point. In season 2, Bob died. In season 3 Billy died, in season 4 Eddie, Jason, Chrissy and Fred died. I understand the stakes are higher and all that jazz, but it'd be funny af if everyone is bracing themselves for someone to die and in the end no one does.

But if I'm being realistic about it, it'd guess it'd probably be Murray, Dustin or Nancy.

As I said before, due to Hopper's speech about being cursed I feel like El, Jonathan, Will and Joyce are safe and got plot armor, but I may be wrong.

I don't know, I don't want anyone to die sob 😔 😢 😭

About Holly I don't think she will die, but I do think maybe she gets taken to lure Will and Mike in. Maybe Vecna's plan is to get them there, in enemy territory, where he can control the outcome better and again, hurt Mike to get to Will.

About Karen I hope she finds everything out and I say the same about Ted. I'm still not ready to completely brush him off as the homophobic side character until season 5 drops.

J*ncy vs St*ncy: I say St*ncy agenda for the win lmao. OK this is just my pipe dream, but realistically speaking: if neither Jonathan or Nancy die they are definitely endgame. Their relationship is beautiful and there's an amazing connection between them both.

I do think they need to talk and be honest with each other and they will work things out.

But is too much to ask that the writers take advantage of the fact that Jonathan and Steve will be paired and get them to fall in love and then he, Jonathan and Nancy grg together and live happily ever after?

As for Byler:

I feel like they will probably make it look like Will is fine, and instead they're going to focus a lot on Mike this season.

And this might be just a feeling of mine, but I do think they went for a bigger time jump so that they could explore things more with Mike.

He'll have more time to come to terms with himself and with how he feels towards Will, but I do think he assumes that Will doesn't feel the same for him (so season 4 but thr opposite).

And Mike will be attached to Will's side, he'll definitely feel guilty over how things were so he'll overcompensate, but I do think they will get together during episode 7? I dunno, but I feel like is episode 7.

And this is where the feeling I get comes in and it might be unpopular, but I do feel they might heavily imply that they won't just kiss. I can't explain it but I feel like they might show us them having sex.

I feel it matches with their age and potentially with the story I assume they are trying to tell.

In the end, I don't think there's nothing that will be left implied about their relationship, there will be just a message of:

This is love. This is what love is.

Thanks for the ask and for giving me something to do and I hope you have a great weekend 😊

[etherealwanderings]

Quick reminder that neither Will nor Mike need anyone to know how they feel about each other. Maybe someone could give them a bit of hope that the other will react the way he wants the day they will come out to each other but in no way they need Robin or Lukas or Murray or anyone to talk to each other about their feelings. They know how to do so and remember that they aren't afraid to tell each other the truth. They are just afraid that the truth would ruin what they took years to build so they prefer to remain silent to be sure that their bond won't change.

[sp0o0kylights]

Being from PNW as I am, I really want to do a Polybius AU with Steddie (I just don’t want to write it lmao) 

We begin with Eddie being absolutely attached to this growing urban legend. An arcade cabinet shrouded in mysterious gameplay, awash with rumors of kids disappearing or even dying, and men in black “collecting” something from the cabinet every week? 

Throw in his own little weird encounter with an arcade game as a kid, one Eddie cannot for the life of him find again and yeah, he’s salivating over this shit. 

Hellfire’s tired of hearing about it. This has been Eddie’s white whale since they met him, they’re done listening to him chase down rumors and insist the game was checking for psychic powers in the population. (Or testing a “mind weapon” or six other things.) 

 He gets met with nothing but groans and complaints when he catches wind that something like Polybius popped up on the west coast, igniting the rumors all over again, but this is a new tale for Hellfire’s freshmen.

They sit, enraptured  and asking six million questions, by something everyone but Mike thinks is just some silly bullshit story--but it’s so out there that Lucas and Dustin placate him. 

(“Why on earth would Brenner use an arcade cabinet when he was just kidnapping kids at birth Mike, you just want an excuse to see El…”)

Obviously Polybius IRL takes place in Oregon, but let’s say things have grown a bit. Extended, like the growth of a disgusting, pulsing vine, into California. 

Will is walking home when his hand flies to the back of his neck, a buzzing overtaking his ears as this weird, black arcade cabinet from a nearby shop seems to slide into his focus.

Slowly, like a camera lens being focused, it pulls him in until El yanks him out of it and he realizes he hasn't been breathing.

 Later he tells Mike--because he has to tell someone that isn't Jonathan and isn't El and absolutely isn't his mom-- and Mike absolutely loses his shit. 

This, of course, accumulates into a blowup at lunch, in front of the rest of Hellfire. 

Who are rolling their eyes because oh God, not only has Eddie infected the freshman with this, they’re now doing that thing they do where they get all secretive and try to talk in code words. 

(As if all of Hellfire isn’t aware they think “Mike’s girlfriend” who is about as real to them as Suzie is, has superpowers. 

The party is good at a lot of things, but whispering isn’t one of them.)  

There's an argument about whether this means Brenner, or someone like him, is collecting kids again and if so, do they have a responsibility to stop it, and that this isn't the Upside Down this is human horror, but what if it is actually the Upside Down, they don’t know--and it goes round and round between the Party in Hawkins and El & Will up in California, via phone calls. 

The Hawkins crew decides they need to go to California, together. 

They just…have to figure out a way to get there, first. 

Will & El on the other hand, decide they can’t wait, because they can save kids.

They can make a difference--prevent this shit from happening in a new location all over again.

El doesn't want to be like Kali anymore, but she understands what Kali was trying to do and she feels that same sort of responsibility to stop what she can. 

They disappear. 

Jonathan calls everyone he can, frantic, because he thinks Will and El have decided to go back to Hawkins, and his mother just left with Murray to do something she was extremely vague about and Argyle does not have enough weed for this.

If you guessed this accumulates with a Eddie + the Extended Party (Nance/Steve/Robin) going on a road trip you’d be right. 

Also they collect Suzie on the way because no one ever uses her in stories and fuck it she’d be fun to bring in. 

With them being in California you have Max’s past coming into play, as well as Eddie’s own mystery with the arcade cabinet, everyone crashing together at the Byers house (one bed or no bed either is hilarious for Steddie) and as we left the rest of Hellfire back at Hawkins to try and dodge six million questions about where like, ten people vanished off to (“Uh….camp?”) we get to have some fun there too. 

Throw in Eddie’s massive ass crush, “out of Hawkins”  Robin + Steve (who is perhaps a lot more chill with things than Eddie realized) and a need to go “undercover” at a gay bar purely for selfish reasons on my end (I want to see Steve flirt shamelessly with men and watch Eddie blue screen bc of it) and you have a lot of fun with the entire groups dynamic. 

I don’t have an ending other than Eddie at some point needs to play Polybuis and Steve drapes himself over Eddie’s back, whispering encouragement in his ear as a way to keep him from getting pulled into it the way Will was while the kids work together to kill whatever it is the government's unleashed this time (not Brenner, but instead another branch or faction who took his research and ran) but I’d love to parallel Eddie more to Will, on both the gay and supernatural fronts.

[dinitride-art]

“Okay, bye. I love you.” Mike hangs the phone back on the receiver and turns to the smattering of people in his basement. Somehow he’s ended up in the group with Dustin, Lucas, Hopper, Robin, Steve and Murray. Steve and Robin are upstairs doing God knows what. They’re probably trying to talk his mom into letting them use the kitchen. A terrible idea if Mike’s ever seen one.

“So, Will said that-”

Dustin and Lucas burst out laughing. Mike looks around the room for help. Hopper’s staring at him like he’s trying to look into his soul, and Murray’s shaking his head and muttering something under his breath.

“What the hell is wrong with you guys? We have shit to do,” Mike says.

Dustin takes a few deep breath. “Are you sure you were talking to Will?”

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure I was talking to Will. What kind of a question is that?” Mike crosses his arms and glares.

“Dude- do you even know what you did?” Lucas asks.

“What do you mean what I did? I talked to Will, like I said I was going to because we needed to check in and find out what-”

“No, no, no, no- the last part- y’know where you said I love you at the end?” Dustin dissolves into laughter again.

Oh.

Mike looks back at the phone and back to Dustin and Lucas. Lucas isn’t laughing anymore. He’s just… looking at him, like hopper us.

Oh, fuck. That’s- he didn’t mean to do that. Oh God, what if Will thinks he’s weird or- oh no. This can’t be happening right now. This can’t be-

“Alright! Children! Get yourselves together. You heard him. We have shit to do. We don’t have time for whatever goes on in your little traumatized minds,” Murray says, gesturing intensely with his hands as he does. He looks at Mike. “Cmon kid we don’t have time for this either, what did he say about the plan?”

Mike breaths in. He’s right. They don’t have them for this. Hell figure it out later.

“So, Will said that the plan- their part of it at least- was going to…”

———

I raise you, not Mike and Will getting Murray’s, but Murray subtly protecting them. In his own little way.

[dwobbitfromtheshire]

Warning: Murray stupidly pushes Steve into outing himself. There is a happy ending. Shoutout to the person who recently posted about this and gave me the idea.

Steve looked around at the party, a warm smile on his face. Joyce was sitting in Hopper's lap as they talked to Claudia and Sue. Judging by the looks on Sue and Claudia's faces, they were boasting about him again. He doesn't understand why they felt the need to brag so much or why they made sure he heard it as often as he could stand it. They were celebrating the fact that the fourth of July was over and that there wouldn't be any more fireworks to retraumatize them. They were also celebrating the fact that they were all alive and well, the gates closed hopefully forever. Steve was sitting off by himself after having chased the kids around the Hoppers' new and spacious backyard with Eddie. Steve was tired, but Eddie somehow managed to keep going and now had Mike in a headlock.

"Finish him!" Erica hollered, causing Hopper and Jonathan to snort into their cups.

Steve laughed. That's when Murray plopped down in the empty chair next to him.

"I'm not sure if I like that kid or if I'm afraid of her," Murray said.

"I'm pretty sure she could have taken down Vecna just by talking to him," Steve said.

"I do not doubt it," Murray cackled.

Mike finally surrendered to Eddie, and he let go of him, cheering loudly. Steve smiled at him, his heart fluttering. Eddie winked at him, and his cheeks flushed red. Nancy cheered and clapped. Mike flipped her off, and Jonathan threw his empty cup at Mike's forehead, and when Mike yelled, Jonathan claimed he was aiming for the trashcan.

"Those two kids still together?" Murray asked.

"Mike and Jonathan never dated. At least, I hope not," Steve said, his brow furrowing.

"No! Nancy and Jonathan!" Murray scowled.

"Oh, yeah, no. They're friends, Nancy wanted to focus on school," Steve said.

"Sounds about right considering I was the one who pushed them together," Murray said.

"You were?" Steve asked.

"Yeah, she was dating this complete dud she clearly had no feelings for," Murray said. "I was all, 'we like Steve, but we don't love Steve'. Hey, you know, you have the same name as him."

"Yeah, it's funny how that works. Poor Steve, right?" He said. "They never love him. I'm the very same Steve, dumbass."

"Don't you like guys?" Murray asked.

"What the fuck?" Steve said, staring at him wide eyes, his cheeks flushed. "No, I don't!"

"I'm not gonna judge you, Harrington," Murray said, rolling his eyes. "I'm gay too. Safe space for you and your boyfriend over there."

"What business of it of yours?" Steve snapped. "And Eddie's not my boyfriend."

"Oh, do you guys need a little push too?" Murray scoffed.

"You do know bisexuals exist, right?" He asked, gripping his cup.

"Yeah, and are you?" Murray asked, amused at how mad Steve was getting.

"It's not any of your goddamn business!" He snarled at him.

"Are you still hung up on Nancy?" Murray continued to push.

"No!" Steve rolled his eyes, wanting this conversation to be over.

He stared ahead, not looking at him. Everyone was still conversing and horsing around while Steve was stuck, having the most awkward conversation of his life. Murray's words from earlier rolling around in his head.

"So, you don't have feelings for him?" He asked.

"I do, okay!" He exclaimed.

"Then what's the problem?" Murray asked.

"We don't love Steve, remember?" Steve growled at him, tear prickling at the corners of his eyes, and suddenly, he was back at Tina's party.

He stood up suddenly, knocking his chair back harshly, causing everyone to look at him.

"Steve, honey, are you okay?" Joyce asked.

"Oh, he's just being a little sensitive, Joyce," Murray replied.

Sensitive. The same word that Steve’s father used to call him when he didn't want to say the word. He always knew about Steve and the fact that he was too sensitive. Steve whirled around, and before he knew what he was doing, his fist was colliding with Murray's face and knocking him out of his chair. There were several gasps, and Murray cackled.

"There's no need to be ashamed of yourself, Steve," he said.

"I have never been ashamed that I also like men, and I am not ashamed that I like Eddie!" Steve yelled at him.

Suddenly, he realized that he just outed himself in front of everyone. Steve felt very overwhelmed. Well, Robin and Dustin already knew. Steve quickly apologized and ran around to the front to head towards his car. He pulled out his keys, but his hands were shaking so badly that he kept dropping them. He got to his driver's side door when he dropped them again. He squatted down to pick them up when he saw someone else's hand reach down to do the same. He looked up to find Eddie squatting next to him.

"Oh, sweetheart," Eddie said softly. "He had no right to push you like that."

Steve hadn't realized he had been crying until Eddie cupped his face and wiped away a tear with his thumb. He could hear the distinct voice of Joyce yelling in the backyard. They stood up, and Steve collapsed into Eddie's open arms. He shoved his face into Eddie's shoulder as he sobbed.

"We like Steve, but we don't love Steve. That's what he said," Steve whispered.

"Please tell me that you don't believe that shit, man," Eddie said. "Because everyone here loves you. . . Including me. Especially me."

"You love me?" Steve said, his voice small.

"Yep, in a very not straight way. I also like men," Eddie said. "I'm not ashamed of it either."

"I want to kiss you," Steve said softly.

"Right here? I'm okay with it if you are," Eddie said.

Steve pressed his lips to Eddie's, wrapping his arms around his waist and pulling the metalhead against him. His lips were soft against his own, and then Eddie pressed his lips hard against his as he deepened the kiss. Eddie wrapped his arms tightly around Steve’s shoulders as he tried to press himself further against him. Eddie broke the kiss, gently nibbling on Steve’s lip as he pulled away. Steve leaned his forehead against Eddie's, sniffling.

"I love you too, Eddie," Steve whispered.

"See, I knew you needed a push," Murray said.

Steve peered around to see him coming around the house, being dragged by Joyce and Hopper. Murray's nose was bleeding heavily. It was also clearly broken.

"Did I do that?" Steve asked.

"No. It was hard to tell who broke his nose, Sue or Claudia," Hopper said, chuckling. "But it was definitely Joyce who knocked his tooth lose."

"It's still hanging in there. Oh, and there it goes," Murray said.

"By the way, you didn't do shit!" Eddie exclaimed. "Fuck you and your tooth!"

"Yeah, I had a special evening planned tomorrow where I was going to make him dinner and then tell him, so thank you for that," Steve said. "With or without you, I would have told him."

"Wait, really?" Eddie asked with wide eyes. "Even though this jackass ruined your big reveal, can we still have dinner together tomorrow?"

"Yeah, it can be our first date," Steve said, smiling softly.

"You mean our first date wasn't our trip through the Upside Down together?" Eddie asked, and Steve laughed, shaking his head. "How about I do the cooking, big boy?"

Murray made a half assed apology before leaving. That's when Sue and Claudia came through with the kids following behind them. Sue, Claudia, and Robin started fussing over him.

"Oh, honey, are alright?" Sue asked.

"I'm much better, thanks, Sue," Steve said and pulled out of Eddie's arms to welcome her embrace.

"Oh, sweetie, we just want you to know that we love you," Claudia said.

"Yeah, we're proud of you, baby," Sue said, rubbing his shoulder.

"Yes, we love you, too, Steve," El said. "You and Eddie are cute."

"It's awesome!" Dustin exclaimed.

"Uh, why are Erica and Max whispering with their heads pressed together?" Steve asked.

"Uh, well, they said they were plotting Murray's death, but it was hard to tell if they were joking or not, and I wasn't going to ask," Lucas said.

"You guys really love me, huh?" Steve asked.

"Of course, sweetheart, you're family," Joyce said. "After everything you've done, it would be pretty shitty of us not to accept you."

"Yeah, you're our brother in arms," Lucas said.

"Our paladin," Will said with a proud grin.

"Our protector," El said.

"Our washed-up jock," Erica said with a fond smile.

"Our mother," Max said with an amused smile.

"Our kid," Sue, Claudia, Charles, Joyce, and Hopper said.

"My platonic soulmate," Robin said with a twinkle in her eye.

"My boyfriend?" Eddie asked.

"Your boyfriend," Steve said as he choked on his happy tears.

He swooped in and kissed his boyfriend in front of his entire family.

[gayofthefae]

The thing about romance is it can't be the only thing happening. Like any story, it's important that achieving the end goal requires personal growth.

With Jonathan and Nancy, Nancy needed to leave her comfort zone and Jonathan had to learn to trust (as Murray laid out for us). Max has to proudly make her own choices, independent of her brother, and Lucas has to let himself be the guy who "gets the girl" instead of just backing off and letting Dustin have her. Hopper has to solve his anger issues and Joyce needs to allow herself to trust enough that she can fall for someone naturally without needing to seek out over-correction of Lonnie and instead have a present love life detached from her history. Mike needs to overcome his internalized homophobia of a fear of being irrevocably queer and Will needs to overcome his internalized homophobia of a fear of taking up space or impeding on others. In season 3, Jonathan and Nancy need to become more empathetic to each other's struggles they can't understand. In season 4, they need to trust each other to listen to their desires and collaboratively solve complex issues instead of making assumptions in anxious silence. In season 4, Lucas needed to be more persistent in his care of Max and Max needed to open up more (as they laid out for us).

Notice how Joyce and Bob were just happy with no arc going on. Dustin needed confidence in himself but he was seeking it from Max as a symbol rather than building it in order to talk to her, and it was ultimately applicable in other ways, and Max had no obstacle to overcome with him. Steve failed to support Nancy in her grief but there was nothing else. Then Steve and Nancy's obstacle was..."Jonathan", and Steve doesn't need to grow in order to be able to confess as it isn't outside his willpower to be with Nancy OR confess love vulnerably, as seen in the previous season.

And my main point, as always: Mike and El. Their obstacles when I was invested were all physical. In season 1 they just get interrupted. We also didn't have enough information to know that, had he been given opportunity with liking a different girl, he wouldn't have had the confidence for that - we don't have a baseline for his growth to confession anyways. Their relationship CAUSES growth, which is good, but it doesn't require it. In season 2 they are physically separated. That is actionable on her part by overcoming Hopper's rules, but that isn't specific to him and she ends up applying them more climactically by going to Chicago. In season 3, he needs to learn to trust her more and she needs to...uhh...learn she doesn't need boys? Um, anyways...Mike does his thing though! But according to season 4, maybe he...didn't? He trusts her with her powers now so that is good but he doesn't yet trust her to come back to him if he messes up or is vulnerable. And by the end of season 4, he does, but how can we be sure given we thought so in season 3 too, right? That does count though, even if we only saw the before and after and the storyline of him getting there was told entirely offscreen for some reason. And her arc in season 4 is security in her decisions, specifically standing up against men who make decisions she doesn't support.

So easily solved obstacle, easily solved obstacle, one-sided real obstacle but she needs to grow in order to NOT be with him, one-sided real obstacle but she needs to grow in order to NOT be with him. Yeah...

Jancy is a great example as I earlier laid out as a similar couple who got together early but had recurrent problems done with this in mind. Each of their problems requires growth: empathy, communication. El has never need growth in order to be with him, twice having growth take her away from him meaning he holds her back from it, and twice having Mike need it alone - and if a character is alone in their required growth, one could argue it's more personal and could be applied to another situation ex. wanting to feel needed vs wanting to feel needed BY El.

Tldr: relationships need to require growth to be achieved, just like any other plot climax. If there hadn't been distance in season 2, Mike and El would have been together immediately and only broken up for the reason they did - El's growth requiring arc led her away from him. All other relationships in the show

Addition:

This doesn't even just apply to romantic relationships. Will needs to grow from his jealousy to get closer with El. El needs to grow from hers to get closer with Max. Steve needs to grow in his worldview to become friends with Robin, something that you'll notice you partially thought was romance because they created that obstacle that is otherwise absent from some REAL romances. Nancy needs to break out of her protected worldview to get closer with her ostracized brother, and Mike needs to break out of his black and white thinking to get closer to her. There are lots. Mike needs to trust El to stay even if he can't be who he was when they met and El needs to allow herself to let go of past dependencies in order to be friends. See? It's everywhere. They're just saying that their romantic relationship is holding them back because it isn't a good way. There is SOMETHING for everybody that requires growth. So if it doesn't, it needs to end.

[every-aj-needs-an-angel]

Some softish wedding vibes for the lovely @flowercrowngods sorry this took all day

The wedding was beautiful. A cosy little affair in the forest surrounding the Byers-Hopper cabin, just The Party and their immediate family. The guests had a myriad of mismatched chairs decorated with pretty tulle bows, the aisle strewn with wildflower petals collected by the kids, fairy lights strung from the trees casting a warm glow over the dusk ceremony.

The older teens of the party had been on decorating duty and they’d done a great job, even if Steve did say so himself.

Joyce looked stunning in her simple, lace summer gown, Hop beaming and wiping tears from his eyes as Jon walked his mum down the aisle.

Claudia sobbed loudly, Dustin tutting but handing her tissues, shhing her every now and again, making everyone hide a smile behind their hands when she'd wailed "it's just so beautifulllllll!"

Murray had officiated, dressed in ceremonial robes and actually on his best behaviour for a change. Will was Joyce's man of honour, El was Hop's best woman, Steve had never seen either of them look more radiant.

Steve had been roped into dress shopping by El and Max because although she was doing much better, Max's eyesight wasn't what it once was and Steve was apparently the only one with any fashion sense. He was glad he'd gone with them because the three of them had had so much fun, both girls had picked beautiful dresses without really needing his help at all, not that it stopped him smiling to himself as they spun happily in front of the floor length mirror, letting the skirts flow around them, or from taking them both for new records and ice cream, that Dustin had thrown a two hour fit for missing out on.

Then somehow the mum's had talked him into taking all the boys to hire tuxedos, not that he'd minded but Eddie had tagged along when he heard from Dustin that it was going to be a fun road trip with new records and ice cream, and seeing him spin out of the dressing room, all high on life from being with the kids and out of Hawkins, his hair tied up in a messy bun had taken Steve's breath away. Luckily he'd managed to cover it up with a laugh when Dustin had popped out next dressed in a white tux, strutting around because he thought he looked like Elvis.

So they all looked gorgeous and it was all just very sweet and picturesque and romantic.

Although Steve could've done without Mike snarking in his ear at every opportunity, snapping his name like his nanny used to when he was misbehaving, except Steve wasn't doing anything wrong. In fact the first time he'd been told off he'd been up a ladder hanging lights, the second time he'd only walked out the cabin, now dressed in his suit, trying and failing to get his tie perfect. The third time he'd been stuffing cake in his mouth in a rush because his and Max's song had just come on but he was torn between moving and eating, so he'd sloppily thrown the cake in his mouth, frosting pouring out the edges of his lips. Steve didn't get his reaction, yeah it was a little gross but Max was laughing so who cared.

So as soon as the song ended and El came back to dance with Max, Steve grabbed Mike by the collar and dragged him into the cabin.

"Okay, what's your problem? You've been at me all day!" Steve demanded to know, hands on his hips.

Mike spluttered and grouched incoherently, something about Eddie, him being a person, which was just perplexingly obvious. And for someone who'd had a lot to say all day, he suddenly wasn't saying anything, but Steve knew if he just waited Mike out, he'd eventually get his thoughts out in a coherent sentence. Except Will came dashing into the cabin, eye's lighting up when they landed on Mike, grabbing him by the wrist and dragging him back out into the party, before he ever had a chance.

Steve sighed rejoining the reception, mingling and chatting and trying not to be too obvious as he watched Eddie, maybe he'd said something to Mike, maybe he'd noticed the way Steve hadn't really been able to keep his eyes to himself, since, well since forever really but he'd definitely been more consciously aware of his lingering gazes since he'd woken up in the hospital with a joke and a groan, and they'd only become more incessant since he'd first seen him in that damn tux. Christ, Steve get a hold of yourself!

He just hopes he wasn't making Eddie uncomfortable, he didn't think he was because every time Eddie glanced over, it was always with a big smile, the one that started soft but grew until his dimples were showing when Steve smiled back, so he was almost sure that probably wasn't it, surely he'd look away like Robin did when men letched over her.

The next time Mike snapped at him, he was only dancing with Robin, not closely and certainly not well. Dancing In The Moonlight by King Harvest was playing, it was a song they all knew and loved and listened to whenever they all hung out. Robin had dragged him to his feet, just as he'd sat down with Wayne to chat about next weekend's game, and forced him to dance, waggling his arms around and doing all the silly moves until he couldn't help but join in.

Steve's eyes immediately snapped to Eddie, who was sitting by the edge of the makeshift dance floor, looking more miserable than Steve had ever seen him, even when he was a wanted man and on the run. Steve handed Robin to Mike, who protested about being forced to dance, but Robin had had a few glasses of wine and didn't seem too fussed about who she was dancing with, so long as she had a dance partner.

Wayne had his arm slung over the back of Eddie's chair but Eddie was slouched forward head in his hands forlornly watching everyone dance instead of joining like he usually would. Wayne and Steve shared a smile as he headed towards them, Wayne jumping up with a mumbled excuse, disappearing over to the buffet table to chat with Claudia.

Steve loved how he never needed words with Wayne, it was like he could read Steve like a book, had since their first meeting in Eddie's hospital room, he'd just given Steve a hard stare and for a second he thought he was about to get a smack or at least thrown out but Wayne had just given him a soft smile and pulled out another uncomfortable plastic chair for Steve to sit with him at Eddie's bedside.

They'd been fast friends, bonding over stories of Eddie, sports and an adoration of cheese of all things. Wayne even called him son, like he did with Eddie but that was probably just because there hadn't been a weekend since Eddie left the hospital, where Steve hadn't been at their new government bought apartment, screaming at the tv or the radio with Wayne, Eddie huffing and rolling his eyes and bemoaning that he was being forced to put up with two sports fanatics.

But Steve quickly learned the easiest way to settle Eddie was through his stomach, staying after the game to make fresh pizza or four cheese gnocchi or manicotti, from recipes he'd stolen from an old trunk in his attic, watching with pride as both Munson's wolfed down his food, was the easiest way to make Eddie beam at him.

Eddie hadn't noticed Steve coming over, didn't even perceive his presence until there was nothing but a pair of legs directly in his eyeline, forcing Eddie to look up at him.

"Hi," Steve said tentatively, Eddie's smile settling quickly back into place but not quite meeting his eyes.

"Stevie," Eddie greeted, aiming for normality but just the fact that he hadn't drawn out the e gave him away, "nice moves," he teased, sounding a bit too grouchy to be playful.

Steve adored that about their dynamic, the playful mocking, the poking and tickling and doing whatever they could to make the other bite back or laugh hysterically or both but it felt less like their playful banter and more like a defense mechanism, like maybe Eddie was mad with him.

And maybe it was something about the soft warm lighting or the giant strawberry moon peering down on them or the fact that they were at a wedding but something felt bigger, heavier but at the same time incredibly delicate like one wrong move could destroy them both.

"Dance with me," Steve murmured instead of teasing him back, holding his hand out for Eddie to take. Eddie furrowed his brows and blinked owlishly at him, Steve couldn't help thinking he looked adorable but if he let his introspection go on too long, he'd be lost for the night. Steve wafted his hand impatiently, trying to snap Eddie into the present but he only blinked slowly at his outstretched hand too.

"Aren't you dancing with Robin?" Eddie eventually asked hesitantly, which confused the living bejesus out of Steve because surely he couldn't mean…

Steve shook his head vigorously trying to send that mental image back to the pits of hell where it belonged, glancing purposefully over to the dance floor, he could see Robin'd got her arms around Nancy's neck blushing deeply as she babbled constantly. He knew she hadn't quite been able to look at Nancy the same way since they'd visited Creel together but Nancy had her arms securely around Robin's waist, listening intently and grinning and maybe, just maybe…

"I think she's content with her new partner," Steve mumbled, knowing full well that Eddie knew Robin almost as closely as he did, knew that Eddie could see what he saw and that whatever he was doing was some kind of avoidance technique, "dance with me."

They'd danced before, alone and in front of the party, there was no reason for Eddie to be nervous, didn't stop him looking anxiously around Steve's legs at the dancefloor, "There's people," Eddie muttered dejectedly.

Steve glanced over his shoulder and then back to Eddie, with a confused frown, "You mean all the people who love and care about us?" he asked affectionately.

Eddie snorted and huffed, "You," he corrected shortly.

Steve's brows furrowed deeply, "Huh?"

Eddie sighed, rolling his eyes, "All the people who care about you," he clarified grumpily.

Oh no, he's gone down the rabbit hole.

Steve sighed heavily, "Okay, that's not even close to the truth, but for the sake of not arguing, if they care about me, they have to care about you," he informed him.

Eddie sniggered, "Why, you gonna beat 'em up if they don't?" Eddie tried to tease but it came out too flat.

"No," Steve sighed, hooking his finger under Eddie's chin and forcing him to look at him, "anyone who doesn't care about you, doesn't get to care about me. These people are my family but if it came down to a choice of them or you, I'd pick you every time," Steve admitted sincerely.

Eddie's breath hitched but he didn't say anything, looked like he might cry if he did.

Steve decided it was time to just use his trump card, "Dance with me. Please."

And just like that Eddie jumped to his feet dragging Steve onto the dancefloor, because Eddie never denied Steve anything when he said please, not that Eddie ever denied him anything really but it was like a little button that overpowered all Eddie's apprehension and theatrics.

"Can I stay with you please?"

"C'mon Eddie, up, Owens says it'll be good for you to go for a little walk. No? Please?"

"Could you just keep talking until I fall asleep please?"

"Can you pick Dustin up tonight please?"

"Could you bring milk when you come over please?"

"What's wrong Eds? Talk to me, please."

They got situated just as the song changed to a much slower one, At Last by Etta James. Appropriate, Steve thought gleefully. Eddie just stood there, a little shell-shocked and unsure but not running away so Steve gently took his hands and put them on his waist, circling his own around Eddie's neck, except Eddie had his arms perfectly straight keeping a space between them.

"What're you doing?" Steve asked, fond amusement in his voice, it wasn't like they'd never been close before.

"Leaving room for Jesus," Eddie replied, Steve recognised it as an autopilot response, Eddie long lost to his mind, but Steve couldn't help it, the bubble of laughter just burst right out of him. Sometimes Eddie was just inadvertently funny and when Steve laughed he'd stand there like he was replaying the conversation until Eddie was laughing too at his own comment but Eddie's face crumbled, trying to pull away but Steve just held on tighter.

"Hey, no, Eds. I wasn't laughing at you, just maybe we're a bit old for Jesus to need to dance with us. C'mere," Steve said, pulling Eddie closer, wrapping his arms more tightly around him, swaying slowly to the music.

The look in Eddie's eyes as they listened to the song told Steve all he needed to know about why Eddie had been avoiding him, why he was only looking his way when he thought Steve wasn't looking, why he was being so evasive, how he'd managed to spiral so far that he thought he and Robin, ugh, Steve can't even think it.

Even Mike's snapping made a whole lot more sense, "Stop messing with Eddie," boy really needs to learn to stop grumbling, "he's a person, he has feelings!" Mike could see Eddie pining and had taken it on himself to try to stop Steve doing whatever mundane task that had Eddie yearning.

It was probably the sweetest thing Steve had ever seen Mike do for someone who wasn't El or Will, even if it pissed Steve off that he'd always be a cad in Mike's eyes, that he just assumed that Steve was a bad guy (when he's done nothing but throw himself in front of him and his friends time and again to protect them) that he was purposefully leading Eddie on, being intentionally enticing just to hurt him.

Not that it mattered what Mike thought, he could only hope that it was all his biases and not that Eddie hadn't been venting to the kids, all that mattered was that that wasn't what Eddie thought of him.

The whole atmosphere of the night had changed, everyone had slowed and quietened, couples solely focused on the person in their arms. But Steve felt the ground under his feet change, drew from Captain Steve the guy who'd thrown the first punch at Billy to protect his kids, felt Sir Steve crawl up his throat, the Knight who'd gone into battle against an all-powerful beast and brought his comrades out of the pits of hell because he'd seen now, seen clearly for the first time in god knows how long and he couldn't just go back to pretending, not without giving this is best shot. And thank god for Etta James because she was going to help him, because he could do this, he could be brave and fight for what he wanted for a change.

He had a horrible singing voice but Eddie already knew that, told him so often and in many imaginative ways.

"I found a dream that I could speak to, a dream that I can call my own," he sang quietly, trying to copy Wayne's looking into your soul look, trying to let Eddie see that his feelings are reciprocated, classing it as a win when Eddie grins, blushing deeply and mushes his face into Steve's neck.

"I've found a thrill to press my cheek to, a thrill that I've never known," he continued, nuzzling further into Eddie's neck because now he was this close it was like he couldn't get close enough.

"You smiled," Steve murmured against his skin, unable to wipe the lovesick smile off of his face. He and Eddie had always been close but they both knew this was different.

Originally it started with helping him limp around when he'd refuse to use his crutches, then when Wayne had to go back to work Steve started staying the night so Eddie could sleep without having to worry about waking up alone after a nightmare, he'd only spent the first few hours on the sofa before Eddie woke up screaming, sweaty and shaking, Steve hadn't even thought about it just clambered in behind Eddie pulling him flush against him, shhing him and running his fingers through his hair to get it out of his face, he didn't bother with the sofa again after that, they just shared Eddie's bed, soothing both their nightmares with the others presence.

But they've had time and distance from their trauma since then, most of them have been to therapy and they're all doing better, they can sleep in their own houses, in their own beds, they can all actually sleep for eight hours and wake up well rested. But he and Eddie stayed as close as ever, it's rare that they're never not touching, if Eddie's tired he'll attach himself to Steve like a backpack. They hug, they hold hands, Eddie even kissed him on the cheek one time, Steve's pretty sure it was an accident but he'd been so busy trying to hide the blush that'd sprung to his cheeks to really read the situation, maybe if he had they might've got here sooner because looking back Steve's not really sure how he missed all the signs, Eddie sits in his lap on movie nights for god sake.

"You smiled," Steve sang, pulling back to look at Eddie, to look at the adorable endeared grin and the pretty blush he can't hide because his hair's all tied up, still neat as a pin, showing just how much hairspray Claudia had used to hold it in place.

"And then the spell was cast," he crooned, because it was, from all the way back in school when Eddie would taunt the other jocks but there was never any bite in it when it came to Steve, his teasing came with a smile he never saw directed at anyone else, and he still remembers how it would make him preen a little and how he'd always feel a little peppier for the rest of the day.

But it felt like magic when they met for real, not the king and the jester but Steve and Eddie, battling the unknown side by side, Eddie smiling real smiles, teeth and dimples, all for Steve, because of Steve. And then of course he'd just had to be the hero and Steve had swore at him the whole way to the hospital because he'd been so mad but after days at his bedside, the first time he woke up and smiled at Steve, he knew from that moment on he was done for.

He'd just never thought they could have this, never dreamed Eddie would feel the same way so he buried that feeling deep down, enjoyed his friendship, relished being someone Eddie could rely on, being his confidant and still even when Eddie said "don't punch me but…" Steve had been too scared to rock the boat, didn't want to lose what they had because just because Eddie was interested in men didn't mean he was interested in him.

Who'd've thought Mike Wheeler would've been the one to make Steve see what was right on the end of his nose.

"And here we are in heaven," Steve trilled, resting his forehead against Eddie's trying to calm his heart before it beats right out of his chest, because there's butterflies taking flight and Steve's never in his life been nervous about a kiss but this one feels monumental and he can feel it coming and he wants it now and he also wants to wait and let this moment last forever.

"For you are mine," Eddie crooned, sounding more like a question. And as much as Steve always melts whenever Eddie sings, the fact that Eddie's still questioning his intentions, after he declared that Eddie's the most important person in his life, after what they're currently doing, just makes Steve realise how long Eddie's been his, how blind they've both been, how they've both been so wrapped up in what they can't have neither of them noticed it was right there for the taking.

Steve beams at him, let's Eddie see the way he makes him feel, the way he's always made him feel, nods like he's agreeing to a marriage proposal, deliriously happy and tear streaked.

"At last," Etta sings into the moonlit evening, as the boys seal their promise with a kiss.

[m1keri0ts]

random byler parallel delusion

I really want byler to have a Jancy parallel similar to the kiss they had at Murray's. Will staying over at Mike's (the whole Byers family staying) and them being too embarassed to sleep in the same room so Will decides to sleep in his basement and Mike in his room (El sleeping on one side and Mike on the other, platonically). Mike and Will are restless and Mike 100% needs to talk to Will and Will can't sleep because of whatever problems are going with vecna, the whole town of Hawkins and himself so he decides to just go into the bathroom and just stare at himself in the mirror. Mike decides to get out of bed and run to the basement and Will isn't there. Will hears mike and opens the bathroom door and just stare. Mike apologizes and tells will that he just wanted to say goodnight, Will says okay, Mike says okay and Mike goes back upstairs to his room and Will's back in the bathroom. When he finishes peeing or whatever he's doing, Mike's just standing there (cue the Being Different and You're the Heart music thing) and Mike just initiates the kiss and it just parallels to the Jancy kiss and them going into the bathroom and it cuts out to the next scene. And then they wouldn't talk to each other for a while in the morning out of embarrassment.

I also had another delusion where the party was doing something and will and mike were together (set pics?). They went to lovers lake and they were sitting in the mulchy-grassy areas. They talk about hawkins and vecna for a while and they share a heart-to-heart like in the van scene, and then mike leans in, so does will, BAM! BYLER KISS. I believe in mike initiating kiss supremacy. BYLER ENDGAME!!!