#robin and nancy and mike

[ronancexists]

Hi everyone, I'm sorry I'm late again. I'm posting everything today so I can be caught up, I promise! For now, here's Day 8 of Ronancetober!

Day 8: Uncanny

Mike

Mike will be the first to admit that it was an absolute shock to him when Nancy practically yanked him into her bedroom, locked the door, and admitted she was bisexual and in a relationship with Robin. As in, and these were her words, they’ve been on dates and kissed and cuddled on the couch during movie nights and held hands when they were sure no eyes were on them. It took him a moment to process the information, and by the time he did Nancy was freaking out and threatening to kill him if he breathed a word of it to their parents because they both knew they would never approve of them dating someone of the same gender. She continued rambling on and on, something he was sure she’d picked up from Robin. He supposed it was a combination of nerves and fear about admitting something so huge and something that could drastically change the nature of their relationship.

In the heat of the moment, he’d done the only thing that he thought would be able to calm her and blurted out that he and Will had shared a few kisses with one another and just had their first date the other night with Robin and Steve as their chaperones so they wouldn’t be picked on. Despite graduating from high school, there were still kids that refused to bother them because “King Steve” was with them.

“Wait, you and Will?” Nancy asked, her large doe eyes blinking rapidly as she absorbed what her little brother had just admitted to her.

“Yeah, it’s, uh, kinda new, so, I haven’t really, like, told anyone. Jonathan kinda already suspected, I guess he’s known Will’s been in love with me for a while now or whatever, but yeah. You’re the first person I’ve told. Just, like, please don’t make a big deal out of it.”

Mike groaned in annoyance when Nancy crushed him into a hug, but he eventually wrapped his arms around her in return. The two of them stayed like that for a while before pulling apart, though Nancy’s hands remained on his shoulders.

“I’ll tell you what. You tell me everything about you and Will, and I’ll tell you everything between Robin and I. No more secrets, alright? For real this time.”

“Yeah, o-ok,” Mike said, surprised by the offer even as Nancy ushered him to sit on her bed.

They talked for a long while, not just about Robin and Will but about the D&D gang and about the school newspaper and how school was a drag and how they were still worried that the Upside Down would come back even though they had gotten rid of it and Vecna for good. The two of them were so caught up in chatting with one another that they didn’t even realize how hungry they were until their mom knocked on the door and asked if everything was alright and that dinner was ready. They made a pact before they left the room that if they needed one another for anything, they’d be there, no matter what.

It was after their talk that Mike started observing the way Nancy and Robin acted around one another whenever they all hung out as a group in the Wheeler’s basement or at the Byers home. He noticed the glances they shot one another when one caught the other staring. He noticed the shared smiles and the linking of hands when they were sure nobody was looking. He noticed the way Nancy seemed so relaxed and content and so sure of herself with Robin, unlike when she had dated Jonathan and Steve. No offense to them, but they always seemed to doubt her sister whenever she had discovered something that could be related to the Upside Down. With Robin, she was instantly there to support his sister and help her get to the bottom of the mystery. He noticed the gooey eyes Nancy possessed whenever Robin started one of her classic rambles or whenever she did anything that was so ridiculously Robin and he noticed Robin’s gooey eyes whenever Nancy so much as looked her way.

He also thought it was uncanny how easily the two of them could read each other. As soon as Nancy looked even the slightest bit angry, Robin was doing something ridiculously goofy. It caused laughter and smiles from the entire group, and it made Nancy soften so incredibly much it amazed him. Whenever Robin was on one of her rambles and spiraled off the original topic, it was Nancy who managed to pull her back to the discussion at hand with a simple brush of her fingertips against Robin’s shoulder or linking their pinkies together. When Nancy was sad, especially about Barb (he couldn’t imagine the pain Nancy was feeling since he had gotten Will back and Nancy hadn’t gotten her version of Will back), Robin was right there with Nancy’s favorite movies, snacks, and someone to lean on, whether it was to cry on her or to vent to her. Robin tended to fiddle with her rings or play with her hair when she was stressed, and it was Nancy who would gently take Robin’s hands into her own and help her concentrate on her breathing so she wouldn’t harm herself because she was lost in her thoughts.

They did all of this and so much more for one another that it had Mike begrudgingly going along with the consensus of their group of nerds and outcasts that yes, Nancy and Robin belonged together. And if anyone did anything to harm them, well, Mike would be the one to throw the first punch.

Will

Will wasn’t as surprised as Mike to find out Robin and Nancy were dating, especially since Robin had confided in him a long time ago about her crush on Nancy in the hopes of helping Will come to terms with his own sexuality. Which it did, and he was forever grateful to her for that. When she had finished telling him, she’d just stared at him, biting her lip and playing with her rings. He merely broke down sobbing and uttered one sentence as she wrapped her arms around him, holding him close. “He doesn’t love me like I love him.”

He’d finally calmed down after what felt like hours, but in reality it was only fifteen minutes, looking up at the teenager he felt was the big sister he’d never had, only for her to be smiling down at him with kind, accepting eyes.

“I don’t believe that for a second. I’ve seen the way Mike looks at you, Will. It’s the same way you look at him and it’s the same way I look at Nancy.”

Will sniffled, thanking Robin quietly as she held out a tissue box that was previously sitting on the little table they had in the back room of Family Video. “But, what if you’re wrong?”

Robin tilted her head at him, maintaining that soft smile. “If I’m wrong, I’ll let you rent as many movies as you want for free.”

“Won’t you get fired for that?”

The older teenager shook her head, mischief dancing in her eyes. “I’m the best worker Keith’s got. If he wants to fire me, he’ll regret it the instant he’s stuck working with Steve who will complain about me being fired every chance he gets.”

That elicited a bout of giggles out of Will.

“In all seriousness, if I’m wrong, it shouldn’t matter to Mike. If he’s truly your best friend, he will support you no matter what.”

“Like you and Steve? You told him, right? That’s why you guys always say you aren’t dating and deny the accusations of the rest of the group every time they pester you about it.”

Robin ruffled his hair, causing Will to screech and bat her hands away. “You’re too smart for your own good.”

“I’m not called Will the Wise for nothing,” he replied, sticking his tongue out at her.

“Yeah, yeah. If you’re so wise, why are you doubting me that he likes you back? It’s pretty obvious,” she mocked, slinging an arm over his shoulders and leading him out of the backroom, cackling as he elbowed her in the side.

It was after his talk with Robin that he had finally hyped himself up to confess to Mike. He was pleasantly surprised to find out that Mike felt the exact same way, and they agreed to go on a date with one another. He burst into Family Video the next day, ignoring the looks of the customers as he rushed towards Robin and knocked the wind out of her with how tightly he was hugging her. She just chuckled and returned the embrace.

“I hate to say I told you so, but—”

“Shut up,” Will murmured, burying his face in the crook of her neck as he fisted the back of her shirt into his hands, wrinkling it as he held on tight. “Thank you,” he whispered, pulling back to look at her with tears in his eyes.

“Anytime, kiddo. How about you tell me all about it over lunch? My treat,” Robin offered.

“That’d be great. Thanks!”

And so they did, with Robin revealing to him that she had also confessed her feelings to Nancy after their talk, only for the other girl to reveal she felt the same with a kiss rather than words. They were going on a date to the newly rebuilt movie theater later that night.

After that, Will kept a closer eye on Nancy and Robin, wanting to make sure that Nancy wouldn’t do anything to hurt Robin. As much as he loved Nancy, he felt like he connected with her on a different level than he did with Robin. He watched their relationship develop, and was surprised to discover how uncanny it was that they picked up on each other’s mannerisms.

Usually, he’d see Robin bite her lip or fiddle with her rings when she was stressed, but ever since they’d started dating, Nancy had stolen some of Robin’s jewelry and tended to do the same things whenever she was anxious or stressed. Robin was the one who used humor to bring some sort of levity to whatever situation they were dealing with, but Nancy had started doing it too. Where Robin used to be the one who avoided discussing anything related to her home life, Nancy (and Mike) had begun avoiding the issue as well.

As for Nancy, she was the one to offer comfort to them in the forms of hugs or reassurances, but Robin had begun doing it as well. Which was shocking, considering she tended to avoid being too touchy-feely with most people. Except for Steve, and quite frankly, none of them could decipher whatever bond those two shared, nor did they have the energy to. Nancy was the one who would defend them in an instant against their bullies, but now Robin did it too, despite how much she hated confrontation. The older Wheeler used to be the only one who’d be able to form their half-fledged ideas into a full plan, but now Robin could do it too (and Steve would help sometimes too).

In the overall scheme of things, Will thought the two of them complimented one another really well and truly believed they would make it despite the many odds stacked against them.

Lucas

Lucas was a bit ashamed thinking back on how he’d first reacted to the news of Robin and Nancy dating one another. He didn’t do anything as drastic as call them sinners and scream at them they were going to hell, but he did say that he was confused and he needed some time to think. He didn’t have anything against the two of them, not at all. He loved them both as much as everyone else in the group, it’s just he’d never seen or heard about any one of the same gender dating someone else of the same gender.

Now that he thought about it, it was understandable as to why he’d never heard of such a thing. With all the bullying and names Will and Jonathan (and even Robin sometimes) received for being suspected as “queer,” he couldn’t imagine how it would escalate if they were to actually come out of the closet. He’d done some research in the library, and he felt absolutely nauseous when he read about some of the things people had done to those who came out as homosexuals.

After having finished reading up on it, he’d determined that it wasn’t something wrong or offensive or whatever people were saying about it. He hopped on his bike after leaving the library and headed straight for Family Video, knowing he would more than likely find Nancy and Jonathan loitering around, chatting with their respective partners as they worked. He locked his bike up and pushed the door open, beelining straight towards the first teen in his sight, which happened to be Nancy.

“I love you, no matter what. And I’m really happy for you,” he declared, wrapping his arms around her and hugging her tightly. While he didn’t normally dole out affection like this, it was Nancy. She had been his surrogate big sister for what felt like forever at this point, even though it really had only been a few years.

“Thanks, Lucas. I love you too,” she replied, and he pretended as though he didn’t hear how her voice had wavered as she returned the hug.

Lucas pulled away, only to be engulfed in a gigantic squeeze by Nancy’s girlfriend. “Robin!”

“Sorry, couldn’t resist. We love you too, no matter what,” she echoed, squeezing him in surprisingly toned arms once more before setting him down.

“We can talk more later,” Nancy said, recognizing the curious glint in Lucas’s eyes.

“I want to know everything,” he demanded with a tone that implied it wasn’t actually a demand.

“As soon as we get off we’ll answer whatever questions you have,” Robin agreed, playfully shoving him towards the door. “Now, leave. You’re distracting me from doing my job.”

“Like they aren’t already doing that,” Lucas said with an eye roll, gesturing to Nancy, Steve, and Jonathan. “I’ll see you later!” he shouted, saluting the group before he left the store.

Later that night, as Robin and Nancy kept their promise and answered all the questions he had about their relationship, he realized how uncanny it was that they had picked up on one another’s facial expressions.

They both had a tendency to narrow their eyes and purse their lips when they were annoyed, especially when one of them had done something stupid that required them to intervene.

If they were angry, their arms were crossed tightly over their chests and they took deep, controlled breaths lest they start screaming or yelling when they were arguing, whether it be with one another or someone from their ragtag group.

When they were sad, they bit their lips to try and stifle the sobs while tears shined brightly in their eyes. Though they refused to let them fall, waiting until they were completely alone or the only the other was with them before breaking down, tucking themselves into their girlfriend’s arms and allowing themselves to feel what they had been trying to shove down.

A singular eyebrow was raised when they felt dubious about something, tilting their heads to the side as they listened to what was being explained to them. Most of the time it was regarding something D&D related or an interest that pertained to a certain individual of the group.

Concentration was shown through furrowed eyebrows and tips of pens or pencils tapping against the surface they were writing on, sighs escaping unknowingly when they were becoming slightly frustrated at not figuring out the answer.

They shared the same wide smiles and crinkled noses when they were happy or found something amusing. That mainly occurred when Robin was teasing Steve or Nancy was playfully bickering with him, Mike, or any of the other teens. It also happened whenever El had discovered something new or when one of them was sharing something exciting that happened that day.

The group doubled down on their efforts to reassure one or both of them whenever they noticed they were acting as though they weren’t an important member of the group with half-smiles and shrugs of shoulders when they were feeling insecure.

As for when they were feeling fearful, that was something hard to discern unless they were looking for it. Their muscles were tense, a guarded look in their eyes, jaws clenching to keep themselves from spilling how they were truly feeling. It happened whenever they were discussing something related to the Upside Down and their experiences with it.

And when they showed love and affection, nothing else seemed to matter. Playful shoves and ruffling of hair, soft and kind eyes, grins that stretched to their ears, hands resting on backs and arms slung around shoulders.

So yeah, Lucas thought they were eerily similar in that regard. Though he supposed that’s what made them perfect for one another, and quite frankly, he couldn’t imagine either of them with anyone else.

Dustin

Dustin had blinked in confusion so many times when Nancy and Robin revealed they’d been dating for a few months that it seemed as though he was never going to stop. Like, he was genuinely happy for them and everything, but he was also disappointed that all his efforts to get Steve and Robin together had been for naught. He was so utterly, completely, positively sure that they belonged together despite them both saying they were just friends. Hell, the conversation he’d had the other day with Steve had been another attempt at getting the two of them together.

“But Steve!” he whined exasperatedly. “You and Robin are literally perfect for one another! I mean, you hang out, like, all the time. You’re both literally cuddling or holding hands or hovering within centimeters of one another. You know exactly what the other needs without even needing to say so out loud. Plus, I know you aren’t blind. Robin’s attractive, even you’ve admitted to that! So explain it to me, please. Because I just don’t get it!”

“Dustin, listen to me,” Steve had replied, setting his hands on Dustin’s shoulders to get his attention. “Are you listening?”

Dustin nodded, eager to see where Steve was going with what they had dubbed his “mom voice,” which meant he was talking about something serious and was figuring out a way to put it in terms that would keep the kids from doing exactly what he was trying to prevent them from doing.

“Robin, she’s incredible. I know that, you know that, and every single one of our friends know that. Quite frankly, I don’t think any of us deserve her, but that’s besides the point. She’s incredible, she’s super smart, she’s kind even when we aren’t kind in return, she’s sarcastic as hell, she’s dorky, and she means the entire world to me. But, I mean that entirely in the platonic sense. She’s my best friend, the person I never knew I needed, the other half to my heart. As she likes to say, we’re ‘Platonic with a capital P.’ That’s all I want from her, that’s all she wants from me, and we’re both perfectly fine with it. We both prefer it that way, believe me. I’m going to be real with you, Dustin. Robin and I have our reasons for being friends, and when we’re ready, we’ll tell you guys. For now, you just have to trust me, and trust Robin. We’re friends, best friends, and that’s all we’re ever going to be.”

Dustin was ready to protest, but when he saw how truly exhausted Steve looked from having to explain that he and Robin were just friends and were going to continue just being friends for what had to be the millionth time, he wisely clamped his mouth shut and refrained arguing. “Ok,” he said, a toothy grin emerging at Steve’s flabbergasted look.

“Ok?”

“Ok. I won’t push it. If you and Robin say you are friends and will stay friends, then you’re friends. I don’t get it, but I trust you guys. I just want you to be happy, and I thought that meant getting the two of you together.”

“We are,” Steve breathed out, reaching forward to tug his little brother into a fierce hug. “We are so incredibly happy, Dustin. But we’re incredibly happy staying friends. I promise.”

Dustin merely nodded, though his thoughts were racing a mile a minute. He didn’t truly understand why they were so insistent on them being friends and nothing more, but he supposed if they were happy with it staying that way, then that was all that mattered.

The next day, when Robin and Nancy announced they were together, all the pieces clicked into place. The way the two of them reacted around one another was uncanny.

They both possessed the same goofy grins when recounting something the other did. They shared the same spark of happiness and love in their eyes when they set their sights on one another, lighting up like Christmas trees. Their bodies practically radiated nerves whenever they found themselves sharing kisses and embraces in front of everyone, still scared that one day one of them was going to lash out and shame them for it. They had the same pouts when it was discovered one couldn’t hang out with the other. And they both relaxed greatly whenever the other backed them up in an argument.

It would take some getting used to, for sure, but the more he observed them together, the more ridiculous of an idea it seemed that he had ever believed Robin and Steve belonged together. Robin was clearly head over heels for Nancy, something that was much more obvious now that he knew exactly what to search for. He could only hope he’d continue to be able to bear witness to their budding love.

Oh, this would be a great story to tell their kids. He could only imagine the incredulous looks those ginormous eyes would shoot at him, absolutely in shock that he’d thought their mom was ever going to end up with anyone other than their mama. He grinned in delight at the thought, already imagining the best way to tell the story so it held the most dramatic flair. He could totally picture it, him retelling the tale with exaggerated emotions while Nancy and Robin rolled their eyes in fond amusement, while Steve sat next to them on the couch, absolutely cackling, unaffected by the elbows Robin kept shoving into his side.

Little did he know that he’d be doing exactly that, almost fifteen years later, to two little ones that both bore a striking resemblance to their mothers. And their cousins, who happened to be Jonathan and Steve’s three little kids, who each had a huge mop of the famous Harrington hair.

But for now, all he’d have was his vivid imagination.

And that was enough.

~~~

So I haven't actually really wrote for any other characters besides Robin, Nancy, and Steve. Let me know how I did...? Please?

[mentallyadinonugget]

[lavenderstobins]

stranger tweets part 5

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all previous parts: [part 1] [part 2] [part 3]

[changenamelater]

*taps mic* STEVE HARRINGTON IS NOT STUPID.

Thank you for your time.

[princessdave]

Hopper accidentally becomes the biggest ally in Hawkins out of hatred for Mike Wheeler. El wants to date Max? Perfect, Mike is terrified of Max. El wants to date Max and Lucas? Even better, more people to keep Mike away. Will comes out to Joyce and Hop? Hopper is immediately studying up on gay culture and flagging so he can find him a Hop ApprovedTM boyfriend. He sees that nice boy Gareth cuff his jeans one time and starts inviting him to family dinner. Mike seems annoyed that Steve is spending more time with Munson? A pamphlet titled “Accepting your Bisexuality” finds its way into Steve’s jacket pocket. Hopper has never seen Mike as furious as the day Steve and Munson arrive at dinner holding hands. It’s a good day. Hopper isn’t sure how Nancy dating the Buckley girl will annoy Mike, but he’s willing to give it a shot.

[mollymurakami]

were we just kids, just starting out

[kennahjune]

Having thoughts of The Party being touchy as all fuck after everything.

Like you cannot enter nor leave any kind of hang out without a hug, high-five, pat, or anything from everyone you were hanging out with.

And then, suddenly, you aren’t able to leave without a kiss or hug of some kind from Steve.

It started after the bullshit that was the Starcourt Mall. The kids were leaving Steve’s house from a DnD session maybe 2 months before the Byers left for Cali.

Dustin was taking forever to pull his shoes on and get out the house to his moms car and everyone was complaining. It was one of those rare times where Steve wasn’t the one carting them all around— they all had their own rides.

Dustin got his shoes on and Steve handed him his bag and— without thinking— pressed a kiss to the top of his hat before waving him out the door.

The rest of the kids are silent until Mike speaks up bitchily “what about us, asshole?”

Steve has no idea what they mean until El points to her head with a grin. Steve deals out head and forehead kisses for everyone and waves them off to their respective rides.

And then it just— sticks. At first it’s with just the kids whenever he sees them. He’ll usually greet them with a hug or an exasperated sigh and then say goodbye with a kiss to their foreheads.

Not even Mike complains. This is the kind of shit he never got while growing up— might as well make the best of it.

And then it migrates to Robin as well, and the Nancy is joining in on the hugs (they’re still too awkward for the kisses but the hugs are enough for now).

And Steve never holds back, not even in public. Again, no one complains.

And that’s how Hellfire finds out about the kissing arrangement (that might be the title of this if I make it an actual fic). They watch as Steve presses a forehead kiss to Mike, Lucas, and Dustin before waving them off and then presses a kiss to Max’s head and giving her a tight hug.

The guys try to make fun of the kids for it but none of them are embarrassed.

“It’s Steve, dude. He’s like a mom.”

“The kisses are actually really comforting.”

“It’s a Party thing.”

And then the fuckery of 1986 and Vecna happens and suddenly Eddie’s in on the hugs and pats and high-fives.

And then.

And then.

He’s in on the kisses.

Steve doles out the kisses like usual one night after Hellfire and gives one to everyone— including Eddie.

And Eddie panics and gives Steve one right back.

And then the kids are going feral about wanting to give Steve a kiss too.

And Eddie leaves during the chaos.

And then they don’t talk about it.

Until Steve and Eddie do it again.

And the kids accept is as the new normal; you have to give Steve a kiss back.

And then Steve and Eddie have an excuse to kiss each other on the foreheads and cheeks and noses.

One night they’re hanging out, just the two of them at the trailer after Wayne left for work.

Steve had greeted Eddie with a tight hug the moment he’d gotten in the trailer. Eddie had squeezed back just as tight if not tighter.

Steve was getting ready to leave, and on instinct leant in to kiss Eddie, but Eddie was also leaning in to kiss Steve. So they meet in the middle and accidentally kiss on the lips.

And then the new normal for Steve and Eddie is kissing on the lips goodbye.

Idk, just Steve being a very touchy feely person makes me so happy

[will80sbyers]

STRANGER THINGS 5 PREVIEW

[samgelina-jolie]

[ronanceautistic]

Robin cannot catch a fucking break LMAO. actual menaces to society and you know they all learnt it from each other

[letterstomichelangelo]

GUYS THIS IS NOT A DRILL

[dwobbitfromtheshire]

Robin might platonically marry Steve, though it's not the only reason, just so she can say dramatically in an argument:

"That's it! I'm divorcing you, and I'm taking everything!"

It's usually only said when they're playing monopoly. Steve would respond with:

"Fine! But I'm keeping your last name and the kids!"

"I never wanted them in the first place!" Robin shrieked.

"What a rude thing for our dad to say," Dustin said.

They were eating popcorn and watching the whole thing unfold before them.

"Well, it's not like we don't all have daddy issues," Max said. "Except for Lucas."

"What am I looking forward to with that? Any advice?" Lucas said.

"Don't date older men," Max said. "Especially ones who are old enough to actually be your father."

"You mean the same age as Robin?" Lucas asked.

"Yeah," Max said.

"Damn, there was this cute college guy - "

"Cheating whore!" Robin shrieked.

"And here it comes," Max grinned.

She hollered and flipped the table.

"Yeah, that's right, I cheated. Dustin isn't yours!" Steve yelled.

"I knew it!" Robin gasped.

"Okay, so when Dustin said that things get intense with Steve and Robin during Monopoly. . ." Nancy said, trailing off.

"Yeah, he wasn't kidding," Jonathan said.

Eddie was gaping with Jonathan, Nancy, Vickie, Chrissy, and Argyle while the kids watched from the sidelines.

"Who else isn't mine?! I bet it's both Mike and Dustin. They both could be Eddie's! Look at them!" Robin yelled.

"Babe, I swear, I didn't touch Steve," Eddie said to Chrissy.

"Okay, first off, Dustin and Mike are not actually Steve’s sons, and two, this is just a game," Chrissy said. "Also, Steve can't get pregnant."

"Oh no! Did the doctor say why?" Eddie asked with a gasp.

"Eddie? Did you smoke with Jonathan and Argyle without me?" Chrissy asked.

"Totally," Argyle said.

"The wedding rings were a nice touch," Nancy said.

"Oh, no, they actually got married. I was the witness!" Vickie exclaimed happily. "I got to kiss the bride!"

"What?!"

"We were at Steve's house when Steve's parents came home and immediately started ragging on Steve about what a disappointment he was, that they were his only family. . .blah, blah, blah. Anyway, Robin was like "not anymore" before dragging him out of the house. We went to a wedding chapel, and I watched as my girlfriend married her platonic soulmate," Vickie said. "It was a beautiful ceremony. Didn't you notice that Steve took her last name?"

"I thought he kept calling for Robin whenever someone said Harrington," Jonathan realized. "He was correcting them."

"Buckley!" Argyle laughed.

"Yeah!" Steve and Robin yelled, looking at them.

"Holy shit," Dustin muttered.

"Well, hey, we're no longer bastards," Max said. "Except Mike. There's no fixing that."

"Hey!"

[spookystarfishzombie]

[lavenderstobins]

stranger tweets part 12

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all previous parts: [part 1] [part 2] [part 3] [part 4] [part 5] [part 5.5] [part 6] [part 7] [part 8] [part 9] [part 10]

[changenamelater]

Give me good at math Steve. Maybe he’s dyslexic and words never made sense and always swam away from him, but numbers? He can memorize formulas, he can recognize patterns.

I feel like it would add so much dimension to his character. I always like it in fic when they write Steve knowing a second language, or playing an instrument because I feel like the fandom has taken this idea that Steve is incompetent and ran with it. He’s incredibly clever, and sarcastic (a sign of intelligence btw), and snarky. He thinks quickly, is it well thought out? Not always, but that’s just his lack of self preservation skills. People can be smart and idiots at the same time, they can have their strengths and I wish that was portrayed more in fic and fandom.

So let him be good at math. Let him just be able to make sense of it. Show him tutoring El and assisting Lucas and Max when Mike and Dustin seem too condescending or intimidating or bitchy.

He’ll be bitchy too, but in an understanding way, because he knows what it’s like to struggle with something others find simple.

Also give us a scene where Mike or Dustin find out and flip their lids PLEASE

[munsonson]

𝐇𝐮𝐫𝐭 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝟏『••✎••』

𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: 𝘌𝘥𝘥𝘪𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘴 𝘶𝘱 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯'𝘵 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘜𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘪𝘮, 𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘣𝘪𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘴.

𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠(𝐬): 𝘌𝘥𝘥𝘪𝘦 𝘔𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘰𝘯/𝘍𝘦𝘮!𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳, 𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘰𝘯/𝘍𝘦𝘮!𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳

𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠(𝐬): 𝘈𝘯𝘨𝘴𝘵, 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 2.4

This shouldn’t hurt as much as it does. 

Things could’ve ended far worse than they actually did. Hell, most of the couples in their school tended to make breakups as dramatic as possible, normally painting one half of the relationship as some kind if irredeemable monster, if not to paint them as this sympathetic martyr, than just to save face that it actually hurt. 

In her case, Eddie Munson told her they just weren’t a good match and he wanted to be friends again instead. That was as healthy as they could possibly get. And in the best case scenario, too, she’d still be able to have him be a part of her life. She didn’t think she could stand the thought of seeing him in the halls and not being able to acknowledge him. 

She’d fallen hard and fast for Eddie, embarrassingly so. 

Given the heavy duty of designated driver for the little hooligans she’d somehow decided to adopt with Steve Harrington, she’d gotten accustomed to waiting in the high school parking lot, her nose pressed into the creases of her current novel while she waited for them to finish their important campaigns, all procured from the brilliant mind of Eddie Munson. 

She’d known him before then, too, but only in passing. He’d often make a big spectacle of himself in the cafeteria just to bug the other students, and he held the record as super senior. But she’d never even talked to him until she saw him walk the boys out after a seemingly successful campaign, his arms wrapped tightly around Dustin and Lucas’ shoulders as he praised them.

He’d acknowledged her when he got to her car. 

“My fair maiden,” he’d said, “I apologize for the delay.”

She’d blubbered out some kind of half-hearted response, good enough to make him laugh, and that made her heart go a million miles a minute. 

It didn’t take long before she’d gotten the courage to ask him out, even if it was just for coffee. He was surprised, but he agreed. 

It had been nice, he even drove her home after. She probably should’ve seen the signs then because he didn’t suggest a second meet up, she had instead. And he’d agreed.

It was about a month before they made themselves official, in Hawkins High language, practically married. But it really just meant she got to hold his hand between classes and get quick kisses goodbye when it was time to separate, somehow always on her cheek than her lips. 

She’d thought their dates were fun; it was a lot of pressure since he always left it up to her, never having any other idea than lounging about her home and just watching TV. But she was the one who thought of renting movies for horror marathons, figuring it was up his alley. She thought of bowling and drive-in theaters and picnicking near the quarry for its desolate atmosphere, another thing she figured was right up his alley. 

But things came to an underwhelming end when Eddie approached her at her locker on some random Thursday to tell her things just weren’t working out and he wanted to stay as friends. Despite how much even that had hurt, she agreed. She didn’t want to make him do anything he regretted. 

She could still be friends with him, happily so. That meant she could still sit with him at lunch, hear his outlandish tales, and be able to admire him from afar, even if she was no longer able to touch him and hold his hand. 

“Be honest,” she’d heard Gareth say as she approached with her tray, “what really happened? You know, most guys woulda killed to be able to take her out, the fact she stuck around for months is surprising enough.”

Eddie shrugs, chewing absentmindedly on a pretzel he’d brought. She would pack him lunches when they were together since he always forgot and resorted to eating prepackaged things instead. Since they broke up, it seemed like old habits really did die hard. 

“To tell you the truth,” he starts rather dramatically, “no substance. Pretty face, nice voice, real sweet, but God, boring as all hell.” He runs a hand down his face. The other boys seemed surprised. Dustin and Mike share a look, but say nothing, clearly waiting to hear more. Because there was no way it could be just that. There had to be more. They knew her better than anyone, had been through so much with her. What could be the real reason Eddie broke things off?

“And?” Dustin coaxes.

“And what?”

“Dude, seriously?” Mike scoffs. “She wasn’t interesting enough for you?”

Eddie shakes his head. “Look, she’s a great gal. And I know you guys are super close, which is awesome, but we just weren’t the best match. And I felt like shit that she was putting in all of the effort when I wasn’t interested. Now she’s free to...I dunno...find someone boring, too.” He sniggers, elbowing Jeff beside him trying to get him to laugh, too, but he could see how upset Dustin and Mike were. 

Luckily, for her sake, they didn’t notice her standing there, having overheard everything. Spinning right back around, she’d ditched her tray onto one of the trash bins before leaving the cafeteria completely before there was a chance anyone could see her tears. 

God, it shouldn’t hurt as much as it does, she thinks again. He was more than welcome to have his own opinion, but why did it have to be something like that? 

He was right, she wasn’t exactly Chrissy Cunningham or Heather Holloway, being this huge spectacle that made every new day more exciting than the last. All things considered, sometimes too much excitement frightened her. Having risked her life at least once a year for nearly four years now made her yearn for the more simple things. It was stupid of her to think Eddie would want the same. Eddie Munson, who liked to make scenes in the cafeteria and rock out in a bar with his band. He didn’t crave the simplicity of life like she did.

She didn’t go back into that cafeteria for the remaining of the lunch period. In fact, she’d decided to skip the rest of the day completely, knowing she shared three periods with Eddie and right now she really didn’t want to see him. She just wanted to get away, leave herself to her own thoughts to try to calm down. 

Well, that really only lasted for ten minutes because she found herself pulling into the small parking lot into Family Video. She spots Steve’s car at the far end and knows he’s inside. It was childish of her to go running and crying to Steve Harrington, who she knew would take her side and say all the cruel things about Eddie that she couldn’t bring herself to because she really just needed someone on her side right now. Aside from Dustin and Mike, of course. She wouldn’t forget how they jumped to her defense. 

The little bell rings at the top of the door as she walks in, startling Steve into consciousness, who seemed to be snoozing on the edge of the counter, drool pooled across his forearm. He wipes feverishly at his face and blinks unfocused in her direction, trying to situate himself quickly into his customer service face.

“Welcome to Fam-Jesus, you scared me,” he cuts himself off when he at last realizes it’s her. Confused, he turns to glance at the clock hung up on the wall. “Don’t tell me school’s out already? You beat Robin here.”

“No, I’m playing hooky,” she shakes her head, unsteadily moving towards the counter. 

“What? You? I’m sorry, am I still dreaming?” Steve asks dramatically. “Since when do you, of all people, ever skip class? I’d sooner believe Nancy doing it than you.”

“Just...needed a break s’all,” she says with a shrug, looking around. “Keith not here?”

“Nah, he’s off today. Something about a new graphic novel he’s been dying to get. Says he’d have to wait overnight just to get one of the first editions. I don’t know, I don’t really listen to him unless he’s handing over my check,” Steve said. She leans up against the counter, trying to act casual. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, why wouldn’t things be okay?”

“Well, for one, having to clarify that things are supposed to be okay when asked if everything’s okay is a pretty big indicator that things aren’t, in fact, okay.” Steve says with a laugh. “So everything’s not okay, then?”

“Everything’s okay,” she lies. “I just...can I ask you something?”

“Yeah?”

She isn’t sure how to come out and say it without sounding stupid. Better, she can’t figure out a way to come out and say it without sounding completely pathetic. But this was Steve, he was the king of asking her embarrassing things. He even called her once at three in the morning to ask how long you were supposed to leave cookies in the oven for. The follow up question was how to get the burnt smell out before his mom came home. 

“Am I boring?”

Steve tilts his head. “Huh?”

“Am I boring, Steve? Am I boring?”

“No? Who gave you that idea?” Steve snorts, like he thinks it was a foolish thing to ask. “Whoever it is clearly hasn’t seen you handle a crowbar.” He was referencing when she’d nabbed a crowbar from the junkyard lot to fend off the demodogs with him, all to protect the little ones in the bus. She doesn’t want to remember that right now, not when it makes her feel cold inside. 

“Nobody, I just...I dunno, I just think that maybe I’m not as exciting as, like...you o-or Rob or Nancy or, hell, even Jonathan.” 

“Nonsense, you’re a badass! True story, you know I wouldn’t say that about just any...” Steve trails off, finally really looking at her. “Hey...hey, why are you really askin’ me that? Something happen? Someone say something to you?”

“No, Steve, I was just asking.”

“You’re lying,” he accuses. “Who was it, was it Byers? Nancy? Not Robin...”

“No! No, Steve, they didn’t say anything, please just drop it. I shouldn’t have asked.”

Steve’s face eventually relaxes, having realized he knew exactly who she was talking about.

“Munson.”

She shakes her head. “Stop it, Steve.”

“What did he say? I thought he just wanted to be friends, where’s all this coming from?” he asked. There were too many questions being thrown at her. She doesn’t want to cry, especially not in front of him, but as soon as she feels her cheek dampen that was it. Soon she was burying her face in her hands and trying to stop the little whimpers from coming out.

She doesn’t notice Steve leap easily over the counter. He pulls her close, shushing her quietly. 

“Hey, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you upset,” he says. She sniffles, wrapping her arms around him. He’s petting her hair, kissing the crown of her head, trying his damndest to get her to calm down and talk to him. He was the perfect person to come to, she now realizes. Her subconscious knew Steve was the answer.

When she finally stopped crying, he at last let her go, giving her some space.

She rubs the tears from her eyes and wipes the tears on her jeans.

“Want me to kill him?” he asks jokingly. She laughs. He smiles again. “What happened? Can you tell me now?”

She told him what Eddie had said, the real reason he’d broken up with her and how she ran from the cafeteria and came here. Steve was reasonably upset, but he didn’t want to make it all about pounding Eddie into a pulp, he knew she needed her friend right now and he was prepared to be just that.

“Hey, screw him,” Steve scoffs, throwing an arm over her shoulders and pulling her back into his chest. “You’re far from boring, believe me, and honestly if you ask me you could do so much better than Eddie Munson. The guy picks his nose. I saw him once. It was gnarly.”

She’s laughing again, playfully hitting him. 

“Thank you, Steve,” she says, “I’m sorry to dump all this on you, I just needed someone to talk to, you know?” 

“Well, you came to the right guy. I can’t tell you it gets much better from public humiliation, but I can tell you that you find much better shit to focus on. Like this obviously stellar job. Robin. My new stereo I saved up for. And...well, you.” He playfully flicks her nose. She wrinkles her nose and swats his hand away. “Eddie doesn’t know what he’s talkin’ about. But I know he’s gonna kick himself in the ass when he realizes he lost a girl like you.”

“Yeah, you’re just saying that ‘cause you’re my friend.” 

“Not true, I also wanna bug you for your famous cookies.” Steve winks.

“I can bring them to you tonight, then.” she said, patting his arm. “I should get going. Um...you clearly are very busy and I don’t wanna keep you from doing your job.”

“I know, such a bad influence. The gateway rebellion was skipping class. Now it’s job defiance,” Steve chuckles, rubbing the back of his neck. “Hey, um...if you want, when you come by tonight, maybe you could stick around? Was gonna rifle through the back, borrow some flicks to waste my evening away. Free to join me if you want? Robin flaked out on me, says she’s doing some band practice with Vicky. Didn’t ask for details.”

She thinks about it and smiles. “Sounds like fun. Girls’ night.”

“Invitation rescinded!” Steve shouts, turning away. 

“No, I’m kidding, I’m kidding, stop!” she protests, giggling. “I’ll bring cookies and pizza, Steve. I’ll be there.”

“Alright, then,” Steve said. “Um...hey, don’t worry about Eddie, alright? He’s just being a dick. And honestly, apart from his relationship with the rugrats, he’s still gonna be a dick. He missed out on a girl like you. Clearly he’s a martian.”

“Doesn’t mean much when I’m from Hawkins. But thank you, Steve. I’ll see you tonight,” she says, squeezing his hand and finally leaving the store back to her car. She left feeling much lighter than she had going in. He was right. Forget Eddie. If he thought she was so boring he clearly didn’t need her around him. She had other friends, friends like Steve.

Smiling to herself, she climbs into the driver’s seat and turns the key into the ignition, hearing the engine roar to life.

Things would be just fine.