#steddie fanfiction writing prompt

[dwobbitfromtheshire]

Writing prompt: Steve gets blinded after season 3. He gets to move in with Dustin after parents refuse to be there for him. Hey, they left him money. (Yeah, his parents are assholes.) Anyway, Eddie's new sheep keeps going on about his brother, and he finally gets to meet him only to find that it's Steve Harrington. Eddie immediately falls for the charming blind guy who keeps making cheesy blind jokes.

[thefreakandthehair]

ornament.

written for @steddieholidaydrabbles | prompts: ornament | wc: 999 | rating: teen & up | tags: eddie pov, eddie munson has a crush on steve harrington, the party, steve's nuggets (+ friends) love him so much, fluff, tree decorating, getting together

Eddie’s sitting on the couch with sweaty palms between Nancy and Steve with Robin to Steve’s right while the kids, including Will and El who’ve moved back to Indiana permanently, sit in a poorly constructed circle near the Christmas tree. 

The tree Steve hates. 

The reason Eddie’s palms are sweating. 

“I just hate this thing,” Steve had sighed as he flicked on the pre-lit white lights. “When I was a kid, I’d beg for the colored lights and when I’d make ornaments in school, mom would give me this polite smile and then I’d never see them on the tree anywhere. It’s always these stupid red and silver bulbs.”

It hadn’t taken much for Eddie to rally their friends and host an ornament painting party, everyone crammed into his trailer under threat of death if they blew the surprise, but now that’s it’s here, Eddie kind of wants to run and hide. 

What if he hates it? What if he thinks it’s stupid? 

Nancy knocks a knee against his and raises her eyebrows with a quiet smirk. Eddie nods, just one quick jerk of his chin, as his heart clatters in his chest and Nancy excuses herself. It’s telling, probably, that Eddie couldn’t keep the box of ornaments at his trailer because Steve spends too much there with him but Eddie’s too busy wiping his palms on the rough denim of his jeans to unpack that at the moment. 

“Where’s she going?” Steve asks. 

“We don’t need permission to go to the bathroom, do we?” Robin teases, uncharacteristically smooth in her distraction. 

Steve’s too busy needling her back to realize the front door opens and shuts, at least until Nancy comes back in with the shoebox she’d helped Eddie wrap.

“Oh my God, yes!” Dustin pipes up, spotting Nancy and whacking Lucas on the back. “Look!” 

“What—” Steve looks around in confusion, mainly down at the box that’s plopped in his lap. “What’s happening?” 

“Tell him, Eddie!” Max grins at Eddie, always a little too smart and observant for her own good. Or Eddie’s, for that matter. 

“Uh,” he stutters. “Well, we wanted to do something I guess, special? For you? It’s really nothing big but—”

“Will you stop underselling it?” Robin laughs. “It took me days to get that paint off my fingers. It was a big thing!” 

“Paint? What are you talking about?” Steve asks again, huffing. “None of your presents are ready yet, so we can put this under the tree or something and then—”

“Nope, you need this before Christmas. That’s the whole point,” Nancy chides, sitting back down next to Eddie. “Right, Eddie?”

“Yeah,” he nods, meeting Steve’s eyes with a blistering vulnerability he’s sure Steve can see, can maybe even feel with his thigh pressed against Eddie’s. “You should open it.” 

“Alright, alright,” Steve agrees, sliding a finger beneath the neatly folded paper, peeling back the tape and tossing the wrapping paper to the ground. “Did you guys get me new shoes?” 

“Just open it!” Robin snorts beside him and elbows him gently in the stomach. 

Eddie holds his breath and hopes he doesn’t pass out as Steve lifts the lid and finds the handmade ornaments carefully placed in the box. 

On top of strands of multi-colored lights sit a dozen ornaments with tiny hooks ready to be hung on branches. Lucas’ sits on top, painted to look like a basketball. Max’s is made to look like the nail bat he’d once used to save her life. Robin’s is an ice cream scoop with an anchor painted dead center. Dustin’s looks like a can of hairspray which Eddie still doesn’t completely understand but Dustin assured him that Steve would get it. Jonathan and Argyle’s pizza ornament, mailed from California. One after another, Steve pulls out ornament after ornament with splotchy paint by the people who love Steve more than they’ll ever begin to express. 

It’s silent and loud all at once as Eddie watches Steve pick each one up and run his fingers along the imperfections, pausing to pinch the bridge of his nose before he speaks. 

“You… you guys make these?” Steve finally asks; soft, hushed. 

“We did!” El offers with a cheery smile. “It was Eddie’s idea.” 

“Holy shit, this is…” Steve whips over to Eddie, and any nerves he has disappear. He can’t possibly hate it, can’t possibly think it’s stupid when he’s smiling ear to ear, his nose wrinkling from the force of it before he chokes out a laugh that sounds almost like a sob. “Thank you.”

Eddie swallows and feels the heat creeping from beneath his jacket collar. He shrugs and bumps their shoulders together, nods at the kids across the room. “They’re all such great little artists, aren’t they?”

He doesn’t speak for long seconds, staring directly at Eddie until Max, menace that she is, speaks up. 

“You guys can kiss after, okay? Can we decorate the tree now?” 

Oh, she’s never getting a ride to school from him again. 

“Okay, everyone come grab an ornament!” Robin claps her hands together and pats Steve on the back, winking at Eddie as she stands up. 

Neither Eddie nor Steve move.

At least, not until the kids have their backs turned with Robin and Nancy trying their hardest to wrangle the kids into wrapping the lights around the tree. Steve leans over, Eddie’s impression of the vest he’d once thrown at Steve— the same vest that tethered Eddie to life as he’d gripped it with bloody fingers while Steve carried him out of the Upside Down— resting in his palm. 

“You’re incredible, you know that?” Steve whispers, the back of his hand landing on Eddie’s thigh. “Seriously. I can’t tell you… this means a lot, man.” 

“They love you, Harrington,” Eddie tries for subtlety but that’s never been his strong suit. “We all do.”

“C’mon,” Steve nods at the tree, his smile reaching his eyes. “The quicker we get this done, the quicker we can prove Max right.” 

[hunnybuttons]

Before the Upside Down, Steve Harrington could sleep like the dead. Once he laid his head on the checkered pattern pillow, Steve would be oblivious to anything happening in the world around him as he found solace in his dreams.

Steve would never admit it to Tommy H or Carol, but his dreams were his only safe place. In Steve's dream world, he wasn't the son to absent parents or the perfect King Steve; he was whatever version of himself that would've never been allowed around the Harringtons or the population at Hawkins High. Steve was comforted by the anonymity that was created as he slept till an alarm or the sunlight peeking through his curtains woke him.

Before the Upside Down, Eddie Munson would laugh as he told the rest of Corroded Coffin about how much he slept during the weekend. But, groan when Uncle Wayne stomped into his bedroom at 4pm wondering, "Boy, since when did you become a vampire?"

Basically, Eddie found it hilarious that he could sleep 16 hours a day and still go to bed at 9pm every night. One thing about Eddie Munson before that fated afternoon with Chrissy Cunningham, he could sleep like a corpse and never worry about sleep avoiding his clutches. Because as Uncle Wayne or a member of Corroded Coffin could tell anyone, Eddie loved to sleep and would theoretically kill anyone who tried to disrupt his slumber.

After the Upside Down, Eddie Munson and Steve Harrington found solace in one another as they struggled to remember who they were before circumstances led them to emotional, mental, and physical scars. Steve could no longer find comfort in his dream world as it replayed his most traumatizing moments from the last couple of years. Eddie could no longer sleep like the dead since he actually knew what it felt like to lay limp and face death.

Eddie and Steve stare into one another's eyes as they share a pillow in Steve's massive bed. Eddie whispers to Steve about how envious he is of his past self as he dramatically recounts Uncle Wayne's stomps or Corroded Coffin's scoffs. As Eddie spoke, Steve wonders if Eddie could be trusted with his deepest secrets about who he wishes he could be.

As Eddie's giggles fade into the dark of the night, Steve clears in throat and begins to tell Eddie about the lack of safety he has felt since turning 12 and being handed bundles of money that were to be budgeted until his parents came back home from whatever business trip Jonathan Harrington needed to attend. Steve mumbles about Tommy and Carol, or anyone else, never being able to fill the hollow space that was this mausoleum of a house until Dustin Henderson hijacked Nancy's roses and forced Steve to go on a wild demo dog chase. With a smile that actually reaches Steve's eyes, he tells Eddie how he finally knew what a mutual love felt like when Robin refused to get a new job without Steve.

Eddie desperately wants to read between the lines and believe himself to be someone who brought something into Steve's life. The begging words he sends up to whatever universal force doesn't want to continue fucking his life are interrupted as Steve looks Eddie in the eyes and admits, "Eddie Munson, you brought light and noise into my life."

Steve Harrington never understood how significant it was to feel the sun on his skin until Eddie woke up from his coma after his encounter with the bats, and begged for the blinds in his hospital room to be opened. Eddie's smile changed as he adjusted to the new scars on his skin, but Steve has never seen something so beautiful in his life.

Steve flinched in noisy environments when he remembers how angry his father would get if Steve existed too loudly. But, since Eddie took Steve to the middle of nowhere and convinced him to just scream, Steve has found himself seeking out music that taught him to release his emotions instead of pushing them further and further down.

Steve Harrington finally found safety in the real world when Eddie Munson whispers, "Stevie, please let me kiss you."

[helpimstuckposting]

Stop stop stop stop immortal Eddie who had Steve centuries ago and he’s gone now, but souls in the afterlife are maintained as long as their names are said in the living world and Eddie whispers Steve’s name every morning just so he doesn’t forget him. Steve, who can’t figure out how he could still possibly be remembered after hundreds of years, but is offered to go back down to the living world as a reincarnation. He finds out Eddie is immortal and that’s how he survived in the afterlife for so long, and even though he’s Steve Harrington now and has a different face, he still tries to get Eddie to fall in love with him again

[medusapelagia]

14 The betrothal

written for @steddieangstyaugust (prompt: Lake), @augustwritingchallenge (Prompt: prince and princess ), @aug-kissed (prompt: Hand Kiss) Rating: Mature Relationship: Steve/Eddie TW: omegaverse, Omega Steve Harrington, Alpha Eddie Munson, Beta Robin Buckley, violence, blood and injuries, vomit Words: 1563

If Steve was a proper omega he wouldn't be on that stupid carriage, to be shipped from Loch Nora's Kingdom to Forest Park like an unwanted pack.

A proper omega would honor his family, stay home, cross-stitch animals and flowers, and learn poems and music. But Steve never was a proper omega and after he rejected his last suitor his father told him that he wasted his last opportunity to choose a proper alpha and that he was going to find one willing to take in a rebel omega like him.

Male omegas are a blessing and a curse: they are very rare, so Steve's father was able to ask for a high dowry from whoever wanted to marry him, but there weren't many alphas willing to tie their life to a male omega. 

Steve has heard talking about Forest Park. A lot. And never in a good way.

They have a very bad reputation, but they are rich, so Steve has no doubt that his father got a really good dowry for selling him to those people. Well, not selling, betrothing him.

Thankfully, Robin is coming with him. Moving from one Kingdom to another and being completely alone would have been terrible, at least his beta best friend is trying to make him laugh by making silly comments and distract him from the long journey.

Even if the carriage is big and cozy, spending hours sitting on a carriage isn't that comfortable, and Steve's royal ass is in pain.

He doesn't even have enough space to stretch his long legs because in the carriage with them, there are the two guards King Munson himself sent to escort the future bride.

The guards are heavily armed, as they were expecting something to happen, and Steve isn't totally surprised. After all, Forest Hill has a terrible reputation. Their King was an outlaw before he rebelled and became king by killing everyone and conquering the castle, so Steve isn't really looking forward to moving in the same bed with a notorious assassin. But it’s not his choice anymore.

Savages, that's the kindest word Steve’s mom used to define those people, while what everyone thought but none dared to speak out loud was that King Munson was the new Warlord.

A warlord. Not a high-born, just a man with enough power and money to hire the strongest knight and mercenaries to help him keep his power. And Steve is going to get married to a Warlord’s son, or nephew, he's not really sure. Bloodlines are mixed in their Kingdom and they don't give a fuck about dynasties and the only blood that they care about is the one the blood spit by their enemies.

Steve has heard terrible stories about how cruel and violent those people are. One of Steve's servants has told him that Prince Munson killed his first wife with his own hands because she wasn't too sick to give him a child.

Being a male omega Steve knows he can bear pups, even if his heats are irregular and it's harder for him than for other omegas, but he never thought that the ability to bear a child or not could have been the cause of his premature death.

His scent gets sour and acrid while he thinks about the monster that he's supposed to wed. Maybe he should have been more pliant with his previous suitor. Lord Hagan wasn’t that bad after all. A little bit too presumptuous for Steve’s taste but he doubts he would have had him killed if he wasn’t able to bear a child.

"You ok? Do you want to take a break? Stretch your legs a bit?" Robin proposes, drawing soothing circles with her thumb on Steve's hand.

"Yeah, that would be nice." He confirms, rubbing a hand through his hair.

"No break and no stretching. We are still in hostile territory." One of the guards replies without even looking at Steve.

"Couldn't we stop just for a moment?" Robin insists, "We have been on this stupid carriage for hours!"

But an arrow flying through the window and ending his journey a few inches from her face makes her shut up.

"Stay down!" One guard yells, yanking Steve toward the carriage’s floor so abruptly that he falls badly on his own wrist, spraining it, but he doesn't have time to yelp because the carriage stops in the middle of the woods.

"Stay inside!" The first guard yells, jumping out of the carriage and drawing his sword. For a moment Steve catches a glimpse of a bloodied body staring blankly at him with a long arrow in the one eye socket.

"It's ok. It's ok." Robin tries to soothe him, releasing beta relaxing pheromones, but the other guard stops her, complaining that he can't afford to get relaxed by her pheromones, so Steve and Robin hug each other, trying to hide themselves from the attackers.

"He's here!" Someone yells, kicking the carriage door open, but the second guard is quick to pierce the intruder from side to side, what he wasn't expecting was someone else opening the door on the opposite side and grabbing Steve with no kindness, yanking him by his hair.

Robin screams, reaching out toward Steve, the guard turns his head just for a moment and another attacker takes his chance to stab him in the leg while Robin keeps screaming, but the clenching of the metal armor is so loud that Steve almost can't hear her.

A strong hit on the back of his head makes everything turn a warm black and he loses consciousness.

***

When he opens his eyes, Steve is surprised to find himself resting with his back against a big oak tree. In front of him the bluest lake he ever saw.

He puts down his hand, trying to get up, but immediately desists when a bright pain makes him whimper.

"I would stay put if I were you. Your wrist is sprained and you took a nasty hit to the head. Are you feeling dizzy?"

Steve startles, looking around himself, and finally finds a tall man with dark eyes and a nasty scar on his face staring at him with an amused smile.

His kidnapper!

The omega tries to crawl backward, but the unknown man is right, his wrist hurts too much and he still feels lightheaded.

"I think I'm going to puke…" he mutters, before turning on his side and emptying his stomach on the green grass.

Surprisingly, his kidnapper is quickly at his side, holding his hair out of his face, whispering encouraging words while he holds him to his chest with one arm.

When Steve's body gets limp into the kidnapper's arms, he takes a moment to breathe in his scent.

Embers and earth.

An alpha.

A proper omega should never be left alone with an alpha who's not family!

Steve tries to wriggle out of the stranger's hold, but he gently chuckles and pushes Steve's neck closer to the scent gland on his neck, "You're fine, omega. Nothing to worry about."

"I'm betrothed." He objects in a soft voice, while the alpha pheromones make him pliant and docile.

"That's what you're worried about? your honor?" The unknown alpha chuckles. 

He has a nice laugh, Steve decided in his drugged state of mind, and he smells delicious. No other alpha ever smelled so good to him.

Steve must have said something because a very pleased rumble comes from the alpha's chest.

"You don't smell bad yourself, sweetheart." 

Steve should be ashamed of himself, but the alpha's sturdy body is holding him tight and for the first time in his life he feels safe in an alpha's embrace.

"That's good. Come on, sip some water for me to wash away that bad taste."

The omega prince doesn't really know if the alpha is using his alpha's voice, or if he's already scentdrunk or whatever, but the only thing he wants to do is obey this alpha.

Steve spits a few times to clean his mouth from the horrible taste and then drinks some water, while the alpha keeps holding him tight.

The man’s wearing a beaten armor, stained with blood, and for a moment Steve wonders if he will kill him, but the way he keeps holding him makes him think that he’s affected by Steve’s scent as he is from his.

They aren't left alone for long. When Steve turns his head someone is riding toward them. Too many people.

Steve turns toward the alpha with eyes wide with worry, "You have to go. My future husband will kill you. He's a warlord! He won't be pleased you kidnapped me!"

"Kidnapped?" The alpha asks, staring with confusion at the omega, feeling Steve's head with gentle fingers, "How badly did they hurt you, omega?" he asks worriedly, and this time is Steve's turn to frown in confusion.

“I might not look so but I’m a prince. And I was on my way to wed the Forest Park’s Warlord's son. If they catch you, they’ll kill you.”

Eddie bursts out in a loud laugh, shaking Steve who quietly complains of being jostled by the huge Alpha's body.

"Let me introduce myself," the alpha says, grabbing Steve's uninjured hand and kissing the palm of his hand in the most chivalrous way, "I'm Edward Munson, King Munson's nephew, your betrothal." 

[little-annie]

Catching up on my @strangerthingswritersguild prompts today

T (Mentions of blood and dying) | WC 711 | Steddie

Like wildfire above, the sky dances in the colour of flames between the blackened clouds. Bright and blinding with every flash of lightning and every strike of energy into the ground. The thunder rolls and the monsters roar and where flesh was ripped from bone, Eddie burns.

“Look at me.”

A voice comes faintly through the constant whorl in Eddie's ears. Bat wings, and screeching, screaming cries from Satan's own spawn.

The fuckers.

He'll die because of them.

“Eddie, god dammit look at me.”

That same voice breaks into his consciousness again, though with this time accompanied by a strong jerking grip to Eddie's jaw. With force his head is turned and his gaze is pulled away from the blackness it'd been staring into. 

Somehow, some time he was moved from the heap of gore that was himself and a pile of Demobats that surrounded him. No longer laying in a pool of his own blood, but now prompt upright with the bite of bark to his back and the dampness of a forest floor beneath him.

In front of him is the bruised, battered and bloody face of Steve Harrington.

Even in his dying moments Eddie thinks Steve's beautiful.

“You're going to be okay.”

And delusional apparently.

There's no way he's going to be okay. 

Eddie accepted as much, what felt like hours ago.

He'll die here in hell and they'll leave him here to rot. 

It'll be better that way.

Less dead-weight to lug around and drag through whatever portal they can manage to find.

At least Steve's hazel eyes are the last thing he'll see.

The grip on his jaw squeezes tighter and Steve repeats himself giving Eddie's head a small, sharp shake. “You're going to be okay.”

Eddie wheezes a breath and his lungs feel weak.

“You ever had stitches before?” Steve asks 

Furrowing his brow, Eddie nods, thinking of that time he was dicking around in the scrap yard and ended up catching his leg on a stray piece of metal.

“Good.” Steve nods, “Good. I'm going to stitch you up, okay?”

Eddie's about to protest, but thinks it's pointless, a waste breath just as the stitches will be a waste of perfectly good medical equipment.

They don't need to use it on him.

He's still looking at Steve. Watching the way his eyes roam and his nose scrunches and the gash above his brow continues to bleed. 

His eyes look glassy.

“Tell me.” Steve says, begs nearly, “Come on. Say it. Say, ‘I'll be okay.’”

Those beautiful hazel eyes search Eddie's with a sort of desperation. 

God he can't lie to Steve.

He can't bear to disappoint him either.

With a cough and a sputter, Eddie wheezes, tries his fucking hardest to do as Steve says.

“I-” he coughs up what he's sure is blood, reaching forward to brace himself holding Steve's wrist, “I'll… be okay.”

Staring at Eddie's lips for much longer than necessary, Steve grits his teeth and without so much as a breath of notice Eddie feels Steve's lips crashing into his.

It's fast and urgent. Tasting of copper and the spoils of war.

But it too gives Eddie a goddamn will to live.

He tries to lean into the sensation even more but quickly Steve pulls away, replacing his lips what to Eddie's tongue feels like a fucking stick.

What the fuck?

“Bite.” Steve instructs, harsh and demanding, digging in a backpack that's been thrown down by his side.

Soon enough there's what looks to be alcohol, and needle and thread in Steve's one hand.

*Bite* Eddie remembers, feeling the warmth of his own drool pool around the stick in his mouth. 

*Bite*

Responding to Eddie's silence Steve looks up. “Harder.” He instructs, “It's going to hurt and we don't need you screaming so loud that whatever the fuck is out there can find us.”

He wants to ask about the kiss. The there and gone press of Steve's lips to his own. Mostly he just wants to know why. Why now? Why him? Why in the hell here of all places?

But Eddie bites down harder instead.

He can ask those questions later.

He'll be okay.

Steve reminds him of as much again as the first stitch pierces his skin.

[burntsecrets]

Steve Doesn't Know

Pairing: Eddie Munson x Reader 

Word Count: 2022

Prompt: Scotty Doesn’t Know by Lustria

Summary: A secret affair between the reader and Eddie Munson begins to unravel when Steve Harrington, unaware of their relationship, confesses his feelings.

Warnings: secret relationship, implied sexual content, romantic tension, emotional manipulation, jealousy, love triangle, secret-keeping, mild angst, friendship betrayal, power dynamics, suspense

You lean against the worn, grimy counter of the laundromat, the faint hum of machines filling the air, trying your best to focus on the magazine spread out before you. The pages are glossy but dull, and the content is irrelevant because your attention keeps slipping to the back corner where Eddie Munson sits, legs sprawled out, his dirty boots propped lazily on the folding table. His posture is relaxed, one arm draped over the back of the chair while the other holds up a dog-eared comic book. He flicks through the pages absentmindedly, not really reading, and every few moments, his lips curl into that familiar, secretive smirk—the one that sends your pulse racing.

It’s a smirk he reserves just for you that says he’s in on the secret you’ve both been keeping for months. Every shared glance, every brush of his fingers, feels like it’s charged with something unsaid—something electric and heated that only the two of you understand. His dark eyes lift every now and then to meet yours, just for a split second, and in that brief moment, it feels like the rest of the world disappears. 

It’s a game, a dangerous dance of sneaking away, of meeting in the dead of night when the town is quiet. The back of Eddie’s van has become your sanctuary, the place where he pulls you close, his hands on your waist, his lips on yours as the metal walls rattle around you. Or sometimes it’s his trailer, the cramped, messy space where you can hear the creak of the bed as he whispers your name against your skin.

No one knows—not Steve, not your other friends. They’re all blissfully unaware of the secret conversations shared in the shadows, of the way Eddie’s smirk grows just a little darker when you’re alone together. And when you're back out in the open, you both return to your roles, acting as if nothing's different, hiding behind casual smiles and subtle nods. But you feel it—he feels it—the crackling energy that lingers between you, the magnetic pull that no one else can see. It’s a secret world, one only the two of you share, and with each stolen moment, the line between danger and desire blurs a little more.

The bell above the laundromat door jingles loudly, its shrill ring cutting through the stillness, pulling you back to the present. Your gaze snaps up just in time to catch Steve Harrington as he strides in, his broad grin lighting up the otherwise dingy room. There’s an easy confidence in the way he moves like he’s oblivious to the undercurrent of tension that hangs thick in the air between you and Eddie. Steve’s always had that ability—his carefree charm, his boy-next-door grin that disarms everyone in the room.

He heads straight toward Eddie, hands shoved in his pockets, oblivious to the electric glances exchanged between you and the man sitting in the back. Eddie barely shifts in his seat, though the smirk playing at the corners of his lips never falters. There’s a strange dynamic between the two of them—part grudging respect, part camaraderie, built from their shared battles in Hawkins. They’re not best friends, but there’s something between them that can’t entirely be defined, and today, Steve seems utterly unaware of just how much he’s walking into.

You force yourself to look back down at the magazine, its glossy pages a blur. Your fingers tighten around the edges, though you try to appear casual, pretending that you’re engrossed in the article. But your pulse quickens, the beating of your heart loud in your ears, because something feels different today. Steve has that look like he’s here for more than just a casual chat.

Steve approaches Eddie with an easy confidence, standing just a few feet from him. “Hey, Eddie, you got a minute?”

You glance up briefly, just in time to catch Steve standing a few feet away from Eddie, his easy confidence still intact. There’s something in his tone, though—something that tells you he’s about to say something important. Your curiosity spikes, and you shift your posture slightly, angling your body toward them while pretending to flip another page of the magazine, though you aren’t reading a single word.

Eddie lowers the comic book in his hands slightly, one eyebrow quirking up in mild interest. “Yeah? What’s up, Harrington?” His voice is relaxed, but there’s a glint in his eyes, a knowing look that’s hard to miss. He’s already sensing that Steve has something on his mind, something more than idle conversation.

Steve shifts on his feet, a nervous energy radiating from him that’s out of place compared to his usual carefree demeanor. His eyes flick briefly in your direction—so quick you almost don’t notice—before he looks back at Eddie. You keep your head down, pretending not to notice how he hesitates. Steve’s hands dig a little deeper into his pockets, and then he lowers his voice, his tone suddenly quieter, more cautious.

“It’s about her,” Steve says, his voice dropping just enough to make it clear he’s trying to keep this conversation between him and Eddie.

Your body tenses instinctively, fingers tightening slightly on the magazine as his words hit you. Me? Steve wants to talk about me? A rush of surprise shoots through you, making your pulse race faster. You fight to keep your expression neutral, not wanting to give anything away, though the words on the page blur beneath your gaze. You stay frozen, pretending to stay focused on the magazine, but your heart is hammering in your chest.

Eddie leans back slightly in his chair, and though he keeps his casual posture, you notice the subtle change in his body language. His smirk deepens, and there’s a flicker of amusement in his eyes like he’s already two steps ahead of whatever Steve’s about to say. The tension in the room thickens, heavy and unspoken, as you wait for the conversation to unfold, your heartbeat syncing with the undercurrent of secrecy swirling around the three of you.

"Her, huh?" Eddie's voice is slow and deliberate, each word rolling off his tongue with calculated ease. He leans back in his chair, his eyes fixed on Steve with a glint of amusement as if he already knows where this conversation is going and savoring every second. The casual smirk that tugs at the corner of his mouth tells you he’s entirely in control here. "What about her?"

Steve shifts nervously, the weight of what he's about to say hanging between them. He exhales, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, his usual confidence faltering. "Look, I don’t know how to say this without sounding like an idiot, but... I think I might have feelings for her."

Your heart skips a beat, but it’s not for the reasons Steve would expect. Feelings? For you? Steve—your dependable, kind, and funny friend—has feelings for you? It catches you off guard, but it doesn't set off the kind of reaction you’d imagine. Sure, you and Steve are close, have always been close, but the idea of him harboring deeper feelings had never crossed your mind. You’d always seen him as a friend, someone you could count on, someone who made you laugh and always had your back.

But now, here he is, standing in front of Eddie, spilling his heart, and you can’t quite process it the way he’d want you to. Instead of feeling flattered, it feels… strange. Unfamiliar. And your eyes instinctively dart toward Eddie.

Eddie’s smirk falters for a split second, his dark eyes narrowing slightly, but it’s fleeting. The smirk returns almost instantly, sharper now, more amused. "Feelings?" He drags out the word, toying with it like a cat with a mouse. His tone is casual, but you know Eddie well enough to sense the undertone beneath it—the subtle, dangerous edge. "Didn’t see that one coming, Harrington."

Steve laughs awkwardly, running a hand through his hair, his unease apparent. "Yeah, I know it’s probably stupid, but she’s... different, you know? Not like other girls." His voice is a little too eager, a little too hopeful. "I just… I don’t know what to do about it."

You glance at Steve, feeling a pang of something—maybe guilt, maybe sympathy—but it’s not enough to stir anything deeper in you. You’ve always liked Steve, but not like this. Not in the way he seems to like you. For you, Steve has always been a friend, and nothing more. There’s no rush of excitement, no nervous flutter in your stomach when you’re around him. Just warmth. Comfort. Friendship.

But Eddie? Eddie’s the one who sets your pulse racing.

As Steve keeps talking, his words fade into background noise, overshadowed by Eddie's presence. He doesn’t even have to move, doesn’t have to look your way, but just knowing he’s sitting there, the quiet confidence in his posture, and gods that smirk, sends an unexpected thrill through you. It’s Eddie who makes your heart race, Eddie who fills the air with a tension so thick you can barely breathe.

You shift slightly, the heat of the moment pressing in on you, making you hyperaware of everything—the worn fabric of the laundromat seat beneath you, the buzz of the fluorescent lights, the way Eddie’s fingers drum lazily against the comic book in his hand, the secret weight of the moments you’ve shared with him when no one else was around. The late nights in his van, the stolen kisses, the way his hands move over you like he’s staking a claim. That’s where the fire is, the electric undercurrent that Steve can’t even begin to suspect.

Eddie leans forward slightly, and that smirk on his lips sharpens like a blade. "You sure she’s not already taken?"

Steve blinks, clearly confused. The question seems to knock him off balance. "What? No way. I’d know if she was seeing someone."

Eddie’s grin widens, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Are you sure about that?" He’s playing with Steve now, dangling the truth in front of him like bait.

Steve frowns, his confusion deepening. "Yeah, man. We hang out all the time. She would’ve told me if she was with someone."

Eddie lets out a low chuckle, the sound dark and knowing, sending a shiver down your spine. He shakes his head, leaning back in his chair with an almost mocking air of disbelief. "You think so, huh?" His voice drops lower, more dangerous now as if he’s daring Steve to figure it out. His eyes flick toward you for the briefest moment—just long enough to send another wave of heat crashing through you. "Maybe she’s got her hands full with someone else already."

Your breath catches, heart pounding, as you realize what Eddie’s doing. He’s no longer hiding it, no longer playing coy. He’s toying with Steve, pushing him closer and closer to the truth without ever saying it outright. And you’re caught in the middle, feeling the weight of the secret you’ve been keeping with Eddie pressing down on you like never before.

Steve stares at Eddie, his confusion giving way to suspicion. His eyes flick between you and Eddie, the pieces slowly starting to click together, but he’s still not quite there yet. "Wait... is she seeing someone?"

Eddie shrugs, his smirk never faltering, the look on his face one of pure triumph. He’s enjoying this far too much. "I’m just saying... maybe you don’t know everything that’s been going on with her."

Steve’s face goes pale as the realization begins to sink in. His gaze locks onto you, searching for something—confirmation, denial, anything—but you can’t bring yourself to move. He turns back to Eddie, his voice quieter now, more hesitant. "What are you trying to say?"

Eddie doesn’t answer right away. He doesn’t need to. The truth hangs in the air, thick and suffocating, waiting for Steve to finally piece it together. Eddie’s smirk widens, and the tension in the laundromat becomes unbearable.

Your pulse pounds in your ears as Steve’s confusion shifts into understanding. You can feel the secret unraveling right in front of you, and there’s no stopping it now.

[chaosgremlinmunson]

STWG 02-09-2024

Prompt: Ass

Pairing: Steddie

“You are such an ass!” Steve squealed, falling over the side of the bed laughing.

Eddie continued his assault on Steve's sides tickling him, he straddled his hips as Steve kept trying to buck him off.

Eddie yelped as Steve's knee connected to his groin and fell sideways sliding off the bed holding himself.

“Oh my God, Eds?! Are you okay?! I'm so sorry!” Steve jumped up and knelt in front of him, “Do you need some ice? Something else.”

Eddie was wheezing, he held up a hand as he grimaced trying to catch his breath.

“No more tickling, I guess.” Eddie wheezed.

“I could always kiss it and make it better?” Steve said quietly, Eddie glared at him up through his bangs.

“Absolutely fucking not Steven. You are not flirting with me for the first time after kneeing me in my junk!”

“.....oops??” Steve's face was crimson.

[inthedarknessofnight]

Okay, okay, but hear me out.

Rockstar Eddie Munson’s old bodyguard has just retired. The agency’s decided to send in a replacement - a very attractive newbie by the name of Steve Harrington.

Unfortunately, he’s everything Eddie despises. Prim and proper, overeager to do his job right, a real stickler for the rules. Eddie’s pretty sure the guy’s eyes nearly pop out of their sockets the first time he sees Eddie do a line. Or down a bunch of pills with a glass of bourbon. Or bring a man into his dressing room backstage. Still, Harrington doesn’t say anything. Doesn’t break. So, of course, Eddie takes it as a personal challenge to traumatize the poor guy, going to extremes just to get a rise out of him.

That’s how he finds himself toeing the ledge on the terrace of his penthouse hotel suite, casually toying with his half-empty glass of neat whiskey. He knows Steve will come looking for him sooner or later, giving the room a once-over before they call it a night. And just like clockwork, Steve does.

“Wha-,” Steve starts, his voice slightly shaky, then checks himself. “Mr. Munson, what are you doing? This is dangerous. Please, step down,” he says, a sense of newfound authority in his voice. Eddie finds this new tone to be working a little too well on him, so he doubles down on his performance, mindlessly twirling around to face Steve, turning his back on the city below.

“Hey, come on. I’m not screwing around. You seriously need to get down.”

Steve takes a few steps forward, extending his hand towards him, never taking his eyes off Eddie’s. Instead of accepting the offered hand, Eddie settles for a scoff.

“No. No, I don’t think I will. Thanks, though.”

He downs his drink, careful not to lean too far as he tips his head back.

“Come on. Please,” Steve says, his tone slowly turning into something like a plea. Something raw. It triggers something inside Eddie, as he levels the man with a pointed look. He takes a deep breath.

“Give me a reason,” Eddie spits out, devoid of any edge. He watches the expression on Steve’s face falter.

“Because,” he swallows, his eyes seemingly searching for something on the ground, before lining back up to Eddie’s, “I was hired to protect your life. And I’m not going to fail. I can’t fail.” Steve’s gaze is stern now, but for some reason, Eddie feels like he’s witnessing the swan song of a stone exterior about to break. “Please. Don’t let me fail.”

Steve’s standing by the ledge now, his hands resting gently around Eddie’s ankles, as if to assure a solid hold in case Eddie decided to move. The way he’s looking up at Eddie, though, so vulnerable, so innocent… That’s going to leave a permanent mark on his brain. Eddie knows it.

“Eddie,” Steve breathes.

Eddie thinks he can almost see the breath being punched out of him, causing him to tip back, setting off his balance. This is it, he thinks, as his life flashes before his eyes in anticipation of the fall. His mind hasn’t yet caught up to the moment in which he’s being yanked forward by the front of his shirt, and hauled bodily onto the ground. It’s only when he feels the grounding pressure of another body on top of his that he comes to again, registering Steve’s face sporting a panicked expression almost too close for comfort. And for a moment that’s all there is. Sharing panicked breaths, sharing air. A hand comes up to cradle his face, then swipes over his forehead before traveling to other parts of his face in a series of hurried motions, checking for any signs of an injury. Making sure he’s not hurt. Making sure he’s okay. He brings his own shaky hand up, drawing Steve’s hand back to cradle his cheek.

“It’s okay. I’m okay,” he manages to get out between breaths, trying his best to catch Steve’s erratic gaze.

Then he notices. Steve is crying. It’s the moment Eddie sees Steve’s façade break for the first time. It sends him over the edge, warm tears silently spilling down his cheeks, as he presses Steve’s hand firmly into his face.

“Never again,” Steve says barely above a whisper, his breath ghosting over Eddie lips, his tears falling onto Eddie’s face.

“Never again,” Eddie repeats with such conviction it sends a chill down his own spine, before gripping the back of Steve’s head and closing the distance between them.

[allthingssteddie]

The Harringtons money came from blood money

Edmund Munson and Richard Harrington both alpha and omega were childhood best friends. They both dreamed of leaving their tiny town and thinking about ways to make money.

One day Edmund received a letter that his grandfather which he knew nothing about died and leaving him the mine that he owned. Not knowing if he should just sell it to someone he talks to Richard who tells him they could make some money from this and should just keep it. Ed agrees to this from their they were making more money they have ever had but over the years the conditions were getting worse and he didn’t know what was going on with rich he was being secretive and not involving him with decisions. But one day when there is In order to excavate a new shaft quickly he employs a dynamite charge but the explosion causes the mine to collapse

Which kills a bunch of people Richard blames Edmund for the death of those people saying he was cutting corners and underpaying his workers. Betrayed Ed being an omega knowing that no one would believe him says nothing the next day couple of days he hung. Leaving Richard with all that money. On his wedding day Ed’s mom apears and tells him every omega boy in that family will be killed by the beast just like her son was.

The Harringtons hadn’t had an omega in that family for the next decade until Steve was born. When he presented at 14 parents grew scared and had him locked at home telling him it wasn’t safe out there and he wouldn’t go to school. But over the years he had learned of ways to sneak out when everyone was asleep and would go to the woods. There was something about it that felt like he was actually home a feeling he hadn’t felt ever. He had started to talk to the woods which he felt silly about at first but began to grow used to. He felt as if the woods were listening and the wind would hum in acknowledgment. But that night when he accidentally slept on the ground he heard the winds warning “run “it whispered . But as he was about to run back home he heard a whimper “Help .” He turned around to find a man naked he looked sick his face pale and he was sweaty and looked like he injured his hand looked to be a huge bite on it. He could feel something in him there was a familiarity about this man. He picked him up sneaking him into the shed. He cleaned his wounds from his hands. He was debating at first if he should call an ambulance. But before he could head back to call the boy awoke and after he questioned him the boy he found out was named Eddie was confused at first and told him he must of been sleep walking he been doing that for a couple of months now .

So to try to make it short somthing in Eddie been trying to find Steve and one night sensing him he turns into a wolf which he has no control over him self and seeing Steve and having the urge to bite him he bites his own hand . When he wakes he doesn’t remember. But they start to bond and they feel this connection where it’s like they can��t be apart like it actually hurts them just being away from each other and Eddie’s urges to atack him scares him he doesn’t know where this is coming from. When learning Steve’s last name Eddie stops talking and when Steve’s having rejection sickness Eddie’s having it too and goes to him.

I had a lot more ideas to write on this but I’m exhausted. Also I won’t be writing this it’s just an idea that I had.

[sidekick-hero]

I didn’t know that it could be easy

(steddie | rating: t | wc: 3.071 | cw: none | Part 2 to this one | tags: Christmas Day, modern au, found family, marriage proposal, fluff | @steddiemas prompt "Christmas Day")

When the wonderful @sentient-trash sent me this beautiful steddie art I knew I needed to write something for it. So why not fix the heartbreak I caused with this ficlet here? Thank you again, Simon, I love your art so much 💜💜

"It has to be perfect, Wayne. Do you hear me? Perfect."

Eddie knows he's overthinking this, obsessing over things that probably won't matter in the end, like the color of the tablecloth or whether the scented candles smell like cinnamon or vanilla. It's just...this is Steve and he needs this to be perfect because Steve deserves nothing less. Eddie almost screwed up this thing between them once, and he's been terrified of doing it again ever since.

It's a miracle and a half that they've made it this far. Their third Christmas as a couple, living together in their cozy apartment with their cat Garfield and their dog Bowie. That they made it to the point where Eddie has a ring hidden between his Dnd dice set, waiting to be placed on Steve's hand if he wants it.

God, what if he doesn't want it?

Because four years ago, Eddie had foolishly pined for Steve. Worst of all, he’d done so after pushing the other man away himself after a drunken night together early in their friendship slash roommateship. At the time, he'd thought his feelings had been one-sided, telling himself he'd done it so he wouldn't lose Steve completely. Eddie had never been the kind of guy you would choose to be with after a quick tumble in the sheets, so why would someone as sweet and funny and gorgeous as Steve?

As he discusses his plans for the evening with his uncle, so goddamn determined to make it the perfect Christmas for his boyfriend, he thinks back to their fight that had almost ended it all. Steve had been with someone else after Eddie had made it clear that their night together had been a drunken mistake and that he wanted them to be friends. Eddie had been dying inside, even as he tried to be happy for Steve. Things had come to a head when Eddie had come home and found Steve and his boyfriend Sam making out on the couch. He had reacted badly and Steve had followed Eddie to his room and confronted him about his behavior.

God, he can still see Steve's face, the tears forming in Steve's eyes as he told Eddie that he couldn't do it anymore, watching Eddie disappear before his eyes. Telling him that he fucking missed him. Steve's boyfriend had interrupted their fight before anything else could be said, and Eddie had left their apartment to wander aimlessly through the night.

"Don't forget the pecan pie, it's his favorite. And the banana ice cream. Yeah, I know I hate banana everything, but it's his guilty pleasure. I made some toffee and caramel beans to put in it and some chocolate topping and whipped cream to go with it, so - I don't know why you’re laughing at me, but I don't have time for this, he'll be back from walking Bowie any minute and I still have to put the presents under the tree. Just. Will you help me make this the best Christmas he'll ever remember? Please?"

He's an anxious mess, and he knows his uncle can tell, because instead of teasing him further, he just confirms in a warm and gruff voice that he will help Eddie make this the best Christmas for his boy. They end the call and Eddie rushes into their shared office and recreation room. It is actually Steve's old room from when they were roommates instead of boyfriends. Nowadays it's used as a guest room when one of their friends or his uncle sleeps over, and as a storage room for all the stuff they don't want lying around the apartment taking up space.

It's also where they keep the Christmas presents.

Eddie carefully carries them over to their Christmas tree and places them underneath it. All except one, which he puts in his pocket. Playing with the simple gold band in his pocket, Eddie couldn't help but think back to that night over three years ago.

He had snuck into their dark apartment, assuming that Steve was staying at Sam's to avoid Eddie. He had decided to tell Steve the truth about his feelings during his long walk, rehearsing what he would say, playing out a hundred different scenarios. Still, he hadn't been prepared to find Steve lying on Eddie's bed, apparently asleep while waiting for him, with Eddie's favorite hoodie clutched to his chest.

The sight had hit him hard, making his breath catch in his lungs and his heart stutter in his chest. He had just stood there for what seemed like hours, watching Steve's sleeping form on his bed. Steve had looked worried, even in his sleep, a slight crease between his eyebrows and the hand holding his sweater had been clenched into a tight fist. His whole body was hunched up as tight as it could be, his knees pressed against his chest as if protecting himself from the cold and empty room. That was what finally made Eddie move.

He went back into the living room and grabbed the afghan off the couch before making his way over to Steve. But as he placed the blanket over the sleeping form, Steve had stirred.

"Eddie?" He had mumbled, his voice slurred with sleep.

Unable to help himself, Eddie had knelt by his side and started to stroke his hair. "Yeah, it's me. Go back to sleep, Stevie. We'll talk in the morning, 'kay?"

But when he had tried to get up, he had been stopped by Steve's hand on his arm, his eyes searching Eddie's with surprising clarity. "Stay. Please."

Maybe it was the late hour or the emotional exhaustion. Maybe it was because Eddie had no fight left in him to deny himself or Steve what they both obviously wanted. Maybe it was just the way Steve had looked at him, the memory of the tears in those eyes still clear in Eddie's mind. Whatever it was, Eddie had just slipped out of his jeans before crawling onto the bed right behind Steve, pushing the sheets out from under them to pull them over their heads. With their bodies pressed together and Steve in his arms, they had both fallen asleep.

The next morning they'd woken up late, still tangled under Eddie's blanket. Everything had been warm and hazy, perfect really. When he felt Eddie stir behind him, Steve had rolled over in his arms and they had just looked at each other for a long moment before Eddie had broken the silence between them.

"I'm sorry, Steve. I don't even know where to begin to tell you how sorry I am."

Steve had just taken his hand, his thumb caressing the back of it in small circles, and it had given Eddie the courage to go on.

He told Steve all the things he had been too afraid to say before.

They had talked for a long time. Steve telling him how much he had wanted Eddie that night, drunk or sober, that he had liked him for a while and had hoped they would get together afterwards. But then Eddie had called it a mistake and asked Steve to be friends. So he'd tried, but he'd never gotten over Eddie. Sam had known that Steve was nursing a broken heart when they got together, and after seeing how Eddie had reacted to their relationship and how it had gutted Steve to see Eddie pull away, he had put two and two together. He wished Steve good luck, but said he couldn't wait for Steve to get over someone who clearly wanted him back.

"I fucked up bad, huh?" Eddie had asked with a pained smile, looking at their intertwined hands between them. He couldn't believe that Steve was still here, holding him close and lifting their joined hands to his lips to plant a soft kiss on the back of Eddie's.

"Kind of. But I think we can fix this."

"And how do you suggest we do that, oh wise one?" Eddie had asked, hope blossoming in his chest at the warmth of Steve's smile.

Pulling Eddie impossibly close, Steve whispered against his lips, "Would you just kiss me, you idiot?"

Eddie had never been happier to be called an idiot, as it led to them exchanging soft kisses that soon became more heated, tongues sliding against each other to take each other's moans right out of their mouths.

When they finally stumbled into their kitchen, it was late noon, but that didn't stop them from making breakfast together before spending the day lounging on their couch, exchanging kisses and soft whispers of how happy they were to finally be here.

That day, Eddie had vowed to work hard to never let something so precious slip through his fingers again.

Since then, they'd adopted a grumpy orange-and-white cat with one eye and a mutt, moved Steve's stuff into Eddie's room ("Because that's where we finally got our shit together, Eds"), and Wayne had all but adopted Steve into the Munson family. Robin, Steve's best friend, had taken a little longer to warm up to Eddie because she had a front row seat to Steve's heartbreak thanks to Eddie being an idiot. But she had come around, as had Steve's little brother Dustin, who was away at college, a fact Steve didn't take too well. So Eddie had invited Dustin and his mother, as well as Robin, without telling Steve, hoping it would be the perfect surprise for him.

As if his thoughts had summoned them, the doorbell rang, alerting Eddie to the arrival of his guests. Opening the door with a flourish, he found Dustin and his mother standing there, along with two large suitcases.

"The Hendersons! Welcome to our humble abode, please come in." Eddie greets them cheerfully before leading them into the warm and cozy apartment.

He gets them settled in their guest room and is about to make them both some hot cocoa when the doorbell rings again, this time revealing Robin and his uncle, who happen to have arrived at the same time. They also gather in the kitchen, with Wayne taking over the cocoa duties. They all shove more presents into his arms, which he dutifully places under the tree as well. And in a wider circle around it, because holy shit, that's a lot of presents.

The only thing missing is Steve, who takes their dog for long walks whenever he has the time and hasn't been back yet.

Wayne is in the middle of telling a rather embarrassing story from Eddie's childhood, which the man himself tries to stop, but to no avail, when he is saved by the sound of a key turning in the lock of their front door. Eddie mimes for everyone to be quiet as he makes his way to the door as quickly as possible.

"Stevie, light of my life, you're back!" Eddie calls out in excitement as soon as the door opens to reveal his boyfriend and their dog.

Steve, on his knees letting Bowie off the leash, looks up at Eddie with suspicion. "What have you done now?"

"I'm wounded, Steven. Wounded! Why do you accuse me of some unknown crime before you even give me a kiss?"

Steve grabs Eddie by the collar of his Christmas sweater and pulls him in for a kiss, smiling so hard it can hardly be called that. "Because you get extra loud and dramatic when you're trying to hide something. So what have you been doing?"

"A special Christmas surprise, honey." Mrs. Henderson speaks up, making Steve whip his head around to face her.

"Claudia?" And then his eyes land on the other guests gathered in their kitchen. "Dustin? Robin? What...why? How? I thought you had to spend Christmas with your parents, Robs?"

"That was all Eddie. He arranged for all of us to come here and spend the evening with you. I have to leave later to drive over to my parents, but not for another four hours or so."

After hearing Robin's words, Steve slowly turns back to Eddie, and this time the tears in his eyes are from happiness, not heartbreak.

"Eddie," is all he says before he slams into him, his arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders and his face nestled in his favorite spot just above Eddie's collarbone. "I love you." Steve whispers, his voice choked with emotion.

"I love you too, Stevie," Eddie whispers back, right into Steve's ear, the words meant just for him.

After that, they all gather around the improvised dining table Wayne had set up. It is a simple construction with another table the same height as their kitchen table, so they could push them together and decorate them with a large tablecloth to make it look like one. They eat the roast Steve had prepared, everyone praising his cooking skills, making him blush and his eyes glow with pride.

For dessert they have pecan pie, much to Steve's delight. "Eddie insisted it had to be pecan," Wayne reveals, earning Eddie a wet kiss on the cheek from Steve.

"You're spoiling me, Eds."

"It's not spoiling when you deserve it. Besides, the pie is for everyone, it just happens to be your favorite." Eddie deflects, suddenly self-conscious. Maybe he'd overdone it, just a little, in his quest for the perfect night. But what is it they say? In for a penny and all that. "I might have something just for you, though."

Before Steve has a chance to say anything to that, Eddie is already up from the table to get the ice cream from the kitchen. By the time he comes out with it, everyone has stuffed themselves with the pie, leaving none for Eddie. Putting the ice cream in front of Steve, he complains loudly about it. "That's how you thank me, I see. Scoundrels, all of you."

A plate with a large slice of pie is placed in front of him. "I saved you a slice, baby."

Eddie presses both hands to his heart and pretends to melt. "Aw, you do love me."

Instead of answering, Steve just kisses him before looking down at the bowl in front of him. "What's that?"

"Banana ice cream with toffee and caramel beans, topped with whipped cream and chocolate sauce."

Steve plunges the spoon into the creation and takes a big bite, letting out a moan that's downright pornographic. "Oh God, please marry me."

Across from them, Wayne nearly chokes on his coffee at Steve's words, and Eddie gives him a warning glare. Wayne is the only one in on Eddie's plan, which Eddie begins to regret. But he needed someone to organize some things, especially the custom-made rings.

After dinner, everyone gathers around the tree, including Garfield and Bowie. Garfield is sitting on Claudia's lap, having taken an instant liking to her, while Bowie is sleeping at Wayne's feet. As usual when their little family gets together, the gift exchange is a cheerful and chaotic affair. Eddie gets new guitar strings from Robin, a new set of custom-made Dnd dice from Dustin and Claudia, and Garfield slippers from Wayne, as well as a can of motor oil with the promise to change Eddie's oil together next weekend. Steve's gift, however, was the most treasured: two tickets to a Metallica concert right here in Chicago.

Throughout the night, Wayne had been taking pictures of everything, claiming that they would be glad to have some memories later on. So when all of the presents have been handed out, he leads Steve and Eddie over to the tree for a picture.

"We need Garfield and Bowie here, too, if it's a family photo," Steve exclaims, his cheeks rosy from equal parts eggnog and joy. "Come here, Bowie. Good boy." Bowie, who is just as much of a sucker for Steve as Eddie is, promptly follows. Eddie knows that Garfield would not be so easily persuaded, so he walks over to Claudia, plucks him from her lap, and places him at Steve's feet.

What Steve doesn't know is that this is all part of Eddie's plan. The two pose in front of the tree with Bowie between them and Garfield weaving between Steve's legs. Just as Wayne's about to take the picture, Eddie turns to Steve and, seemingly outta nowhere, grabs a Santa's hat and puts it on Steve's head. "There you go, now you look all dressed up for the occasion."

"How...where did you hide that?"

"Pulled it out of my ass. You better check to see if I have any more Christmas stuff stashed there later, big boy."

Eddie can't know it yet, but he hopes Wayne captured the exact moment Steve's face scrunched up in surprised laughter. But even if he hadn't, Eddie hadn't been able to tear his eyes away from it anyway, as he memorized every single detail of that very moment.

As his laughter subsides, Steve opens his eyes again to look over at Eddie, only to find him kneeling with his hand outstretched and something small on his palm. A simple golden ring.

"Oh my God."

More than one gasp of surprise could be heard from those around, but the only person whose reaction matters to Eddie is Steve. Who looks at Eddie with big, shining eyes and an open mouth, completely taken by surprise.

"Steve, I have rehearsed this a million times and I still do not have the words to tell you what you mean to me. What our life together means to me. I love you so much it scares me, because surely people aren't supposed to feel that much, but I do. And I want to be scared every single day for the rest of my life because it means I get to love you. I get to cherish you and laugh with you and take care of our furry kids together, and Steve, sweetheart, I want to marry you and promise you forever. And I can't wait for nothing to change, because the life we have is already perfect. And if that didn't make any sense to you, I'm really sorry. The most important thing is that I love you. So, Steve Harrington, will you do me the honor of becoming my husband?"

Steve has tears streaming down his cheeks, but he’s smiling. In fact, he’s smiling so big it has to hurt, and when he kisses him, all Eddie can taste is happiness and love. After that, Steve peppers his whole face with kisses, each one pressing another "Yes" into his skin.

Their love story might not have begun like a perfect fairy tale, and Eddie had no idea if it would end like one. But the middle? It was pretty damn perfect, if you asked him.

[dwobbitfromtheshire]

Some fanfictions put Steve hanging out immediately with Jonathan and Nancy after they broke his heart. Honestly, that doesn't make sense. I think Steve did everything he could to avoid them, including eating lunch in his car while Careless Whisper plays. He cries every time. And then Eddie walks by, and he's a sucker for a lost sheep.

[thefreakandthehair]

@eddiemonth prompt, oct 30th:  Costumes | Children of the Grave - Black Sabbath | Loyal [1.9k, rated T] read on ao3 + masterpost | tumblr masterlist

“No, no, no, no—” Gareth protests, ducking the Donkey costume mask that Eddie tosses his way backstage. “Not again! Dude, that thing smells like having a condom over your face and it’s impossible to drum in. I’m not doing it this year. No way. Someone else is taking one for the team this time.” 

Eddie cackles, trying not to cry with laughter and smudge his green face paint. “Decide amongst yourselves then, but someone is wearing it. We’ve gotta commit.” 

Jeff snorts and shakes his head. “No chance, why can’t someone be like, Fiona or something?” 

“We need Donkey! He’s crucial to the story!” Eddie rolls his eyes and walks over to grab the mask. “Okay, circle up. We’re gonna Rock, Paper, Scissors this. On my count.” 

The rest of the band huddles around and Eddie counts to three. Gareth throws rock and celebrates as Frank and Jeff both throw scissors. 

“Redemption!” He celebrates as Eddie counts Frank and Jeff in for three. 

In the end, Frank gets stuck with the Donkey costume, Jeff reprises his Pinocchio costume, and Gareth steals Farquaad out from under Frank in the Rock, Paper, Scissors coup. No one is particularly happy, but Eddie doesn’t care. 

He doesn’t care because Shrek Night is his favorite show of the year. Since its inception a few years earlier, entirely by accident when Eddie was forced to perform as Shrek as a dare, it’s become something of a cult classic among Corroded Coffin fans. The last show they play before Halloween is a costume night, and the fans have taken to the theme like, well, like an ogre to mud. 

There’s something incredibly special about screaming the lyrics to their latest hit while a sea of Shreks and Gingys and Fionas scream along with him. 

And tonight is no different. 

—

“Shreddie! Shreddie! Shreddie!” 

The crowd roars to life as the group takes the stage, waddling in costumes and maybe a little itchy from body paint and latex masks. 

“Give it up for Donkey on the bass!” Eddie shouts, pointing to Frank. He gives his best, saddest wave. 

“Give it up for Pinocchio on the guitar!” He yells again as Jeff hammers a riff in response and grins in his fedora and suspenders. 

“And last but certainly not least, give it up for Lord Farquaad on the drums!” Gareth drums a little rimshot as the hat pokes out over the top of his high hat. How he plans on drumming the whole night crouched on his knees is beyond Eddie, but ultimately not up to him. 

The crowd goes insane, as usual, and Eddie takes a second to soak it all in, to glance over the various costumes before everyone melds into one collective unit of chaos. Fairy Godmothers, and Donkeys, and Fionas as far as the eye can see. He even spots a Puss in Boots in the front of the pit, standing next to a very attractive Gingy. 

He doesn’t have time to assess the life choices that lead him to have that particular thought though, because Gareth starts counting them in. 

—

Their originals are hits, of course, as are the covers. After all, it wouldn’t be a true Shrek Night without at least a couple of songs from the famed movies. 

“And then I saw her face!” He shrieks, his voice barely loud enough to be heard over the crowd. “Now I’m a believer!” 

He runs around the stage, careful not to lose the microphone (again) as Jeff, Gareth, and Frank pound away at the melody. As the song comes to a close, Eddie slides on his knees, hardly protected by the cheap beige pants from Walmart, to the edge of the stage. 

“Not a trace! Of doubt in my mind! I’m a believer!” He sings, drawing out the final note. 

Chants and applause follow him up and he falls to his back, guitar over his chest, pounding his feet and fists on the stage as he catches his breath. Green paint melts from his forehead and when he brushes his hair back, he pulls his fingers away to see shades of ogre paint that’s surely made its way into his hairline. 

Before he can stand, Gareth shouts into his microphone, presumably to give Eddie another second or two. It’s no secret that I’m A Believer is high octane. 

“Do you know…” Gareth pauses for effect before shouting. “The muffin man?” 

Before the crowd yells out together, jumbled and out of sync, a faux high-pitched voice rings out surprisingly close to Eddie’s feet. 

“The muffin man!” 

He sits up and spots him: the hot Gingy he’d noticed earlier, laughing with a scrunched up nose, leaning on his friend’s shoulder. 

Oh, fuck me, Eddie thinks. He’s adorable. 

It’s usually the other way around: Eddie being ogled by a fan in the front row, staring up at him like he’s something to eat, like he’s prey. Ignoring them is easy enough, typically appeased with just a smile or a wink to carry with them forever, but this guy? The one with the fuzzy brown onesie with purple button and white, pretend icing lining the legs and waist? Well, Eddie’s never actually wanted a fan in the front row to look at him until now. 

So he scoots to the end of the stage, legs dangling over the edge, and steals Gareth’s line. Grinning down at the guy pressed to the railing, he screeches. “The muffin man!”

Gingy’s friend, known only to him at this point as Puss in Boots, elbows him hard in the ribs and he looks up to see Eddie staring right at him, crooked grin, and in hindsight, probably a bit more unhinged than planned. 

His friend looks back and forth between them, disbelief in the shape of her mouth and furrowed forehead, but it seems to work because Gingy returns the smile and has the audacity to wink at him. 

Eddie raises his green brows towards his hairline and nods appreciatively. The barricade isn’t far from the edge of the stage, close enough for Eddie to leave the microphone to the side and ask Gingy and his friend to hang back after the show. 

—

After one crowdsurfing escapade from Jeff, one quip into the microphone from Gareth about how he now understands why Farquaad is always so cranky, and few more of the originals peppered with All Star and Bad Reputation covers, Corroded Coffin takes an awkward but well-deserved bow. The crowd cheers for more, even after their encore, but eventually filter out through the venue’s exit doors, flooding the parking lots and nearby streets with Shrek characters. 

Eddie’s sure the local bars are having a blast. 

The only fans left are Gingy and Puss in Boots, who Eddie desperately needs the real names of before his thoughts turn into a troubling Shrek fanfiction. With a quick word to their manager, Chrissy, he makes sure they won’t leave before he comes back with a plan— a very weird, very niche plan that he hopes works on the presumably dorky, albeit confident, man in the fuzzy onesie. 

Her wings bump him in the shoulder and remind him that she truly is his Fairy Godmother. 

“Eddie,” Jeff deadpans as he plops his prop fedora on the backstage table and unfastens the buttons of his suspenders. “Are you really about to go hit on a fan? Dressed as Shrek? With an onion?”

“Do you have a better idea?” He whirls on him, a lone onion from a backstage fridge somewhere in one hand and a sponge trying to at least clean up his face paint in the other. He’s sure he looks insane. And he may as well be at this point. 

“Uh, don’t? That’s the better idea?” Frank offers in the corner, his face red and sweaty from the suffocating Donkey mask. 

“Not an option, so Operation Onion is on. I’ll be back. Or not. Hopefully not, actually.” Eddie shakes his head and sets down the makeup sponge, places the onion in his prop burlap bag. “Wish me luck!” 

Gareth sighs with ice packs on his knees. “Nope.” 

—

Eddie approaches the open backstage area, the spare lounge where Chrissy’s talking with Gingy and Puss in Boots. Maybe talking a little more intently to Puss in Boots, but he can’t begrudge her. After all, Eddie’s doing the same thing, isn’t he? 

He catches a bit of the conversation before opening the door, overhearing Chrissy refer to them as Steve and Robin. 

Thank God, he thinks to himself. Better than the placeholders. 

By no means does Eddie consider himself a rockstar— not yet, anyways. He enjoys the mid-level shows he gets to do with his friends, especially on nights like this, but he’s yet to harness that rockstar swagger. At his core, he’s still the marginally insecure, frantic kid from Bumfuck Nowhere, Indiana who paints D&D miniatures and speaks Elvish. And dresses up as Shrek, apparently. 

All of that to say, his heart pounds in his chest and his tongue feels twisted around itself when he knocks on the door. 

“Oh, hey, Eddie! Come on in! Great show tonight!” Chrissy smiles, wide and bright, as she introduces Steve and Robin. “This is Steve, and this is Robin. Steve, Robin, you all know Eddie. Or, should I say, Shreddie?” 

All three groan and shake their heads in good nature. 

“To be fair, man, you are still in the get-up. I thought you were going backstage to change or something.” Steve teases, eyes full of mirth and challenge. 

Exactly Eddie’s type. 

“And leave the three of you dressed up and feel out of place? Not a fucking chance.” Eddie takes a breath and goes for it, channeling his years of drama and general theatrics. 

He goes to take his seat on the sofa and pretends to trip, his burlap bag tipping over in time for his onion to fall to the floor at Steve’s feet. 

“Shit, sorry, that’s my onion,” Eddie shrugs. “Happens sometimes. Ogre and all, y’know? By the way, you’re gorgeous.” 

“Oh my God,” Chrissy mutters under her breath and ducks her head, leaning an elbow on Robin’s shoulder and covering her eyes. 

Steve’s mouth falls open into a little O and sits quietly for a few beats, nothing but the girls chuckling off to the side and an onion between them. Eddie’s about to swallow his tongue and see himself out when Steve leans forward and picks it up, tossing it up in the air above his head and catching it like a baseball. 

“Looks like you dropped this. And uh, thanks. I could say the same to you.” 

Robin wheezes and doubles over. “Jesus Christ, Steve. I know I’m a lesbian and all but this? This is what works on you?” 

Eddie likes her already, and a quick glance to Chrissy tells him Chrissy does, too. 

“Is this Ogre discrimination? Do I have to explain that we have—”

“Layers!” Steve finishes for him, nudging her in the ribs. “Ogres have layers, Rob. Don’t be so close-minded, God. Besides, he’s half melted and just ransacked backstage for an onion. Don’t judge our mating rituals.” 

Mating rituals? Eddie grins with pursed lips and narrowed eyes. “Yeah, what he said.” 

Robin just shakes her head and gestures with one hand at the air between the two men, speechless. 

“Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna go see if this sweaty, half-melted, babbling Onion Man wants to make out or something.” Steve slaps his hands on his thighs, still covered in fuzzy material, and stands. “What do you say?” 

When he shows up backstage to introduce Steve to the rest of Corroded Coffin, both of their faces are now smeared with green paint and Steve sports painted handprints in some telling places. 

Eddie gives them a bright smile and jazz hands, his friends’ expressions are as impressed as they are confused.

Shrek Night really is his favorite show of the year. 

tagging people who expressed interest <3: @cuips-not-cute @just-my-latest-hyperfixation @useless-nb-bisexual @kkpwnall@cuoredimuschio @doublecherrypiediscosuperfly@ohmagicalunicornlord @hellion-child @bxnsheeslxdia @pomegranatebb @vampeddie @horsegirleddiemunson @stobinesque @sidekick-hero @medusapelagia @slipperygiraff @epiclazershark @bayouteche thank you to @nostalgicbones for beta-reading and inspiring this!

[envythemouse]

Eddie singing a self-written song for "Stevie" with Corroded Coffin is cool and all but having Eddie play guitar softly at home, songs that he likes and he knows Steve knows and then Steve starts singing along softly when he recognizes the tune and Eddie finds out Steve has the voice of an angel and Eddie realises he has fallen for Steve Harrington, has fallen hard and- is this how Lucifer felt?

Anyway, that, is way more romantic than having a song dedicated to you played at some shady bar, just saying.

[imfinereallyy]

50 Dialogue Prompts for Fic Writers

“You should call me sometime.”

“I didn’t know you played.”

“You’re not human, are you?”

“I heard a rumor about it.”

“Why is there a hole in your ceiling?”

“Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?”

“Hey Alexa, play ‘Vienna’ by Billy Joel”

“Sorry.”

“I’m really lucky you’re not in love with me.”

“A boy needs his father.”

“I’m sorry you’re upset, but I’m going to marry her.”

“Why is there blood?”

“And you’re sure it was over there?”

“I can hear it through the walls.”

“Don’t worry, you’re not my type.”

“This is for your own good.”

“Is it okay if I borrow this?”

“I heard you were dead.”

“All you have to do is say it.”

“This place is haunted…I can feel it.”

“You said this time would be different.”

“You woke me up.”

“Think before you speak.”

“The infection has spread.”

“Sometimes I forget to look up.”

“Do you think we are soulmates?”

“There is a chicken on our couch.”

“I can’t believe he cheated.”

“I lost the letter you gave me. I never read it.”

“Will you be my best man?”

“You don’t get to just kiss me and walk away!”

“I heard you the first time.”

“The twilight movies were cinematic masterpieces.”

“Only a true man plays with Barbie’s unapologetically.”

“Please leave a message, after the beep.”

“I’m so tired and I feel useless.”

“Is there a reason you’re here?”

“I was eavesdropping and I heard something I can’t scrub from my memory.”

“I’m scared I’ll be the reason.”

“It’s nothing personal.”

“I guess I just always thought when someone wrote a song about me, it would be romantic. Not this.”

“Run.”

“It’s not miscommunication if you never communicate in the first place.”

“If you had a dad to call, I would call him.”

“You’re the first person I wanted to tell about the divorce.”

“Every time I look in the back seat, I think of you.”

“Why are you hiding? Aren’t you supposed to be working?”

“Worst. Wingman. Ever.”

“We met at a funeral.“

“And if I don’t say it enough. I love you, I love you, I love you.”

[medusapelagia]

12 Nothing left

written for @steddieangstyaugust (prompt: Terrible Things – Mayday Parade ) and @augustwritingchallenge (Prompt: animagus ) Rating: Mature Relationship: Steve/Eddie TW: mention of plane crash, mention of Steve’s parents death, suicidal thoughts, magic Words: 1735

The grumpy black cat shows at his door for the fifth night in a row, demanding loudly to be fed the fancy tuna Steve’s mom used to buy in the bio shop.

He has never had an animal and even if the cat is definitely a stray with no collar and probably full of fleas, he doesn’t seem eager to get a family. He wants his fancy tuna, nothing more.

Steve sighs, goes into the kitchen to grab a little dish and the can of tuna then he gets back and grabs some water too, and goes back to his backyard. The black cat is still there, staring at his reflection in the water like it was something unusual, but his pointed ears flinch when he hears the door slide open and turns toward Steve with a soft mew that makes Steve chuckle.

He doesn’t step closer until the food and the water are neatly positioned on the plates and Steve has moved away, staring at him from one of the deck chairs. The cat eats quietly, always very aware of Steve’s presence, and when he’s done he licks his thick black fur and then he blinks at Steve with his eyes so dark that they seem to hold all the secrets of the universe and then he disappears through the woods.

Steve sighs, realizing that the cat visits are the best moment of his day. In the last two weeks, his entire life was destroyed. He lost his place as the alpha male at school and his parents… 

He puts his hands into his hair and pulls until he chokes back the tears.

His parents are dead. The plane they rented to get on that stupid island never made it. They are dead somewhere in the ocean. No flight data recorder, no plane, no emergency call. Nothing. Just Cindy, his father’s secretary, calling him to give him the news.

And that’s not all. 

His father wasn’t the great businessman he pretended to be. He had so many debts that Steve would have to renounce his inheritance if he doesn’t want to drown in his debts. Still, he’s feeding a stray cat the best tuna in town and pretending that everything is fine.

The news of the accident didn’t make it on the news to protect Steve from debt collectors so none knows that he has nothing left. None knows that some days he wonders if it wouldn’t be easy for him to just put an end to his misery.

He was having those kinds of thoughts the first time the cat showed up. Big, furry, and loud. He has mewled until he got Steve’s attention and since that day he has shown up every night, at the same hour, when waves of despair fill Steve’s lungs, making breathing an unbearable task.

It’s just a coincidence, Steve isn’t so naive to believe that a stray cat is trying to save him, but he has found himself waiting eagerly for the elegant animal to come to visit. 

While Steve cleans the little plates he reminds himself that he should try to find a job, but that would mean that the entire town will know that he has nothing left and his stupid pride won’t let him. He sighs loudly. He has one week to leave the house, then it will be put on sale and he’ll have to start living in his car like a homeless guy at nineteen.

That’s not the life he thought was waiting for him.

A scratch on the door attracts his attention, and the big black cat is back, holding a lizard in his mouth.

Steve chuckles, opening the door to let him in, “Come on. I don’t bite.” Steve chuckles, while the cat weary gets inside, leaving his bloody prey on the Persian carpet. Steve will put it in the trash as soon as the cat leaves, but it’s nice seeing that at least he has a friend left.

“Milk?” he asks the cat, not really waiting for an answer but pouring some in a little plate while he grabs his beer, “You must be thirsty after your hunt.”

Steve cracks the beer can open while the cat slowly laps the milk.

“I’m having a hell of a week.” Steve complains, drinking his beer, “My parents died in a plane crash. They didn’t even have a funeral because there was no body to retrieve. They asked me if I wanted a commemoration ceremony but it didn’t make sense to bury two empty caskets in old Lord Harrington chapel, you know?” he drinks some more, “Oh, and I’m full of debts. And I’m going to lose the house soon. Hope the new owner will be kind to you. You’re a good guy. You even brought me a lizard.” Steve chuckles, grabbing another beer, and another until he’s too drunk to stand and he simply sits on the Valentino’s tiles his mom personally chose when they moved.

“I won’t even be present at the graduation ceremony. The Principal told me he’d have my diploma delivered where I wanted. But I have no idea where the hell I’m going to stay. Not here, that’s for sure, but I don't know how comfortable my car is for sleeping. Had a few hookups but never slept there. Not even once. Maybe I should have tried ahead. To be ready. And you have to take care, little friend.” Steve sighs, “I'm only telling you this because life can do terrible things. You can’t know it but I used to be sort of good at school, I was rich and famous and had the prettiest girl in school. Then another boy came and claimed my crown. My friends left me. My parents died. And all I’m left with is a car and a stray cat that loves my mom’s fancy tuna.”

The cat steps closely so slowly that for a moment Steve thinks that he’s imagining it, but after a few moments the cat is standing next to his feet, his dark eyes pointed at Steve like he had understood his entire discourse and he was sorry for him.

Those eyes are dark, so dark, almost magnetic. But he’s just a cat and Steve has drunk too much. He should go to bed.

“Yes, you should.” the cat says, and Steve giggles.

“Cats don’t talk. God I drank too much.” he decides, standing up and wobbling toward his room, moving one leg after the other but feeling that it's not him who’s ordering his limbs to move.

Bullshit.

He’s just drunk.

***

When he wakes up the next day the sun shines too brightly and he curses himself for drinking too much. On his night table, there’s a big glass of water and some Advil. At least past him foresaw that he was going to need them in the morning.

He slowly steps down the stairs, but he freezes: someone is singing in his kitchen. Steve grabs an umbrella from the umbrella rack and steps quietly into the kitchen. In front of the fires, cooking some eggs and bacon stands a beautiful man with long black hair and deep dark eyes.

“Good morning.” He says, smirking, and his teeth look a little bit too sharp.

“Who the fuck are you?!” Steve asks, holding the umbrella tight to his chest.

“Are you threatening me with an umbrella, Steve? For real?”

“How do you know my name?!”

“I know many things about you. And I know you had an awful week and that you need to eat something more than chips and candies. Sit down. It’s almost ready.”

“How did you get in?”

“You invited me.”

“I never did such a thing.”

The man turns with a little smirk, and his tongue flickers on his lower lips just for a moment in a very familiar way.

“This can’t be true. I must be still asleep!”

“What can’t be true?”

“You… your tongue… the cat… it’s not…”

“I need my opposable thumbs to cook, but I guess I can indulge you for a moment.” the man winks, and with a puff he disappears.

“Where the hell…?”

But when Steve circumnavigates the table the big black cat is staring at him with the same smirk the man had.

“Do you prefer this form? My uncle says I’m cuter like this.”

Steve startles and falls on the ground, hitting the floor harshly, while the cat steps closer to him, climbing his legs with ease.

“Hi, Steve. I’m Eddie. Nice to meet you. Now can you tell me where are you hiding that incredible tuna? I really enjoyed it.”

Steve points a shivering finger toward a kitchen cabinet, and Eddie gets down from his lap and turns back into a human to open the kitchen cabinet, “Here it is! I’m going to miss it when we move.”

“We… what?”

“My uncle is coming to visit soon, he’ll decide if you are one of us, but I already know you are.”

“One of you?”

“Animagus. Mages that can change into animals.”

“Am I?”

“Yes, you are, Eddie confirms, putting some eggs and bacon on a plate and offering it to Steve, “That’s how I found you.”

“I… I didn’t transform into an animal.”

“No, you didn't.” Eddie replies, nudging the plate closer to him, “But you almost did. I smell the stench of your despair from miles away. I just had to make sure before calling Wayne, don’t want to make the old man travel so long for a false alarm, you know?”

“I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“Eat, Stevie.” Eddie insists, taking a chair and putting the tuna on a little plate but eating it with a fork this time, “Phoenix burn themselves when they’re desperate.” Eddie says, licking his lips, “And you almost did.” He explains, holding the fork and gesturing with it while he talks, “I thought you were a grumpy old man tired of living between normies. You can easily understand how surprised I was to see a young phoenix with no training abandoned in a huge and empty house.”

A knock on the window interrupts them and when Steve turns the biggest eagle he ever saw is staring at him with his head tilted to the side.

“Oh, that’s Wayne.  He’ll explain it better. Anyway, if he says you’re one of us you’re coming with us.”

“Where?”

“Home.”