#stephan artur harrington renaldi

[frankenstein-ate-my-left-shoe]

A Recipe for Disaster (Chap. 8)

Pt. 1 | Pt. 2 | Pt. 3 | Pt. 4 | Pt. 5 | Pt. 6 | Pt. 7 | AO3

Here's Chap. 8! Clocking in at 19.5 pages on google docs this time, we have Steve and Robin's meeting with Parliament about the children's shelter, the throne room scene that I somehow missed before, and a good ol' Robin and Eddie interaction (plus much more!!!)

The next morning, Steve and Robin are sitting down for a meeting with a select few members of Parliament. Wayne is there with them, and Steve thinks it’s giving him a chance to look mean, if nothing else.

“And so, gentlemen, the winter palace in the mountains of Libbet will be converted into a children’s shelter until money can be raised for one of their own.”

“The use of the castle as a resort is a sort of…perk. For parliament members and dignitaries.” the member sitting on his left (on Robin’s other side) interjects, the other two agreeing with short nods and hushed “Agreed.”s. 

“Well, I’m going to de-perk it.” Steve levels him with a look that has him shifting uncomfortably in his seat. “I feel guilty having two homes while they have none.”

He hears one of the other members whispering from his right and snaps his attention toward the other two. “Lord Crawley, how is your brother doing?” 

Crawley has the decency to look embarrassed for being caught, “I–I don’t speak to my brother, Your Highness.”

“Oh. Well, I’ve hired him to be the lead architect on the project!” Steve smiles. Wayne raises his hand and the doorman lets Mr. Crawley into the chambers.

Mr. Crawley greets Wayne when he pulls out the seat kitty-corner to Steve’s. Steve stands and shakes his hand “Your highness, gentlemen.”

They both sit, and Mr. Crawley gives his (twin) brother a curt “Jerry.” that his brother echoes with “Dean.”

“I am very excited to get started, your highness, and to get your notes on the project!...and no one else’s.”

That last bit of backhanded commentary gets Lord Crawley riled up and the two start bickering between themselves, and over the unfortunate third parliament member stuck between them.

Steve leans toward Robin while keeping his eyes on the two, whispering “Nevermind, I’m glad we aren’t twins?”

She snorts out a quick laugh and busies herself with her notes, though he’s sure they’re as immaculate as always.

He raps his knuckles on the table in front of him as the twins’ fight reaches its peak, and the two back off instantly, looking sheepish.

“The queen approves of the plan, and I intend to see it through. Now, gentlemen, I’m sure it won’t take too long to raise the money, do you?” 

–

“So, you kissed Eddie, huh?” Robin asked once they were heading back to get Steve ready for his and Joyce’s scheduled open meeting with the public.

Steve sighs, “Yeah, I did. We did? We kinda kissed each other at the same time.”

“So…? How’d you even get close enough to kiss?”

“I uh…” He scratches the back of his head absently “I told him how I felt. About him.”

“That you have capital “F” feelings for him right? That’s what you said yesterday.”

He lets out a long breath and stops walking. He looks down at the tile at his feet, hands on his hips. “That’s…not exactly..all of it.”

“What do you mean ‘not all of it’?? You have big Feelings for him, that seems like a whole lot.”

“It is all big, real, Feelings, but…I saw our whole lives together, Rob.” it’s just barely more than a whisper.

Robin is quiet for a few seconds “Steve, that’s–” 

She’s cut off by the incoming sound of footsteps. They both look over, and let out a synchronized breath of relief. It’s only Murray. 

“Oh! Murray!” Robin jogs up to meet the man, saying something to him that Steve couldn’t pick up. Murray nods the whole time, assuringly, then pats Robin on the shoulder and continues on his way.

“Good morning, sir!” is all he says to Steve as he passes, then Robin is back.

“What was all that about?”

“I just needed to ask him about some other Royal Advisor shit I’ve been working on, but keep going! You haven’t told me about these prophetic visions of the future you’ve been seeing! Does Eddie become a silver fox? Do you eventually go bald?”

Steve’s hands fly to his hair, “Oh my god, Robin, don’t say shit like that! You’ll curse me!” he starts walking toward his suite again. 

“Oh please, you’ll be fine, your grandpa had a full head of hair on his deathbed. Now tell meee!”

“Okay, okay, so back when Nancy first got here, I told her the truth, that I got a big ol’ crush on tall, dark, and handsome after one dance but then found out that he and his dad are trying to run me out so that had crushed me.”

“Duh.”

“So she asked me if I could see myself with him, and I told her no. Y’know, like a liar.”

“Sounds about right.”

“But I saw it so clearly as soon as she asked me, and it was like my chest caught fire.”

“Thinking about yours and Eddie’s possible future together gave you heartburn?”

“No, no, like, okay, at my peeping tom moment, as you like to call it, it felt like something sparked in my chest; and I, of course, took that as hatred.”

“Yeah, ‘how dare he be a real person with a real hobby’.” She nods.

Steve snaps his finger at her. “Exactly. So when she asked me that, that spark that ended up not being hatred started burning so hot…and I could see it all, Robin. I could see him off to the side at my coronation, smiling all proud at me. I could see him at my side when we’d meet with the public. We, Robin, side by side. And I could picture the portrait they’d have painted of us, a little older, some gray in our hair, sure, hanging right beside Joyce and Bob.

“I told Nancy I couldn’t see it, and the day of the garden party I told Eddie that I’d lied to her, that I really could see it all, but that I’d be wiping my hands of him.” He does the same fake during his hands off movement he did that day.

“So…in essence, you told him you could very clearly picture a life with him, AKA you have big sappy feelings for him, then that you hated him.” They’d arrived back at his suite, so Robin lets herself in and holds the door open for him. 

“No, I–” Steve runs his hand through his hair. “Okay, yeah, basically. But when I went to leave, he grabbed my arm, whirled me around, and we kissed.

“We were pressed together, and it was like my brain switched off completely, not a thought in my head. We both started leaning toward each other..then it happened.”

“Ew gross, this is so sappy.” Robin flopped herself onto his bed and pillowed her chin in her hands, looking up at him to continue.

Steve rolls his eyes, but does. “Here's something else cliche and sappy: I know what they mean now when they say there are fireworks sometimes, when you kiss someone.” He laughs at Robin’s mimed puking. “I’m serious! His lips were soft, his hands were calloused and warm, and…and he held my face like I was something precious. Something worth holding onto.

“But then I came to my senses, pushed him off me, causing him to fall backwards into that damn fountain, causing me to fall when I tried to catch him, giving me a bruise, a soaking wet, nearly see-through suit, and a litany of “Prince Steve” fanpages posting zoomed-in pictures of my crotch.”

“All that, and you still almost kissed him again yesterday.” She shakes her head at him in exasperation.

“Oh! And he told me that he wished he could know what I’m working with, so I guess you were right, he does have feelings for me too.”

“That’s great!”

“Only sexual though, seems like. Which is fine, I get it. Just. Sucks, you know?”

Robin starts grumbling under her breath at that, so he leaves her be and starts getting ready to meet with the public. This time he pulls out the powder blue version of what is becoming his signature pear-tree printed suit.

“You should get ready too, you’re going with me to the throne room, right?”

She jumps up from the bed “Oh yeah! Meet you there, Dingus!” Then she was gone.

–

“We will have someone come to your farm tomorrow morning and perhaps we can repair your well, and save your feed.” Joyce addresses the man stooped down in front of her. 

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” He bows his head, then reaches for the basket at his knees “This is for your table.”

“Thank you!” Joyce says, bowing slightly in return and sweeping her hand out for the footman at their side to take the basket.

While the basket is taken away, Steve grabs a goblet of water from behind them, and passes it to his Aunt. “You do this so well, they all just adore you.”

She takes the goblet thankfully, looking up at him from the throne when she does. “Oh, well it’s part of a long-standing Genovian tradition to meet with the citizens this way. You must be fair and very honest. Even if you can’t help, you have to show the people you care.”

Steve smiles at her “We haven’t had time to talk much lately, can we after this?”

Joyce’s face softens, and she reaches up to pat his cheek. “Of course my dear.”

Murray introduces the next citizen then, and Steve takes the water back from Joyce.

Steve looks out over the throne room, over the waiting line of citizens, and all the way over to the wall on his right where a few chairs have been set up. All of them are occupied: Robin is sitting in the first chair, texting furiously with one hand at her side and writing down something in the pad of paper on her knee with the other. Wayne is in the next, struggling to stay awake already and starting to lean onto Eddie who’s in the next chair over. Eddie’s already been looking at Steve every time he risks a glance to the other man, and every time Steve has to think about literally anything else to keep the blush off his face. Eddie’s father is here too for some godforsaken reason, but makes a good foil for his reaction to Eddie. Get flustered about Eddie? Just look over to the last chair in the row and remember what Eddie’s really doing here.

The constant high to low mood shift is giving him a headache.

More citizens come through the line, each offering something for the royal family. It’s very touching, having each of these people put together the best of their best, likely from their families own crop, own shop, own hands for Joyce. Steve feels even more so like he has a lot to live up to, coming into the throne after someone as beloved as her.

“Citizen Tiny Duvall.” Murray announces once again.

Okay, that’s just not fair. Only movies name obviously very large people ‘Tiny’.

“Your Majesty.” Tiny beams at Joyce, not from below, but at her level. Seated a couple steps up from the floor, her height in the throne leaves her and Tiny, who is kneeling, at the same eye level.

“Bonjour, Tiny.” She smiles “May I present my nephew, Prince Steve.” She’s done this with a couple of the citizens who’ve visited, calling out his presence at her side for a reason unknown to Steve.

“Prince Steve,” Tiny turns his bright eyes to him and gives a small head bow.

“Monsieur.” Steve greets in return.

“Thank you for seeing me today. Something for your table.” He pushes the covered basket in his hands to Steve, who gestures the same way he had for all the other offerings, and the footman takes the basket from Tiny.

“She’s my favorite!” Tiny declares, and Steve immediately needs to know more. “I hope you like omelets.”

Steve glances at Joyce and huffs out a short chuckle, “Uh, may I?” He asks Tiny, gesturing to the basket.

“Of course!” He nods excitedly so Steve pulls back the cover and..it’s a chicken? “Be careful.”

“Oh, it’s a chicken!” whatever it is that possesses Steve to try and pick the chicken (an animal he’s had exactly zero interactions with in the past) up out of the basket, he doesn’t know, but he does. And the chicken flaps out of his arms and to the floor.

‘Oh what the hell?’ He steps forward and tries to grab it back up, and misses, and misses again, and again. It’s stupid fat, feathery body is staying just out of his reach, and causing chaos in her wake.

She’s climbing up the steps in front of Joyce and Steve thinks ‘I’ve got you now’ as she slows down to hop up the marble steps.

Just his luck, he misses her (again) and she starts off on her circular path through the corridor behind the throne (once again). But he can’t follow the feathery warlord, being caught by Joyce as he lopes past her.

“Uh, Steve?” She says to him through a grin, and he turns to her “a prince should never chase a chicken.”

Steve stands there next to Joyce, jaw dropped open, and wholly embarrassed, and looks over to where Eddie is seated.

Viscount Muñoz is chuckling heartily and elbowing Eddie, who is laughing uncomfortably at his father, but looks to Steve and they lock eyes

‘You okay?’ Eddie mouths to him, a lighthearted, still teasing, smile on his face.

The tension in Steve’s chest snaps and falls away at that and he lets out a breath, giving Eddie a small nod.

–

“Stupid, stupid, stupid, what the fuck, Steve?” Steve mutters to himself all the way back to his suite after the throne room debacle.

He showers to get out all the gel he’d slicked into his hair previously, and fixes it up the way he would normally. After he changes into a plain white tee and some jeans, he texts Robin and asks her to meet him for a late lunch. 

It’s already past three in the afternoon and he hadn’t had anything to eat since a quick cup and coffee and some toast before his first meeting this morning.

Robin texts him back with: ‘Sorry Dingus, I have Super Important Things™ to catch up on, I will see you for dinner?’

He’s disappointed, but not surprised. She does, afterall, have her own responsibilities within the palace. 

He sends back a ‘sure, see ya then bobs’, and continues down to the kitchens. 

This time it’s Max, El, and Dustin he encounters, all of them munching on whatever snacks they could find while Max is chopping what looks like salad ingredients.

“Yeah, but Max, Lucas plays and–” Dustin starts

“What does that have to do with me playing? I don’t care what he does or doesn’t play.”

“I would like to play some time.” Ellie says, and Dustin starts in on an explanation of character creation? If Steve had to guess?

“Hey, munchkins, what’s cookin’?”

Max rolls her eyes so hard that her whole head almost goes with them. “Well, dad, nothing at the moment. Seeing as how I am chopping up lettuce, that historically does not get cooked.”

Steve pauses, then turns to face El and Dustin more. “Hey, munchkins, what’s cookin’?”

El and Dustin both laugh while Max rolls her eyes again. “Careful, those might roll out of your head one of these days.” Steve tells her.

“See?” She points her knife at him, looking at the other two “Dad.”

“I was just telling El about creating a character for the campaign Eddie’s crafting right now.” Dustin puts his hand out onto El’s forearm and Steve notices her face go red

“Oh that’s cool what are–El, you oka–” Max clears her throat and locks eyes with Steve before using them to gesture to the other two, shaking her head.

Ah. “So what kind of character are you going to make?”

“I thought I could be a wizard, like Will.”

“Oh, that’d be cool! I wonder if Eddie would let us get away with boosting yours and Will’s stats whenever you are casting together? Like, real wonder twin wizards!”

Dustin starts on a rant about all the possibilities and starts scribbling into the notebook in front of him.

Steve shuffles off to the side and pulls out a pack of tuna and some mayo, planning on just a sandwich for now, to hold him over until dinner with Robin.

He fixes it up and heads back up the stairs, eating as he goes, to meet Joyce at her suite.

–

So the scream he’d heard, and came to investigate, ended up being El Hopper. 

He’d come around the corner below the two staircases in the ballroom like he does nearly every day after waking up, only to be confronted with shadow and a new wall?

He comes out from under what he now can see is a ramp, and sees each of the teens taking turns sliding down a massive slide on mattresses, each sliding to a stop just before a short stage set up on the opposite end of the ballroom.

He looks to the top of the ramp, and Dustin is the next to go, El getting up off her mattress and moving out of his way. “You having fun?” he yells up.

“Eddie! Hang on, I'll be right down!” Dustin calls back then starts down the ramp.

“You.” his head snaps to his left and Steve’s right hand woman is in his face. “I need to talk to you.”

“Sure, Buckley, go ahead.”

She opens her mouth to respond, but then Dustin’s there “Hey! Are you going to stay for the party?”

“No he’s not, he’s here cause I needed to talk to him then he’s going right back to his room.” Robin grabs his arm and tugs him out the glass side door of the ballroom (“Aw, what?”).

“Ow, ow okay, I’m right here, lay off the arm.”

She lets his arm go. “Enough chit chat, listen to me Edwin, (“Edmund.” “Literally doesn’t matter.”), I am only telling you this out of necessity and to get you to understand my point BUT.” She takes a deep breath, “Steve is really into you, okay? His words exactly were that he has capital “F” Feelings for you.”

Eddie knew the former, but the actual feelings part is news to him.

“I–”

“He was under the impression previously that you were only trying to get close to him in order to get him to not marry Nancy, and in turn not become King. And from what he told me, it seems like you really are only thirsting after him.”

“He said th–”

Robin cuts him off. “He would do anything to see this through, including ignoring his own feelings for quote, unquote ‘tall, dark, and handsome’ for the sake of the homophobes above him.”

“The homophobes? What are you talking about?”

“Parliament, obviously. He’s marrying Nancy because they don’t think having two kings is good for the country.” She says as if it’s obvious. “They told him that he has to marry a noblewoman in order to take the throne, otherwise they’ll give it to you. You, sans partner.”

“Wh-what? Why?”

“I don’t know, Doofus, he thinks you’re 170 pounds of pure sex appeal.”

“No, no not that,” Eddie shakes his head and waves her off, “I mean, I’m flattered, and obviously he’s sexy as fuck (“Okay, ew.”), but no, I mean why would Parliament let me take the throne without a partner but not Steve.”

“Probably the previously mentioned ‘homophobe’ part, Edward. Do they not know you’re fruity too?”

Eddie shakes his head, “Don’t see why they would…”

“Well they do know about Steve. There was a whole media fiasco with his old best friend back in the states.”

Eddie’s stunned at this revelation, but Robin barrels on. “So as much as I would support you two in any other circumstances, I–”

“Robin, I have capital “F” Feelings for him too.” Eddie cuts her off.

She just stares at him, dumbfounded, so he continues. “Look, the day before yesterday, Steve told me he could so easily picture our lives together when Nancy once asked him.” Eddie starts pacing in front of the ballroom door. “He told me that he lied to her, said he couldn’t, but that he actually pictured it so clearly. He didn’t tell me what he saw, but I could see it, Rob. I could see it so clearly.”

“What are you talking about, Edith?”

“I was in the gardens that day when Nancy asked him that. I was sitting out there like I normally do and could hear them as they walked by. She asked him “You could see yourself with him, couldn’t you?” and it was like she was asking me. I could see it as soon as she asked.

“I could see myself at his coronation, smiling all proud at him. I could see myself at his side in the throne room when he’d meet with the citizens, at his side at any number of random events that flashed through my head all at once…just..being with him.

“He told me he saw us together so clearly, and I never told him that I saw it too. It felt like my chest was on fire, Robin.”

He is breathing heavily now, having winded himself with all that.

“Eddie…” Robin steps forward and places a hand on his shoulder.

Eddie huffs out a laugh, “Finally Eddie now, huh?”

“Don’t push your luck, Theodore.”

“Theodore?? How the hell did you get to that from ‘Eddie’?”

“You know, Theodore can be Ted, to Teddy, to Eddie.” She shrugs.

“Okay, you got me there Robert.”

Robert smiles at him. “You both are the dingiest dinguses I’ve ever met.” She coos at him, like he’s a child and it works, he barks out a real laugh this time and tosses her hand off his shoulder.

“Are you guys done, yet? Can we steal Eddie back?” Dustin poked his head out the door, scowling at them.

“Almost, I promise. I’ll meet you back inside Dusty-buns.” Eddie replies

“Dude, gross. Only my mom calls me that.” but he goes back inside.

“What am I supposed to do now Robin?”

“I don’t know…I wanted to get you to back the fuck off, but now I’m kinda rooting for you guys. As undeniably a bad idea it’d be.”

“You are?”

“I don’t know, I think you’d be good together, sue me.”

“Then why root against us in the first place?”

“Because I want my best friend to become King! No offense.”

“None taken. I don’t even want it anymore.” Eddie thinks for a moment. “What about Nancy?”

“What about her?”

“How does she feel about all this?”

Robert thinks for a moment then opens the door and yells “Hey, Nance!”

Eddie panics, “Robin, what the hell??”

“Hi Robin, what’s…up…” Nancy stalls when she sees Eddie outside too. He gives her a small wave.

“Eddie’s fully, actually in love with Steve.”

“Robin! What the fuck?!”

Nancy looks between Robin and Eddie (who is absolutely mortified, by the way), then dissolves into giggles.

“Okay, what the hell is happening, this is like some Twilight Zone shit.”

“Steve is pretty great, isn’t he?” Nancy says, looking at Eddie.

He drops his head in embarrassment, “I’m sorry, Your Highness, I promise I didn’t mean for it to happen.”

“Who ever does?”

Eddie looks back up at her and she’s smiling softly at him. “Okay, seriously, what the hell is happening right now? You should be wanting to fight me right now.”

“Do you want me to?” Nancy says and starts pushing the sleeves of her sweater up her arms.

Robin keels over in laughter when Eddie starts backing away, hands raised.

“So? Robin?” Nancy asks

Robin catches her breath, “So, they both have real feelings for each other and after telling me, Eddie here asked how you feel about the whole thing.”

Nancy nods with a sigh. “Eddie, I care for Steve very much. He’s become a great friend and supporter to me, even in the short amount of time I’ve known him.”

“But…?”

“I am not in love with him. I have feelings for someone else.” Eddie nods, and she continues. “I am still going to marry him, if he needs me.”

“That’s kinda fucked.”

“It is; I agree, Robin agrees, Steve agrees. But I wouldn’t be if I didn’t think Steve would be an amazing ruler. Do you even know how great he’d be?”

“I do.” Robin says.

“We know you do, Robs.” Nancy pats her on the arm. “Steve is the grandson of the most beloved ruler in recent Genovian history, and the son of a royal pain in the ass.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” Eddie mumbles.

“Steve is more like Stephan the First, and would be a welcome and needed change in the landscape of European monarchs. A vibrant young man of the people, someone who’s made mistakes like any person would, had them blasted across international media, and grown from them since. Overall, a great representation of the next generation of rulers. Plus, I think he’s a good influence on, and role model for, Mike, and will make him a better ruler in the future.”

Nancy smiles an easy smile, as if she didn’t just make him fall in love with Steve more.

“All that, and you’re telling me you’re not in love with him?”

“No, I’m not.”

“Okay, great. Now what am I supposed to do with that?”

“As much as I want Steve to be happy, with you or not, there is so much that could go wrong with you two being together, even the smallest thing could make his life a living hell.

“If he and I marry, then divorce in a few years, we can both have what we want. I can be with Jon–the person I want to be with–and so can he.”

“So when you say a few years, how many are we talking? Two? Three?”

“Unless the peanut gallery gets real cool about a lot of things real quick, sounds like as many as it takes.” Robin says.

“I fully believe you and Steve would have the support of the people, or at least the majority, but they can’t do anything to sway Parliament if they don’t want to be swayed.” 

Eddie nods as he processes all this, even pulling a lock of his hair over his face to worry the strands between his fingers as he thinks.

He stops, fixes his hair, turns to the two women and says: “I will wait for him if I need to. Steve’s worth it.” The two women beam at him, “But let's get back inside before Dustin has a conniption. What are we–you guys–celebrating anyway?”

“We are throwing a surprise bachelor party for Steve!” Robin pushes open the door and holds it for the other two.

“And joint bachelorette party for me too I suppose, but it was just because I’m not heading back home anymore.” Nancy shrugs “I’d rather be with you guys here anyway. Oh! We should’ve invited Chrissy!”

Robin starts spluttering and Nancy catches Eddie’s eye and winks. 

He grins back at her “You’re absolutely right, Nancy, I should give her a call!” He pulls out his cell and Robin goes completely red. “Eddie! How are you?” Chrissy answers his call after a few short rings.

–

Steve and Joyce have spent the last couple hours together; talking about everything and nothing while Joyce took care of some things first, then they went out for a stroll through the yards of the palace. 

He told her about Dustin knowing that Mike played D&D (“I don’t know any specifics, so don’t ask.”) immediately after meeting the young prince, and that he seems to be less high-strung and less entitled now, having been around Dustin and Will.

She told him that the coronation is scheduled for August 1st, two months to the day after he and Nancy are supposed to be married. 

He told her that he thinks Ellie has a crush on Dustin, and Joyce laughs giddily at that (“Oh, they would be so cute together!”)

She asks him if he is happy.

Steve processes that for a bit, while they walk back to the palace. “I think I am content. I am happy with what I have, I know that I really lucked out with Nancy, and having Robin here, meeting Dustin and gaining a little brother. But I don’t think I would say I am happy, you know?”

She nods in understanding at that, then asks “Would you be able to say you are happy if it was Edmund you were marrying, and not Nancy?”

He blinks at her, but it seems like she’s actually asking (not that Joyce would be capable of showing a hint of malice to her nephew). “I don’t know…” Is what he finally says.

She levels him with a look like she doesn’t believe him.

“I don’t though!” he defends, “Really! I don’t know him so I really don’t know. But in my head, best case scenario, yeah. I think I would be.” the last part comes out almost a whisper.

She nods, taking that in, and they walk in comfortable silence the rest of the way. 

“Wait, what is that? Steve can hear muffled music coming from the palace as they approach.

He looks through the glass doors and sees…everyone? The whole Party (as Dustin would call them) running amok in the ballroom. Erica is chasing Max around the room on rollerskates, Max on top of a well-loved looking skateboard, Will and Ellie are trying to take razor scooters off short plastic ramps, and the ramp had been set up from the upper level, Mike, Lucas, Dustin, and Eddie(??) are all taking turns sliding down on mattresses. Nancy, Robin, and Chrissy are lying about on two of the mattresses in front of a short stage, and there are tables piled high with snacks and drinks and sandwiches on one side of the stage, and a huge pile of blankets and pillows on the opposite side.

Steve is flabbergasted, “Are they having a slumber party?” he laughs. Joyce steps back from the doors then, pulling one open and stepping in, Steve close behind

Eddie’s gaze catches on Joyce and Steve as they enter, he and Dustin are standing on their mattress (halfway down already), trying to surf their way to the bottom. It seems like he straightens on instinct and the movement causes Dustin to faceplant onto the mattress, and Eddie to flop backward off the mattress and onto the metal ramp. His head connects with the slide with a resounding gong and he slides down the rest of the way on his back.

Steve rushes forward to help him up, which Eddie refuses. “That was embarrassing. You can just leave me here to die, your highness.”

Steve rolls his eyes and offers his hand again, which Eddie takes and allows Steve to haul him up off the floor. “No dying on my ballroom floor, Muñoz.” Steve says, keeping Eddie pulled into his chest for a moment before releasing him and moving over to Dustin to make sure he was alright.

“Eddie, what the hell we almost had th–” Dustin looks up to see Joyce smiling at him, “Your majesty, my apologies for my language.”

Steve stifles a laugh behind his hand. 

“It’s quite alright Mr. Henderson, may I take a turn next?”

Everyone falls silent at that. “Y-yeah, of course ma’am, let me bring it up for you!” Dustin picks up the mattress excitedly and rushes up the stairs with it, Joyce following behind. 

Everyone else stops to watch whatever it is that’s about to happen. 

Joyce gets to the top, Dustin having set the mattress up right at the edge of the slide. Then she stands on it. Like she is going to surf the mattress down.

“Is she really going to do this?” Robin says, having come up to Steve’s side.

“Uh…” is all he gets out before, yep, there she goes. Joyce jumps forward a bit onto the front of the mattress to get it going, arms out, and slides. Standing, all the way to the bottom.

“Ta da!”

The ballroom erupts into cheers and the teens crowd close around Joyce, fully in awe at what she was able to do, and Dustin (and Eddie) weren't.

“I tried that like 15 times! How do you know how to do that?!”

“That was incredible! You’re the coolest!”

All of them talking over one another until, “I grew up here, you know; my father, my brother and I all loved to surf down and see who could make it the furthest.”

They again all started talking over each other, until “Alright, you goblins, let Queen Joyce take her leave. We have the rest of the party to get to, now that Steve’s here.” Robin herded them away from Joyce, who climbed back up the stairs to her quarters with a wave to the rest. 

“Okay, so what’s happening now?”

“Surprise! It’s your bachelor party!” Robin throws her arms out to gesture at the room around them. “We set it up while you were gone with Joyce!”

“I said we should’ve gotten you some strippers but Robin said no.” Mike interjects

“Ew, gross dude, it’s Nancy’s party too.”

“Then she should’ve gone home like she planned to, Max.”

“ANYWAY.” Robin cut off their bickering. “It’s Steve’s bachelor party and it is what it is because I know Steve and this is what he’d want. We’ve got the ramp set up, music, sandwiches and snacks that yes, you can have now that he’s here, and 80s/90s karaoke. A Steve Party.” she shrugs at the end.

They all look toward Steve when she’s done, and he’s beaming. His face hurts already, but he couldn’t stop if he tried. “What are you all looking at me for, go wild!” He shoos them all away and they do just that, most of them going for the food now that they can. “Just don’t hurt yourselves! Max, I’m looking at you, no skateboarding down the ramp I swear to god.” Steve follows them to the food.

–

“So who’s gonna get karaoke started?” Eddie asks the gathered masses, all sprawled out on the mattresses piled in front of the stage with their snacks and sandwiches.

“You said it, now it’s gotta be you.” Max snarks back, not looking up from her phone.

“It’s all old stuff anyway, we aren’t going to know much.” Erica says from Max's side. ‘Hoo boy that is a dangerous combo’ Eddie thinks to himself

“It’s not that old!” Steve says, half mock, half actually offended. “You’ll probably know some of them.”

It was definitely a surprise when Steve’d decided to plop himself down next to Eddie, but a welcome one (though he could do without the looks Chrissy had been throwing at the two of them).

Speaking of, Eddie looks over to Chrissy, who’s a couple bodies down, sitting on the floor in front of Robin.

“Chrissy!” She looks over at him and he raises her eyebrow “Shall we?”

Grinning brightly, she pops up from the floor “Abso-fuckin-lutely.”

“Okay, hold on. What was that, should we be worried? I’m worried.” Steve is looking between the two as they hop up on stage, effectively pulling the attention of the others, who look up at him and Chrissy expectantly.

“You all will know this one, it’s mine and Chrissy’s go-to song.”

The first two notes is all it takes before everyone around them is screaming.

“Hiya, Barbie.”

“Hi Ken!”

They all start yelling along to Eddie and Chrissy’s absolutely amazing rendition of Barbie girl, and once they’re done, all the teens are fighting over who gets to go next.

“Really? Barbie Girl?” Steve asks when he sits back down.

Eddie shrugs, “Yeah, it’s a real ice breaker, but it’s also the only karaoke you’ll get out of me, so I hope you enjoyed that.”

“Yeah, it was pretty great.” Steve smiles a megawatt smile at him and Eddie almost forgets how to breathe.

After a double hit of ABBA (“Dancing Queen” from Max and El, and “Super Trouper” from Nancy, the rest of them unable to resist providing the backup vocals), “Should I Stay or Should I Go” from Will (and Jonathan who’d wandered in at some point and decided to stay), “Don’t Stop Believin’” from Lucas and Dustin, “All Star” from Mike, and a super impassioned “Man, I Feel Like a Woman” from Erica that had everyone singing along, Steve took a turn.

The plain white tee and jeans combo really added to his performance of “Dancing in the Dark”, looking every bit the part of Springsteen. Eddie wanted to eat him.

“Okay that’s not fair, Springsteen’s so in your register. Not gonna do anything daring, Stevie?”

Steve’d been about to put the mic down, but raised a brow at Eddie’s taunt and raised it back to his mouth. “Okay, you little shit.” he punches something into the machine and…

“Can anybody find me somebody to love?” Just in that one line he’d proven his point, his voice shifting through the whole opening line’s highest and lowest notes with no effort at all.

He sings the rest of the song effortlessly, much to the delight of his crowd who were all singing along. 

Eddie knows his heart eyes are obvious, but it doesn’t matter. 

“Now what about you, Muñoz, gonna do another song or are you just here to heckle the rest of us?” Steve asks after he’s done.

Ignoring the taunting 'oooohhs' from the rest of the peanut gallery, Eddie says “Not a chance, big boy, but I may have something better. Give me ten minutes.” He hops up and jogs back to his room and after a quick change, heads back to the ballroom, his sweetheart in hand. 

“No fuckin’ way, is that a warlock??” Mike jumps up as soon as he sees Eddie again, running up to see up close.

Everyone else turns to look and a few start throwing whoops and wolf whistles at the sight of him.

“Whoa now, step away from the guitar. You’ll get your gross Mike germs all over her.”

“Rude. Also, the hell are you wearing?”

They’re back at the semi-circle with everyone else, and he sets his mini amp and his baby onto the stage. “Oh, this?” He spreads out his arms and gives a slow spin, letting everyone take in his carefully crafted battle vest, vintage band tee, and favorite ripped jean combo. “This is me, Mikey; Eddie Muñoz, nice to meet you.” He sticks out his hand for Mike to shake and the teen rolls his eyes and bats his hand away.

“This is insane, you look like Hammett,” Jonathan points at Eddie, “and you look like Springsteen.” pointing at Steve. “This is turning into a real 80s fest.”

Steve preens at that, and all Eddie can think to say is “You know Metallica?”

“Everyone knows Metallica.” Mike cuts back in

“Oh, don’t even start, Mike, as if you know any of their names. You just know ‘Metallica’.”

Mike grumbles and moves to tackle Dustin back onto the mattress, nearly elbowing Lucas in the scuffle.

“Okay, okay, enough!” Steve calls, getting the boys to stop. “So, Eddie, you gonna put on a concert for us?”

“Eh, something like that.” Eddie rubs the back of his neck “I’m no singer but I wanted to pull her out and play while I had some sort of chance.”

“Have at it, man, the floor is yours.” Steve smiles and gestures to the stage.

Eddie gets his shit plugged in and set up, listening to the conversations around him as he does.

“Eddie had a band back in secondary school, they were horrible and scream-y but I thought they were all so cool.” Chrissy is telling Robin, Nancy, and Jonathan (who’d made himself comfy next to Nancy).

“Am I seriously considering getting a denim vest right now?” He hears Dustin wonder aloud.

“It’s not just a vest, bonehead, it’s a battle jacket. It’s different.” Erica (surprisingly) says.

“How in the hell do you know that?” Lucas asks as Eddie plugs the mic into his amp too.

“If you actually like music, you’d know that every community has their thing, Sinclair.” Max cuts in “Battle vests are metalheads’ thing.”

“Can you make one even if you aren’t a metalhead?” Eddie can hear Dustin ask quietly.

“That you can, Dusty, just make sure you know the history before you do.” Eddie shucks off the vest in question and tosses it to Dustin “Be careful with it, will you?” Dustin nods, him and the other four already distracted by his pins and patches. 

Eddie slings his sweetheart around his neck, ready to go, and sees Steve, El and Will sitting cross-legged on the mattress directly in front of him, all three looking at him expectantly.

“Okay, you all. I’m not a singer, but I hope at least one of you knows this one.” Eddie says into the mic, then strums. 

–

The teens around him erupt into cheers and Erica yells “Master of Puppets!”

Eddie points at her with a grin and keeps going, fingers going a mile a minute and Steve is enthralled.

Steve’s come to accept that Eddie will literally always look damn good, but he looks Damn. Good. up on that stage; guitar in hand, hair taken out of the bun it was in before and flying with every movement, the fucking eyeliner he’d added with his “real Eddie” clothes that’d made Steve’s mouth go dry.

They all cheer and scream when Eddie’s done with his song, and he starts in on another, playing a few chords before Erica again is yelling out the name of the song. The song changes and this time Jonathan guesses correctly; on and on with different songs, changing each once someone guesses correctly. 

Steve finally recognizes one, “I Was Made For Lovin’ You!” he yells before Jonathan or Erica can. 

“Finally!” Eddie grins and points at Steve “Of course it’d be KISS that you’d recognize, Stevie. Okay, this one’s for you.”

This one Steve recognizes with the first note, and is frozen where he sits. ‘How’d he know this is my favorite?’ Steve looks at Robin with wide eyes, and she’s already looking at him, her mouth open in shock. ‘Did you tell him?’ he mouths at her. She shakes her head furiously and looks back at Eddie.

He looks back at Eddie, who’s looking down at his hands on the strings, head bobbing to the unheard beat, hair curtained around his face. A couple of the others had already guessed the song correctly, but Eddie keeps playing, the song is a little empty without the usual keyboard and drum, but it works. Damn does it work.

Steve’s on his feet and stepping onto the stage without even thinking about it. As soon as he is, Eddie’s head snaps up, confused, but his hands don’t falter. Just watches him as he picks up the mic right on time to sing “Welcome to your life, there’s no turning back..”

He sings, and looks at Eddie, who’s looking at him with the fondest smile he’s ever seen. Steve’s heart is hammering, burning hotter and hotter for Eddie with every beat.

He tears his eyes from the man next to him and looks out at his mish-mash group of friends singing along with him; Nancy and Jonathan singing along and swaying side to side with Chrissy and Robin (the latter of whom’s arms are tucked around the former), Mike had taken Steve’s spot next to Will when he’d gotten up (both of their faces red), leaving El next to Dustin (who’s now wearing Eddie’s vest), Erica on his other side, phone held up and a mischievous grin on her face, and Max and Lucas next to each other at the end, each leaning in to the other, but not quite touching. 

Steve grins around the lyrics he sings, and thinks that he needs to find Joyce to tell her “Nevermind, I am definitely happy.”

Chap 9 here!

@henderdads gave me most of party's karaoke songs, and @yournowheregirl suggested Barbie Girl for Steve and Robin, but I swapped it to Eddie and Chrissy instead! Thank you guys!!!

@sadcanadianwinter @hopefulslothcollecter @steveshairychest @sidebarre @resident-gay-bitch @kaspurrcat @melkene @livewondrousss @steddieasitgoes @mightbeasleep @princessstevemunson @totallybitchin @potentialheartofdarkness @spectrum-spectre

[frankenstein-ate-my-left-shoe]

hey, i wrote that!! :) :) on tumblr (Pt. 1) | On AO3

whisper whisper princess diaries au with Eddie as Emelia and Steve as Nicholas.

[frankenstein-ate-my-left-shoe]

A Recipe for Disaster (Chap. 7)

Pt. 1 | Pt. 2 | Pt. 3 | Pt. 4 | Pt. 5 | Pt. 6 | on AO3 here

y'all. this was 17 pages on google docs by time I was done. 🙃

Waking from a restless sleep early the next morning, Steve rolls over and scrubs his hands over his face. He reaches for his phone, 5:04am.

“Fuck.” He scrubs his eyes again but decides to just get up, not thinking he’d be able to go back to sleep anyway.

He slides his glasses onto his face (he usually wears contacts, but he’s not awake enough for that yet), gets out of bed and pulls on some joggers and a shirt. Slipping on the god awful lime green Crocs Robin ordered for him for his birthday and grabbing his phone, he starts down toward the kitchens. He’s hoping to have some time alone to grab some coffee and maybe pilfer some sort of breakfast before he’s swept up into getting ready for the parade.

He sees a couple security guards and doormen on his way down, but otherwise doesn’t run into anyone until he enters the kitchen and who would be there at the small table but one Edmund Muñoz.

Steve didn’t actually register him being there until after he’d grabbed himself some coffee (black this morning, too lazy to put anything in it) and an apple. He’d turned to find Eddie sitting, frozen, and staring at Steve already. There was a mug of something and an empty bowl and spoon sitting in front of him on the table.

“Good mor–” Eddie’s voice is low and thick with sleep, which may or may not have a significant effect on Steve at that moment, but he stops to clear his throat before continuing. “Good morning Your Highness, sleep well?”

Steve stares at the other man. His hair is pulled back into a loose messy bun and he’s wearing some sort of band tee that is so faded that only the ghost of the band’s logo remains, the decal itself long washed away. The collar is stretched out and loose around Eddie’s neck and without knowing why, Steve just knows that if he could see the other man’s legs, they’d be in some sort of plaid patterned lounge pants.

He’s been quiet too long, Eddie is starting to fidget, looking slightly cowed and nervous. “I can go, I don’t want to intrude on your breakfast.” he stands and starts to gather the notebook and loose papers scattered on the table in front of him.

“No! Please, stay.” Steve puts his hand up that’s holding the apple, remaining fingers held up placatingly while still grasping the fruit. “I don’t want to interrupt yours either.”

Eddie gives a small nod and sits back down; an awkward silence settles over them for a moment before Steve asks “Do you mind if I sit with you?”

Eddie shakes his head immediately, a surprised look on his face, but gestures to the seat next to him, along the side of the table to his right.

“Thanks.” Steve sets down his mug and shuffles onto the stool next to Eddie (His pants are actually red and black buffalo check print, not plaid, but close enough). Eddie returns to his journal and Steve pulls out his cell. 

“I like your glasses. They um..really suit you.” Eddie says in a small voice that Steve almost didn’t hear. 

Steve blinks at him, still writing something in his journal. The parts of his cheeks Steve can see are turning pink. “Thank you.” is all he can stutter out.

They sit in a surprisingly comfortable, still slightly tense silence after that; Steve is scrolling through Twitter and purposefully scrolling a bit quicker past any mention of him or the palace’s garden party yesterday. But to his dismay, it’s all people are talking about. Only one picture someone had managed to snap of him walking back with Dustin to the palace was circulating like crazy. The sopping wet state of his suit did him many favors, if he was not a person in the public eye already. This picture was taken right as he’d stretched his arms up to flip the towel he was given around his shoulders, and everyone was speculating on what had happened. Some chalked it up to him just being that clumsy and that he’d fallen into a pond on the grounds (no one had assumed the fountain, thankfully), but the majority were talking about Steve himself, and what had now been left with little to the imagination.

Steve audibly groans and clicks off his phone, putting it face-down on the table and takes an angry bite out of his apple, scowling down at the grain of the tabletop in front of him.

“I’m sure the parade today will give them something else to talk about.”

Steve hmmm’d around his bite of apple in response, still looking down at the table.

Eddie sighs and puts his pen down into the spine of his journal. “Ste–Your Highness, I have to apologize.” He corrects himself, not wanting to step over any lines. “If I hadn’t goaded you on like that yesterday, that picture wouldn’t have even existed for the masses to gawk at.”

Steve is stunned and looks up at Eddie, who is now looking down at his hands curled together on the edge of the table.

He swallows the remaining fruit in his mouth. “Oh, uhm. Thank you..Eddie”

Eddie’s head slowly comes up, meeting Steve’s eyes. Then he smiles. It’s a small thing, but it’s so warm and genuine that the bars Steve built up around his heart to keep Eddie out, instantly melt away into nothing.

Steve smiles back and goes back to his apple. Takes a bite and looks at the papers scattered across the table in front of him.

He’s about to ask about them when Eddie says “Is your side okay?”

Steve had taken a look at the damage yesterday and made sure to register any other odd feelings in the future in case he’d actually hurt something, but he hadn’t even thought about it since waking up. He stretches and twists…ow. Yep. That’s definitely going to stick around for a while. He lifts his shirt, the side he’d landed on the spout is closer to Eddie, whose breath hitches when he sees it.

The bruise is dark purple, almost black at the center, with webs of lighter blues and purples fanning outward from it. Now that he’s looking at it, It’s about the size of Steve’s palm, spanning out a bit more than when he’d looked at it in the mirror yesterday.

“Steve, I’m so sorry.” Eddie absentmindedly reaches forward and places his palm over the bruise, covering it completely. He snatches his hand away when Steve sucks in a sharp breath at his touch. “Sorry, sorry..” 

“It’s okay, you didn’t hurt me, your hand is just really cold.” Steve chuckles softly when Eddie reaches for his mug and wraps his slender fingers around it as if to warm them. Steve drops his shirt, “And it wasn’t your fault, anyway. I was the one who pushed you…sorry.”

“No need, I’m the one who kissed you.” Eddie’s eyes bored into Steve’s.

“I think we both kissed each other.”

Eddie smiles, “Yeah, I think we–”

“Good morning brochacho, Royal Brochacho.”

Steve and Eddie both jump in their seats and snap up straight, both of them having been leaning in toward one another without even realizing. Steve’s face burns in embarrassment and looks away towards Argyle.

“H-hey Argyle, good morning.” Steve greets the chef.

Argyle was definitely a character. If you ask him, he would tell you he just wanted a change in life when he’d moved overseas from California, but he was actually making the rounds as a viral sensation in his own food truck. Making all sorts of funky and delicious creations that landed him (highschool drop-out stoner and freshly 18) on a variety of Travel Channel shows. He’d impressed even the most stubborn of the world's best chefs and had somehow earned his food truck a Michelin Star. 

Then he’d closed up shop, saying he needed a change, and moved himself overseas. He originally applied just to work in the palace kitchens, but the chefs that came before him knew who he was and quickly shot him up the ranks to take over as Head Chef when the previous retired only about a year before.

“What are we up to this early, my dudes?” He hikes up his brightly colored pants a bit before straddling the stool directly next to Eddie and plopping down. His hair wasn’t up in his normal braids yet (how he’d wear it in order to keep it out of the way and out of the food), and his extremely long hair bounced a bit with the movement.

“Writing up some ideas for my next campaign. The various royal and non-royal gremlins really liked the one-shot we did, so we’re gonna try making a whole campaign.”

“Is this that Gargoyle game that Will and Dustin like?”

“Dungeons and Dragons.” Steve cuts in without even thinking about it.

“That’s the one, thanks royal bro.” Argyle snaps a finger gun at him.

He expects Eddie to continue, and looks over when he doesn’t. Eddie’s staring at him, eyebrows high on his forehead. 

“What?”

“You know D&D?”

“Oh, um. Kinda? Dustin talks about it a bunch, and so did ‘Lady Applejack’ when we danced at my birthday ball. Plus I saw your, what’d you call it? Oneshoot?”

“Oneshot.”

“Oneshot..the other day when I was passing by. You guys seemed like you were having a lot of fun.” Steve’s embarrassed to be telling Eddie this but he wants him to know? Like he wants to impress the other man.

Eddie continues to stare.

Steve clears his throat, “So, you making new characters or something?”

That shakes Eddie out of it, “Yeah, I am. Trying to come up with new NPCs, a couple locations too.” he shrugs.

“Very cool, my man. Would love to hear all about it sometime.” Argyle slaps Eddie’s shoulder then stands, heading over to the hook on the wall where his white coat was hanging. 

“Yeah, sure man.” Eddie rolls his eyes with a smile and gathers up his papers. 

Steve takes that as his que to leave as well. “You are going to the parade today?” He stands and busies himself with emptying his half-full mug and tossing the core of his apple, feeling stupid for hoping the answer is yes. 

Eddie had just finished stacking his papers away into his journal “Of course, I’ll always be there for you, Stevie.” and gives him a wink and a small smirk before turning to head up the stairs from the kitchen.

Steve’s brain takes a minute to reboot after that, but once it does Steve covers his face with his hands and grins stupidly big.

“Damn, that was smooooooth.” Argyle croons from one of the stoves.

--

Steve walks back to his suite in a daze. He knows his face still has that stupid goofy grin on it since Eddie left the kitchens but he really can’t help it. No, really. He tried to school his face back to normal and the grin would grow across his face once more.

He had just flopped down on his bed when Robin bursts in “Dingus, I’m in love.”

“Jesus Chr–Why the hell are you up so early?”

She barrels on. “Chrissy is the sweetest person in the whole world and I swear she was flirting with me yesterday…” Robin rants for a bit, and Steve just lounges back and listens to her. “I invited her to join in the parade but she said she was already going to be there, outside the orphanage. The orphanage Steve! She tutors orphans!”

Steve feels ashamed he didn't get that when he was busy peacocking Nancy around in his and Edmund’s weird fight yesterday

“Wow… that’s actually really amazing; Eddie and I were being asses yesterday so I didn’t really get to talk to her much…”

“Oh it's Eddie today, is it?”

“Shut up,” he rolls his eyes then rolls onto his side, propped up on one elbow. “So you’re in love that quickly, huh?”

“No faster than you, Dingus.” She’s got him there.

She starts rambling on about Chrissy again. And continues to rant while he gets ready; and continues some more after she starts getting ready.

“I really think we could work out Steve, she’s–help?” Robin’s stuck halfway out of her hoodie so Steve moves to help her out.

“Okay stop talking for just a few minutes so you can safely get out of your shirt now, ‘kay?”

“You know what? I’m going to talk even more now. And louder.” She steps into his walk-in closet and starts yelling through the door. “As I was saying, I think she could be it.”

“Oh yeah? Does she like boobies as mch as you do?”

“Ugh, please don’t say boobies, and..I don’t really know..”

“Well I hope for your sake she does.”

-

He and Robin are wearing coordinated outfits today, Steve in a sunflower-colored ensemble from his own closet, and she is in his suit from his birthday; they’ve swapped bowties and she wears her sleeves rolled, otherwise, they’re a matching set.

“One of these days we’ll manage to convince people we’re actual twins.” She comments when they’re fixing themselves in Steve’s big mirror.

“The outfits will definitely help.” he agrees as he fixes his hair for the fifteenth time. Getting the perfect polished prince look while not looking stuffy is a hard mark to hit.

“Careful kids, you don’t want people vying for Madam Robin to become Genovia’s next queen.”

They turn toward Hopper’s voice. He’s wearing his all black uniform as usual, and it’s a stark contrast to Dustin’s. Each piece of his suit is a different color. Navy slacks, light blue shirt, yellow bowtie, burgundy shoes, and a deep purple coat.

“One, rude; Two, Dustin, really? What the hell is that outfit?” Steve directs at Hopper then Dustin.

“If you’re gonna be rude Your Highness, I’ll just leave and take this gift with me.” he turns toward the door but Hopper’s large hand grabs him by the shoulder and turns him back around before he can even take a step. He’s grinning his signature gummy grin when he is.

“Damn, why are you always getting the gifts around here? Some of us poor people want to get gifts too, you know.” Robin grumbles half-heartedly

Steve opens his mouth to snark back at her but Dustin cuts in before he can “Her majesty got this for Robin, actually.”

“Oh my god! Gimme!” Robin snatches the box out of his hands and starts fighting with the ribbon.

“You didn’t answer my other question Dusty, what’s with the outfit.”

“It’s all the royal colors! Duh, Steve.”

“Genovia’s royal family usually sticks to only burgundy, gold, and purple though.”

“Well yeah, Nancy’s colors are light and dark blue. Sue me for waiting to be inclusive.”

“Hey, help me with this Dingus.” Robin interrupts.

“Sure, I got you.” he takes the box from her.

“We’ll meet you outside in five.” Hopper says, dismissing himself and Dustin, who follows him immediately

Steve starts fighting with the ribbon. “I kissed Eddie yesterday.” he admits, and Robin gasps and slaps a hand over her mouth. “Almost kissed him again this morning.”

He finally pulls the ribbon loose and passes the box over to Robin.

“What does that mean? Just yesterday you weren’t his biggest fan.”

“Yeah, well, turns out I may have capital “F” Feelings for him” He clears his throat. “So, what did Dusty bring you?”

“Steve..”

“It’s fine Robin; we’ll talk about it later, I promise.”

He could tell that she really didn’t want to let this go, but she relented and opened the box.

“Well, I know what crown you’ll be wearing.” She tilts the box towards him and there was a small replica of his favorite golden crown, just a small thing that robin can pin into her hair to match him better.

Steve chuckles, “She knows us too well.” 

He plucks the small crown from the box and pins it around the artfully messy bun Robin had pulled her hair into on the top of her head, turns to his closet to retrieve his crown (and two pairs of matching sunglasses for them), and the two of them step out into the hall where Dustin and Hopper were waiting.

-

Once they get to the beginning of the parade route, Steve walks with Robin ahead of the carriage a little ways to his beloved BMW.

He had found the burgundy convertible 1986 325i Cabrio for pretty cheap back home (before he knew he was a royal) and had been working off the debt from the repairs that were needed when Joyce came back into his life and was kind enough to pay off the balance. He made sure to have it shipped with him back to Genovia when he was, and now she’d be in the parade line, all shiny, clean, and pristine. Nancy will be driving her through the route, Robin called shotgun as soon as she knew the car would be in the line, and Dustin and Claudia in the back seat, following Wayne who will be marching on foot.

Nancy is there already, chatting with Wayne and Claudia 

“Just promise you won’t run me over, your highness. I am not as fast as I used to be.” Wayne muses, earning him a lighthearted slap from Claudia.

“Oh hush. Ignore him, Your Highness, he’ll be just fine.”

Nancy’s in a sky blue, short-sleeved pantsuit and low strappy heels today, a silver crown in her hair “Of course not Prime Minister, I’m just glad they’re allowing me to drive it myself!” 

“You guys talking about my baby?” Steve says in greeting as he walks up with Robin.

“Good morning, Steve.” Nancy gives him a kiss on each of his cheeks. “And yes, if your baby is Prime Minister Henderson here.” She smirks.

“Absolutely.” He returns, and Wayne throws his head back in a full belly laugh, shaking his head before walking off with Claudia to talk to Hopper.

“You two look great!” Nancy steps back a bit from him and Robin, giving them an appraising look. “Did you get any pictures yet?”

“I’m sure Jonathan will get some, or do you mean for ourselves?”

“Both!” Robin answers for them and pulls out her phone “Nancy, will you take a couple of us?” 

Nancy smiles and takes Robin’s phone from her and she and Steve start in on their usual poses, three or four practiced poses that they always got together. They got two shots of the exact same pose, one where Steve is leaning on the windshield of his car throwing a peace sign, with Robin hunched slightly, hands on her hips, then the same pose but in front of the nearby storefront, where Steve leans on nothing instead.

Nancy’s laughing at the two of them the whole time, but soon says “Okay, okay, get a couple actual professional looking ones, you two.”

“We’re always professional, Nance.” Steve rebukes as Robin starts digging through his jacket pockets.

“Here you go, Dingus,” she hands him one of the two pairs of glasses and puts on the other. “What’s more professional than sunglasses, right?”

After one more super professional shot (Steve with his arms crossed against his chest, Robin with her hands clasped in front of her), Robin takes the glasses from Steve’s face, “Okay, now let me get one of the royal couple.” She takes the phone from Nancy, who moves to Steve’s side.

He wraps his arm around her shoulders and pulls her into his side, throwing off her balance a bit so she rolls into him slightly and catches herself with a small hand on his chest. He plants a kiss on her temple before pulling back and giving a regular pose for Robin.

Robin lowers her phone and steps up under Steve’s other arm to show the other two the photos on her screen.

“These are great Robin! Send them to me?” Nancy laughs at the one she took of Steve and Robin next to the beemer. 

“We look ridiculous, you have to post that on your Instagram, Robs.” Steve says. “Your fans will love that one.”

“Pfft, they’ll only like it ‘cause they’re thirsty for you.”

She scrolls to the one of Steve kissing Nancy on her temple “This one would be a great one for Jonathan to get posted across the palace’s social media.” Nancy comments.

“Only if he buys it from me, this’d go for some good money!” Robin gestures to her phone and the other two laugh easily before Hopper steps up to the three and Robin slides her phone back into her pocket.

“Highnesses, Madam Robin, are you ready to go? We are still waiting for her majesty, but as soon as she arrives we’ll be on our way.”

“Yep, we are good to go Hop.”

“Good.” He goes over the parade route once more before he heads back to the carriage where Steve and Joyce’ll be seated.

“Hello your highnesses, Miss Robin.” Jonathan steps up as soon as Hopper leaves, a warm smile on his face, and the screen of his camera turned toward the three of them. He’d captured a shot of the three of them together from a few minutes previously while Hopper regaled them with the parade route info, Steve’s arms still slung over the two ladies. 

“Wow Steve, you’re quite the ladies man.” Robin teases with an elbow in his ribs (thankfully, just above his bruise), making Steve drop his arms from the two women while Nancy stifles a laugh.

“Okay, okay, leave me alone. Alright,” Steve claps his hands together. “Let's get you ladies situated.” He sticks out his arm for Robin to take at the same time Jonathan extends an arm to Nancy. Steve walks Robin around to the passenger side of the car while Jonathan escorts Nancy the short way back to the driver’s side.

As soon as he shuts the door on Robin with an eyebrow wiggle to her and a glance to Nancy’s still red face even after Jonathan had stepped away to head down the route a bit farther, he jogs over to Dustin and Claudia.

“Hey Hendersons, we are about ready to go. Dustin, will you help your mother to the car?”

“Of course,Your Highness,” he puts on his fake haughty voice, and sticks out his elbow “Allow me to escort you to your steed, m’mother.”

She shakes her head at his antics with a smile, but takes his arm and they head off.

“He’s such a goof.” Steve says aloud to Wayne.

Wayne makes a sound of agreement “I’m glad he has friends like you and those other kiddos around, especially with the less than normal life he’s had since I became Prime Minister.”

Steve nods “He’s pretty great, like the little brother I both always and never wanted.”

Wayne gives him another warm laugh and claps Steve on the shoulder, “You and Eddie both.”

Steve’s brain stutters to a stop “Eddie?”

Wayne looks at him, confused for a moment, then his eyebrows raise in realization. “Yes, Eddie is my nephew. We really only just recently reconnected, so I haven’t told Dusty yet, but he’s already been a friend to him and I’m glad for it.”

“Oh.” is all Steve can muster.

Wayne gives him a slightly concerned look, but gives him another pat on his shoulder and a slight nudge back up the line.

‘So that’s the family Dustin said Wayne hadn’t wanted to be associated with when he married Claudia…Eddie’s his nephew…’

Steve sinks into the far seat of the carriage’s bench still reeling from the news when Hopper steps up onto the lip behind him.

“So, how are we feeling this morning, highness?”

“Honestly Hop, not that great.” Not anymore at least.

“Would it make you feel better if you called me ‘Jimmy’?”

Steve smiles, feeling some of the weight lift from his shoulders when he turns to smile up at Hopper. “I’d never do that to you, Hop.”

Hopper smiles down warmly at him and gives his shoulder a comforting squeeze. He faces forward once more when Hopper steps off to greet Joyce as she arrives, and Steve realizes the two horses that’ll be pulling them along are Sandy and Danny.

‘Of course.’ he thinks, and smiles at the little nips Sandy gives Danny’s neck. He flicks his tail into her but then nuzzles his snout into her neck in return. ‘Are these damn horses making me jealous now? Pathetic..’ Steve thinks to himself.

“Come along Hop, we’re already late.” Joyce says, and steps up into the carriage with the help of another guard. “Can’t keep the people waiting!”

---

Eddie reluctantly sits beside his father in the roped off section along the route for the local and visiting dignitaries.

“Ah, about time I see you again, boy. You avoiding your old man now?”

“Of course not.” He returns curtly.

He scoffs, but it seems to satisfy his dad and Eddie turns his attention to the teens in the row in front of him. 

He leans forward, “How is Will the Wise?”

Will turns around in his chair, and smiles “Hey Eddie, I'm doing great!” Eddie catches his glance to Mike in the seat next to him, who is turned to talk to another teen on his other side. “How is the campaign coming?”

“You only like me for my D&D prowess, I knew it.” Eddie places his hand over his chest in fake hurt, “You wound me.” 

“No, no, of course not! But Lucas and Erica are here for a couple days for Independence day, and I’d love to get them in on a session.”

“Ah, I see, This is Lucas then?” He says a bit louder which catches the attention of said Lucas.

“Hi, yeah, I’m Lucas Sinclair.” The boy on the other side of Mike reaches his hand behind Mike’s chair to shake Eddie’s hand.

“Pleasure, Lord Sinclair, I’ve heard a lot about you. Let me guess, Ranger?” he points at Lucas with a raised brow.

“Yo! How’d you know?”

“Eddie’s actually a mind reader.” Mike cuts in.

“We told him about yours and Erica’s characters already so he could plan the full campaign.” Will corrects.

Lucas nods in understanding.

“So, are you interested, Lord Sinclair?”

Lucas glances to Will and Mike, who each give him a slight nod in return.

“Yeah, I’m in.” he grins at Eddie

“I am too, not that you were gonna ask.” Eddie looks over to his left and down at Erica in the chair next to him.

“You’re correct, I wasn’t going to ask since I just assumed Lady Applejack would make an appearance?”

He can see her cheek lift in a smile while still looking down at her screen. “You assumed correct.” 

The parade procession rounds the corner up the road from them then. There was a marching band leading the charge, a selection of the Leapers of Libbet, then he could see Wayne round the corner just behind them. Eddie smiles at his Uncle, waving the little Genovian flag he’d be given and whistling at him as he passed.

The car just behind Wayne is a beauty, being driven by Nancy, surprisingly (he chuckles a bit at the sight of a whole-ass princess driving an 80s something beemer). Robin is in the passenger seat, Mrs. Henderson is behind her, and Dustin is sat behind Nancy. Eddie wonders whose car it even is, but his question is answered by Will.

“Who’s car is that?’ Lucas asks excitedly.

“It’s Steve’s!” Will calls over to him over the noise of the band, “He bought it in highschool, back in the states, and had it shipped over here!”

They all wave excitedly at Dustin in the BMW’s back seat, and Eddie clocks Ellie leaning forward over the rope a bit more to do so. Interesting.

He looks back up the procession to where he can see Chrissy standing outside the orphanage on the corner of the route.

She has a smiling infant on her hip and she’s turned to face up the road further from there the parade is coming from. She’s got the baby’s little arm in her hand and is making the baby wave its hand at something coming up the road.

That’s when Steve and Joyce’s carriage comes into view, pulled along by Danny and Sandy. He focuses solely on Steve, looking like pure sunshine in the sunflower yellow suit he’s chosen, and laughs as he does a small baby wave for a bit too long at the kiddo Chrissy’s holding.

---

Looking forward again after waving a bit too long at Chrissy and the infant she has in her arms, Steve can see the section of the crowd where the palace’s appointed guests sit along the route.

The Sinclairs have arrived for the celebrations; Erica is ignoring the festivities, fully invested in whatever game she’s got on her phone, while Lucas is also ignoring the parade in front of him to stare at Max from across the section.

He sees Max is sitting up straight and attentive, hands clasped in her lap, seeming nervous, but is smiling at the Hendersons, who are just passing that section now, a ways ahead of his and Joyce’s carriage.

Ellie is on Max’s left, grinning much bigger and leaning over the rope a bit to wave excitedly at Dustin.

On Ellie’s other side is Will, seeming to enjoy whatever it is Mike is saying from his other side; and Mike must be telling some grand story because he’s gesturing wildly and is turned completely in his chair towards Will.

And Eddie. 

Eddie’s there, just behind Mike and Will, and Steve’s brought back to their first meeting. Eddie’s hair is pulled half-up, half-down, and he feels the urge to swoon at Eddie’s crooked smile.

He sees them all, registers them, but then his attention is pulled back from somewhere behind the carriage. Since they’d turned the corner, the orphanage that had been on the right is now behind them and to the left, exactly where he’d heard something. He looks back, and sees Chrissy looking away from the event to a small boy on the other side of the steps from her, face laced with concern. Steve follows her line of sight and…

It’s him.

It’s him?

It was a small commotion that called Steve’s attention to the little boy with long, shaggy, auburn hair and lots of freckles he’d somehow not seen initially. There were two bigger boys pulling on his hair in turns, hiding their hands after they would, feigning innocence. Even from his distance, Steve could see the boy’s face scrunched up in a familiar way, one of his small hands pulling on a lock of his own hair for comfort.

Without thinking, Steve jumps from the carriage and walks around the back of it toward the orphanage.

“Halt!” he hears Hopper bellow at the procession, and he steps up to the kids on the curb, crouching down to their level.

“Hello, everyone.”

They respond with a scattered mix of shy and excited “Hello”s, and jumbled “Your Highnesses”. Steve hears one voice call “Hi Prince Steeb!” excitedly.

“Are you enjoying the parade?”

“Yeah!”

“I’m glad! Now can you excuse me? I need to talk to Miss Chrissy.”

The sea of children part, and approaches the boy he’d seen from the road, standing next to Chrissy now, giving her a small ‘hey’.

“Hello!” He says softly, squatting in front of the boy..

“Hi..” It’s barely a whisper.

“What’s your name?”

“Martín..”

“And did I see you two messing with Martín?” Steve directs over the boy’s shoulder to the two older boys that had been tugging on his hair. The boys faces drain of color and they jump down off the steps and run to hide behind Chrissy, who just shakes her head at them.

“They were tugging on my hair..They said it is too long. Like girl’s hair…” Martín says sadly.

“Well, my hair is long, and I say I am a boy.” Steve assures the boy. “What do you say you are?”

He thinks about it for a moment, adding in a ‘hmmmmm’, before answering “I’m a boy.”

Steve smiles at his assertion “Well guess what, I declare that today you are also a prince, just like me. How’s that sound?”

“But I’m too little. I’m only four.” Martín holds out the hand that isn’t tugging on his own hair, four fingers spread wide.

“That’s the perfect age to be a prince! In fact, I think you all are the perfect candidates for Princes and Princesses today.” he stands, speaking to all the curious faces around him.

He beckons a nearby vendor to him, an older man selling plastic tiaras. “Can we please get them all a crown?” He asks him quietly as the kids around them are screaming and yelling in excitement.

“All? Give them all free tiaras?”

“I’ll take care of it.” Steve pats the man on the shoulder.

The man is relieved at that “Thank you, Your Highness!”

Steve grabs a gold crown for Martín, and crouches down in front of him once more while Chrissy and the vendor help the other kids with crowns and wands of their own. “Would you like to walk in front with me?”

Martín nods excitedly and Steve places the crown on his head. He stands, holds out his hand for Martín to take, and leads them to the front of the pack.

He lets his hand go once he’s at the front, on the curb and moves a couple steps away to address the kids.

“Okay, everyone,” he calls, and all the kids fall silent to listen “You are all, now, Princes and Princesses.” He paces in front of them like they’re an army battalion. “So you gotta walk the way you think a prince or princess should walk. So… stand up straight, shoulders back,” he pauses to face them directly again, smiling at the way they all fixed their posture the best they could “and just have fun. You ready?”

“Yeah!!” they scream. 

Steve steps up next to little Martín, and holds out his hand for him to take. Grasping his little hand, Steve waves his other to Hopper.

Hop gives him a nod and says something into his earpiece as he turns and hops back up onto the back of Joyce’s carriage.

“Drumroll, Please!” Steve calls, knowing the drummaster was nearby, marching at the head of the group of soldiers that were behind he and Joyce previously. There’s a call back of ‘Give the prince a drum roll!’ from the man who’d been calling the directions for the soldiers, and as the procession begins to move in front of them, he takes the first step forward with Martín.

They march down the road a bit, and he looks back. All the kids are off the curb, and the soldiers have started to follow. He looks forward again and smiles, waving at the crowds with his free hand, and marching closer and closer to where his friends are sitting.

Steve looks down at Martín, who is smacking his free hand back and forth from his mouth and out to the cheering crowd around him. He also seems to already be losing steam, so Steve scoops him up onto his hip to spare the boy’s little legs.

“Whatcha up to bud? Blowing kisses to your adoring subjects?” he says once he’s settled on his left hip.

“Ya! Just like Queen Joy!” he answers brightly, and smacks his palm to his mouth once again.

Steve’s confused for a moment, but as soon as he looks up, sure enough, Joyce throws out a light kiss from her fingertips to one side of the road, then turns and waves to the opposite.

“You’re so right, that’s a great idea.” Martín’s smile when Steve starts blowing kisses with his free arm is going to be burned into his brain forever.

---

Steve and his new hoard of children are slowly marching toward them down the road and Eddie is fully in love.

Steve’s got one of the smaller boys on his hip at the front of the group and the little boy looks so much like a little version of the prince that Eddie thinks he could easily be his son. The shaggy length of his auburn locks, the freckles a good substitute for Steve’s moles, the bright smile.

The boy is smacking out clumsy kisses from his whole palm and when Steve says something to him, Steve nods and also starts blowing kisses to the crowd around them.

There are excited, high-pitched screams that erupt from the masses and Eddie rolls his eyes. He’s seen more and more Prince Steve fanpages crop up online recently, and he just knows that the photos and videos being taken right now will be at the forefront of peoples’ minds for a long time.

Steve’s nearly across from them now, waving to the opposite side of the road. When he turns his attention to their side once again, and sees the teens, he bounces the boy on his hip and points them out to him. The little boy beams and waves excitedly at the cheering teens in the front row. 

Even Erica and Mike seem to be excited to see the two, and give a smile and wave to their friend, and Max and Ellie are cooing at little Steve. 

Steve locks eyes with Eddie as they are about to round the corner and out of sight as they continue on, and blows a kiss directly to him.

Eddie’s hand jumps up to his heart and gives a fake swoon that makes Steve laugh and shake his head as he continues by.

Eddie glances around and it seems like no one caught the action, most likely thinking that Steve's thrown it to Max and Ellie who were giggling uncontrollably. 

His father is faced away from him so he didn’t catch his son’s movement, and is still grumbling about Steve letting the children join the parade being some “low, despicable, political trick”.

He risks a glance behind him. Erica is giving him a shit-eating, knowing grin, and Will is looking at him in awe and surprise. Eddie brings a finger to his lips in a mimed shushing, giving the both of them wide, serious eyes. They both nod in sync and turn back to the rest of the parade.

Eddie feels lighter than he has in months.

Part 8 here!

I love you all! @henderdads @steveshairychest @sidebarre @resident-gay-bitch @kaspurrcat @melkene @livewondrousss @sadcanadianwinter @steddieasitgoes @mightbeasleep @princessstevemunson @totallybitchin @potentialheartofdarkness @spectrum-spectre

[frankenstein-ate-my-left-shoe]

A Recipe for Disaster (Chap. 10)

Pt. 1 | Pt. 2 | Pt. 3 | Pt. 4 | Pt. 5 | Pt. 6 | Pt. 7 | Pt. 8 | Pt. 9 | AO3

AAHHH!!!! I've had the majority of the wedding scene written since i started planning this AU, so you get two chapters in a row 😈 next chap will be the last and will include the coronation and a bit of an epilogue

Steve wakes up uncomfortable, but warm. 

He nuzzles his face into his pillow an–why is his pillow scratchy?

Blinking his eyes open, he sees Eddie looking down at him. “Good morning, sweetheart.” Eddie says, his voice low and raspy with sleep.

Steve smiles sleepily, pushing his face back onto Eddie’s chest. “We stayed out all night.”

“We did…” Eddie’s voice has a smile to it, and his arm tightens around Steve’s shoulders..

Wait.

Steve throws himself upright “We stayed out all night!” Eddie’s hand is rubbing Steve’s back as he has his short panic attack, and Steve turns to look at him. 

Steve catalogs the other man; He cannot be comfortable, and he stayed like that all night? His upper back and head are propped up on the trunk of the tree behind him, and from the look of the roots around him, he must have a big chunk of one digging into his lower back right now. Eddie doesn’t seem phased by that though, he only looks concerned for him.

Steve smiles, his panic settling into tired laughter as he hunches forward and puts his head in his hand. Eddie sits up beside him, crossing his legs and pulling Steve into his side. He feels more than hears Eddie's chuckles, and definitely feels the brush of what could only be his lips against the shoulder of his hoodie. 

Steve rubs his eyes clear of their sleep gunk and looks out around the lake, seemingly glowing in the soft pink light of the sunrise, the fog catching the rays as it rolls over the glass-smooth water. 

He stops on an odd sight though, There is a man rowing a boat a good ways away. Steve squints. “There’s a man on that boat.” he says aloud.

“Hmm?” Steve feels Eddie turn his head to look, keeping his cheek pressed to his shoulder. “Probably just a fisherman.” He turns back to place his lips on Steve’s shoulder, sending a thrill through him.

Yeah, that could make sense. They are a ways off from the palace, so this could be a random citizen, or maybe a palace worker getting in some early fishing before going into wo–

Steve watches as the man hastily sets the oar handles down into the boat, and fishes around for something at his feet, not taking his eyes off the two of them as he does. Steve’s stomach starts to tighten as he waits, starting to lean away from the man on instinct even though he must be at least 50 yards away.

The man finally gets a grip on what he was looking for and lifts it into Steve’s line of sight.

His stomach instantly turns to lead and drops down into his feet. Past his feet. And his heart is quick to follow.

Steve gulps. “With a video camera?” a legit video camera too. One of the big ones that are usually reserved for members of the media.

Eddie freezes beside him, doesn’t look up when Steve turns his head to him. 

That’s all he needs. 

“You’re pathetic.”

Steve throws Edmund off of him and stands, yanking the rest of his blanket out from under the dazed man.

He can hear Edmund scrabble in the dirt to get up behind him as he stalks off toward Sandy. 

“No, Stevie, wait! I have no idea–”

“You know, it’s really a shame you didn’t get me naked last night, huh? You motherFUCKER.” Steve turns halfway and throws his wadded up blanket in Edmund’s face, leaving him to struggle with it as Steve jogs the rest of the way to Sandy. Seeming to know the exact mood he’s in, Sandy is also ignoring Danny beside her, and nips at him when he gets too close to her.

“Steve, wait, I have nothing to do with this! Stevie, please, hold on!” Steve hears his voice crack.

It’s the most coordinated he’s ever been, throwing his foot into one stirrup, the other over the saddle, and giving Sandy a nudge forward in one fluid motion.

“Steve, you have to believe me, that’s not my boat!”

“You know what, Edmund? Have a nice life.” Steve doesn’t look at him, can’t look at him.

He nudges Sandy with his heels twice more and she takes off, running hard and fast back to the stables. Lucky for him too, because the tears that betray him and fall on their own either fly off his face or dry out almost instantly.

Everything between leaving Edmund under that tree, to him bursting back into his room is a blur.

There were trees rushing by him in one second, then he was handing over Sandy’s reins to a very confused Gustav in the next, and now he’s here. 

And so is Joyce.

And Robin (Who is pulling herself out from under his covers).

“Steve? What is going on?” Joyce asks, looking him up and down.

Steve opens his mouth to say…something…but is cut off by Murray coming into the room.

“Prince Steve, I think you should see this.” Murray goes straight to his TV and turns it on.

Oh no.

“After years of boring royals, Genovia finally has a world class scandal!” the voice of that god awful woman from the local morning gossip channel filters through the TV and into Steve’s ears.

He feels like he’s going to pass out.

The whole screen is dedicated to the view that the camera man had, showing everything. Realizing the camera was there, Steve throwing himself from Eddie’s embrace, and onto Sandy’s back. 

The whole time the video is playing back, that woman’s voice is narrating “What will Princess Nancy have to say about this? Will she stay or will Lord Muñoz be Genovia’s new King? Maybe we'll see the continued reign of Queen Joyce!”

The footage stays on Eddie a for a good second or two before it cuts back to the hostess and Steve kicks himself for feeling a pang in his heart from how heartbroken and dejected Eddie looked after he left.

“No matter what, it’s out of the frying pan and into the fire for Prince Steve. Keep your eggs sunnyside up!”

Steve crumples to the floor head between his knees and arms over his head. 

His ears are ringing.

Someone is rubbing his back.

He hears Robin’s voice beside him “I’d like to tell her what she can do with her eggs.” she must be the one rubbing his back.

Her ministrations pause for a moment.

Robin’s hand leaves and Steve feels a presence sit down beside him. 

“So?” It’s Joyce.

Steve lifts his head and rests his chin on his arms, now crossed over his knees. “I got played.” He sniffles, his face is wet. 

“Uh huh.” he can see Joyce nodding in his peripheral. “The real question is, do we still have a wedding?”

If that question didn’t alone make a new flood of tears threaten to spill over, seeing Nancy bursting into the room absolutely did.

Steve can’t even register that she doesn’t even look mad before his vision is blurred out and his face is scrunched up. “Nancy! Nancy, I am so sorry.” She touches his shoulder, but he jerks away and snaps up to his feet as fast as he can, backing away from her. “Please Nancy, please know I wasn’t trying to hurt you, I am so sorry, I hope we can still be friends after I leave Genovia–”

“Steve, wha–” Robin sounds concerned but Steve can barely think, barely function, he just keeps backing up until he hits the wall.

“Please, Nancy, I promise it wasn’t all bullshit, I really do care for you,” he just needs to shuffle a little faster.

“Steve I care for you too, what are you–”

“I’m sorry, so sorry, you can be happy with Jonathan now..” he bolts to his ensuite and locks the door behind him. Sliding down the back side of the door and just dissolves against it.

You ruin everything. 

“Steve?!” Robin’s voice is muffled through the door, she sounds concerned.

You’re Pathetic.

“Steve, please come out and talk to us! I still think this marriage is a good idea.” Nancy’s voice is next, calmer, but she sounds bored, like she is talking to a child.

You’re disgusting.

“Steve, darling, please come out.” Joyce’s voice comes last, she sounds so disappointed 

You think these people really care for you?

He can’t take this anymore. He lets out a noise that’s more scream than anything, and suddenly the tile floor seems like a great place for a nap. 

—-

“Lady Sinclair? What are you doing outside Lord Muñoz’s room?” She hops up on her feet and pulls Hopper around the corner.

“He didn’t do it.” Erica looks up at Hopper; she has a shocked, somewhat sad look on her face.

“I’m sorry?”

“Eddie didn’t do it, he’s been yelling to his dad about the lake thing since he started packing. His dad called the paparazzi..”

Hopper processes that information, and files it away. “I’ll make sure to tell Steve. You are not to tell him yourself, promise?” He sticks out his pinky to her and she looks at it incredulously.

“What do I get?”

“I’ll tell you a secret of mine.”

“I already know you and the queen have something going on.” she crosses her arms. “That’s what happens when you slow dance in an empty ballroom in a palace full of people.”

“Fine, you’ve got me there. Tell you what, you don’t tell Steve about Lord Muñoz, and you can tell him about myself and her majesty.”

Erica grins and locks his pinky with his.

Once she runs off, Hopper moves to knock on Edmund’s door.

“Yes dad, I’ll be home later tonight. Bye.”

Hopper knocks as soon as he hears the call end.

“Come in?”

“Hello Edmund.”

“Hopper.” Edmund looks scared seeing him in the doorway. He puts his hands up and takes a step back “I swear it wasn’t me, I would never want to hurt Steve, I promise! He’s so important to me, I just wanted a taste of the life I could’ve had with him and–and–” He’s stopped by his own throat choking him up. He clears his throat and continues on “Genovia will still have their rightful king, he’s going to marry Nancy…and I’m so in love with him.” Eddie finishes softly, looking at the floor.

Hopper steps forward and Eddie flinches, looking back up at the other man “I knew I wasn’t going to be disappointed in you.” Hopper says, clapping a hand to his shoulder.

“Edmund, you absolute motherfu–” Robin bursts in behind Hopper, Nancy at her side.

“Oh good, Hopper’s already here. Now we don’t have to explain anything.”

“Explain what, Your Highness?”

“Why you may or may not have found Lord Muñoz dead in his quarters.” She shrugs and Robin stalks forward toward him, a baseball bat (‘Where did that come from??’) in her hand.

Hopper, bless him, doesn’t react. He just puts a hand out to stop her from closing in on Eddie.

“He’s leaving today.”

Eddie looks at Nancy. “Nancy, I’m so sorry for the grief this’ll cause you two; I’m sure Steve won’t have anything to do with me after this so you won’t have to worry about seeing me around anymore.”

“Good.” Robin turns around immediately, hefting the bat onto her shoulder and waltzing back out the door. 

“I told you nothing good would come of it if you were spotted together.” Nancy scolds, and he nods. “We were all rooting for you Edmund, no matter how weird that sounds. We were. We told you as much.” She takes a deep breath. “Goodbye, Eddie.” and with that, she too leaves.

Hopper places a big hand on his shoulder and Eddie looks up at him. “I will have your uncle come down to see you off if you’d like.”

Eddie’s throat tightens up so completely he can’t breathe.  All he can do is shake his head. 

Hopper nods. “I will come collect you in ten.” he pats Eddie’s shoulder and he too takes his leave. 

As soon as the door is closed behind him, Eddie sinks to his knees, to his elbows. Crumpling up into a ball, hands on the back of his head, tears slipping silently off his nose and into the carpet. 

—-

Steve finally gets himself under control a good five hours later.

He immediately wants to go back into the bathroom at the sight of the four people still there after his tirade. They all turn to face him.

“Steve,” Robin is the first to him, moving so fast it was like she’d teleported straight to him. “Can I touch you? I want to give you a hug.” She asks, searching his face.

If there were any tears left in him, they would’ve sprung forth at that. But he was empty. 

He nods and she pulls him down to her immediately and holds on tight. He holds onto her and looks over her shoulder. Joyce, Nancy, and Dustin are all there, the former two looking at him in pity, and Dustin looks– “Dusty, have you been crying?”

Steve removes himself from Robin and moves to Dustin, holding out his arms. Dustin’s face scrunches up and he throws all his weight into Steve “Steve I’m so sorry, I can’t believe I’m related to that asshole.” Steve hugs him tighter “Wayne told me last night, and now he does this shit? I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”

“Hey, Dustin, buddy, it’s not your fault. It’s mine.” He pulls back and Dustin lets him clean off his face with his sweater sleeve. Steve rubs it all over his face, making Dustin huff out a laugh and back away with a sad smile. 

“Steve?”

He turns his attention to Nancy and his stomach shoots up from where it’s been in his feet since this morning, only to shoot back down again. 

“I don’t know if you heard me before, but I am still here for you, for this.”

He thinks back, “I thought you sounded bored, like you wanted to be literally anywhere else.” He looks around, everyone around him is silent. “That was just me, wasn’t it.”

“Yeah, I think it was just you, Dingus.” Robin comes up from behind him and rubs between his shoulder blades. 

“Steve, honey, we are all here for you.” Joyce assures him. “No matter what you decide to do.”

Nancy steps up to him, taking both of his hands in her tiny ones. “Listen to me carefully, Steve. If you’ll still have me, if you still want this,”

“More than anything.” Steve says immediately.

Nancy smiles softly at him, “Then we are going to stand up in church and say ‘I do.’ and tomorrow we will be husband and wife.” She squeezes his hands. “And you are going to make an amazing King of Genovia.”

He looks around at the four most important people in his life…and nods. He pulls Nancy to him and kisses her forehead. “Thank you, Nancy.” he murmurs into her hairline, “You’re very welcome, Steve.”

Robin, Dustin, and Joyce all crowd in around him. 

“I really am sorry, I shouldn’t have been so stupid. It could’ve cost us everything.” he directs the last at Joyce, once they all pull away.

“It’s not all your fault, Dingus. I think we were all rooting for you and Eddie, even though it couldn’t really happen.”

“Is he–He’s gone then, isn’t he?”

“Left this morning, not before we threatened him a little bit.”

Steve sputtered at that, “You threatened him??”

“Yep! I brought your bat with us, hope you don’t mind.”

“Ohmygod, Robin!”

“And Nancy too, she was there too!”

Nancy just giggles in response. Actually giggles.

He looks at Joyce and Dustin, who aren’t reacting “And you guys knew this too?” his face is threatening to break out into a smile.

Joyce nods, and Dustin says “You were in the bathroom a long time, dude.”

—-

Hopper, bless him, doesn’t make a fuss about having the car drop him at Chrissy’s, and not his dad’s.

He goes to the back entrance to her apartment above a boutique on main street, and knocks loudly. 

She’s there lightning fast. She had to’ve known he’d come here. 

“I am so mad at you.” She hugs him close and pulls him in the door.

“I’m just gonna wallow on your couch, okay Chris?” he trudges up the stairs behind her.

“Anything, E, you know that.” he drops his duffel and himself onto the couch, face first, and doesn’t plan on moving from this spot until…well he doesn’t know until when.

“I take it you aren’t going to be going to the wedding tomorrow?”

Eddie moans into the cushion.

“Thought not.”

—-

The next morning, Steve wakes less than rested. He’d really thrown himself for a loop with his impromptu bathroomfloornap yesterday, then last night, could barely sleep with the added nerves because,

“I’m getting married today.” 

He says the words and they still don’t feel real. 

He dresses in comfy clothes while he can, knowing he’ll be stuffed into a suit sooner than later, and heads to join everyone for breakfast.

When he gets to the dining hall, he’s surprised that when Joyce’d said everyone will be at breakfast this morning, she really meant everyone. She, Robin, and Nancy, Mike, the Hendersons, the two younger Sinclairs, Will and El, Max, even Jonathan, all seated along the dining hall table.

No one says anything, no one really acknowledges he’s joined them, they all just continue on with their meal, and Steve wants to thank whoever it is that told them all to not mention it. Though Wayne does level Steve with a look that he thinks says ‘I’d like to talk to you later, but if not, know that I am sorry.’ Steve nods at him, and he returns it, placated.

After breakfast, he goes with Nancy and Robin to Nancy’s suite, planning on lounging around and judging while she gets her hair done for the ceremony. They’ve got a chair set up for her in front of a mirror, but the chair is facing the wrong way.

“The stylist they are having come in is a bit…eccentric.” Nancy explains when he asks why not have her facing the mirror. “He likes to do a reveal to himself first before he lets you see.” She shrugs and before Steve can say anything, the man himself waltzes in.

“Ah, Paolo.” She greets. He’s a rounder man, with a shiny bald head and multiple shiny rings. His coat is hastily taken off his shoulders by his two assistants before he reaches both of his hands forward for Nancy’s, giving each set of knuckles a quick kiss in greeting.

“Buongiorno Principessa, ah! And Principe Stephan! Wonderful to see you, are we getting you done for the ceremonies too?”

“Ohhohoho, no. I am all good, I know exactly how to take care of mine just fine. Thank you, Paolo.” Steve waves his hands (probably a little too much) fending off the stylist.

“Ah, good man, good man, knows his angles, his features!” Paolo seems to only talk with his hands. “Let us get started then Principessa.” He waves Nancy back into her chair and gets right to work.

Steve and Robin lounge back on Nancy’s bed, scrolling social media, scrolling faster past any mention of he-who-must-not-be-named, and waiting to react accordingly to each style Paolo attempts to wrangle Nancy’s hair into.

Once the first attempt is finished, Paolo does, in fact, do a reveal to himself. His assistants covered Nancy’s face from his view with headshots of previous clients and pulls them apart from each other at his command. Strange, but okay. 

Nancy turns to him and Robin first, and they both have to stifle laughs “You should definitely look first, Nance.” Robin tells her.

She does, and her eyes go wide. “I look like a moose.” Paolo had split her hair down the middle and twisted the gathered strands on each side upon themselves to twist up off the top of her head. “I have antlers.” She sounds absolutely mortified.

“Yes, but a very cute moose.” Paolo defends, “Make all the boy moose go HWAAAAH.” Steve and Robin lose their shit at his exaggerated attempted moose call, both of them also bursting out in their own moose calls.

He attempts a more floofy, curly look next. This time all Nancy can manage when Paolo spins the hand mirror to her is a strained “I look like a poodle.”

She really does, and Paolo knows it. Doesn’t even try to defend it. Just dives back in with a “Here we go again!”

“She really does look like a poodle.” Steve comments from his new seat on Nancy’s couch. A poor choice, really, because he’s within arms’ reach of Paolo. Who grabs his spray bottle of water and spritzes him directly in the face.

“I like it.” Robin comments idly, not looking up from her magazine in the chair on Nancy’s other side. 

This time, Paolo reacts much better, lifting Robin’s hand from the arm rest and kisses it reverently. Then gets back to work on Nancy’s hair. Robin’s still reading her magazine like nothing just happened.

Steve’s still stunned from the whole water to the face thing and stands to leave. “I need to go get ready, I’ll see you there Nance?” He questions as if he doesn’t already know the answer.

“Of course, Steve, I’ll be the one in white.” She gives him a wink and Robin belts out a singular loud “HA!”

On his way back to his suite, who should he run into other than Lady Applejack herself.

“Hey Erica, you look great!” she’s in a puffy-sleeved, pastel pink/peach colored dress, pristine white Converse high-tops, and an expensive-looking bag on her shoulder. 

She rolls her eyes, “I know I do. But thank you.” she nods “It’s a Selkie dress.”

“I have no idea what that means, but good for you?” he starts walking away, “I’m heading up to get ready myself, can’t be late!”

“Oh, wait!” Erica calls, and he turns back to her in the hall. “I forgot to tell you about Joyce and Hopper!” she sing-songs as she skips up to him. “Me and Ed—SOMEONE ELSE saw them slow dancing all love-y with each other in the ballroom the other day, AND I have it on good authority that he proposed.” She crosses her arms across her chest and smiles smugly up at him.

With everything else going on with him recently, he’s completely missed this whole thing happening between Hopper and Joyce? Well not really, there’ve always been vibes between the two, but still.

“That’s…actually that makes a lot of sense. I hope she said yes.”

After a couple seconds, her stance softens and she drops her arms, looking a bit sheepish.

“Hey, Steve? I know we all really like..him. But we’re all on your side if you'd like us to be. Even Will seemed ready to kill him for that, and Will is definitely more tame of all of us.”

Steve huffs out a laugh at how easily he can imagine both Will and Ellie, somehow with some sort of psychic powers, lifting Edmund off his feet and exploding him into tiny bits. 

“Thanks Erica, I’m really lucky to have you all.” He pulls her into a short hug and sends her on her way, telling her he’ll see her at the chapel.

—-

The rest of the morning is a blur, and suddenly, Steve is standing with Hopper on the opposite side of the chapel’s heavy wooden doors.

He’s in the black version of his (what must be trademarked at this point) pear tree print suit, maroon bowtie, and a silver version of his grandfather’s crown set atop his hair.

“Hey Hop, I want you to know that I’m 100% in support of you and Joyce.” he looks up to meet Hopper's eyes.

Hopper stares down at him. “Erica knows everything.” Steve says with shrug as a form of explanation and turns back to face the doors.

After a moment, Hopper heaves a long sigh. “Highness, before you go in there, you should know,” He pauses. “Eddie did not set you up at the lake.”

Just that one sentence and Steve’s thrown off his axis, the most overwhelming feeling of hope floods his senses. He snaps his head to Hopper once more. “Are you sure?” he manages to whisper out.

“Erica knows everything.” Hopper echoes with a smile, then leans over to whisper: “She happened to overhear him having a very heated and incriminating phone call with his father yesterday.”

Steve gives him a shaky smile, but then he can hear his cue play from behind the double doors, and a moment later, they open in front of him.

Steve and Hopper walk through the doors, Hopper stopping at the pew at the very front to take his seat beside Joyce. Steve takes his spot next to the bishop in a daze. That really wasn’t Eddie? Does he dare to hope that Erica is telling the truth? That damn father of his…. Steve feels like an idiot. He’s planted his feet where they are supposed to be and looks out at the people in the pews.

Well. Here he is.

At the last step he needed before he’d be able to become King.

Standing in front of the world’s most important people, the only thing Steve could think was that there was one face missing from the crowd.

The only face that mattered. 

Steve turns to Robin (his best man) and by his look alone she says, “Take a right, third door on the left. I’ll tell them you’ll be right back.”

Minutes before Nancy was to walk down the aisle to him, Steve was walking the wrong way back up it, and out the door.

He doesn’t register the murmurs and tittering of the crowd, doesn’t register Hopper telling Joyce “It’s alright, he’ll be back.” and sitting her back down at the front of the church, doesn’t register what Robin is announcing to the crowd, the only thought on his mind was ‘Find Nancy.’

He found her exactly where Robin said she’d be, Chrissy helping her with the last couple things.

“Steve?” She sees him enter in the reflection in front of her, and turns to face him in the doorway.

“Nancy..” He has no idea what to say. No idea how to explain to her what he wants, what he’s planning on telling everyone.

Nancy hurries forward and closes the door behind him before she takes him by the hand and sits him on the bench in front of the vanity. She crouches down in front of Steve, a hand on his shoulder, face level to his. Steve’s focus is halfway between the present and completely faraway, and she knows.

“So, do you think I should change out of my dress then?”

Steve blinks fully back to the present, searches her face and only finds determined honesty. Steve laughs until his eyes let loose a couple of tears. “Only if you want to, Nance.” He looks down at her, “You look beautiful.”

She pulls him into a hug and Chrissy rubs his back comfortingly.

“Steve,” Nancy pulls back, “do you know what you are going to say?”

He thinks for a much shorter moment than he thought he’d need, and says “Yes.”

“Do you know that if you do this now, even if it works, Parliament will find a way to get you back for this later? Even if they seem to agree now?”

“Huh?”

“Exposing them to the whole world at once may not bode well for you in the future.”

Steve hadn’t thought about it that far ahead. But he knows this is what he needs to do. “Will you be there to help me when it bites me in the ass?”

She smiles, “Of course I will Steve.”

“Then I’m good.”

Nancy wipes his eyes clean with the handkerchief Chrissy holds out for her, and studies his face for a moment. She must’ve decided something, because she nods, pulls him up from the stool, and heads out the door to lead them both back to their ceremony.

They get to the doorway, hand in hand, and Joyce is there with Hopper, having been waiting for them. 

“Aunt Joyce I–” Steve’s cut off as Joyce hugs him tight. He releases Nancy and embraces the Queen, wondering to himself how she knows.

Joyce pulls back and cups his face. “You’ve got this honey, remember, I am on your side no matter what.”

Steve smiles and grabs her hands from his face, gives them a squeeze, then turns back to Nancy. They give each other a nod and start down the aisle together. The orchestra starts up with the bridal march as they were told to, and everyone stands to face them. 

—-

The second Steve appeared in the chapel doors on his screen, Eddie bolted up. He had to get there, he had to be there. Steve looked gone. Confused. It was a pull he hadn’t felt before.

He ran to the bathroom, and changed into his suit as quickly as he could, thanking Chrissy with all his soul that she’d thought to have it set up for him in case he changed his mind about going.

“No one’s going to want to see me there, Chris. I can’t do that to him.”

“Well then, if you decide to torture yourself, it’s ready to go.”

He didn’t even get his tie on, just shirt, pants, jacket, and shoes. He didn’t need to look like he was getting married, just not like he’d been wallowing the last 24 hours at least.

He’s pulling his shoes on when there are gasps and tittering from the gathered crowd in his phone. He snatches it up and watches as Steve marches back down the long aisle of the church.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!” He crams his feet the rest of the way into his shoes, throws himself down the back stairs of Chrissy’s apartment, and out onto the nearly deserted main street.

He doesn’t have to go far to the chapel, it being just around the corner at the end of Main street, but when he does round the corner, “Jesus H. Christ.” 

Duh. Of course there’s going to be crowds outside too.

He manages to sneak down a side alley to the back side of the church, and where there should be legions of guards, there is only...

“Dustin? Dustin please, I have to see him.” Eddie calls to him, jogs the rest of the way to the teen.

Dustin glares back. “Eddie, I don’t know how you think I’m going to let you in after what you did to Steve.”

“Please, Dusty, you’ve gotta believe I didn’t do this. Look, Wayne may not have told you already but–”

“No, he did.”

“He did.” Dustin nods, and Eddie forces himself to recover from that. “Okay, so you know exactly why I am now trying to get away from this damn family. I swear Dustin, I had nothing to do with it, my father was trying to set me up–Steve up– to fail. And I don’t know what else he’s going to try and pull, but I need to be there when he does.”

Dustin’s eyes squint closed even more, but he says “Swear on my mother.”

Eddie breathes a hesitant sigh of relief. “I swear on your mother.” raises his hand in pledge just for an added measure.

“Okay, you can go (“Thank you!”) but you better go fast,” he turns his own cell to show him, “They’re walking down the aisle right now.”

“Oh fuck!”

–

Steve and Nancy reach the front row of pews and Steve lifts a hand to stop the bishop as he opens his mouth to speak.

Nancy places a hand on Steve’s shoulder and holds something out to him, he opens his palm and she drops his grandmother’s ring into his hand. The two of them smile broadly at each other as the whole place gasps at once. She releases his shoulder and moves to stand beside Jonathan (who should be snapping pictures at the moment, but is just standing there staring at her as she slots into place next to him at the wall, his face beet red).

He moves to stand in front of the microphone and podium off to the side, clears his throat, and speaks.

“Good afternoon everyone. I know you are all wondering what this is, what is happening.” he takes another steadying breath. “I am not going to be getting married today.” The crowd breaks out in a wave of startled whispers, and Steve continues. “I am standing before you today because one month ago, someone else decided for me that one half of any possible group of people I could fall in love with one day, was too much of a risk for Genovia. A risk of what? I am not sure. But I was given an ultimatum. Marry an eligible noblewoman or forfeit the throne.” Another round of titters and gasps wash over him and he can only imagine how wild the chat is on the palace’s livestream right now.

“I am not going to lead this country in a loveless marriage like my father would have before his death. I know very well that his ascension to the throne would not have been a welcome change to the majority of people in this beautiful country and I mean not to have the people of Genovia be led into that with me.

“I love Nancy. She has been an additional rock to me in this whirlwind of a month, and I will forever be grateful to her and I will always be her friend. All this to say that I believe I have proven myself as a leader, and with Nancy’s continued support, the support of my aunt, and with the support of the people of Genovia, I will continue to prove myself over and over if I need to.

“So I ask the members of parliament to reconsider their ultimatum, and if they still do not deem me worthy of being your King, I will concede, and Lord Muñoz can take my place.”

“I won’t,” Eddie calls from the chapel entrance, this time, Steve joins the gasps of the crowd. “I refuse to be King of Genovia. Steve has proven himself more than worthy.” The crowd dithers and chatters amongst themselves, and Steve can see Viscount Muñoz stand up sharply from his seat. ‘Oh boy..’ Steve thinks

“He does not need anyone on his arm for him to shine. And just imagine how handsome he’d look on our postage stamp.” Steve likes to think he knows Eddie well enough to know the exact smirk and wink he just gave before turning and marching back out the way he’d come, even though he can’t see it from where he is.

“Handsome on a postage stamp?? You would look handsome on a postage stamp!” Steve watches as Viscount Muñoz struggles out of his seat, over the fabric barrier at the end of the pew, and hobbles off down the aisle after Eddie, Hopper stepping fully in front of Joyce as he passes with lackluster bows her way.

The chapel doors are closed firmly behind him.

Wayne steps up to Steve’s podium then, “Your highness, you should make a motion for a vote.”

There’s suddenly a huge pit in his stomach. This was not a good idea, what parliament members are going to vote to keep him on the throne after this??

“You will be alright, my boy. Trust me.”

Steve gulps, but turns back to the microphone, casting a glance to Robin and Nancy, both of whom give him encouraging nods, and Robin gives him a sly double thumbs-up.

“Prime Minister Henderson, I move for a vote. To overrule parliament’s previous decision on Viscount Munoz’s contest to my right to the crown.”

Wayne nods, and calls across the gathered guests to all the members, wherever they may sit. “I will also be adding the amendment that any current and future member of the royal family may marry any person, or persons, of any gender they wish.” Steve is floored, gaping at Wayne. “All those in favor, say ‘Aye’.”

Silence. Too long of a silence. 

Steve can feel his resolve crumbling with every passing second, but he holds strong.

“Aye!” Steve whips his head to the voice, not a parliament member, but Erica Sinclair. She’s stood herself onto the seat of the pew, arms crossed, and Steve feels like crying.

“Apologies, Lady Ap–Lady Sinclair, you aren’t a vote we nee–” Waye starts.

“I don’t care. ‘Aye!’ He’s the best person to be King and everyone here knows it.”

There's another, shorter stretch of silence, and Lucas stands beside his sister (not on the seat, but still). “Aye.”

“Aye!” Nancy steps forward from the wall, grinning at the other two (and holding tight to Jonathan’s hand).

“Aye!” Chrissy this time.

Steve feels like he’s going to combust when he realizes what they are doing; they’re using their own pull, their own royal and royal-adjacent power to show everyone else who is going to be on Steve’s side here, no matter what the actual decision from parliament will be.

It’s another slap to the face of parliament when the to-be King, and current Queen of one of Genovia’s closest allies stand with a joint “Aye!” Steve thinks Mike is actually being sincere and not nearly as embarrassed as he could be, standing tall with his mother.

Then Lord and Lady Sinclair stand in agreement, seeming spurred on by Karen taking the leap for him.

There is another beat of silence, with Wayne coaching Steve in his ear (“Stare them down, nope, not that hard, gentler. There you go. Show them you aren’t going to back down on this.”) before that one oldest member of parliament stands shakily with his cane. 

Steve braces himself internally.

“I have young grandchildren, Your Highness.”

“Lord Palimore?” Wayne urges when the man does not continue.

“I believe they will be in excellent hands with you as King. Aye.” he nods sagely and his face crinkles up into a smile. 

Steve sucks in a breath, forcing his heart to slow it’s jackhammering.

After him, there is a slow trickle of agreement, ‘Aye’s come from the three members Steve admittedly gave a bit too much shit to when he proposed his idea of converting the winter palace into a children’s shelter, then there is a flood of ‘Aye’s after them, as if the others aren’t about to be outdone by the others, or maybe they just don’t want to be seen on the wrong side of history.

Either way, “The ‘Aye’s have it!” Wayne calls, and there are cheers from the majority of the crowd, and listening over them, there’s a booming cheer coming from the people outside the chapel as well. “Congratulations, your highness.”

There’s a brief moment of celebration and Steve has a thought, “Murray!” he calls the man toward him, “Give me your earpiece and mic?”

Murray grins at him and hands them over. “Oh, don’t act like you know what I’m going to say.” Steve shakes his head at him, then holds the earpiece to his ear and speaks into the mic.

“Hop?”

“Your Highness?” His voice is tinny, and Steve can see Joyce turn when he addresses him.

“Might as well not let all this go to waste, huh?”

Hopper is silent in the earpiece and Steve can see him standing stock still at the other end of the church. “That’s something you’ll have to ask Her Majesty.”

“Oh come off it, that’s your job isn’t it?” he drops the earpiece and mic at the same time, showing his hands to Hopper ‘Hah! Can’t hear you!’ He thinks at him.

He gives Nancy a whistle and tilts his head to the end of the aisle ‘Hop’ he mouths at her. She has no clue what he’s trying to say. Robin shoots up “I’ve got it! Bouquet please, Nance?”

She passes it over, and Robin power walks down the aisle just in time, Hopper is removing his mic and earpiece, and holds his arm out for Joyce. She’s beaming when Robin passes the bouquet into her hands, and she’s still beaming as she addresses some of the crowd (“Sorry for the short notice, but you were already dressed!” she jokes), and beaming brighter still when she reaches the bishop.

Steve takes back Nancy’s bouquet from Joyce, and she gives him a loving pat on the cheek.

“My lord archbishop,” she faces forward again, “I would like to take this man as my husband, if you please.”

“Finally.” he says, smiling at his queen and Steve hides his laugh behind a flurry of coughs. “We are gathered here today for a different wedding.”

Joyce and Hopper exchange short vows, all they need, a simple ‘With this ring, I thee, finally, wed.’.

“I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.” the bishop tells Hop, and he wastes no time pulling Joyce to him in a crushing, loving kiss.

Last part here!!!

@henderdads @sadcanadianwinter @hopefulslothcollecter @steveshairychest @sidebarre @resident-gay-bitch @kaspurrcat @melkene @livewondrousss @steddieasitgoes @mightbeasleep @princessstevemunson @totallybitchin @potentialheartofdarkness @spectrum-spectre @munsonfamilyband

[frankenstein-ate-my-left-shoe]

A Recipe for Disaster (Chap. 9)

Pt. 1 | Pt. 2 | Pt. 3 | Pt. 4 | Pt. 5 | Pt. 6 | Pt. 7 | Pt. 8 | AO3

here's about 5.5k more words for you! it seriously feels like not much happens in this part, but do not worry, the next chapter... a LOT will go down >:)

Eddie woke up the next morning comfortable and warm.

He moves to sit up, but is stopped by a warm weight on his chest. At first he thought it was Robin and Steve’s fat orange tabby who’d snuck into his room during the night and decided to make a bed out of his chest (again), but then he remembered the party from the night before.

Eddie cracks an eye open and looks down. Steve’s arm is draped over his chest, and one of his legs over both of Eddies. Eddie couldn’t feel his right arm, asleep under the weight of Steve’s head on his shoulder.

Oh.

Steve looked peaceful lying there against him, his soft pink lips parting slightly around each quiet snuffling snore. Eddie wanted nothing more than to curl further around Steve, kiss his forehead, fall back asleep..but he had to get out of there before anyone else woke up and saw them like this. He thought back to the end of the night while he slowly (so slowly) removed himself from under Steve to keep from waking him up.

He remembered laying down on one of the end mattresses when the night wound down. They’d all been pushed together before karaoke into one long RussiaAlaskaCalifornia King size mattress, and after the main event petered out, everyone grabbed pillows and blankets from the pile, and picked a spot on the mattress log. The rest of the night went by like that, watching videos on cell phones, eating the last of the snacks, talking quietly amongst themselves, some playing card games.

He’d fully expected someone to wake him up when everyone else started back towards their quarters for the night, but, yep, looking down the long mattress, everyone else seemed to have fallen asleep pretty much where they’d been when Eddie conked out.

So that means Steve took it upon himself to lie down next to him after Eddie was probably already snoring and threw himself over Eddie at some point in the night. It was probably only because there wasn’t anywhere else to lay, but Eddie can dream that it was because he wanted to. 

Eddie finally got himself out from under Steve’s heavy limbs, and snuck to the stage to grab his sweetheart and amp. He looked around for his vest and..yep. Dustin’s still wearing it, he’s really only been (unknowingly, unofficially) Eddie’s little brother for a few days and he’s already stealing his clothes.

What a little shit.

–--

Steve woke up the next morning uncomfortable and cold.

The sounds of snores around him woke him up the rest of the way and he sat up. He’d laid down next to an already sleeping Eddie on the last mattress in the row the night before (to much teasing from Robin), but Eddie was already gone this morning. The sheet that’d been under the other man was already cold to the touch, and his guitar and amp were missing from the stage.

Frowning, he blinks the sleep from his eyes and looks up the line of mattresses at everyone else, his frown morphing into a smile at the sight of his frie–family. He stands up carefully on the mattress and pulls out his phone to take a picture of the spread.

In order, from his and Eddie’s end, there was Eddie, then Steve, Robin had sprawled next to him with Chrissy on her other side (looking cozy curled into her), Nancy’s back was against Chrissy’s, Jonathan on his stomach next to her, face turned towards her and hands almost touching between them. Will was on Jonathan’s other side, also on his stomach, with his face turned the opposite way toward Mike. They have their hands grasped between them. Dustin’s spread-eagled on Mike’s other side, one of his hands flopped onto Mike's face.

Dustin was still in Eddie’s vest and snoring loudly, his other arm under Ellie’s head, who was on her side facing away from Dustin, but backed right up next to him, holding Max’s pinky with her own. Max was pretty much the exact inverse of El but with Lucas on his back next to her, snoring, his arm stretched out under her head. Last was Erica, sprawled sideways with her legs draped over her brother, head hanging off the end of the mattress.

There were blankets and pillows scattered about, Uno cards and candy wrappers thrown everywhere, and Steve wanted to remember it forever.

He tucks his phone back into his pocket and hops onto the floor to go shake Dustin awake.

“Dusty..hey Dustin! Wake up!” he whispers as he shakes Dustin’s leg.

“Gnhuh? Steve?” Dustin looks around and sits up, careful to not wake up Ellie. “What time is it?”

“It’s 7:20, aren’t you with Hopper today?”

“Oh yeah..” he scrubs over his face with his hand “I should probably shower before I go.” he starts shuffling forward and pulling on his sneakers.

“Make sure you bring Eddie his vest back, that thing looks important.”

Dustin blinks then looks down at his chest, inspecting himself “I forgot I put it on, does it look like I’m missing any pins?” 

“How should I know? Just go bring it to him, I will look for loose pins when we get all this cleaned up.”

“Can you bring it to him? I need to run and get ready.” Dustin shucks off the vest and holds it out.

Steve sighs, but takes it, throwing it over his shoulder “Yeah, sure, don’t be late Dusty.”

He nods and scurries off under the ramp just as Murray and some of the palace staff come into the room to start cleanup.

Steve shakes Mike's leg next, telling him it’s time to get up. He rolls onto his stomach, laying over his and Will’s still entwined hands causing the latter to stir awake. 

Will’s hair is sticking straight up from his forehead and blinks blearily at Steve. He must’ve registered that someone was there because he yanks his hand from Mike’s like it’d burned him, muttering ‘sorry’ and ‘didn't mean to’.

“You’re okay bud, will you wake up the others? The staff is here to help us clean up.”

Will nods at him, still sleepy, and gives Jonathan a couple good shoulder shoves before sitting up fully.

Steve moves back to his and Eddie’s mattress and goes to strip off the sheet, Eddie’s vest falling off his shoulder and landing right in the way. Feeling like he’s about to lose his shit, Steve picks it up and is about to throw it onto the stage but stops. He pulls it on instead, not wanting to break anything by tossing it around. 

He finishes removing the sheet and throws it into Robin’s face.

“Fuck you.” comes her muffled response.

“C’mon Robs, get up, let's help get this cleaned up before I have to go do more coronation shit.”

Steve can see her nodding under the discarded sheet; She pulls it from her face and nudges Chrissy awake.

“Good morning, highness, sleep well?” comes a voice from behind him. “Nice vest.”

Steve turns, “Hi Murray, only as well as I could, seeing as how I was on a mattress on the floor.”

“You and her highness have your final fittings this morning, and more bow practice just after lunch.”

Steve sighs, filing away the information for later. “Okay, Murray, I got it.” Murray nods and turns to leave when Steve stops him. “Hey, Murray, can we get a car called to take Nancy and the girls for her dress appointment? See if we can have them taken to brunch first? …Since she didn’t get a bachelorette party.” Steve mutters to himself. He spots a long-haired chef extraordinaire come into the ballroom before Murray can answer. “Argyle!” He beckons him over.

“Good morning, Royal Dude, how was your party?”

“It was great, thanks for everything man. Did you not get an invite? I’m sorr–”

Argyle lifts a hand to stop him “No worries brochacho, I was invited but I had a video date with my lady friend last night.”

“Oh. Great! Listen, can you give Max the day today, or the morning at least? I want to see if she’d like to go with Nancy to brunch and to her dress appointment.”

“Absolutely! Sounds like fun, if she wants it, she’s got it.” He walks off to help his staff load up a cart to go back to the kitchens.

“I’ve got it all covered, sir; you might want to make sure Hopper’s okay with Ellie going.” Murray claps him on the back and scoots off to do whatever magic it is that Murrays do.

Steve turns around, sees the rest of the teens stacking up the mattresses, gathering up the sheets and pillows, even Mike is helping out willingly which is a surprise.

“Okay ladies,” Steve claps once and they all (no really, all) roll their eyes but put down what they are doing and turn to him. “Nancy, I know this was also supposed to be your party, but I’d feel bad if you didn’t get something for yourself, too.”

She gives him a confused look then smiles at him in exasperation. “Steve, I’m completely fine. I was glad to be here with all of you.”

“I know, I know, but today’s your final dress fitting so I asked Murray if we could get a car for you all to go together to brunch beforehand if you’d like? El, you’ll have to make your dad’s okay with it first, you know how he is, and Max, Argyle said you can have the day if you’d like to go too.”

The two younger girls beam at him and Ellie pulls out her phone immediately, assumedly to call Hop. “Awe Steve, that’s very sweet of you, thank you! Would you all be willing to come with me?” Nancy asks.

They all start agreeing over one another, making plans of where to go, and Steve escapes while he can, slipping down the hall towards Eddie’s guest suite.

–--

Eddie hears a knock at his door as soon as he steps out of the shower. “Come in! I’ll be out in a second!” Eddie dries off as quick as he can, wrapping the towel around his waist and scrunching up his hair in his old tee shirt, he steps out of his bathroom.

He and Steve both freeze at the sight of the other. Eddie sees Steve’s face turn tomato red, doing his best to look at only Eddie’s face, then turns around immediately.

“Your highness, I’m so sorry, I figured it’d only be my dad or Uncle Wayne that’d be here at this hour. Hang on, I’ll be right out.” he scrambles to grab something to put on, ending up grabbing his jeans from the previous night and running back into the bathroom.

He yanks the denim over his still damp legs and throws on the tee he’d been drying his hair with before stepping back out.

“I’m so sorry about that I–is that my vest?” It definitely is, but that’s all Eddie can get out. The sight of Steve‘s strong, broad shoulders in his battle vest is definitely working for him.

Steve turns back to look over at him, then down to his own torso. “Oh yeah, that’s why I came,” he pulls off the vest, walking forward and holds it out for Eddie to take. “Dustin had to go to work so asked me to give it to you. It didn’t look like any of the pins were missing when we cleaned everything up.”

Eddie takes it and inspects the front breast of the vest, and nope, they’re all there. He tells Steve as much. “I would’ve had to sue you for replacements if they weren’t, Stevie. Some of these cost me an arm and a leg.”

“Really? For pins?”

“Yeah, for pins.” Eddie laughs at his incredulous tone “Lucky for you, I was able to thrift a lot of these. I hunt like crazy whenever I go back to the states; real vintage band tees and pins go for a lot these days. Like, this Dio shirt I used,” He turns it around to show Steve the back. “I found it on one of my first trips over there. Back when I was maybe 15? And these two I found in the bottom of a bin that was holding stuffed animals if you can believe it.” He points out the W.A.S.P. pin and the Eddie the Head patch on one side.

“That’s actually really cool, man, and it was cool of you to let Dustin wear it if it’s that important. He’ll be a metalhead like you before you know it.”

“Yeah, well, he’s basically my brother.” Eddie shrugs and sets the vest down on the chair next to him. 

Steve nods “Cousins technically, right?”

He gives Steve a puzzled look “‘Cause Wayne’s his step-dad? But, same thing.” Steve shrugs.

“....How’d you know that?”

“Know wha-Oh! Wayne told me you were his nephew back before the independence day parade.” Steve smiles “Said he was real glad Dustin already has you as a friend, even though he hasn’t told him yet.” Eddie doesn’t say anything, and is currently having a staring contest with the floor. “Also, you just called him Uncle Wayne earlier.”  Eddie looks up then, and Steve gives him a wink. 

Eddie has to replay the conversation in his head.. Yep. he definitely did say that. Eddie grimaces, and Steve continues “And don’t worry, I haven’t told anyone either. It’s not my place.”

“Thanks Steve, I just gotta find the right time to tell him, I guess.”

They stand there awkwardly for a few seconds before Steve excuses himself.

“Sorry for coming so early, just figured you’d wanted to get that back sooner than later.” He gestures to the vest.

“It’s no problem, sorry if my ‘being half-naked' embarrassed you.” Eddie teases, grinning wickedly.

Steve rolls his eyes but grins “Shut up, man. I will see you around, right?” he says, turning toward the door.

“Always, big boy.”

Steve’s steps falter a bit at that, but he manages to reach the door and let himself out without falling on his face, and gives Eddie a small wave as he leaves.

'What a dork.' Eddie smiles and shakes his head fondly.

—--

Steve can feel himself getting antsier the more shots he fails. Everyone is staring at him, watching him fail over and over and over and over and ove–

“Hey, why don’t we give Steve a little while on his own? It can’t be easy trying to do this while everyone’s staring at you.”

Robin, you’re a goddamn saint. 

“We will have to call in a guard before we leave, Madam Robin.” One of the staff points out, and Robin looks like she’s going to kill him. Steve thinks they see it too.

“Concrete will watch him until I can call Dustin, now everyone shoo, shoo!” Steve looks over and sure enough, the man of mystery himself is sprawled out on a concrete garden bench, soaking up all the sun he can during his nap.

“I will be fine, I promise.” He assures his instructor when she hovers. “I don’t think there’s a way to shoot myself with this thing.” Steve lifts the bow in his hand in acknowledgment.

“You’d be surprised, Highness.” She grumbles, but follows Robin and the other staff out of the garden.

A few more failed shots after they leave, Steve’s distracted by a movement to his left. He glances over, bow still pulled back to shoot, and there’s Eddie; hair pulled half up, a pale blue dress shirt tucked into simple slacks, the top three buttons undone, and sleeves rolled to his elbows.

Steve has to do a double take because he swears he can see a flash of ink on the man’s chest when the breeze catches one half of his open collar, but he doesn’t see anything.

He turns his attention to the target in front of him “Come to watch me fail, Edmund?”

“So I’m ‘Edmund’ again, huh?”

Steve sighs and lowers his arms. “Sorry, sorry…this shit’s just kicking my ass right now so I’m irritated.” Steve looks to Eddie, who’s standing with his hands folded politely behind his back. “Plus, now that I know what ‘Eddie’ really looks like, this” Steve gestures at him with a nod of his head “is Edmund, not Eddie.”

He hears Eddie give a low chuckle when he turns back to the bullseye, raising his bow.

Before he can even get another shot lined up, Steve feels the hard planes of Eddie’s body skirt up along his back and the ghost of Eddie’s breath on the shell of his ear. 

“Use your mouth as an anchor.”

Steve has to blink away the fog that’s come over him “Excuse me?”

“Touch your mouth.” Eddie repeats and Steve touches the pads of the fingers on his right hand to the corner of his mouth.

One of Eddie’s calloused palms reaches up and drags along Steve’s right elbow, searing a long line into the flesh that he knows he’ll be feeling for a while after this. “Lower this elbow”, Eddie’s timbre shoots straight through steve’s stomach, making it flip

His other grasps Steve's left hand on the bow and Steve wants so badly for Eddie to hold it forever “and relax this hand.”

‘Wow. That's the corniest thing I've ever thought,’ Steve thinks, ‘is my stomach really going all soupy just thinking about holding his hand?? Ridiculous.’ 

“Then.. release” Eddie commands in that same low voice

Steve lets his arrow go, and it flies directly into the bullseye.

Steve lets out a small whoop in celebration.

“How did that feel?”

“Perfect.” he whispers, and turns to look over his shoulder at Eddie's face.

They are still so close, Eddie’s front still just barely touching Steve’s back, and his face so close, he’s only the tiniest movement away from kissing him once again.

“Let me take you out tonight.” Eddie murmurs, and Steve swears he can feel the other man’s lips brush against his.

The moment is broken, Steve pulls away slightly “Eddie…I’m watched like a hawk. Where would we even go? How would we even go?”

Just then, Dustin runs over to the edge of the makeshift shooting range “Steve! STEVE!” his hands are cupped around his mouth.

“See?” he asks Eddie. “Yeah, Dustin? What’s up?”

“Nothing, I’m just supposed to watch you.”

Steve hangs his head in exasperation

Eddie’s fingers curl around Steve’s hip and give a light squeeze, and Steve’s suddenly flush with Eddie 

“I’ll find a way.” Eddie whispers, a promise.

–--

Eddie’s been going over his plan in his head all afternoon, and now he’s on his way to execute it. All he has to do is cut through the ballroom, out to the stables, a–he freezes mid step. Both from what he sees in front of him, and by a tiny hand grabbing his sleeve and pulling him back under the shadow of the staircase.

“What in the hell??” he whispers to Erica

“I was cutting through too, but I don’t want to disturb them!”

It wasn’t odd to hear music playing in various places around the palace, so he hadn’t thought anything of it as he approached, but this music was currently very important to the two people slow dancing in front of them.

“I think it’s sweet.” Erica says, as if reading his mind.

“It really is.”

Hopper and Joyce are swaying slowly to the music coming from the speaker on a table nearby. Joyce’s head is resting on Hopper’s chest and they look so at peace in each others’ arms. It makes Eddie’s chest ache.

“Jealous, are you?”

Eddie looks down at Erica’s smug little face. “Stop reading my mind, Sinclair. Now c’mon, let's give them their space.”

Erica nods and they both slowly walk backwards further under the steps and back up the hall.

Taking the long way ‘round to the stables leaves him under cover of darkness by time he takes Danny and Sandy out from their stalls.

Leaving them hitched to a tree nearby, he sneaks closer to the palace wall, grabs up a handful of pebbles from the landscaping, takes a deep breath, and throws the first one.

–--

“Steve!Steve!Steve!Steve!” Robin bursts into his room somehow both yelling and whispering at the same time. 

“Robin what the he–” she looks panicked. “Robin, what’s going on?”

“Steve. Look out your window.” 

“Wha–”

“Look out your window!” Robin pulls him up off his loveseat.

Steve struggles with the curtains a bit, but gets them open just as Robin says “Prince Charming is throwing pebbles!”

He hurls the window open “Eddie…? Eddie, what are you doing?” 

“I told you I’d find a way to take you out.”

“How do you expect me to get down there?? I’m not about to go traipsing through the halls right now?!”

Eddie grins, and clears his throat “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, with hair so fine. Come out your window, climb down the vine.”

“Oh he cannot be serious.” Robin snarks from inside.

Steve looks on either side of his window, and wouldn’t you know it, there’s a trestle of roses within reach. It wouldn’t be that hard for him to climb down but he’s not about to make it that easy for the metalhead. “The feat you ask, dear sir, may be easy, but I’m not responding to that line, it’s far too cheesy.”

Eddie positively beams at that, and Steve ducks back inside. 

“That was the grossest, smarmiest, most inane dribble I’ve ever heard you say.” Robin is chastising him but she’s also grinning. “So are you gonna go?”

“No. No way.” Steve starts pacing in short lines in front of the window

“But you want to go.”

“Well duh..”

“So go!”

“Rob, it’s a recipe for disaster. Flirty glances and comments are one thing, but sneaking off together after dark??” Steve shakes his head and continues pacing.

“Okay, look, I didn’t say this because I planned it and it was awesome, but do you really want your bachelor party to have been with a bunch of screaming teenagers, or do you want it to be a stroll in the moonlight with your true love and almost prince charming?”

A slow grin crawls across Steve’s face at that and he runs to grab a hoodie and a blanket off his bed. He pulls his shoes on and dashes back to the window, throwing the blanket at Robin and starts to shuffle out the window. 

He bends down low and puts one leg, then his arm, then his head out the window, slowly reaching out to the trestle and getting a firm grip before hauling himself out the rest of the way. He dangles there for a minute, one arm and and one leg between the roses, while Robin passes him the blanket. 

“I’ll cover for you, Rapunzel, now have fun. And don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

“Thanks, Rob, you’re the best.”

Steve takes the blanket and tosses it over his shoulder then climbs easily down the wall.

“I was waiting here to catch you, but it looks like my services are not required.”

Steve rolls his eyes. “C’mon, where are we going?”

Eddie leads them to where Sandy and Danny are hitched. “We’re going for a ride.” Eddie hasn’t stopped smiling since Steve opened his window, and didn’t look like he was going to stop anytime soon.

Steve hops up into Sandy’s saddle and coaxes her to follow Eddie when he takes off on Danny. They ride for a bit until they arrive at a lake on the far side of the palace grounds. 

Steve stifles a laugh when they stop. There is a big tree on the shore that seems to be Eddie’s goal, so they stop Sandy and Danny at another nearby.

“What?”

Steve looks Eddie up and down before he dismounts. “Metalhead on a horse.” Saying it aloud makes him laugh long and loud.

Eddie looks like Eddie tonight, battle jacket on over a leather one, some band tee underneath, ripped jeans and some beat-up doc martins. On a horse. A horse with a fine leather saddle and bridle that’s only ever been taken care of by the best hands available.

He rolls his eyes at Steve’s hysterics “Well, you said you like when I look like me,” he hops off Danny, “so here I am.” He offers a hand to help him down off Sandy’s back.

In a move unlike any other romcom, Steve’s foot gets stuck in one of the stirrups when he does try to get down, sending him careening into Eddie and pushing them both to the ground.

“Fucking hell, did I hurt you again?”

Eddie groans “I’m used to it.”

Steve climbs up off him and extends a hand to help the other man up. Eddie takes it, and doesn’t let it go, leading them towards the other tree.

“Is this okay?” he asks, giving Steve’s hand a gentle squeeze.

Steve’s heart flips in his chest as he stares into Eddie’s dark eyes. “Y-yeah, perfect.” 

Eddie beams again and Steve never wants to see his face without that bright smile.

They settle themselves half-on, half-under the blanket Steve’d brought, and Eddie pulls out a small basket of fruits and cheese that Steve hadn’t seen him grab.

Eddie passes him some of the snacks as they just sit back and listen to the chirping insects and frogs from all across the little lake.

“Tell me your greatest desires.”

“Tell me a secret.” Steve fires off almost immediately, turning to the man next to him.

Eddie thinks for a moment. “I dropped a weight on my pinkie toe a few years ago and my whole nail fell right off.”

“Ew that’s disgusting!” Steve laughs

Eddie shrugs, “It is what it is, your turn, Stevie.” he pops a slice of strawberry in his mouth.

“I’m losing the hearing in my left ear. Don’t know why, but I’ll probably need a hearing aid soon.”

“That’s not…ideal…”

Steve just shrugs, “It is what it is.” He smiles and knocks his shoulder into Eddie’s before sitting up a bit more and shuffling to face him instead. “Your turn.”

Eddie turns as well. “When I was little, I used to wish I was a mountain lion.” He says with a smile and puts a hand out, palm up. An invitation.

He places his hand into Eddie’s and marvels to himself at the drag of Eddie’s calloused fingertips as he maneuvers Steve’s hand into a thumb wrestle. 

“I sometimes dream in black and white.” Steve supplies without prompting. 

“Sometimes I use chocolate milk in my cereal.”

“I am deathly afraid of sharks.”

“I wanted to live with Wayne when I was little. I probably should’ve.” He shrugs, “I’d probably have gotten my shit together sooner.”

Steve takes a deep breath. “When Nancy asked me if I could see myself with you that day in the garden, there were three specific flashes I could see clear as day.”

Eddie’s hand stops fiddling with Steve's and he worries he’s said too much, that Eddie’s going to want to leave an–

“Let me guess.”

“Wh–what?”

“Let me guess what you saw.”

“Oh, um. Okay? Good luck.” Steve scoffs. 

“It’s coronation day. You look radiant as always, tall and strong. I am there off to the side, and I am so proud of you, Steve.”

Steve feels all the color drain away from his face and he’s suddenly aware of how hard he’s gripping Eddie’s hand. 

Eddie continues, voice even quieter than before. “Or did you maybe picture the two of us, sitting side by side while we meet with the public? I am not the focus here, I never am when you’re in the room, but you are King, and the people are there to see you.”

Steve swallows hard, pinches the bridge of his nose to keep from crying. “There was one more.” he manages to say.

“Would you like to tell me?” While Steve is doing his damndest to get his brain back online, Eddie continues. “I was there in the garden that day when Nancy asked you that. And when she did, I saw myself by your side for the rest of our lives, Steve. Those were just the two I saw the clearest.” Eddie searches his face “What was the last one?”

“The painting.” Steve manages to splutter out in spite of the swirling thoughts in his head at that.

“What painting, sweetheart?”

“The one they’d have painted of us. We’re a little older, a little more gray, but we looked perfectly happy hanging there next to Joyce and Bob.”

Eddie leans in, and for a fleeting second, Steve thinks he’s going to kiss him.

“Please tell me I don’t go bald.”

The tension instantly dissipates, and Steve throws himself backwards in laughter as far as he can without letting go of Eddie’s hand.

“No Eds, you have a thick mane of salt and pepper hair. At least until when the portrait was painted.” he says when he comes back up for air.

That bright beaming grin is back. “My turn, right?” Eddie goes back to playing a one-sided game of thumb war with Steve’s hand.

“For a secret? Yeah, sure.” Steve’s thumb is fighting back now.

“I haven’t danced with you since your birthday.”

Steve snorts, “That’s not a secret, it’s a fact.”

“The secret is, I still want to.”

Steve’s breath is sucked right out of his lungs with that. Damn, that was smooth as hell.

“Okay.” he says dumbly.

Eddie stands, hauling Steve up with him. He places the hand he pulled him up with onto his shoulder, and instead of grabbing the other, holds a finger up in front of Steve's face telling him to ‘wait’.

Eddie pulls his phone from his pocket and turns on…something? It’s music, but it’s turned down to just a hum, mixing with the lapping waves of the lake and the chirps of the animals around them.

He puts his phone back in his jeans, and takes up Steve’s hand. His other resting on his hip. 

“Okay, how about the easy stuff now? Favorite color?” Steve asks after a few steps.

“Black.”

“That’s not a color, it’s the absence of color.”

“Blue then, like navy blue. Yours?”

“Yellow, like a sunflower.”

“Hmm..favorite flavor of ice cream?”

“Mint chocolate chip.” Steve says without hesitation. “There aren’t many I like after working at Scoops, but I’ve always loved mint chocolate chip.”

Eddie pulls his face back. “See now, I was about to give up on you all together for that, you toothpaste-flavor-lover, but this Scoops thing…What is Scoops?”

Eddie is smirking at him and Steve heaves an exaggerated sigh. “I guess it is my turn for a secret, huh? Robin and I worked at an ice cream parlor in high school called Scoops Ahoy!.”

“No you did not.” Eddie chuckles. “Please tell me more.”

“Oh yeah, there was a damn uniform and greeting and everything.”

“You know what I’m going to ask next, doll.”

Steve’s brain goes a little stupid at ‘doll’ but he manages to shake it off without embarrassing himself. “It was all nautical themed, so we each had a sailor uniform, and we had to say ‘Would you like to set sail on this ocean of flavor with me?’.”

Eddie stopped their swaying and blinks at Steve a few times before throwing his head back in bellow after bellow of raucous laughter.

“Yeah, yeah, it was just as horrendous as it sounds.” Steve rolls his eyes at Eddie’s continued laughter and tries to pull away, which snaps Eddie back from his affliction.

“No! No, please stay.” Eddie pleads around dying laughs, “I’ll take it to my grave, Stevie, promise.”

Steve settles back into Eddie’s embrace “You better. Now what’s yours?”

“Hmm?”

“Your favorite ice cream flavor!”

“Anything but mint chocolate chip.”

They continue to dance together in a small circle, spinning slowly, asking each other all manner of questions (Eddie’s favorite movie is either Labyrinth or The Rocky Horror Picture Show (“Of course it is.”, “It’s a classic, Steve.”), Steve loves Tears for Fears (“Of course you do.”, “Hey!”), and Eddie can’t pick a favorite (“Music is music, and music is good. End of story.”).

Eventually they stop talking all together. Ending up how they were at Steve’s birthday, foreheads touching, bodies pressed together, slowly swaying side to side. They stay like that so long that Steve starts to fade out into sleep, it being past midnight at that point.

He’s vaguely aware of being pulled back down onto the blanket, but Eddie’s warmth never leaves him, pressing into his side as he drifts off into a peaceful sleep.

Pt. 10 here!

@sadcanadianwinter @hopefulslothcollecter @steveshairychest @sidebarre @resident-gay-bitch @kaspurrcat @melkene @livewondrousss @steddieasitgoes @mightbeasleep @princessstevemunson @totallybitchin @potentialheartofdarkness @spectrum-spectre

[frankenstein-ate-my-left-shoe]

A Recipe for Disaster (Chap. 6)

Pt. 1 | Pt.2 | Pt. 3 | Pt. 4 | Pt. 5 | on AO3 here

“Robin! Robin, wake up, dammit!”

“Steve? What the hell? What time is it?”

“Robin, look.” Steve thrusts the note into her face

Blinking blearily, she manages to clear the sleep from her face and reads the note “Oh my god?” she says as if she knows she should be reacting, but doesn’t know why.

“Robin, he went back and took care of Sandy.”

She blinks at him twice. “I’m not following.”

Steve launches into what happened after Sandy ran off, how Eddie followed just to make more fun of Steve.

“Wait, hold on, that’s what you got from that?

“Uh yeah?”

“So the man races after you, who is on a terrified horse’s back, on foot (“He did?”), was the first one to get to you, and you think he did that just to give you your hat back and make fun of you?”

“Why else would he do that?”

She shrugs, “Maybe he’s got a crush on you? At the very least he cares about you.”

“He does NOT have a crush on me; and really? ‘Crush’? What are we, twelve?”

“Like I said, he at least cares about you. Did you not hear what I said? After being one of two people to rush forward and try to calm Sandy, he took off running after you. On foot. In damn dress shoes that probably cost a million dollars by themselves.”

Steve’s quiet. Silently willing himself to keep any sort of hope at bay.

“That’s not what’s happening. He’s trying to weasel his way in and throw me off.”

“Steve–”

“No, why else would he leave a passive aggressive note like this?” Steve stands and starts stomping back and forth in front of Robin’s bed. “‘She’s feeling better now, hope you are too.’? Obviously he’s insinuating that I can’t look after my own horse or myself.”

“Oh my god.” Robin groans, throwing her hands over her face and falling back on the bed. “Fine Steve, you win. He’s the big bad wolf and has zero other feelings besides ‘passive aggression towards Stephan Artur Harrington-Renaldi’. Can I get back to sleep now?”

“Robs, you keep poking fun at it, but the whole reason he’s here and even a factor in my life at all is because he’s literally trying to overthrow me. You say he cares, I say he’s pretending to to get me to let my guard down so the literal over-throwing part will be that much easier.”

She huffs out a long sigh, “Okay fine, I admit that could be a possibility.” she says, and sits back up “But can you admit that my thing may also be just as true?”

Steve thought it all back over again.. “I thought we made a real connection on my birthday, before I knew who he was, I don’t think you can fake that.”

“Yeah you really were down bad almost immediately.”

“Shut up. But then I find out he’s trying to take the throne, and that immediately puts the brakes on any feelings.. I was crushed Robs.”

“Yeah Dingus, I know. I was there while you wallowed that time, remember?”

“He looked so innocent when I saw him in his room that time, just a real person with a real hobby.”

“Your Peeping Tom moment, yes, I remember.”

“Then he was totally flirting with me when Dustin found us in that closet. But again, he could just be faking it more in order to throw me off.”

Steve’s head hurts.

“And now we’re here. Post-disaster. Post-’Eddie risking bodily harm to calm a literal giant of a horse and save Dingus then runs full speed after Dingus to make sure he’s okay’, post-’Eddie comforts Dingus’, and post-’Eddie leaves Dingus a love note’.”

Steve stares at her, slack-jawed.

“Robin, does Eddie have feelings for me?”

Her look softens at his tone, “I don’t know Dingus, you’d have to ask him.” She throws her covers off and steps up to hug him tight around the middle. “Though, if I was a betting man, I’d bet on it.”

He returns her embrace, “Not everything I hope.”

She shrugs, “I’ll keep you posted.”

–

The morning following the reviewing of the guard, Eddie finds himself outside Prime Minister Henderson’s office door. His stomach a rat’s nest of nerves, he gives a quick succession of knocks to the heavy wooden door.

“Come in!” Wayne’s gruff but friendly voice replies.

Eddie opens the door and sees his Uncle’s face scrunch into confusion.

“Eddie?” he hefts himself up from his seat to stand as Eddie enters the office.

“Hi Uncle Wayne, long time no speak.”.

“Please come in, sit down, is everything alright son?”

Oof, leave it to Wayne to hit him with the ‘son’ right off the bat. “Not entirely.” Eddie closes the door behind him and sits down in front of his Uncle.

“Uncle Wayne, I need your help.” Eddie puts his palm up to stop Wayne when he goes to speak. “Wait; let me apologize first. I’m sorry I haven’t stayed in better contact, I don’t have an excuse for anything that’s happened in the last few years. I thought dad knew best and only recently found a reason to believe otherwise. 

The reason should have been you every other time you’d been in my corner, should have been your new family, the one I should have made the slightest effort to know, it should have been our last conversation, but it wasn’t. It’s–”

“It’s the prince isn’t it?” Wayne cuts him off.

“What? How did you kn–” Eddie clears his throat, “What makes you think it was Steve?”

“A hunch. Also, you just called him ‘Steve’.”

Eddie balks at Wayne’s crooked mischievous smile. “You bastard, how do you know me so well?”

“Eddie, my boy, I’ve always seen you as a son to me. You know that right?”

Suddenly, Eddie’s cheeks are wet, and some of his hair is already sticking to his face. He’d left it loose but now he’s gonna be stuck swiping tear-soaked locks from his face for the rest of, what he’d been hoping would be, a serious conversation.

“Oh, Eddie…” Wayne once again hefts himself out of his chair and circles around his desk as quickly as he can while Eddie remains rooted in his seat.

Wayne’s arms are around him in no time at all, but Eddie’s heaving sobs by time he does, wrapping his arms around his uncle.

“Eddie, you were always too good for my no-good brother. I’ve always believed that.” Wayne’s rubbing soothing circles on his back. “I thought I’d lost you to that son-of-a—” Wayne clears his throat and Eddie smiles into his shoulder, “I’d always hoped you’d break out from under him and find your own way.”

“But you have Dustin now,” Eddie’s voice is small “Why care at all?”

Wayne pulls back and crouches in front of his nephew, pulling a hair tie and a handkerchief from his pocket as he does, and hands them over. Eddie takes them, and the new round of sobs that come with the gesture as he shakily pulls his hair back away from his face.

“You were there first.” Wayne grins at him and Eddie is grinning around smaller sobs and sniffles.

“Now, what do you need, son?”

“Honestly Wayne? I think it was this. I came here to ask for your advice. And to tell you what it is my father is plotting.”

Wayne nods, and circles back around his desk to take his seat. “Hopper told me his suspicions about what happened yesterday.”

“Well he kept the snake, if that tells you anything.”

--

Dustin accompanied Steve to Prime Minister Henderson’s office the morning after the review, intending on stopping there to let him know where Joyce will meet him for their next meeting before heading to the kitchens for breakfast with Max, Robin, and Nancy.

“It’s no problem at all, Aunt Joyce, we’re heading past there anyway so it’ll be super quick.” Steve had assured her.

“Thank you dear, you are a lifesaver; Wayne’s notorious for never checking his email so if there’s a change, he must be told in person or he’ll never show up to anything.”

Dustin gave Joyce a big toothy grin “Yes ma’am, that sounds like him. We’ll let him know.”

Stopping outside Wayne’s door, Steve wasn’t entirely surprised to hear voices from the other side, Wayne’s deep one accompanied by another slightly less deep one. He gave a questioning look to Dustin, who shrugged then short rap to the door.

“Come in!” Wayne called

Steve pushed open the door and upon seeing him Wayne stood and so did..Eddie?

“Apologies for intruding, Prime Minister, Lord Edmund, I was on my way through to breakfast and her majesty asked me to let you know that your 2pm conference was moved into the parliament chambers. She knew you wouldn’t have seen the email.” Steve gave Wayne a smile and a short wink.

Wayne smiled warmly back at him, eyes crinkling, “Thank you your highness, I will be sure to be there.”

Wayne gave a short bow, and Steve risked a glance at Eddie. He looked calm and collected, but his eyes looked wrecked, deep circles beneath them and slightly bloodshot. The fact that those eyes had already been boring into Steve before he’d spared a glance to the curly-haired brunette made Steve’s heart jump into his throat and look away just as quickly as he had laid eyes on him.

“Awesome! Thanks Mr. Henderson. I’ll let her know I was able to tell you.”

“Wayne, your highness; Wayne is just fine.” 

“No can do Mr. Henderson,” Steve was already ushering Dustin back out the door “You’ll be Wayne when you just call me Steve!”

“Touché, your highness.” he said with a laugh “Bye Dustin.”

“Bye Dad! Bye Eddie!” Dustin waved around Steve, who was closing the door.

As soon as it was, Dustin said “What was that all about? Wayne’s not that scary, there’s no need to feel like you need to escape. And you didn’t even say bye to Eddie.”

“Yeah, but you did, what’s with that? You know he’s trying to overthrow me right?” Steve started walking, and Dustin followed.

“He’s a good guy, you just gotta give him a chance.” Steve scoffed at that but Dustin continued “I’m serious, Steve.”

“You just like him because he plays that nerdy game of yours.”

“That’s not it, he’s als_wait, how’d you know he plays??”

Oh shit. Steve feels his face burning up “Uhm, I saw you guys when you did finally play.” Dustin looks absolutely floored. “I was passing by and caught a part of the game, you seemed to be having fun.”

“Well yeah, we were. ‘Cause Eddie’s fun. And a cool dude.”

Steve scoffed non-committedly and they continued in silence for a moment.

“He looked sad.” Steve whispered, almost just to himself.

Dustin looked at Steve incredulously, but must’ve seen something in his face that kept him from saying anything snarky, just replying with “Yeah, you’re right. He did.”

--

“Edmund, can I ask you a question?” Queen Joyce asks him. She’s sitting beside where he’s been baking up batches of cookies for the hoard of teens he’s found himself with lately. M&M for Dustin and Max, chocolate chip for Mike (and for the young Lord and Lady Sinclair, when they did end up joining the party), and oatmeal raisin for the wonder twins.

How they’ve managed to get him wrapped around their fingers this quickly is truly astounding.

“Of course, Your Majesty.”

Joyce gestures for him to sit beside her at the small table in the kitchen where she’d planted herself next to the hot baking sheets. He does, and she continues, “Why are you so against Steve becoming king?”

Eddie isn't. Far from it. He can’t explain why he doesn’t just tell her as much, but he says “My father feels that Prince Steve does not know the people.”

“And feel that you do? Know the people?”

“Well yes, I was born here, I went to primary school here…I am a true Genovian. Steve didn’t even know he was Genovian until much later and my father believes he’s spent too little time here since then.”

“Well I happen to think he will be a great ruler. He’s incredibly kind, sensitive, caring…”

“I know that.” Eddie whispers, not meaning to respond to the queen at all. Oops.

“You do?” She’s shocked.

“Yes. Yes I_I do, but, in his words, ‘how can one rule the people, if they do not know the people?’.”

Joyce smiles, “Touché, that’s a very good question.”

–

Being 100% honest, this is not what he thought would come of his conversation with Joyce. She really took the ‘not knowing the people’ part literally, and now here he was at a garden party not two days later, Steve bouncing between groups of people, smiling, tall, bright, and handsome, Prince Charming himself. In a pastel pink suit no less.

Chrissy caught him gawking, “Ah, so this is the unfortunate object of your affections?”

“Rude. Why are my affections unfortunate?”

Chrissy shrugs, giving him a shit eating grin.

He’d invited his good friend Lady Cunningham to accompany him, hoping to introduce her to Steve; help out with his ‘knowing the people’ any way he can. Chrissy was very influential to the affairs of dignitaries of all walks, she was sweet and charming and hadn’t met a single person she’d not got on with. Not even his father could resist her charms and consistently berated Eddie for not “hitching his wagon to that one”.

“And to think I was going to marry you.” Eddie shook his head and got an elbow to the ribs.

“Shut up, E! Someone will hear you and think it’s real.” Chrissy whispers, “You know people have already started ‘shipping’ us because you refuse to ask anyone else to be your date to these kinds of events.”

“You’re the one who keeps accepting!” He whispers back. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you’d want all this for real.” Eddie gestures to himself and waggles his eyebrows at her.

Chrissy’s loud laugh calls the attention of almost the whole garden, some people hiding their own laughter when she starts snorting.

--

“Steve, look who’s here.” Nancy nudged him in the ribs with her sharp elbow

Steve turned and followed her line of sight, and there, at the entrance of the gardens, with an absolutely stunning woman on his arm, was Eddie.

“Ah. That his…girlfriend?”

Someone scoffed behind them, and they turned to look. It was a passing guest grabbing hors d'oeuvres from the table. “Edmund doesn’t have girlfriends. He has ‘dates’.” The guest looked up at the two, seeming to realize who he was talking to when he did. At the sight of the two royals in front of him, he blanched, and quickly scurried off.

“Well then…Shall we?” Nancy asked, wrapping her hand into the crook of Steve’s arm.

“Shall we what?”

“Say hello, of course.” She started off toward the other couple, pulling him along despite his protests. She was damn strong and ignored him, knowing he would come along at the very least just to make sure he doesn’t make a scene.

Suddenly, they were stopped and Steve dared to look forward, taking in the couple before him.

The woman was indeed stunning; a petite thing, especially next to Eddie’s tall build. Her strawberry blond hair was pulled back in a high ponytail, and it was wrapped in an emerald green bow that perfectly matched her dress.

Eddie’s curls were pulled back into a bun, a few soft tendrils pulled out around his face. The white suit Eddie was wearing suited him just as well as any of his all black ensembles did, and Steve couldn’t help but notice that the suit paired with his pastel pink button-up was the exact inverse of Steve’s own pastel pink suit and white undershirt.

“Well don’t you two look nice!” Eddie’s date mused, giving a bright grin. “I’m Lady Christine Cunningham, but please, call me Chrissy.”

She extended her hand to Nancy first, who took it “Nancy, very nice to meet you Chrisy.”

“Hello, Lady Christine, thank you for coming.” Steve took her hand and brushed a soft kiss to her knuckles in greeting,

“Chrissy, please, your highness.”

“If you’re Chrissy, I’m Steve.” He smiled at her, he always offered this informality, not minding when folks ignored his title, but no one ever took him up on it.

“Very well, Steve.” She grins easily. Wow, that’s a surprise. 

“So how do you two know each other?” Nancy asked Eddie, who’d remained quiet so far.

He cleared his throat, “We went to school together, been friends for a long time.” He smirked down at the petite woman beside him. “She’s quite the academic.”

“Really? What was your major?” Steve asked Chrissy

Eddie interrupted, “She actually majored in primary school education, she is looking to become a teacher.”

Not knowing why, Steve felt the need to come in for Nancy’s defense, “That’s amazing Chrissy! You know, Nancy here is currently pursuing her masters in journalism.”

Again, Chrissy looked like she was going to respond when Eddie responded instead, “Your highness, that’s amazing! Chrissy went to our local university, are you attending locally?”

Nancy made a small noise, but Steve was already (admittedly) bragging. “Nancy’s actually completing online courses at Harvard.” 

Eddie started saying something else but Steve caught Chrissy trying to say something, so he cut him off “Chrissy is actually trying to say something, yes, Chrissy?”

Giving him an odd look, Chrissy addresses Nancy, “Nancy, I feel like they are just going to continue their “my horse is bigger than your horse debacle”, care to join me for a cup of tea?”

Eddie rubs the back of his neck in embarrassment before Steve can, so he shoves his hands in his pockets and ducks his head to hide the flush to his face. ‘Damn, what the fuck was all that?’

“I thought you’d never ask; let's go find Robin. I’m certain she’ll be better company.” Nancy takes Chrissy’s hand and pulls her back toward the rest of the party “You know, his horse actually is pretty huge..”

There’s a moment of awkward silence and Steve starts to say something to break it when Eddie beats him to it.

“So she knows how big your horse is, does she?” Eddie gives him a sly wink and stalks off towards the palace’s hedge maze.

Steve is stunned, frozen for a good ten seconds before he follows after Eddie.

He’s been through this maze enough times that he knows exactly where he’s going. A fact that Eddie doesn’t seem to know, because he calls back out to Steve from not that far ahead “Better get moving, Stevie, don’t want to be caught by the minotaur.”

Steve’s mind is instantly flooded with a myriad of confusing feelings about Eddie calling him Stevie, but then is almost laughs at that minotaur comment, ‘What a fucking dork’ he finds himself thinking.

He catches up to Eddie as they enter the center of the maze, where a huge fountain sits right in the middle. It’s not fully on at the moment, but is usually spraying extra decorative spouts of water in addition to the column in the center.

“How dare you insinuate anything having to do with my private life.” he growls at the back of Eddie’s head.

Eddie throws a sly smile to Steve over his shoulder “I’m not insinuating anything, Your Highness; well, only that she’s met Sandy.”

Steve splutters. ‘Ah fuck, he’s got me there.’

Eddie spins and stalks backward instead. “But judging by your response, I don’t think I have to infer anything about that part of you anymore, now do I Stevie?” giving Steve an appraising look up and down.

Steve’s face turns beet red, fucking hell. He rolls his eyes and looks away, acting like he isn’t flustered by the thought of Eddie knowing what he’s working with. He stops walking when Eddie does, right at the edge of the stone fountain and crosses his arms over his chest.

“Wouldn't you like to know..” he grumbles under his breath.

There’s a pause before: “Maybe I do.”

Steve’s head snaps up and there is no snarky smile, no malice in Eddie’s face. Only a shy hint of a smile and bright red cheeks.

“Well tough shit.” Steve is pissed. How dare this man make him have feelings for him, crush him, then he wants to return them? Fuck that bullshit. “You could have known all about me, known all about what I'm working with, but you and that snake of a father had other plans.”

Eddie’s eyes widen and his smile drops; good, he knows exactly what Steve is trying to confess then. 

“It could’ve been you, Eddie.” Steve says quietly, thinking he might as well spell it out. “I really thought we connected and I happen to feel like we could’ve been great together.” The images he’d conjured back when Nancy had asked him if he could see himself with Eddie flash behind his eyes. “You know, Nancy asked me once if I could see myself with you.”

“She did?” Eddie’s voice is whisper-quiet.

Steve nods, swallowing the lump in his throat. “I told her how I had fallen head over heels for you during your damn lie dance,” Eddie’s short chuckle at that sounded wet, and when Steve looked up, there were tears swimming in the older man’s eyes.

“Then she asked. I told her no. But that was a damn dirty lie because I could picture it so clearly, Eddie.”

Eddie’s mouth drops open in surprise, but Steve cuts him off before he can mutter a single syllable.

“Don’t worry, I stuffed all those pictures into the back of a drawer up here,” Steve taps his temple, his anger coming back into his voice. “But I can’t risk seeing them ever again so I’m going to burn them. Wipe them from my mind forever.” Another lie, he’s going to hold onto those as long as he damn well pleases, but he doesn’t have to know that.

“I am engaged to be married to a wonderful woman who supports me as I am, and will be there to support me when I take over the throne from my Aunt.” Steve mimes wiping his hands together then shaking them off, boring his sight into the depths of Eddie’s wide eyes. “I’m wiping my hands of you, Edmund Muñoz. You will be a pain in my side until coronation, then after that, it will be as if you never existed.”

He turns to leave, feeling both lighter and weighed down after his confession. Lighter knowing that Eddie now knows his feelings, but weighed down knowing he lied to him about wanting to be rid of him.

“Steve, wait!“ Eddie grabbed his elbow and for some reason, Steve let himself be whirled around and into Eddie’s embrace, chest to chest, heart to pounding heart.

From the look on the taller man’s face, he hadn’t expected them to end up so close either, but as soon as Steve was in his embrace, both men immediately lost every thought in their heads. They both started leaning forward and closer to the inevitable until finally, finally, their lips brushed together. 

Steve let his eyes droop, heavy-lidded while they were drawing closer, but now, he closed them and every other sense off in order to take in only the man in front of him. Pressed himself fully to Eddie. Eddie, whose lips were soft on his in even this, barely a breath of a kiss. Eddie, whose arms he fit into like they were made only for each other. Eddie, whose large, warm hands traveled up Steve’s arms to cup his jaw with the softest touch imaginable. 

There was no way he was ever going to recover from this.

Steve reveled in the kiss for the longest moment he could. He let himself feel the fireworks in their touch, the lights of the same bursting behind his eyelids, never to be seen again; he allowed himself this for a single fleeting moment, then forced himself to come back to his senses. Even when the flame in his heart for the man currently holding him like he was precious, grew to an overwhelming size and temperature. 

“Mph–what the hell are you doing?” Steve pushed Eddie off of him, the other man looking just as stunned in what just happened, what was currently happening. Then, as if seeing it in slow motion, Steve registered Eddie’s face morphing into panic as they both realized at the same time that he was now tripping and falling backwards towards the pool at the bottom of the fountain.

“Oh shit, Eddie!” Steve lunged forward and was able to wrap his arms around Eddie’s waist, but it was too late. The momentum of Eddie’s fall had them both falling, right into the frigid waters.

Steve fell half onto Eddie, and half directly onto one of the spouts for the fountain’s water show. The spout jabbed directly under the ribs on his left side, and punched the breath out of his lungs. He took in a mouthful of water and shot himself up out over the surface of the pool.

Hacking, coughing, side hurting, and feeling like he was going to hurl, Steve managed to catch something coming from the man beside him.

“—ou alright?” 

Steve took a wet, shuddering breath and stood shakily, stepping carefully out of the fountain before he responded. “How about you stay underwater and I’ll count to a million?”

“Stevie—“ 

“No!” he spun around and winced at the pain in his side, clutching at it over the suddenly more see-through material of his suit.

For a moment, he was taken aback by the sight of Eddie. Sitting in the pool, the majority of his curls now free from their bun, sopping wet and hanging from his head, plus the pained expression he wore made him look like a kitten that's been left out in the rain. 

Now his heart hurts, along with his side. 

“No, Edmund, you stay here and figure out why you think it’s okay to go around kissing people; specifically engaged people.” he turned on his heel and hurried back through the hedges toward the party. 

“Steve! Stevie, wait, you’re hurt!” He could hear the splashing and sloshing as Eddie got himself out of the water as fast as he could, but he didn’t turn back. Couldn’t turn back. 

Steve steps into the light outside the hedges and nearly crashes into Dustin.

“Steve? What happened?”

“Doesn’t matter, help me inside?”

“Sure, no problem man, are you okay?” He could see that Steve was clutching his side, and probably could see something in his expression in addition to his soaked appearance. 

“Honestly Dusty? I don’t think so.”

They walked along in silence for a moment, luckily not running into many people on their way toward the palace. Until they reached the end of the gardens. 

“Steve? What are you–”

“Aunt Joyce, you don’t want to know.”

Her gaze swept over him and settled on his face. The fire behind her eyes told him otherwise.

“Head inside and get cleaned up, I will meet you after supper.”

Steve only nodded, and Dustin sent in a call over his mic as they started in. “Sparrow returning to the birdhouse; Eagle remains in the yard.” Giving him an appraising look, he also calls “Inform Robin of Sparrow’s whereabouts; she will pass it to Owl.” before asking “You think it’s a bad idea for Robin’s callsign to be Robin?”

“I think it’s hilarious actually.”

–

“Stephan, you tell me right this instant what your exact feelings are for Lord Muñoz.”

Steve had gone to wait in Joyce’s suite after they’d finished supper, knowing he’d want to get this done and over with sooner than later.

“You are found in a closet with a man who is not your betrothed, come out of a fountain dripping wet with the same man who is not your betrothed? What kind of message is this sending to the people, to Parliament? We are supposed to be on top of things around here.”

“I don’t know what to tell you Aunt Joyce, it’s not like I plan for these things to happen.” Steve huffs.

“Start talking Stephan.” Joyce sits in front of him with her cup of tea and waits.

He thinks it over. It could be so easy to tell her (and tell himself) that he doesn’t have any feelings for Edmund, that he’d left them there with the same man in that damn fountain. It should be easy to do so. Lie to himself now and make himself believe it. 

But he can’t.

Even with as much as he wants to, Robin’s words and Eddie’s actions tell him that he and Eddie both had feelings for each other. Have feelings for each other.

“Oh Steve, honey.”

Joyce’s words snap him out of it and he realizes tears have started falling from his eyes. ‘Why the hell am I so emotional lately?’ he thinks to himself.

“It’s been a very stressful couple of weeks darling, I can assume that’s why.” Joyce sits beside him and wraps her arms around him.

“I said that out loud didn’t I?” he returns Joyce’s embrace, sinking into it fully.

“You did, yes.”

“Joyce…I am head over heels for him. I don't know how I can make it stop.”

She holds him and rubs his back comfortingly for a minute or two.

“Steve, honey, I can’t tell you what to do. No one can. I can only tell you what you already know.”

“That I have to keep parliament happy if I want to become King.”

She’s quiet again and continues rubbing circles into his back. “I will support you no matter what, honey, remember that.”

“Thank you, Aunt Joyce.”

She pats his back and sits up tall again, "Now try to get some sleep, you'll want to look your best for the Independence Day parade tomorrow.”

Steve heaves a deep sigh. "I will try.”

Chap. 7 here!

Yay tags!: @henderdads @steveshairychest @sidebarre @resident-gay-bitch @kaspurrcat @melkene @livewondrousss @sadcanadianwinter @steddieasitgoes @mightbeasleep @princessstevemunson @totallybitchin @potentialheartofdarkness

[frankenstein-ate-my-left-shoe]

A Recipe for Disaster (Chap. 4)

Pt.1 | Pt. 2 | Pt. 3 | on AO3 here

Steve and Nancy walked along in silence for a while.

Steve says “Nancy, I don’t want to make you do this.” at the same time Nancy says “You aren’t making me do anything by the way.”

She smiles and motions for him to continue. “If I had any more time or any choice in the matter I wouldn’t make you do this. I still don’t want to.”

“Why are they making you anyway?”

“They..uh.. Want to make sure the whole media fiasco that happened back in the States with my fri_that guy Tommy, won’t become..permanent? I guess?”

“They want you to marry a noblewoman, not a nobleman.” She nods in understanding.

“Yes, that’s definitely a much better way to put that.”

“I see.” 

“And I uhm, I’m not just interested in noblemen, I could go for both..both noblemen and noblewomen” Steve admits, rubbing the back of his neck.

He dares to look at Nancy, who’s smiling softly at him.“Good to know, thanks for telling me.”

She leads them to a nearby bench and pulls him down to sit beside her.

“Steve, I am more than happy to do this for you.”

“But you have dreams of your own Nancy, you have things you want to do too that specifically have nothing to do with the royal life.”

“I already knew that my own dreams would be unrealistic for me. I am a royal woman. I knew this would happen at some point.” She’s still smiling kindly at him.

“That doesn’t make me feel better about this at all, you could marry Jonathan. You aren't in line for your own throne because of Mike, right? So why do this at all? You barely even know me." She thinks for a moment. "I believe you will be good for Genovia and a good representation of the future of all our countries. You didn't come from this world, have made mistakes in the recent past that any teenage person would, but you have moved and grown so far past them that you're willing to fall in line with your government in order to lead your people."

Steve was stunned into silence; he definitely hadn't been expecting all that from this woman he'd only known for a short time.

"Plus I’d rather marry the one royal that would support those dreams of mine than to one that’d try to snuff them out, just like I figure you’d rather not marry some other random person who’s only there for show. I do plan on helping you with this as much as I can; I promise you will be hearing a lot of my advice and opinions in the future.” She gives him a wink.

Steve laughs “Yeah, I’d expect nothing less.” he pulls her into him for a hug “Thank you Nancy.”

“You’re welcome, Steve.”

–

‘Why? Why did I choose tonight to sit out here? Why couldn’t I have just stayed my ass inside??’ Eddie cursed himself, ignoring the small sputtering flame in his chest for the king-to-be as he shot up from his seat in the gardens a good ways away from the two intruders.

Seeing Steve in the clear golden sunset had only made the small flame for the man to grow stronger, if not bigger. His heart completely ignoring the beautiful young woman Steve had in his embrace, and the ache in his foot from his last encounter with the prince.

Eddie snapped his journal shut and slouched back towards the palace, hoping he wouldn’t be spotted by the other two.

–

Nancy’s parents had arrived two days after she and Mike had, and brought along Nancy’s youngest sibling, a delightful little girl named Holly who Steve absolutely adored.

He and Nancy talked a lot in those two days; She had told him what to expect from her parents, said her mom was really the one that he’d have to get on with despite her father being the current ruler (“Will do, can’t wait until Mike takes over for your dad and I have to deal with him on the regular.” Steve had said with an eye roll, Nancy giggled and responded with “Yeah.. mom will still be the one in charge there too, good luck Mike.”). Lucky for Steve, Karen LOVED him and only asked a couple awkward questions about future heirs.

“Oh, uhm, yeah someday, sure, but nothing until Nancy is ready.” He’d placated her, knowing full well he and Nancy hadn’t talked about that whole part of their arrangement yet.

“Don’t be so humble about it son, you need heirs. Best get to it sooner than later.” Nancy’s dad, Theodore, had responded and got a smack on the arm and a “Dammit Ted, why must you always make things awkward.” from Karen.

Steve had excused himself then to warn Nancy about what may be coming (who had rolled her eyes and very bluntly stated, “I’m in no hurry at all. Come on, let's get with Hopper so we can leave already.”), before setting off to the seaside village of Mertz for their first public outing.

It was going well enough, though the cliffside beaches they were walking along were definitely more windy than he’d like.

They trudged through the sand, arm in arm, purposefully trying to ignore the paparazzi until they absolutely couldn’t anymore, and laughing quietly at Ted’s huffing as he also trudged along behind them and Joyce.

“About time we gave them a wave, don’t you think?” Nancy asked.

“Yep, I think so..” Steve sighed in return and waved towards the gathered cameras who all started clicking and flashing the moment he did.

He glanced down at Nancy and caught her small smile at the cameras for a brief moment before her patterned scarf was suddenly whisked away from the collar of her coat and started breezily rolling back the way they’d come.

“Oh shit!” Steve started after the scarf, and so did Nancy.

“A prince shouldn’t run for a scarf!” she laughed as they both again just missed grabbing the slippery thing.

“Neither should a princess!” he laughed back and suddenly he was flopping forward, having finally grabbed the damn thing, but tripping in the process. He landed on his side in the sand and Nancy similarly flopped down next to him on her stomach as if she’d tripped over him after he went down, but Steve had a fleeting suspicion it was just so he wasn’t embarrassed on his own.

“Your scarf, your highness.” He spoke in Dustin’s patented haughty voice as he wrapped the thing back around her neck. 

“Why thank you good sir!” She parroted back in the same lilt before dissolving into giggles.

–

They spent the next week together, doing whatever came to mind, really. They played badminton, they had dinners together with everyone, he listened to her complain about how it was growing up with Mike, he’d read some of her pieces (and they were as good as he thought they’d be), and just went for strolls together in the gardens.

These walks were usually reserved for the more important chats, ones reserved for full honesty with each other. Like about how he’d always wanted a bigger family but that he’s not about to make her do that if she didn't want to. How she could definitely see herself with Jonathan. He in turn told her about his unfortunate feelings of heartbreak when it came to Lord Edmund. 

“I only knew him for a couple minutes but that’s all it took; I really think it was a goddamn love-at-first sight scenario…before it was ripped out from under me literally two days later. It stung. Bad.”

Nancy rubbed his arm comfortingly. “He seems like an ass.” She says in a completely serious, sensitive tone that causes a laugh to bubble up through the sudden tightness in his chest.

“That’s the thing though, I really want him to be, but he may very well not be.” Steve sighs, and pauses for a moment. “I really don’t want him to be an asshole…” he finishes quietly.

“You could see yourself with him, couldn’t you?”

Steve thought about it while they shuffled slowly along the path. Could he? The image of Eddie beaming at him during his coronation, of Eddie sitting at his side in the throne room while he meets with the public, a painted version of he and Eddie, a little bit older, standing side by side and hanging beside Joyce and Robert flashed through his head, one right after the other. Against all common sense, Steve found himself wanting that more than anything.

He also realized that the small fire that had sparked in his chest that night when he saw Eddie through his window was decidedly not hatred.

“No, I don’t think I could.” Steve lies right to Nancy’s face. Like the coward he is.

She looks at him like she doesn’t quite believe him, but drops it anyway; “Lets head back in..”

–

Eddie hears the unmistakable sound of Steve’s voice carrying down the main path and up the small offshoot where he’d decided to sit with his journal today.

‘How the hell am I always out here when they are??’ Eddie thinks bitterly.

He’d purposefully tried to ignore their conversation but Steve had started talking about some ‘him’ and his curiosity got the better of him.

“I only knew him for a couple minutes but that’s all it took; I really think it was a goddamn love-at-first sight scenario…before it was ripped out from under me literally two days later. It stung. Bad.”

“He seems like an ass.” Says a lighter voice that must be Nancy.

Her words pull a shaky laugh out of Steve before Eddie hears him continue.

“That’s the thing though, I really want him to be, but he may very well not be.” Steve sighs, and pauses for a moment. “I really don’t want him to be an asshole…” he finishes quietly.

‘Oh fuck, are they talking about me??’

“You could see yourself with him, couldn’t you?”

It’s like her question was directed at him and not at Steve; against his will, Eddie's brain flips through the possibilities before him if, against all odds and against what Parliament wants, Steve chose him to be his Prince Consort.

Eddie can see himself standing off to the side and smiling proud at Steve’s coronation, sitting beside him as he meets with the public in the throne room just like Queen Joyce does now, by his side at any number of nameless events, just with Steve.

That sputtering flame that had grown just from seeing Steve a mere few days previously, burns so hot in his chest it’s like it’s actually burning a hole through his shirt. He absentmindedly places his free hand over the spot on his chest and wishes it would go away.

“No, I don’t think I could.”

Those six words coming from Steve’s mouth should have done it, but it just makes his heart burn hotter, as if in defiance. As if his heart is falling for Steve harder out of spite. Like his heart is yelling out to Steve itself: ‘I’ll show you, I’ll prove we’re not an asshole! We’re gonna prove it to you again and again until you’re ours.’

Eddie waits until they’ve gone before starting down the same path and into the palace. He hears a couple voices talking as he enters through the ballroom, and glances up to see the new security intern talking to a tall, gangly looking teen. ‘Damn they are really letting anyone in here these days..’

They spot him too as he enters, and the intern calls out to him. “Good evening Lord Edmund, have you been introduced to Prince Michael yet?”

“Ah, you’re another royal, that makes more sense,” Eddie says and approaches Michael, hand extended “Lord Edmund Muñoz, your highness.”

“Ah, so this is the guy?” The dark-haired teen says to the shorter curly-haired one while taking Eddie’s hand.

“Yep, this is the one.”

“Am I allowed to ask what guy I am?”

The two boys share a look, then look back to him “Run a campaign with us.” they say at the same time.

Eddie’s stunned. “Wh_what? How do you_?” he sputters, then clears his throat “How’d you know I play?”

The two boys shrug, and Michael says “You looked like it.”

The other elbows him and is very obviously holding back laughter.

“I looked like it.”

They nod.

Eddie sighs, “When are you thinking?”

–

Steve escorted Nancy to her room and bid her goodnight before heading off to find Joyce.

They had spoken since Nancy’s arrival, but Steve had purposefully kept it short, and Joyce had respected the boundaries he’d put up in the meantime, but now it was time to talk to her again fully.

He arrived at her door and gave two quick knocks. “Aunt Joyce, it’s me.” he called through the door.

“Come in, Steve.”

He heads inside and finds her at her desk, completing some sort of pile of paperwork.

“Can we talk?”

She spins in her chair and stands, gesturing to the loveseat for him to sit, which she does as well.

“I’m sorry I was short with you when you invited Nancy here.”

“No, I should apologize for inviting her here without your knowledge. I shouldn’t have assumed anything and I…I just wanted to give you your best possible step in the right direction.”

Steve pulls her into a hug “I know, thanks for everything, Aunt Joyce.”

They stay in the embrace for a while before parting. “So is it going well then? With Nancy?”

He told her everything he’d talked about with Nancy over her time at the palace (minus his confessions about a certain visiting Lord), “I think we will make this work out just fine.”

“I am so happy for you Steve, thank you for telling me.” she smiles at him, placing a hand on his shoulder

“Well, there’s one other thing I wanted to talk to you about.”

–

“Why am I so damn nervous? We both knew this was coming anyway but now it’s here and I can’t get rid of the pit in my stomach and…” Steve trails off and looks to his gathered audience. The three people he trusts most (would have been four, but Hopper “actually has work to do.”) Robin, Joyce, and (surprisingly) Dustin sit on one of the couches in his suite and watch him pace back and forth at the end of his bed.

“You can do this, Steve; you both know what is in store for you and like you said, both knew this was coming.”

“You have nothing to worry about, sweetheart.”

“You’re only nervous because you have that giant rock in your pocket.”

The other three laugh at Dustin’s observation, and it was true, the ring that’d previously belonged to Steve’s grandmother was a hell of a ring. “Yeah, that’d do it.” Steve chuckles, “OK. I can do this.”

He and Nancy had talked about this previously too, they’d be outside under Genovia’s famous pear tree, in view of the paparazzi when they were called and eventually showed up. To do it in front of the media will cement the fact that much faster and hopefully give them enough time to make wedding arrangements.

It was insane that it’d only been a week since his birthday and now here he was, about to propose to a princess just to keep his family’s legacy.

“Here you are, Nance.” Steve hands her the small velvet box that he’d been toying with in his pocket all day.

She puts on a great questioning look that morphs expertly into feigned surprise when she opens it. She puts her free hand to her chest and says “Oh, Steve..”

“It was my grandmother’s ring, she and my grandfather were married for 54 years, Joyce thought it’d be good luck.”

Nancy smiles at him softly, “Do I have to put it on myself?”

“No, no, I can do that.” Steve chuckles. He takes the ring from the box and slides it onto Nancy’s ring finger, though it’s a bit big for her. They can both hear the incessant snapping of the paparazzo’s cameras as soon as he does. “I'll get it resized for you while you’re gone.” he says and gives her a wink.

“It’s beautiful, Steve, thank you.” She gives him a kiss on the cheek and he hears the cameras start up once again.

“Nice move.” he says and they laugh to themselves as Steve helps her up and they head back inside.

-

“Fly the lovebirds..” Murray speaks into his earpiece as he watches Steve and Nancy approach the door to the palace’s front staircase.

“Are you ready for this?”

“Only if you are Steve.”

He nods resolutely and takes her right hand in his left before stepping forward and out onto the landing.

Hundreds of people have gathered to celebrate his and Nancy’s engagement. They have flooded onto the front lawn, some were wearing fake tiaras and crowns and most were waving the small Genovian flags.

He and Nancy stop at the railing and wave to the masses, taking it in for a moment and smiling for his people.

“I can’t believe they’re all here for us.” he leans over slightly to say to Nancy

“Hm?” she hadn’t heard him over the crowd so he tries once more, this time sweeping his arm out at the citizens

Speaking a bit louder this time, Steve says “It’s crazy they’re all here for u_” and cuts himself off as his hand comes into contact with something and it moves away from him; reacting immediately, he scrabbles for the small pot of flowers and clutches it to himself, seeing some of the crowd laughing, but he hopes he pulled off that save.

Nancy, the hero she is, takes the other pot from the railing, raising it to the crowd minutely and turning back into the palace with Steve. 

Dustin is doubled over in laughter.

“You are the dingi-est Dingus that there’s ever been.” Robin is shaking her head and laughing at him as she takes the pot from him.

“Yeah, yeah, I know_Dustin, seriously it wasn’t that funny..dammit, you too Nancy? All I am is hated in this place. Hated!”

–

“Seems you were wrong, dad, Steve’s managed to find a wife within a week.

“Stephan can’t possibly be happy with the concept of an arranged marriage.”

He thinks for a moment before continuing “and if I know anything about her highness, she couldn’t be happy with the idea of any marriage..Your task is to romance her. Show her what a real relationship could be. One with fire, and passion!”

Eddie was still caught on “romance her” so it takes him a moment to catch up to what his father said. “And change her mind about Steve.” he says flatly.

“Precisely; the 30 day deadline expires, and the throne is ours.”

The only thing Eddie can think is what his heart is screaming at him; “Forget the girl, get Steve! Show Steve what a relationship with you could be like. Woo him. Woo him!!”

–

Later, with Nancy already turned in for the night since she was returning home the next day for a short time, Robin similarly zonked out from her own meetings with a handful of dignitaries she’d offered to take from Steve while Nancy was visiting, Steve had time to himself.

His thoughts were going a mile a minute (When will the wedding actually be? When is Nancy coming back again? Who does he bring the ring to in order to be resized? He needs to get new wedding bands for the two of them. He needs to start prepping for his coronation ceremony too…), so, as usual, he started walking.

He started meandering down hall after hall and had been for a while when something pulled him out of it.

From ahead of him, down the darkened hallway, a door, about half-open, was spilling warm light and laughter into the hall. Curious, Steve walked forward as quietly as possible, though his steps couldn’t have been heard over whoever it was that spoke from inside.

“....you are all backed into a corner, literally. Only Will the Wise still stands, weakened, but far better off than the rest of his party, standing between his friends and the horrible demogorgon.”

‘Is that Eddie?’ is the first thought that comes to mind as he finally comes to the open door. Every other thought is wiped from his brain at the sight of him, standing over a table covered in papers, small little things that look like weird shaped dice, and a couple figures like the one Steve had seen Eddie painting that day. His hair was completely down, and it was wild. It was full, curly, and Steve wanted to sink his hands into it and pull, just to see if doing so would pull any noises from that perfect throat of his. 

“I cast fireball!”

Steve is startled out of his thoughts at the sound of another voice. He was so lost in EddieEddieEddie that he completely missed that there were other people sitting at the table. ‘Holy shit, pull yourself together Steve, the fuck is wrong with you??’

The voice was Will, and Steve could see Dustin and Mike at the table as well. Behind the table on a small couch, were Max and Ellie, the latter of whom looked to be re-braiding the former’s hair.

Will rolled one of the weird looking dice and for some reason this was the moment that the Dungeons & Dragons game that Lady Applejack said she loved and the D&D that Dustin somehow knew Mike played were one in the same. ‘Duh, Dingus.’ he could hear Robin’s voice tell him in his head.

Everyone at the table was looking at Will’s die, whatever it had landed on must’ve been a big deal because everyone jumped up and started celebrating. Eddie’s voice cut through the commotion and said “Will the Wise cast straight and true, hitting the beast directly in the center of its chest! It’s completely engulfed in flame, and crumbles to the ground in ashes mere seconds later.”

Steve is so completely captivated by Eddie that it’s the shuffling of the other teens gathering up their things that startles him out of his trance. He hurries down the hall and around the next turn before anyone can see him, and sets off back towards his suite.

The overwhelming worried thoughts that plagued him only minutes before are now replaced by thoughts of Eddie and a heart burning so hot Steve can almost feel his chest above it crumbling into ash like that damn demo-whatever from their game.

–

Murray finds him on the steps of the ballroom the next morning, finishing up a call as he starts to pass.

He stops on the same step Steve is sitting on and doesn’t say anything for a moment, long enough for Steve to look up from his journal in curiosity.

“Why, may I ask, are you sitting on the steps of the ballroom?”

“Thinkin’ I suppose.”

“Ah, so we’re hiding from Dustin then?”

Steve winces minutely "...Maybe.."

Murray blinks at him before he remembers he has a phone in his hand and moves to finish taking the call. He makes sure the mouthpiece is turned away before telling Steve: “Nancy’s plane just took off; I’m assuming she already has plans to call once she lands?”

“Yep, thanks Murray.”

He bounds up the stairs two at a time and Steve rolls his eyes at his retreating form.

Giving a quick look around, Steve pulls the velvet box out of his pocket and opens it. He’d made sure to get the ring back from Nancy before she left to have it resized and cleaned, and already made plans to go with Hopper later on to drop it off himself, but for now, he just admires it. It’s a true antique, created specifically for his grandmother when she was to be wed to Stephan the First, created around a huge round diamond that shone like the moon.

Someone whistling pulls him out of his thoughts and he snaps the box shut just as Edmund comes into view from between the two staircases.

He’s dressed sharply in all black, his wild curls pulled up fully into a messy bun at the back of his head. The new hairdo and the unbuttoned top buttons on his shirt leave the full column of his throat bare to the world and Steve has to swallow away the evidence of how much his mouth had started watering at the sight.

Edmund glances at the box in Steve’s hand “Are you having second thoughts?”

Steve huffs as he stands, shoving the box back in his pocket. “No actually, I was just admiring it. It was my grandmother’s you know, an_” Steve’s heart stops as Edmund crowds close to him.

Steve nearly stumbles down the two steps on shaky legs as he escapes from between the other man and the railing. “Well if you’ll excuse me, I need to see to some wedding details.” Steve starts up the opposite staircase and pushes his glasses up his nose as he realizes Eddie is following, just on the other set of stairs.

“I’m sorry, is there something you wanted to say to me?”

“No, no, you are the one who stomped on me with your big feet. And you know what they say about guys with big feet.”

Steve felt his face burn up at the insinuation and decided to ignore it (for now) “Well you know, you danced with my big feet.”

“That I did, big boy, but may I remind you that we only danced for about a minute.” Eddie said as he also reached the top of the stairs. 

Steve was taken a back for a moment ‘So he also thinks someone wouldn’t be able to fall for someone that quick.’ he thinks to himself, both fully realizing how ridiculous that sounded and also fully believing that somehow Eddie knew that he’d caught feelings in that short time.

“It was more than a minute.” Steve says to aloud to Eddie (and to himself).

“Maybe a minute and a half..” Eddie shrugs

“Fine. It was a minute and a half, but it was also a lie. Because you didn’t tell me who you really were or that you were trying to steal my crown.” Steve points his finger into Eddie's chest accusingly.

Eddie rolls his eyes at him “My apologies your highness, you see, normally, when I ask someone to dance, I make it a point to show them my family tree.” voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Murray? Have you seen Steve today?” Steve’s eyes widen as he hears Dustin's voice echoing down the hall in front of him.

“Nope, haven’t seen him.” Murray calls, a bit too loud “Wasn’t in the ballroom when I went through and I came right in from outside.”

Murray was giving him an escape.

Steve walked past Edmund, checking his shoulder a bit “You wanna know what else you were doing while you were doing your little lie dance?”

“The hell is a ‘lie dance’?”

“I’ll go check myself, thanks though Murray!”

Steve panicked, wanting to continue to confront Edmund and not wanting Dustin to walk in on it, he opened the next door he reached, a small broom closet, and gestured for Eddie to get in.

He looked confused, but smirked as he slid in past Steve who followed him in and shut the door. 

“You know very well what you were doing with your ha_”

“And what exactly was that, your highness?” Once again, Eddie crowded close to Steve, this time to reach past him and flip the lightswitch off.

For a brief moment, Steve allowed himself to be this close to Eddie, nearly wrapped up in him and fully engulfed in the spicy scent of his cologne before Eddie pulled back and Steve turned to flip the light back on.

“Exactly what you are trying to do now, you’re flirting with me to try and get one over on me.”

“Is that what I’m doing?” Eddie flips the lightswitch again, staying in Steve’s space this time, lips pulled into that same smirk and eyes hooded.

“Yes, and it_” Steve turned the light back on and pressed himself into Eddie’s space, this time doing his best to whisper-threaten him “And it’s not going to work on m_”

Suddenly the door was flung open, Steve snapped his head over to look at who opened it and pushed Eddie back away from him at the same time.

Dustin stood there, slack-jawed, then quickly pulled himself together “My apologies your highness, Lord Muñoz.” and closed the door on the two of them again.

Steve wanted to say something as he did, but the door closed on them before he could utter out a single syllable.

After a moment, Eddie reached his arm in front of Steve to flip the light off once again “So, where were we?” he purred in Steve’s ear.

Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, Steve turned his head to Edmund and spoke quietly “You are trying to ruin me and I won’t let you.” then let himself out, slamming the door behind him and on the other’s face.

He heard the door creak open soon after, “You’re the one who told me to get in there in the first place!” Edmund called after Steve, having already started off to find Dustin.

Steve clenched his fists tighter and continued on his way.

Chap. 5 here!

@henderdads @resident-gay-bitch @livewondrousss @sadcanadianwinter @sidebarre @steveshairychest @potentialheartofdarkness @steddieasitgoes @mightbeasleep @princessstevemunson @totallybitchin 

[frankenstein-ate-my-left-shoe]

A Recipe for Disaster (Chap. 11/FINAL!)

Pt. 1 | Pt. 2 | Pt. 3 | Pt. 4 | Pt. 5 | Pt. 6 | Pt. 7 | Pt. 8 | Pt. 9 | Pt. 10 | AO3

hooo boy, here's the end!! sorry about the wait, i really said 'here have two chapters back to back' last time then took forever to get this one out.

there were really only a few snapshots i wanted to capture post-movie but for some reason had a hard time putting it all together, but here it is!!! i hope you all love, and thank you for reading!!

Hopper, Dustin, and Wayne had pulled Steve into Wayne’s office a couple days after the wedding; They all explained to each other their sides of the mystery of one Edmund Muñoz.

Steve explained the whole foot-stomping thing: “At the ball, he told me his name was ‘Eddie. Just Eddie.’ and I accidentally stepped on his foot. He told me I could step on his foot anytime, so that’s what I did when he arrived at the palace.” to the delight of the other three.

Wayne talks a little about how Eddie’d been raised. “I tried my damndest to get him out from under the thumb of that father of his, but even after he grew up, it was like his father could do no wrong.”

“I wish I knew he was your nephew sooner…he could’ve been like a big brother….”

“I wanted to introduce you both as soon as I married your mom, son, but my brother wasn’t having it.” Wayne shakes his head in exasperation.

“That man is the absolute worst.” Hopper gripes, face dark. “Steve, the incident at the review of the guard was the Viscount. The stable boy they had walking beside Sandy was paid off by him in order to scare her with a fake snake. I called that bastard out on it directly after.”

“Eddie came t’talk to me about it the next day, too. He told me he was through dealing with his father then, and apologized for not getting his head outta his ass sooner.”

“And it was the Viscount who called the media and told them they’d be at the lake?” Dustin asks, mostly just to confirm.

“Yep.” Hopper nods solemnly. “Speaking of which…really Steve? You’re smarter than that.”

Steve’s face is on fire. “He’s charming and drop-dead gorgeous. Sue me.”

---

In the months between his almost wedding and his upcoming coronation, Steve doesn’t see hide nor hair of Eddie. 

Chrissy told him, the next time he saw her, that he’d been laying low while The Court of Public Opinion™ ran its course and he was out of the forefront of their minds.

“I’m only supposed to tell you that he’s laying low.” She had said. “But I am also going to tell you that he does not. Stop. Talking. About. You. It’s frankly ridiculous.”

His face turned red at that, and Chrissy moved to follow Robin (now officially her girlfriend, good job Robin) when Steve stopped her “Tell him I’m thinking about him, too?”

She nods, but says “That’s disgusting.” in a completely flat voice, this time actually walking away.

“Not in that way!” he called after her. Well. Not always like that.

In the end, The Court had decided they liked him; his intrusion of the wedding being seen as swoon-worthy to the masses, but some still hesitant about him trying to usurp the throne from the long standing Renaldi family.

Now, two months to the day from Joyce and Hopper’s wedding, it’s Steve’s coronation day. 

He will be King of a whole-ass country later today.

He’s sitting on the edge of the throne, feet flat on the floor, elbows on his knees, and his chin resting on his folded hands. He looks over to his side where Concrete had made himself comfy on a frankly ridiculous sized bed for one (admittedly large) cat. “What do you think, Lord Concrete, d’ya think I’ll make a good King?” Steve asks aloud, mostly just glad that his cat was in his presence for once.

“Indeed you will.”

Steve snaps his head to his right and sits up straight as the source of the voice rounds the column next to him.

“Eddie.” Steve breathes. His arms and legs threaten to hurl him forward to the other man, but he manages to stay seated. 

“If I might be so bold, I would like an audience with His Royal Highness?”

Steve fights back a grin, plays along, gesturing to the space in front of him. 

“And what is your dilemma young man?” Dustin would be proud of his own perfectly crafted haughty voice.

Eddie smiles, his eyes twinkling. “You are, in fact.” Eddie sinks to one knee, bracing his arms on his upright one. “I am in love with the King to be, and I am inquiring as to if he loves me too.”

Steve's brain shoots into the stratosphere. Love. Love? He loves him? Eddie loves him?

He manages to come back down in about a second and a half, “Do you have a chicken for my table?” Steve muses.

Eddie looks surprised at that, but smiles quickly. “Uh, no. My kitchen was fresh out of chickens.”

“Oh, well..” Steve sits back on the throne, pretending to weigh his options.

It takes about another second and a half and he’s hurtling forward, Eddie rising to his feet to meet him. Both of them lose their breath when their chests collide.

“You love me.” Steve whispers, still disbelieving, into Eddie’s neck.

“I love you, Steve.” Eddie whispers back.

Steve pulls back just far enough to see the other man’s face, “Kiss me.”

Eddie beams. That same smile from their night at the lake. “You got it, sweetheart.”

He does. The same sparks and fireworks that were present in their first ‘barely a kiss’ crackle and shine brighter now. Eddie’s mouth is soft against his, and they both sigh when their tongues meet.

Eddie’s arms tighten around his waist and suddenly he’s being lifted, their lips separating in laughter as Eddie spins them both in a circle before he’s set on his feet again.

“I love you too, Eddie.”

---

Eddie’s heart is beating a mile a minute. 

No, faster than a mile a minute.

He can’t believe he’s here. After all the bullshit he’s done in his life, he, Edmund Muñoz, is attending the coronation of the Crown Prince of Genovia.

Okay, being here, he can believe; he’s a respected member of this society, and probably would’ve been invited anyway, but he’s here and counted amongst the most valued friends and family of said Prince. His boyfriend.

He takes in the people around the room: Jim Hopper, former head of palace security is standing at the bottom of one of the ballroom’s staircases, not for work, but because his wife, the current Queen, will be entering on that side and he will be there to greet her.

The Crown Prince’s right hand lesbian man is standing at the bottom of the other staircase on Eddie’s left, his childhood best friend on her other side because they’re dating now (and are Genovia’s hottest couple “Suck on that, Eduardo!”).

The Prince’s ex-fiance would be at the side of her new beau if he wasn’t the head of the palace’s photography/PR division and running round shooting everything, and if she didn’t also already have her hands full writing down every single thing in front of her, now that she was the one leading the Palace’s press releases.

There was a gaggle of seven seemingly mis-matched teenagers standing front and center of the rest of the stuffy other dignitaries that were invited, as Prince Stephan’s personal guests.

Michael, crown prince of his own country and almost brother-in-law to the King-to-be, is hand in hand with his boyfriend Will, one half of the formerly mentioned Jim Hopper’s Wonder Twins. His sister Ellie has one hand locked with the Prime Minister’s son, Dustin, and the other is hooked onto the elbow of her best friend and up-and-coming chef extraordinaire, Maxine (“Mark my words Maxine, you are going to be bigger than Fieri.” “Call me Maxine again and your next batch of brownies will be laced with asbestos…but thank you, Eddie.”). Max, who in turn has her other pinkie hooked onto young Lord Lucas Sinclair’s. Then finally, Lucas’ sister Erica is pretending not to care about the event happening around her (but even Eddie can tell she’s excited).

The Party. Their Family. This weird gaggle of royals and non-royals all brought together by Steve in some way or another.

Eddie’s pulled out of his thoughts about his new family with the loud battering of a drumline drumroll starting up. The band members positioned on either staircase start playing, and there they are.

Queen Joyce looks regal, as always, this time with the addition of the Genovian crown jewels on her head. She’s in a beautiful maroon colored dress and cape that she swishes out of the way when she turns to step down the stairs.

But Steve, his Steve. He’s gorgeous in an ivory pear tree suit and maroon, fur lined, cape. Despite how nervous he must be, he doesn’t look it. He looks confident, radiant as he strides down the steps.

“He looks extraordinary.” Eddie says to no one. 

“They both do.” comes a blubbering voice from slightly behind him; turning to look, it’s Murray, sobbing. Eddie smirks and shakes his head, turning his attention back to the prince.

He reaches the bottom of the steps, and Eddie’s fingers twitch, itching to reach out for him, to grab his hand. Instead, he smiles crookedly at his boyfriend in the fleeting glance he gets before he has to step by as rehearsed.

Steve steps up to the throne and gathers the cape from behind him to turn and sit in front of his people.

Once he’s seated properly, the archbishop starts in on his scripted spiel, and while speaking, moves to Joyce, standing at Steve’s side, and gingerly lifts the Genovian crown jewels from her majesty’s head, and places it atop Steve’s.

Another person in ceremonial garb brings in the orb and scepter then, laid carefully on a large ceremonial pillow. They kneel on the step in front of Steve, who reaches forward and lifts both easily.

The speech ends with two very important questions. “Will you solemnly promise and swear to govern the people of Genovia, according to the statutes in Parliament agreed on, and the respective laws and customs of the same? Will you, in your power, cause law and justice and mercy to be executed in all judgements?”

“I solemnly promise so to do” Steve’s voice does not waver.

The archbishop moves aside, and Steve turns his head first to Joyce, then to him. Eddie tries beaming a message into the other man’s brain when Steve’s brilliant hazel eyes lock with his chocolate brown. “I love you, you look amazing, you are perfect, you’ve got this, I love you so damn much.”

Eddie can feel what Steve tells him in return. “I love you too, Eddie. I can’t wait to kiss you stupid.” and seals it with a wink

Okay, maybe that’s just what Eddie wants to hear.

Steve stands and the band starts up once more, playing the Genovian national anthem. And even though he knew it was coming, Eddie had to fight back a laugh at it being Wayne who’s leading the gathered guests in singing.

They all sing, and in the last lines, Eddie watches Steve take a few steadying breaths.

The last note of the anthem ends, and immediately the majordomo bangs his staff twice. “Presenting his Royal Majesty, Stephan Artur Renaldi the Third, King of Genovia.”

-

That evening, after dark, Steve and the rest of his family retreat to the palace grounds to make the coronation official.

“You’ve got this, sunshine.” Eddie encourages, giving his side a squeeze with the arm he has hooked around Steve’s waist before he moves to stand beside Wayne and Dustin.

Steve accepts the bow from his trainer, this time tipped with a flammable end.

“The ceremonial shooting of the flaming arrow through the coronation ring.” the majordomo bellows once Steve’s arrow is lit.

He takes a deep breath, focusing on the tower and ring in front of him, and Eddie’s words filter through his mind as he takes aim.

“Use your mouth as an anchor.”

Steve touches his fingertips to the corner of his mouth.

“Lower this elbow..”

He feels the ghost of Eddie’s fingers dragging down his arm as he does.

“..and relax this hand.”

At least now he can hold Eddie’s hand whenever he wants to. ‘Yep, still corny.’ he thinks to himself.

“Then…release.”

The arrow flies, and the ring erupts in flame.

Steve smiles in surprise and turns toward Eddie, only the find the other man already heading to him, scooping him into his arms.

“You did it! I’m so proud of you, Stevie.”

Steve relaxes into Eddie’s arms and breathes a sigh of relief, taking in the sounds of his family cheering around him.

—-

One year after his coronation, under what they are now calling their tree on the palace grounds, site of multiple picnics, long nights, and slow dances.

It’s during one of those slow dances that Eddie pauses, says he needs to say something.

As soon as he starts talking, Steve knows what’s coming, and his eyes burn with unshed tears immediately.

“One year ago, I brought you here; one year ago I knew I wanted to be with you until the end of my days. I may have fallen for you when we first danced together at the ball, I may have loved you every day since, but it was that night that I knew my life would never be even a fraction of what it could, without you in it.” Eddie sinks to one knee, much like he did the day of Steve’s coronation, this time, he had a small box in his hand “I am so in love with you, Stevie, will you marry me?”

Eddie opens the box and Steve's laugh comes out a sob. It’s his grandmother's ring, the one he’d proposed to Nancy with.

“Joyce was in on this, wasn’t she?” Steve is surprised his voice is as clear as it is, his throat tight with emotion.

Eddie grins up at him, mischievous as always.

Steve sinks down to Eddie’s level, the other man’s unoccupied hand coming up to help brace him on instinct. Kneeling in front of his fiancé, Steve says “Of course I'll marry you.”

Eddie’s face flashes briefly to relief, a blink-and-you’d-miss-it reaction, then he’s snapping the box closed and diving forward to capture Steve's lips with his.

“Mph!” Steve is struggling to kiss him, fighting back elated smile after smile, when Eddie lowers the two of them down to the ground below

While Steve is definitely not opposed to the feeling of Eddie atop him, he’s got other plans.

Steve flips the two of them over easily, straddling and pressing his hips into Eddie's in 0.5 seconds flat.

He lays himself down along Eddie’s torso and latches onto his neck. Between sucking kisses into Eddie’s throat that will ensure he’ll be wearing his hair down until they fade completely, and Eddie’s flustered gasps at his ministrations, Steve says “Nuh uh, I want my ring first, Muñoz.” before setting in on attacking his lips.

Eddie smiles beneath him and shifts, reaching down to his pocket again. He produces the box, managing to get his hands between them enough to open it to Steve.

Steve smiles, and sits up onto his heels, plucking the ring from the box and sliding it onto his finger. Eddie follows him up and locks his arms around him. 

Steve drapes one arm over Eddie’s shoulder automatically, attention still on his left hand. He’s struck by the realization that his grandmother’s ring on his third finger now sits comfortably beside the only other he’d been wearing, his grandfather's signet ring on his middle.

“It really is beautiful.”

Eddie’s is pressing his own kisses to Steve’s face and collarbone. “Only on you, sweetheart.” he purrs.

“You think it’d look better if it was the only thing I was wearing?” he asks nonchalantly, still looking at the diamond on his finger, and reveling in how quickly Eddie freezes beneath him.

In the next second, Steve’s laughing at how quickly Eddie’s got them both up and is nearly sprinting them back to their horses.

Their wedding a year later, of course, was a huge to-do and Steve goes all in with planning. Starting later that same night (early morning?) that Eddie proposed.

---

For a good month after his appearance in the independence day parade, Martín had all manner of inquiries about his adoption. Inquiries that the team that worked there took with extra caution. Luckily they did, because about 80% of those just wanted to be the ones to adopt Prince Steve’s favorite, and the other 20% (sadly) just were not good fits for him.

After that, the inquiries stopped. Until Steve decides to foster him, applying to adopt him fully on his own not even a month later.

The adoption is made official the day after Steve and Eddie get married, making him every bit their son, and therefore every bit the new heir apparent to the throne of Genovia. The now-six-year-old Martin absolutely adores ALL his Aunts and Uncles, but if you ask him, his Aunt Max is his most favorite (a fact that both makes Max want to cry, and also scream in joy from the palace roof).

---

There had been quite a few public visitations since Steve had become King (at the first of which, he’d grinned as he announced: “There better not be any chickens in those baskets.”), now that they are married, Eddie would be joining him at the next one.

It was at this first visitation together, between one citizen taking their leave and the next taking their place, that Steve leaned over to Eddie at his side.

“We’re two for three, my love.”

His husband makes a noise like the breath had been punched from his lungs at that, his face morphing into a glowing smile, turning to Steve. “We are, aren’t we?”

Steve reaches for Eddie, who takes his hand immediately, turning it over and pressing a kiss to the back. “It’s better than I imagined.”

---

After 20 years of marriage, and 22 years on the throne, the official portrait of King Stephan Artur Renaldi III and his Prince Consort Edmund Théo Renaldi (“No way are you calling me King anything, Stevie, I stand by what I said at Jopper’s wedding.”) is commissioned. 

Crown Prince of Genovia, Martín Tomás Renaldi (who has grown to be quite the looker, unsurprisingly taking every bit after his father) is included for one copy of the painting, for Steve to keep in his personal study, but the official painting that’ll be hung beside Joyce and Bob is only he and Eddie. Eddie is standing behind Steve, a ringed hand on his shoulder, and Steve’s arm is curled up at the elbow to thread their fingers together.

They are both a bit older, only a few streaks of gray to their hair, but soon, the portrait is finished.

They’re in attendance when it’s hung in the throne room, much to the confusion of the palace staff tasked with hanging it.

“That’s it.” Steve says when the staff takes their leave.

“Hm? What’s ‘it’, sunshine?”

Steve grins “That’s all three.”

Okay, last couple notes:

I had Steve change the name he'd be known as when he became King, not for his ass of a father, but the grandfather he never knew

With the naming conventions of the British Monarchy as a guide though, I think he'd officially be King Stephan II since his father never became King, our Steve is only the second Stephan to take the Thone, but the Third of that name in actuality (does that make sense?? lmao).

Of course Eddie would drop Muñoz ASAP, and THANK YOU @henderdads with helping me decide on his middle name!!!!

Martín Renaldi?? Crown Prince of Genovia???? skldfaslkdfjsalk

And finally, again tagging @henderdads because this whole re-write/AU wouldn't exist without her encouragement on my original post (where it was originally Mia!Eddie and Nicholas!Steve), and would be seriously lacking in other places without her input!!! Cass, ILYSM!!!

Last round of tags!! @sadcanadianwinter @hopefulslothcollecter @steveshairychest @sidebarre @resident-gay-bitch @kaspurrcat @melkene @livewondrousss @steddieasitgoes @mightbeasleep @princessstevemunson @totallybitchin @potentialheartofdarkness @spectrum-spectre @munsonfamilyband @knitsforthetrail