#steve harrington st2

[stevemania]

the older group and music I think they’d listen to

࣪˖ ִֶָ🎸་༘࿐🎹🎧

[aloneinthehellfire]

Chapter Twenty-Two: Escapism

Gates Of Hell

Word Count: 5.9k

Warnings: swearing, mentions of death, mentions of blood, the usual angst fest

[A/N: omg she's back from the dead! I'm so upset that I never find much time for this fic so please excuse my writing if something seems out of place, and feel free to let me know any concerns! I'm trying to keep things consistent but since I've been disappearing every so often, I may have forgotten something. anyways, I hope everyone is going to have an amazing new year and I hope you're ready for what's in store for reader and steve...]

Escapism

Steve’s dreams were getting worse.

Some days the night slipped by quickly, ending his misery before it began. But most nights, on nights where no threats were looming over him, his mind slipped into a nightmare of his own making. One where you push him to safety, closing yourself into a trap, being mauled by monsters so he didn’t have to watch you turn. If he had just opened his eyes… if he had acknowledged your shaking hands resting on his chest, or your guilty exhale of breath fanning against his neck, he could have saved you. He would have saved you.

He should have saved you.

Steve sucks in a shaky breath, blinking against the harsh hues of the morning sun trying to break through the thick swamp of red clouds. He must have drifted off.

After their failed excursion to find provisions to last them another week, Steve and Billy ended up accepting an offer that honestly left Steve baffled. Eddie and the others had insisted for them to stay at their camp until the storm cleared out; if Steve hadn’t watched the words leave his lips, he wouldn’t have believed it. Especially knowing that none of them had a reason to like him, let alone Billy.

The camp was small, the only other survivor being Eddie’s uncle who had stayed behind to keep watch. But there were tents with makeshift beds Steve presumed to be couch cushions taken from empty homes, a firepit, and, most importantly, rations. He hadn’t really had time to take in the generosity of letting them stay there. Instead, he had immediately found solace on a surprisingly comfortable cushion mattress and closed his eyes with the hope they would be able to find their own rations when dawn broke.

As it turns out, Steve wasn’t the only one sticking with the original plan.

“We need supplies, not your god damn protection.”

He almost groaned, stretching his arm towards the tent’s exit to gently brush the fabric aside. Billy’s gruff voice was the last thing anyone should have to wake up to.

“Do I look like I’m carrying weeks worth of food on me right now?” Eddie responds, his voice clearer now that Steve was pulled out of his sleepy haze. As he leaves the shelter, he can just make out Eddie’s silhouette against the rising sun, arms crossed as he looks to Billy with a scowl of displeasure. Been there, buddy. “Hey, I’m not claiming you guys need protection. I’m just offering for you both to camp here until military come clear us out. I don’t see why you’re so dead set on staying in this hell hole.”

“Because we’re not the only ones left.” Steve interjects, surprising them as he walks over. “There are more of us, including kids, who need supplies right now. And leaving isn’t an option.”

Eddie glances between them, eyes narrowing with uncertainty. It was clear he didn’t believe either of them would be risking their lives for anyone but themselves, and Steve can’t blame him.

Eddie Munson was deemed the worst of the worst in high school. What made him cool and edgy in middle school severely plummeted into ‘weird’ and ‘barbaric’ as the years rolled on. He had tried to keep to himself, stick with a particular crew of friends, but the bullies always found him. He collected bruises like trading cards, developed eyes in the back of his head just so he could use his locker, and he grew a thick skin of resentment to pretty much everyone in this town just to mask his own insecurity. And Steve Harrington had started it all.

One snide comment, a whisper of a cruel word, and King Steve had bestowed a lasting brand.

Freak.

“How long are you planning on staying?” Eddie eventually sighs, eyes flickering over to where Heather and Chrissy were currently waking up, climbing out of their tent with matching yawns.

“However long it takes.” Steve admits, taken aback by Eddie’s unusually kind nature. Why was he being so nice to him?

“Can you help us or not?” Billy was quickly becoming fed up with the arrangement, tightening his jaw. But any intimidation he may have had in high school was quickly forgotten here, the world around them holding much worse and much more dangerous things to fear.

“Look, man, we don’t even have enough for us right now, let alone a whole other group of survivors. We’re lucky we’ve even lasted this long.” Eddie’s shoulders drop. “It’s how we found you two, we… we are in just as much trouble as you guys right now.”

“Doubt it.” Billy scoffs and when Eddie shoots him a suspicious look, he decides to walk away, choosing to lean against a tree instead.

“What’s his problem?” Eddie comments, eyes flickering between them.

“Been trying to figure that out for like a year now.” Steve sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. He had been up all of 5 minutes and a migraine was already forming behind his eyes. “Okay, so I get you guys are taking the military’s help, believe me it’s definitely the best option, but we don’t have that choice right now. Is there anywhere, anywhere, we might find what we’re looking for?”

Eddie shifts on his feet, eyes unwavering from Steve’s pleading gaze with a soft frown denting the space between his eyebrows. He was studying him, Steve realised, trying to find clues on the surface behind his persistent nature. Steve knew he was being emotional, possibly showing too much urgency considering that staying in Hawkins would feel like a death sentence. But if he leaves, he leaves you. And that is so much scarier to him than flesh-eating monsters.

Eddie tightens his lips, looking to the side in a conflicted manner. “You’re really not leaving, are you?”

“I can’t.” Steve whispers it this time, any energy for an argument severely depleted. He doesn’t care how long it takes, he just wanted to make sure everyone is safe. Everyone.

“Fine.” Eddie finally breathes, a forced smile brightening his face. “I know exactly where you can find everything you’re looking for.”

“Great, that’s- that’s great. Where?”

“Well, uh…” Eddie risks a look over to his uncle Wayne, the man currently sat with his back turned to all of them while sharpening his knives. “About that…”

That little ball of anxiety that sat in the pit of his stomach started to swell again, alerting Steve to yet another precarious situation. And, judging by Eddie’s unnerved expression, he knew the next task wasn’t going to be easy.

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

Time ticked too slowly. It was like the present was drowning you, lungs filled with the grim reminder of the danger you were in. The future didn’t look any less bleak.

The stranger you had blindly trusted for days now was simply that; a stranger. You no longer recognised him for his kind eyes, just for the steady murderous hands that pulled the trigger on his friend’s life.

“I was wondering if you’re feeling up for those tests we talked about yesterday.” Brenner smiles, a sight that curdled your stomach from the sheer audacity of it. “There’s no rush, but we won’t be able to proceed without it.”

“Yeah…” You clear your throat, shifting uncomfortably in the metal chair.

Right now, you were hooked to a machine, small little patches attached to either side of your skull and feeding unreadable lines of brainwaves to Brenner, who seemed especially attentive to the results.

After you witnessed Brenner’s unspeakable crime, you had eventually found your way out of the vents, leading you to the other side of the lab just as Owens had promised. It took a lot for you not to submit to the shock, to not slide down the wall into fits of tears. It took even more to pretend like your erratic heartbeat wasn’t making you queasy, stuffing your shaking hands into the pockets of your hoodie and hoping Brenner wouldn’t be playing close attention.

When you first saw him, maybe as little as an hour later, you weren’t sure if you wanted to run as far away as possible or simply scream at him. You had instead opted for a neutral nature, nodding along to words you didn’t concern yourself to listen to. You didn’t care what he had to say. He killed Owens. And he had kept you down here for weeks feeding you lies that poisoned any chance you had of remembering who you were.

Needless to say, you struggled to restrain yourself from lashing out and busting out of here without so much as a second glance. But you remembered what Owens had said, his desperation of a plan to keep you safe. He used his last moments to ensure you could live many more, and you’d be damned if you’d let him and his efforts die in vain.

“Will Owens be doing it?” You ask, drumming your fingertips against the cool surface of the table between you, using the repetitive method to calm your anxiety. It was a trick Hopper had taught you. “I haven’t seen him since yesterday’s attempt.”

You watch as his eyes flicker something dark, swarming lies between the irises that stared at his colleague’s dead body. He might have been able to hide his nature from you before, but you recognised guilt like a close relative.

“I’m afraid he won’t be joining us.” Brenner sighs, dropping the feed of paper and running a hand down his face.

“Why not?”

“He had to leave.” He lies, offering a small smile. “Unfortunately, we’re not the only ones that need him. His… wife. She sent a signal out for help and of course he had to respond. But I’m sure we’ll see him in the future. For now, we must focus our energy on retrieving your memories. Perhaps something you obtained on the surface could aid in a cause much bigger than your amnesia.”

Before you could muster up a response, he leans over and plucks the patches from your skin, the machine dying with the loss of connection.

“That’s enough of that for today. Perhaps we shall discuss the tests later. I’ve noticed you seemed more tired than usual and I’d much prefer you to have a decent night’s sleep before we continue.”

Maybe it was the reality of his actions that made him end your session early, or maybe it was something else entirely. But the metal legs of his chair scrape against the floor as he collects his recordings, shuffling them into a neat pile and turning towards the door.

“Wait.” You suddenly stand, your voice clearly unexpected. But it wasn’t as unexpected as your sudden embrace of a hug, catching him off guard with a slight ‘hmph’. “Thank you. For helping me.”

After the initial shock subsides, Brenner clears his throat and gently pats you on the back. “It is merely my pleasure. We must look after one another in times like these.”

You finally step away, smiling up at him with a nod and he takes his leave, heading down the hall to the right where you’re sure his bedroom is, meaning you had enough time to do exactly as you had planned.

Juggling the newly retrieved keys in your hand, a hint of a smirk was tugging at the corner of your mouth; even when you’re at your most vulnerable, people always seem to underestimate you.

Eddie plants a large map of Hawkins down on the crate in front of him, pointing to the greener area.

“We’re here,” He looks up to ensure Steve and Billy are following. “And the only place left untouched by survivors… is here.”

Steve watches Eddie drag his finger across the map, towards an area that made him frown. “What’s meant to be there?”

“Remember that whole mall the developers promised would be up in time for summer? That’s the site. No idea if they actually finished it but Wayne was a part of the crew transporting in goods.” He glances between them, tilting his head. “AKA… food.”

“So what’s the catch?” Billy grunts, leaning forward. Steve looks at him. “What? Munson here has known about this gold mine for ages and hasn’t gone out to collect? Something’s obviously wrong with that place.”

“He’s… not wrong.” Eddie sighs, pausing when he notices his uncle shift in his seat.

Steve has watched him avoid Wayne’s stare for a while now, only speaking to them in hushed tones. He was clearly doing this against his uncle’s wishes, and Steve still didn’t understand why Eddie would be risking anything to help two of his high school bullies.

“Rumour has it that this whole apocalypse started at high school.” He explains, not noticing the way Steve starts to shift uncomfortably or, at the very least, choosing to ignore it. “When everyone, uh... when no one was left from that place, it started attacking the rest of the town. Shops, houses, stations, everywhere. The only ones that managed to make it out were the people with cars. And anyone left after the town massacre had to think fast. They couldn’t escape and they were getting blocked in by all these monsters showing up out of nowhere. So they-”

“They fled to the new mall.”

All three boys turn in surprise to a new voice, another teen joining their meeting with a grave expression.

Tommy stood with them for a moment, glaring down at the map. In all of Steve’s life, he has never seen Tommy so serious. So… sober.

“Man, you don’t have to-” Eddie tries but Tommy shakes his head and the boy backs down.

“Everyone left headed there.” He solemnly continues, taking a seat on the open surface of a fallen tree trunk, staring at his hands. “Someone broke through the gates surrounding it and let everyone in. Those… creatures... they followed them. Us.”

Steve plants his hands on the table gently, allowing himself to lean against it, knowing that whatever Tommy would say would make his stomach sick and his body weak.

“I was with Carol in the video store when it all started. Some asshole took my car when I wasn’t looking and we were just stranded in the middle of town. Everything around us was complete chaos, and- and I overheard someone saying the mall had trucks they could use.” Tommy takes a breath, nodding slowly for his own support in telling the tale. “I took her with me and we managed to get past the gates pretty easy. But there weren’t any trucks. At least, not when we got there. More monsters showed up and people started running into the mall. I- I would’ve followed but Carol spotted a school bus back out on the street trying to get people on it, said it was our only way out. It felt like our only way out.”

“So we abandoned the mall and we ran to the bus…” Steve spots Tommy’s hands shake before he hides them between his knees, tightening his lips. “Some nasty looking dog jumped out at us at the last moment. I… I didn’t know what to do so I just told Carol to get on the bus, said I’d deal with it. She didn’t- she didn’t wanna leave me. But I pushed her. I distracted the thing long enough and I made sure she got on the bus.”

A glimmer of a tear drips down his cheek, and he simply lets it fall, squeezing his eyes shut.

“I think the monsters figured out where all the people were because hundreds of them started appearing. The driver started the bus, he- he was just trying to get everyone out. I tried to run after it… I remember seeing Carol’s face in the window. And then…” When Tommy pauses, Steve doesn’t expect him to continue. Even his own heart was aching. “The biggest, ugliest thing I’ve ever seen showed up. Something like an older version of those dogs with the weird faces. It had these- these massive claws and it… it got the bus. Slashed the tires. There were too many things between me and them for me to get there in time. All I heard was their screams. I tried to get Carol out. I- I ran to the back of the bus when I could, tried to get the emergency release open. I didn’t get to save her. Instead, I just watched her die.”

Nobody spoke. Not even Billy, cementing the severity of whole situation. Steve felt a horrible twist of guilt settle in his chest. Guilt for having such hostile feelings towards Tommy and Carol merely hours before Tommy watched Carol ripped to pieces in front of him. He had hated them, but he never wanted either of them dead.

Tommy clears his throat after a moment, clapping his hands with a bitter laugh. “Well, now that’s all out in the open…”

“Wayne and I found Tommy near the mall about a day after it all started.” Eddie continues for him, sending a sympathetic glance his way. “We were lucky we all made it back out. The place was crawling with those things. If there’s anywhere in Hawkins that is a no-go zone, it’s the mall.”

“Which is why all that food is gonna be untouched. Am I right?” Billy raises an eyebrow, but all and any satirical urges had been retired completely. This wasn’t a joke anymore.

“Yep.” Eddie nods. “You should stay the hell away from there if you want to survive another day. But something tells me you’re just that desperate.”

“If we don’t go, we still won’t survive anyway.” Billy bites back, crossing his arms. “And no way are we letting the military drag us out of here.”

“Why?” Eddie exasperates, shaking his head. “What the hell is so important that you can’t just get the hell out of Hawkins while you still can? And don’t give me the whole ‘we need food’ bullshit or tell me ‘it’s not an option’ because getting out of here is literally the only way you or those kids you keep talking about are gonna stay alive.”

“We’re perfectly capable on our own, you fre-” Billy bites and Steve nudges him away from Eddie before he could say anything that would alienate the help completely.

“Just calm down.” Steve warns him, seeing the same look in his eye he had been the victim of last year when he beat him bloody. But, to his relief, Billy shakes his head and walks away calmly, mumbling an apology.

Steve had to admit, he wasn’t expecting that conversation to end without a couple bruises.

“Thank you for letting us stay here.” He turns back to Eddie, making sure his voice properly captivated the gratitude he felt for kindness he didn’t deserve. “If we can do anything in return, just let us know.”

With a brief nod to Eddie’s silence, Steve trudged back to his tent and grabbed his bag and bat, signalling to Billy that they were ready to leave. Considering how long it had been since they left the others, they needed to find the supplies and return fast before any of them had the terrible idea of following them out here. He knew if he let the military get to them before he did, you’d be lost forever.

Or maybe he could save everyone else and still look for you. It wasn’t as if the thought hadn’t crossed his mind before; to send out a signal to the soldiers’ camp and tell them where they were, to evacuate them immediately, while Steve was far away from being caught. But he couldn’t do that to Hopper, or any of them really. You weren’t always aware of it, but they all cared about you. Family doesn’t leave eachother behind.

“I’m coming with you.”

Steve stops in his tracks and whips his head back to where Eddie was strapping his own back to his back, testing the weight of his spear before sliding it through it’s holder on the backpack.

“What?” Steve gawks, unsure of how to properly respond.

“I’ve been there before.” Eddie shrugs, folding his arms and setting a look on his face that read he wouldn’t be persuaded otherwise. “I used to sneak in there whenever the builders took days off. I know exactly where we can find the supplies you’re looking for and I’m pretty damn sure you’re not gonna be able to navigate that place in time before anything finds you.”

“Why the hell would you want to do that?” Steve lowers his voice to a whisper, coming closer.

“You’re not the only one who has their reasons to stay here.” Eddie vaguely replies, his hard stare softening. “You said if you could do anything in return, you would. And I need something in that mall.”

“You’re the one who told us it’s dangerous.” Steve doesn’t have time to debate, already noticing Billy’s impatient gestures from the corner of his eye.

“Guess that means you’re gonna need all the help you can get.” Eddie shrugs.

Before Steve can insist he stay, Heather interrupts the conversation with a small apology, whispering something in Eddie’s ear. Whatever it was, it caused the boy’s expression to fall into a frown.

“I’m heading out.” He says to her, looking behind him. “I’ll be back in the morning, just… don’t let anyone leave. It’s not worth it.”

“I’ll try and get the radio working again.” She bites her lip, nodding. “Send us a call if you go past the shack. I’m not gonna be able to keep this from your uncle, you know.”

“I know.” He sighs, smiling. “Thanks for this.”

“You saved my life.” She playfully punches his shoulder, looking at Steve. “Don’t let him die or I’ll kill you myself.”

“Noted.” Steve blinks, throwing his hands up in desperation. I guess Eddie is coming with us.

Billy walks over with a frown, looking between the three of them. “We going, or what?”

“Eddie’s joining us.” Steve admits in defeat, the boy in question grinning.

“Yay.” Billy rolls his eyes, catching Heather’s inquisitive stare. “What?”

“Nothing.” She smirks, tilting her head. “You’re just… different. To how I remember.”

Both Steve and Eddie watch the other two share a gaze that made them feel… unwanted, to say the least.

Billy clears his throat and adjusts the strap of his shotgun, letting out a breath. “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go.”

Heather bids a small farewell, patting Eddie’s shoulder before re-joining Chrissy to surely discuss what was happening. In turn, Billy starts marching away from the camp, leaving before anything else could interrupt.

“Well, I feel weird.” Eddie comments and Steve absent-mindedly nods in agreement. “Better follow him before he ends up going in the wrong direction.”

Steve hums in response, taking one last look at the camp. It was relieving to know other people had been out here surviving the entire time, even without the knowledge of these monsters and the gates that brought them here. It gave him hope. Maybe there were more survivors out there. Maybe, just maybe, an apocalypse wouldn’t be the end of Hawkins.

It had barely been 24 hours since you stopped taking Brenner’s ‘medication’ and you were already piecing together your memories from the past few months.

Many people still remained faceless, meaning you had to work harder to remember the specifics. But you know Hopper, all the fights and the emotional conversations. Sara, your little sister, and a girl that reminded you of her.

You remember the high school, watching your teacher die, getting attacked…

And you remember the monsters. Long, lanky and grey creatures with faces that opened like flower petals. Dark, shadowy figures that could become anything they wanted. Small, vicious dogs that would tear you apart if they were given the chance. Something big in the water, rows and rows of sharp teeth.

Each creature appeared in thought with a shiver down your spine. Maybe some things would be better forgotten.

Your sneakers scuff loudly on the pristine conditions of the floor, making you wince at the noise. You needed to be silent if you wanted to escape. Luckily for you, you were one step closer to freedom.

Room 237. It didn’t appear any different from the other rows of doors you’ve walked past a million times. But this one felt different.

There was no lock on the door, making you question Owens’ desperation for you to find it. If it was meant to be a secret, why wasn’t there any security? But you know why. You weren’t exactly a threat in Brenner’s mind. You were used to that behaviour.

You grab the handle and gently tug it down, holding your breath as the door quietly creaks open.

The first thing you noticed was how dark it was. You try and fumble around for a light switch but you can’t really find it, squinting into the room and trying to adjust your eyes instead.

It seemed empty, merely a chair in the corner of the room with a shadow of a lamp beside it. Everything else was just the same bleak white walls you’ve grown accustomed to, nothing out of the ordinary at all…

The smell hit you first, flooding your senses. It was the same thing you smelt that first night at the school, invading your mind and body with paralysing fear.

Blood.

The room stretched further than you thought, a protruding wall concealing the reality of what lay inside of Room 237. There was no light behind it either, and you blindly followed your own instincts to find where the divide ended, hand gently brushing along the wall until it fell into air.

This section was a lot more furnished. Chairs, small tables, equipment. But you didn’t acknowledge any of it.

In the middle of the room was a chair, inhabited by the pale face of a boy you think you should recognise. And he wasn’t moving.

"Oh my god." You whisper, running over and immediately pulling the gag from his mouth, your hands trembling as you gently tap his face, hoping he was just tired and not something much, much worse. "Hey, hey. Wake up. Please wake up."

When you hear no response, you start working on the rope binds around his wrists, sending fearful glances to his face. No, no, no. A persistent tug inside your chest knew this boy, even if you couldn’t quite place him in that hazy mind of yours. And you were scared to lose him. You couldn’t lose him.

As you pull apart the last knot, your heart settles into relief, watching his hands instinctively flex from the freedom.

"Hey." You dip your head to meet his eyes, "Are you okay? Why are you here? Can you hear me?"

A small groan rumbles in his throat, shaking off the obvious fatigue from whatever the hell it was Brenner did to him. “Please… I don’t know where he is...”

“Where who is?” You frown, searching his face for clues. Up close, you could see his lip was swollen. “Do you know where you are? How long have you been here?”

“I don’t… remember.” He coughs, blinking up at the dark ceiling. “I don’t remember anything…”

Your eyes flicker to the table you hadn’t yet observed beside him, various needles scattered about, seemingly unused thank goodness. But you did spot a similar little bottle that you had clutched in your own hands for weeks now; those cursed little white pills.

“Oh no.” You lean back on your heels, observing the way he starts rubbing at the rope burns on his wrists. He looks at you with a confused expression, searching your face like he was trying to remember something.

“I know you.” He says like it was involuntary, surprised at his own words. But he trusts himself, squinting his eyes, face falling into realisation. “Oh my god.”

“What?” You blink, anticipation startling you with his sudden resolve.

“Y/n.”

Relief mends the painful tear in your heart you never noticed before. When you had been utterly alone down here, you were so afraid there would be no one waiting for you on the surface. It wasn’t until you remembered Hopper that you were hopeful you would have someone looking for you. But now, hearing someone say your name like it held importance, that felt like a cure to all your misery.

And then the dread sets in again as you look up at this boy. Why didn’t you remember him?

“How do you know my name?” You frown, but he barely registers your words.

“He told us you were alive… I’m glad I believed him...” He doesn’t make much sense, muttering and mumbling under his breath. His voice is a little hazy and you notice his eyelids start to droop. You quickly tilt his head with your hand, noticing the spot of red blended into his hair that you had missed on your earlier inspection.

Fear was your best friend at this point, becoming utterly fixated on the fact that his head wound could be a lot worse than you can see on the surface. You couldn’t leave this place alone, not now you know you aren’t the only one trapped here. You have to save him, save eachother.

No more deaths.

His head starts to loll and you catch his face with both hands, heart wrenching. You knew him, you felt it. And he was already slipping away before you could find the answers your soul yearned for.

"Woah, don't- Keep your eyes open. Don’t close your eyes." You plead and he manages to blink himself awake again, nodding slowly. You exhale a breath, holding his gaze. “How do you know my name?”

The boy seems so much more alert now, your words finally settling into his swarming mind. His eyebrows furrow, a mix of panic and confusion flooding his face.

“We- we’re… friends.” He blinks, noting the utter lack of recognition in your features. “You don’t remember me?”

“I don’t remember anything.” You admit, reaching over to the table and holding the pill bottle up to him, shaking it lightly. “The man keeping us here, he’s been feeding us these pills. Anti- antipsychotics, I think he said. They’ve been blocking my memory for weeks.”

“Shit.” He leans back into his chair, struggling to keep his eyes open. “That’s not… that’s not good…”

He was starting to look worse again, and you knew you were running out of time. Any longer and Brenner could find you. You weren’t letting yourself spend another day locked away with a murderer.

"Listen to me, we have to leave right now. I'll explain everything, I promise, but if he finds us here, we're screwed."

You help him stand. His legs wobble slightly so you slip an arm around him, resting his weight on yours.

"He..." He frowns, only single words hitting the air before his eyes start to close again.

"Hey- Stay with me, okay? I need you." You plead and he manages to blink himself awake again, nodding slowly. "We need to find the exit, but first we need to contact someone. Do you know how to use a radio?"

"Um..." He frowns once again, face twisting with confusion. Your heart sinks. Please, god, don’t die. "I… Yes. Yeah, I do. Of course I do."

“Good.” You offer a smile, relaxing when you feel him relieve some of his weight from your body, finding his footing. “We’re one step closer to getting the hell out of here.”

“I think I can,” He winces as you start to walk to the door, sending a reassuring nod your way when you pause. This wasn’t going to be easy. “I, uh, I might be able to remember the frequency for the party- and your dad. Hopper.”

As he leans forward to brace himself on the wall, your mind starts to wander. Hearing him say your dad’s name…

“Where’s Hopper?” You get straight to the point, studying them both as they look surprised yet again. “I assume you came here with him.”

“Yeah.” A girl answers, the boy in the bunker nodding with her. “Yeah, he picked us up like an hour after everything happened. We’ve kind of been at the lab since.”

“Hm.” You sound, trying to ignore how that stung. He went and collected the kids he wanted and left you to fend for yourself. Lovely.

“So he’s here?” The faceless boy in your dreams questions and the girl nods again.

“He’s with the gate.” She relays.

“They’ve been trying to get it shut for ages.” The boy in the bunker says, but his eyes are still on you, barely hanging onto his own words. “Where were you guys?”

“Uh… surviving the apocalypse. Which, by the way, not as easy as it looks in movies.”

“Why are you both looking at us like that?” You finally ask, the shocked eyes of people you barely knew staring at you and the boy like you weren’t even real.

“Sorry.” The girl rushes, blinking. She pockets her gun into her belt and steps forward, sharing looks with the boy in the bunker. “It’s not you. It’s just…”

“We thought you were dead.”

You snap out of it when you hear him take a deep breath. Another memory unlocked, more questions unanswered. Why was that other boy in every memory? And why couldn’t the one in front of you be the same face you were so desperate to find?

“Are you gonna be okay?” You ask, only earning a silent nod in return. “I’m gonna do a quick check outside and make sure we’re not gonna get caught. Wait here.”

When you were sure he could support himself, you carefully open the door without so much as a creak, poking your head around the corner. Your eyes travel to the camera situated at the end of the hall, facing the opposite direction. You were going to have to walk into view of it some time, and once you did there was no going back. No more pretending, one more step to freedom.

“Okay.” You drop your voice to a whisper, propping the door open with your foot and meeting his eyes. He looked tired, but he was fighting. “We’ll be in the clear for about 2 minutes before the cameras catch us. I’ll lead us straight to the radio and we’ll send out an SOS to my dad. If we move quick enough, we might be able to escape before anyone can come looking. You ready for that?”

“Ready as ever.” He nods, and you offer your arm again, sliding his over your shoulders and preparing for what will be the most excruciatingly tense moment of your lives.

As you both creep out into the hallway, he mumbles something to you, so quiet you missed it.

“Sorry?” You whisper back, keeping up a steady rhythm between your footsteps.

“My name.” He repeats, a little louder. A small and select smile rests on his lips. “Jonathan. In case you couldn’t remember.”

His name hits the air with more value than he’ll know, one more blurred face now clear as day. But you couldn’t relish in the relief, or exchange stories of whatever horrors landed you two of all people in a bunker with a psychopath. Now wasn't the time for either of you to reflect on the hell you were both dragged through.

If anything, it was just luck you were both still alive.

taglist:

@sheisjoeschateau . @kthomps914 . @curled-hair-red-lips . @nix-rose .

@palmtreesx3 . @kryztalglear . @sattlersquarry . @hey-barnes-stole-a-jeep . @sadslasher13 .

@iliveonteaandbooks . @innercreationflower . @newyorkangelbaby . @totally-bogus-timelady . @pansexualhoor .

@kitdjarin1 . @chiliwhore . @carolineesnell . @lxon-kxnnedy .

[bylrndgm]

you broke the rule of law.

stranger things 2 | episode 8: the mindflayer.

[happy74827]

This got flagged on TikTok for “ineligibility” so I’m posting it here ✨

Song: Friends — Chase Atlantic

Show: Stranger Things (S2)

Character: Billy Hargrove

[sapphicslut777]

HAPPY STRANGER THINGS DAY!!!!

[buckwheeler]

Steve Says By The Velvet Underground

[lorax-devito]

average thought of steve harrington:

[will80sbyers]

STRANGER THINGS 2 | Chapter Six: The Spy

[skeletal-butterflyy]

D&D subtext in Stranger Things

Highly, highly requested analysis (no it’s not) of some interesting things I noticed going on with D&D in stranger things. This includes my personal thoughts based on my credentials of; having watched the show more times than i can possibly count over the past 7 years and current knowledge of DnD classes, worldbuilding, monsters, character creation. I’ll have this on the pinned post on my blog and i’ll add a text break because it’s…a lot.

Misc. :

The show starts with and is based off of Dungeons and Dragons, a table top rpg that the characters like to play. In the first season we don’t get much insight into the boys characters or the game itself, it’s used as a device to further the idea that these kids are nerds, they play a nerdy game that involves fantasy and math. As the show progresses it continues to be used to push across certain ideas, like establishing each character in the party and in season three showing how the game might represent the boys as social outcasts and their childhood.

DnD, is used throughout the show but we get to see actual play of the game in season one and four. It’s also used as a way to name the monsters they face (the monsters do get the right ideas across but the game and show versions are actually quite different from each other, especially the demogorgon)

In season 4 the idea of satanism connected to DnD really interested me. Why was everyone connecting DnD to satanism? I mean we know that everyone thought that Eddie was killing all of these people but that doesn’t mean that his club had anything to do with it. The duffers interestingly incorporated the real stigma that was widely held in the 80s against the game. At the time people were going on witchunts against anything regarded as being possibly related to satan. The most interesting part about all of this though is that, Dungeons and Dragons was made by two very devout christian men, Ernest Gygax (one of the founders) was even a Jehovah’s Witness! The two being christian’s though, incorporated a lot of religious themes into the game including clerics and paladins (calm down you fiends i’ll be getting to that) who carry a lot of religious themes and monsters that may represent demons. Outsiders might have seen a game presenting such themes as a mockery of their faith or a way to promote satanism simply by having monsters.

Characters:

I want to preface this by saying the classes that I’ll be talking about aren’t actually time period accurate. The boys would have been playing D&D 1e which had the three classes of : Fighting-man, magic-user, and cleric. While the classes listed are from D&D 2e which didn’t come out until 1989. Anyways.

In season 1, in the first scenes of the show we get to see what is the middle of DnD session before it gets interrupted. We get the basic ideas of their game across, Mike acting as DM presenting the adventure he created to his players while the rest of the party waits in anticipation for what they have to fight next. We also get to see some of will’s drawings of the party and his character

Keep these pictures in mind.

In season 2 when mike and max are arguing in the gym we hear mike say, “I’m our paladin, will’s our cleric, dustin’s our bard, lucas is our ranger and el is our mage.” At first glance it seems like nothing, oh he’s just listing off the party members and their roles and how max doesn’t fit into the party. But when you look at it properly it’s so much more.

Lucas and Dustin could not be more perfect for their chosen classes. Lucas is a ranger which means the ideal stats to be highest would include dexterity, constitution, and wisdom. Dexterity refers to, in this case the hand eye coordination and general reflexes. Constitution refers to a characters stamina and toughness, and wisdom is well, wisdom. Sounds like a certain character that has quick reflexes, has a tendency to take punches pretty well, and has good problem solving skills huh? All of these apply to lucas quite well, AND his weapon of choice is a ranged weapon, the slingshot (wrist-rocket you know what I mean), it’s really quite perfect. As for Dustin, he’s said to be a bard and the highest ideal stat for that class is charisma. Dustin has been proven to be very charismatic, he gets along with people and he can very comedic. Another thing about bards is they will tend to be very eloquent, inspirational, and persuasive, it comes with the territory of having a high charisma score, and we know dustin has a way with words. Dustin’s known for being a an eloquent and persuasive character; he convinced Mike to make up with Lucas after their fight in season one, he convinced a hesitant Mr. Clarke to tell him how to make a censory deprivation tank, he convinced steve to join him in looking for dart, and convinced erica to go through the vents (sort of). So, it makes complete sense for dustin to be a bard.

Taking a look at Mike’s character, his class also makes a lot of sense. Mike plays a paladin when he’s not the DM. A paladin is a “devout warrior” they fight with a cause, to serve their patron deity. They’re often compared to knights because of their values and the armor they usually wear. A paladin is the perfect representation of mike, especially for how will described him during the painting scene, he’s a leader and will throw himself in dangerous situations for the sake of the party, like when he jumped off the cliff for dustin.

Now, remember how will’s drawings, specifically of his character? Remember how mike said that will was a cleric? Will’s character is complicated. Will’s character being a cleric doesn’t make sense but makes so much sense at the same time. His character doesn’t look like a cleric. Clerics might be spellcasters but they don’t traditionally carry a staff or wear robes like we see will’s character does. He wears wizard clothing and has wizard abilities, not to mention in the first scene we see him play DnD and attempt to cast fireball, a spell that is most commonly associated with wizards and sorcerers and he does not seem to get his magic from a deity like a cleric traditionally would. (Clerics can cast fireball but only if they are part of the light domain) So, his character seems to be more of a wizard than a cleric, which is odd.

My theory relating to Will’s character:

Looking back at what mike said, Will’s character class doesn’t make much sense. But, I personally feel like Mike wasn’t being totally honest. First, he listed el, who they might consider to be part of the party but she doesn’t have an actual role in the game, but of course she would be the magic-user/mage. I think that mike made the list based on his feelings about the party specifically regarding will and el. El has powers in real life so it makes sense he assigned her the role of mage, and replacing will for him to become a cleric. It’d be interesting if Will was simply a cleric in mike’s personal thoughts about the party because it would make it so mike views them as very close. Paladins and clerics are very similar in relation to the fundamentals, a paladin is a warrior that swears an oath and serves a deity while a cleric is the servant of a deity that heals and fights. Basically, a cleric does more spell casting and less fighting while a paladin does more fighting and less spell casting. Since the two are so similar it would give a lot of depth to the characters being best friends, who have a much deeper understanding of each other than the rest of the party would. And even if he wasn’t simply a cleric in mikes mind and will the wise is actually a cleric, this would still show that the two having a much deeper connection and understanding of each other was hinted at from the beginning.

[honeii-puff]

So me and my friend had a debate and it made me realize how you can see which characters are favored by the creators by how much of their backstory (how the grew up, what happened before s1, their family lives) we know of them.

For this, im going to be using characters that got introduced in S1, as they have had the most time to be added onto (almost a decade), plus Max as a shoe-in.

This list would be: The Byers(+el), the Wheelers, The Hendersons, the Sinclairs, the Mayfields, and the Harringtons.

The Byers:

Joyce married Lonnie and had Jonathan and Will before separating (I don't remember explicitly why, probably because he was a piece of shit). Jonathan and Will live with Joyce with no visitation from Lonnie, and are very close. Joyce isn't the most stable parent, so Jonathan helps around, kind of co-parenting Will. El grew up in the lab, and we see all the stuff that happens when shes younger, which makes sense since she is the main face of the show, so she's kind of exempt from this list.

The Wheelers:

On the outside, they're seen as the perfect suburban family, but in reality, Karen and Ted are in a loveless marriage, especially proven in s3 when Karen is having a weird relationship with Billy. The Wheeler siblings have a normal sibling dynamic of shouting and a love-hate relationship, with (this mainly applying to Nancy) the pressure of having to hold up the "perfect family" image.

The Mayfields:

Max's mom married Billy's dad when Max was young (I dont know if they mentioned what happened to her dad or if i just forgot), after Billy's mom had died. They lived in California until they were introduced in s2. Billy's dad is physically and verbally abusive, which has influenced Billy's actions towards Max. After Billy's death, we know that Billy's dad left, and that Max's mom isn't in a good mental state, leaving Max to take care of herself while also coping with her brother's death.

Now lets compare that to what we know about the Hendersons, the Sinclairs, and the Harringtons:

The Hendersons:

Dustin's dad isn't in the picture (we dont know why), and his mom likes cats.

The Sinclairs:

Lucas has both of his parents, who are in a loving relationship, and he has his sister Erica, who he has a generic sibling relationship with.

The Harringtons:

Rich background, Steve's parents are never around, but it's never expressed as to what his relationship with them is like. (Ik he wasn't meant to be a main character and he was supposed to die in s1, but its been a decade, they could have added onto it at any time)

We can also see this in how their trauma affects them

El and Will both have similar "im the freak" mindsets, which gives them the struggle of being able to make new friends and expand their circle. They also have a lot of trauma from the upside down, and El unknowingly blocked memories of what happened with 001 due to how traumatic they were.

Mike was bullied his whole life, which does reflect in his character, making him quick to react to situations rather than analysing them before responding. His trauma doesn't come from his family, but from other people he has been around. With both him and Nancy, it is shown that they both struggle with telling people that they care about "I love you" (Nancy with Steve, Mike with El), probably from seeing how "love" affected their parents.

Max's mental health had a steep decline after loosing Billy, and it is explicitly shown and a large part of her character in s4, so that one needs little explanation due to how blatantly obvious it is.

Now, Dustin, Lucas, and Steve have all been dealing with the Upside Down just as long as the others have been (besides Max), and little trauma is shown from it.

Dustin and Lucas were both bullied like Will and Mike were, yet it doesn't seem to actually affect their character like it has for Mike and Will. Both also have their share of events happening with the Upside Down.

Steve did go through a character arc, but we don't see how trauma has affected him, especially since he seems to be the shows punching bag. He got tortured by russians, almost got shot by his ex, has gotten into fight after fight for these kids, and got dragged to the bottom of the lake by his ankles and proceeded to get strangled and attacked by bats.

And none of them seemed to be affected by any of it.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

If there are any other ST characters you want an analysis on, send an ask!

[stevemania]

since we’re getting the final season this year… stranger things through the seasons! (1-4) ⋆·˚ ༘ *📸

[aloneinthehellfire]

Chapter Twenty: Friend Or Foe, Part I

Gates Of Hell

Word Count: 5.2k

Warnings: swearing, mentions of grief and death (steve is having a hard time and it's my fault), themes of threat

[A/N: Did anyone say they've been needing a writer to return with a buttload of angst and scream-worthy cliffhangers? No? Well, I'm back now so I guess you don't have a choice.]

Friend Or Foe, Part I

He can’t stop replaying that moment in his head.

“I’m gonna turn any minute now.” You place your hands on his cheeks, making sure he was listening to your every word. “And I don’t want my last memory to be crossing back into our home knowing I won’t make it five steps before the virus kills me. Okay? So, you’re gonna go through the gate and you’re not ever gonna look back. Please. Don’t come back for me.”

“I can’t-” He cries and you bring his forehead down to touch yours, nodding.

“I know.” You whisper, leaning forward to leave a feather-light kiss on his lips.

His eyes are still closed when you lean back, studying him one last time.

“Which is why I’m sorry.”

Steve’s eyes snap open just in time to watch your hands find his chest and shove him as hard as you can, his body ripping through the gate faster than he can experience.

His back hits solid concrete, making him groan. It takes a second for him to blink away the dots in his vision, slowly sitting up. He can see your figure clearly, your sad eyes, the smile gracing your lips.

And then the gate starts to sew itself shut.

Your words are stuck on a never-ending loop, the bittersweet memory of your voice floating past his ears every morning he awoke since he lost you. It replays because his subconscious wants to torture him, remind him of everything he could have done but never did.

If he had just opened his eyes... If he had opened his eyes, you wouldn’t be trapped in the Upside Down. If he had opened his eyes, Jonathan Byers would still be alive.

The ceiling he stared at never crushed him like he wanted it to every time he blinked into to the realisation he was a failure. He couldn’t do anything right. Everyone around him would be better off if the murky grey ceiling caved in and buried him under its rubble.

And yet even with all his silent prayers, the building stayed steady, and he was forced to push himself out of bed and face the reality. He messed up, twice. And now everyone else had to pay for it.

Just as he pulled a shirt over his head, a drone of voices could be heard from the living room. He cracks open his door, Hopper’s rough words echoing loud.

“They’re forcing us to leave.”

Steve sobered up fast, quickly and quietly descending the staircase and rounding the corner to a view of, well, everyone. Hopper must have called everyone in for a meeting. Everyone but him.

“What’s going on?” Steve asked, ignoring the looks from the Party. They always greeted him with such pity now, sorrow lacing their features like he was a kicked puppy that needed cheering up.

“Just in time.” Hopper greets, running a hand down his face. “The military are expanding the quarantine.”

“When?” Steve crossed his arms, frowning.

“Tomorrow morning.” Hopper sighs and Steve’s heart sinks. “Unfortunately for us, we’re close to the danger zone already. They want us packed up by tonight or…”

“Or?” Nancy prompts. Steve notices the worn expression she tries to mask, another shot at his chest. Losing Jonathan was sucking away her life force. And he did that to her.

“Or they’re removing us with force.” He says grimly, a few scattered mutters filling the silence. “They’ve tried keeping the monsters at bay but it’s a losing battle. I tried arguing, but they’re not looking for opinions. They’re doing a full sweep of the danger zone borders and moving everyone out. Our hands are tied.”

“What if we hide?” Dustin suggests, nodding wildly. His friends nod too, but with less conviction.

“Not that easy.” Hopper tightens his lips. “Our last search attempts for food have been failures. We won’t have enough rations to keep going even if we found a way to avoid the quarantine. The infestation is beyond our control without those gates. We’ll have to… give up.”

His eyes wander down to the map displayed on the table in front of him, staring at the crossed out circles of missed opportunities. The watergates, as the young boy had dubbed. And the pattern you found even when all hope felt lost.

“But we can’t find those gates if we’re not… here.” Dustin deflates as gravity pulls him back down to the suggestion in Hopper’s words. “We won’t find Y/n if we’re not here.”

“We can’t find her anyway.” Robin mutters, folding her arms tighter against her chest. Steve sends a curious look her way, but she doesn’t acknowledge it. He understands why she must be so bitter, losing her best friend like that- her only friend, as she had reminded him before. But he didn’t expect her to be this cold, even if it’s taking longer to find you than anticipated.

“I’m going to give the search one more shot.” Hopper announces, running a hand down his face. He clearly hadn’t slept, tone too low, his body slumping against the table as he fought against exhaustion. “If there are no rations left for us, we’ll have to pack up and leave with the rest of them. I can lead the search if no one wants to-”

“I’ll do it.” Steve steps forward, surprised expressions adorning everyone’s faces. Steve hadn’t left the house since they lost Jonathan, and he had made no suggestion until now that he was ready to do that.

“Kid-” Hopper begins with a sigh, but Steve shakes his head.

“It’s supposed to be my turn anyway.” She shrugs, ignoring his bubbling fits of anxiety growing in his chest. “No point sending too many people out in case it is a lost cause.”

“You can’t go alone.” He responds, brows furrowed. He knew better than to argue with him when they were running out of time. “That’s the rule.”

Steve mentally sighs. Who would want to go with him? The last time he led a mission, he fucked it all up.

“I’ll go.”

He grits his teeth. Great.

Billy emerges from the shadowed corner he had watched from, smirking at Steve as he approaches the table.

“I’ve been out there more than anyone, I know how to get into the stores undetected.” He practically boasts. Steve wanted to groan, a sickly feeling in his stomach when Hopper agrees without reservation. Does he know what Billy did to them last year?

“That’s settled then. You two head off when you’re ready. I think… I think I’m gonna head back up and keep searching.” The last part was mumbled under his breath as Hopper leaves the table and trudges back up the stairs. Steve stares almost mournfully after him. He was in so much pain and, even so, he would never show it.

Like father, like daughter.

“Ready when you are, buttercup.” Billy grins, folding his arms.

Steve bit his tongue, glancing over at a punchable face if he ever saw one. “Sure.”

He starts searching for a bag when a hand is thrust into his view, the very object hanging from their fingers.

“Take mine.” Nancy offers, and he takes it with a timid smile.

Since the mission, Nancy has barely uttered 5 words to him. Well, 7 now, which Steve thinks he should be grateful for. After all, if it had been Nancy searching for Jonathan, if it had been you caught in the crossfires of shapeshifters because Nancy wasn’t focused, would he have ever talked to her again?

“Thanks.” He says, and she walks away without so much as a second glance, heading for the staircase. She’s been more adamant on spending time with Will than he has been lately.

“Good luck.” Dustin calls when he reaches the door, Billy behind him.

“Don’t need it.” Billy responds, and Dustin purses his lips.

“Wasn’t talking to you.” He mutters and Billy frowns.

“What did you say?” He growls.

“I said, break a leg!” Dustin throws two thumbs up, grinning.

“And an arm.” Max whispers, and Lucas stifles his giggles.

“Whatever.” Billy swings open the door and steps out without so much as a goodbye. Although, Steve wondered who he’d be needing to pay his farewells too. The only person who seems to have ever shown interest in his care was, well, you.

“I’ll see you later.” Steve smiles at Dustin, the boy throwing out a salute that made him smile.

Even if Steve was stuck with his worst enemy, at least he felt like he was finally contributing something. Something Dustin could be proud of.

Maybe even something that could help find you.

This was a terrible idea.

They were an hour into their search and had been attacked twice. Once by a stray demodog, another by an infected – or rather, a demoperson as Dustin reminded them at every opportunity. Steve thought calling them infected felt more humane, even if a little on-the-nose. After all, they weren’t born like that.

On both attacks, it was made painstakingly clear that Billy didn’t care if Steve lived or died.

“What the hell, man?” Steve pants, planting his boot on the demodog’s back as he pulled his bat free from its flesh.

Billy was leant against a tree, arms folded as he watched with an amused grin. He had stayed that way even when Steve was struggling against the surprise attack. The demodogs were becoming more frequent, which could only mean a pack was nearby.

“You couldn’t have helped?!” Steve stresses, glaring at him.

Billy only shrugs, looping his shotgun back onto his shoulder. “We only shoot for emergencies, right? Don’t wanna alert the whole freak town that we’re here.”

“Right.” Steve grits his teeth, adjusting his backpack. “You always have an excuse, huh?”

“It’s called having a brain, pretty boy.” Billy smirks, nodding to his left. “This way should be clear. It’ll lead us straight past the Radio Shack and to the General Store. We didn’t make it this far last time so maybe we’ll get lucky.”

He doesn’t wait for Steve’s approval, gripping the strap of the shotgun and heading back down the road. Steve considered letting him go by himself, see how amusing he finds it when no one is helping him. But then he remembered he wasn’t an asshole, so he takes a breath and follows him.

When Steve saw the Radio Shack building, his whole body felt like it was in fight or flight. It looked so similar.

It was like he was still in the Upside Down, the vines coiling around the structure like a bad memory. It was tainted, his memory. Because as he looked at something that should feel terrifying, something that should make his heart beat out of his chest and wash a wave of dread over his head, he was utterly fixated by the idea that you could be in there, on the other side, waiting for him to find you.

“Harrington.” Billy snaps him out of his trance. Steve shakes his head. He felt like he was going crazy.

But what if he wasn’t? What if he was right? If he squinted his eyes, he could just force the image of someone walking around in there, a shadow that looked like yours. Maybe...

“She won’t be there.”

Steve pauses. He looks beside him but Billy isn’t standing there. He was stood just outside of the building, looking in.

“What?” Steve frowns. He doesn’t think he’s seen him look so… forlorn.

“Y/n.” He says softly, meeting Steve’s eyes and walking away from the store. “She would have answered the radio calls by now.”

“That doesn’t mean she’s dead.” Steve replies, shoulders tensing.

“Didn’t say that.” He shrugs, tilting his head. “But none of us really know. Apart from you.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You’re the last one to see her before you’re conveniently safe on the other side.” He clicks his tongue. “I overheard Hopper talking to the Byers mom when you got back. He said you were muttering something the entire way home. Something about monsters.”

“Probably.” Steve shrugs, swallowing his nerves. “It wasn’t easy getting to the motel. We almost didn’t make it.”

“Almost.” Billy scoffs, chuckling darkly. “Tell me, Harrington… Why didn’t Y/n cross the gate with you?”

Steve shakes his head. “I-”

“You just said you almost didn’t make it. So did she almost not make it?”

“We got separated.” He says, gripping his bat tightly. “I watched the gate close before she made it through. She’s alive.”

Billy narrows his eyes, assessing the way Steve is trying not to react to his empty suggestions. He isn’t giving up on his story, and even Billy can tell Steve truly believes you’re still alive.

“Look, if you’re done being an asshole, how about we find some food so our friends don’t starve to death.”

“Your friends.” Billy corrects. “And don’t think everyone is buying your little story. I know you’re hiding something from us.”

“Just forget it, man.” Steve was turning around now, clenching his jaw.

“Oh come on, you really expect me to believe you passed through the gate without making sure she was there first? You always had that fake chivalry act going for you, don’t tell me you gave it up just to save your own ass.” Billy sneers, walking closer to him. “No wonder everyone’s been avoiding you lately, you couldn’t even bring back the one person they give a shit about-”

“Shut up!” Steve yells at him, a white-knuckled grip on his bloodied bat, “I don’t need you reminding me of how I messed up, okay?! I relive that moment every fucking day of my life and it hurts every single time!”

Billy seems surprised for once, eyes drifting to the left. He follows his gaze, startled by his own hand holding his weapon as if ready for a strike. He unclenches his jaw, letting his arm rest back down by his side and backing away, choosing not to comment on his sudden display of intended violence.

“Does the chief know you’re in love with his daughter?”

He pauses for a moment, wondering if he should answer. He bites his tongue. It was none of his fucking business.

When they finally arrive at their destination, Steve had never seen the General Store so empty in his life.

It was usually filled with everything you could possibly want. Well, as much as a small town in Indiana could use, anyway. From food, to tools, to craft supplies, the place was always packed to the brim and seemingly never ran out of stock. But this time, it was cleaned out.

A few stray boxes of cardboard littered the floor, the shelves bare of any supplies they desperately needed. They’re usual strike of bad luck was a lightning bolt to their last chance of saving Hawkins.

“I’m gonna check the back.” Billy announces, charging to the back door. Steve didn’t bother going with him; he already knew he wouldn’t find anything.

He remembers the Upside Down in this moment. The concerning lack of any hunger or thirst never crossing your minds as you wandered from place to place, chasing a ghost that never existed. When he had left, it had all come crashing down on him like a wave of sickness, restricting him to his bed until he didn’t feel weak anymore. Physically, at least.

He wondered how you were right now. Were you scared? Were you safe? Had the virus continued spreading? He hated he couldn’t see or hear you, that you weren’t here to satisfy his anxiety. He even hated that he needed you so much, the girl he couldn’t stand a year ago and now the girl he couldn’t stand to lose.

Goosebumps start to line his skin, prickling at his arms. It was probably a breeze of cold air, but Steve had remembered Joyce’s tales of feeling her son’s presence when he was on the other side. He kept imagining it was you beside him, letting him know you were okay.

Steve looks out of the window, heart leaping into his throat as he catches his reflection. It wasn’t his. A pale face, hollow and scorched at the sides, glared back at him, a tilted head of curiousness. When Steve blinks, he sees himself again, startled brown eyes and a messy mane of hair, nothing like the man he saw before.

“Nothin’ out back.” Billy’s voice drones back into the room, a hand running through his mane of hair. “You find anything?”

“Uh…” Steve takes another glance at the window, wondering if he could catch sight of the ghost haunting him. But with his own face staring back, he had to assume his sleepless nights had caught up with him. “No. Nothing.”

“Fuck.” Billy kicks an empty packet with his boot. “I knew this would’ve been the first place to be emptied.”

Steve takes another look around. He takes note of the shelves, moving closer. Dust was settled on the surfaces, drawing lines around bare shapes of cleaner wood and metal. He runs his finger across the lighter spaces, nothing clinging to his skin.

“Only recently…” He mutters, but Billy picks up on it in the stark silence.

“You saying someone got here before us? Like right before us?”

“Look around. The place is spotless. The shelves might be dusty but there’s a clean space where stuff has been taken. It can’t have been more than a few days since someone else was here.”

“Huh.” Billy raises an eyebrow. “I guess we’re not the only ones camping out in the apocalypse.”

A shatter of glass echoed from outside the building, startling them into their fighting stances. Steve’s bat was clenched in his fists as soon as the peaceful silence was broken, and the shotgun had slid into Billy’s arms once the glass hit the floor. They both stared out of the murky windows, an intense concentration on their faces.

“We hit nightfall.” Steve grits his teeth, risking a look to Billy. The boy’s expression was that of the same, eyebrows furrowed. They shouldn’t have been here this long.

“Well, shit.” Billy starts backing up to the doors, eyes glued to the darkening sky. “I guess we better find camp for the night. Preferably somewhere I’m not gonna get eaten.”

“The library.” Steve sniffs, adjusting his posture to face his companion. “It’s the only building left with a solid structure. I say we barricade ourselves in for the night and move out as soon as we can.”

“Nice to see you can use your brain, Harrington.” Billy says, gently opening the door with his shoulder and peering out. “We’re clear.”

As they leave the store, Steve feels like someone is watching them, his eyes constantly glancing back to the Radio Shack until it was far out of sight, an unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach. Something didn’t feel right but, then again, it hadn’t felt right for a long time.

Before they had even reached the library on steady footing, a clash of lightning burns the night sky into a crimson red, thunder rolling through the dark clouds. Their quiet footsteps splashed into puddles of rain, wet soaking their clothes as a storm started to roll in. The change in weather was a curse and a blessing; it restricted their safety of escape, but heightened their chances of evading monsters. After all, how could they stalk their prey when every sense was overwhelmed by the fury of mother nature?

For once, Steve felt like he made the right call. The library was still standing tall, vines slithered up the sides but weren’t quite strong enough to break the stone. The inside was empty, a few bookcases fallen and pages scattered, no sign of life in sight.

“I’ll take first watch.” Steve says, propping himself up against the desk, bat laid across his lap.

Billy didn’t object, setting down his gear and adjusting the dusty chair pillows they had pulled from the study hall into a makeshift bed behind the counter. He didn’t utter a word when he laid down, and Steve’s head fell back against the wood. As it did, he noticed something etched into the side of the wood from the corner of his eye, twisting his body to glance at it. ‘Save us’, it said. He gulped. Considering how empty the place was, it seems like it was too late for whoever wrote that message.

His eyes return to staring down the double doors like the cabinets they had dragged over wouldn’t hold. They didn’t last time he was in this position. And this time he wasn’t sure there was a single closet he could hide himself in. He just had to make sure he kept his eyes open. If he kept his eyes open, nothing bad could happen.

He sat there staring at the doors for hours, fingers mindlessly tapping against the handle of his bat until Billy’s rough voice called out behind him, alerting him that his shift was over. Steve’s eyes were heavy before he had even swapped places with him, head resting against the firm fabric on the floor. He wasn’t sure he would sleep, but his body overpowered his mind, pulling his subconscious elsewhere...

“Hey, we can get out through the window. Wasn’t rocket science, but I’m still a genius.”

He turns back to look at you over his shoulder, smiling. You’re currently near the far corner, your back facing him. You don’t seem to have heard him, breathing in odd intervals as you stare down at your hands.

“Y/n.” He tries again, louder. Your head twitches. Steve releases the latch on the window, fear flooding his entire body. He slowly steps away from the window, his eyes permanently glued to the back of your head, feeling like he couldn’t breathe.

Trying again, his voice cracks under the pressure of speaking your name like it would warp the vicious reality he was living in.

“Y/n?”

You snap your head to him, and the colour drains from his face.

“No…”

He lost you.

The world bled to grey as tears start trailing from his eyes, staring into yours. Except, they weren’t yours. They were darker, soulless. Black blood was dripping from your chin, staining your lips.

“Don’t do this.” He begs, unable to find the force to speak louder than a whisper. “Y/n, please. It’s not- I can’t hurt you. You know I can’t hurt you. Y/n...”

You snarled at him this time, your mannerisms unnerving. It wasn’t you anymore...

You suddenly lunge at him and he instinctively dives for his bag, rolling away from your attack in the last second. He unzips it, staring down. He couldn’t do this.

Snarls and hisses spit from your mouth as you scramble up from the floor, blinking rapidly as you search in the dark.

Click.

Your whole body snaps to him in one sharp movement. With a shaking hand, he stares directly into your eyes.

“Y/n, please.” He sobs, “Please, you have to be in there.”

Not even the mournful pressure against his chest felt as heavy as the gun in his hand, tears rolling down his face.

“It’s me.” He tries again, hoping his voice could break you free from the virus. “It’s me. Steve. Remember?”

He should have known hope was never his friend. A voice completely alien to you rips out a screech from your throat, and hell comes to bludgeon him with the worst it had to offer.

Steve watches in horror as the skin starts peeling from your face, tearing it into pieces like a flower and its petals. Like a demogorgon.

It was too late. You weren’t coming back to him.

You run at him, sharp teeth bared, mind forever gone.

Steve’s eyes shut and he pulls the trigger, a sob echoing past his lips when the sound of your body hitting the floor fills the basement with regret. He doesn’t dare open his eyes, holding his breath.

His hands are shaking, heartbeat bursting into his eardrums. Steve starts to realise it’s a dream, that he had already lived this moment, that none of it had ever been real. It’s not real…

Even with his nerves on fire, he lowers the gun, hands feeling lighter the longer he remembers this never happened. He can open his eyes. He can force the image of your smiling face into his dream. He can make this nightmare disappear.

He opens his eyes.

And stares into the milky white pupils of a scorched face.

“Find her”

Steve jolts himself awake, blinking against the sudden light blaring through the windows. His heart was thumping out of his chest, the image of the ghost’s eyes burned into his brain. But it wasn’t the dream that startled him out of his sleep.

He hears Billy yelling, his instinct reaching for the bat at his side before it suddenly swoops out of view and a figure blocks his exit. When he turns his head to the looming shadow, his breath hitches, leaning back against the desk.

He wasn’t particularly fond of being greeted with a spear to his face.

It was held by someone in a mask, a brief flashback to his time in the tunnels suddenly thrown into his mind. The air, the kids had expressed. That was before any of them knew it wasn’t toxic. He took a quick glance to his side, noting the person currently pointing a matching spear at Billy, too, his shotgun kicked far out of his reach.

It was two against two. They could take them.

The door from the study opens and two more people walk out, discussing something under their breaths. His heart drops, jaw clenched in silent desperation. Fuck. He should have known nothing was ever easy.

When the others get closer, a new reason for his despair came to light, eyebrows furrowed when one of the voices droned on and on about their ‘key observation’.

He recognised that voice.

“Holy shit.” They laugh, pulling off their mask. Steve feels his stomach twist. “As I live and breathe, is that you, Harrington?”

Steve blinks. “Tommy?”

Lo and behold, Tommy Hagan stood in front of Steve with that bastard smile on his face and a dim light in his eyes. His hair had grown out to now brush against his shoulders, a faint smudge of dirt outlining where his goggles had been resting against his face. His clothes weren’t unusual to his high school attire, but it was covered in grime and faint smudges of blood. It was very clear that he had, much to Steve’s silent disappointment, survived the apocalypse. And he wasn’t alone.

“Wait, did you say Harrington?” The person beside him questions, head recoiling. It was a girl’s voice, sweet enough but hoarse around the edges, as if she hadn’t been drinking enough water. She turns her head to Steve before pausing. “You said he died.”

“He did!” Tommy exclaims, but the girl simply extends her arm in his direction as evidence that he was, in fact, not dead. “Okay, so I thought he died. Not my fault I got bad intel.”

The girl sighs, ready to argue.

“Oh my god, who cares if he’s dead or not, what the hell are we gonna do?” Another female voice, this time it sounded a little more mature. She currently had her spear pointed at Billy’s chest, the boy’s face twisting with some sort of humiliation at the realisation a girl had managed to disarm him. “And for fuck’s sake, put your mask back on, do you want to get ill?!”

“The air’s safe.” Steve finds himself speaking, all heads turning to him. “I mean, it’s not natural at all but it doesn’t make you sick. Getting bit makes you sick, is what I mean. If you’re, uh, talking about getting infected and stuff.”

“Are we really going to stand here all day?” She turns to the last person in the room, ignoring Steve and waiting for an answer.

This person had their spear hovering in front of Steve’s face, the pole shaking slightly as if they had never done this before. He doesn’t suppose they would have; they were just regular teens in a small town before the apocalypse started. Everyone had to adapt.

“I say we just spear them and get the hell out of here.” Tommy suggests and the girl beside him gasps. Steve, however, wasn’t so surprised. “What?”

“We can’t kill them. We’ve never killed anyone.”

“Fine, let’s just knock them out.”

“Shut up, Tommy, you don’t know what you’re talking about.” The other girl chimes in, and Steve could almost laugh. Even in an end of world situation, nobody wanted to be around Tommy H.

“I don’t-” Tommy huffs, shaking his head. “Who the hell saved you from a demon attack, huh?”

“And who got you new clothes when you shit yourself from the demon attack?” She retorts, the last words Steve manages to catch before they’re in a full blown argument.

“Hey!”

The person in front of him finally spoke, lowering their spear and stepping back. A male voice had ordered from behind the mask and, as he turned to his friends, Steve noticed a few stray curls peaking out from the collar of his jacket.

“No one is killing anyone, and we’re definitely not leaving them here.” He says, and the others seem to listen. He was their leader, Steve realised, and his word seemed to be final. The boy turns to him, tilting his head. “Are you serious about the air? It’s not lethal?”

“I wouldn’t be alive if it was.” Steve replies, and the boy sighs. He nods to the others, and they all lower their weapons.

“Sorry about this, we thought you were here to steal our stuff.” The boy apologises.

“I’m guessing you’re the ones that raided the store.” Steve says, accepting the hand extended to him and pulls himself back onto his feet.

“We gotta eat.” Tommy states, turning his head and widening his eyes. “Woah, Billy-boy! I almost didn’t recognise you, what with the whole being beaten by a girl thing.”

“Shut it.” Billy snaps, and the girl in question laughs.

“If it helps, you didn’t make it easy.” She offers before reaching behind her head to untie her mask, letting it fall into her hand and pushing her goggles to her head. “I’m Heather, by the way. I think we’ve met.”

Billy’s eyebrow raises, but he simply nods, walking over to retrieve his shotgun before any more of his dignity left.

“That’s Chrissy.” Heather introduces the other girl, her mask and goggles also secured around her neck now. Steve thinks he saw her in school before, but she was definitely younger, her wide eyes holding an innocence Steve hadn’t had for a long time.

The boy beside him also strips himself of his face coverings, resting the goggles in his messy mane of curled brown hair and smirking at the surprised look on Steve’s face. He throws his spear into his other hand, extending his free glove as an introduction that Steve most certainly didn’t need.

“And I’m Eddie.” He grins, relishing the reveal. “Although, you already knew that. Right, King Steve?”

Chapter Twenty One: Friends Or Foes, Part II coming soon...

[A/N: *once again in an aloneinthehellfire fic, eddie munson enters the arena*]

taglist: @sheisjoeschateau . @kthomps914 . @curled-hair-red-lips . @nix-rose .

@palmtreesx3 . @kryztalglear . @sattlersquarry . @hey-barnes-stole-a-jeep . @sadslasher13 .

@iliveonteaandbooks . @innercreationflower . @newyorkangelbaby . @totally-bogus-timelady . @pansexualhoor .

@kitdjarin1 . @chiliwhore .

[theaawalker]

Only Fools Fall in Love | Steddie Imagine

Pairing: Steve Harrington & Eddie Munson Song Inspo: Andrew by Ben Platt Word Count: 2,574 Summary: Steve Harrington has a crush on Eddie Munson. Eddie Munson has a crush on Steve Harrington. Neither of them want to address it for various reasons. They're just two idiots in love. Warnings: angst, slowburn Masterlist: see fandoms (pc-friendly)

After defeating Vecna and barely escaping the upside down, Steve knew his life was never going to be the same again. He no longer had the pleasure of being blissfully unaware of the darkness that surrounded Hawkins. He knew about the creatures that lurked in the shadows. Knew how powerful they were and the amount of damage they had caused to their little town, how many lives were lost in the mix of creatures that were never supposed to exist.

They were supposed to be fiction, stories told to kids to keep them in their homes at certain times, to scare them into staying safe and not wondering into the forest alone at night. Unfortunately, those things were very real, too real for Steve's liking.

Some days he wished to be one of those dense high school kids who only cared about their reputation and didn't know what was happening in the world around them. He wished to be like the old Steve, the one who only cared about hooking up, parties and Nancy Wheeler. He loved her in a way he never thought he could love; she awakened something in him that he didn't know existed. Then she was ripped out of his life without even the slightest warning, she left him, she didn't love him. She said it was all bullshit. They were bullshit.

He knew now that she was right about it all, they were bullshit. Neither of them were ready or mature enough for a relationship, they were too different, too young and too foolish. Nancy was better with Jonathan, they had bonded over their trauma and Steve was jealous at first, but after seeing that massive smile on her face, he knew that she had exactly who she needed. It stung, seeing them together, they were everywhere he went, and he hated it. So, he went to parties and got piss drunk to forget and occasionally he stopped by that disgusting trailer park to buy from Eddie Munson.

Eddie "The Freak" Munson was the best dealer in town, he always had a fixed supply unlike some of the other idiots who couldn't keep up with the demand. Steve didn't necessarily like Eddie that much, he was too loud, too dramatic, too all over the place and too different. He was what Steve never could be, unapologetically different.

He never apologized for being who he was, he never cared what anyone thought or said about him. In fact, he played into it, he wore the term 'Freak' like a badge of honor and used it to scare off any potential threats. It worked most of the time, while people found him annoying, they never did anything to psychically stop him.

That irritated Steve even more. Eddie got away with being himself. Steve wished he could just exist without the fear of getting judged or trampled on. So, he worked his way up the high school ranks and became King Steve, someone everybody wanted to be or be with. None of it was true though, he was never a king. He was never any of the things they made him out to be, well except a douche. He was definitely a douche.

So now, two years after graduating high school, he had finally accepted that life was never going to be easy for him. He would never get to be his true self in front of everyone, he would never get to show the real Steve to all of Hawkins. He'd probably get beaten up or killed for it to be fair.

"Hey dingus" Robin's voice broke through his train of thought, "stop staring into space, we've got customers to attend to."

He shot her a glare before turning to the customer at the register who was returning some of the tapes she rented. His face softened when he saw the girl staring at him nervously.

"Sorry about that," he stated, "will you be renting anything else today, or just returning?"

The girl shrugged, twirling a piece of her blonde hair around her finger, "I haven't decided yet, I still have to have a look. Any suggestions?"

"Uh... Fire With Fire seems to be a hit right now, it's in the romance section"

"Are you into romance?" She asked in what he assumed was supposed to be a flirty voice.

He shrugged, "not really. I just watch whatever, but I've heard it's a good movie." He turned to Robin and smirked, "Rob and I are actually going to watch it together tonight."

A deep red blush covered the girl's cheeks at the thought of flirting with a taken man, "I'm so sorry, I have no idea."

Steve waved her off, "it's okay, happens to the best of us."

Robin scowled at him as the customer scurried away after deciding that she definitely wasn't going to rent Fire With Fire now. She thanked them and nearly ran out of the store.

"Really Steve. Using me as your repellant. Usually, you manage to get rid of the girls just be being yourself." she teased before going to the back and adding another strike under the 'You Suck' column.

Steve sat on the counter and watched her return from the break room, he wanted to tell her the truth, but he has been struggling to get the words out for the last year. It was scary being open like this, having someone know everything about you was terrifying and he didn't want it to change anything between them. She was his best friend and he loved her. He didn't want this stupid shit to come between them, he didn't want to lose the one person who understood him the best.

Losing Nancy was hard but losing Robin would probably kill him, she was his biggest support and he truly appreciated and cherished their friendship. What started out as a stupid crush on his coworker quickly turned into the most meaningful friendship he has ever had. The possibility of losing that scared him more than the monsters they faced over the last three years.

"Steve. Seriously what's up?" Robin spoke up again, a concerned look on her face, "you've been spacing out all day and you keep getting this look on your face that looks like you want to do something stupid and it's freaking me out. Are you okay? Is it Vecna? Is he still alive? Is it me? Oh god. Did I do something to make you hate me and now you want to quit your job and move away and never see me again. You've probably already packed to leave and now you're trying to think of a way to break it to m–"

"Robin, breathe. God. I'm not going anywhere" he cut her off, "I've just got a lot on my mind, and it doesn't have anything to do with Vecna or the upside down or any of that crazy shit. I'm just trying to figure out a few things."

She nodded "sorry. I got a little carried away."

They shared a laugh before going silent again, a comfortable air settling between them as they got back to work. It was a relatively quiet day in Family Video, so they didn't really do much and soon their shift came to an end and Steve got ready to lock up while Robin waited in his car.

"Hey Harrington, fancy seeing you here" he heard a familiar voice pipe up behind him.

"I work here Eddie" he said flatly.

Eddie tsked, "I'm well aware of that Stevie, I was just being courteous."

"Stevie?" He questioned.

He and Munson became kind of friends after the whole Upside Down incident. Watching Eddie nearly bleed to death made him realize that he came to like Eddie in the short time they spent together. He learnt a lot about the guy while running away from Vecna and the enraged townspeople who believed that Eddie was a satanic murderer.

The stakes were high but somehow Eddie always managed to inject humor into every situation to make it feel a lot less intense. He had a way of making people comfortable around him, of making them feel at ease. It was surprising yet welcomed at the time and watching him so close to death made the entire gang realize how much Eddie Munson truly meant to them.

He was one of them now, a part of the club, a trusted member. So, it wasn't weird for him to be here, speaking to Steve.

"Well Stevie, I figured since we escaped death together and kicked Vecna's tentacle ass we're basically friends now. There's nothing wrong with giving your friend a nickname now is there, Steve? "

Eddie had that wide eyed look on his face, the one that made Steve squirm in place, his stare was always intense. Steve felt as if he was staring into his soul, trying to unravel every dark secret locked up inside of him. Yet the casual smile on his face said the opposite, it contradicted his beady eyes in the best way possible. The perfect balance of intense and soft, which was exactly how Steve would describe Eddie.

He cleared his throat, trying his best to ignore the slight warmth in his cheeks, "uh. Sure. Yeah. Stevie... I like it"

Eddie chuckled at his flustered state, "I actually came by to invite you and Robin to a movie night at my place. Tomorrow at 7, don't be late Harrington."

Steve watched him walk off without waiting for a response, and while he tried to mill over everything Eddie said, he only managed to get stuck on the fact that Eddie referred to him as 'Harrington' again. He wasn't sure why it upset him that much, it was his surname after all, but after being called Stevie, hearing his last name out of Eddie's lips no longer sounded right.

He wanted to be called Stevie. He wanted Eddie to call him Stevie every day, because the way he said it made his stomach do the slightest flip. The way he drawled it out in that raspy voice of his, made it sound so much better than it would sound if anyone else said it. He wanted to be Eddie's Stevie.

That thought stumped him, because he had never thought of another guy like that. He never felt that happy to hear a guy give him a nickname. But to be fair, Eddie Munson wasn't just another guy. He was different. Special.

Tuesday came rolling around and Steve was on edge the entire day, he had hung out with Eddie before, but this somehow felt different. So much so that he was nervous and jittery the entire day and Robin teased him about it at every chance she got.

"It's just a movie, Steve, why are you freaking out?" She questioned, "We hung out with Eddie before, and you always enjoyed it. You know better than anyone else, that he's not what the town makes him out to be."

"I know that, Rob. That's not the issue, it's just different this time and I don't know how to explain it. Like it's been a year since all that crazy shit happened and I'm still adjusting to having Eddie around more."

"Do you not want to hang out with him anymore?" she moved around the store sorting tapes while they spoke.

"No!" he said louder than he meant to. "No... I like hanging out with Eddie, he's fun. It just feels different. I don't know how to explain it."

"Well, you have all the time in the world to figure it out. Now that the world isn't ending anymore you can think about whatever it is you're feeling and deal with it when you're ready."

He nodded; she was right. There was no rush to figure his stupid thoughts out, all he had to do was get through tonight. He was nervous for some reason and kept wondering who would be there, would Eddie have invited Nancy and Jonathan as well?

He didn't know if he wanted an answer to that question right now. Being unaware was a blessing in certain situations.

Steve stepped into Eddie's new trailer and settled down beside Robin, a smile plastered on his face as he turned to Nancy and Jonathan who were squeezed together on a love seat. The government helped clear Eddie's name and gave him and his uncle a brand-new trailer in a more reserved side of town. It was bigger and it was fully furnished so it quickly became their hang out when they wanted to escape reality for a bit.

Steve raised a brow at Robin when Vickie made her way into the trailer after them.

"Did you know she was coming?"

Robin leaned closer and whispered her response, "yeah. I invited her. Hope you don't mind?"

Steve shrugged, "of course I don't mind. I'm glad you finally upped your game, Rob." He teased.

"Shut up. You can't even get a date." She bit back, motioning for him to scoot over so Vickie could squeeze in the seat beside her.

Eddie came back into the room with beers for everyone and a few rolled up joints, he passed the beers around and sat next to Steve.

"Hope you don't mind our medicinal addition, it helps mellow us out a bit" he said to Vickie, a charming smile on his face.

Steve felt a tinge of jealousy shoot up within him when Vickie giggled and told him she didn't mind at all. It was stupid of him to get jealous over something that simple, but he managed to convince himself that he was only pissed because Eddie shouldn't be putting moves on Robin's date.

Eddie noticed the look on Steve's face, his brows all scrunched and the slightest pout to his lips. He looked adorable, like an angry kitten, Eddie wanted to kiss that stupid little pout away.

He always had a slight crush on Steve "The Hair" Harrington. Who didn't? Steve was hot, with his perfect hair, those big brown eyes, that amazingly toned body and that gorgeous smile that he flashed Eddie with whenever Eddie teased him too much. Steve was perfect and Eddie struggled daily to keep his feelings in check. He didn't want their blossoming friendship to fall apart simply because he couldn't keep it in his pants. Plus falling for straight men was a big no in the Munson doctrine so he had to stick to his rules and keep whatever playful banter they had going on extremely platonic.

Although a little teasing never hurt and seeing Steve blush was always worth it, so he leaned forward and whispered, "Is that jealousy I'm detecting? Wipe that pout off your face. Vickie's got nothing on you, big boy."

Steve felt his face heat up and bit back the smile that threatened to pull at his lips. His stomach did an entire back flip at the tone of Eddie's voice. The hairs on his neck stood up as his breath hit his skin. His entire body went rigid as the words big boy slipped out of Eddie's mouth again. This was the first time Eddie had said it since the upside down and somehow it felt more intense now, it felt different.

Eddie Munson would be the death of him and based off the smug smirk on his face, he definitely knew what he was doing.

• ♧ • ♧ • ♧ • ♧ • ♧ • ♧ • ♧ • ♧ • ♧ • ♧ •

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[stonathans-mystical-realm]

A special thanks to everyone who has supported my stonathan/stoncy/stonathan being dads to the kids' content. 🥰 Especially those who liked so many posts and/or discussed them with me:

@faithfulcat111 @glisten-inthedark @farrahfawcetts @roseteaasmr @stonathandreamer @idk2553684

Thank you all so much!!! You have no idea how much I appreciate the support!!! 🥰💕

And you all really kept me going when I felt like I was doing all this work for nothing. So thank you sm. We'll get to S3 and S4 but it won't be for a while cause I think we all need a break to refresh and catch up after all that info at once. That was fun but a lot at once. I'll let you know when we start S3. 😊

[vanesawye]

nancy/steve | she needed more than me

— for @stancyredux

[deepenny]

I saw someone looking for the Stranger Things 2 posters on twitter and I am a media hoarder so here you go

Part 1/3