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quixoticall · 11 months ago

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This Could Get Ugly Track 3: The Upside Down Tour

Summary: It's 1983 and The Downsides need another lead singer and you just happen to need a band--it's a perfect match. The only issue? You have to pretend to be in a relationship with your bandmate, Steve Harrington, but you can't help but be drawn to the band's broody guitar player.

pairing: s.h. x fem!reader, e.m. x fem!reader, j.b. x n.w.,

warnings: ANGST, drinking, drug use, some minor panic attacks, mention of serious illness and subsequent treatment (poor ill Will)

A/N: Hello! I want to say thank you to all of you for the lovely feedback! I know it's been a minute, but I've been extra busy because I had family visiting for the holiday! But we're back to regularly scheduled programming!

wc: 7.8k

MASTERLIST🎸

PLAY PREVIOUS TRACK 🎹

***

ARGYLE: The first day of tour was always like the first day of school and summer camp and vacation all put together but that very first tour was all of that times a thousand.

They had these buses that had the name of the band on one side and our faces on the other, man, like huge Argyle and Eddie and Nancy and everyone else, it was crazy. Jonathan bought his camera and he took photos of all of us next to our giant selves as the crew was loading up. I sent mine to my mom.

It was all good vibes at the beginning, everyone was so excited. Hopper even brought his kid. We didn’t know Hopper had a kid before that. We didn’t know a lot about Hopper, actually. But it was nice to have the kid around, kept us all on our best behaviors, well during the day anyway.

***

February 1984, On the Road: Upside Down Tour

“There’s no way my jaw is that crooked, Robin come look at the angle of Big Steve's jaw, will ya?”

“Shut up, Steve, Jonathan’s taking my picture with Big Robin, have someone else measure the angle of your jaw!”

Steve turns imploringly to you and you can’t help but indulge him.

“Your jaw looks fine, Steve, very symmetrical.”

“Eddie, man, if you stand right there, and kinda lean this way, it looks like you’re eating yourself!”

“Ah, that’s sick, Byers come here and take a picture of me eating myself when you’re done with Buckley!”

“Hey, no fair, we were next!”

“Worry about fixing your crooked jaw first, man.”

“You said my jaw looked fine,” Steve turned towards you, accusingly.

“Hmmm, let me take a closer look,” you say, teasingly taking Steve’s face in your hands and making a big show of moving your gaze between the giant, two-dimensional Steve and the real Steve in front of you. You tilt his head one way, and then the next a few times over, pretending to be deep in thought.

“It looks fine,” you finally say, “no more crooked than the real thing.”

You punctuate your statement with a light tap on his cheek and he grins at you before coming to a realization.

“Are you saying my jaw is crooked?”

He chases you around the tour buses until you are both out of breath and then when Jonathan comes up to you, camera in hand, and the two of you pose stop to strike a pose that mirrors your giant selves, turned towards in each other, lips slightly pursed, as if preparing for a kiss. That kiss of course, never comes.

Things have been like this between you and Steve since the press tour, warmer, affectionate even, but with the understanding that there was no deeper meaning behind the affection. You were simply doing your job.

When Hopper is finally able to wrangle everyone onto their respective busses, you are already behind schedule. His threats don’t have their usual impact though, because even he’s been infected with the band’s giddiness at being on the road.

You think you even see him smile when he introduces his daughter, a soft-spoken girl named Jane who immediately asks everyone to call her El and looks about 15.

Something about Hopper feeling comfortable enough to have his daughter join the tour made you feel like there was a huge responsibility on your shoulders to be a good role model—a feeling you’d never really had before.

There was a lot about being on tour that was strange and foreign in a way that was specific to you, like bunking with Nancy and Robin on the tour bus.

“It’ll be like a slumber party!” Robin exclaimed. You could see Nancy’s eyes go wide behind her at this, almost as if she’s questioning what she’s gotten herself into.

“I’ve never been to a slumber party,” you tell them, unsure if your reaction should be more like Robin’s or Nancy’s.

“Well, we are honored to be your first,” Robin says as she bounces off her bunk to sit next to you, looping an arm through yours and leaning her head on your shoulder.

***

EDDIE: The first stop of the tour was San Francisco—we got there two days before the show and checked into a hotel that was nice as fuck—well, compared to what I was used to, anyways— and they gave us all our own rooms down the hall from one another. I remember asking Wheeler if that was what college was like and she just laughed and said, “Kinda, but it smelled way worse.”

Everyone was so happy to be there, even me. It was a far cry from Corroded Coffin, sure. But at the end of the day, I was making music and even though I wasn’t really that close to the rest of the band, they were good people. Everyone respected each other and partied just the right amount. Wheeler did a good job of keeping us in line. Plus, we were still so wide-eyed and bushy-tailed, we hadn’t really fallen into our new old habits by then.

***

Once in the hotel, Hopper handed out room assignments and he even looking a bit apologetic when he lets you and Steve know that, at label’s request, you and Steve were assigned connecting rooms.

You didn’t have it in you to let the fact that Starcourt was controlling where you slept get to you and instead decide to try an enjoy where you are.

Nancy, who was as much of an older sister to the group as she was to her real family, had organized an evening of sightseeing for the band around the city during your first night there.

Walking through downtown, you had a hard time taking in the sites because you were too preoccupied watching Eddie. Eddie, who, from what little you knew of his past, never had the opportunity to travel, was like a child, taking in the sights, pointing to anything of interest, and excitedly exclaiming, “Can you believe that shit?” to anyone within earshot, including El and Hopper.

“You watch your mouth around my fucking kid, Munson,” Hopper had told him.

The entire drive to the Golden Gate Bridge he just kept saying “Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit,” like he could genuinely not contain his excitement.

It was oddly endearing.

***

EDDIE: I know you know how fucking awesome the GGB is.

***

February 4th, 1984, San Francisco, CA. The Upside Down Tour

The same lighthearted energy carried over to the next day’s soundcheck and until a few hours before the show when a cloud of nervous energy seemed to descend all at once.

The entire time you were in hair and makeup all you could think about was all the different ways the show could go wrong. Were you prepared enough? What if the audience was a dud? Could you keep them entertained for two hours? Each question wound you tighter and tighter until you could not think straight and by the time you were set to go backstage you had half-convinced yourself to call it all off. But you immediately sobered at the sight of the madness that had overtaken your bandmates backstage: Robin was pacing from one corner to the next, wringing her hands and muttering to herself in a language you weren’t completely sure was English; Jonathan and Nancy sat huddled together on the floor while Nancy recited the setlist over and over again like a prayer; Argyle was sitting by himself in a corner, tapping his drumsticks erratically against his knees with one hand while trying to braid his hair with the other; Eddie stood utterly stock still hold his guitar in front of him in an outstretched hand, talking to it like they were having a conversation; and worst of all, Steve was nowhere to be found. You looked around for Hopper, but he was also missing, so you went to the next best thing.

“Nancy, babe, look at me,” you say, kneeling next to her on the ground.

Her eyes bounce up to yours and in them, panic.

“Nancy,” you repeat her name again in a way that you hope is calming, “I know that you’re nervous, but I need you right now. Look around at the mess that everyone’s in. I need you to help me talk them down. I need you to make them believe it’s going to be fine. I need you to believe it’s going to be fine, okay? Because it will be. And because I can’t find Steve.” You say the last part low, in a meek attempt to mask the panic that is seeping into your tone.

Nancy, who, as you had predicted, flourished in a crisis, hardens her jaw and narrows her eyes in focus.

“I’ll start with Jonathan and you go to Eddie, maybe we can get them to help us look for Steve in the bathrooms.”

You nod eagerly before making your way over to Eddie, who is still mid-conversation with his guitar. You approach slowly, careful not to spook him.

“Hey, hello, I don’t mean to interrupt, but are you doing okay, Eddie?”

Eddie’s eyes snap to you like it’s the first time he’s noticed you were there.

“Who? Us? Yup, totally fine, just having a bit of a pep talk,” he says between haggard breaths. Where the hell is Hopper?

“Hm, yeah, see, the words that you’re saying and the way that you’re saying them lead me to believe that maybe you’re not fine,” you try to sound as gentle as you can when you say this and try not to flinch as Eddie turns to face you, his whole face taunt with fear.

“Well, it’s not like I’m not a total fraud and loser who completely blew it with his last band and is only part of this band because he sold his soul to an evil corporation that told the rest of you you had to let him play with you, right? Because then I would have reason to be nervous. Oh, wait—"

“Eddie,” you interrupt, reaching up to grasp his face in your hands, bringing him down to your eye level, “you’re being too hard on yourself right now, okay? You have earned your spot here just as much as anyone else in the band. You’re a great guitarist, and a great songwriter—almost as good as me—“ he lets out a breathless laugh”— and you’re gonna go on that stage tonight and be your usual talented self and blow their minds because you’re Eddie Fucking Munson, got it?”

“Got it,” he whispers, eyes blown wide, and at that moment you realize that you’re so close now your nose almost brushes up against his.

“Good,” you say, pealing your hands away from his face to fall at your sides.

“Now, do you want to do some deep breaths or do you think you’re good to go on?”

“I think I’m good,” he croaks out, still a bit out of focus, but much more mellow.

“Great. Now, can you please help us look for Steve? We can’t find him.”

“Steve?” Eddie repeats, eyes narrowing in confusion.

“Yeah, we can’t find him anywhere and everyone’s freaking out and Hopper’s not here either so Nancy and I were hoping you could help us by checking the bathrooms.”

“Right, Harrington, your boyfriend. The bathrooms, I’ll go check.”

You watch as he turns away and heads in the direction of the bathroom and try not to think about the way his shoulders dropped, the tiniest amount as he did.

Then, you turn your attention to the still-pacing Robin. “Robin, honey, can you please look at me?”

***

EDDIE: It was 20 minutes until the doors opened and Harrington was nowhere to be found. Jonathan and I checked all the bathrooms in the building and nothing. Finally, I got the bright idea to go out to the smoking area, not sure why, but, to my surprise there he was. I’m not going to lie, he looked a total mess: pacing back and forth, running his hands through his hair, muttering to himself.

I asked him what the hell he was doing there. He asked if he could bum a cigarette. I said, “Didn’t know you smoked, Harrington.”

And he responded, “I don’t but the smell reminds me of my mom.”

That’s when I knew the situation was grim—if someone shares information like that about a parent, unprovoked, they’re probably losing it. It was also at that point that I knew I was totally out of my depth. I had half a mind to turn around and go grab one of the girls or Jonathan, but I didn’t want him to run off on me again.

INTERVIEWER: So, what did you do?

EDDIE: I stayed and let him bum a cigarette. We stood there for a minute, smoking. The guy was coughing up a storm but he kept going. Harrington was always like that—just kept going no matter what. Eventually I just straight up asked him if he was nervous.

He responded with, “Theoretically, I’m not nervous at all, but in a much more, like real sense, I am shitting it, man.”

To this day, I don’t think he knows what the word ‘theoretical’ means.

I asked him what he had to be nervous about, it was just a show, and he was half of the reason people were there to see us, plus he was too talented to bomb.

And then he looked at me with his big Harrington eyes and said, “I’m not worried about bombing I’m worried about everything else. Like, what if we get up there and we realize that everything we’ve given up, everything we’ve had to go through was for something mediocre and ordinary?”

I told him that was a stupid question and asked him what if it was the opposite. What if it was everything he had wanted? I mean he was halfway there already, right? He had the girl, the sold-out tour, it was only a matter of time before he had everything else he could’ve dreamed of.

I thought I was being comforting but that only made him freak out more because then he said, “The more you have, the more you can lose and I don’t think I could handle losing any of this.”

It took me a minute to respond because, I mean, on one hand, it was hard to sympathize with the guy who had everything I wanted and then some. On the other hand, though, I had been there.

So, I told him about Chrissy and rehab and Corroded Coffin and that whole shit show. Like a testimonial: “Local Fuck Up, Loses everything and somehow still keeps going!” I didn’t hold back either, I told him how much it sucked to fall so far on your own. I also told him that unlike me, he would never have to worry about that because he actually did have people looking out for him. That whole band was like his team, they wouldn’t let him fall like that, at least, not alone.

Something I said must’ve resonated because he snapped out of it after that. We finished our cigarettes and we went inside. Right on time too, because Hopper was about to send out a manhunt for him.

***

There were 10 minutes until the doors opened and Steve was still missing, and now, Eddie was gone too. Your mind flits to the possibility that you’ll have to go one without both of your key guitarists but even just the thought of that is too much to stomach.

Meanwhile, Hopper is back and yelling at everyone in the vicinity.

Robin, who’s at your side as the entire scene unfold, pulls in closer to whisper in your ear, “what if they ran away together?”

And just as you were getting ready to turn and ask her exactly what had possessed her to ask such a thing the two missing members of your band burst through the door harried, out of breath, and smelling of smoke, to come face-to-face with their furious manager.

Hopper dismisses Eddie with a wave of his hand and then turns his ire towards Steve.

“Thank you,” you whisper to Eddie as he makes his way to your side. You reach down and give his hand an appreciative squeeze for good measure.

“No problem,” he responds thickly, “couldn’t leave a queen without her king.” Something about his tone makes you wince.

After Steve had been properly chastised by Hopper, the stage manager calls for places and everyone begins to disperse.

You’re making your way towards the stage when Steve reaches out for your hand. “Hey, sorry about that,” he starts, “nerves got to me, I guess.”

“ You know you could’ve talked to us, right? We were all nervous, too. We could’ve been nervous together. We’re supposed to be a team, aren’t we?”

Steve looks more ashamed now than he did when Hopper was yelling at him.

“You’re right,” he says, “I promise to do better. You’ve got me and I’ve got you.”

You smile back.

“I’ve got you and you’ve got me.”

And suddenly, the curtain rises.

***

ARGYLE: That night in San Fran we were a mess but then, you get us all on stage and it’s like none of that ever mattered. We were freaking rock stars, dude, and we were good too and I’m not just saying that because it was us— I would’ve been a fan even if I wasn’t in the band.

EDDIE: Yeah, we were all good, but what really brought people through the door was our lead singers. Them bouncing around on stage together, dancing and making eyes at each other—the audience loved it. They both knew how to play up to a crowd too. She would dance and move around the stage like a total natural—hot but not too hot, ya know? And Harrington had his cool guy act down pat. They were in total sync. It was like they belonged together.

***

Walking down the stage steps, your head was abuzz with the excitement and satisfaction.

The band had done a great job, even better than during rehearsal and the audience’s energy was addicting.

This had been what you were looking for all along.

Backstage, you had made sure to give each one of them a hug, even Hopper— as a congratulation, as a thank you, as an expression of disbelief that you were finally here. They all understood and they all returned the sentiment. For the first time it felt that you were all on equal footing as members of the band. For the first time, it felt like you belonged and that was worth celebrating.

Eddie’s the last one off stage, and for a moment you debate hugging him. You’re not too sure if he’d return the gesture, given your history. But to your surprise, his arms are already open and you fall into them. And then, he did something surprises you even further: he pulled you close, picks you up, and spins you around in his arms.

***

ARGYLE: I’m pretty sure he smelled her hair before putting her down.

***

February 28th, 1984, New Orleans, LA. The Upside Down Tour

A few weeks into the tour, Hopper pulls you and Eddie one morning while the rest of the band is off exploring the French Quarter.

“Hopper, can you do us a favor and let us know how long this’ll take? We’re supposed to get beg-nets with the gang today.”

“It’s pronounced ben-yays, Eddie,” you correct automatically as the two of you are ushered into the hotel room that doubled as your manager’s temporary office.

“Whatever it’s called, it’s fried dough with sugar and I refuse to miss that.”

“Can you two just sit down?” Hopper says exasperatedly motioning you two towards a couple of chairs that crowded his small, makeshift desk before sitting down himself and reaching for the phone.

“I got them both here, Murray,” Hopper says gruffly as the crackle of the speakers fills the room.

Before Murray can fully greet you on the other line, Eddie interrupts.

“Are we in trouble?”

“No. Should you be, Munson?“

“Murray, can we hurry this along? I’m taking my kid on a ghost tour.”

“Fine, fine, listen, kids, I just heard from Brenner and the Big Wigs—the rest of the tour is completely sold out which means that they want to start recording about five weeks after you get back from touring. This means we need songs by then and since you two wrote the best song on the last album, you’ve been promoted (with no pay) to main songwriters. So your homework is to get us at least 20 passable songs by the first week of July.”

“But we get back from tour in mid-June, Murray, that’s a really short turnaround time, don’t you think?” Your eyes dart to the other two in the room, to gauge their reactions.

Hopper shrugs, “Sometimes that’s just the way it is, kid.”

“Which is exactly why you two should start writing now while you’re on the road, trust me,” Murray’s voice crackles over the line.

You look at Eddie, who cocks an eyebrow at you as if he’s letting you know that it’s your call.

“Okay, we’ll start writing as soon as possible,” you speak out loud.

“That’s what I like to hear! We can check back in once you get to LA.”

The three of you say your goodbyes and Hopper dismisses you and Eddie to join the others.

As the two of you walk down the hall towards the elevators, your mind is already bubbling over with ideas. This was your first big shot to do exactly what you’ve always wanted to do. This was more than just writing a few songs, it was about creating an album, and an image of where the band was going. This was huge.

***

EDDIE: To be honest I never really thought about my writing process. I would just pull out a notebook and a pen and start writing when I had something I thought was good—little bits here and there. She took everything so seriously though. The entire elevator ride down, she was talking my ear off about concepts and inspiration and “sonic vision”. Eventually, I just had to say, “Listen, why don’t we meet up in your hotel room after the show tonight and talk about it then?”

***

The rest of the day, it was like only part of your mind was present. The rest was floating around, thinking about what you wanted to write.

Of course, you had plenty of things written, but you weren’t sure if any of that would work. The next album needed to meet the rising momentum of the band’s popularity: it needed to be current but also true to where you were as a band. You needed to say the right things—and most importantly, you needed to say them in the right way.

Before you knew it, you were back in the hotel after soundcheck, freshly showered, standing in the threshold that connected Steve’s room to yours.

“Are you sure that’s how it’s pronounced?” Steve's voice echoed from his bathroom, where he was brushing his teeth.

“I swear to you that it’s not pronounced Ee-too-fee, Steve. Why do you think the waiter laughed when you ordered?”

You come up behind him in the mirror running a brush through your still-wet hair.

“Because I’m naturally endearing and everything I say is charming,” he responds, catching your eye in the mirror.

“Whatever you say, Harrington.”

Before he can retort, a knock thunders through your room into his.

“Oh, that must be Eddie,” you say, turning on your heel to cross the threshold into your room.

“Munson?” Steve asks, befuddled.

“Yeah, he’s coming over to start writing some stuff. Murray’s on our case, remember?”

“Right, I just didn’t think you’d start tonight.”

You just shrug before disappearing into your room, “The sooner we get started, the sooner we finish.”

You don’t hear his response because you’re already at your door, swinging it open to reveal Eddie Munson standing in the hotel hallway, guitar case in one hand and beat-up notebook in the other.

“The Eagles?” He asked, eyeing the logon on the oversized t-shirt you wore.

You bristle as your fingers brush against your shirt suddenly self-conscious of the length.

His gaze follows the movement of your hand and then settles right where the hem of your shirt grazes your thigh.

It takes you a moment to find your voice. “What can I say? I’m a woman of taste.”

***

EDDIE: I became an Eagles fan after that night.

***

You lead Eddie into your hotel room and gesture towards the small sofa in the corner for him to set his things down.

Before joining him, you peek into Steve’s room to see him fully peering through the door. “Night, Steve,” you say with a gentle wave as you move to close the door.

“Night,” he says back softly, his eyes bouncing from your face to the room behind you where Eddie was setting up his things.

“Night, Munson,” he says finally, voice a bit tighter.

“Goodnight Sweet Prince,” Eddie waves theatrically as you close the door between the two rooms and walk over to sit by his side.

“You two always leave the door open?” he asks, fiddling with his guitar strings.

The question makes you feel defensive.

“Um, no, not always, we just, say goodnight, sometimes we will talk about the shows a bit before. bed.”

Eddie quips an eyebrow at this but says nothing.

“Should we get started then?”

***

EDDIE: That was my first time writing with her. That was my first time writing with anyone else, honestly. She asked me a lot of questions: about what themes I wanted to include; what concepts I thought would fit; if I had seen any movies that I thought could be good inspiration. It felt like a job interview.

I could tell that she’d been thinking a lot about this, maybe too much, actually. So, I told her that maybe we just needed to slow down a little bit, talk about what we had first, and then go from there. She agreed, but she still seemed pretty wound up, so I suggested we bust open the mini bar and we drank for a bit. I think we were both a little nervous to share our songs. It’s something kinda personal, to share your art with someone, ya know? And it’s always worse when it’s someone you know in your regular life—it’s like someone slices you open and takes a walk around your brain but then you have to see them the next day at work or whatever and you have to pretend they haven’t just taken a tour of the best and worst parts of you.

And it wasn’t like we were particularly close back then, so there was some extra nerves there. Hence, the liquid courage.

***

You and Eddie are about two (maybe three?) shooters in by the time you decide to get properly started.

Eddie volunteers his work for the two of you to go through first and you’re secretly grateful as he hands you his beat-up spiral notebook and you splay it across your lap to read over what he has. Eddie leans in to read too, and in doing so, his leg is flush against yours. He’s so close that his hair brushes against your cheek when he moves and you can smell him—earthy like pine and a tiny bit like menthol cigarettes.

You realize you might be a bit tipsier than you had thought because it takes extra effort to focus on the words in front of you.

His first few songs are good, but they don't match the vibe of the band.

"Too metal,” you say to him, pointing out the songs you’re referencing.

“Yeah, that makes sense, those were meant to be for my old band,” he responds.

You know enough about Eddie’s professional past to know that he used to be in a metal band before joining The Downsides and that it ended poorly, but not much else.

You flip through a few more pages before a few lines of lyrics catch your eye:

Don’t remember who I was then

Can’t keep straight where I was when

What’s my name? Where have I been?

Where did I start? Where does it end?

You’re the one thing I hold dear

The only thing that’s crystal clear

I live and die if you’re near

And all the scars disappears.

“This is something,” you hold the page up to Eddie.

He reads over the lines and grimaces.

“I wrote that right after I got out of rehab a few years ago. It didn’t really go anywhere...as you can see.”

This realization is sobering to hear. Mostly because it enlightens you to how little you know about your bandmate. You spend a moment trying to categorize everything you know about Eddie and you come up sparse. You weren’t even entirely sure you knew how old he was.

He seems to take your silence as you process this as judgment because you feel him scoot away, his face and body angled away from you.

You reach out and lay a hand on his arm, and he freezes.

“Thank you for sharing that with me,” you say slowly, before picking up his notebook again, this time with a newfound care.

“This,” you tap the lyrics, “doesn’t need to go anywhere. It can just stay here or wherever you want it to.”

***

EDDIE: It wasn’t the reaction I expected from her, but it was really nice to hear.

***

You and Eddie flip through the rest of your respective songs, not really finding anything that both of you can agree on. There are a few stray lines that jump out from both your books but beyond that, there was nothing the two of you could agree on. It was pretty clear that you were both writing songs for artists that you no longer were.

Right around the third hour together, you both decide to call it a night, but only under the condition that the next time you meet, you’ll both have come with something brand new written.

“Hey, thanks for coming,” you say, voice hushed as you usher Eddie to the door, “and thanks for letting me read your work.”

He just smiles in response, wide and beautiful and rare.

“Don’t worry, princess, we’ll get there. This was just a test run,” he reminds you.

You watch him make his way down the hall Until he disappears but not before throwing one last, rare, smile your way.

Once Eddie is gone, you all but drag yourself to your bed, yearning for that special hotel-pillow softness when you hear another knock. This time, from the door connecting your room to Steve’s.

“Steve,” you pull the door open, “why are you awake? It’s like 4 AM.”

“Can’t sleep,” he mumbles. “Can I hang out with you for a bit?”

His eyes are barely open and his hair is disheveled beyond belief. He looks young standing there in his worn-out pajama pants.

“Fine,” you say as you turn back into your room, “but I’m getting into bed because I’m tired.”

He follows you into your room and shuts the door behind him. You make a beeline for your bed to slide under the covers and Steve, meanwhile moves towards the couch.

“Why can’t you sleep, Steve?” you ask, burrowing into your duvet, eyes already closed.

“I dunno, can’t stop thinking.”

“Thinking? You don’t need to be doing that.”

By the time he responds, you’re already asleep.

When you wake up the next morning, Steve is still there, asleep strewn across the tiny couch, hair even wilder than the night before.

***

ARGYLE: Tour life was the best life. A new city every night, the music was good, the crowds were crazy and the drugs were plentiful. And the parties! My dude, the parties! After every show we’d end the night at some bar or club with the band, the crew and more groupies than a dude could ever want.

***

March 6th, 1984, Atlanta, GA. The Upside Down Tour

“You know, it’s not what you think.” Nancy’s voice can barely be heard over the sound of the thumping music of the basement bar that you’re in.

“What?” You ask the keyboardist.

She gestures subtly with a nod towards the corner that had been occupying your attention. Robin and Steve were huddled together in deep conversation, both leaning against the bar. A few spots away, Eddie sat with a pretty girl with locs. Over the last few minutes, you had watched as his hand made its way slowly up her thigh with an almost morbid sense of curiosity.

Your eyes turn back to Nancy, unsure as to why she would weigh in on the flirtation between Eddie and the groupie.

“Steve and Robin,” she elaborates, “I’ve seen you staring and I know what it looks like, but it’s not what you think. They’re close but just friends.”

Oh. Steve and Robin. Right.

“It doesn’t matter what they are and what I think of it, Nancy, because it’s none of my business,” you respond.

She turns to face you, clearly ready to argue something back but you cut her off.

“Where’s Jonathan? I haven’t seen him all night.”

A grimace flashes across her face for brief moment, nearly imperceptible, but you catch it.

”He’s back at the hotel room,” she replies tersely, “on the phone with his mom. Will had another surgery today.”

You wince. It was no secret that Jonathan‘s younger brother had fallen ill again. You had seen less and less of the bassist as the tour had progressed. He’d been spending any time that he wasn’t on stage trying to get ahold of his mom back home to ask about the progress of the youngest Byers boy.

You smile at Nancy in a way that you hope is reassuring and say, “Weren’t his chances of recovery high after his surgery, though?”

Nancy exhaled deeply, “If everything goes well, then yes, chances of recovery are high.”

She looks like she wants to say something more but cuts herself short. Her eyes float past you, to the newly appeared figure to your right. Steve.

He smiles in greeting, his arm falling to graze in between your shoulder blades. His pupils are blown wide— a dead give away that he had partaken in whatever substance Argyle had been touting earlier in the evening.

Even high, he seemed to pick up on the serious mood between the two of you and asks if everything is alright. You smile softly and nod, arm snaking around his back lightly.

Nancy sighs in response. “We were just talking about Jonathan, actually I think I’m going to go check on him. Have a good night, you two,” she says and she looks at you and Steve, her eyes catching on the points where your bodies touch.

As she pushes herself forward, ready to move towards the exit, Steve calls out after her.

The two of them lock eyes and they seem to be holding yet another silent conversation. While you can not decipher their secret language of raised eyebrows and scrunched noses, you can that they’re arguing about something and by the way their eyes keep bouncing to you, you can’t help but wonder if it’s you they’re arguing about and what you could’ve possible done to warrant that.

Whatever their argument is about, it doesn’t seem to come to a resolution based on the way Nancy scoffs at Steve and rolls her eyes before bidding her final goodbye.

“What was that all about?” You ask, when she’s finally out of sight.

“Nothing,” Steve says tightly, “Nance is trying to convince me she’s right about something that I knowshe’s wrong about and she won’t let it go.”

This catches your attention.

“Oh, yeah? And what possible could Nancy Wheeler be wrong about, pray tell,” you plea conspiratorially, turning fully to face him and drawing closer.

This leaves Steve gasping for words in a way that makes you wonder if he’s higher than you originally thought.

Before you can ask him if he’s alright, he freezes as he spots something over your shoulder a weird expression taking over his face. You turn, following his line of sight to Robin locked in a very intimate embrace with the female bartender that was serving her and Steve earlier in the evening. The bartender leans upward to catch Robin’s lips and you hear Steve hiss, “Damn it,” under his breath.

Of course, this must have been the thing that Steve and Nancy were arguing about. Steve and Robin must be in a fight.

You scan back through your recent memories of them wondering if perhaps there had been signs of a growing rift that you may have missed but as far as you’d noticed things were normal between the two of them.

“Oh, Steve, I’m so sorry,” you sooth, finally turning back to face him.

“Don’t be, it’s only $50,” he dismisses with a wave of his hand. He must really be higher than you thought.

“What?”

“The bet was only 50 bucks,” he explains, way too calm for someone who just saw the girl he’s in love with kissing another girl in a crowded bar.

“I’m not sure I’m following,” you say slowly, before the realization dawns, “wait, is this some where sex thing the two of you do? Listen, as much as I like you both as friends and appreciate that you trust me with the details of your romantic relationship, we’re still, like, coworkers and I don’t really think I should be hearing what the two of you get up to intimately—“

“Woah, woah, woah, romantic relationship? Me and Robin are not in a romantic relationship and we definitely are not intimate in any sense of the word, and the fact that you think that makes me want to barf, actually. Why would you think that?” He asks, a wildness coloring his tone.

“Well, you’re always together and you’re so close, and you’ve always been so secretive, sneaking around together and stuff,” you struggle to answer under his confused gaze.

“No, we’re friends, capital ‘P’ platonic,” he explains, “always have been, always will.” He can clearly tell you’re still confused because he then begins to explain further, “ The bartender, and her have been flirting all night, but Robin was too chickenshit to make a move so I bet her $50 that she couldn’t get her phone number by the end of the night but it seems like she got more than just her phone number. Which I guess is a good thing because maybe now she’ll stop moping about that girl back in LA but it sucks that I’m out $50.”

“Wait, Robin dates girls?”

Steve winces, as if the realization of what he’s told you has just now hit him.

“Sorry, that was not my information to reveal. Please, don’t mention it. Please. It’s not that Robin doesn’t trust you or like you it’s just that she’s trying to be extra careful about it. She doesn’t want it to get, you know, out out. Especially with all the new press we’re getting.”

You nod back in understanding, “don’t worry, I won’t say anything. To anyone. I promise. I would never put Robin in that spot.”

Relief immediately runs through Steve’s features.

“Although, if she wants to keep things under wraps,” you begin, glancing back to where Robin is still kissing the bartender, “maybe she doesn’t want to be making out with women in public?”

Steve nods rapidly in response, “Yup, good call, we should take her back to the hotel.”

Rob proves to be a stubborn drunk, and it takes you and Steve about 20 minutes to cajole her out of the bartenders arms and into the back of a cab.

She spend the entire ride back to the hotel going on and on about ”star-crossed love” and the “malignant force is keeping her from her beloved disguising themselves as friends”. In response you simply nod along and your hand up and down her back in a way that you hope is soothing.

“At least you two have each other,” she says softly, patting your cheek as the cab slows to a stop in front of your downtown hotel.

Then, as she steps out onto the sidewalk, her stance wavers and she leans in, essentially pinning you to the side of the cab.

You think she might try to kiss you too, but instead she whispers, “Please be careful with his heart. Steve’s softer than you think, you know.”

***

It’s a joint effort between you and Steve to put Robin to bed.

Makeup is gently removed, hair is pulled up, and pajamas put on, and a slumbering Robin is safely tucked into bed with a receipt with the bartender’s number and $50 bill placed on her nightstand, ready to greet her in the morning.

“She’s gonna be so hung over tomorrow,” Steve remarks as the two of you amble down the hallway to your own rooms.

“Does she always get like that when she drinks?” You ask.

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know, all, Shakespearean and nonsensical? She was saying all sorts of weird things back there. I think she even thought we were together. Which is actually kinda funny considering early tonight I thought the two of you were together,” you chuckle at the irony.

Steve, however, looks distraught at this observation. Suddenly, he stops in front of your rooms and turns to you.

“Is that why you’ve been acting so distant with me, because you thought I was with Robin?”

You blush.

“Partially, sure,” you stutter, “it’s hard to pretend to date your bandmate when you think he’s in love with your other bandmate. But, I also think it’s good that we maintain a healthy distance.”

“Why?”

The severity in his voice when he asks that takes you by surprise.

“Well, because it helps us remember that none of it’s really,” you admit, carefully.

You struggle to meet Steve’s eyes when you say this because, while it’s a fact that your relationship is a farce, speaking that out loud feels particularly cruel.

You catch the movement of his throat as he swallows thickly but you can’t brave a look at his face.

When he finally speaks, his voice is unsteady, “If there was no Starcourt and no contract and you and I were just two normal people, would you want us to be real?”

He sounds so scared you can’t help but reach out for him, trying to offer some comfort. He accepts your small hand in both of his, thumbs grazing the back of your hand with much more gentleness than you’ve ever been offered. Than you think you deserve.

You can’t help but meet his gaze then, and the way he looks at you, vulnerable and hopeful is nearly too much to bear.

“I don’t know,” you begin, tears building at your lash line, because you truly don’t.

You think back, in earnest, to all you’ve come to learn about one another and how easy it is to be around him. You think about the way you find comfort in his touch and he in yours. And you think about the two of you performing and how every time you’re on stage with him, it feels like there’s no one else but you and Steve.

The shrill ding of the elevator brings you crashing down to reality, to the dingy hotel hallway and the beautiful boy in front of you with the pleading eyes.

Footsteps and giggles make echo down the hall, coming closer. Both you and Steve turn towards the noise, temporarily forgetting your very serious conversation.

Suddenly, Eddie appears around the corner, the pretty girl from bar on his heels.

He stops abruptly at the sight of you and Steve. You turn your face in the other direction, quickly. You don’t want him to see you in this state, teary and distressed, especially not while he’s with this beautiful stranger, so you hide yourself against Steve’s chest.

There’s a terse quiet that follows while you’re sure Eddie assesses the situation.

You can tell by the way Steve gently curls his arm around your shoulder that the two of them must be having some weird silent standoff.

“Wait,” you hear Eddie’s companion shrill, “are you Steve Harrington and—“

“Yes, that’s them, sweetheart, in the flesh,” Eddie cuts her off and you can hear them start moving down the hallway again, “How about we give the lovebirds their privacy and you and I pick up where we left off in the cab?”

You listen to their footsteps growing fainter and fainter and when you’re sure it’s just you and Steve, you pull yourself out of his embrace, to face him once again.

“What I want doesn’t matter, Steve,” you admit, sadly, “not when everyone is depending on us fulfilling our contract.”

He sighs, “I don’t understand why we can’t fulfill the contract while being together? Wouldn’t we be more believable if we didn’t have to pretend? If it was actually real?”

He didn’t get it.

“Maybe, but what if things go badly? What if we’re happy for a little while but then we realize we can’t stand each other? Then what? We either break up the band or we are forced to keep pretending just like we are now but this time, we hate each other? ”

You think of your parents and how they lived separate lives for as long as you could remember, speaking to each other only when absolutely necessary. You’re sure they didn’t intend to hate each other at first.

“What if we find out we really like each other?” He argues back gently, “what if things work out great and we’re happy?”

You wouldn’t know how to do that. No one ever taught you how to love without it hurting.

“No,” you say, sadly shaking your head, “someone will just end up getting hurt.”

Steve clutches your hand tighter, one final supplication. “If someone has to get hurt, I’ll make sure it’s me.”

Full tears are streaming down your face now as you gently pull your hand out of Steve’s grasp.

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” you tell him, turning away from him while you still can, leaving him standing alone in the hall.

PLAY NEXT TRACK

Taglist:

@rexorangecouny , @persophonekarter @mystargirl-interlude @brinleighsstuff @thegaysaretired @nothing2-see

#steve harrington x reader #eddie munson x reader #nancy wheeler #robin buckley #steve harrington #stranger things x reader #eddie munson #eddie munson x you #stranger things fanfiction #stranger things x you #stranger things imagine #jonathan byers

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tinyevelyn · 5 months ago

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Hey Evie! 🩷 I got a Lil asky for you since you've been so sweet and kind to me, and I can't thank you enough for drawing my Stranger Things Insert! 🩷🩷

How much older is Andrea from Dustin? Whata there relationship like? How did she and Steve meet/fall for one another? Does she get involved in the whole Upside Down situation like everyone else?

AWWW TYSM FOR THE QUESTIONS!!!!!

AND THERE'LL BE MORE ART OF YOUR INSERT COMING FROM ME, NO DOUBT >:3

anyways-

How much older is Andrea from Dustin? oke, so she would be around 18 in the 4th season, so she's about 3 years older than him, she is same age as Nancy and Johnathan

Whata there relationship like? Andrea's relationship dynamic is really affected by her belief "I have to be strong, I cannot show weakness of anything of the sort, so I can someone my loved one would look up to and see as capable". She has little sibling squabbles with Dustin, is very protective of him, and truly cares for him deeply, but she refuses to allow herself to be openly affectionate, soft and caring, and she acts more like a tough, fun but aloof sister to him. This is why Dustin would seek that sibling-like connection from others like Steve Harrington and Eddie Munson, as if he's an only child (I mean, he is an only child in canon). but they're relationship will improve as Andrea learns how to feel comfortable with being vulnerable and being open sometimes does not make you weak

How did she and Steve meet/fall for one another? well, Andrea would start to join the main cast in Season 2, so as for how they met, I'm still stuck between putting her in Steve and Dustin's look for Dart in Season 2 but I'm not sure it could work with her current character, i mean it could, yea, yep, it could. As for how they fall for each other, I'd say admiration of each other's qualities, just enjoying each other's company and yea. To be more specific, Andrea is really really grateful for Steve coming in and being a brother figure in Dustin's life, something Andrea didn't give him as she was too scared. and uhh other stuff i haven't come up with yet Also Andrea only starts to fall for him in Season 3 but being the idiot she is, she refuses to accept that and also because Steve goes back to liking Nancy in Season 4, so in the current canon, their romance is mostly one-sided, as of now :3

Does she get involved in the whole Upside Down situation like everyone else? yes indeed she does, she would probably make small appearances in Season 1, like Erica in Season 2, and would join the cast in Season 2. Wherever Steve and Dustin are, Andrea would probably be there.

oke im not so good at writing characters, I'm learning, and i just rewrote Andrea's character a little a few days ago so ye

TYSM CHERRI FOR THE ASK and I'm so glad you loved my doodles of her, I'm just so excited to have a mutual who has an f/o from the same fandom as me >:3

i look forward to more Talaney-Anne and i will draw more of her

#tiny rambles #tiny answers #Cherri My Moot💖🍒#stranger things oc #andrea #andrea henderson #yeeeee #dustin #dustin henderson #steve #steve harrington

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raineydays411 · 4 years ago

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Steve Harrington is okay, I guess

Steve Harrington x Henderson!reader Summary: Set after the events of season 2, Y/n Henderson is helping El get ready for the snow ball dance while Steve helps her brother. Her and El have a talk about feelings and relationships when she realizes something.

Masterlist

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After fighting demodogs and crawling through evil tunnels, nothing really scares you anymore. Or at least that's what you thought.

It wasn’t until you where in Hoppers cabin, helping El get ready for the snowball dance that you realized the one thing you were scared of.

Your feelings for the one and only Steve Harrington.

It’s been a few days since you and Steve kissed in those tunnels. You thought it was the adrenaline at first, relief that you weren’t being mauled by demodogs like you thought. But then on the car ride home, as he drove Billy's camaro back to the Byers house, he did something unexpected. He intertwined your fingers with his. And silently you two drove listening to the kids light breathing as they slept, the adrenaline from todays events wearing off.

Back to the present day. You were in El’s room helping her get ready. She was wearing a blue dress that had belonged to Nancy and it was paired with a pink belt that was yours. You smiled as she twirled around, happy with the way she looked.

“Okay 7-11″ you said affectionately,” Let's get you all dolled up”

El made a face at the nickname but sat down as you pulled out your makeup bag. She curiously started digging through it, looking at all the items.

“Pretty” she said, holding a pink blush. You took it from her and explained what it was. Finally, you got her to look up and started applying her makeup. It was nice, sharing these moments with her. While you love Dustin with all your heart, you always wondered what it would be like to have a sister.

“Okay El, now all we need to do is your hair.”

“Wanna see.” She said, trying to look in a mirror.

“Aw come on kiddo, let me finish your hair, that way it can be a surprise.” you said, trying to convince her to be patient. She pouted for a bit then relented, letting you brush through her short curls.

“Are you excited?” You ask, spraying a bit of hairspray in her hair.

“I’m nervous” she replied looking up at you, you give her a comforting smile and as why.

“What if...what if Mike doesn’t like it?”

“Then screw him” You say putting a blue butterfly clip as the finishing touch, “ But he’ll like it.”

“How do you know?”

“Because he likes you. I can see it in the way he looks at you” You lead her to the mirror.

“Looks at me?” she asks looking at you. You fix a few stray hairs.

“Yeah, it’s like you two are the only ones in the world” you turn her around to finally reveal what she looks like. “What do you think?”

El smiles, “Pretty”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You catch a ride with Hopper and El to the school. wanting to see El off (and hopefully run into Steve). You look into the school and realize that You’re a bit late but the dance isn’t over. You look at El.

“Okay kid, knock em dead”

She looks concerned at the term so you quickly correct yourself. “I mean, good luck” Hopper laughs in the driver's seat. El gets off the truck and goes into the school, leaving you alone with him.

“She really does look beautiful” you say looking inside the school. You hear Hopper sigh as he looks as well

“Yeah,you did a great job” you blush, the words of validation making you fill with pride.

“I heard you talking about Mike and the way he looks at her” Hopper mentions clearing his throat.

“Yeah, she was nervous so I wanted to reassure her” you replied hoping you didn’t upset him.

Seeing the unease in your eyes he quickly said “ I’m not upset or anything”

You sigh in relief. Then he says “ I just noticed that she’s not the only one someone looks at like that”. Then he nods his head towards a car. And in that car was Steve, looking back at ...you? Your furrow your brow in confusion

“Steve?” you ask not taking your eyes off him. Hopper scoffs and rolls his eyes

“Christ kid, that boy has looked at you with heart eyes since that whole supernatural shit show”

You smile and look back at the Chief excusing yourself from the truck. As you get out you hear him mutter “finally”. As you walk towards the car, you see Steve quickly fixing his hair and trying to look natural. Then he lowers the window.

“Am I dreaming or is that you Henderson?”

“Yeah its me, don’t cream your pants” you reply, both of you chuckling remembering the interaction between Billy and Steve. You climb in the car, rubbing your hands together to escape the cold.

“How’s the shoulder?” Steve asks, mentioning the injury given to you by the demodogs. You smile and say its fine. Then a silence settles between you two. A familiar comfortable silence. After a few moments you turn to him.

“Thanks for dropping of Dustin, I know he really appreciated it”

“Ah he’s a good kid, i really didn’t mind”

The response warms your heart. You loved how much Steve cared about your brother. It was nice to know he’d always be there for him.

The silence settles again, as the two of you look into the school and watch the kids dance. You notice that Steve is looking at Nancy. A cold feeling strikes your heart. You start to doubt what Hopper told you.

“ You still love her, huh?” you ask sadly

Steve looks at you in shock. “Who? Nancy?

“Yeah”

“No” His response shocks you.

“I thought I did, but I look at her and i don’t feel the way I do about...” He cuts himself off. You try and catch his eye

“About who, Steve?”

He takes a deep breath and looks you in the eye. The action startling you.

“About you, Y/n”

You smile, your heart beating nervously as your palm start sweating.

“You..you like me?”

“Of course I like you” Steve says, shifting closer to you and holding your hands. “You’re brave, and strong. You’re smart and kind and just overall a good person. You’re not like any other girl I ever met, including Nancy”

All doubts you had previously have vanished. They were replaced with the words Steve said. Your chest filled with happiness as you leaned forward. Steve getting the hint leaned forward as well. Your lips meeting in the middle to a soft kiss.

Pulling away, Steve finally asked, “Y/n, do you wanna go on a date with me”

You smile and pull him in for a kiss again.

“You bet your ass I do Harrington”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Taglist: @vxidsti1es

#steve harrington x reader #steve harrington x henderson!reader #steve harrington #jim hopper #eleven x reader #stranger things x reader #stranger things #reader insert #dustin henderson

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edith-moonshadow · 3 years ago

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You can't tell me this song doesn't SCREAM Billy thinking about Steve & Nancy....now imma cry because I require everything to end happily

What a shame, baby, what a shame

Coulda been with me instead of what's-her-fucking-name?

What a shame, baby, what a shame

Had a winning hand but you threw away the game

Gave you a million chances, don't get no more

Can't wait forever, I'm getting bored

What a shame, baby, what a shame

What a shame

Hi 💜💜💜 yeah I wholeheartedly agree, I wasn’t familiar with this song (I’m one of those people who loves a song and listens to it on repeat for six months and I don’t keep up to date with music as a result, I only really learn about new music through films and TV.) So I went and listened and all of these lyrics are perfect but I also love

Don’t need smoke in summer lungs or liquor in my blood

To tell you what the fuck I think

And in the same verse,

Guess I’ll never understand why guys what something bland

Over someone who’s got everything

I like these lines also because they speak to me especially for Billy, as I like to imagine that he would be pretty upfront with Steve (at least about certain things) and I know Billy both smokes and drinks in canon but this got my mind thinking of a canon divergent story where Billy moves to Hawkins and Steve and Nancy are together for much longer. So in this story there’s no upside down, their problems stem from the fact that their relationship is a little unequal, Steve has given up everything to be with Nancy, he’s come into the relationship with his heart on a silver platter.

Nancy came into the relationship with her eyes closed, she knew Steve as the popular King Steve of the school and there was something exciting about someone who could have anyone, being interested in her. She learned from being with Steve that there was more to him, Steve is loyal, sweet and very affectionate. Yet Nancy has been spending some time with Jonathan Byers, the school's outcast but she can’t help being drawn to his sweet artistic soul. So Nancy has found herself falling in love with Jonathan and she doesn’t know how to tell Steve, she knows that cheating on him isn’t fair, even if it’s only emotional cheating at this point but she knows if she made a move Jonathan wouldn’t resist her.

Steve is oblivious to Nancy’s turmoil, he thinks everything is fine but he can feel her pulling away from him and he’s terrified of being alone, so many nights spent all alone in his big dark house, he used to have people over all the time but he left everyone for her, she’s all he has left. So due to this unspoken conflict between them you could have all the seniors attending parties in their final year where Tommy continues to assuage his broken heart by being an asshole to Steve at parties, Nancy’s guilt manifests as anger when she gets drunk and that’s when the truth bubbles the closest to the surface yet never quite fully comes to light.

Then Billy is added to this situation and it’s like trying to put out a fire using gasoline (sorry since watching Cat People David Bowie won’t leave me alone.) He watches them over the course of the school year as he too attends these parties. So Billy came to Hawkins not expecting to find anything of any note, he meets Tommy who won’t shut up about Steve because his pain is still a fresh wound, it itches as it heals so he can’t ever forget and so Billy learns a lot about Steve before he ever meets him. When he sees him at that first party he is surprised but pleasantly so and a little seed of obsession is planted in his mind. He watches the turmoil between Steve and Nancy and is intrigued. So he pumps Tommy for information, anything he can find out about Steve and Tommy is only too happy to talk.

Billy isn’t content to only observe, he wants to touch and tease so every opportunity he gets he’s over at Steve prodding at him, growling things in his ear just to get a reaction, slamming into him during basketball just to hear that little grunt of pain and surprise, all things he stores away so he can luxuriate in them in his own time.

He watches Steve and Nancy at parties, he watches as Nancy slowly gets bolder with each drink, how her eyes follow Jonathan around the room and how oblivious Steve is. He doesn’t understand what Steve sees in Nancy, she’s a dime a dozen to Billy whereas Steve is something special. He doesn’t need a drink to be bold with Steve and Nancy clearly being into someone else makes what Billy does so much easier. He finally can’t resist anymore he sees Steve go outside for a smoke (Nancy doesn’t like the smell) so he follows him.

He teases him as he always does, a little sharpness around the edge as he licks his teeth, why can’t Steve see what’s right in front of him, why waste himself with someone as bland as Nancy when he could be with someone like Billy. He pushes a little harder at Steve, gets a little closer and Steve doesn’t move away so Billy decides that caution is only for cowards and chases the smoke in his mouth with his tongue and teeth.

Steve is stiff at first, Billy can almost taste the denial on his tongue so he slides his hands down onto Steve’s hips, wraps his fingers deep around them and squeezes hard and to his delight Steve melts against him just like Billy hoped he would. He gets lost in Steve for a while even though it’s dangerous, anyone could happen upon them but Billy is feeling a little reckless, there’s something about Steve that brings it out in him.

Eventually the sound of the party becomes loud once more as someone opens the door and they have to split apart, both breathing heavy, a flush to their cheeks, anyone would think that they been fighting and he can feel his heart beating rapidly, a flutter in his stomach that speaks to his fight or flight response. Steve looks back at him with wide eyes and a gasping mouth and Billy almost pulls him close once more, that one little taste has fed the seed in his mind more than all the information that Tommy gave him.

Steve seems to almost be able to read his mind and he quickly runs away, Billy leans back on the wall for support, placing a cigarette in between his own lips, he does it unconsciously just to calm his nerves but he can’t help the strange disappointment when it doesn’t taste as good as the smoke did on Steve’s lips.

Steve avoids Billy as much as possible after this, the one place he can’t is basketball and Billy becomes more vicious, relishing in the grunts of pain when their bodies collide and the bruises that adorn Steve’s arms and legs from where his body hit the floor. He burns with jealousy as he sees Steve waste affection on Nancy in the halls, a stupid happy expression on his face, his eyes so soft as he looks at her while she looks stiff and uncomfortable, her guilty eyes averted when Steve’s eyes try to find hers. Billy almost pities him but his jealousy won’t let him fully, why is he wasting his time on someone who clearly doesn’t feel the same way? What’s so special about Nancy Wheeler? Billy could give him so much more than she ever could.

The next time they're at a party Billy watches Steve carefully, just waiting for the opportunity to strike. Steve's eyes shine brightly at Nancy as she gets steadily more drunk and Billy wishes she’d hurry up and break Steve’s heart so that he could fix it. He watches as Byers watches her with a lovelorn expression and he wonders if he’s actually looking in a mirror.

When Steve leaves for a smoke Billy doesn’t even wait for a beat so that it doesn’t look suspicious pulling him around the corner of the house with the unlit cigarette between his lips. Steve puts up a token protest but things quickly progress like last time, as Steve melts and whimpers into his mouth Billy finally feels like he can breathe again. He takes his time enjoying every second he can but eventually his time runs out once more and Billy has to endure another week at school with Steve’s guilty eyes and avoidance, watching him give his affection away to someone who isn’t worthy of it.

He starts to live for the weekend parties at other people’s houses and soon he sees Steve’s eyes searching him out through the crowd. Making sure that he sees him go out for a smoke so that he can follow him and something within Billy settles but it makes the week harder to endure, his jealousy growing stronger as Steve never looks at Billy the way he looks at Nancy. His anger grows until he can feel the vindictive truth sitting heavy on his tongue and finally at a party when Steve pulls away from him to return to her he snaps and cruelly taunts him. Doesn’t he know that she’s clearly in love with someone else? Steve’s eyes go dull with pain and Billy wants to bite his tongue in half so that he never hurts him again. Steve doesn’t say anything, he just walks away from him without a backwards glance and Billy feels the sting of tears, his throat burning as he tries to keep everything bottled up.

Steve doesn’t turn up at school the next week and Billy can’t focus on anything, his mind constantly racing at all the things that happened between them, his cruel words on a constant loop in his mind. He sees Nancy in the halls talking to Jonathan, their interactions look innocent but Billy knows the telltale signs of having to keep affection hidden in the shadows and away from prying eyes and they aren’t subtle to him.

That weekend he’s invited to a party and he almost doesn’t want to go but he can’t risk it. So he goes and all night he watches for Steve but he never shows so after a few hours he leaves with a heavy heart but when he reaches his car Steve appears. He doesn’t say much, just asks Billy if they can talk at Steve’s house. Billy’s heart is hammering in his chest as he watches him closely, for the first time seeing his desire reflected back at him as Steve gives him a soft smile and tells him to follow him in his car. Billy can feel that fight or flight response return under his skin, like someone threw a lit match on gasoline but he knows this time he’s going to fight, Steve Harrington is his and he’s not going to lose him to someone like Nancy Wheeler ever again.

#magellan-88 #harringrove #what a shame au

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sailorbuckley · 3 years ago

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imagining what the dynamics would be like if billy was friends with the other teenagers... (feel free to add 👀)

nancy – they tease each other a lot, they study together because billy is academically smart !! and they are such an efficient monster hunting duo. and when nancy has a theory on something like the rats in s3 she knows she can count on him because he’s always up for adventures. he just shrugs and says “sure, it’s not like there’s anything better to do in this shithole”

jonathan – they bond over music! they hang out in jonathan’s room discussing about genres and musicians and sometimes will joins them. billy accidentally says he’d do bowie and will is there and jonathan is like “inappropriate !!!! (but same)”. they give each other records that are too soft/too aggressive for them but know that the other would fuck with it. billy saying things like heebie jeebies makes jonathan laugh a lot. and whenever jonathan takes a good picture of billy his reaction is priceless to him. “man i look so fucking hot in this how do you do it?! steve’s gonna be so jealous when i’ll show him this one”

steve – my harringrove heart aside, they would be such a funny duo. always bickering and laughing and snitching on each other to hopper. steve teases billy because he knows things. billy teases steve because he’s a dumbass. they have a lot of inside jokes and do the good cop/bad cop thing when the kids cause some trouble. billy makes fun of steve’s cheesy music taste yet he ends up singing out loud along with him in the car. because yes! a lot of car rides! especially at night! and they just sit in the car and talk about life and open up to each other. and they spend some festive days together when steve’s parents aren’t home and billy doesn’t wanna be around neil so it’s less depressing. and of course chaotic but great monster/russians fighting duo (bickering in the middle of a fight? it’s more likely than you think. robin is so done with them but also sometimes they’re all bickering and dustin is so done with them sgsgshshs)

robin – LOVE THIS ONE. i need them to be besties. lesbian/gay solidarity. they affectionately make fun of steve’s dumb ass (steve cries “it’s a conspiracy against me!! there’s two of you now making fun of me!” little does he know, they both love him with their whole heart and that’s how they cope). they ask each other for advice and are always brutally honest, almost harsh, because they trust each other’s judgment and just wanna hear the truth. billy takes robin to cali because she loves the sun and the sea too and she’s so excited when she sees how good billy is at surfing, billy loves the praises. they hang out at steve’s house and rent horror movies and when steve realizes he groans because He’s Not A Fan. also billy is the first one who notices the scribbles on robin’s converse. and billy gives robin his flannels when she has a date just because he has to admit she looks good in them but he absolutely wants them back, got it buckley?! they’re each other’s wingman or whatever it’s called at parties and go talk to each other’s crushes to find out if they’re gay. i see them sharing an apartment in their late 20s in a city with a more open mentality and just v i b e if you know what i mean

heather – close friends! billy loves to judge heather’s lovers just to see her give him a eye roll but also gets really protective when someone is being a dick towards her. every summer they compete to see who gets more tanned. they do their hair together in hearher’s room and her father is downstairs stressed asf because he thinks they’re fuck1ng. heather is really direct, she isn’t the type who wastes time pining and longing for someone so she will straight up go and talk to the person billy has a crush on for him; and billy is Fear™️

tommy – def hook up a few times. they’re always up for party together and drink too much and tommy is so cringe and ridiculous and billy laughs and hates to admit it but he has a soft spot for him

carol – all they do is gossip. someone please stop them

#just some silly little thoughts #i will never shut up about steve&billy&robin friendship #also billy deserved friendships 😤💔#billy hargrove #stranger things #my post

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stevesnailbat · 5 years ago

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listen before i go, i love you, goodbye. | steve harrington

warnings: mainly just angst, (implied) weed smoking

summary: Unrequited love sucks, for everyone involved.

word count: 3.9K

a/n: This fic isn’t really based off of the three Billie Eilish songs in the title. I saw on Genius that she said the titles of the last three songs on WWAFAWDWG? were supposed to be a sentence and it inspired me to write something about it. I also wrote a part 2. Enjoy!

Silence.

The only thing to be heard in Steve’s car was the soft hum of whatever mixtape he had going, and pure silence between him and his girlfriend. Usually, silence was okay. They would typically enjoy each other’s company without saying a word, but it was different now. Sometimes Y/N’s excited voice would fill the car as she told stories about her day while Steve would glance over at her with genuine interest in his eyes, but it was different now. There was no interest left in Steve’s gaze when he would look at Y/N, only a glimmer of what used to be love. Y/N’s voice was rarely ever heard anymore, and there was no excitement left in it when it was. They were broken.

Tonight was no different than any other Saturday night to Steve and Y/N. They were going to some party near Loch Nora but neither of them actually wanted to go. Still, they would go, they would dance together, they would hold each other, they would act like everything was okay, they would drink to forget that they didn’t want to be with each other. Steve didn’t really know why he still pretended to be in love when he wasn’t, but he never questioned it either.

He didn’t know when he fell out of love, but it hit him like a ton of bricks when he realized it. He could feel himself getting annoyed by the things she would say to him and he could feel himself losing the desire to kiss her and hold her like he always would. He told himself that he was just going through a rough patch and that he would get over it soon, but soon never came. Things got worse when he knew that she was catching on. She became more distant, less affectionate, less happy. He didn’t want to string her along, but he didn’t want to hurt the girl he once loved so dearly.

Steve parks his car in front of Carol’s house and stuffs his keys into his pocket as he looks over to Y/N, who’s staring out the window at the already drunk teens on the front lawn. She hated being drunk until Steve stopped loving her, then she began looking forward to the weekend so she could forget the pain she was in. He watched her eagerly step out of the car, waiting by her door for him to follow. As he got out, he gave her a knowing look when he saw to all-too-familiar fake smile growing on her face.

The couple is greeted by many of their so-called friends as they walk through the doors, Carol shoving drinks into their hands immediately. Y/N starts to drink as soon as she gets her hands on something, earning a glare in her direction from Steve. She ignored his looks and held onto his hand tight as she made her way through the crowd, searching for her best friend. Nancy’s face twists into an equally fake smile when she sees Y/N and Steve together, trying to hide her disapproval of what’s going on between the couple.

“Can I talk to you for a second, Y/N?” Nancy asks her, grabbing her wrist to pull her away from Steve. She didn’t really get a chance to tell Steve, but she knew he didn’t really care. The girls rushed off to a bedroom in the back of the house while Steve was left alone with Jonathan in the crowded living room.

Nancy closes the bedroom door behind her and turns to face Y/N. She was going to question her about why she was doing what she was still, but those plans changed. Before either of them can say anything, the sound of Y/N’s choked sob fills the air. She can’t bring herself to look at Nancy, so she sits on the bed behind her while burying her head in her hands. Nancy couldn’t look at her either, so she sits next to her and stares at the wall as she rubs Y/N’s back soothingly.

In any case, it would hurt to see your best friend crying. But for Nancy? It was even worse. She knew the situation all too well because she did the same thing to Steve. She strung him along and shattered his heart when he was still in love with her. Now the tables were turned and it hurt Nancy to see it; she thinks about how the hurt she put Steve through could have caused this. Y/N knew about their breakup last year, but didn’t believe that it would affect the way Steve saw her, his own girlfriend.

“Why the fuck am I doing this to myself, Nance?” she chokes out, throwing her arms up defeatedly.

“Because you love him, Y/N. You think you can change his mind, but deep down, you know you can’t.” Nancy says in a low voice, pulling her into a hug. “And you and Steve both care too much about your pride and reputations to break up.”

Y/N laughs softly as she blinks out some tears, slightly smudging mascara onto Nancy’s gray sweater. Nancy knew her and the situation all too well. It felt nice to be around someone who understood what was happening and was there to comfort, instead of just ignore. She pulls away after a few moments and tries to gather herself, wiping away her tears while taking a deep breath.

“We should probably get out of here before someone tries to start saying we’re cheating on our boyfriends with each other or something.” she jokes, trying to pull herself back to her fake-happy party-self.

An hour later Y/N finds herself clinging onto her so-called boyfriend relentlessly and clinging onto the moments of drunken affection that she deemed as damn near sacred. Usually the two of them would match each other with their drinks, not letting the other get too trashed. But Y/N snuck shots when Steve wasn’t looking, trying to bring herself back to the person she loved being. Steve caught on to what she was doing after her third extra shot, when it was too late. He had seen the hurt disappear from her eyes and replace with all the love and happiness she had once had with him. He could tell that she so desperately wanted to be happy again, and that she wanted to be happy with him.

“Stevie, you need to catch up! You’re not drinking enough.” she slurs as she shoves a drink into his face.

“I think I’ve had plenty to drink and that you have too.” Steve replies, his arm snaking around her waist hesitantly, mainly trying to stop her from falling or spilling her drink.

Her smile turns into a frown for a moment, but quickly disappears when she unexpectedly reaches up to his cheek, pulling him down into a kiss. The kiss was gentle yet filled with passion, something neither of them had felt in months. “I guess you’re right. You’ve had plenty to drink. Sober Stevie won’t let me kiss him like that anymore.” she whispered to him, her voice cracking as she spoke.

Her words seemed to be filled with remorse and sadness, Steve knew that he was the cause. For the first time since he had fallen out of love, he felt the same hurt that she did. He dropped his hand from her waist in shock and within a flash, she was gone. She waltzed over to Nancy with her fake smile, chugging away at her drink once more. He watched the broken girl fade away, if only for a moment, as she danced the night away with people that actually made her happy. Good, bad, and in-between memories that had been engrained in her memory forever were gone, if only for a moment, as she sang her heart out with her best friend. The pain she felt had gone away, if only for a moment, as Steve finally understood what she had been going through.

Hours passed and the party died down soon enough, around 2 am. Steve stopped drinking at midnight, but Y/N never stopped. Y/N told Steve she ‘wanted to party hard’ when he asked her to go the first time, the second time, and the third time. He finally convinced her that it was time to go when Nancy and Jonathan left, pulling the pouting girl to the car. She plopped down in the passenger seat and giggled drunkly at the noise Steve’s leather seat made when she did so. Without a word, Steve started the car and drove towards his house. He occasionally glanced over to her, seeing her face begin to twist into a sickly expression.

“If you’re gonna be sick, please do it in that McDonald’s bag on the floor or let me know so I can stop.” Steve laughs, resting his hand on her thigh in a comforting way, out of habit.

She says nothing in return, staring out the window intently. She was focusing on something, but Steve couldn’t put a finger on what it was. The short trip down the road takes all but five minutes and soon enough, he’s helping her into his house from the garage. She nearly falls at least three times on the stairs, giggling as she clung onto Steve. He has to undress and dress her again when they get to his room, which shows to be quite a challenge with a resistant, drunk girl. Steve rummages through a dresser drawer until he finds something, turning to hand her a shirt. When he does so, he sees her blotchy, red cheeks and tear-brimmed eyes.

“Hey, hey. What’s wrong?” he asks, although he’s sure he knows the answer. His hand brushes her hair behind her ear as his thumb wipes away a rogue tear.

“Why don’t you love me anymore?” she chokes out, her voice almost inaudible. Steve freezes in his tracks when she speak, not expecting that to be her answer.

Obviously it was going to come up at some point. But he didn’t want to tell his girlfriend why he didn’t love her anymore while she was plastered. So, he decided to play it off.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, baby. I think you’re too drunk for your own good right now. Let’s go to bed, yeah?”

“No, Steve. I wanna know now! Why don’t you love me the way I love you?” she says, her voice growing louder as she continues to slur her words together.

“I’m not getting into this with you right now, Y/N. You’re plastered and I love you. You’re crazy.” Steve scoffs, attempting to pull her onto his bed.

At this point, she can’t tell if she’s too drunk, too tired, or too hurt to argue, but she says nothing in return. She changes into the shirt he handed her and gets into the bed, laying down where she usually does, the bed feeling like a second home to her. The bed she thought was a second home was where they had their first kiss, their first time, where they listened to every mixtape she would make him, where she realized she was in love with him, and now where they would spend their last night together. Steve wraps his arm around her waist as they lay in bed, because he knew it was going to be the last time he would. Y/N became engulfed in his arms, pressing a small drunken kiss against his arm, because she knew it was going to be the last time she would.

Y/N sleeps the whole night through, the alcohol taking over when she laid down. Steve, on the other hand, spent the night staring at the ceiling while contemplating his next move. He knew she wouldn’t remember everything but that some things would stick out. Over and over again he replayed what he was going to say to her when she woke up. It wasn’t until after the sun rose that Steve fell asleep, heart still racing from the thought of the morning.

When Steve woke up, he found the spot next to him in the bed to be empty, his shirt folded on top of his dresser, and her clothes that were once piled in the corner of his room to be gone. His first instinct was to panic, he didn’t get to talk to her and God only knew what she even remembered from the night before. The panic growing in the pit of his stomach ceased when he heard the bathroom door open. She came out of the bathroom, quietly chuckling at his panicked expression. She looked as perfect as usual; she had removed the remnants of last night’s makeup from her face, smoothed out the knots in her hair, and put her clothes from the night before back on. Perfect, like everything else about her. How could he stop loving her? Maybe he never did. Maybe he just stopped loving who he thought she was and started loving the real her, who hadn’t been around for months.

Her expression was calm, she seemed more at ease. She picks up her backpack from the floor and slings it over her shoulders, standing near the bedroom door. Steve opens his mouth to speak but she holds up a finger, signaling for him to stay quiet for a moment. “Listen, before I go.” Y/N started, chewing on her lip momentarily. “I love you, Steve. But you don’t love me. And I can’t handle it anymore. I don’t need an explanation, I’m hard to love. I understand. So I just wanted to say that.” she breathes out, steadying herself against his dresser as she speaks so she doesn’t break down. “Goodbye.”

And with that she was gone. Gone from his house, gone from his life. Or so he thought.

The goodbye was enough closure for Y/N, it was all she needed. She seemed happier now, like a weight was lifted off her shoulders. The sparkle was back in her eye, the excitement was back in her voice. The bags underneath her eyes had disappeared, she kept herself looking put together every day, her life began to flourish. She had grown and changed in such a short amount of time and everybody saw it, she was untouchable. Everyone knew that she was independent and didn’t need anybody but herself to make her happy.

The goodbye was obviously not enough closure for Steve, though. Although she had seemingly left him behind, he still felt Y/N everywhere he went. She was in his bed at night, holding his hand as he walked down the hall, kissing his cheek when he would get out of his car in the morning; it felt so real, but in reality, he was left in the cold. She was still around him more than he expected. They would sit at opposite ends of a long table at lunch with their mutual friends, Steve making periodical glances her way. She would notice, but never thought into it.

He loved seeing her happy again and never wanted that to change for her. Soon after she left that day, he realized that she was all he could have ever wanted. And he threw it away because of his twisted perceptions of a perfect girl. He saw her as someone who got in his way, blocked him from being who he really wanted to be. In reality, she was only helping him to be the best person he could be. But he pushed her away, breaking her heart more and more every day. Steve knew that if he tried to come back into her life, she wouldn’t be the same. There was no coming back from what he did to her.

Every once in a while Y/N would have the itching desire to go back to him. She missed their late nights together doing nothing but getting high and laughing their asses off, their early morning impromptu road trips, their every memory made. Every time it happened, she would try to push the thoughts out of her mind, but they would still stick to the back of her brain only to be brought up again weeks later. The only thing getting her through was the thought of how he broke her, shattered her heart into a million pieces. There was no coming back from what he did to her.

She thought she had finally fallen out of love with him when graduation neared. With that in mind, she decided to go out of state for school, all the way to New York City. Steve heard the news of her moving from Jonathan and his heart broke. He remembered that she always had told him that she ‘wanted to get the fuck out of this hellhole’, but he always thought he’d be doing it with her. Instead, he was staying in the dead end town with nothing but heartbreak and a minimum wage job.

Graduation came and went without either of them speaking to the other. Both wanted the other but were too scared to say it. Y/N planned on moving halfway through the summer. She started packing in June and packed for days on end. One of those days, she found a box in the back of her closet and an all-too-familiar smell of cologne hit her nose when she pulled it out. Inside were sweatshirts, old t-shirts, polaroids of a once happy couple, notes passed in class, a gold bracelet, a cheesy teddy bear from Valentine’s Day, even a pair of boxers; all from Steve, all from what they once were.

Packing abruptly stopped for the day when she found those, her heart aching when she saw the pictures of the happiest days of her life in the box. She thought she was over him, but this brought her right back to square one. She cried for hours, about not wanting to move anymore, about wanting to stay in Hawkins, about wanting to stay with him.

It was a Saturday in June when Steve saw her for the first time since graduation. She looked as beautiful as ever when she came into Scoops Ahoy, but something was off. He had only seen her cry a few times, but he recognized the slightly blotchy, red cheeks and bloodshot eyes from a mile away. All she wanted to do was get some ice cream for comfort, but she was met with Steve. She froze for a moment when she saw him at the counter, not knowing that he worked there. She pulled herself together before she got to the counter, trying to act like she hadn’t been thinking about him the whole week.

“Ahoy! What can get for you today?” Steve said in his best customer service voice, even though he already knew what she wanted; ice cream runs were something they did together too many times.

“Just a small chocolate cone please.” she says, a weak smile growing on her lips in response to his cheesy voice and uniform. Her smile that she gave him was genuine, but she was dying on the inside. He could tell that she was regressing back to the person she was before their relationship ended. The sparkle in her eyes was a mere glimmer now, her voice didn’t have much excitement left. She hands him two dollars and tells him to keep whatever the change is, her voice tired and weak.

“When do you leave?” he blurts out as he scoops her ice cream, regretting it almost immediately, but he was curious.

“My flight leaves early Tuesday morning.” she says in return as she chews on her lip, a bad habit of hers.

Steve nods quietly, wishing he could find the words to say, but says nothing at first. He loads up her cone like he knew she would want, his mind brought back to times that she would complain about not having enough ice cream when they would go out.

“One small chocolate cone for ya. But good luck, Y/N. I’m sure you’ll do great things out there.” Steve says with a somber smile.

”Thank you, it means a lot, Steve.” she said before making her way out of the ice cream shop.

That night was no different than any other one in the last week. She couldn’t stop thinking about him and it wasn’t going to stop. Tears flowed freely for hours and she even called Nancy, telling her how she felt about everything.

“So you’re telling me that you’re still in love with the same guy who broke your heart by stringing you along for months?” Nancy’s voice came through the phone as Y/N sniffled lightly. “And you’re also saying that you’re just now realizing this? Three days before you go halfway across the country? You’re crazy, Y/N.”

“I know, I just can’t help it. He was my everything, Nance.” she choked out. It felt weird telling this to the girl who broke Steve’s heart, but she knew Nancy was sympathetic.

“If you really think you’re going to get something out of talking to him, then do it. You’ve both had time to think about everything, so do what you think will be right, Y/N.”

“Thanks Nance, I love you. But I’m gonna go finish packing for the night and go to bed.” Y/N lies, Nancy says goodbye in return. “Bye.”

When she hangs up the phone, Y/N rushes to her closet, rummaging around in a bag that was shoved in the back. She remembered a small bag of weed that she had in an old backpack and that she needed to use it up before leaving. If she was going to talk to Steve, she might as well have a conversation starter. She changed from her pajamas into some running shorts and a sweatshirt, shoving the small baggie into her sweatshirt pocket as she walked down the stairs. Sneaking past her dad sleeping on the couch, she took her keys off the counter and made her way outside to her car.

She made it to Steve’s house in record time, feeling like she had tunnel vision. She knew that his parents wouldn’t be home, they usually weren’t on the weekends. Her breathing hitched when she made it to his door, knocking on it hesitantly. Not even a minute later, she heard Steve unlocking the door and her heart feels like it’s going to beat out of her chest. Steve opens the door, looking groggy; his hair was tousled around and his clothes in a disarray against his body. When he sees who it is, his eyes widen slightly.

“Hey, Steve.”

“Hi, Y/N?” Steve replies, his voice groggy from the sleep that she interrupted

She smiles nervously up at him when she sees his confused expression. Digging in her pocket, she pulls out the baggie that was very familiar to Steve. “One last time before I go?” she questions, swinging the bag slightly as she tries to hold back the bittersweet, stinging tears in her eyes.

“Uh — Yeah! Yeah, sure. One last time.” Steve stammers out with a reassuring smile playing on his lips as he lets her into the house.

One last good memory. One more night with the girl he would love forever. One more time making memories that would last a lifetime. For one last time.

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su8arandspite · 5 years ago

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thoughts on st3 steve

For those of you who feel cheated by steve’s character regression in st3, i wrote an episode-by-episode outline of what the real steve would be up to during the summer of 1985.. As much as I liked season 3, I can’t shake the feeling that there’s at least a little bit growth to Steve that’s missing. Warning: contains major spoilers for season 3

Chapter One: Suzie, Do You Copy?

Steve took the job at Scoops Ahoy because he doesn’t want to rely on his asshat of a father, not because he took a college rejection as a sign that he has no future. It's just a summer job

Sure, it crushed him a bit. But instead of resigning to a life of mediocrity and self-pity, Steve Harrington decides that he rather likes helping other people. We know that he’s more than willing to put his life on the line if it means saving someone else.

It’s actually Dustin who first gives Steve the idea of joining the Hawkins PD. Steve isn’t going to Purdue or to Tech- he’s headed to the Indiana Police Academy. And he’s damn proud of it, too

Forget that whole “Steve Harrington has no game after getting dumped once” bit where he returns to his old playboy ways (and failed seven+ times to get a date)!

Steve and Robin still have a running bet, sure, but instead of going for countless pointless dates with girls he hardly knows, they both compete to see which one of them gets a night off and who works the extra shift, minus tips

She just never mentions that she has 0 interest in actually going on dates with any of those guys, because she really wants that night off

You know DAMN WELL that Steve has 10/10 mentioned Dustin to Robin. He’s proud of him. I like to think that their relationship has grown past shitty, misguided dating advice to Steve really being there for Dustin- and vice versa. As I’ve mentioned earlier, I firmly believe that Dustin is invested in Steve’s future. He wants his friends to do better than resigning to a life he hates in a nowhere town. Because he knows Steve can.

Maybe he was stuck at work while the kids threw his official coming home party, but you know that our affectionate little Steve planned a mini ice cream party and knew exactly when Dustin was coming home. He’s just playing it cool. The level of excitement at 10:20ish is more accurate and it melts my heart.

Steve is not dumb. I know for a fact he wouldn’t be pacing around; Steve would at least crack open the dictionary to help translate it.

Chapter Two: The Mall Rats

We do see more of the Steve shown in past seasons here, in that he is shown to be both loyal and clever

For example, the scene at 43:10 when he connects the tune from the horse to the one from Dustin’s recording.

Chapter Three: The Case of the Missing Lifeguard

In that little spy scene with Steve and Dustin, he isn’t distracted by Anna Jacobi and Mark Lewinski out of petty jealousy; hell, it isn’t even really about them at all. Nancy did a real number on Steve’s heart and because she gave him the first real form of love and affection that he’s ever known, he carries around some pretty serious chips on his shoulder and cracks in his little heart for a good while. Steve envies their relationship in general. He misses feeling that wrapped up in someone else. No, he isn’t chasing tail simply for the hell of it. Steve genuinely wants to find love again. His comment wouldn’t belittle Mark, then, but instead scoff at the level of pda in the mall

He wouldn’t insult Robin for being in drama or band. He’d merely insist she was just a friend & not his type. End of story.

nO way would he throw his own advice back in Dustin’s face like that! He treads lightly on the Suzie subject with Dustin. The idea that this girl is shrugging off Dustin- and very possibly about to break his little heart, as far as he knows- does not sit well with Papa Steve

Again, he isn’t dumb. He probably would have noticed that a tall man carrying a duffel bag was just too suspicious to be their spy, but would follow him anyways. To be safe.

Chapter Four: The Sauna Test

The scene around 9:20 on, where Steve suggests that he is both stealthy and capable of winning a fight is precious and brutal. Poor Steve. But I do think that his plan likely would be a bit more sound than that

I think he probably would have at least wanted to leave Erica out as much as possible. After all, she is only 10. Dustin’s a veteran fighter and at least (barely) a teenager. Plus, he knows that’s a losing fight

Chapter Five: The Flayed

Not much to add here. We see more glimpses into the sacrificial Steve st2 left us with.

Chapter Six: E Pluribus Unum

Can we not beat up his pretty face for oNe season I just- :((

Steve “the Hair” Harrington

The scene where Robin and Steve discuss Mrs. Click ‘s class grazes his character arc. He acknowledges his mistakes here, at least. I regained some of my confidence here, minus Steve’s acceptance that he has no future. He’s more than that.

Chapter Seven: The Bite

The scene of drugged!Robin and Steve in the bathroom warms my heart. It does give us more signs to how his breakup with Nancy affected Steve, that he’s forgiven her, and wants to find love again.

Steve would not bash Nancy simply because they are broken up. THank god they remembered that much.

“I guess I found somebody who’s better for me” sdlkfhsdlkfdl this soft boy

Robin is a lovely addition and I actually love her character. And that she doesn’t exist simply as a love interest for Steve.

Speaking of love interests, I imagine that he’d actually meet someone through Robin. Maybe one of her band or drama friends; just a nice girl who meets his level of neediness and challenges him to be better. And refuses to let him give up on himself

I could list off a few of my own ocs here but that’s a story for another time

Chapter Eight: The Battle of Starcourt

There 10/10 is a scene where Hopper encourages Steve for his interest in looking after Hawkins

“It’ll be an honor to have you on my squad, kid” (okay, that one hurt)

“Screw Todd, Steve’s our daddy now!” you’re goddamn right he is.

I refuse to believe that Steve would sit by and not even try to help fight. Fuck that. Steve would hightail it back to Starcourt the second he knew Erica and Dustin were far enough away to be safe with a fucking flamethrower and the bat, partially from nostalgia

You know damn well that Steve has favorite movies, okay?? I refuse to believe in a universe where Dustin and Steve don’t at least occasionally have movie nights. That's just a lie

Bonus: Hopper didn’t die under Starcourt mall, but instead an enemy of the state being held in Russia (aka “the American” referenced at 1:12:49

#stranger things 3 #Thoughts #steve harrington #spoiler #headcanon

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freefallingforfanfiction · 7 years ago

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Imagine Flipping Out When You Wake Up to Steve in Your Bed

Pairing: Steve Harrington x Reader

Request: Hi! Could you possibly write a part two to the Steve Harrington imagine where you were drunk and you cried about how pretty his hair is? Thanks!

Warnings: None

You can find the first part of this imagine here.

From the moment you opened your E/C eyes, everything appeared normal. Per usual, you were awoken by the light streaming through your [choice of color] curtains precisely thirty minutes before your alarm clock went off. Like usual, you tossed over in your bed, fully prepared to take advantage for the extra half an hour of sleep when something struck you as strange.

There was an odd weight around your waist and warm breathing on the back your neck causing you to freeze when you realized that there was someone in your bed, sleeping beside you. Oh fuck, Y/N, what (who) the hell did you do last night? Slowly, you turn over in your bed to look at last night’s mistake, and were fairly shocked to come face to face with Steve Harrington.

He was sound asleep on the pillow beside you, his mouth hanging open slightly, allowing gentle snores to fill your room. In his sleep, Steve’s face was much more relaxed, free of the worry that had seemed to be an underlying tone in his eyes for the past year. Now, those deep brown eyes were closed, allowing his long, thick lashes to gently kiss his seemingly perfect skin. His hair, that god damn flawless hair, was a tousled mess of curls from sleep, and you had to resist the strong urge to lace your fingers through what you assumed would be incredibly soft locks.

Slowly, you maneuvered your hand from underneath the duvet and placed it on the pillow beside you, wondering for a brief moment how risky it would be to reach that hand out across your full sized bed and quickly run your fingers through it. Then, biting your lip, you realized that not only was that very risky, it was also super creepy. So, instead you opted for closing your E/C eyes and attempting to ignore the situation at hand for the moment in hopes that it would go away. That is, until the situation started shifting around in bed.

A soft groan left Steve’s lips as he stretched out in your bed, the arm around your waist tightened just the slightest bit, but enough to send you into a panic. You let out a squeak before you scrambled to the opposite side of the bed, effectively startling Steve enough to fully wake him and sending yourself crashing to your bedroom floor. A yelp left your body as you landed on your back, your E/C eyes blinked up at the ceiling owlishly, wondering where exactly you had gone wrong, when a concerned face filled your line of vision.

“Y/N?�� the situation asked groggily.

“Steve!” you awkwardly shouted, “I uh-” you paused, a grimace forming on your face as you attempted to look anywhere but his face. “Come here often?”

Now, it wasn’t that you didn’t like Steve, in fact, you’d had a rather large crush on him for years. It was the fact that you couldn’t remember what happened last night, the fact that he was in a committed relationship and the fact that you couldn’t believe you had sunk so low as to have slept with a man in a relationship that had you not knowing how to act any other way than stroppy.

Steve’s face scrunched up in confusion as he started to respond, but before he could you jumped up from your position on the floor, your words leaving your mouth in a rush, “No, of course you don’t, this is my house, I come here often and I’ve never seen you here before.”

You rushed over to your chest of drawers and began frantically pulling them open to rummage through their contents to find a presentable outfit of the day in an attempt to avoid Steve in hopes that he would leave. However, when you peeked over your shoulder to see if he was gone, you found him observing a display of pictures of you and Nona that you hand hanging above your nightstand.

“I’m sorry, your still here,” you asked as you stood, your clothes from for the day clutched in your hands.

“I figured I could give you a ride to school, you walk usually, right?” Steve asked, having turned away from the photos.

“Uh yea,” you answered, though your tone of voice was questioning.

“So we’re heading to the same school, I could just take you there.” Steve smiled jigging his keys.

“Or I could just walk like I always do,” you said, an unplanned fake cheery tone lacing your voice as you made awkward hand movements.

“Is there something wrong Y/N?” Steve asked.

“Look,” You responded, running your hands through your H/L [curly/straight/wavy] hair, “It’s just that I’m not good at awkward situations, and this,” you gestured to him, “is an awkward situation.”

Steve furrowed his brows, his face contorting as a look offence took over, “I’m an awkward situation?”

“Yes!” you cried, “You’re with Nancy and you’re in my bed! I am not a home wrecker, I don’t do that kind of thing, I don’t try and steal other girl’s boyfriends, no matter how long I’ve had a crush on them.”

You tossed your hands in the air in exasperation as you finished, your bare feet treaded the plush white carpet of your room as you paced back and forth anxiously.

Before you, Steve dropped his arm to his side and tilted his head in a manner similar to a confused puppy. He approached you slowly and put a hand on each of your arms, a gentle look washed over his face as he met your worried eyes.

“Y/N, I promise you, nothing happened between us last night.” Steve’s thumbs were rubbing soothing circles on your arms as he met your eyes, smiling gently at you. “You were really drunk and you took a tumble off a table. I caught you, and you got a little emotional over my hair. I couldn’t find Nona, so I took you home,” Steve explained, and you found yourself getting lost in the depths of his brown eyes.

“The only reason I slept over is because you have a vice like grip, even when you’re passed out,” Steve’s lips up turned into a gentle smile, “You wouldn’t let me go, so I just stayed the night. But I promise, nothing happened.”

You let out a sigh of relief, your head falling down onto Steve’s chest because of the close proximity. “What will Nancy say though?” you murmured, your eyes looking at the floor.

You heard a gentle sigh leave Steve lips, one of his hands left your arm to rub your back comfortingly. Your heart was beating rapidly in your chest at the close proximity, and for a moment you wondered what it would be like to hug Steve daily.

“Nancy and I broke up last night,” Steve admitted, “She told me everything about us was bullshit, oh and that she doesn’t love me. So I don’t really think she’ll care about where I sleep anymore,” Steve finished in a quiet voice.

“Oh, Steve,” you muttered, lifting your head up to meet his sad brown eyes. You raised your hand to cup the side of face affectionately. “I’m sorry.” You wrapped your other arm around his waist and pulled him into a hug. Steve rested his cheek on your shoulder, slipping his arms around your waist and returned your hug, and you were sure it wasn’t you he was trying to comfort anymore.

“I’m gonna be ok,” Steve whispered, “It’ going to take a while, but I’m going to be ok,” he continued, and it wasn’t you he was talking to in that moment, but you decided you were going to answer him anyway.

“You will be, and if you need a friend to lean on, you can always lean on me,” you said soothingly, giving him a gentle squeeze. Steve pulled away to look down at you, there was a look in his deep brown eyes that caused your breathe to hitch in your throat. Slowly, Steve moved his hands up to cup your face, his thumbs stroking your cheeks gently before he leaned in and placed his lips on yours. The kiss was slow and somewhat hesitant, but it was also soft and sweet, causing your stomach to erupt with butterflies and your heart to soar. The kiss was also short lived, as you soon parted ways and touched foreheads, your breaths shallow from the excitement of it all.

Steve let out a breathy chuckle before he tucked his fingers under your chin to lift your face and press another kiss to you lips, smiling into it this time. And once more, your heart soared as you kissed the handsome man, fulling you to reach up and tangle your fingers into those beautiful brown locks like you had thought of doing minutes before. But through all the bliss, there was a small, nagging in the back of your mind that was slowing creeping its way to the forefront.

“Wait,” you said breathlessly, moving your hands from Steve’s hair and to his chest to push him away from you. When you looked up Steve had a look of hurt on his face.

“What?” he asked, “What is it?” Steve furrowed his brows as he looked down at your smaller stature, a frown making its way to his pretty face.

“I-” you started and stopped, closing your lips and licking them before you crossed your arms over your chest before taking a deep breath and starting again, “I don’t want to be your rebound. You loved Nancy, and those feelings don’t go away overnight, no matter what she did to you. I really do like you Steve, I have for a long time, but I’m not willing to be used for you to get over her. My heart can’t take that,” you explained looking up at Steve.

Steve swallowed slowly and pursed his lips together, “I understand that, I do need time to heal,” he agreed, “But I do want to be with you,” he continued, taking a step closer to you in order to close the gap you had created. “I’ve liked you since sophomore year, and I guess I never really got over it, because last night brought everything back up.”

“How do we do this then?” you asked, looking up into Steve’s enticing brown eyes that were full of both hope and determination.

“We’ll take it slow,” Steve told you sweetly, “We’ll just be friends for a while, then when the time is right, if we both still want this, then you’ll have all of me.” Steve kissed your knuckles softly and you bit the bottom of your lip to withhold the emotional tears that threatened to roll over your watermark at his heartfelt words.

“How does that sound?” Steve asked, a hopeful smile painted on his handsome face. Your heart fluttered at the thrill of the possibility, the possibility of one day having a future with Steve Harrington, and decided that was a risk you could take.

A smile slowly spreads its way across your face as you look him in the eye and say, “Perfect.”

@wonderxluster

#steve harrington #steve harrington imagine #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington x you #reader insert #stranger things #stranger things 2 #stranger things imagine

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planetsam · 7 years ago

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i absolutely love your account. i’ve had a prompt in mind but i’m a terrible writer. and you are the best one i’ve seen. sooo could you maybe do a prompt of jancy trick or treating with the kids. nancy makes him do a couples costume as well. ILY

He’s dozing on the couch, exhausted beyond belief when he realizes he’s not alone.

“Jesus!” he shoots up, “we talked about this, remember?”

Eleven—Jane—stands in the living room, watching him. Steve has adopted most of the kids, which Jonathan thinks is both adorable and strange. But Will has apparently sung his praises to Eleven, who has taken to following him around. At one point she said he smelled like the woods, which is fair since he spends a lot of time out there. But being told how he smelled by a pre-teen girl wasn’t exactly something he’d been expecting. He’s gotten used to her though. She fits in frighteningly well with him and Will. He rubs his eyes and sits up, motioning her over. She perches on the couch next to him.

“So, what’s going on?” he asks after a moment of silence.

“Halloween,” she says and looks at him, “halloween was bad last year,” he nods, “I want to make Halloween good,” she says and fixes him with one of those looks she gives where she’s suddenly anything but a teenager, “safe is good. I want you to take us trick or treating.”

“I’m—“ he begins but she keeps looking at him, “okay,” he sighs, wondering how he’s in charge of this suddenly, “do I have to be in costume?”

“Yes,” she says, then rolls her eyes in a move Will clearly taught her, “it’s halloween, don’t be lame.”

“Can I go back to sleep now?” he asks.

“You should go to bed,” she says.

“Yes, mom,” he replies, getting to his feet and shuffling off.

He’s about ninety percent sure he was dreaming until Will throws something mustard colored at his face. He shakes out what looks like a tunic and manages to catch a pair of leather pants before they hit him. He looks at the garb and then at Will who looks thrilled with himself. Jonathan can’t quite bring himself to say that him wearing leather pants is very high on the list of things that aren’t happening this year.

“Who am I?” He asks instead.

“You’re Taran from Black Cauldron,” Will says, “we’re all going as our party members, you’re going as a pig farmer.”

“Glad you grounded this stuff in realism,” Jonathan says. Will rolls his eyes.

They don’t wear the costumes to school.

He puts on the costume and tries to avoid the mirrors, working instead on some homework half heartedly before there’s a quick knock on the door. He’s too slow to get there though and it swings open, batted by an invisible hand. He would yell but the very excited cleric and mage bouncing around outside his door. So he straps on his sword instead and looks at them for the final approval. They both grin and grab him, yanking him out of the house which–again–he does not want to do. Not dressed in leather pants anyway.

“Boo!”

El shrieks as Lucas jumps out, Max at his heels. Jonathan claps a hand over her shoulder, reminding her not to use her magic. She looks up and him and grins, he lets her go, sure that it was just for effect.

“Guys! Party stays together,” Mike sighs.

“Says the guy who ran off last year,” Dustin says, clapping him on the back.

Mike rolls his eyes like he’s the adult in the situation. He looks at Jonathan critically, then nods. Jonathan wants to make fun of him for giving his seal of approval but before he can talk two hands clap securely over his eyes. There’s a warm rush of breath against his upper back and he can picture the look on Nancy’s face without any effort at all.

“You can’t see from down there, but I’m rolling my eyes,” he informs her and turns around.

Nancy hasn’t said a word about this whole thing, which he hasn’t thought much of given the disaster of last year. Actually he kind of figured that she was staying at home, which he now realizes was stupid. She’s grinning widely at him and he struggles to keep a straight face at the sight of her in something that’s very pink. Pink, familiar and definitely on the cover of the video cassette Will got for ‘research’. His eyes narrow before he turns to his brother.

“Is this a couples costume?” He questions.

“Uh—“

“Will!” He objects loudly.

The snort of laughter behind him makes him spin around as he, belatedly, remembers that he’s got a girlfriend. That wearing a couple’s costume is something that couples do. It takes an almost embarrassingly long time for his mind to catch up to the rest of him. Forget spending the quiet night indoors, he’s going to just go throw himself into an early grave out of sheer embarrassment. Especially from the bright smile Nancy’s got on her face as he flips between outrage and complete humiliation.

“Who are we?” He gets out desperately.

“You are a pig farmer who becomes a king,” she says, easily looping her arms around his neck, “I am the future ruler of a kingdom who is eventually persuaded to marry you. After you sweep me off my feet.”

It’s really hard to hold onto anger when someone’s combing their fingers through your hair, Jonathan has come to find. It’s not that he’s ever been much of a masochist or even really about self denial. But the little things like this seem to dig into a long-suppressed corner of his chest. He turns back to Nancy helplessly and she smiles at what he’s sure is the completely stupid expression on his face.

“I didn’t know—“ he begins, fumbling for the right words, “couples costume?”

“Yes,” Nancy says firmly, “and trick or treat-escorting,” she adds.

“Why?” He asks and she smiles in a way that makes the leather pants even more uncomfortable.

“Because your girlfriend asked,” she says. He wants to point out that so did Eleven but thinks better of it when she touches their lips together and the taste of sour cherry hits his tongue. Just enough to have him press back into the kiss, “and because it’ll be worth your while.”

They escort the kids over the neighborhood, getting candy for everyone. No-one looks more delighted than Eleven. The most nervous looking one is Will. He keeps lagging, usually winding up by Jonathan’s legs like he hasn’t in years. Jonathan keeps a hand on him when he does, knowing that it’s good for him to face this fear but not wanting to hurt him. One particular house seems to make him pause for the longest.

“Hey, lets go through this one together,” Nancy says , calling the others back. Jonathan feels a squeeze on his wrist from her and shoots her a grateful smile, “what’s your favorite kind of candy?” She keeps up the string of chatter as they move on. “Here,” She says and presses a piece of candy into his mouth.

Strawberry goes into his tongue. Jonathan’s always been impatient and this is no different, he doesn’t let the candy dissolve, he absentmindedly crunches it as they escort the kids to the next house. They all jump up on the step, chiming trick or treat. Nancy nudges him into the shadows and presses her lips to his again.

Lemon collides with the strawberry, sweet and sour hitting each other in a way that’s almost knee weakening. This time he can’t contain the rough sound he makes as he slips his tongue into her mouth, tasting it. She responds eagerly. Until the kids have their candy and they jump apart.

“Next one?” Nancy asks and her voice is a lot steadier than it’s got any right to be.

By the end of the night, there’s a rainbow of flavors on his tongue. Chaotic but somehow they all seem to go together. How she’s not crying from all the sour, he’s got no clue. Well, actually, he does. Because Nancy Wheeler’s the kind of girl who can mix flavors, eat sour candies and orchestrate him being in a couples costume without batting an eyelid. He’s not one for being affectionate in public but he’s got his arm around her shoulders

“Can I go over to Mike’s to look at our candy?” Will questions. Jonathan checks his watch, “come on it’s barely 9!”

“You know how Mom gets,” Jonathan chides him and Will makes a noise that reminds him his brother’s almost a teenager.

“Not if you’re with me,” he says, “you’re just gonna go home and read anyway.”

Nancy looks up at him and he knows what she’s thinking. This is her doing, most of it anyway. He remembers his Halloween plans from last year. When she goes to pull away, he tightens his grip around her and motions Will forward. He whoops and takes off for his friends. Nancy leans back into him.

“I have books at my house,” she voices and Jonathan wonders how the hell he falls for her all over again every time she speaks, “I know this isn’t really your scene—“

“Hey—“

“It’s not!” She says, “last year—“

“Last year I didn’t want to see you at a party with someone else,” he cuts in. The surprise on her face reminds him that for as well as they know each other, she isn’t in his head, “parties aren’t my thing but—“ he shrugs, “I didn’t want to see it.”

“But you came anyway,” she says.

“Yeah,” he tells her, “you asked me to.”

He wonders if she remembers how much she’s done for him just because he’s asked. He wonders why she seems surprised, like it didn’t occur to her before. He wonders if he was maybe at the ultimate level of social creep and awkward this past year, to the point where she thought he was staring at her for other reasons. Other reasons than the fact that he’d have cut his own arm off to wear a stupid couple’s costume with her. He chances bending down and kissing her in her silence. She presses herself up on her toes and before he can overthink anything, he hooks an arm underneath her knees and pulls her up.

“You mentioned sweeping,” he says and she laughs, wrapping her arms around his neck as he carries her all the way back to the Wheeler house.

#jonathan byers #nancy wheeler #jancy #stranger things fanfic #will byers #mike wheeler #eleven #stranger things fanfiction #the kids are all in their d&d roles #jonathan and nancy are the main characters from the black cauldron #prompts

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