#they are trying to figure out both what happened to argyle and what happened to their relationship with jonathan

[faithfulcat111]

Had a really wild-ass dream that was an AU with the Stranger Things teens. It was some kind of murder mystery cause Argyle was murdered and Jonathan was blamed, but it wasn't him.

Also, somehow Nancy and Steve had lost the last 11 years of memories so the last thing they remembered was their last year of high school and they were trying really hard to keep this fact a secret because Nancy was some kind of security officer (?) investigating and they wanted to find out what happened. I don't remember now what Steve's job was, but Argyle was mayor of the town they were living in and somehow Jonathan ended up as some kind of materials scientist with Will and Lucas.

Anyway, signs were pointing to Lonnie being the actual murderer, but dream me was describing this as some show she was watching to someone else and was pretty sure that was a red herring. Also there were robots.

[morganski-19]

The One Where Steve Feels Smart

“Where are Jon and Argyle?” Steve asks Nancy. The rest of the group gathered around the table for their weekly group dinners.

“Jonathan said that he has a lot of work to do, and Argyle is working closing. Said they would try to come later if they could.” Nancy sits at the table, acting as if the information doesn’t bother her.

Steve doesn’t buy it. “I thought Argyle never closed on Fridays.”

“I don’t know,” Nancy shrugs, annoyed. “Maybe he’s covering for someone. It doesn’t matter, so just eat.”

Steve still doesn’t buy it. Jonathan will always use their hangouts as a break, so his eyes don’t try to kill him. Argyle values friendship too much to take a shift during one of their hangouts. If what Steve knew about them was right, though.

But, he decides to ignore it, and eats dinner.

The next week, however, something like this happens again. It’s not an everyday thing that the group gets together at the coffeehouse after work to talk, some can’t justify buying coffee five days a week when they can just make it themselves. But today, everyone is there. Everyone except for Jonathan and Argyle.

“Isn’t it weird that they aren’t here?” Steve asks, mainly to himself. He’s sitting at the bar, bugging Eddie while he’s on shift.

Eddie shrugs, passing a drink across the bar to a customer. “Maybe they’re busy again. Didn’t Jonathan shoot like four wedding in the past two weeks? That’s a lot of editing.”

“But he would bring it here. Especially since Argyle would get off shift,” he looks down at his watch, “an hour ago. They would come in here together and chill with the rest of us.”

“Don’t know man. Maybe they just wanted to stay at home. The weather is kind of shit today.”

It’s never stopped them before. Something else is going on.

The next time it happens, it’s on game night. He asks Nancy if she’s heard from them and gets shut down immediately. Something about the both of them needing to work. Nothing else.

When it keeps happening, Steve starts to get more and more suspicious. Everyone else seems unbothered. Blind to the excuses that mean nothing, and continue on with their lives. When Steve knows that they are hiding something.

He decides to bring it up again when him and Robin are making dinner. Trying to use both their heads to figure this out without Nancy shutting him down immediately.

“You don’t think they finally,” Steve makes a motion with his hands, indicating that they are together.

Robin glares at him from the kitchen. “Probably not, Jonathan’s demi, remember.”

“That is not what I meant,” Steve says, partially annoyed. “I just meant like, dating. What if they are dating.”

“I would hope they would tell us if that actually happened. We’ve listened to too much of their suffering to not know.”

Steve stares at the cutting board. Not so sure about that. “I think Nancy knows something.”

“Here we go,” Robin groans.

“No, Rob, seriously. Like every single time I ask, she shuts me down almost immediately. With the same excuse. Jonathan is busy editing, or has a shoot, and Argyle is working a closing shift. I’ve never known Argyle to have this many closing shifts in his life.” He turns to her, hoping to see that she sees what he sees. “Isn’t that a little weird?”

“I guess,” Robin goes back to stirring the vegetables in the saucepan. “But maybe their rent got raised and they had to pick up a few extra shifts. Wouldn’t be that surprising.”

Steve is still not convinced. “Maybe.”

A week later, the group was planning on going to see a movie. Some weird horror movie that Nancy and Eddie love, but will probably traumatize both Steve and Robin. Normally Jonathan and Argyle would come along and laugh at how unrealistic it is, but they bailed again.

They’ve been bailing for about a month now, something was definitely up.

Steve stands in line to get the popcorn, letting the rest of the group go into the theater to get their seats. Hoping that Eddie is able to save a seat next to him for Steve.

Out of the corner of his eye, Steve sees two people who look familiar. After thanking the guy behind the counter and turning toward his theater, he sees it. Jonathan and Argyle walking in with their tickets. They make eye contact with him, looking caught.

“Well, there you guys are,” Steve says, trying not to make it weird. “I feel like I haven’t seen you guys in weeks.”

“Uh, yeah,” Jonathan says. “Just been really busy with work, that’s all.”

Steve nods, going alone with the lie. “Yeah. I’m glad you guys were able to make it tonight though. Unless, you know, you came to see a different movie.”

Argyle opens his mouth, going to say something. Jonathan nudges him with his shoulder, shutting him up. Argyle presses his lips together in a forced smile. Eyes wide.

“Yeah. We were just going to get some popcorn, so why don’t you go into the theater, and we’ll meet you in there.”

The smile that forms on Steve’s lips is one of pure joy. “I don’t mind waiting. It might be easier to carry all this shit to the theater.” He takes a glace down and sees their hands clasped together. “Four hands are better that two, so.”

“Four hands?” Argyle questions under his breath.

Jonathan looks down at their hands, and pulls them apart.

“You guys weren’t going to see the same movie, were you?” Steve questions. Feeling smug.

“No, we weren’t,” Argyle blurts out. “We were going to see this comedy together because we’ve been dating for a few months now.” He immediately slams a hand over his mouth.

“A few months,” Steve says much louder than he should.

Jonathan starts looking around. “Dude, quiet down.”

“Sorry.” Steve lowers his voice to whisper shout. “A few months. I thought you were just dating for a few weeks.”

“You knew we were dating?”

Steve snorts. “You two are not as subtle as you think you are. Always missing hangouts conveniently at the same time. It’s really rude to cancel on your friends to go on dates for your secret relationship, by the way.”

“We’re sorry,” Argyle apologizes. Looking like he’s going through multiple emotions at once. “We just have been busier with work so the only times we’ve been free to go out are the days we would hang out.”

“You’re not going to tell everyone, are you?” Jonathan asks, hand rubbing at the back of his neck.

Steve shakes his head. “No, it’s your thing to tell. I wouldn’t do that. I just miss you guys. I am still going to gloat about being right, they just don’t need to know what about.”

“Thanks, dude.” Argyle finally calmed down back to one emotion.

“We really appreciate it.”

“I have to go, the movie’s about to start. Have a good night, guys.”

Steve turns and head to the theater. He finds the rest of them and sits between Eddie and Robin. The popcorn immediately getting pulled from his hands.

“What took you so long?” Robin asks over a mouthful of popcorn.

“The line was long,” Steve says. This was going to be fun.

Tag list (let me know if you want to be added or taken off) @slowandsteddie, @annieofhearts, @cacdyke, @ubpd, @captain--low,

@thespaceantwhowrites, @goodolefashionedloverboi, @anne-bennett-cosplayer, @lunaticparisianlady,

@apomaro-mellow, @dolphincliffs, @dragonmama76, @maggiebug417, @stevesbipanic,

@fearieshadow, @eightpackdiaz, @au79burger @bookworm0690 , @practicallybegging,

@potato-of-the-lord, @autumncrocusandladybug, @estrellami-1, @ilovecupcakesandtea, @gregre369

@my2amgaythoughts, @ellietheasexylibrarian, @emmabubbles, @eriquin, @grtwdsmwhr

@croatoan-like-its-hot, @dreamercec, @dreamy-jeans137

[piratefishmama]

Nest

A Steddie A/B/O ficlet

Contrary to popular belief, Alpha heartthrob of Hawkins High Steve Harrington never managed to find himself a suitable mate. He tried, he tried multiple times with many different omegas, tried with Betas, hell he even tried with another Alpha! However, he never lived up to their expectations, he was never what they expected or hoped for, those he tried to court always eventually told him he was too soft.

He lacked the aggression, the ‘slam you against a wall and take you’ kind of rough edges a typical Alpha would have that made the act thrilling for his partner, that created that kind of primal need to submit that they desperately longed for.

He lacked the primordial Alpha need to take, to claim. Some even claimed he ought to have been born an Omega, that the Alpha didn’t suit him, that somehow he’d been born wrong, that his secondary gender didn’t fit him, it wasn’t right.

He was too soft, too affectionate, too clingy too— too much.

Everything about him was bullshit.

Nancy, his one attempt at a relationship with another Alpha, had been drunk when she’d said that to his face, and she didn’t actually remember saying it the day after, but… it still stuck with him years after it’d happened. Years after they’d become friends, years after she’d settled into a Poly relationship with a sweet, if a little awkward omega, Jonathan and his ridiculous (read: weirdly charming, Steve loved him) Beta mate, Argyle.

So he didn’t have a mate. No big deal, it wasn’t like he longed for one or anything, it definitely not like that at all. It wasn’t like he wanted a big family, to be loved, to be wanted, to be welcomed into a nest made of a mixture of his and his mates clothes, his and his mates blankets and pillows and—it was fine. He was fine.

He wasn’t fine, but within that failure, came opportunity. Alphas came in all shapes, sizes, and thankfully, as much as people liked to doubt, temperaments, which given how soft he as an alpha was, made him perfect for Nest. A clinic for unmated Omegas who struggled with their heats, Omegas who had nowhere to turn, no-one to help them through the worst week of the month.

An alpha helped. Even if he didn’t touch them, and usually he didn’t, having an alpha there, their pheromones permeating the room, just existing in their space, sometimes it was enough to help ease the pain of having no-one to fulfil the other needs.

He wasn’t allowed to touch them intimately, it wasn’t a sex thing, it was a comfort thing. A thing some Omegas needed, especially if they’d never had an alpha with them before.

Sometimes, never having one was worse than having one once and never again. You craved something with no frame of reference for why or how to recreate it, you’d go mad going in circles trying to figure out why this part of you needed something so badly despite never having had it.

It could get bad. Some went mad over it. Hence the Clinics.

Hawkins had one. Singular. Just one. It was linked up to the hospital, deeply underfunded and regularly had protesters outside claiming the alphas inside to be sex workers.

Blatant ignorance at work there, but Steve stopped caring about his public image before he’d even left school so on each shift he’d walk through the throng of idiots, with his head held high, greet his best friend Robin at the front desk, a quirky Beta with zero brain to mouth filter and the gift of gab.

She probably wouldn’t call it a gift, but Steve adored her. Had a bit of a crush on her at first, quickly replaced by platonic love after she’d drunkenly came out to him in a public restroom at a Christmas party.

She liked women. Omega women to be specific. He’d never asked her to elaborate on why not male Omegas, she had a type, that was that.

Steve liked both, he liked all. Steve wasn’t fussed, Omega, Beta, Alpha, male or female? It didn’t matter to him, he’d tried all in his search for a mate that’d stay and found himself enjoying all.

He just needed one to stay.

He’d walk in, greet Robin, if he didn’t have an Omega already, he’d grab a clipboard with his new assignment on it and head straight there. It was one of those days.

His last Omega, an awkward little thing that Steve sort of recognised from high school, he’d been a freshman during Steve’s last year, had left the night before, content and at ease, had spent most of the coherent hours talking Steve’s ear off about a table top RPG game he played with friends, Dungeons and Dragons.

Steve didn’t mind, he asked questions, let him bounce character ideas off of him, helped him pick a race out of a mix of words Steve didn’t really recognise but it made the Omega, Gareth, happy.

They came up with Galgrun the Giant together. A Dwarf with a height complex and a really big hammer.

He liked Gareth. Gareth was sweet, soft, bit too young though. Reminded Steve of the gaggle of kids Nancy’s little brother would hang around.

His new assignment was older.

Older than himself by one year, which… wasn’t unusual but it definitely wasn’t a normal occurrence either. Usually the Omegas that used the facility were younger, younger and in desperate need of comfort.

“They’ve put him in room 69, he found that hilarious.” Robin chirped when Steve looked up from his clipboard. Another him. Not that that was a bad thing, sometimes they alternated. “He’s a little… jumpy, very nervous, I could smell him a mile away and you know what my sense of smell is like.” Most first timers were, he checked out the clipboard again, no previous alpha, no sexual history, no… nothing.

For an omega older than himself to have zero experience in intimacy with an alpha, even the soft non-sexual kind? No wonder he was jumpy. “Alright, says here he came from a referral?”

“Yeah, GP basically threw him at us after he turned violent during his last heat an damn near mauled his uncle, he mentioned Gareth when he came in, that’s why they gave him to you.” Not just because he was one of the best Alphas there, but because Gareth had said nice things, the omega had asked for him. “Go get him tiger.”

Part 2

[apomaro-mellow]

Inspired by this post where the older kids get walkie-talkies

“Hey Birdie, is the Master with you?”

Steve’s call got no response, even though he knew Robin never went far without her walkie-talkie.

“Birdie? Is the Master with you?”

Steve was about to get irate until he realize why she wasn’t responding and let out the biggest sigh and eye roll.

“Is the Master with you? Over.”

Finally a crackle came on. “He is indeed. Over.”

“Can you tell him to bring some chocolate chips when you guys come over? ....Over.”

“Can do! Over.”

“Excuse me”, Eddie’s voice came on the line. “Why doesn’t Birdie get the shopping list? Over.”

“Because she’ll either forget to go to the store, or go and get distracted and buy everything except what I asked for. Over.”

“You know me so well~ Over.”

“This is blatant favoritism. Over.”

“I’ll give you the first pick of cookies for your troubles. Over.”

“Complain rescinded.”

Steve smiled. “What was that?”

“Complaint rescinded. Over.”

---------

It had started with Nancy giving them the walkie-talkies, which seemed out of character for her until she gave the reason. They were only able to save Max because they had instant communication. And when they couldn’t reach the gang in California, it felt hopeless. So it had been a precaution. If anything happened, they’d have these. Spring Break came and went. As did the rest of spring. And their purpose quickly went from emergency communication to anything that came to their minds. The first time the kids found out about it, they decried copying.

Nancy was quick to say theirs was more serious. And it was true to an extent. They had codenames, they had protocols they followed. No one ever said Code Red without meaning it. The one time it had been used, Steve called on it after Robin got hit by a car trying to save a kid. If you asked anyone else, they would’ve said he was hysterical. If you asked Steve, he was appropriately concerned for his friend who was hanging by a thread. She walked away with a bruised rib and a couple of stitches.

“This is Wave Rider, asking for permission to land. Over”, Argyle said.

“This is the Master, you are granted. Over.”

Both boys gave each other goofy grins as they stood across from each other in front of Eddie’s trailer. 

“Nancy would kill you two if she saw you using them in close proximity”, Jonathan said.

“What she won’t know won’t kill her, right?”, Eddie said.

“You don’t need to tell him twice”, Argyle grinned.

Jonathan gave him a good-natured nudge while the three of them went inside.

------

Steve and Robin had left Family Video and now worked at a nearby convenience store. The You Suck/Rule board had returned. Dustin vaguely remembered it. When he saw all the You Suck tallies, he figured Steve was repeatedly striking out with girls again.

“Maybe you should give up on chicks for a while”, he said one day, when he came for a slushie. “Doesn’t seem like it’s your forte nowadays.”

Steve slumping onto the counter made sense. But Robin’s raucous laughter, not so much.

“This is Birdie to Jonner-Than-You, come in. Over.”

“Jonner-Than-You here, Birdie. What’s your status? Over.”

“Apparently Loverboy here needs to give up on women. Dusty Buns says they’re not his forte.”

Dustin was about to argue that call sign when he heard Jonathan laugh the loudest he had ever heard.

Unbeknownst to him, the board wasn’t for whenever Steve struck out with girls. It was specifically when he struck out with Eddie whenever he came into their little corner of 7-11 heaven.

------------

“Big Wheel to the Master. Come in. Over.”

“The Master reporting. What’s up? Over.”

“Is Mini Wheels with you? Over?”

There was what could only be described as indignant squawking on the other end of the line. That confirmed her brother was indeed on the other end of the call.

“That’s a roger on that. Over.”

“Tell him that even if he’s in high school, he still has a curfew. And I’m not covering for him again. Over.”

“I’ll make sure he gets the message. Over.” Eddie looked over to Mike. “Hey Mini Wheels!”

“Stop calling me that!”

---------------

The six of them had gotten together for an afternoon hangout that slowly trickled down. Nancy had to get home, Jonathan left to meet up with a study group, and as day turned to night, Argyle drove Robin to her shift at the store. Which left Eddie and Steve alone at the Harrington Residence to finish off the movie they’d started.

Steve could do this. He could be smooth. He’d been striking out because the fact it was Eddie and not just some random girl made the stakes higher. Made him doubt himself. But the King Steve shit hadn’t been totally a lie. He could bring back just a bit. Enough to get Eddie to melt in his hands. 

It started with playing with his hair and giving him meaningful looks. He’d made out with girls while a movie was on a bunch of times. Depending on how ready they were, it could be easy to pull them out of it.

When Eddie looked for too long at his lips, Steve knew he had him. 

“Can I try something?”, Steve asked while curling a long lock around his finger.

Eddie nodded hesitantly before swallowing. “Y-yeah, go for it, dude.”

Steve leaned in slow, giving Eddie a chance to back out. He didn’t. The kiss was slow and warm and Steve’s hand went deeper into his hair. When he pulled away, Eddie came with him for a second kiss. This one went deeper and had Eddie pushing Steve back against the couch. When they parted this time, Steve felt like he was in a daze, when a realization came to him.

He jolted up, nearly knocking Eddie off the couch as he reached for the walkie-talkie. “This is Loverboy to Birdie. Put a point down for I rule cause Harrington’s still got it baby!”, he said, snapping excitedly.

“Bullshit”, Robin replied.

Eddie took the device from Steve. “This is the Master, confirming the Harrington does in fact, still have it. Over.” He then dropped the walkie-talkie onto the floor and went back to kissing Steve.

Argyle had made the astute observation that Robin had put down a tally right after he’d done a transaction with Steve, but Eddie hadn’t wanted to believe he had anything to do with that scoreboard.

-----------

“This is Jonner-Than-You, confirming the retrieval and delivery of five nuggets and a tall drink. Over.”

“Loverboy responding, it’s supposed to be six nuggets, a tall drink, and three sides. Over.”

“Mad Max went off to have dinner with Lucky Number and the sides are not cooperating. Over.”

“You tell the rest of that club that they better get their asses in that van. Nancy, Argyle, and I didn’t slave over a hot stove just for them to-”

Jonathan held up the walkie to the rest of the Hellfire club to hear all of Steve’s tirade. No one turned down an invitation to Sunday dinner. No one.

----------

The six of them laid out in the middle of a field, blissed out. For once, none of them had anywhere to be or anything to do. A perfect opportunity to waste time by passing a joint and watching the sky.

Jonathan picked up his walkie-talkie. “This is Jonner-Than-You reporting in. I love you guys.”

“Birdie to Jonner-Than-You, I love you too.”

“Um, Loverboy to Birdie. You’re supposed to love me best. Over.”

“Wave Rider responding. There’s enough love to go around. You should know that Loverboy.”

“You guys are high as fuck. Over”, Eddie said.

“Big Wheel to the group. Quit wasting your batteries. Over.”

“Birdie to Big Wheel. Not until you admit you love us. Over.”

That started a chant of “Love us. Love us.” through the walkie-talkies which made it reverberate even more until Nancy was covering her ears and everyone ditched the walkie-talkies to dog pile on top of her. Only then did she admit she loved these idiots.

[bettyfrommars]

Death Becomes Us//Part 2: When Doves Cry vampire!Eddie x supernatural!fem!Reader//True Blood AU

⚠️18+Only pls⚠️ adult themes, blood, drinking blood, enemies to lovers, eventual smut, violence, reader and vampire!Eddie both get physically hurt--but they end up okay, talk of needles, alcohol consumption, talk of addiction, mention of sex, sanguivoriphobia, talk of the supernatural, death. Word Count: 6.7k

Series Masterlist

Summary: You start your first day at Main Vein, the vampire/human crossover bar owned by Bob Newby, flanked by vampire!bartender!Argyle and you learn what a risk humans can be to vampires as you begin to navigate their world. You and Eddie have to rescue each other as you're forced to share an intimate exchange that brings you irrevocably close. Playlist

Important words/phrases for this chapter: Fanger (derogatory term for vampires) Fang Banger (derogatory term for people who like to be bitten by vampires during sex) Sanguivoriphobia (fear of vampires)

✂️

If you are in the group of people who are familiar with True Blood, parts of this chapter will feel familiar. I won't be sticking to the storyline of the show religiously, but there are so many clever elements I wanted to incorporate. Please read the warnings above, as some of the things mentioned in this chapter might not be for everyone. ❤️

--------

Death Becomes Us Part 2: When Doves Cry

For years, you tried to cover your scars up with makeup, but then they ended up looking lumpy and odd, and it made people stare even harder trying to figure out what was under the heavy layers of foundation and powder. You’d never met anyone like you before, and it made you feel a type of deep loneliness that you never talked about because you knew no one would understand.

You’d left some tuna on your porch for Dio before you went to bed, and you were pleased to find the saucer licked clean when you left your trailer the next day. You could tell that she was well fed and that your nasty vampire neighbor was taking good care of her, but you wanted to reward her for proving to Eddie that she did, indeed, like someone other than him.

The white BMW was gone, and the old van was back, parked next to Eddie’s trailer. You were more curious and interested in whatever he was up to than you should be, considering you wanted nothing to do with him.

It was still daylight out when you rolled up early to Main Vein, and Bob got you to work writing out the specials on a sandwich board in your best handwriting, to hopefully attract customers in as they strolled by on the sidewalk. You shadowed Bob as he taught you the basics of tending bar while a couple humans (also known as “breeders” in the vampire world, because vampires, of course, could not procreate) came in for a few simple beers, and one guy ordered a jack and coke.

As a child, you were always an emphatic soul; you could tell what a person was feeling, even if they told you with their words that they were feeling something else. It was a trauma response to surviving in the emotional chaos you grew up in. Now, since the accident, you could read human emotions and intentions with ten times the intensity.

Vampires, on the other hand, were impervious to your gift—or, curse, as you often referred to it.

For instance, you could tell that Bob Newby had a heart of gold; his enthusiasm was not a fake front to hide dark intentions. He truly loved his vampire girlfriend, whom you had yet to meet, and he harbored nothing but the best intentions in the brainstorming of his human/vampire crossover bar Main Vein. He believed that vampires were good people who just happened to be dead, and that we were all equals, despite the fact that they were stronger, faster, immortal, and subsided on blood alone.

You were behind the bar, concentrating on putting the exact amount of alcohol in a drink that the recipe card in front of you called for, when Argyle slid in next to you and bumped your arm. His skin felt like ice.

“Careful!” He snickered. “Don’t spill any,” but half of the liquid had already dripped down your fingers. Since you couldn’t get a read on vampire’s emotions, it was a relief for you to be around them. Feeling other people’s emotions often meant that you had to experience them, and that was not to your benefit in many cases. Being around crowds of people sapped your energy in a way you still struggled to recover from.

Argyle wore his black hair straight and parted down the middle; it was shiny and soft and you wanted to touch it. He had on a colorful, button down shirt, and a blue visor that said Main Vein on it. He nodded at what you were working on, wiggling his eyebrows. “Whadda we got going on here?”

You sighed and told him what the customer ordered. Argyle smiled and waved you off. “I got this, foxy dudette. Let the master take over,” he cracked his knuckles and interlaced his fingers, flexing his palms out before he brought things from the under bar at lightning speed.

You were more than happy to shove off and get to the group at the front waiting to be seated.

When you were half way there with menus tucked under your arm, you realized that this group was mean and anxious and desperate; a combination that made alarms go off inside of you as your skin exploded in a wash of goosebumps.

They were nice enough to your face, though. It was a woman with two men, all dressed in denim and plaid; one of the men had an American flag on the front of his t-shirt. The other one had his greasy hair squished under a trucker cap, and two missing teeth in front. The redhead woman wore an Ed Hardy tube top under her flannel, and she was pretty in a whiskey and Marlboro reds kind of way. Her smile was big and gracious as she smacked her green gum, and they followed you to a booth.

They ordered a round of beers with potato skins from the appetizer menu, and just as you excused yourself to give their order to Bob in the kitchen, the woman grabbed your wrist.

You squeezed your eyes closed until you could calm the surge that went through your body when you felt threatened, waiting for the fire behind your eyes to settle before you met her gaze again.

“Sorry, darlin’ but this is a bar for vampires, too, right?” She was bent forward, whispering to you, her pupils tightly pinned in her dusty blue eyes. There was a faded, long stem rose tattoo on her white freckled forearm.

“Um, yes,” you looked around. “Will there be more with your party? Should I bring over a menu with our plasma options?”

The two men chuckled across the table at each other as if you’d just made a joke.

“That’s okay, baby,” the woman said sweetly, releasing your arm. “But, are there any vampires in here right now? Me and the boys were just hoping to see one up close, is all.”

You thought about what they were asking you, and the fact that their emoting of desperation was getting stronger, and decided not to point Argyle out to them. They’d eventually figure that one out for themselves because he loved to show his teeth. “I’m not really sure,” you lied with a shrug. “I never can tell the difference.”

The woman frowned and turned back to the two men as they started to discuss something.

The other waitress, a human named Erica Sinclair, tucked her Main Vein t-shirt into her shorts as she joined you on the floor, rolling her eyes. Bob introduced the two of you in a rush as he flipped a burger, and Erica gave you a bored look, but her gaze did not linger on your your scars like most. “You’re new here, right? You’re smiling, so you must be. Nothing much to smile about around here.”

You told her you’d only been in town a few days as you grabbed a second round of beers for the table that had been asking about vampires. You weren’t paying too much attention when the front door opened, but then some of the other customers seemed to still, conversations coming to a halt, and Erica’s attention shifted over your shoulder, eyes narrowing.

The song When Doves Cry by Prince was playing on the stereo system as you turned on your heel to witness your neighbor Eddie step across the threshold with ease; one initial invitation was all that was needed, apparantly. According to Bob, invitations could also be reversed if necessary. It was the couple waiting behind Eddie for their invitation that alerted everyone to the presence of something supernatural.

The two behind him could’ve easily passed as “regular” mortals. They had a very mom and pop look about them; she was a brunette in a floral dress and he was in trousers, a dark blue button down, and had a receding hairline. She clutched her white handbag at her stomach, and the man with her had his hand at her back, coaxing her in.

Eddie pretended not to see you there as he cupped a hand to light his cigarette and made his way over to the bar to take his normal seat at the end to order a Fang Tang, not even giving a second glance to the vampires stuck outside. Maybe they weren’t his friends? Not all vampires were friends, surely, as you were not close with all humans.

Bob would’ve been the first to greet them and welcome them in, but he was knee deep in the kitchen, wearing his “Bob the Brain” custom embroidered apron, and when you turned to Erica, she shook her head. “I’m not a fan of the Fangers myself. It’s going to take me a minute to get used to this new world.”

Your eyes snapped to Argyle, but he was busy at the other end of the bar doing a Tom Cruise juggling act with the booze to impress two of the local Fang Bangers.

So you straitened your shirt, squared your shoulders, and made your way over to greet them.

Meanwhile, the redhead woman with the rose tattoo on her arm and the two men with her were hyper focused on the new arrivals; you could feel the cold, wet tug of some kind of rot in their veins, surging though them and clouding their rational thoughts.

At the time, you did not know that there was an underground market for vampire blood, not only for its healing properties, but the euphoric high and transcendent experience it gifted the user. It enhanced sexual performance and gave humans the mental prowess of superhuman strength. Needless to say, it was a highly prized commodity; expensive and addictive.

Hunched at the bar in his leather and battle vest, and a handkerchief hanging from his back pocket, Eddie appeared to be ignoring you as you walked to greet the newcomers. You had never professionally invited a vampire in before, so you might have overcompensated with how cheerful your tone was. “Welcome to Main Vein,” you plastered a smile across your face. “Please enter and follow me. I will show you to your seat,” you also added a slight bow and extension of your arm like you were back in theater class again.

They stepped inside with a swoosh—a sound like they were breaking some invisible barrier you couldn’t see. They asked for a booth, and the only one out of the five that was available happened behind the party that was eager to see vampires up close: now they would get their chance. This vampire couple was not at all what you envisioned when people talked of “bloodsuckers from hell”. They seemed grateful to be able to come out to a bar with regular people---perhaps it reminded them of the human lives they’d once lived.

The guy in the trucker hat with two missing teeth turned around in his seat to get a better look as they sat and you offered them the plasma menus. You explained the different categories for synthetic blood, and how each offered the same taste and nutrients as real human blood. They offered replicas of a whole range of blood types, for those vampires with discerning palettes. You frowned at the guy in the trucker hat to make him turn back around and take his seat.

On your way back to the kitchen, Erica caught you by the elbow, her eyes wide. “What did they say to you?”

“They just wanted menus,” you said with a shrug, glancing over your shoulder at the couple in question. “I don’t think they’re all as bad as they seem on the news.”

“Oh, believe me,” She gave you a dire look. “They are evil. Don’t let the Laura Ashley dress and the Newport loafers fool you.” Truly, Erica had not yet properly met more than a handful of vampires in her life, she’d only heard the rumors.

“Have you ever met one?” You asked, assuming that she’d known plenty.

“I’ve met enough of them,” she promised, hands on her hips, and then she gestured to your neighbor at the end of the bar. “I know Eddie. But that’s only because I met him...before the change. And I’m forced to be around Argyle because I work here.”

When Erica walked off, you made the mistake of glancing over at the Eddie in question, and he tried to lower his eyes to his synthetic blood beverage as if he hadn't been watching you.

Argyle was working a metal cocktail shaker over his shoulder when you came back to the bar, and he nudged his chin at you. “What’s up with the freaks?” He asked, referring to the redhead with the rose tattoo and the two beefy men with her. He filled two martini glasses with a dark red concoction and trimmed each with a tiny pink flower.

You leaned forward a bit so you wouldn’t have to yell, tilting your head. “They specifically asked if there were any vampires here tonight,” you glanced over at Eddie again, but he was engrossed in something he was doodling on a napkin. “Do you think they’re tourists?”

“Nah,” Argyle wiped his hands on the rag at his waist, eyeing the table in question. “That’s Angie Klemp and her inbred brothers. They’ve been around forever.”

You could tell by his expression that he was weary of them, and you knew that he had excellent hearing which probably allowed him to listen in on some of what they were saying as they huddled together at their booth.

Wanting to change the subject, Argyle winked at you. “You’re doing a rad job, surfer girl. These are for the vampire couple that just sat down,” he pushed the two martini glasses toward you. “It’s our signature synthetic blood cocktail. Tell them it’s on the house.”

As the night picked up a bit, you took an order to the wrong table and fumbled a glass that shattered behind the bar. While you were cleaning that up, and mumbling apologies to Argyle, a woman wearing glasses and her honey-streaked brown hair in a bob took a seat at the small table by the window. Erica had a tray of drinks in her hand, so you dumped a dustpan full of glass in the trash and went over to wait on the new guest.

“Do I know you?” You asked as you took your pad and pen out to take her order.

She clamped her top teeth over her bottom lip, tucking hair behind her ear, shyly. “I own the bookstore down the street,” she answered. “You were in earlier, but I never got a chance to introduce myself.”

Of course, it came to you almost as quickly as she said it. You’d been so early for work that you took a walk around the block and ended up wandering into the quaint bookshop on the corner with the wind chimes made from seashells in the window. You had mentioned to her as you purchased a used paperback that you were starting work that day.

“The bookstore with the cats,” you grinned, pointing your pen at her. There had, indeed, been two resident cats in the shop, lazily draped over their carpeted perches in the sun, and sleepy, cream colored bigger dog behind the front counter.

“That’s the one,” she nodded, and then she stuck her hand out to introduce herself. “I’m Robin, in case you ever come back in, you can ask for me,” that seemed to fluster her and she shook her head. “You don’t have to ask for me, I’m usually there, but if you ever come by again, that would be nice.” Her cheeks got pink as she fumbled for the glass of ice water in front of her and took a sip.

You met her eyes and told her that you be back in soon to finish the series you were reading, and then she ordered a glass of wine with her salad. You could tell her heart was racing. She was nervous and excited to see you, as if maybe she’d had to give herself a pep talk before she came in. You noticed there was a certain warmth about her that wasn’t present in other humans. Whereas vampires were abnormally cold; Robin was pumping off heat like she had a temperature, and you were instantly fascinated by her.

----------

A bit later in the evening, Eddie said his goodbyes to Argyle, and you took casual note of his departure out of the corner of your eye while you bussed a table.

What you also noticed was the way Angie Klemp and her brothers paid quickly, and got up to follow Eddie out only a minute behind him. They’d had 6 beers and just as many tequila shots between them, and you got the feeling that they were up to no good. The two men were tapping their knees under the table, and scratching their necks and hands as if being actively attacked by ants.

The pulses of emotional electricity coming off of them instantly made your pores on your scalp blossom with sweat at how panicked they were; how hell bent. But again, what would they want with Eddie? To take their picture with him? That was a common tourist occurrence in Hawkins. But, the tourists in question usually preferred the subject to look like a stereotypical vampire; maybe wearing a cape, or dressed like Elvira. As far as you could tell, vampires usually kept with the same style they had when they were turned.

Eddie did naturally have that “vampire” look, though. He was a loner, he wore all black, he had spooky tattoos, and that long dark hair framing his pale face.

You were refilling someone’s water when you overheard Erica tell a guy at the bar to stop staring at her ass before she stabbed his eyes out with her pen, and it made you chuckle, mostly because you knew she wasn’t bluffing.

Ten minutes or so later, you were grabbing napkins from the storeroom in the back hall when you heard high pitched voices, screaming at each other from the alleyway parking lot. You hesitated with your hand on the shelf, wondering if it was just two people arguing and probably none of your business, but then you heard another scream, and decided to crack the door and peek out.

You had to scan the area at first, but then your eyes widened as they took in what was happening: against the brick wall of the next building, in a parking space between two cars, your neighbor Eddie was on the ground, his neck and wrists wrapped in silver chain, pinning him to the ground. You gasped and swallowed as you saw the steam rise up from where the silver was burning his flesh, his mouth set in a grimace.

Angie Klemp made fast work of jabbing a needle into the crease of each of his elbows draining his blood through tubing into clear bags. The brother in the American flag shirt paced at Eddie’s feet, barely able to contain his need for the drug, and the other one with two missing teeth kicked Eddie in the leg and then spat on him. “Yeah? Whadda ya think about that? Not so tough now, are you, Fanger?”

You stepped inside only to grab the fire extinguisher off the wall before heading back out, careful not to make any noise as the door shut. You tip toed around so that you were hidden behind the van next to them.

Angie seemed to be doing all the work, jerking the port out to fill another bag on the filthy pavement. “Goddamn it, I knew we should’ve taken him home first. This is risky as hell.”

“There’s no time for that!” The brother with two missing teeth took his hat off and scratched his head viciously. “I need some of the blood now, can’t I just have a little bit?”

Angie threw him a disgusted look. “You’re a fuckin’ addict, Clyde. How are we supposed to make money on this shit if you drink up all the profits? Get your shit together!”

You peeked your head out from behind the van, and Eddie saw you. His eyes were black and his fangs were out, but the silver had him rendered completely incapacitated. You could only imagine that the amount of blood they were taking was also making him weak.

You lifted up the fire extinguisher to let him know you were coming to his rescue, but he shook his head, trying to warn you off.

The two beefy men were too caught up in the throws of withdrawals and had their backs to you as you came up behind them. With a mighty heave, you cracked one in the back of the head with the big metal canister, and then when the other one turned around, you sprayed him in the face with the foam that comes out of the nozzle, blinding him. He clapped his hand to his face, yowling, and tripped himself on his own feet, going down hard.

Angie slowly stood, realizing that both men were on the ground, dazed, and she gave you a nasty snarl. “Why, you stupid, cut face whore,” she bit out just before she lunged at you.

You were about to swing the canister at her face when, from out of nowhere, a huge, boxy, beige pit bull terrier lunged from the darkness, barking and growling at Angie, barring its teeth, forcing her to back up. You looked down, a bit shocked: you’d never seen that dog before in your life. Would it attack you next? Hesitant, you let the dog move between the two of you, protectively, as it curled its lip and growled.

You pointed the nozzle at the woman. “Try us, bitch.”

The pit bull started barking a loud alarm that would soon have people coming to see what the hell was going on. Angie clenched her hands in the air as if she wanted to wring your neck, and then she was shouting for the two stumbling men to get in the truck.

“Go, go, go, you dickheads,” Angie demanded, grabbing the one covered in white goo by the collar, dragging him along.

The one with the crack to his skull was bleeding down the side of his head. “But what about the blood? Let’s take the blood!”

You and your new, aggressive pit bull friend stepped in front of Eddie, your weapon ready. “Don’t even think about it, fucker.”

You waited for them to pile in the truck and speed away before you dropped the fire extinguisher to the ground with a thunk and got on your knees next to Eddie, bits of gravel cutting into your shin.

The pit bull licked your cheek and stood guard next to you, looking from you to Eddie as if it understood everything that was going on, head tilting every so often. You were too concerned with how the silver was sizzling on his skin like bacon on a frying pan to wonder about your new companion. There were still needles in his arms and you slipped them out, cringing as you did so. You watched in awe as the hole marks in his arms disappeared and healed right before your very eyes.

“Can you move?” You asked him.

Eddie could barely talk, the pain of the silver was so excruciating. That, and he was extremely low functioning after so much blood loss. If those three had wanted to end him, they very well could have. He wondered how many vampires they had trapped and drained over the past few years.

He managed a scratchy, whispered, “no. It’s...the silver…”

With a gulp, you went to work unwrapping the chain from his neck and then his wrists, peeling layers of skin with it. He was an immortal vampire, but you could only imagine how much it must hurt, and yet, he hadn’t even made whimper.

His eyes never left you as you worked on him so diligently, your brows knitted together with focused determination. His neck was kinked forward, as his head and shoulders were propped up against the brick wall.

Unwrapping the last coil from around his wrist, you noticed that the wounds were staying the same, and you met his eyes. “Why aren’t you healing?”

“I’m too weak right now,” his eyes flicked away from you. “I won’t be able to heal until I feed.”

At that, the pit bull whined, and took its cue to turn and disappear back into the night.

You looked over your shoulder at the door to Main Vein. “Would synthetic blood work?”

He closed his eyes and shook his head once, rolling it against the wall. “Has to be...human,” he breathed, bangs sticking to his clammy forehead.

His once rosy lips were pale and the mangled wounds left from the silver made you feel bad for him, even though you weren’t even sure if you liked him.

“What if I just left you here?” You asked, raising an eyebrow. “Would you die?”

The corners of his mouth stuck together as he talked. “If I don’t feed soon, I won’t be able to protect myself. More will come to take my blood, and if I’m still out here at daybreak then, yes, the sunlight will kill me.”

Your gaze moved from his ripped throat to his eyes again, hovering there. There was a thick leather cuff on your wrist that you used to cover up your scar, but you undid the buckle, exposing the underside of your forearm. You wondered if he was too weak to expose his fangs, so you used the back of one of your earrings to slice a thin opening across your skin, wincing in pain as you did so.

Eddie’s breath hitched in anticipation as you lifted the bleeding gash to his mouth. He couldn’t lift his arms, so you pressed it there, and his eyes locked on yours as you felt his tongue lick across the cut just before his eye went black and he began to suck, moaning, drinking you as a small trickle of blood dripped down to his chin.

At one point, he got some of his strength back, and his hand with the three silver, chunky rings came up to push your forearm against his eager mouth as he fed, and your heart raced at the sight of it. The passion of his need made your pussy clench around nothing as you knelt there in the grimy parking lot.

When his swallowing finally slowed, you tugged your arm away and clutched it to the underside of your apron. Eddie licked his blood-stained lips and met your eyes again. “Seriously,” he was strong enough now to brace his hands and push himself up so that his back was no longer on the ground. He leaned close as if he could read the answers in your eyes. “What are you?”

Your face was inches from his. “Do I taste different?”

“Yes,” he returned, without hesitation. The mauled skin around his neck and wrists were completely healed. “I’ve never tasted anyone like you before.”

You got to your feet, clipping your leather cuff back on, realizing you’d need to find a first aid kit before you went back to work.

“I owe you big time,” Eddie looked you up and down as he sat for a bit to catch his breath. “If you ever need---”

The back door to Main Vein opened and Erica was standing there with her arms crossed, shouting across the parking lot at you. “What the hell is going on out here? Am I working the floor by myself tonight or what?”

You walked to the back end of the van to tell her you’d be right in, and when you turned back to say something to Vampire Eddie---he was gone.

-------

“What the hell were you thinking?” Erica blanched as she helped you wrap up your arm at the desk in Bob’s office. “You know these Fangers eat people, right?”

She was still yelling, but you were trying not to take it personal. “Well, he didn’t eat me, so I guess there are exceptions.”

“What the hell do you call him drinking your blood, then?” Erica had a very soft touch while bandaging you up, careful to make sure she cleaned the wound and inspected you to make sure you didn’t have a bite mark.

“You girls okay?” Bob came around the corner, flushed, his face red and glistening in sweat from a long night behind the grill.

Erica jerked her thumb over her shoulder at you. “This one decided to play vigilantly in the parking lot to save one of your vampire buddies.”

Bob beamed. “Aw, you made a vampire friend? They’re awesome aren’t they?”

This time, you and Erica exchanged a confused look.

---------

At the end of your shift, Bob and Argyle stayed to finish up with two vampire customers at the bar who were lingering. With a heavy sigh, you took your blue, blood-stained apron off, grabbed things from your wood cubby in the back, and then walked with Erica down to the end of the sidewalk. The two of you had to split up and go in separate directions because your hearse was parked at the curb, and Erica only lived a few blocks away. You offered her a ride home, but she declined. You could feel that she had some personal issues weighing on her heart, and besides that, she had a deep well of emotions inside for the people she cared about, and it took her a while to trust people and open up. If you didn’t have your curse, you’ve might’ve just assumed she hated you.

It was late, but because of growing vampire population in civilized areas, there were several lights in windows, and the low hum of conversations drifting down from higher up apartments. There were streetlamps on each corner, but the dark side of the building cast a heavy shadow on you as you fumbled for your keys.

You were just about to unlock the door when you heard the shuffling of footsteps, and then before you could turn, the hard edge of a rope edge dug into your neck, gagging you, and then you were yanked back, off your feet. You tried to scream, but it only came out as a gargle. Your ass caught most of the fall to the pavement, but then your head clapped back onto the hard surface and it caused a ringing sound in your skull. The person holding the rope around your neck pulled it tighter, and you struggled, kicking your feet, trying to get free.

Angie Klemp and her brother in the American flag t-shirt were standing above you, sneering. She kicked you in the ribs and you wailed at the pain. She squatted down to mock you. “Oh, darn, I guess that fanger boyfriend of yours isn’t around to return the favor now, is he?”

They were dragging you now, pulling you by the neck around into the alleyway where no one could see what they were about to do to you.

Your vision was getting blurry as you heard the woman's voice again. “You cost me five thousand dollars worth of fanger blood, and we’re gonna take it out of your ass.”

The rope burned as it slipped off your neck and you were somehow able to roll on your side and stand, just as one of the men punched you across the face and you went down again, coughing, tasting blood. You were on your hands and knees, trying to catch your breath, and one of them kicked the steel toe of their boot into your stomach, making you double over in pain as they laughed, tears squeezing from your eyes as you tasted bile.

You wondered if you were going to die there.

In a blink, with spots in your eyes, you tried to focus as you swore you saw the guy in the trucker hat get his neck broken right there where he stood. His head twisted all the way around, forced by seemingly invisible hands, and then he slumped to the ground, dead. Before the other two could figure out what was happening, you saw Eddie pick the guy with the American flag shirt up and throw him onto the hood of a car, his head crashing through the windshield with a bloody splat. Angie tried to run, but Eddie caught her by the back of her neck and picked her up off of her feet. With one hand, he threw her into the nearby dumpster and slammed the lid with a bang.

This had all been done in seconds; he moved at the speed of light.

You were on your side, choking on blood, feeling scared as your vision began to tunnel. But then, strong arms were lifting you up as Eddie scooped you against his chest, “I got you, I got you,” he murmured against your bloody head. “You’re gonna be okay.”

You might have blacked out for a bit because when you opened your eyes, you were on the grass in the park across the street, propped up against a tree. You mewed in pain as your head throbbed and you choked on a sticky pool of blood in the back of your throat.

Eddie took his jacket and denim off as he knelt in front of you, revealing the Metallica t-shirt he had on. You tried to hold your head up as he produced his fangs and sank them into his own arm, and then held the leaking bite marks out to you.

“You need to drink my blood, so you can heal,” he said. He didn’t want to scare you in that moment, but you had a serious gash in your skull, and he had no idea how bad that kick you took had affected your internal organs.

You tried to push away from him, your eyes wide. “I don’t want to be a vampire.”

“You won’t be,” he assured you. “Believe me, I don’t want this for you, either.”

There was a tenderness in him then that you were noticing for the first time. You’d been taken by surprise, but under normal circumstances, you would’ve been able to handle the Klemps on your own. You weren’t used to feeling helpless and in need of someone’s care. You could feel the blood dripping down your neck and your vision was starting to fade again.

“Just a little bit,” you breathed, sticky lips parted.

Eddie cupped your head in one hand as he brought his arm over, similar to how you had fed him earlier. The weeping holes from his fang marks were right in the middle of one of his tattoos and you closed your eyes as your mouth latched on, nursing on him like your life depended on it---which it did. It tasted ordinary, like sucking on a penny, but it felt like velvet on your tongue, warming your insides.

Consumed with a sudden lust for the juice in his veins, you sucked harder, whimpering, and you didn’t see it, but Eddie’s eyes went back as he growled in the back of his throat at the pleasure of the sensation. You drank until your brain stopped throbbing, and then you rested your head back against the tree, a smear of his blood across your chin.

You noticed Eddie was close to you, his mouth at your temple as he licked a bit of your blood from a scratch there as it was healing. You jerked to the side, surprised to catch him wanting to sample you again.

Your eyes locked. “What do I taste like?”

He searched your face, aroused by the sight of his blood on your mouth. “Like...memories. Like ice cream and summer breeze and suntan lotion melting on warm skin.”

Your lips were almost touching as he confessed this to you. There was no vocabulary for him to properly explain the many layered depth to your blood; it was sweet and savory, and it also tingled in the back of his throat like pop rocks or fireworks and made him feel alive again if only for a few moments.

You lifted your hand to your throat to find that the rope burn was gone, and your ribs didn’t feel like they were broken. You were just about to ask him another question, but then he was on his feet in a flash, putting his jacket on.

“Also,” he flipped his hair out of the collar of his leather. “Now that you have my blood in you, I’ll always know where you are,” it sounded more cryptic than he meant for it to, and so he added, “just in case you ever need my help again.”

You frowned. “But, how will you know if I need help?”

He busied himself rolling his cuffs up. “I’ll be able to sense your fear.”

You were letting that sink in when he spoke up again. “And don’t be surprised if you have some dreams about me.”

“Dreams?” You raised an eyebrow.

He turned his head and rested his tongue between his teeth as he figured out how to say it. “The sexual kind.”

“Oh,” you looked down, suddenly embarrassed. He stood there shuffling his foot on the grass and you had so many questions for him. How had he become a vampire? Was it something that he chose, or was it forced on him? How long had he been one? You were trying to choose which one to ask when he spoke.

“Hop up,” he said, gesturing for you to get on his back like you were a little girl. “I’ll take you back to your hearse.”

Normally, you hated when men tried to pick you up, but Vampire Eddie carried you across the street like you weighed no more than air. You had your arms around his shoulders and his hands were cupped under your thighs; the vanilla sandalwood of his hair blew across your face in soft tendrils. He lowered you to the ground once he got to the parking lot, and you both looked down the alleyway at the Klemp bodies that Eddie had dropped in his effort to rescue you.

You swallowed. “It’s illegal for vampires to kill humans,” you said in a hush. “I don’t want you to get in trouble for this. I’ll tell the police I was---”

“No police,” Eddie stopped you in a gruff voice. His jaw muscles flexed as he turned to you. “It’s also illegal for humans to drain a vampire for sport,” he pulled a pack of cigarettes from his inside pocket and bit one with his teeth to pull it out of the pack. It bounced there as he talked, squinting one eye at you. “I’ll take care of them, you don’t have to worry about it, princess.”

Since he’d just saved your life, you decided to let him get away with the pet name.

He lit his smoke and took a tight, hissing inhale before aiming the exhale over your head. “I’ll stay here to make sure you get on the road okay.”

You looked down at yourself. “Yeah, I suppose I should get home and take a shower,” you noticed that your bag was in the gutter next to your front tire and you bent to pick it up, along with your keys up. “Guess I’ll see you around the trailer park.”

Inside the hearse, you watched from your rear view mirror as vampire Eddie leaned his back against the wall to smoke and make sure no one bothered you. He picked something off his tongue as you started the engine, and then you lowered your head to shift into gear.

You were not surprised this time to find him gone when you looked up.

-----

"Dig if you will the picture of you and I engaged in a kiss The sweat of your body covers me Can you my darling? Can you picture this? Dream if you can, a courtyard An ocean of violets in bloom Animals strike curious poses They feel the heat The heat between me and you How could you just leave me standing alone in a world so cold?"

-- When Doves Cry//Prince

------

Part 3: The taste of you

——-

Thank you for reading!

[guess-that-ship]

S12 Round 2

See You on the Same Side of the War

cw: war

Both the ultimate warrior of their respective armies, Green and Silver did not cross paths until the tail end of the war, but instantly became personal enemies. Silver destroyed the only home Green knew while Green thwarted the most important mission of Silver's career. Silver's army was winning, but it'd only be with Green's head on his sword that Silver could redeem himself.

Yet fate had other plans in store, as Silver was forced to work alongside Green and his allies after a shocking betrayal. Realizing all he had worked for was a lie, he threw away most of his prejudices to finally do the right thing - but fierce tension remained between him and Green. Harrowing battle after harrowing battle, however, and the two were soon saving each other's lives. It was merely to avoid causalities, there was still a war to win, it was the right thing to do-

But to Silver, their time meant more than that. He returned from the final battle to his home - Green did not. Silver remained one of the few people, perhaps the only one, to have faith that Green would one day return; and until then, he'd ensure the peace they fought for would one day come, even as more and more conflicts sprouted. On the wall of his ancestral home, detailing his life story, is a mural of a green figure - his worst enemy turned greatest friend; he says he's most proud of that one.

As I Know You Are

Argyle is considered the bottom of the barrel within his social hierarchy, being a nerd with few friends and a frequent target of degradation, to the point he has very little self worth and does not believe he is cool enough to leave a mark on the world. Plaid, meanwhile, is extremely popular and as close to royalty as someone could get in their situation, but most of her confidence is a front to cover for her own self worth issues, which stem from believing she's stupid. Despite both of them having issues seeing worth in themselves, they start to see worth in each other when Plaid singles out and asks Argyle to help her in a difficult situation, and Argyle starts to see she's much kinder and smarter than she tends to let on.

After accidentally helping to cause a tragedy that results in one of Argyle's tormentor's death, they now feel free to try to become closer without fear of retribution. However, the consequences of what they started begin to add up, placing stress on their relationship. When talking things out becomes inevitable, they accept that even though they're at fault for what happened to the tormentor, they don't regret growing close with each other, Argyle assuring Plaid she's smarter than she thinks, and Plaid telling Argyle he's cooler than he realizes, even if in a way unique to him.

[findafight]

Can interest you in a potentially controversial Stobin headcanon in what sounds like a trying time?

If so; Steve and Robin share girlfriend at some point.

Not in the “turns out that time we were both dating girls named Crystal? We were in fact dating one girl named Crystal. Who *somehow* never put it together that my Steve and the Steve she was two-timing me with were in fact the person!”

(This does in fact happen - I’m thinking when Robin’s in college and has met like, three different Crystals (one of whom has parents that lived in the same commune as Robin’s! Such a shame girls named Crystal have been *ruined forever*).

It’s a pretty surreal break up for Crystal; not only are her boyfriend and girlfriend turn out to be actually best friends (in her defence, Robin has taken to calling him “Stevie” at this point and the way she talks about him really conjures the image of a standard preppy bitch who’s been Robin’s best friend since kindergarten, and Steve (in retaliation) tends to use “Rob” and “Robbie”, leading Crystal to believe his Robin is male), and seem almost as angry about this as they are about the infidelity.

Crystal’s attempts at explaining herself and apologising result in Steve retorting that he’s not even mad that she’d want to date Robin - Robin’s fucking amazing! If Crystal had just told him that was what he wanted, he probably would have been okay with it - which Crystal takes as Steve being a bitch, but is something Robin will point later as her realising that this is something she might be okay with.)

Anyway, I figure this is something that would happen when they’re in their 20s and/or their 50s. They’re either approached by a woman who thinks they’re a couple (“does it make our marriage more or less of a sham if we’re sharing a mistress?”) or they approach someone they both have a crush on a la Troy & Abed asking out the librarian.

I don’t think either of them would identify as poly, per se - it’s very much “if it’s you, it’s okay”, and if the girlfriend breaks up with one of them, it’s assumed she’s breaking up with both of them.

I just kind of like the combination of Robin and Steve as Platonic Life Partners, trying to figure out polyamory and just how absolutely Buckwild (Robin’s Wrestler name!) it would be for their [potential] girlfriends and anyone on the outside of the situation. Jon and Eddie just sat there, listening to Steve ramble about the situation bc it’s Robin’s date night and just…bluescreening. Argyle smiling and nodding “happy for you, man. I mean, sucks you’re off the market, but glad you’ve found something that works”.

one yes always interested in controversial takes tbh. two. omg yes exactly you are so smart anon

The Crystal situation!! so true this is absolutely something that would happen to stobin (also true I know a few queer women called crystal). bad luck in love that's them!!

I think Steve is like. mostly monogamous...unless his gf/partner is also dating Robin. like it would make sense to him I think. He'd be like well. this way we don't have to worry you things being weird about my Very Normal Friendship With Robin That Some People Thing Is Weird!

I think I've mentioned before the funny scenario of stobin going "hey me and my platonic life partner saw you across the bar and liked your vibes" and I stand by that.

But also funny is that Steve or Robin's girlfriend being absorbed into their dynamic and realizing that she is..... sort of dating both of them? And her being the one to bring up dating the other and Robin and steve going well how would that change things? and everyone realizing that it would probably only change the amount of kisses gf gets and going well that sounds cool let's try it!

Maybe in their 20s it doesn't work out but they try again in their 50s and they go wow! this was a great idea we were just young and it just didn't work out.

that's so fun. I want them to have crazy dating stories. I want Jonathan and Eddie to sit there going what the hell are these two doing? because the complexities of stobin's dating lives have always confused them even before the poly V started, and argyle just vibing listening to the double date night shenanigans he's being told.

[marvel-ous-m]

*another installment of Modern Elementary School Steddie AU* *TWs: Hospital visit, medical scare*

It’s a rainy Friday in March when everything goes to shit. They’re coming up on Steve and Eddie’s 6 month anniversary, and Eddie’s using his lunch break to browse some potential weekend getaway spots. They can’t go too expensive- they’re both living off of a teacher’s salary after all, they can barely afford their living expenses, plus Valentine’s day just happened and they went a little overboard with a nice dinner- but Eddie had picked up a couple extra shifts at his old shop over the last few weekends while Steve was busy grading papers and lesson planning, so he had a little money set aside to treat Steve to something special. 

Eddie’s just about to press the ‘reserve’ button on an AirBnB in Chicago for the weekend when Mike Wheeler and Will Byers walk into his library holding hands. 

Unaccompanied.

And Mike looks like he’s been crying. 

Eddie stands from his chair and circles his desk, crouching in front of the two boys. “Hey guys. You should be doing…” Eddie searches his brain for a moment, trying to remember Steve’s schedule for the kids. “Math problems right now, right? Does Mr. Steve know that you’re here?”

“He told us to come here.” Will sniffs, and Eddie notes that he looks on the brink of tears. “He stopped teaching and then turned all the lights off and then sat down and then made us come an’ get you. ‘S he gonna be okay?” 

Eddie tries very, very hard to keep the panic off of his face. He honestly has no clue what’s going on, but he doesn’t waste time trying to figure it out. “Let’s go make sure. Good job being safe by coming here together, boys.” Eddie walks out of the library with them and down the hall- and goddamn why was Steve’s classroom so far from the library?!

Finally, after the longest three minutes of Eddie’s life, they make it to the classroom and Eddie finds a dark classroom of quiet kids sitting politely at their desks and Steve sitting at the front of the room, his forehead against the metal of his teacher’s table. Eddie clears his throat, smiling at all the kids. He needs to check on Steve, but if something is seriously wrong, he knows that Steve wouldn’t want the kids to see it. “Alright everyone, line up, we’re gonna visit Mr. Argyle’s 2nd grade class. C’mon, hop to it.” 

Argyle teaches across the hall, so Eddie figured it would be fastest to usher the kids across the hallway to him. He gets them all in a line within a minute (which is probably a world record for any elementary school anywhere, but he doesn’t exactly have the time to parade his accomplishment around at the moment). Argyle accepts the kids without question, having them all join him on the carpet at the front of the room for story time. He must see something in Eddie’s expression because Argyle waves him off the second the last kid steps into the classroom.

Eddie’s back across the hall in a heartbeat, kneeling next to Steve and brushing some hair out of his face. “Hey pretty boy. What’s goin’ on?” 

Steve lets out a low groan, shaking his head slightly against the table. Eddie sighs in response. “I need to know what’s wrong so I can fix it, babylove. Can you give me any direction? Is this a need-a-break-for-30-minutes thing or a need-to-call-the-paramedics thing?” Eddie sends a quick prayer to whatever being is listening that it’s not the second option. 

Then Steve unfurls his fist that was previously clenched in a fist and holds up two fingers, and Eddie’s stomach drops.

He uses Steve’s phone to dial Nancy’s extension, petrified of letting Steve out of his sight. He tells her it’s a code red and that she needs to come to Steve’s classroom pronto. Steve doesn’t complain about anything, like, ever. They were making dinner one night about a month ago and Steve cut his hand open on a potato peeler and laughed it off- then kept laughing it off as they went to urgent care to get him stitches. 

Eddie meets Nancy in the hall- reluctant to leave Steve, but also conscientious of not freaking Steve out as they go through the motions of getting him help. Nancy’s got her cell phone out and she dials for a paramedic first, then texts Johnathan to let him know that his afternoon library session had to be canceled. They both wait with Steve in the dark of his classroom until Nancy gets the call from the front office that the ambulance arrived. She stalks off, returning five minutes later with four paramedics and a stretcher. 

Eddie is pushed out of the way- and fuck, he hates having to stand by and watch, chewing at his fingernails as he sees the gaggle of paramedics speaking quietly between themselves and making Steve respond to questions and open his eyes for them to shine a light and check his pupils. Then they’re loading him on a stretcher, and everything starts to go by too quickly for Eddie to process.

Eddie blinks, and he’s in the back of an ambulance, his hand wrapped around Steve’s ankle- the only spot Eddie feels like he can touch without messing with wires, but he’s desperate to hold onto something. To show Steve that he’s here. 

He blinks again, and Eddie’s standing at the doors to the emergency room, staring at the doors through which they had just taken Steve, the doors through which he was not allowed to follow.

Another blink and he’s sitting at Steve’s bedside, head in his hands while Steve takes a medically-induced nap next to him. He’d been taken in for scans- MRI, CT, XRay- Eddie wasn’t sure, he got the letters mixed up in his panic, all he knew was that they scanned his head because his pupils weren’t dilating correctly, then took his blood to run some tests, then put him to sleep because he had thrown up from pain and had begged for them to turn the lights off.

Which, Eddie hated the image of Steve feeling that way. He could barely stand it. But he was glad that the nurse had told him- because seeing Steve wheeled back to the hospital room asleep had scared Eddie in an entirely different way. 

Steve woke up about two hours after he had been returned from his scans. He was groggy, but had reached for Eddie almost immediately and said that he was feeling a lot better, which made Eddie’s heart rate go down to a semi-normal bpm (in comparison to the previous extremely high heart rate- his anxiety was a bitch). A doctor joined them a few minutes later and Eddie held Steve’s hand as they got the update. 

Steve had a migraine, which the doctor explained could be chronic- Steve would need to speak with a neurologist about that. The emergency room doctor said he suspected it was due to head trauma and was latent until something knocked it into presenting itself. And that’s how Eddie found out that Jonathan Byers, 5th grade teacher, once beat up Steve when they were teenagers to protect Nancy Wheeler’s honor? Which... it was a very confusing timeline, not aided by Steve’s exhaustion, but Eddie made him promise that they would talk about it in detail when Steve was feeling better. 

Then Steve confessed to getting in a bar fight with a guy that happened to be Max Mayfield’s much older step-brother, where he had a beer bottle smashed over his head (a story which Eddie also couldn’t follow due to Steve’s current condition, and also made Steve promise to tell again when he was feeling better). 

Then there was a story about Steve getting punched by a Russian guy who was mugging him a year or so ago- which, how does that even happen? 

Then Steve finished off his recounting of his head trauma history by sharing that he’d slipped on some ice at the bottom of the stairs of his apartment complex about a month ago, and that the back of his head had hit the bottom step when he fell. He apparently didn’t think much of it at the time other than that it hurt like hell (which made Eddie have Steve promise to tell him anytime he got hurt- because things like this couldn’t keep happening). 

After recounting all his concussions, the doctor handed them a referral to a neurologist and had a nurse get them discharged. Eddie took Steve back to his place that night, unable to let Steve out of his sight. Steve was exhausted from the day, and in Eddie’s opinion, rightfully so. Eddie helped him get changed into sweats and then changed himself into more comfortable clothes. Finally, after they were both settled in Eddie’s bed, Eddie wrapped himself around Steve and kissed Steve’s forehead, watching his boy sleep the day’s stress away. Nancy gave them both the rest of the week off, knowing that Steve needed the rest and Eddie needed the peace of mind.

The two went to the neurologist that weekend and, after some more tests, Steve was diagnosed with chronic migraines due to multiple traumatic brain injuries. He was prescribed a daily medication, a preventative medication in case he began to feel a migraine coming on, and some high-strength pain medication to take if a migraine happened. He was also given strict orders to avoid any activities that could cause further brain injury, as that could lead to results that, for Eddie’s own health, were best not to talk at length about. 

Their anniversary money ended up getting used to offset the costs of the specialist visit and medication copay, and they ended up spending their 6 month anniversary curled up in Eddie’s bed while Eddie read Steve The Hobbit, but if the experience taught them both anything, it was that they didn’t need fancy trips out of state or five-star dinners to celebrate their love- the most important thing was just having time with each other, because they could have lost that completely, and they were never going to take that for granted again. 

Taglist: @goodolefashionedloverboi

Drop me an ask if you want to get added to the taglist or if you have any ideas/questions about this series!

[manycoloureddays]

under the stars / relief

for @comethedaylight 💜

“Ugh I can’t wait to go home and take the world’s longest shower,” Robin says, picking at the congealed monster blood drying on her skin. “I think I might also be vegetarian now.”

Steve laughs, tips his head back too and beams at the stars. The sky is clear now. For the first time in months, the sky is clear of the Upside Down.

“Actually,” she says. “I can’t wait to go home and use your shower. The water pressure is so much better at your place.”

Steve elbows her. “Tomay-to, tomah-to. My house is your house.”

“Uh, don’t you mean ‘mi casa es su casa’?” Mike asks.

Steve rolls his eyes, grabs Mike around the neck and ruffles his hair. “Similar sentiment, but not what I meant.”

“Ow, getoffme,” Mike grouches, all the while trying to pull the back of Steve’s shirt over his head.

It’s nice to be messing around. They’re bubbling with excitement, they have nothing to worry about anymore. It’s the best high Steve has ever experienced.

They crest the hill, heading back to the prearranged meeting place. It’s where Eddie, Argyle, Dustin, Max, Dmitri, and Erica were stationed, defending one of the big gates at the edge of town.

Steve’s eyesight isn’t as good as it used to be, too many hits to the head and not enough time to get his prescription updated, but even at this distance a quick headcount of the figures on the hill leaves him one short of happy.

His heart drops to the very pit of his stomach. Further even. The scene in front of him is so familiar and he can’t. This can’t be happening again.

“No.”

He takes off at a run.

“Steve!” Robin calls after him.

He can hear her running behind him. Feels guilty for making her run on her bad leg, but he can’t stop, he needs to see, needs to make sure. Because it hurt enough the first time. He can’t do this again.

All that blood, and Steve had still tried to fix it. Sometimes he wakes up breathing like he’s giving CPR.

And he’s seen this before. Dustin on the ground curled over a body, curled over –

Steve’s heart has slingshot back up to his throat.

Steve had heard the sobbing before he’d seen them last time. This time there’s just a lot of loud noise.

Eddie had promised. He’d promised last time too, but it meant more this time. They’d got him back. El had brought him back and he’d been so clear, he wasn’t going to waste his second chance.

Steve hadn’t wanted to split up, but the only way the plan worked was for them to break up into teams. God, Steve is kicking himself for not doing more, being here, anything to stop this from happening twice, he wishes he’d…

Wait.

Dustin is curled over Eddie on the ground, that much is true, but both bodies are heaving with laughter. Laughter that sounds a little manic and high pitched for both of them, threaded through with adrenaline and relief, but laughter all the same.

Steve’s knees go out from under him and he collapses on the ground next to them, wheezing slightly from the run.

They both turn to him, their smiles huge and bright and exactly what Steve needs.

“Steve!”

“Stevie!”

Before he can respond, he’s being pulled into their tangle of limbs, landing with a huff on top of Eddie, with Dustin snorting loudly in his ear.

They’re quickly joined by most of the others. Robin flops down on his back, Lucas, Mike and Will are a heap of wriggling limbs down by his feet, Dustin and Max are shouting in his ear, Erica sits cross legged at his head, and Eddie’s heart is under his ear, beating, beating, beating a steady rhythm.

A walkie crackles to life. El’s voice comes through loud and clear. “We are all safe. The gates are closed. We are coming home. Over.”

There are whoops of joy all around them. Jonathan and Argyle flop down to the ground beside the EddieSteveRobin stack and Steve watches as the realisation that it’s over, finally over, washes over Jonathan.

“Fuck,” Jonathan says, dragging a hand over his face. “Fuck.”

“Yeah,” Robin says. “Fuck.”

She wriggles around to talk to them properly, and the movement sends Steve sliding off Eddie, gravity pulling him towards the grass.

Eddie pulls him back, arm wrapped tight around his back. Steve takes a deep breath, coming back to himself. Eddie is here, alive, warm and laughing underneath him. All the people he loves are safe, alive, breathing. Steve can hardly feel his toes.

The fear is leaching out of him. It doesn’t stand a chance when he can feel the dual heartbeats of Robin and Eddie at his chest and back.

“You alright there, Stevie baby?” Eddie asks, soft, just for him. And Robin, who is lying cheek to cheek with him, but she’s tactful enough that she’s pretending to be completely engaged by Jonathan and Argyle’s conversation.

Steve hides his face in Eddie’s neck, noses in real close and feels further proof of life.

“I saw you on the ground again. Panicked.”

He knows Eddie will fill in the blanks, and now he’s here, he doesn’t think he has the energy for much more. It’s been a long year. It’s been a long few years. Steve is tired right down to his core. Like even his arteries are tired of moving blood around his body, and his stomach is tired of breaking down food. It’s a wonder his hair is still growing.

Eddie is quiet for a moment, but the arm across Steve’s back curls tighter. His hand, resting on Steve’s hip, squeezes, and Steve takes a deep, steadying breath. It trips a little in his chest, but he doesn’t start crying. Thank God. Or whatever monster controls the universe.

“I’m sorry,” Eddie says, eventually, his voice heavy with emotion. “I didn’t think about what it would look like.”

Steve shakes his head, and lets his weight drop even further, his face completely mashed into the nook between Eddie’s neck and collarbone. His lips drag across Eddie’s skin when he says, “Not your fault. Just felt … crazy. For a moment.”

“Yeah,” Eddie says. His fingers tracing the outline of one of Steve’s scars. “I can imagine.”

He starts scratching up and down Steve’s side. It rucks his shirt up a little, sets his skin alight. Steve feels tingly. He feels hopeful. Really hopeful for the first time in too fucking long.

“Couldn’t lose you. Not again.”

Eddie turns his face just a little, presses a dry kiss to Steve’s forehead, just below his hairline.

“Yeah, I know exactly how that feels actually. I don’t think I’ve ever been as relieved as I was when I saw you running towards us.”

Steve nods. “Yeah.”

He thinks about all the ways today could have gone wrong. Thinks about all the ways things nearly went wrong every day for the last year. He never wants to do this again. Never wants to have to wonder or worry that the people he loves might not come home.

He doesn’t know if it’s the adrenaline, or the what ifs, or the pure fucking relief of a war over and the steadying presence of the heartbeat underneath his hand, but he thinks fuck it.

He shimmies his shoulders and Robin rolls off his back onto the grass beside him with a little oof.

“The fuck was that for?” she demands, pinching his thigh.

She glares at him until he manages to silently communicate that he’s definitely thought fuck it for long enough that he’s determined now and he’s going to do what he’s been putting off basically every day since Eddie got back. Once that’s been cleared up, Robin shakes her head, winks at him and rolls over to drag Max and Dustin into a cuddle pile instead.

Steve props himself up, hands either side of Eddie’s face, and looks down at him. He really is stupidly pretty. He pushes some of the fly away hairs out of Eddie’s eyes, tucks them behind his ear and then leaves his hand there, sort of cupping Eddie’s cheek. Rubs his thumb under his eye.

“Steve?” Eddie asks, a little breathless.

“Mmm,” Steve murmurs, brushing their noses together.

Eddie is almost cross eyed, trying to keep looking at Steve. It’s so fucking cute.

“What are you doing?” he asks.

“Unless you have any objections,” Steve whispers, “I’m going to kiss you.”. Their mouths are so close they’re practically kissing with each word already.

Eddie makes a strangled little noise in the back of his throat. His eyes bug wide. He looks a little overwhelmed, and Steve almost pulls back, except he’s nodding. He’s nodding frantically.

“Yeah, please, yeah,” Eddie says in a rush, blush spreading from his cheeks, down his neck and into the jacket that Steve made damn sure he’d done all the way up this time.

And one day soon, maybe even tonight, Steve is going to have a conversation with Eddie about the hope burning in his chest that he can see mirrored in Eddie’s eyes. They’ll talk about what comes next and what they’ve been keeping tucked away in their minds.

But that’s for future Steve and future Eddie.

He closes the tiny gap between them, slots their lips together, and finally, finally, kisses Eddie.

It’s not the kind of kiss he’s been dreaming about giving Eddie. Not deep and wet and a little bit dirty. He can’t kiss him like he wants to climb inside him, can’t lick inside his mouth and suck on his tongue until they can both feel it in their toes, because they are lying on the ground surrounded by their friends, their family. So Steve can’t kiss Eddie like he’s been wanting to, but he does kiss him like he’s never going to stop.

He never wants to stop.

Eddie is making the sweetest noises and his hand is tangled in Steve’s hair and he’s kissing Steve like he’s planning on stealing the air from his lungs.

Steve sucks Eddie’s bottom lip into his mouth, bites down gently, then bites down a little harder when Eddie seems into it. He can’t help but lick into Eddie’s mouth, trying to get as close as he can, as much as he can, before everyone notices what he’s doing.

Eddie moans, a quiet little thing, but it’s enough.

“What the –! Are you two making out right now?” Dustin yells, incredulous and dramatic and a little bit bitchy.

Steve smiles against Eddie’s mouth, tastes Eddie’s laughter.

“What’s it to ya, Henderson?” Eddie asks, still holding Steve close.

With Eddie distracted, Steve moves to pressing little kisses along his jaw, down his neck, dotted across any part of his face that Steve can reach. He can’t help himself.

“What’s it to me? What’s it TO ME?” Dustin’s voice is reaching megaphone levels of yelling, and it’s happening right next to them. “I don’t care what you get up to when you’re more than a foot away from me but you’re practically in my lap and EDDIE STOP.”

The last part is yelled directly into Steve’s ear after Eddie licks a finger and tries to stick it in Dustin’s ear.

The chaos that follows is so much happier than the chaos they’ve been living with that Steve can’t even find it in himself to be annoyed when Eddie moves out from under him to chase Dustin around the hilltop. Especially because, before he leaves, he kisses Steve again. Once, twice, three times, both of them grinning too much for them to be anything more than short and sweet.

Robin rolls back into Steve’s side. He laces his fingers with hers, snuggles into her side.

“I’m happy for you, babe,” she says.

And Steve is happy too.

[dwobbitfromtheshire]

From Hell to Home To Back Again

Summary: At the talent show, Chrissy Cunningham is so hungry that she nearly collapses. When she's found by Hopper, her parents ended up losing custody of her. She ends up being placed in the care of the Hendersons, and she finally finds the family she so desperately needed. She also ends up falling in love. What other changes are made in this alternate universe?

A/N: After this chapter is season 2 territory and the arrival of Argyle! Woohoo! Can't wait to see how things are going to change for season 2.

@emen-98 @1lostsoul0fishbowl @vulpixsworld

Prologue . . . Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chrissy stepped out of the car and thanked Steve for dropping her off, telling him she'd see him later at the graduation ceremony. She chose not to ride her bike to Eddie's because she didn't want to get her skirt all messed up. Summer was here, and school was now over. Hellfire had forgiven Eddie, and the new principal had welcomed him back for next year with promises that things were going to be different. Eddie had a fresh start with a new principal who actually seemed to want to help students. The bills had piled up with Wayne, which is not surprising considering that Wayne had more than likely been paying for Al's house too so Eddie could have a home. She didn't tell Eddie her theory because that would only make him feel more guilty than he already was. He had gotten a job selling the very weed he had stolen to help Wayne pay the bills.

"Hey, sweetheart," Eddie greeted as she walked through the door. "I thought I was picking you up."

He was laying upside down on the couch while Wayne sat in the recliner shaking his head.

"I thought you were too," Chrissy said.

"Shit, am I late?" Eddie yelped.

"No, I gave you an earlier time to pick me up in case you were late," Chrissy said.

"She's got you pegged, Ed," Wayne said.

"Hush, you," Eddie said.

Their relationship was still in the in-between state of moving from friendship to something more. It didn't help that Chrissy still had him on probation, but she figured she would throw him a bone considering what was happening today.

"You sounded weird on the phone earlier," Chrissy said. "What's up?"

"It's nothing," Eddie sighed.

"It's not nothing. You haven't even showered, yet!" Chrissy exclaimed.

"You look beautiful, baby," Eddie said.

"Don't change the subject, Eddie!" She yelled.

"It's just - it feels weird not graduating with Ronnie and Dougie. . .I mean, I know that it's partially my fault, but still. . .," Eddie said.

"How long have you been trying to cheer him up, Wayne?" Chrissy asked.

"About half an hour. Thank God, you showed up, darlin," Wayne sighed.

"So, what's it going to take for me to cheer you up?" Chrissy asked.

"Nothing," he sighed.

"Really? There's nothing?" She asked.

She kelt down next to his head and placed a kiss on his lips before moving back. Eddie sat up quickly with a start and tried to get up off the couch, but he was still in a weird position. He rolled off the couch, hitting his head on the coffee table. He collapsed on the floor.

"Fuck!" Eddie said.

"I think your kisses might just kill him," Wayne said in amusement.

"There would be worst ways to go, Uncle Wayne," Eddie sighed dreamily.

"Lord, I'll leave you to it. I'm going to head to the school early and bring Granny Ecker," Wayne said and gave them both a look. "Don't be late."

Wayne left just as Chrissy helped Eddie up, her fingers pressing on the blossoming bruise on his forehead.

"I think your uncle thinks that I'm going to take advantage of you," Chrissy grinned. "If we didn't have somewhere to be, I might."

"Don't start something you can't finish, Henderson," Eddie said.

Chrissy grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him down in for a kiss. Eddie sighed happily against her mouth as he cupped her face and backed her up against the kitchen counter. She managed to hop herself up there, breaking the kiss slightly before pulling him back in. She gasped and nibbled on his lip, pulling on it slightly as she pulled him back again. Eddie cursed as he breathed heavily.

"Are you okay?" Chrissy asked.

"Nope, nope, definitely not," Eddie said as he rested his forehead against hers. "Witch."

"Freak," she giggled. "Are you going to have to take a cold shower now?"

"Chrissy!" Eddie exclaimed and paused. "But, yes."

He kissed her deeply before walking away and went to take his shower. Chrissy slid off the counter and smoothed her skirt down. She fixed her hair and makeup as she waited for him. When he came out, he was wearing his best black pants and his Black Sabbath shirt. His hair was still wet. He plopped down next to her with a grin, squeezing her knee.

"So. . .what is this?" Eddie asked.

"I always left that up to you. What do you want this to be?" Chrissy asked.

"Girlfriend?" Eddie asked hopefully.

"Are you asking me to be your girlfriend, or are you asking to be my girlfriend?" She grinned. "Either way, I'm up for it."

"Do you want to be with me or not, Henderson?" He asked, glaring at her.

"Yes," she giggled and kissed him.

Eddie sighed against her lips as she ran her hands through his wet hair.

"You taste like candy," Eddie pulled back with a grin.

"You taste like cigarettes," Chrissy said. "Did you brush your teeth?"

"I did not," Eddie said.

"Go," she laughed.

Finally, they left, but they were still a few minutes early when they showed up to the school. What were they supposed to do? Just sit there? Chrissy had managed to successfully climb into Eddie's lab and didn't complain even with the steering wheel digging into her ass. She was focused on kissing him hungrily. This one was a lot more heated than the other one, and this time, their tongues were involved. Chrissy moved her hips as much as she could before Eddie placed his hand on them to stop her as he groaned into her mouth. She broke the kiss and moved her lips to his neck, nibbling and biting at it as she moved to do the same to his earlobe.

"Someone is going to see us, Chrissy," Eddie groaned, and she hummed in response. "Chrissy. . ."

Chrissy groaned before sitting back and pouting. She pecked his lips before climbing out of the car. She fixed her skirt and turned around to find Eddie still sitting there.

"Eddie, are you coming?" Chrissy smirked.

"Hahaha, give me a moment," Eddie said.

She giggled as she leaned against the side of the van. She fixed her hair and her lipstick. She wasn't sure what Eddie was muttering, but she could guess what he was trying to do. Chrissy laughed again. Finally, he climbed out of the car, glaring at her.

"All good?" She smiled.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Eddie replied, and she giggled as she stared at him. "What? Do I have something on my face."

"No, not at all," Chrissy said, biting her lip.

They found their group of friends waiting for them outside of school. It consisted of Hellfire, Nancy, Steve, Jonathan, and Robin. Jeff snorted with laughter at the sight of Eddie.

"Come on, man," Jeff said. "You should have come looking more presentable than that."

"You're wearing the same Black Sabbath shirt," Eddie said, narrowing his eyes at him.

Nancy giggled as she pressed her face into Steve’s chest. Jonathan grinned and snapped a picture of him.

"Jesus, do you ever clean your face, man?" Gareth asked.

"What the hell are you guys talking about?" Eddie asked.

"So, I'm guessing you and Chrissy are official now?" Steve asked.

"Why would you assume that?" Eddie asked.

"Chrissy's lipstick. . . All over your face, man," Steve said, slapping him on the back.

"You said I had nothing on my face," Eddie said glaring at Chrissy.

"I thought it would be funny," Chrissy said. "And it was."

She pulled a tissue out of her purse and started cleaning Eddie's face.

"It's all over your neck, man," Jeff said, and Chrissy giggled.

"My girl's a biter," Eddie said proudly.

"It's not my fault you're so yummy," Chrissy said and kissed his nose before he brushed it against hers, cooing.

"Oh my God, you guys are going to be one of those disgustingly sweet couples," Robin asked. "Gag me."

"He is my teddy bear," Chrissy beamed.

"I guess that makes you my Chrissy cat?" Eddie said as he kissed her cheek.

"Oh, please, stop!" Gareth exclaimed, and the couple burst into laughter. "I knew you guys were fucking with us. No one's that cute."

"Except you, Gare-bear," Eddie teased and ruffled his hair.

Gareth glared and hit him in the stomach. Once Eddie was bent over, Gareth put him in a headlock. They watched them wrestle for a minute before it was Chrissy calling Eddie over, and he quickly pulled himself away before moving over to Chrissy.

"Whipped," Gareth scoffed.

Eddie rolled his eyes and wrapped his arm around her as they all moved inside of the gym. Chrissy and Eddie found a spot by Wayne while the others sat down in front of them.

"He give you any problems?" Wayne asked Chrissy and she giggled.

"No, but Chrissy gave me problems," Eddie narrowed his eyes at her.

"Well, turnabout's fair play," Wayne replied.

"Ugh! You're supposed to be on my side, Uncle Wayne."

Eddie wrapped his arms around Chrissy's waist as they eagerly awaited to watch Ronnie and Dougie walk across that stage. Ronnie was the first one of the two, and when they did, their group stood up to scream her name. Eddie put his fingers on his head like they were devil horns, and Ronnie responded with enthusiasm, and then she flipped off the crowd. Her friends cheered again and then once more when Dougie was called. He flipped off the crowd as he walked up to grab his diploma, much to the displeasure of the new principal. When the ceremony was finally done, they met Ronnie and Dougie out in the parking lot. The others stood back while Hellfire hugged each other tightly.

"I'm glad you didn't let the fact that you aren't graduating with us stop you from coming," Ronnie said. "It would have sucked not to see my best friend out in the crowd."

"Yeah, well, you kind of have Chrissy to thank for freeing me from feeling sorry for myself," Eddie said.

"I have a lot of things to thank her for," Ronnie said. "She finally kissed you, huh?"

"I'll send you a copy of the proof," Jonathan said. "Along with your graduation pictures. I also promised your Granny to get a picture of you two."

"Thanks, Jonathan," Ronnie said.

"You better burn the evidence, Byers," Eddie said.

"Hmm, let me think about it. . .no," Jonathan said.

"Congratulations, Ronnie," Robin said as she went to hug her, but then she stopped.

Ronnie laughed before pulling Robin into a tight hug. They embraced for a while before pulling away quickly.

"Eddie. . .what happened to your head?" Nancy asked.

"Forget about me. It's Ronnie and Dougie's day," Eddie laughed, and Chrissy snickered.

"Alright. Hey, Ronnie, aren't you curious at all about what happened to your best friend's head?" Steve asked.

"You're right, Steve, I am curious," Ronnie said. "You know, since it's my day and all I think I deserve to know. Isn't that right, Dougie?"

"That's right, Ronnie," Dougie grinned.

"Fine! When Chrissy kissed me, I fell off the couch and hit my head on the coffee table," Eddie muttered, and they all laughed. "Yeah, yeah, get it all out."

"Jesus, if that's what happens when she kisses you, what's going to happen when you guys eventually have sex?" Steve blurted out, and Nancy elbowed him in the stomach.

"Busted heads for both of them," Robin said and laughed with Steve.

"Well, I figured it would be safer for both of us if I handcuffed him to the bed," Chrissy said casually, causing Eddie to yelp and choke on his own saliva.

"Jesus H Christ, Chrissy," Eddie said, his face red.

"She's going to end up destroying you, man," Jeff said.

"There are worse ways to go," Eddie grinned and kissed the top of Chrissy's head.

"You guys still want to celebrate at my house?" Steve asked.

"Duh, why do you think we're friends with you? For all those secrets you store in that hair of yours?" Eddie teased.

"Well, Munson, I figured you were friends with me because you secretly want me," Steve winked at him.

"Oh, please, if I were going to leave Chrissy for a guy, it would be Jeff," Eddie replied.

"Yeah, I'd chose Jeff, too," Steve replied seriously.

"You can't fuck with a gay guy like this!" Jeff laughed.

It was old news that Jeff was gay, something he talked about with Robin on many occasions and then with Ronnie when she came out. Jeff rolled his eyes affectionately when they just ignored him.

"It's his eyes," Eddie said.

"They're very pretty," Steve agreed.

"Okay, I'm starting to feel a little insecure about our relationship, Steve," Nancy laughed.

"All the boyfriends want me," Jeff smirked. "I fucking told you, Gareth."

"I don't want you," Jonathan said and then paused. "Not that I am a boyfriend or that I think of myself as a boyfriend. What?"

"Yeah, we all know who wants you, Byers," Jeff smirked.

"Well, this conversation took a very non-straight turn," Robin laughed. "Perhaps we should move this to Steve’s place so no one can hear us."

Once Jonathan got pictures of everyone, it was off to Steve’s house for a low-key celebration with teens. Wayne took Granny Ecker and hugged Ronnie tightly before they left. He was just as proud of Ronnie as he was of Eddie.

"Are you sure you don't want to come?" Chrissy asked Wayne.

"You kids don't want an old man around," Wayne chuckled. "You have fun, darlin."

Chrissy, of course, had to ask. As much as she wanted Wayne there, this party felt more for the teens to say goodbye to Ronnie and Dougie than anyone else. Now, here she was, sitting on the counter of Steve’s kitchen with Eddie between her legs as she braided his hair. He claimed he didn't want his hair falling into his food, but she knew he loved the way her fingers felt in his hair.

"Hey, how comfortable are you in your masculinity?" Chrissy asked.

"Well, considering I'm letting you braid my hair, very comfortable," Eddie laughed. "And also comfortable in my femininity. Why?"

"Are you secure enough to know that your girlfriend got you a job at Thatcher's Tires?" Chrissy asked.

"What?" Eddie asked.

"I mean, you can still sell weed, but I know how much you wanted to get a job there because you like working with your hands and with cars," Chrissy said. "The guy owed Benny a favor, and I'm practically Benny's daughter so. . . What do you think?"

"I think. . . That I have the best goddamn girlfriend in the world," Eddie said as he leaned back against her. "Kiss me, you fool!"

Chrissy giggled and obliged. She quickly broke the kiss and tied off Eddie's hair.

"Damn, Munson, you're looking pretty," Steve said as he entered the kitchen, carrying the boxes of pizza. "Looks like the pizzas are not the only meal in this kitchen."

"Stop flirting with my boyfriend!" Chrissy laughed.

"I'm just stating a fact, Chrissy," Steve said.

"Fuck off," Eddie laughed.

"Get your own metalhead, Harrington," Chrissy said as she wrapped her arms around Eddie's shoulders.

"I tried, but Jeff isn't interested," Steve said mockingly. "And Nancy doesn't want to convert."

"We get it. You're comfortable in your sexuality," Nancy said as she entered and wrapped her arms around Steve from behind. "Stop flirting with our friends, or I'm going to get jealous."

Pretty soon, everyone gathered in the kitchen to eat and talk. Ronnie and Robin were the last ones to enter the room. Their disheveled appearances let everyone know what happened. Ronnie quickly pulled Eddie off to the side to talk about it. She stared at them for a moment. Chrissy knew how much Eddie was going to miss his best friend, but she could also tell how happy he was for her. Still, Chrissy could see a lot of cuddling in their future as she helped him adjust.

"Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve!" Robin's voice came from Chrissy's right.

"Robin, Robin, Robin, Robin!" Steve whispered back sarcastically.

"This isn't funny! We kissed!" Robin hissed.

"We did?" Steve asked.

"Okay, enough shtick, asshole," Robin said.

"Well, I'm waiting for you to tell us all about it," Steve said.

"It was. . .oh my God, there are no words. Do you think if I asked, she would just leave her lips here?" She asked.

"Well, she's going to be a lawyer, so I think she's going to need them," Steve said.

"Damn," Robin said.

Chrissy and Nancy sat off to the side as they watched their friends chat. She kind of knew what Nancy was thinking. . .that missing presence she felt on a daily basis. It was something she tried to ignore, but it was difficult to do it when she constantly dreamed about Barb. Everything that happened with Eddie over the last few months had served as an easy distraction and befriending Ronnie had also helped. Now that Ronnie was leaving, suddenly, they both felt the weight of Barb's absence.

"I miss her too," Chrissy whispered to Nancy.

Nancy smiled gratefully at her and squeezed her hand. When they finally cleared the kitchen, they moved it into the living room to dance out their feelings. It was a long year for all of them, and as they danced to Bob Seger, Chrissy recalled another absent member. Stan. He should be here with his friends, doing what he loves. No, instead, he's trapped by abusive parents who thought they knew what was best for him. She hoped to whatever benevolent God that was out there in the universe that Stan somehow escaped his parents' grip. Though a lot of bad things had happened, a lot of good things did, too. She felt them in the room as Eddie spun her around . . . as Robin danced with Ronnie . . . as Steve danced with Nancy. Even Gareth, Jeff, and Dougie danced together. Gareth practiced his drumming skills in the air, preparing for his new role in Corroded Coffin. Jonathan even set his camera down when Robin pulled him in. Held tightly in Eddie's arms, Chrissy realized that more good things were coming to Hawkins. Argyle would be coming this summer. Chrissy squealed and jumped into Eddie's arms, wrapping her legs around his waist. She kissed him deeply. All good things, she hoped.

Chapter Fifteen

[penny00dreadful]

Return of the King - Part 6

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 7 Part 8 AO3

So... Remember that bit about the shed? It's happening here so...🫣

They decided to wait. 

Both Eddie and Steve knew that any blood drinking that happened in the house while the kids were around would cause a whole other kind of trauma for them.

The ‘overhearing their parents having sex’ kind of trauma was not something they could, in good conscience, subject them to.

Even if the two of them really, really, wanted to do it right then, right there, at that moment. 

Eddie managed to find the thinnest thread of self control, pulling himself out of Steve’s lap and giving themselves a good five minutes of standing on opposite sides of the room trying to calm down so they didn’t blind any innocent eyes (and Robin) when they went back out to join them.

The kids were, as usual, fucking relentless with their questions. They wanted to know exactly what had been discussed, why they weren’t being filled in on all the details and why Steve couldn’t just drink right now.

Eddie had to hide his grin behind his hair when he caught sight of Hopper’s slightly green face as he asked “You two definitely know what you’re doing, right?”

“Yeah, definitely.” Steve and Eddie agreed even though they definitely did not but no one needed to know that. 

Nancy was glancing in between the two of them with that investigative glint in her eye and Eddie couldn’t decide if she was trying to figure out how the blood drinking would work or if she was picking up on the bright neon signs of attraction hanging over both Steve and Eddie’s heads for the entire day.

Steve, ever the expert babysitter, was able to distract the kids from their questions pretty effectively by asking if they wanted to have one of their old fashioned movie night sleepovers which they all readily agreed to.

Eddie had never had a big party sleepover at his house bar that one instance that healed nothing in them. After that he'd only had one or two over at a time, mainly to keep a close watch on them, but never everyone all at once and never with so much life.

His house was not as well equipped for it as Steve’s had been, he and Wayne didn’t have Narnia level linen closets full of spare blankets and pillows, they didn’t have the amount of floor space or the expansive bedrooms. But what they did have was a pull out couch, air mattresses and two adults who were still deep enough in their guilt to offer to drive out to Steve’s place to pick up those aforementioned blankets and pillows.

When Hopper and Joyce arrived back they let everyone know that they were going to respectfully bow out. They wanted all the kids to have a chance to relax with each other without feeling like they were being watched.

And their backs couldn’t handle anything less than a bed at their age which Eddie understood.

Hopper fixed him with a firm look. “This isn’t us forcing our responsibilities on you two again.”

“At least we hope it’s not.” Joyce interjected with a small smile. “We just know that under normal circumstances the kids would be at that age where they wouldn’t want their parents around, putting a damper on things, embarrassing them.” She laughed but Eddie could hear the little bit of heartbreak underneath it. Her babies were growing up.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s not the same. It’s not just me anymore, Steve is here too. And Robin, Jonathan, Nancy, Argyle… we’re evenly matched six to six. We’ll keep them in line.” Eddie smiled his most charming smile, one that rarely ever worked on parents but seemed to do the trick just fine this time around. “And Wayne will be back soon- oh shit.”

Joyce smiled back at him. “How’re you going to explain the invading force?”

Eddie exhaled heavily. “I dunno. It’ll be fine.”

Wayne was usually easygoing enough. Eddie just hoped that easygoing attitude extended to explaining the resurrected town hero currently sitting on the couch and playing Red Hands against Robin with his eyes closed and Erica's hands over his ears.

“It’ll be fine.” He repeated again.

Joyce just patted him on the shoulder and followed Hopper out to the car.

As it turned out, Wayne took the intrusion of the kids very well. He seemed just as happy as everyone else to see the kids acting as kids again. 

Eddie was even more surprised at just how casual he was when he told him that Steve was alive. Because of course that was the story they were going with. He was going to keep Wayne away from as much of the supernatural fuckery as he could.

So as far as Wayne knew, Steve had been injured and in the commotion and explosion of patients at Hawkins General, had been rushed to a hospital a town over without any ID on him. He’d only recently recovered enough to come back. They’d all thought he was dead.

The one thing that Eddie didn’t like, however, was the look Wayne gave him, something devilish and mischievous as he paced, talking about Steve’s history with the kids.

“What?” Eddie snapped.

“Oh, nothin’”

“Don’t ‘oh, nothin’ me, old man. You’re conspiring. You’re plotting.”

Wayne got to his feet. “I’m doing no such thing.” 

Before Eddie could stop him he had strode the few short steps to the sitting room door, rapping hard on the jamb.

“Harrington. A word.”

“Wayne!” Eddie hissed as the kids all started to singsong oooohhh and Steve’s in trouble from their spots on the floor. “What the fuck are you doing?!”

As Steve stepped into the kitchen his eyes darted nervously between Wayne who was sitting back down at the kitchen table and Eddie who was trying to send death ray signals at his uncle from his pacing spot on the floor.

“Um… yes, Mr. Munson, sir?”

Eddie grimaced internally as Wayne scowled. 

“Am I your commanding officer, boy?”

“Wayne!” Eddie gurgled out towards the ceiling. “Be nice!”

Steve looked both bewildered and so very unsure, like he was in the middle of a viper pit. But at the same time there was a determined tilt to his shoulders. “No. No you’re not.”

“No, I’m not. So you’re to stop with that ‘sir’ and ‘Mr. Munson’ crap, do you hear me?” Wayne was ignoring Eddie on purpose and Steve seemed determined to do this without backup so Eddie was stuck watching this interaction from the outside like some nature documentary. He wondered if David Attenborough’s voice was about to start narrating in his ear about a standoff between two predators. 

It wouldn’t be the weirdest thing that had happened to him in the last twenty four hours. 

“Alright. No more ‘sir’ and ‘Mr. Munson’ crap from now on, Wayne.”

If Eddie didn’t know his uncle so well he’d have thought that comment had landed terribly. But there was just the slightest lifting at the corner of his mouth, a telltale sign to Eddie that Steve had said the right thing. 

Somehow.

But that was more terrifying than anything else. Because Wayne and Eddie were very similar people. They liked to push. They liked to see how far they could take it. They liked to make people uncomfortable enough to bring their true nature out. 

“Good. Now tell me.”

Wayne leaned forward in his chair maintaining terrifying, all seeing eye contact with Steve, watching him like a hawk for any kind of falter.

“Are you fucking my boy?”

Eddie let out a strangled cry, dragging all of his hair in front of his face. He started spinning in circles, needing to get away from the pure, all encompassing mortification but not wanting to leave the room at the same time. 

Where was the apocalypse when he needed one? Where were the cracks in the earth or the fucking bats or Vecna?

“Yes.”

Traitor! Steve the Betrayer! Turncoat! Deserter! Fucking Judas!

Eddie planted himself face first into the corner by the door, leaning in as heavily as his body would allow. 

This was where he lived now. 

“Mm-hm.” He could hear the nod in Wayne’s voice. “You plan on just fucking him or are you going to be hanging around?”

“Hopefully both. Gonna keep him. Like a stray cat.”

“Steven!” Eddie shouted from his new home.

“You know not to feed him after midnight?”

“Yep.”

“And I’ve found a spray bottle full of water usually helps with the biting.”

“Spray bottle. Got it.”

What the fuck was happening right now? Had he dropped into another alternate reality?

Eddie spun around, pretty sure he was red from embarrassment the whole way down to his fingertips. He only grew even more outraged when he saw the terrible attempt in front of him to hide matching smiles.

No, this couldn’t be happening.

This couldn’t be happening. 

They were bonding. They were ganging up. They were being two little fucks. This was terrible.

“The Brutus to my Ceaser!” Eddie cried. “The Fredo to my Michael! The Benedict Arnold to my all of America!”

Eddie huffed in the most melodramatic fashion he could and stomped off to the sitting room.

"I'm stealing your best friend, Harrington. She's mine now."

He grumbled and muttered his way over to Robin on the couch who was looking up at him slightly bewildered but mostly amused as he planted himself across her lap.

“Ow, Jesus fuck Buckaroo.” He wiggled around. “Why are your thighs so bony?”

“Why is your ass so bony?” She hissed back, wincing and trying to adjust until the two were comfortable.

The kids all watched the exchange wide eyed, like it was the best free entertainment they’d ever gotten.

“You two are gonna give me grey hairs.” Steve frowned, tapping Eddie’s knee with his hand. “C’mon move. Let me in.”

There was enough space left for him on the couch in between the twosome of Robin and Eddie and Erica on the opposite side but apparently that wasn’t good enough for him.

Eddie crossed his arms and glared. “No, I told you. She’s mine now, tough shit.”

“Robin?”

“Sorry.” She shrugged, sliding her arms around his waist and hooking her chin over his shoulder. “His house, his rules.”

Steve released a heavy sigh. “That’s too bad.”

And he began to tip forward.

“Steve?”

“Stevington, don’t you dare!”

“No! Harringt- oof!”

The air was punched out of the two of them as Steve flopped all of his undead jock weight directly down on top of them, keeping his body loose and pliant as they struggled to free themselves.

“You brute!” Eddie could have probably tried harder to extricate himself but he’d be lying if he said he didn’t love having Steve’s weight on top of him. Only downside was-

“Evie!” Robin’s strained, punched out exhale came from the bottom of the pile as she shifted around, digging her bony legs in, trying to free herself.

“Ow, ow! Okay.” Eddie tapped him on the arm three times. 

Steve immediately lifted his weight up, hovering over the two of them and suddenly Eddie couldn’t remember why he’d stopped it.

The answer swiftly came as Robin flicked the two of them across the ears. 

“Stop it.” She warned, acting pissed off but her posture was too gentle to really sell it.

The three of them shifted around until they were all situated as comfortably as they could be with Eddie pretty much draped across Robin and Steve, who were both cuddled up together.

“What kind of bizarre three way mating ritual did I just witness?” Max asked from her spot on the floor.

“A pathetic one.” Erica had leaned away over the arm of the couch to avoid the flailing limbs but had now gotten comfortable again.

"Just play the damn movie and stop judging us." Eddie flapped his hand in the direction of the TV.

As the lights were switched off and the movie began, Steve leaned down ever so slightly.

"Wayne's gone up to bed."

Eddie hummed in acknowledgement, still trying to appear pouty but it was a rapidly losing fight in the face of Steve's hand running up and down his back.

"I like him. He's a Lakers fan."

"What the fuck is a 'Lakers'?"

"It's a sportsball team." Robin muttered into his ear.

"Oh." He nodded then paused. "Which sportsball?"

"Baskets."

"Makes sense, I guess." He reached his hand back and grasped Steve's own. "I'm glad you're getting on but I hate what the consequences will be for me."

"We'll go easy on you." Steve squeezed his hand.

"Don't you dare." He muttered, squeezing back.

They made it halfway through the movie. The whole Fellowship was exhausted. A solid month of broken and tear filled sleep caught up to them all. And they felt like they could breathe. They felt like they could relax. So everyone was out like a light. Not even stirring when the soundtrack to the movie kicked into full crescendo, the volume on the tv just a tad too loud. 

It seemed to Eddie like the only person still clinging onto wakefulness was himself. He’d watched over them obsessively for so long it was hard to let go.

He grumbled to himself as he reached for the remote, turning the volume down. He kept the movie playing though. Good background noise. Good noise to occupy his own thoughts.

All the kids minus Erica were in a giant puppy pile on the floor, Erica herself was draped over her side of the couch. Argyle and Jonathan were snoring together on one of the blowup mattresses, Nancy was curled up in the armchair and Steve and Robin were slotted together behind him.

He was still across their laps, Steve’s hand resting on his bare hip where his shirt had ridden up and he really didn’t want to move. He wasn’t exactly comfy but he was content. He had a bed waiting for him upstairs but what would even be the point if he couldn’t grab Steve by the balls and haul him up there with him.

The hand on his hip squeezed and Eddie’s heart started jackhammering immediately.

“Really?” Steve whispered in a low hum. “You’re gonna get riled up just from that?”

Well that tone certainly wasn’t helping circumstances.

“Do not make me horny while I’m lying in Robin’s lap, Steve.”

“I wasn’t trying to do anything. You did that on your own.”

“You’re kidding right?” Eddie tipped his head backward, just enough to glare. Robin’s head was back, her mouth hanging open and she snuffled every so often on a wheezing inhale. Steve was just looking down on him with a quite frankly infuriating smirk. “This is all your fault.”

He was just about able to catch Steve’s eye from his twisted position but Steve wasn't looking at his eyes, he was staring at Eddie’s stretched out neck with a slow splash of yellow swirling in his eyes.

Eddie could feel his body reacting almost immediately and he needed to get out of Robin’s lap, like right now.

“Fuck.” He was able to push himself up to standing, Robin smacking her lips in her sleep. He held his hand out to Steve. “C’mon.”

Steve’s eyes snapped away from his neck, up to meet his gaze slowly melting back to brown. “You’re sure?”

“Stevie baby, I’m so sure. I am so completely 100% sure that if you don’t get up and come with me right now I will go and deal with this,” he gestured down at himself, “on my own and you won’t get to do a thing about it. Might make you watch.”

Steve’s breathing was coming in short and sharp and he was staring up at him with wide blown eyes. “Goddamn it Eddie.” Steve snatched up his hand, expertly unwinding himself from around Robin and letting himself be pulled from the room.

When Steve started moving in the direction of the stairs Eddie shook his head, leading him through the kitchen and out the back door. 

“Don’t want to wake anyone up. And I want you to be loud.”

Steve glanced up, finally seeing where he was being led and stopped short.

“Eddie, we are not having sex in a shed.”

“It’s fine! I practise guitar in there all the time, promise. The boathouse was worse.”

"We didn't have sex in the boathouse either."

Oh, well. 

"Wanna change that?"

"No! It's property that doesn't belong to either of us."

"And? It’s abandoned like half this town. Rick’s fucked off to Florida or somewhere." He pulled Steve in close, lacing their hands together and guiding them around Steve's back before walking him backwards towards the door. "You don't think about that day?" They bumped up against the wood and Eddie leaned in. 

"I think about it all the time.” He dragged his nose up Steve's throat, stopping his lips right where he'd pressed that jagged glass into his neck. “Want to do it again?"

"Eddie." It came out as a pitiful whine and god he was gonna ruin his boy. "You gonna threaten me with a broken bottle again?" Steve was trying to sound petulant but his voice was too breathy.

"Only if you ask nicely."

Eddie could feel his jumping pulse under his lips, as much as a supernaturally slowed down, undead pulse could jump.

Steve thumped his head against the wooden door. "There's gonna be bugs."

"There's no bugs."

There’s definitely bugs.

"There is. I can hear them from here."

Eddie stopped. He hadn't considered that. It sounded irritating as shit. 

"Can you hear them all the time?"

Steve shook his head. "I can kinda zone in or zone out, you know? So it's not that bad."

"Right." He nodded. Then, because he couldn't help himself, because he was a terrible shit down to his bones he said, "So it doesn't bug you?"

Steve's expression collapsed into a deadpan stare. "I can't believe I put my dick in you."

Eddie grinned and tugged the door open. "Don’t worry. I’ll repay the favour."

Sure enough, there was his guitar laid lovingly in her floor stand in one corner of the rickety old shed. The walls had ancient blankets that came with the house haphazardly nailed to the walls to try to keep the sound dampened, a bare swinging lightbulb hanging down in the middle and one of the dining chairs had been dragged in for Eddie to sit in as he played.

It was hardly atmospheric. 

But atmosphere wasn't exactly what he was looking for right now.

As soon as the door closed behind them Eddie had Steve shoved up against it. Not wasting a second he shoved his tongue in past Steve’s lips and snuck his hand up Steve’s infuriating, tight, preppy polo, grabbing a fistful of chest hair and pulling.

“Jesus, Eddie.” Steve said through his grunt of pain, immediately diving back into their messy debauched kiss, grinding his hips forward in a filthy swivel.

“Been waiting,” he grabbed another fistful of Steve’s hair, yanking his head to the side. He wasn’t an idiot, he knew that Steve had always been stronger than him. 

But now he was probably stronger than any human on the planet and there was no way he’d have been able to manoeuvre him around like that unless Steve allowed it. And just the thought of that sent fire through him, a wave of power at being able to have control over the beautiful supernatural man in front of him, “to get my mouth on you,” he laved hot, open mouthed and horny kisses across Steve’s jaw and down his neck, “all fucking day.”

Eddie tried to pull the collar of Steve’s polo to the side but it wasn’t enough to get where he wanted.

“Off. Now.” He said, tugging at the hem and watching with hungry eyes as Steve stripped the polo off and his heaving chest came into view.

"Now you." 

Eddie shook his head. "Not yet."

"That's not fair."

"No, it's not." He watched Steve closely, checking to see if this was a boundary he didn't want crossed or if he was into the small bit of power play going on.

Steve had the most adorable little pout on his face but other than that didn’t look unsure or uncomfortable, dragging Eddie back towards him but Eddie ducked his head before he could crash their lips back together again, continuing on his sucking and biting trajectory across Steve’s neck, his collarbone, his shoulder until he sank his teeth down hard into a meaty pec, desperate to leave the shape of his teeth in Steve’s skin.

“Ah! Fuck, Eds. Don’t make me go get the spray bottle.” Steve whined, any hint of authority lost in the breathless way he said it.

Eddie reached down and pulled one of Steve’s legs forward, until it was resting at a slight angle. He shoved Steve’s thigh in between his own legs, grinding down hard and releasing his own winded moan at finally getting some pressure, some friction.

“You’re not leaving this shed until I’m done with you.” He pressed his thumb down onto one pretty pink nipple and swallowed Steve’s groan of pleasure as he rutted down against one of those magnificent thighs.

Steve’s hands were in his back pockets, pushing and pulling him forward and backward and god Eddie could stay here forever.

But he was already closer than he wanted to be right now and he’d be so fucking mad at himself if he came before he could fuck the ever living daylights out of the man in front of him.

Though he was very interested in just how responsive Steve was to having his chest hair and nipples tugged and pulled he needed to switch tactics or this would all be over too soon. 

Reaching down, he made quick work of Steve’s button and zipper, roughly yanking his jeans and boxers down to his knees in one go, dropping himself to the floor along with them.

“Oh my god, Eds.”

Steve had a hand in his hair already and that was good, great even but he really needed to mention the other thing before they got much further.

“I’m not a fan of having my face fucked.” He blurted out, maybe a little more anxious sounding than he meant it to be, running his hands up Steve’s thighs. Steve’s hand immediately gentled, scratching soothing against his scalp.

“Okay, no face fucking. Promise.”

“And my gag reflex leaves something to be desired.”

“Then you don’t have to-”

“I want to.”

“Okay. Okay. You set the pace, I won’t move you. You want me to keep my hand here?” He gave Eddie’s hair the gentlest of tugs.

“Yeah. Yeah, that’s good.” He took Steve’s length into his hand and gave him a couple of pumps, relishing in the keening little noises he could pull from Steve’s mouth from all the way down on the ground.

“F-for the record. I am a fan.” Steve had thunked his head back against the door again but now looked back down with that terrible teasing look in his eye. “Of having my face fucked. And my gag reflex has been complimented once or twice.”

No. He was not going to come in his pants just from the sight of Steve all cocky and smug above him, telling him how he liked to have his throat railed.

Eddie pressed his forehead against Steve’s bare hip and willed himself to calm down.

“You can't just go around saying things like that, Stevie.”

He pumped Steve a few more times, trying to… get back at him? Regain the upper hand?

Eddie didn't fucking know, but he didn't want to stop.

“Besides, since when have you been roaming around sucking dick, sweetheart?” As though to punctuate his statement he pressed the flat of his tongue against the head of Steve’s cock, closing his lips around it and giving a light suck before pulling off. “If you’d have gone to the usual spots we could have gotten to this a lot sooner.”

“I’ve been on a lot of vacations, baby.” Steve panted at the ceiling, having rolled his head back again. “Been to a lot of major cities. Had a lot of time to myself when I was there.”

Eddie nodded, purposefully brushing his lips against the head, pulling a beautiful debauched moan out of Steve’s throat and causing him to grip onto his own thigh hard.

“Good to know.”

Without warning, Eddie dove down, taking him in as deep as he comfortably could.

The sounds Steve was making above him were music to Eddie’s ears, immediately getting locked away into his spank bank box for the rest of his life.

“Oh god, oh fuck Eds. Your mouth- oh my god.”

Eddie didn’t have an awful lot of experience sucking dick, surprisingly enough, considering how experienced he was in everything else. Apparently, according to one guy, he’d just had that look about him.

Like he might bite it off for fun, a bit of a feral gleam in his eye.

So, y’know, rude.

And guys usually wanted to shove it back as far as they could almost immediately.

Which… no. No. Never again.

But he didn’t have to worry about any of that with Steve. Steve was allowing him to take his time and figure himself and his limits out, all the while staying dutifully still. His fingers had twitched in his hair once or twice but they never tightened and they never pushed. 

“Eds, baby, I’m- I’m close-”

Eddie pulled off. “Not yet.”

The cry Steve let out almost sounded like he was in pain but he was pliant as Eddie helped him step out of his jeans and lead him over to the dining chair.

Eddie sat down and pulled Steve forward to straddle his lap, sitting far enough away so they weren’t pressed close together and no roll of Steve’s hips would bring any friction.

“See that shelf behind me?”

Steve looked up, still trying to catch his breath before exhaling on a laugh. “Well you’re very prepared.” 

He stood, legs spread on either side of the dining chair and reached over Eddie’s shoulder to get the lube and condoms he’d stashed there earlier on in the day. Eddie took his chance to latch his mouth onto one of those lovely nipples he hadn’t got to taste yet.

He bit and sucked and licked and the whole time Steve stayed where he was with his chest pressed up against Eddie’s face letting out little mewls and whines while clearly trying to stop himself from humping against Eddie’s chest.

Eddie took the lube and condoms from Steve’s stalled hand, releasing his nipple with one last lick, looking up at him and shaking the bottle.

“This okay?”

“Yeah,” Steve breathed, face flushed, chest heaving and mouth open. “Yeah, so okay.”

“You want to do it yourself?”

“No. No, you. Want your…” he swallowed. “Want your hands.”

Eddie grinned, sharp and victorious. “You got ‘em, big boy. Think you’ll be able to stay standing?”

Steve was spread open, legs slightly bent on either side. It must be a little strenuous with the way his legs had been trembling slightly but he was strong. Even before he’d come back from the dead he’d been strong.

“Mm-hm.”

“Okay. Put your hands on my shoulders. Good.”

Steve made a tiny aborted thrust and dug his fingers into Eddie’s skin at the ‘good’ comment and that was certainly something to explore in the next few minutes.

Eddie made quick work of him, alternating pushing a finger in and out, giving little kitten licks across Steve’s chest, his nipples and down his ribs. He brushed up against Steve’s prostate, causing him to jerk forward with a loud shout and he had half a mind to get Steve to make that sound again and again but decided against it. At least he knew where it was now. He added another finger and slowly scissored him open.

“It’s enough. Eds- baby, it’s enough I’m ready.”

“It’s not enough.” He mumbled against some glorious chest hair.

“It is.” Steve was thrusting back with vigour now, trying to fill himself up as much as possible.

“It’s not.” Eddie growled, bumping a third finger inside, a little meanly, a little too soon and pressed down against that bundle of nerves that he’d avoided since he first found them.

Steve screamed again, wiggling around and grinding back, trying to chase his pleasure with little sobs and moans. “Please. Please, Eddie, please!”

Eddie hummed against his skin, removing his fingers completely. “I like it when you beg.”

“Please, Eddie!” Steve whined again, unable to get his voice to do anything else. 

“You’ll get it, sweetheart. Don’t worry.” Eddie shoved his own jeans and boxers down without much care, hissing at the sensation of something finally touching his dick as he rolled the condom on. “Okay, c’mere, baby. Let me fill you up.”

Steve almost sighed as he sank down slowly, until he was full seated, trying to move immediately.

Eddie clamped his hands hard around Steve’s hips, trying to still him, but of course he wasn’t strong enough.

“Stop moving.”

Steve whined again, mostly halting his movements, but not quite.

“Steve.” He snapped. “Be good.”

He stopped immediately, panting with his hands still clenched on Eddie’s shoulders.

Oh yeah.

Eddie caressed Steve’s face, brushing his thumbs over cheekbones as he himself tried not to immediately blow his load.

“I need you to calm down a little for what I’m gonna ask you next, okay? I need you fully present.”

Steve nodded, pressing their foreheads together. “I understand.” He breathed in and out a few times, in and out, in and out before opening his eyes. “What is it?”

Eddie flicked his own eyes between Steve’s, blown out black and horny with that ring of honey-brown around them.

“Do you want to bite me?”

He could feel Steve’s breath catch in his chest rather than hear it as his eyes started to slowly leak yellow into brown.

“Right now?”

“Yes.”

“Yes.” He answered without much hesitation.

Eddie nodded. “Okay. Here’s what’s going to happen. You’re gonna bite me, you’re gonna drink. In ten seconds I’m gonna tap on your neck twice,” tap, tap “and you’re gonna stop.”

Steve nodded as well. His eyes were almost completely yellow now. “And I’m gonna stop.”

“Yeah. After that you can take what you need from me, drink until you’ve had your fill, ride me into the ground.”

“What if I can’t stop?”

“I have a brick.”

“Seriously?” Steve laughed, but as they did the vibrations very swiftly reminded them that Eddie was still very much inside him and the laughter was punched out of them in a quick whoosh of a joined moan.

Steve leaned forward, his breath coming in short bursts again as he pressed a light kiss against Eddie’s neck. 

Eddie rested one hand on the side of Steve’s neck, repeating two taps, ten seconds, two taps, to himself over and over.

“Ready?” Steve muttered.

“Yeah.”

The next second he felt two sharp stings in the side of his neck, followed quickly by numbness and a sucking feeling like he was getting the most intense hickey of his life, whining high and wanton out through the shed.

At the same second Steve let out his own guttural growl, clutching onto Eddie tight and grinding his hips down in time with his sucking.

Eddie was endlessly thankful that he was still lucid, still able to count but that meant he had to witness the gross horror in front of him for the next six seconds.

As soon as Steve growled out, he started radiating this aura of danger, predator, protect. It was intense and wild and terrifyingly arousing, but apart from that, everything else could feel it too.

The spiders that had just been chilling in the corners of the ceiling scuttled away through the cracks at the speed of light. Eddie could hear other creepy crawlies under the floorboards scatter and fight to get as far away as possible, even hearing the squeaking of some mice and rats as well as a few birds scamper, trying to put as much distance as they could between themselves and this apex predator.

Eddie tapped Steve’s neck twice and the sucking sensation stopped immediately. Steve laved his tongue over the wound before pulling back, continuing to bounce ever so slightly in Eddie’s lap with debauched little punched out ‘ah, ah, ah’ noises.

Steve looked… Steve looked amazing. Somehow more perfect than he had only a few seconds ago, his skin was practically glowing, his hair was voluminous and thick despite the sweaty heat of two writhing bodies, his cheeks were a delicate rosy pink, his plump mouth was full and rose red and his eyes were like two clear crystal yellow sapphires.

“I- I stopped.” He panted as he bounced more insistently, planting his feet and using Eddie’s shoulders to leverage himself up and down, up and down.

Eddie’s eyes nearly rolled back in his head, he’d never felt like this, it had never been this good before. “You- you did. My beautiful boy. My good boy.”

Steve landed down hard at that, nearly screaming out again. Eddie felt so thoroughly fucked and used and it was the most glorious thing.

“D’you- need more?” He moaned out, pretty sure he wasn’t going to last much longer.

“Mm- want more, Eddie. Want more.”

“Okay, baby. Take it.” He grabbed Steve by the back of his neck and hauled him forward, crashing his mouth back over the wound on his neck. “Take it all.”

He didn’t bite this time, just sucked at the still weeping wound. Which seemed to double the pleasure running rampant through Eddie’s body and if the fucked out sounds and filthy movements Steve was making were anything to go by he was feeling it too.

He managed to wedge a hand in between the two of them to grasp Steve’s length and employ every trick he knew, twisting, turning, kneading and rubbing.

“That’s it, my good boy, my darling, my baby, my sweetheart. Feel so good around me, never felt like this before, gonna keep you forever. Oh fuck, fuck, fuck me, Stevie, I’m gonna-”

He couldn’t even cry out as he came, the sensation was so overwhelming it got caught in his throat, against Steve’s lips who crashed over the edge a few seconds later, the force of his orgasm hitting Eddie in the chin with his come.

They clung close to each other as they came down, sweaty and tired and electric.

“How are you feeling?” Steve muttered, hoving his hand over the fang marks he’d left in Eddie’s neck.

“‘M feeling good. Wouldn’t even know they were there.”

“I didn’t take too much?” His eyes were wide and worried, melting back to honey-brown.

“No, baby.” Eddie shook his head, now feeling the twinge in his neck and rubbed his hands up and down Steve’s arms. “You didn’t take too much. I feel good. Great, even.” 

Steve looked amazing, fantastic, perfect. Like the most dedicated renaissance painting, a peak of health and beauty. He’d take the modelling world by storm if he chose to. It was almost unfair. If Eddie hadn't already had his wicked way with him, he’d be looking for excuses to pin him down.

“How about you?”

“So good. Better than I’ve ever felt, I think.” Steve gave him a blinding smile and Eddie was helpless to lean forward and taste it himself. There was a bit of blood on his lips and in his mouth but that was fine because it was Steve and if Eddie could survive his morning breath he could survive a bit of his own blood in his mouth.

"Can you stand?"

“I- yeah. I should be okay.”

Well thank god for that because Eddie was pretty sure his legs were dead from the weight that had been on top of them but honestly that was the least of his worries as Steve winced, trying to right himself on shaky legs.

“I suppose a shower is out of the question?” Steve was using his underwear to wipe in between his legs and gingerly pulling his pants back up while Eddie stretched his legs out so he wouldn’t be wobbling into the house like a wounded gazelle.

“Not unless you want the whole house quizzing you on why you’re showering at, like, one in the morning.” 

His t-shirt was wet and now it was also cold which was a 2/10 experience, the only thing giving it two points was that it was wet with Steve because he was a gross little rat man and he was proud of it. 

They poked and prodded each other with giggled whispers and terrible attempts to keep quiet as they stole up the stairs, being satisfied enough with a cursory wipedown from a washcloth and fell into bed together still snickering and muttering nonsense as they fell asleep curled around one another.

It felt like it had only been a blink of the eye when Steve sat bolt upright in bed, but daylight was starting to break over the horizon so it had to have been a few hours later.

“Sss’evie?” Eddie slurred, barely conscious. He turned and tried to blink through his haze but he could barely see straight. “S’wrong?”

“Something’s coming.” Steve whispered, almost to himself before his entire body locked up, tensing as if ready to pounce. 

In the next second he’d darted over Eddie, bracketing him with his body, hovering with big yellow eyes.

“Stevie?” Eddie stared up at him a little wide eyed and a lot awake. He didn't get a response. "Baby?"

Then the world started to shake.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 7 Part 8 AO3

@romanticdestruction, @darkwitchoferie, @justforthedead89, @didntwant2come, @estrellami-1, @warlordess, @goodolefashionedloverboi, @weeennussy, @studentlife-with-sassyaf-friends

dni banner credit @mikeykuns

[giant-rat-goop-monster]

Surfer Boy Pizza Delivery

Nancy Wheeler x Reader

=====

Word Count: 1,721

Summary: Even in your spacey state, still, all you wanted was your girlfriend.

WARNINGS: Drug use (weed), sexual themes, angry Nancy

=====

It was weird.

The sensation of your body feeling like it was floating up in the clouds while simultaneously sinking deep into the soft cushions that pilled into the back of the yellow delivery van, like a rock into the sea.

Sweet, earthy smoke fogged up the haphazardly covered windows, trying in vain to stop anyone from finding out the happenings going on inside. That same mist floated through the air, making it stuffy with every inhale, only furthering the feelings that racked your body.

That was, until the hazy peace was rudely interrupted by the trunk being thrown open, revealing an angry brunette.

"There you are," she seethed, speaking as if she knew from the beginning but still didn't want to believe what she was seeing was, in fact, the truth. Not that you noticed any of that. The clear anger that masked her face went unnoticed by you in your drugged-out state.

"Nance!" you yelled out happily, throwing your arms apart, overjoyed to see the girl who carried your affections like they were a gift. Almost smacking Argyle with the back of your hand as you did. With her hands upon her hips, Nancy found herself wishing that you had, knowing that the "peace and love" man was the whole reason you were in this position. If he were anyone else, she would have spitefully said that he had orchestrated this entire thing.

However, she knew better than that. Having been around the boy enough in the such short time of them meeting each other, to know he didn't have a conniving bone in his body.

"Come on in here," you requested, leaning forward to grasp at her hands, trying to guide her into the back of the cannabis-scented van.

"No. Absolutely not," Nancy said, shaking her head vehemently. Planting her feet into the nature-covered ground outside of Hopper's cabin, stopping your weak attempts from getting her any closer into the vehicle, "If I come back smelling like marijuana, my parents will flip."

"You're gonna smell like it anyway, just from being this close," you teased her lowly, mouth brushing against hers in your further attempts to get her into the back of the van with you, knowing how hard it was for Nancy to deny your lips when you did this. However, in your high state, you failed to realise just how pissed off the petite girl was, "So, why don't you just hop on in here and spend some time with me, huh?"

At this point, you had forgotten about Argyle entirely.

Nothing against the long-haired man, you were just so out of it that you couldn't focus on more than one thing at the moment, and you were incredibly okay with that being your beautiful girlfriend.

But you were soon alerted to his existence once more as he scooted his way ned to you and out of the van, bidding you both a goodbye with, "See you brotachios later."

"Bye, Argyle!" you called after him as he headed off to probably go find Jonathan while Nancy continued to glare daggers at you.

"Good luck, my dude!"

Now that got you to furrow your brows momentarily in confusion, ticking your head to the side before moving back to beam over at Nancy.

"Hey, baby."

"Y/N. What the hell are you playing at?"

"What? I can't call you 'baby' now?"

"That's not what I'm talking about."

You groaned lightly, finally figuring out what she was talking about, pressing your forehead into hers, hands still encased her wrists.

"Baby, please don't be like this."

"'Don't be like thi'-"

Before she could finish her angered sentence, you cut her off, only to continue your prior begging.

"Just come in here, please? We can have some privacy. You can yell at me all you want in here."

"I think I'll yell at you all I want from out here, thank you."

"Oh, Nance, just-" Releaseingher wrists, you instead, grasped at her waist, using your new-found leverage to begin tugging her into the back of the pizza van. "Come on in here."

"No, Y/N- I swear- Christ."

Once the curly-haired brunette had crossed the threshold, you gave one final pull, dropping back as you did, only to land in your lap with a surprised yelp.

"Y/N," Nancy scolded, hands upon your chest as she looked down at you with hard eyes and curved brows.

All the while, you dopily smiled up at her like she had hung the stars in the sky.

"Hey, baby."

"I swear to God, Y/N, when you come down from this, you're going to be in for a world of trouble."

With a hum, you replied, "Sounds like fun." Finishing it with a flirty wiggle of your brows.

"You won't find it fun when it's happening," Nancy spoke with a sarcastic smile.

Another hum sounded at the back of your throat, taking in Nancy's glorious body from where it sat upon your pelvis. This position reminded you of all the times she was in it before, when she would look down at you with the same want in your eyes right now. Passing your hands up and down her sides.

"You know what would be fun to do right now?"

Nancy's eyes grew wide, head turning to the side at your insinuation.

"No. There is no way I'm doing anything like that with you in the back of this van."

"I just want a little kiss, baby," you spoke lowly, shaking your head side to side, trying to tease her into kissing you.

"I'm not kissing you where everyone can see," she referred to your friends, still busy cleaning up the hidden away cabin and venturing the woods, setting up booby-trap alarms. Through the still-open trunk of the yellow van. "I still can't believe you did that in front of Argyle. I mean, I know he's lax on pretty much everything, but what if he had reacted badly at what you did? If he wasn't stoned out of his mind, he might have."

"Oh, please," you scoffed with a roll of your eyes, "That boy has more colours to him than JCPenney."

Nancy squinted down at you, trying to decipher your made-up expression.

"What?"

"Nance, about five minutes before you opened that door, he got finished telling me about the time of how he blew Jonathan in the back of this car. He gives Fruity Pebbles a run for their money, babe."

Ignoring your second descriptor of how gay the pizza boy was, Nancy reacted to the news of her ex-boyfriend having his own fun in the very van you had pulled her into.

"Okay, I'm definitely not kissing you in the back of thing van now."

"Oh, baby, come on. Don't do that," you whined, watching as she struggled against your body, trying to move and exit the vehicle.

Quickly, before she could remove herself from your lap, you pushed yourself up with one hand, the other coming to cup the back of her neck, pulling her down onto your lips.

After a few seconds spent kissing you, Nancy pulled away, with her nose wrinkled in the cutest way possible and pursed lips.

"You taste disgusting."

"Yeah, but I kiss amazing," you countered, brushing your thumb across her cheekbone, easily pulling her into another kiss.

Nancy's hands were wrapped up in the chest of your shirt, holding you in place as if you would suddenly sink through the van and out of her grasp. Given your experiences over the years, you couldn't blame her. At this point, you don't even think something like that would surprise you. Just like the brunette resting upon you, you kept her pressed against your body, hands holding her hips, soon rounding her to hug the girl to you, one hand threading into her hair just as her tongue slipped into your mouth.

You moaned softly into her lips, adoring the feeling of her satisfied smile in reaction to the noise.

When air started to become an issue, you pulled away with a smirk, peering up at the brunette with hooded eyes, a rasp to your voice when you next spoke.

"Even though I taste disgusting, you still have no issue sticking your tongue down my throat."

Nancy scoffed, rolling her eyes once more, not wanting to admit that you were right, even though you knew, full well, you were.

"Don't flatter yourself. I got used to it after a while."

"Aha. So, does that mean I can get you to smoke with me someday?"

"Not. A. Cance," she stated, leaning down to teasingly rub her nose against yours, smiling the same way.

You also knew that to be true.

Nancy wasn't the type for drugs. Even if it were something as innocent as weed. Not that she would -Truly- judge someone for using it. That didn't mean she had to like it. Especially when it involved someone she cared for greatly. She didn't want you to develop unhealthy mechanisms to cope with the things you have seen and done. Be that with alcohol, drugs, or something else. Nancy never wanted you to go through any hardships in life if they could be avoided.

"We still need to have that little chat when you sober up. So don't think that this is my acceptance of you smoking this yourself, the brunette warned, using her leverage upon your chest to push herself up, exiting through the open trunk, ready to get back to work.

"Now, come on! Just because you're high doesn't mean that you can't help me board up these windows."

"I can't use heavy machinery while under the influence. What makes you think I can use a hammer and nails?" you question, poking your head out of the back of the van, trying to get out of your task.

You should have known better than to think that that might possibly work against the Nancy Wheeler.

Spinning on her heels, the girl spoke to you as she continued walking backwards towards the cabin, "Then you hold the boards. And I'll do the hammering."

You groaned, stumbling out of the van, following after Nancy up the steps of the cabin. Wishing that you were back on those soft cushions, with your girlfriend, laying across your body, with her soft lips upon yours.=====

[buckysxgal]

Reunited?

Pairing: Eddie Munson x Reader Summary: Y/N went with the Byer's clan to California for college and comes back to Hawkins with the Cali crew after everything goes down. Will they reunite with their boyfriend Eddie? Word Count: 2.3k Warning: Vomiting

Also I haven't written in a while so hope this is good!

I was sitting in the back of the Surfer’s Pizza van staring out the window as we got closer and closer to Hawkins. It had been a hell of a few days and not knowing if Max is OK has been driving me crazy. El will not talk about it, she has barely talked much in the past 48 hours, understandably.  

It had been a while since I’d been back in Hawkins, a year in fact. I had left to go with Joyce and the rest of the Byers clan to California since I had been living with them. I had to leave behind my boyfriend, and we’ve been trying hard to stay connected with each other, but it’s been hard with me starting College and him trying to graduate high school. I missed Eddie and last I heard from El, there was someone named Eddie involved in everything going on back in Hawkins.  

My eyes focused on a sign in the distance, I perked up a bit recognizing it as the ‘Welcome to Hawkins’ sign. I started fiddling with the necklace around my neck, a wave of nerves coming over me at the thought of seeing everybody. Anxiety coursed through me as I wondered if all my friends had made it out alive.  

“We going to the Wheelers?” I asked no one in particular. The first words being said for hours startled everyone. Jonathan, who was behind the wheel, nodded in reply.  

“We’ll be there within the next 30 minutes.” I nodded and continued staring out the window as the town of Hawkins passed me by. There were holes in the ground everywhere, people flooded outside of the school with a sign about helping those affected by the earthquake. I let out a shaky breath as I looked over the crowd of people hoping to see a face I recognized. 

We pulled up outside of the Wheeler’s residence and I took note of everyone that was around. Steve and Robin were helping Nancy pack Steve's car with boxes. Dustin was speaking to Mrs. Wheeler beside Steve’s car. No sign of Lucas, Max or Erica and worst of all. No sign of Eddie, yet.  

“Cheer up dude.” Argyle spoke up from the passenger seat. “Your boyfriend might be somewhere else.” I hadn’t noticed that the younger ones had already stepped out of the car. 

“Yeah besides, what would he be doing at Nance’s house anyways?” Jonathan piped up. They had good points. It would be odd of him to be there considering the crew that was there, him not being particularly close to Steve or Robin. They both left the car while I contemplated what they said. I took a deep breath and left the car. I passed by the few reunions happening and made my way over to Robin and Steve, wrapping them up in a group hug. 

“I’m glad you guys are OK.” I whispered. Robin, not being much for physical attention, awkwardly patted my back while Steve tightened his grip on me. 

“I know you guys might not know this, but” I trailed off, pulling back from the hug. “do you guys happen to know if Eddie is alright?” Steve and Robin shared a look, a melancholy expression taking over their faces as they shook their heads.  

“We haven’t seen him since everything went down.” Robin muttered. “Sorry.”  

“It’s alright, didn’t expect you guys to just... thought I’d check.” I mumbled. 

I felt a hand land on my back. I turned my head to see Nancy looking at me, the way Nancy always does when she’s trying to figure someone out. I gave her a small smile and pulled her into a side hug.  

“You OK?” she asked lowly. I nodded against her shoulder. As I pulled away from that hug, I heard El talk about Max. I looked over as Dustin explained that she was in the hospital. I walked over to Dustin and ruffled his hair in greeting. Dustin looked over to me and it seemed like his shoulder’s got heavier. He focused his eyes back on Will and El as I saw tears starting to form in the corner of his eyes. My mind wandered back to Eddie as they continued to talk about Max’s condition. A sinking feeling present in my gut, no one could or would tell me of Eddie’s condition, but the looks on their faces say that they know something. 

“Are you coming man?” Argyle said as he waved his hand in front of my face. I blinked and looked around to see everyone piling into different cars. Steve, Robin and Dustin are all piling into Steve’s car while the rest are piling into the van. 

I made my way over to the van and climbed in, taking my seat between Will and Argyle. Nancy in the front with Jonathan and Mike and El occupying the seats in the middle.  

“Where are we going?” I asked Will. 

“We’re going to see Max.” I nodded and settled further into my seat.  

The elevator ride was quiet, almost suffocatingly quiet. No one knew what to say and everyone was going through different emotions. The only one that wasn’t majorly affected was Argyle, mainly because he didn’t know Max, though he wasn’t his normal cheery self either. We exited the elevator and looked for the room number the receptionist told us.  

I followed in the room behind El, Mike and Will and peeked around the three teens. My throat constricted as I saw Max on the hospital bed. She looked... so weak. Lucas let go of Eleven and spotted me. I gave him a weak smile and wrapped him in a hug. 

“I’m sorry sweetie.” I said as I tightened my hug. I looked around him and saw Erica sitting in a chair in the corner of the room being quiet, which was very unlike her. I let go of Lucas and went to sit on the arm of the chair she was on. She leaned against my side as I put my hand on her shoulder. I looked over at the side table, there was a newspaper on it with Eddie’s face peeking out from a folded page. I squinted my eyes, trying to make out what the article was.  

I stood up and walked over to the newspaper and gasped. 

CULT LEADER KILLS CHEERLEADER 

Eddie’s school photo looked up at me. I felt sick. There’s no way Eddie would’ve done this. I numbly walked across the room and out of the door, ignoring my friends questions as I left. 

“Hey amiga.” Argyle said from his place on the floor as I walked out of the room. I ignored him and walked straight to the trash can heaving into it.  

“Oh shit” I heard Argyle scrambling up off the floor to rush over to me and began rubbing circles on my back. I heard multiple footsteps running towards me. I could hear Argyle talking and another voice answering him. His hand came off my back and was replaced with a smaller one. I finished heaving and sat back into the chest of the person behind me. 

“It’s going to be OK.” Nancy muttered running her hand over my forehead. Jonathan came into my field of sight looking very concerned and holding out a water bottle. I grabbed the bottle as he grabbed the newspaper that was still clutched in my hands and looked at the article on the front page. His eyebrows shot up and he read through it. I took a heavy swig of the water and shifted to look at Nancy. 

“Did he...” I couldn’t bring myself to finish the sentence. She gave me a small smile and shook her head. 

“No.” she said firmly. “Eddie did not do this.” I breathed out a sigh of relief, I already knew he wasn’t capable of something like this but hearing someone else, someone who doesn’t know him like I do, also say what I am thinking took a huge weight off my shoulder. I looked up from the floor and saw the kids looking at me from the door of Max’s room, concern etched on their faces. 

“I’m OK guys. I’m just going to go sit in the van.” I moved to stand, Nancy and Jonathan helping me up. 

“Come on dude, I’ll come sit with you.” I nodded and followed Argyle out of the hospital. 

“We’ll be out soon.” Nancy called from behind us. 

Me and Argyle sat in the car in relative silence. The radio was being played at a low volume as the rest of the crew piled in the car. El took a seat beside me and leaned her head on my shoulder with Mike settling in on the other side of her. 

I grabbed hold of her hand as we settled back into our seats in the van after visiting Max. I gave it a gentle squeeze, hoping she’d look over at me. I knew this whole thing with Max was really tearing her up. She continued staring forward, but she gave my hand a squeeze back.  

We were on our way to Hopper’s old cabin, a safe spot for us to hide El. Again, I wondered where Eddie was. I hoped he was OK but the apology and sympathetic look that I received from Lucas makes me think he might not be. After seeing the article in the newspaper about Eddie, and how he was being accused of murder. I had little hope that I’d get to see Eddie again. I began to chew on my nails, a habit I picked up on since the beginning of this shit show, and let my eyes shift out of focus. 

The old cabin came into view, a lot quicker than I expected it to. Nancy shifted in her seat and turned around to face us. 

“There’s someone else that will be staying with Eleven here” She explained to us. I looked in her eyes and she quickly shifted them away. Strange. I quirked an eyebrow up at Will who was sitting across from me. He shrugged his shoulders at me and got ready to exit the van. I narrowed my eyes at the scene ahead of us. Man, that cabin is in rough shape.  

“I get that we gotta hide Supergirl, and all but this isn’t exactly a Fortress of Solitude, man.” Argyle exclaimed. “It’s more like a Fortress of Grodiness.” Nancy huffed. 

“Come on guys seriously,” she walked around the counter. “I’ve seen Mike’s room look worse than this.” 

“Ah, brutal, dude.” Argyle said looking over at Mike who looked like he had just finished sucking on a lemon. I let out a small laugh and turned back towards Nancy who was now opening the doors of the pantry.  

“And, voila, cleaning supplies.” Nancy said as she plopped a container down onto the kitchen counter filled with various supplies. We all chose an area and set to fixing this place up. Mike and Will were cleaning up the living area, Nancy and Jonathan were boarding up the broken windows, Eleven had taken a bag and trudged her way over to one of the rooms and God knew where Argyle managed to sneak away to.  

I set a bucket of water on the floor beside the wall and got started on wiping down the walls. A year of uninhibitedness and holes in the roof sure did a number on this place. I could hear rumbling as it sounded like more cars showed up. I popped my head up to look out the window and saw Steve’s car pull up with an unmarked black car that suspiciously looked like it belonged to the government. I caught Jonathan’s eyes and narrowed them. He shook his head in confusion and turned to Nancy. 

I stood up and followed Mike and Will outside. Steve, Robin and Dustin got out of the car. Dustin remained at the car door talking to someone in the car, but Steve and Robin made their way towards us. In the black car out stepped Joyce and Hopper, I let out a sigh of relief seeing the former police chief alive and well after what happened last year. I watched Joyce hug her sons as Hopper passed by me clapping me on the shoulder. 

“Don’t worry kid, we’ll figure something out.” I looked at him strangely and he pointed towards Steve’s car and then turned to walk inside the cabin, presumably to go see El. A sense of confusion washed over me as I looked over to Steve’s car. Steve had appeared beside me and nudged me. I looked over at him in disbelief; he nodded his head towards the car. 

“Someone you should see.” I whipped my head back to the car as I saw Eddie step out. Eddie was alive, he was OK. Eddie hadn’t noticed me yet, talking animatedly with Dustin. I could feel a smile on my face as I said his name. His eyes met mine and he grinned. 

“Hey sweetheart.” I let out a choked sob as I flew down the driveway and into his arms, almost knocking us down onto the ground. I could feel him chuckling as he held onto me tight. 

“I am never letting you out of my sight again you hear me, Edward Munson.” I said making my point by stabbing my pointer finger in his chest. Eddie was looking down at me with a dopey smile on his face. His hand came up to rest on the side of my neck which stopped my ranting.  

“I love you sweetheart.” He whispered before leaning down and placing his lips on mine. I kissed back softly before pulling away, pressing my forehead to his. 

“I’m serious Eddie. Never.” He nodded and wrapped me back up in a hug. 

“Promise.” He whispered against my neck. 

This work is not to be copied onto any other blog or site without my permission. Everything I write is cross posted onto my Archive of our Own account under the same username. 

[theyaregayyourhonor]

I will never get over s4 El/Mike/Will reunion in the desert

Like the visual storytelling actually altered my brain chemistry. I will not be the same and I am baffled how can people come out of that scene thinking Mike and El are endgame. Like that scene is peak Show don't Tell.

First the scene starts with El still glaring into the desert, than Mike scares her, like he calls her name but she doesn't really clocks it. He grabs her shoulder and El get spoked at first than realizes that its Mike.

This scene is meant to be romantic, but it kinda off. First the whole thing is abrupt, it just jumps onto El and the viewer, there is no built up of Mike and El looking at eachother, El starting to smile and than having the hug. It just comes down on her.

It's beautifully shows how they relationship started, El and Mike just bumped into eachother in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by destruction and death and latched onto eachother.

The magic also broken by Argyle walking behind them, Will blurred image at the (arguably most) romantic moment than Argyle again (who we later see watching the dead bodies totally flipped out) and said dead bodies.

Also important what Mike and El say.

They talk about how Mike is real and he is here.

It's really you.

It's me.....I'm here...everyones here.

There is no; Are you okay? What happened? I am so sorry! I love you!

This is just El and Mike discussing that yes, Mike is here and yes, he is infact real.

(interesting when you also consider that Max has a simiral conversation with Vecna in the mind palace. You're not really here/Oh but I am, Max. I am. Plus Both Max and El has something around their neck)

So Mike points out that everybody is here and than it cuts to Will, the focus is him standing in front of this beautiful scenery. Like it really is just picturesque, than pans back to Mike and El behind them every body.

The moment El locks eyes with Will she doesn't look away. Her gaze is set on that boy and she is determined to get to him, Mike helps her

Which again shows how Mike was the one who brought El into Will's life, Will wouldn't have a sister if Mike doesn't found El that night in the woods, or if he does end up sending her to the asylum or if s2 they didn't reconnect. El and Will wouldn't have this amazing relationship, they wouldn't have eachother.

The moment we see Will again he is just about to cry, his arms are already out to hug her.

Like this is beautiful, I can't stress it enough. Will hugging El so strongly, the two of them being surrounded by the scenery, nobody else just the two of them.

Their conversation is also telling:

Are you okay?

I'm okay

They talk about EL! Will needs to know if El is okay, he also focuses on the collar, his hands are around it and we all know he already trying to figure out a way to get it of.

Also while Will is focused on the collar El still looks at Will smiling, like she just stares at his face with so much love and relief and when he ask if she is okay she nods and her smile just becomes bigger.

Than we have a cut to Jonathan, and this moment is now focused on the three of them, we don't see Argyle or Mike or the van or the bodies we see this three as Jonathan says they have to go and get her to safety.

Than this happens:

The collar comes off and El takes it off herself.

In that moment El is freeing herself from a lot of things. From the lab, from the superhero vs monster thing, from Brenner and what he did to her, but with everything we saw she also finally ready to end her relationship with Mike.

The scene is a beautiful representation of their relationship. It came out of nowhere when El was running and in danger. There was a lot of death behind her, a lot of thing she was scared of and wanted someone to be there for her.

Mike helped her, a lot, but the relationship was more of comfort than real romantic love, they talk about how Mike is really here, as he was there for El before too, he was the only real thing in El life. The only real friend she had, the only real person she met, the only real connection to the outside world she had.

Than Mike points out that everybody is here, that they are all here, and El meets Will's eyes.

In that moment Mike helps El out again (Mike and El having a relationship after Hopper's death and the moving) and letting her go. Mike doesn't go with her, he stays where he is as El walks towards Will.

Will who cares about El, Will who loves El, Will who is the brother of El.

Will asks if El is okay, and when El says she is okay he is happy, but the coar is not off yet. No the Duffers really said; Throw in Jonathan.

And after she talks to Jonathan, after that the collar opens up and El removes it herself.

El, to be free and happy had to walk away from the relationship that was built onto fake romantic feelings. She had to walk away into the arms of the people who loved her, cared for her and will except her for who she. To be free she had to reconnect with her brothers.

I am physically unwell!

Also Also

El starts the lab story line with hair like Joyce, plaids like Hopper, a shirt that is very much like Lucas s1 attire and the white pants plus white shirt with flowers and pink at the end of the sleeves.

Plaids are just a Hopper-Byers sigil at this point. Hopper wears them, Joyce wears them, Jonathan wears them, Will wears them, El takes a piece of them with her. She has a hair like Joyce, again something she takes from them and brings with her, than the shirt that is connecting her to the party.

El takes those and puts it on her because she wants to belong and feel connected to them.

The lab takes away her hair almost immediately, than they gave her that white clothes she has to wear and in the flashbacks (i have no idea what are those really) she wears a hospital gown.

El looses them all, and she has no power over it.

When she gets away she again puts on everything that connects her to her loved ones. Plaids, the Lucas inspired shirt, the white pants and shirt.

But than she slowly gets back everybody.

Will, Jonathan, Joyce, Hop and she takes those of and all that it leaves is the white and pink and flowers, all it leaves is El, finally ready to found out who she is, ready to become the person she is, to found out what she likes.

El ends s4 ready to grow into the young woman she is and s5 will be about her fully coming into herself, and I can't wait to see it.

[lab-trash]

Time Loop fic where after Mike and Will return, time goes back to the year before on the same date.

Who's the victim of the time loop? That's for you to decide. Want a Ronance fic? Make it Robin. Steddie? Steve or Eddie. Byler? Will, maybe Mike. Hell, even El would be a really good one for that. Lumax, Lucas; he gets really overprotective over Max. Best of all though, in my opinion? A Jargyle where Argyle is the one in the time loop.

Think about it. At first he thinks it was a really hecking bad trip— for months he thinks that! And then there's some new kids and Argyle realises. That's was all real.

(Ideas for other ships under the cut)

Steddie- Classic; Steve starts trying to get to know and get along more with Eddie to try and get him not to die somehow, or even just see them as confidantes to go to after Chrissy's death. Definitely didn't mean to fall in love with him. Or, if you want Eddie to be the looper, have him start getting friendly and charmingly annoying in his special way, way earlier. Especially if Dustin didn't know, that'd be hilarious.

Ronance- Robin realising she likes Nancy after they stop being around each other and having to kind of casually figure out a way to become her friend. No romantic expectation. Damn is she surprised when she hears Nancy and Jonathan broke up. That didn't happen last time. What changed?

Byler- Let's do Will first. Obviously, he's not looking forward to moving. He doesn't want to lose Mike again. Especially now that he's realised he has a crush on him. This would mostly be angst. Maybe Will makes a little more of an effort to call though, knowing the potential outcome of not calling Mike when his mom is off the phone.

Mike. He tries to write and call more. He starts regretting it when he starts looking forward to Will's letters more than El's and gets disappointed when El calls him instead of Will. Maybe he shares this with Eddie and Eddie jokes about him being bi, much to Mike's confusion.

Lastly, my favourite. El. One, I like the idea that she gets her little powers back in the loop. She decides to keep it a secret, especially once they move to California where they're weaker and less consistent. They're more emotion based there. Other than that, she tries to make more of an effort to keep Mike and Will's friendship close. Maybe on a call, El realises Mike likes Will, or realises Will likes Mike. She breaks up with Mike, sort of out of mercy. Both of them would be ridden with guilt if they were dating when they figured out their own feelings. All in all, I want El to be a supportive sister and friend. Maybe throw some elmax or elumax in there, I don't make the rules.

[thranduel]

if they wanted to show that mike was straight and one of the main parts of his arc was getting a girl, they could’ve shown that he has interest in girls at the very beginning (like a crush at school) but just couldn’t get any attention from them because he’s a nerd. this would’ve also added to his insecurities and made a lot of sense in the later seasons. but they DIDN’T, because he’s not interested in girls! he’s NEVER shown any interest in them. not once. he’s only been interested in his party, d&d, fiction, and his other hobbies and interests.

he doesn’t even have any favourite female superheroes. no posters, no comics, no action figures, absolutely nothing. if mike was “so straight” as people claim, wouldn’t his room be full of female superhero action figures and comic books? wouldn’t there be posters on his walls full of hot women? because there is NOTHING! it’s only MALE superheroes. they even make this clear in season 3 when max has to teach el about wonder woman and she says she’s been hanging out with mike too much because he has absolutely nothing related to female superheroes. even after he started dating el, a female superhero, he still had no interest in female superheroes?! he even compared her to SUPERMAN in season 4!!!!!!!!!! even argyle referred to el as a female superhero but her own boyfriend didn’t?!

ted also had a line in season 1 where he was shocked at the idea of mike being anywhere near a girl (“our son with a girl?”). and it wasn’t just to say that he’s a nerd, because we already know that. they didn’t need to add that line to tell us something we already know. they added it to tell us he genuinely has no interest in girls and has never mentioned them before. no real crushes, no fictional crushes, absolutely nothing to do with girls. that’s why ted was so shocked.

another thing, if they wanted to make it look like mike was straight but in love with el, he could’ve tried moving on after she disappeared and it could’ve shown he still has crushes on girls but he realises they’ll never be el so he can’t move on. that would at least make it clear that he’s “so straight”, but they DIDN’T do that because he doesn’t care about girls!!!!!!!!

mike didn’t fall in love with el because of her appearance or gender (and even if he did, the show referred to her as looking like a boy in season 1 and some people even thought she was WILL, so what does that tell you?). he became emotionally attached and dependent on her because she has powers and saved his life and others too. but they never actually got to know each other as people. they didn’t even have time to develop a friendship first before kissing. mike just felt the pressure from everyone around him after being teased and because of society’s expectations. he felt like he needed a girlfriend, and probably felt even better about himself because this girl happened to be a superhero, something he’s obsessed with. but it was never about her gender. mike loves el, i just don’t think it’s romantic at all. i think they’re both trying to convince themselves it is when it isn’t.

that’s why i’ll never understand how people call mike straight, because there’s never been anything in the show that actually suggests he’s straight. having ONE girlfriend that he only became attached to because of her superpowers is not being straight. like i said, he didn’t start dating her because of her gender or because she’s a girl. it’s because he liked her personality and the fact she’s a superhero. he doesn’t even initiate the physical touch and at the end of season 3, he didn’t say “i love you” back or kiss her back. his eyes were wide open and he looked uncomfortable. even now, they have absolutely nothing in common and there’s no trust, honesty, communication or understanding in their relationship. even if he WAS attracted to el, the fact their relationship lacks the most important things just proves it’s not healthy and it’s not true romantic love. it’s just emotional attachment and trauma bonding because they rushed into a relationship when they were 12 years old and going through something extremely traumatic. i’ll never understand how people romanticise that.