youresodarlingdarling

[youresodarlingdarling]

I’m home for the holidays, what am I meant to do with all this free time if not draw even more men in crop tops and tiny shorts?

pt1 - pt2 - ref from ashurgharavi on pinterest

[youresodarlingdarling]

They are now calling for a boycott of all Starbucks stores for December 20th to December 24th.

[youresodarlingdarling]

I can’t find it on tumblr and IT CHRISMAS GOD DAMMIT.

MERR CHRISMAS.

[youresodarlingdarling]

Sundays are for Scoops

for @nerdsandthelike as a part of @fandomtrumpshate.

Thank you @lady-lostmind for betaing!

Rating: G | Scoops Troop, found family | No warnings | 2,394 words

--

It takes Steve twelve hours to decide to go for it. It takes him another three days to get Robin on board. 

“These kids have you wrapped around their finger,” Robin huffs, feet scuffing up his dash as she sinks further into the passenger seat. 

“Like you could deny them anything,” Steve points out. “You biked across town to get Erica a pint of ice cream from Melvad’s because she mentioned her mom couldn’t find it at Bradley’s Big Buy.” 

Robin scowls at him, arms crossed. “Not the point.” 

Steve adjusts his grip on the steering wheel as he turns into the Wheelers’ and Sinclairs’ neighborhood. “This is going to be good for us,” he says, maybe too sincere for their usual schtick. 

“I’m not getting out,” Robin says as he eases up to the curb on the house between the Sinclairs and Wheelers. “The last thing I need right now is one of your kiddie friends stealing my seat because of some arbitrary rule.” 

“Oh the best friend privileges?” Steve asks, already opening his door. “The same ones you claim?” 

Robin flips him off, a quick, sarcastic smile pinching her face. 

He heads to the Sinclairs’ first. Steve doesn’t even get to knock before Erica’s opening the door, unimpressed. “He’s not here.” 

“Cool, not here for him,” Steve says. 

She pauses, lips pursed. There’s a flicker of hesitance, of something deeper, before she cocks her hip out and crosses her arms. “What do you want?” 

Steve leans against the wall and shrugs his free shoulder as nonchalantly as he can. Act cool, Harrington. “I’m having a game night at my place–” 

“Pass.” 

“Are you sure?” Steve asks, pushing himself back to standing. He jerks a thumb over his shoulder. “Rob’s in the car already and I’m about to drag Henderson out of Wheeler’s basement–” 

“I’m not playing with my stupid brother and all his–” 

“He’s not invited,” Steve says. “Scoops Troop only.” 

Erica’s eyes grow wider, just enough for Steve to pick up on it. He sees her hand ease up on the door frame. “I’m too old for Chutes & Ladders,” she says pointedly. 

“Good, because I was thinking Henderson could help us learn Dweebs and Doorknobs, if you were up for it,” Steve says with another shrug. He shoves his hands into his jacket pockets. “Or I could teach you guys Gin Rummy. Your call, Sinclair.”

She juts her chin up with a sniff of her nose. “Fine.” 

Steve tries to hold back his smile as much as possible, but he’s sure he’s failing miserably if the roll of her eyes says anything. “Grab your shit and meet Rob in the car. I’ll go get Henderson.” 

Erica slams the door in his face. He’ll take it for the win that it is. 

Mrs. Wheeler barely says hello as she opens the door, motioning with her head toward the belly of the house with Holly on her hip. “You know where they’re at.” It took a while for her to come around to him showing up for Mike instead of Nancy, but she’s finally settled with this new reality. Probably a lot faster than Steve himself did. 

“Thanks, Mrs. Wheeler,” Steve says, kissing her cheek as he passes. 

The wall of sound that erupts from the basement when Steve opens the door nearly takes him out. He pushes past it, jogging down the stairs, and snaps his fingers. “Henderson, time to go,” he says over the boys arguing. 

Dustin and Mike barely falter, only stopping for a split second to share a curious twitch of an eyebrow before they’re diving into another argument about some alligator of Star Wars or whatever. 

Lucas is watching them go back and forth like a tennis match, mindlessly shoving chips into his mouth as he nods along to their points. 

“I don’t have all day, Henderson,” Steve says. “Chop, chop! Let’s go!” He claps his hands, leaning over the railing to get a better vantage point to glare at the kid. 

Dustin rolls his eyes. “We’re in the middle of something, Steve,” he hisses. “Can’t you wait?” 

“Nope. C’mon. We’ve got places to be.” 

“Dude, seriously? You’re not even supposed to be my ride today! I biked here!” 

“Then shove the bike into the trunk. I don’t really care,” Steve says, shrugging just to piss him off even more. It’s fun riling him up, and as his honorary big brother, it’s Steve’s sole purpose in life to irritate him as much as possible. He takes his job very seriously. 

Dustin waves him off and turns back to Mike, who looks just as irritated by Steve’s presence but that’s not exactly new. “Ignore him. He’ll go away eventually. But you’re wrong about–” 

Steve looks to the popcorned ceiling and takes a deep breath. These kids, man. He propels himself off the rail and practically snags Dustin by the ball cap in one fluid motion.

The squawk of indignation he receives for his efforts only fuels him further. Steve drags him to the stairs. “Say bye, Henderson.” 

“This is child abduction,” Dustin squeaks, stumbling after Steve, considering he won’t free his hat or take it off his head. “I could call the police on you.” 

“Oh no,” Steve says, monotone, “I’m so scared of the cops.” 

“Hopper takes this shit very serious–��� 

They both pause, breath hitched in their chest for a fraction of a moment, as they stare at one another in a silent panic. Understanding passes through them, quiet and heavy as they swallow their grief and move on. 

“Don’t fight me,” Steve says as he pushes Henderson along. “You’re going to like this.” 

Dustin groans his goodbyes to the Wheelers, then stomps his way down to the Beemer with Steve. 

He rounds the car, then groans even louder when he sees Robin in the front seat. “Steve,” he whines, long and loud, “tell her to move.” 

Steve rolls his eyes and slides into his seat. “Just get in, dude. We’ve got plans.” 

“Oh yeah,” Robin says. “Because this is so time sensitive.” 

“We’re about two seconds from Mr. O’Neil having me towed, so,” Steve says, cranking the car with a pointed look through the window at a pouting Dustin. “Get in the car, Henderson.” 

*

The Harrington House is usually cold and lifeless, but right now, it’s the warmest Steve’s ever felt. They’ve got a mixtape Robin made playing through the sound system on a low volume, a nice hum through the spacious rooms that shakes the chill from the walls. The dining room lights are dimmed and they lit candles for ambiance, the shadows flickering over their faces as they all gathered around the table. 

Dustin’s at the head, standing over them as he hovers over the papers strewn around the wooden surface. “And then, out of the depths of the forest, a creaking, eerie whistle–” 

“How can a whistle creak?” Robin asks, tapping her pencil against her chin. 

Steve tilts his head back, lips moving as he tries to imagine the sound in his head. 

Dustin levels her with a glare. “Just roll with it–” 

“But if I can’t imagine it–” 

“Then work on your imagination–” 

“Maybe you should use descriptions that actually make sense,” Erica snips, lips pursed as her eyes light up with glee. 

Dustin scrubs at his face for a second. “Okay,” he stresses with his hands in front of himself. Rushed, he says, “Out of the depths of the spooky forest, you hear a long, sharp whistle that sounds like a–”

“When did this become a spooky forest?” Robin asks, leaning forward. “You didn’t say that last time.” 

“It was implied–” 

Steve covers his mouth with his hand, shoulders shaking with laughter as Dustin’s face gets progressively redder. 

Erica giggles, hiding in her hands as well and then suddenly all three of them are laughing hard enough to shake the table. It’s so silly and fun, playing together and riling up Dustin for the heck of it. Even Dustin was breaking, plopping back down in his seat and hiding his face behind the brim of his hat. 

It’s all just so… trivial. 

Steve knows how much this game means to Dustin, has spent the better part of a year hearing all about it, but he’s never seen how fun it could be. And here they are, with the characters Dustin helped them build, learning how to play and barely able to function for just… fucking around. Granted, he knows that Dustin probably wouldn’t be this flippant about his “real” games with the other guys, but it’s a very special kind of reward to see him and Erica act a little goofy. 

The last time the four of them were in a room together, just the four of them, they were escaping a secret Russian base. So this is a much appreciated improvement. 

Composed, Dustin sets the scene again. “Sir Robin,” Dustin addresses Steve, “you have to make a choice between the paths. Do you steer your horse, and subsequently your party, down the right or the left paths?” 

Steve looks to Robin, who just shrugs. “Don’t I have a spell thingy I can play?” 

Erica shakes her head. “No, but I do. I want to cast a light down both paths to see what's down there.” 

Dustin considers this, then hands her two different shape dice. “Roll both of these.” 

She does, but Steve can’t be bothered to see what numbers they landed on. Dustin will explain it anyway. By the looks of it, neither he or Erica are all that impressed with the outcome.

“Okay, you’re able to conjure enough magic to cast a light twenty feet down the path, but you can only do one of them. Which do you choose?” 

Erica looks down at her notes. “The right one is closer to the sound, right? That creaky whistle nonsense?” 

“Yup,” Dustin says, looking smug. 

“The left then.” 

“What?” Dustin squawks. “You don’t want to see what’s on the right?”

“No,” Erica huffs, crossing her arms. “It’s spooky and obviously a trap, so we’re making the smart play and going with the left.” 

Steve points his pencil at her. “What she said.” 

Robin’s head bobs between them like a tennis match, face alight with pure glee. 

Dustin groans but scribbles something down, before saying with a mighty sigh, “You don’t see anything. It’s a perfectly normal path.” 

“Oh, that’s the trap then,” Robin says. 

“Definitely a trap,” Erica agrees. 

“They can’t both be traps!”

Steve shakes his head. “No, no, I’m going with their gut here. I take my sword and start hacking through the brush to make my own path.” 

The barely concealed rage behind Dustin’s eyes as he levels Steve with a look is all worth it. 

*

The game night becomes a biweekly thing. Every other Sunday, the Scoops Troop gathers at Steve’s house to play games from sunrise to sunset. Well, not really, but it's damn near close. They have a one D&D session per month rule, since both Erica and Dustin play with other clubs too. The other Sundays, they play classic games or sometimes Dustin will try to make his own or have them test out another game similar to D&D. 

It’s a good way to connect, especially when they take breaks and Steve can check in with everyone. It’s the only way he knows that Erica has nightmares and can’t do enclosed spaces anymore without thinking about the vents. Or how Dustin likes to walkie in the middle of the night for a proof of life check, but he didn’t think Steve would be okay with that until their third session – which is frankly absurd, since they’re best friends and Steve would literally die for that kid, so a little middle of the night check in is nothing. He and Robin are pretty in sync as is, but it’s fun getting to be silly and forget that they’re like adults and shit. Or close to it. 

With Dustin and Erica, they can be silly and annoy them to their wits end without worrying about life or death consequences. Sure, Steve’s house is usually in disarray after their sessions and he’s usually sick with how much junk they consume, but goddamn is it worth it. 

It’s a few months into their routine when the other boys show up. The Byers and Eleven have been in California for a few months now and their absence seems to emphasize Dustin’s absence every other Sunday. They show up in between their games; a rousing game of Monopoly has left them deliriously competitive for a Game of Life that the girls are setting up. 

Steve answers the door with a raised eyebrow. “What are you two nerds doing?” 

Mike rolls his eyes. 

Lucas scratches at his neck. “Is Dustin here?” 

“You know he is,” Steve says with a sigh. “C’mon, we talked about this at movie night last week. We take Scoops Time seriously.” 

Mike rolls his eyes again. “You’re just playing dumb board games! Why can’t we join you?” 

“How come Erica can’t join your little Dragons and Dorks game, huh?” Steve counters, crossing his arms. “You guys iced her out of that–” 

“Because she’s a baby–”

Steve goes to close the door. “We can do games as a group instead of movie night Thursday, but today is for the Scoops Troop, guys.” 

Lucas nods, a small smile on his face. “Yeah, okay,” he says with a sigh. 

Fuck, Steve really cares for these kids. “Come over tomorrow, Sinclair, and we can work on your free throws. Wheeler, you can come if you want–” 

“I’d rather die,” Mike huffs as he stalks off. 

“Suit yourself,” Steve calls after him. He turns back to Lucas. “I’m sorry, you know?” 

He waves him off. “I get it. Erica needs this,” Lucas says. “I’ll come over after Hellfire?” 

Steve holds out his fist for Lucas to bump. “Good plan. Do you need a ride?” 

“Please?”

“I’ll be there.” 

Lucas’ smile seems genuine as he turns back to the yard to grab his bike from the lawn. He waits until he meets Mike at the mailbox before he waves back to Steve. 

Steve waits until they’re both on their bikes and speeding down the road before he shuts the door. He’s got three nerds to beat at Life, after all. 

[youresodarlingdarling]

❄️Let it snow❄️

[youresodarlingdarling]

make a move dingus

[youresodarlingdarling]

im so normal about them

[youresodarlingdarling]

Dustin moved to the window by Steve’s front door and pressed his face to it.

"Robin. . .why is Steve talking to Santa?" Dustin asked and turned to look at her.

"Oh, he knows him very personally. He called him over for you guys," Robin said.

"Steve knows Santa?!" Dustin shrieked. "He never said!"

"Okay, do you still bel - ," Robin started to say.

"WHY IS STEVE KISSING SANTA?!" Dustin yelled, his face pressed to the glass.

"Oh, well, Steve’s been a very bad boy this year, and he's trying to work his way back onto the nice list," she replied.

"BY SEDUCING SANTA?!" Dustin yelled. "That's not how you do it!"

Mike, Lucas, Max, Will, and El entered the hallway.

"What's going on?" Max asked.

"Steve knows Santa! He called him over, and now he's cheating on Steve with him!" Dustin yelled.

"What? Is he trying to get on the nice list or naughty list?" Mike asked.

"Fuck this," Max swore.

They all spilled out onto the front lawn with Robin following after them.

"You guys do know that Santa isn't - "

"STEVE!" Dustin yelled.

"Oh, goddamn it," Steve cursed as he pulled away from Santa. "I've ruined - "

"Are you cheating on Eddie?!" Dustin yelled, his hands on his hips. "You're my brother, and I love you, but if you ruin this relationship with Eddie, I'll never forgive you!"

"That's sweet, Henderson, but completely unnecessary," Santa said and pulled his beard down to reveal Eddie. "Surprise!"

"Oh my god!" Dustin exclaimed.

"Don't beat yourself up, Dustin, it's an easy mistake to make!" Eddie said cheerfully.

"Why didn't you tell us?!" He asked.

"Uh, well, Steve wanted to keep it a surprise, and I thought you were old enough to know," Eddie said.

"It makes sense now, Eddie wasn't here last Christmas!" Mike exclaimed.

"And it makes sense why his wounds healed so quickly," Lucas said.

"And why he can drive so fast," El said.

"And why he is so good with animals," Max said.

"And kids," Dustin said.

"He's great with kids and storytelling!" Will exclaimed.

"What the fuck is going on here?" Eddie asked.

"I don't know," Steve frowned.

"He loves elves and Lord of the Rings!" Lucas exclaimed.

"Oh my god! Eddie's Santa Claus!" Dustin yelled.

"I have to call Nancy!" Mike yelled.

"We have to call the rest of the party!" Dustin yelled.

Robin, Steve, and Eddie watched dumbfounded as the kids ran back inside.

"Do they still believe in Santa?" Eddie asked.

"This is the first time I'm fucking hearing about it and we've known them longer than you," Steve said.

"Maybe since they know that the Upside Down exists, they think other things like the North Pole exists," Robin said.

"Makes sense," Steve frowned.

"I am NOT telling them that I'm not Santa," Eddie said, crossing his arms. "You do it, Steve!"

"I'm not doing it!" Steve yelled.

"I'll do it!" Robin yelled and then paused. "After everything they've been through. . .don't they deserve to believe in a little bit of magic?"

"I don't know. . .we would be lying to them, Robin," Eddie said.

Meanwhile, the kids were watching them argue from the window.

"So, how long do you think it'll take them to realize that we don't actually believe in Santa Claus?" Max asked.

"A while," Mike snickered.

"Eddie should have done a better job at hiding the Santa costume," Max said.

As Robin, Steve, and Eddie fought on the front lawn, the kids watched with freshly made hot chocolate and Christmas music playing in the background. Snowflakes began to fall from the sky, dancing around to land on the ground.

"The mood is right. The spirit's up. We're here tonight, and that's enough. Simply having a wonderful Christmastime. . ."

[youresodarlingdarling]

Psst. If you like 'em gettin' nasty in the shower, check out this fic by @runninriot

[youresodarlingdarling]

A sunrise made for two

[youresodarlingdarling]

@xxfiction-is-my-realityxx here it is!!i love the idea! steve and robin are too cute 🧡

[youresodarlingdarling]

[youresodarlingdarling]

[youresodarlingdarling]

The response to this Ben Shapiro video.

Conservatives are waking up to the grift.

[youresodarlingdarling]

hot pink mug

for @steddieholidaydrabbles prompt 'hot chocolate'

all of my holiday drabbles will be from the bear hugs universe. many of them could probably be read standalone, but will make the most sense and be enjoyed best if you read that first!

rated t | 504 words | no cw | tags: fluff, established relationship, slice of life

🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷

They’re completely out of coffee, which Eddie thought was illegal. It makes sense, though.

Neither of them have had time to go to the store and Eddie remembers using the last of it for the pot he made two days ago. He can stop and get a cup on the way to his meeting with the coaching staff.

He looks at the clock. He sighs.

He doesn’t have time.

He looks through the cabinet, frowning at the options. A green tea that’s probably expired, sleepytime tea that Rory insisted on buying and then hated it, and hot chocolate packets.

Hot chocolate is delicious, but it doesn’t have caffeine. It’s not gonna help him get motivated for the day ahead. It’s definitely not going to prevent a headache from forming when he inevitably has to take charge of the meeting today and explain that 18-20 year olds are not at the “prime of their lives.”

It’s his only option.

He pours milk into a mug and groans. He knows this isn’t the proper way to do this, but he’s already running late.

He puts the mug in the microwave and sets it for two minutes, rushing to put on his shoes while it heats up. Once it’s hot, he adds the hot chocolate packet and stirs until it’s mostly dissolved. He sticks it back in the microwave for a minute and grabs his to-go mug.

He pauses and smiles to himself.

It was a gift from Rory, something she made at school in art class. It has her handprint on it and hearts surrounding the handle. She painted it pink because pink was her favorite color at the time, not thinking about how Eddie maybe wouldn’t want a bright pink mug.

But he did want the bright pink mug.

He loves this mug almost as much as he loves Rory.

He uses it almost every day, hot coffee or iced, and no one’s ever said anything about the hot pink color to him. One player gave him a fist bump and said he hopes he’s a cool dad like him some day, which felt like a huge win. He never told Steve about that, but he’d probably like that story.

As Eddie pours the steaming hot chocolate in the mug, his phone vibrates with a text from Steve.

Just remembered we’re out of coffee. I’ll get some after work. Love you ♥️

Eddie is lucky to have this life. He’s lucky to have a husband who remembers the little things. He’s lucky to have a daughter who makes him bright pink mugs filled with the love she has for him. He’s lucky that he gets to pick Sawyer up from daycare after his meeting and take him to the playground while they wait for Rory to be done with her private lessons at the rink.

And if he stays lucky, this hot chocolate will be enough to get him through the day and tomorrow will be a new one, with coffee filling his mug instead.

[youresodarlingdarling]

[youresodarlingdarling]