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afewproblems · 9 months

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Season 2 Halloween AU Part Four

Part One, Part Two, Part Three

A very big thank you to @strangersteddierthings for chatting with me today and being such a great sounding board for the next update!

Synopsis: What if Eddie had been at Tina's Halloween Party in Season Two? Featuring Steve!Whump, Stancy Breakup, and Eddie just trying to keep up with all these new revelations about who King-Steve actually is...

***

"So…I have to ask," Eddie blurts out, cutting through the awkward silence that has fallen between them, "how were you gonna pick up your car before you ran into me?"

"I don't think it counts as running into you, if you were waiting for me Munson," Steve side steps the question expertly, flashing him a strange smirk that seems out of place. It falls after a second and twists into something pained.

"I was hoping Nance would take me," Steve says eventually, his voice soft, "which was pretty stupid in hindsight, 'specially cuz she was counting on me to drive her this morning, which--"

Steve cuts himself, snapping his mouth shut with a harsh click of teeth, he shakes his head and lifts his hand to run roughly through his hair.

"Doesn't matter anymore".

Eddie holds his breath, feeling the conversation begin to shift. It's as though he's stepped onto a tightrope and any wrong move could potentially send him over the edge.

He settles for nodding once, turning the key in the ignition.

Steve sighs and lets himself fall back into his seat, "I know you know already, the whole fucking school does, Billy saw to that," Steve gestures to his face, "say what you really want to ask".

Eddie's fingers tighten around the wheel as he turns them out of the parking lot, fighting the immediate urge to say, 'why did Miss Priss throw it all away?'

"You think I believe the rumours that come out of that shithole?" Eddie lies, keeping his eyes on the road this time.

He can feel Steve's unimpressed stare as they continue down mainstreet.

"Right, so you had no clue I was in detention?"

Eddie chews the inside of his cheek to fight the sly grin that begins to creep over his face, "Alright smart ass".

He hazards another glance at Steve as they begin to hit the residential area, he looks so different from the night before.

His limbs are loose, tension free, if it weren't for the heavy bags under Steve's eyes and the nervous tap of his fingers on the passenger door, Eddie would think he was finally relaxed.

"I knew a fight definitely happened, it's Hargrove," Eddie says slowly, carefully weighing his words, "but I typically prefer to hear the whole sordid story from the source before I pass any judgements, ya know?"

Steve doesn't say anything as they continue driving through residential the houses getting progressively bigger as they go.

"Did you," Steve pauses and breathes out slowly before shaking his head and lifting his face to meet Eddie's gaze, "is that offer for something stronger still open?"

Eddie smiles, "I think that can be arranged".

***

Eddie pulls over beside Tina Cline's house, wincing as the right front tire rolls over the curb and bounces the van as it lands on the street once more, startling a snort out of Steve.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up Harrington," Eddie huffs as Steve shoots him a grin.

"Didn't say a word," Steve hums, unbuckling himself from the seat. Eddie watches as he opens the door and hops out. For a moment Eddie worries Steve will pull the same disappearing act from last night but he simply stops beside his car door and motions for Eddie to roll down his window.

Eddie cracks his door open instead, "window's broken, what?"

Steve rolls his eyes, "whatever Munson, you know the way? It's north on 5th and--"

"Then two more rights, yeah man," Eddie says with a laugh in his voice, "I dropped you off remember?"

"Fuck off," Steve huffs out, he's grinning though.

Steve swings the Beemer’s door open and slides in. He turns on the ignition and flinches at the loud burst of music from the stereo, the volume obviously set from the mood of the previous night.

'I want to know what love is, I want you to show me--'

Steve slams his hand against the console, cutting off the song with a harsh crack.

The van is parked just behind the Beemer so Eddie can't see Steve's face, but his head drops down onto the wheel for just the briefest moment before he slowly lifts it, turns on his signal and pulls away from the curb.

***

Steve beats him to the house.

He's getting out of the car, which is parked on the long driveway as Eddie pulls up to the street.

Eddie hops out of the van, hiking his backpack higher up on his shoulders, not bothering to lock it. Who would even want his shitty van among the BMWs and Mercedes parked down this street --hell, Eddie could have sworn he saw a Jag three houses down.

Eddie stops short of the lawn. The Harrington house is so different in the light of day, the strange emptiness that seemed to ooze out of the dark windows the night before has disappeared, leaving an ordinary house in its wake.

"Well?" Steve calls out as he pulls a pair of keys from his back pocket and spins them once on his finger, "you coming or what Munson?"

Eddie rolls his eyes and jogs to catch up to Steve who turns on his heel to stride up the walk. He stuffs the key into the deadbolt and swings one of the double doors inwards before shucking off his sneakers.

No shoes? Fucking rich people man.

Steve must notice Eddie's expression because he blushes and shrugs, "I know, I know, but my parents will be home for Thanksgiving this year so…may as well…"

He gestures around the sterile foyer with a tight smile, as though it explains everything.

If anything, Eddie has more questions.

Steve cuts off the thought by clearing his throat, "we should smoke outside, last thing I need is for you to burn a hole in the couch or something".

Eddie steps over the threshold and has to stop himself from whistling, were the ceilings always this high in this place?

He lifts his foot to unlace his left chuck, snorting at the strange little table in the middle of the foyer. A giant vase sits atop it filled with a mixture of what have to be silk flowers --no way they were real. He pulls the shoe off and tosses it to the side before lifting his right foot.

Eddie never had the greatest balance so he hops back and forth with his right foot in the air before hopping as close as he can to the wall of the foyer and leaning back against it.

He finally gets the knot in his laces undone and throws the sneaker to the floor, dropping his right foot to the hardwood.

Eddie looks up to find Steve staring with a bemused expression on his face, he ignores the wide hazel eyes and removes the backpack from his shoulders -which can't have been helping the balance issue.

Eddie unzips the top and yanks out the trusty metal lunchbox, sliding a wicked grin into place.

"You said something about outside?"

***

By the time they've settled, facing one another on a couple of pool loungers, the sun has begun to dip low, painting the patio and empty pool a warm glowing copper. It catches Steve's hair, which shines like gold in the dying sunlight, like some Autumnal Fae King--

Eddie wants to slap himself, suddenly thankful for the November wind that cuts through the backyard, forcing him to chillout.

He picks up the grinder from his lunchbox, unscrewing the cap to open it.

"You good with a joint this evening my good King?"

He pours a handful of a new strain Rick let him try the other day into the grinder and starts twisting. It's not something he would typically share with anyone other than Jeff, but Steve seemed like he could use something a little more special tonight.

Eddie looks up after a beat of silence, "yo, Major Tom, you with me?"

Steve's face is pinched, tilted towards the empty pool, "please don't call me that," he says quietly.

"Major Tom?"

Steve raises his eyes to meet Eddie's gaze, his mouth cuts a hard line across his face, the typical easy grin it usually houses is gone.

"King-Steve," he runs a hand through his hair, letting the fingers linger to grip and pull, "I just, that's not who I am anymore, I don't--"

Steve swallows harshly, "that's all anyone could talk about this morning".

He drops his voice and octave, "oh, King Steve is so pussy whipped he let his girl fuck Jonathan Byers before she dumped him".

"Is that what Hargrove said?" Eddie asks quietly as he pours out a portion of weed onto a paper.

Steve shakes his head, "that was Tommy, but that wasn't why I hit him".

Eddie nods, and lifts the joint to his mouth to run his tongue along the edge of the paper. Steve watches him from the lounger, his eyes follow the movement before he blinks and continues.

"Tommy and I had been best friends since we were five, he uh, he knows a lot about me," Steve lifts his hand to his mouth and chews the nail of his thumb briefly before dropping it back into his lap.

"Stuff I don't tell anyone, stuff he knows will hurt".

Eddie nods, twisting the joint closed, he can kind of understand that, although the only person in his life that knew him like that was Wayne.

And Wayne would never hurt him.

Did Steve really not have anyone else like that in his life, someone he could tell anything to that wouldn't look at him weird or judge him. Someone safe.

"Anyway, Hargrove started in on me after that, but he's been fucking with me for awhile so," Steve shrugs again, "he saw his big opportunity here".

"Hargrove's been messing with you?" Eddie asks sharply as he pours more weed onto another paper. He lifts it and runs his tongue along the edge of the paper before twisting it into shape. When he looks up, Steve's ears have gone slightly pink and he's sitting strangely, slightly hunched and twisted.

"Yeah," Steve says after a moment, he clears his throat and straightens his back, "yeah, it's just been at practice so far, and I thought it was just because he wanted to one up me for my spot but," he shakes his head, "it's getting worse".

"You know, I have a bit of a reputation around school," Eddie says slowly, carefully, watching as Steve freezes and looks at Eddie with wide eyes.

"The Hellfire club is more than just the game we're playing, it's also kind of a sanctuary for kids that don't have anyone to lean on, we look after each other," Eddie continues, ignoring the way Steve relaxes slightly, "you wouldn't need to play or anything but if you need somewhere to sit at lunch now…"

Steve looks at Eddie for a long time, his expression blank, guarded, "really? Just like that?"

"Yeah man, besides I get to use my 'Mean and Scary Guy' persona on these fuckers so it's a win-win for me".

Steve grins, raising one skeptical eyebrow, "mean and scary?"

Eddie bristles a little bit at the questioning tone in Steve's voice and can't quite swallow the urge to snarl, "yeah I mean you looked plenty scared of the town freak yesterday".

Steve winces and immediately starts to shake his head, inching forward in his seat so he's even closer to Eddie, their knees are almost touching.

"That's not, I wasn't," he stops and takes a deep breath, "I was upset about Nancy and it was so dark outside, the trees--"

"You afraid of the dark Harrington?" Eddie cuts him off, the lingering irritation still simmers in his voice as he coos.

Steve just looks at him, there's something strange about the haunted expression on his face that makes the hair on the back of Eddie's arms stand on end.

"Things happen in the dark, in the woods," Steve says softly, his eyes drift to the empty pool again.

Eddie opens his mouth to ask Steve what the hell he means by that, when a voice shouts across the yard.

"Steve? STEVE?!"

The sound of someone running through the grass has them both of their feet, the joints forgotten on the pool loungers.

"Dustin?"

A kid, he can't be more than twelve or thirteen, skids into the porchlight that has replaced the last copper rays of evening light, the sun fully set by now. The kid's blue eyes are wide underneath a mop of curly hair and hat, he's breathing hard.

"I need your help".

Tag List: @eriquin @luvinthefreaks @cinnamon-mushroomabomination @goodolefashionedloverboi @ellietheasexylibrarian @bambibiest @sadboislovebeans @howincrediblysapphicofyou @coleys-a-nerd @whycantiuseunderscore @airconditioning123 @xxfiction-is-my-realityxx @corrodedbisexual @starman-jpg @ilovecupcakesandtea @yoriposts @clumsiluni @pelinelin @phantomcat94 @lololol-1234 @anaibis @airconditioning123 @steveshairspray @hellfireone @sunswathe @eddielives1986 @tentativeghost @robin-not-batman @estrellami-1 @manda-panda-monium @tinyplanet95 @perseus-notjackson

Part Five

and for some peeps that I think may be interested! @steddierthings @steddie-there @steves-strapcollection @outpastthebrakers @henderdads @stevesbipanic

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69hertz · 8 months

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Day 11 // inktober: Wander // whumptober: "All the things going dark and my hope's destroyed" // whumptober: "No one will find you"

Billy is alive and fighting in the Upside down. Season 4? I don't know her.

#whumptober2023 #no.11 #lyrics #no one will find you #stranger things #stranger things fanart #billy hargrove #upside down #inktober #inktober day 11 #digital art

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weird-an · 8 months

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Halloween is stupid.

Steve always liked the parties, but dressing up? He spent enough time in a stupid sailor costume, thank you very much.

But...Dustin insisted Steve should put on the costume. The kids are having a party. Steve is a loser for going to it, according to Billy.

Steve stopped caring what people think about him ages ago. For some reason it still pisses him off, when Billy is the one judging him. Billy had just talked him into watching Escape From New York and well, Snake Plissken was a cool guy. So, Steve put on an eye patch and a leather jacket. Easy. He actually looks cool. Not that any of the nerds would care.

It's the first Halloween since Billy and him are a thing or whatever. Maybe that's why Billy is salty, because Steve is going to spend it with the "dorks" and not with his... guy?

Steve isn't sure what they are exactly. They fuck, they fight, they sometimes get drunk together and talk about what they aren't allowed to. About monsters lurking in the woods, about shadows in the mind, about another Hawkins.

But now Billy is here, sitting at the Byers kitchen table with a beer in his hand, glaring at a pumpkin Max had carved out and put a thin mustache on.

Steve stops dead on his tracks. Billy is wearing Steve's most expensive polo shirt. His mullet is slicked back a little, but a few curls have gotten loose, framing his face. He's even wearing Steve's cologne. He smells like Steve which is a little confusing.

"What the fuck," Steve says flatly.

Billy raises a brow. "Nice to see you, Harrington."

"Are you dressed up as me for Halloween?" Steve puts his hands in his hips. Is Billy fucking serious? "Is that my watch?"

"I knew you stole it, Billy," Max shouts from the kitchen.

Billy looks at Steve's watch like he's seeing it for the first time and then grins at Steve, batting his eyelashes at him. "C'mon, let me be King for a day, Steve."

It's kinda hot. Shit. Steve is going to fuck Billy until the bed breaks.

"Just don't try to date my sister," Mike Wheeler quips from somewhere in the living room.

Billy chokes on his beer. "That... won't happen," he coughs.

Steve snickers and sits next to him. "You wanna escape with me later?" he whispers.

Billy groans into his beer. "I hate that this works."

"I saw you stare at Kurt Russell," Steve says, voice still low. Billy knew that movie by heart. Steve caught him reciting the dialogue.

"Harrington, at least I'm not going home with myself." Billy rolls his eyes and tugs at the collar of Steve's polo.

"Like you wouldn't."

Billy's mouth snaps shut. His nose gets tinged a little pink.

"You know, that pumpkin just looks like-"

"Harrington! I swear to God if you finish that sentence-"

Steve just changed his mind. He loves Halloween.

#i have another fantasy about billy escaping the upside down on a motorcycle with an eyepatch snake plissken style #harringrove #idiots in love #billy x steve #billy hargrove #harringrove ficlet #steve x billy

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friendoftheknife · 2 years

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'cause they need more tenderness and tactility with each other also THIS is an amazing fanfic too bad i can't leave a comment on it it literally healed me

#mungrove #stranger things art #stranger things #billy hargrove #eddie munson #billy x eddie #crop top #kings #Found in the Upside Down

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elowmojo · 3 months

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-SEE YOU IN THE UPSIDE DOWN-

Alt one

#cyberpunk 2077 #virtual photography #stranger things #billy hargrove #vp #male v #Upside Down

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racheld93 · 2 years

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Boyfriend Sweater Headcanon

Please notice as I take you back to season one...

Steve's sweater is tighter, shorter, and just lovely as is and obviously its his. Yes?

Now let me show you season four...

It's loose, baggy, comfy, wrinkled, and looks as if its worn or held frequently and maybe not washed and put away as often.

Now I wont keep you, but of you're still with me let me just say this...

The time between season two and season three, the sweetspot, and the scrapped storyline between Steve and Billy in S3 means that they had time to apologize and reconcile in turn.

This means that when they got together, Billy found that Steve's place and especially his bedroom were a safe haven for him, somewhere he could leave things and where he could be himself more.

Where he left his bright comfy yellow sweater, something he bought for Indiana weather but reminded him of sunny days in Cali back in the past and hopefully someday in the future with his pretty boy.

In conclusion...

These shoulders and that chest and these hips and that waist would fit the Yellow Sweater much better. Therefore, it's Steve's Boyfriend Sweater, a clothes item he wears often for comfort and in hard times.

And isn't it just great that when they leave Vecna's house after the final altercation... there is Billy - bearded, scarred, hair up, and body swoll as fuck - having just decapitated the Cryptkeeper wannabe motherfucker because you should always go for the fucking head and then he pulls out his homemade flamethrower and torches the body for good measure.

And behind him, there is Dustin, along with Eddie, Chrissy, Fred, and Patrick, all a little fucked up but alive and that's what matters. And all having been pulled to the sound of an electric guitar shredding like a master just in time.

Billy and Steve's reunion is tender and tearful, some astonished laughing and a lot of crying, and one of the first things Steve does after things have settled down is swim out to the boat on Lover's Lake and get his boyfriend's favorite sweater back.

Anyway, that's how S4 ended for me and if you don't agree, you can just keep on scrolling while I bask in the glorious belief of Steve's Boyfriend Sweater.

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