#st fanfiction

[bifuriouswaterbender]

Can't Start A Fire (Without A Spark)

A Steddie Modern AU written by me and read by @aliteralgarbageheap for the @steddiebang

Steve claimed not to be a snob about different dance forms, but with his ballet background, he had a hard time looking at stripping as anything other than a money grab. He didn't see the beauty. Until Kas.

Rated E. ~21,000 words. No Archive Warnings Apply. Featuring Steve/Eddie and Robin/Chrissy.

Posting will begin on December 3 found in print form on my AO3 and in audio form on alitergarbageheap's. If you'd like to be notified when the story begins, feel free to subscribe to me.

For now, here's a teaser from Chapter One.

Someone was talking near him on the side with his earbud.

Steve looked up, taking it out as he turned around. “What?”

He took in a rather attractive man standing before him. Steve was good at spotting a dancer’s body, but he couldn’t tell if it was a sign or a coincidence with a man like this. His long curly hair hung down around his shoulders, and he sported a getup that looked as much like a costume as normal clothing thanks to the number of patches on his vest and holes in his pants. Steve had worn a jacket that was not dissimilar when he’d been cast as Riff in West Side Story in college—more for his ability to dance the dream ballet than his singing voice.

“I said this is quite the place to dance around like that,” the man said, a teasing smile sliding onto his face. “Most people save it for the stage or a pole.”

Steve frowned and squared his shoulders. “Excuse me?”

The man snorted and gestured toward Steve’s simple filming setup. “I’m sure your followers love it, but the park’s not really the best place, is it?”

This was a new one for Steve. “Are you trying to tell me I was dancing like a stripper?”

The man raised a brow. “Are you trying to tell me you weren’t? I’m sure it does well with viewers, but you could make a lot more if you took that to a club.”

Normally when people were dismissive of dance, Steve responded to them in his professor voice. He calmly explained to them the nuance, the skill, the history, and everything else that made dance an important tradition. Maybe it was the setting. Maybe it was because of the man’s tone, but Steve didn’t do that today.

“Fuck you,” he snapped. “If you don’t know what modern ballet looks like, you can look it up for yourself and leave dancers alone. What I was doing was a far cry from stripping.”

The man took a step back, mouth falling open. “Something wrong with stripping?”

And okay, Steve wasn’t proud for getting even madder, but he didn’t take well to people being dismissive and then taking the moral high ground.

“Nothing wrong, except that I don’t appreciate you comparing my highly technical training and background to a kind of dance that people do for the money. They’re a far cry from one another. Learn the difference.”

The man’s face went flat, but there was an edge to his expression Steve couldn’t read. “Just the money, huh? So you think your fancy pants dancing that includes some of the exact same moves is so much better? That you can’t have artistry when your skintight clothes are made out of spandex instead of tulle?”

“What is your problem?” Steve demanded, grabbing his tripod and starting to disassemble it to get out of there.

The man licked his lips but otherwise looked ready for a fight. “I was trying to have a conversation. Was even going to invite you to go to auditions next week at the Pearly Delight. Maybe you’re too scared. Maybe you think it’s too unskilled. But oh, show up some night. I dance. You’ll see what you’re missing.”

With that, he whirled around, leaving Steve standing speechless with his phone in one hand and the tripod in the other.

What the hell had just happened?

#steddie #steddie fanfiction #steddie big bang #st fanfiction #steve harrington #eddie munson #modern au #steddie modern au #my writing

[pixel-percy]

🌻 Moving to a new town always takes some adjusting and Sunny isn’t about to mess up her fresh start in Hawkins... Even if there’s a cute boy in town. 🌻

🌻 Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 🌻 Word Count: 4k 🌻 Music Vibes: You & Jennifer by bülow 🌻 Warning(s): Referenced infidelity, relationship trauma, implied past abuse, misunderstandings, anxiety, & a level of PTSD 🌻 A/N: I've been sitting on this one for so long & it feels so good to finally get it out. There's some fluff & spice in here as well, don't let all the warnings fool you. It's just got a bit of angst too 😅

The boom of the bass reverberated throughout the mostly quiet neighborhood. It was late enough that all the families –that were home– had long since retired to bed. While the younger children were tucked into bed, Sunny assumed almost all the teens in Hawkins were present at this house with how they spilled over into the front lawn. The stench of cigarettes hit her nostrils before she’d even turned down the street to this isolated home that would likely be considered luxury here in Hawkins. A pristine, white, multi-story house with a big lawn and an expanse of pine trees that bordered it. If there hadn’t been so many people here, she might have considered it creepy…

Sunny found a spot to park at the very edge of the street, just as she had turned, and wondered how this part of the cul de sac slept through this ruckus and how the sheriff hadn’t been called. The lock on the door clicked at her command once she was out of the Jeep and she found herself a bit nervous when she started down the sidewalk. This was a bit more rambunctious than she had anticipated. Was this the actual life Steve was accustomed to? Was that bad? Maybe she’d been right about the teens in Hawkins needing to feel a semblance of control by creating their own chaos.

Pungent waves of cigarette smoke and marijuana swirled out of the open front door where a couple was making out against the doorframe and another was downing something in a red cup opposite of them. Sunny double-checked the address –Steve had scribbled it onto her hand with a pen he’d snagged from one of the arcade workers– and maneuvered her way past the teens into the house once she was sure it was the right place.

Naturally, her eyes scanned over the masses for the familiar face that had invited her. It was pure chaos of party games, writhing bodies attempting to match the music that boomed, and various people doing their best to find their match for the night.

Sunny’s fingers wrapped around the bottom of her sleeves, fiddling with the fabric while she continued through the house. No one seemed to pay her any mind despite being a fairly new face in town. As she weaved herself through the partygoers a few eyes wandered in her direction but she quickly looked away. She was convinced the same crowds tended to rotate these parties with their recycled drama.

Eventually, she stumbled into the kitchen after pushing through a couple of drunk boys who paid her no mind as alcohol spilled onto one of their Letterman jackets. There was a crowded island where everyone had some purchase of the marble top, from drinking games, food spreads, and seated guests. 

At the opposite end, she spotted a messy-haired boy with a bandana, leather jacket, and a band tee she only recognized the logo of. He was in a very close, hushed conversation with someone, all smiles, and bravado to compliment his exaggerated motions. Between two of his fingers, she could make out an unlit joint, the object his captured audience was obviously captivated by.

“Sunny? SUNNY!”

The sound of her name almost hadn’t registered until the boy she’d been looking for came into view. Big smile, styled hair, a nice fitting sweater, some jeans, and a pair of Ray Bans that hid those big brown eyes she’d started to grow accustomed to. Sunny smiled in response as he approached and couldn’t help the laugh that left her when he pulled her into a surprise hug. The typical forest-based cologne –maybe Cedar?– tickled her nose before the thick smell of alcohol overshadowed it. A mixture of it if she had to guess.

“Seems like you’ve already had a few,” she said with a couple of pats on his back. Steve pulled away, cheeks all red and smile still big and goofy. He left one hand on her waist and, whether it was on purpose or he simply wasn’t aware, Sunny didn’t make a motion to remove it.

“Only a couple,” he dismissed. He raised his fingers to present two digits in between them and it made Sunny shake her head. Without much thought, she reached up and raised the other two fingers with a playfully accusatory look. His mouth made an ‘o’ shape, feigning offense before she felt his index finger lightly tap her chin. They sat there for a moment, Sunny’s brown eyes gazing up into his own through the Ray Bans, until he asked, “Do you wanna dance?”

“Can you?”

“Of course, I can!” he happily exclaimed. The grip he had on her waist flexed ever so slightly. “Let me show you.”

It didn’t take a lot of convincing for Sunny to be led to the designated dance space, music loud and synth pumping through the speakers. Steve’s hand never left her waist, thumb comfortable at the top of her jeans, and for a moment they stood there, bodies of strangers dancing all around them as they stared at one another.

Sunny’s body moved to the beat, a smile on her lips that matched Steve’s as she felt his other hand find her other hip. He pulled her a little closer and she let him. The lights reflected in his Ray Bans and, while it was pretty, it was not what she wanted. So she reached up, bold, to grab at one of the edges of the glasses and gently move them up into his messy chestnut locks. His eyes remained on her face the entire time like that’s where they’d been in the first place, and she gazed back up at him.

“Better,” she said loud enough for him to hear her over.

The rest felt easy. The way he held onto her hips, the way he pulled her close enough that they were practically chest to chest, the way he watched her like no one else in the room existed. She wasn’t used to that. It made her stomach do flips. During the second song, he closed the distance between them fully and brought his mouth close to her ear, the alcohol still prominent on his tongue.

“Is this okay?” he asked, breath tickling her neck.

Sunny bit her lip and inhaled deeply. This felt much more intimate than she’d anticipated but she blamed it on the space, the alcohol, and the nature of a party like this. That’s all it was right? Steve appeared to be in his natural habitat—it wouldn’t surprise her if he’d been someone popular in Hawkins, he certainly commanded a space like he was. She kept her focus on him and only him, admittedly a bit nervous to look around and possibly see partygoers’ eyes on them. 

So she leaned into the feeling, something she’d been a long time without, and turned around so her entire back was flush against his front. That was her answer. Her hips matched the sound of the music in the room and she chuckled when she heard Steve attempt to hide a cuss under the sound of the bass… but oh, she heard it. 

She heard it against her earlobe when he adjusted his hands, a thumb hooked into one of her jean pockets while the other laid flat across her stomach. Every now and again she’d feel his fingertips graze the skin there when her cropped sweater shifted with her sways. He did his best to match her movements, allowing her hands to reach up and find a place on the back of his neck, fingers playing with the hair there. 

She was lost, lost in the rhythm and breaths and magic of all of this. It had been longer than she’d like to admit since the last time she’d had some fun like this, been to a party like this, the last— No. She wouldn’t let him ruin it for her. So she pushed through it, unwilling to let the thoughts seep through and fill the pool she was still in the process of draining.

Steve kept pace with her easily and she was acutely aware that they were basically cheek to cheek, his lips occasionally touching her skin. Heat rose into her cheeks—a feeling she hadn’t encountered in a while—and her jaw clenched against his movements. Steve’s hands flexed against her hips, fingers daring to explore a tiny bit higher while still being respectful, but that liquid courage was pulling him into the same whirlpool she was in. If they weren’t careful—

“YO! HARRISON!”

Somehow someone’s voice carried over the music that had hypnotized both of them and their movements stuttered. Steve grumbled against Sunny’s shoulder, attention turning up to some jock-type waving from the foyer’s archway.

“What?!” he called back, much more bite in his voice than she’d heard from him thus far.

“We need your help with something!”

Steve’s head lolled back in annoyance and he said, “It better be life or death because I swear to Christ—” Steve let go of her for a moment, and headed toward the jock, before he spun back around, almost comically, to grab Sunny’s hands. “—Wait for me by the pool, okay?” She could only give a dazed nod. He pulled her knuckles up to his mouth, quick, sweet, kisses on them before rolling his eyes at the sound of something breaking in the foyer and leaving her in the middle of the dance floor. “I swear Jacobson, you goddamn clown, what?!”

Sunny, warm-faced, and a tiny bit embarrassed, stood in the middle of the dancefloor, partygoers oblivious to her other than when she got in their way. Reflexively, her hands found the edges of her sleeves again and she made her way out of the writhing bodies of strangers toward the kitchen. She’d remembered seeing a pool lit up just outside of one of the doors before Steve pulled her away, so that’s where she b-lined to.

There was a game of very messy beer pong happening on the kitchen island now, roaring of excitement and loss equally loud. The vibrations settled uncomfortably in her chest and there was a twinge of anxiety beginning to form right in the center, threatening to bloom.

Another large, jock-like, partygoer who had just lost his round slammed his fist on the island in anger and it made Sunny’s breath hitch. Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes, and her hands turned shaky, reaching for the sliding glass door’s handle and pulling open a little more unceremoniously than she would have liked.

The cool air was a welcome reprieve on her face as she swung around to close the door again behind her. Every sound from the party became instantly muffled, a barricade she hadn’t expected to need. It was a flurry of feelings overwhelming her every sense, memories bubbling just under the surface… Sunny moved over to the pool chairs, hugging herself, and plopped down on one, eyes closed for a long moment. Her leg bobbed, a tick she hadn’t dealt with in a long while, and her breaths were unsteady.

She lifted her head to the sky, eyes still closed, and took longer breaths. Between being entranced by Steve, caught in his gravitational pull, and all of the sights, sounds, smells, and drunken antics, it seemed she hadn’t factored her own trauma into the mix. She’d been fine, why now? Was it the party? Steve?... Just herself?

A frustrated sigh left her.

“You alright?” a voice asked from the other side of the pool chairs. Sunny jumped a bit, eyes snapping open and turning toward the person in question. It was the guy she’d seen earlier with the band tee and bandana handing out a joint. His smile was soft and his wave was a little awkward. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare ya. Was already out here when you sat down and, uh, wasn’t sure if I should just leave you be or say something…”

“O-Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to interrupt anything—”

“Nothin’ to interrupt,” he said. “Do you want to be alone? Or maybe something to take whatever edge you're feeling off?”

Sunny considered him, not the usual dealers she’d run into, he had a genuineness about him she hadn’t expected. Like he wasn’t just trying to make a sale. She swallowed a little hard, leg bobbing a little lighter—which his eyes flicked to for a very brief moment—and unwrapped her arms from her body.

“No, I’m alright thanks,” she said softly. “Just waiting for someone.”

“Harrington?” he asked, though it sounded a lot more like a statement than a question. Sunny’s brows furrowed and he chuckled lightly. “Saw you and him a little earlier.”

“Ah,” she said. The warmness started to creep up to her cheeks again. “You a friend… of his?”

“Me and Harrington?” The boy snorted a laugh. “We don’t really run in the same circles.”

Sunny nodded slowly, eyes turned back to the sliding glass door to see if Steve was coming or not. The boy swung his legs around to the edge of his pool chair, a cacophony of metal chains clanking lightly against each other, and sat up, elbows on his knees, and head tilted a little to the side.

“You can absolutely tell me to fuck off, but, you alright? No one did anything to you right?”

Sunny turned her gaze back to the boy, surprised by his question. He had no idea who she was and yet here he was, trying to make sure she was okay. So there were two anomalies in Hawkins… Two more than Indianapolis.

“No, I’m fine, I just—” she took in a big breath, hands gripping the edge of the pool chair a little tighter than preferred. “Got some issues.” He laughed, but not a mean one, more in understanding.

“Join the club, feels like Hawkins is the issues capital,” he said. Sunny returned his laugh involuntarily and it pushed back against all of the bad feelings that were building in her chest. She became more aware of the chill in the air that nibbled at her cheeks, the scent of chlorine and a faint aroma of weed that was slowly fading, and just how uncomfortable this damn pool chair actually was on her ass. 

“Only been here a couple of months and I can, uh, see that.”

“A newcomer? Damn, I’m sorry,” he said with a smile that she also couldn’t help but return as well. The boy reached out his hand over the empty chair between the two of them. “Eddie, by the way.”

“Sunny,” she answered and offered her hand in kind. Eddie’s grip was firm but still soft enough to make her feel comfortable, the coolness of his rings a contrast to her current skin temperature. Despite his appearance, which she was sure garnered attention from the scared suburbanites here in Hawkins who made their own assumptions, his aura was warm and inviting.

“Good to see a new face around here. These bozos get so boring after a while.” He jerked his thumb back to the house. “But they pay well with their daddies’ money so, what can ya do?”

Sunny rolled her eyes and smiled before getting to her feet.

“Right,” she said. “Well, I think I should probably go find Steve.”

“I should probably make my way back in too. Still got some revenue to make,” he said. Eddie also got to his feet, arm swinging a bit theatrically as he found his balance, an unlit joint tucked behind his ear that Sunny hadn’t noticed before. He made a flourish with his hand toward the door. “After you.”

Sunny didn’t say anything in response, just shaking her head a bit with an amused smile on her lips as she turned back toward the party. Her hand found the handle of the door and as she opened it up, the sounds and smells flooded over her once more, her eyes found Steve.

And her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach.

Just inside of the glass doors, pinned against one of the walls of the kitchen, was Steve, lip-locked with a blonde whose hands were tangled in his hair. His hands were out as if he hadn’t expected the kiss, but he also wasn’t resisting…

“Shit,” Eddie said from next to her. It didn’t seem like surprise in his tone, in fact, it seemed like this was something he’d almost expected. At least that’s how it sounded to Sunny.

She was stunned. It was like time had slowed in all the worst ways, watching this girl enjoy herself and seeing Steve’s compliance. Sunny’s jaw clenched—pain radiated from her chest, swirling through her body until she was seething. She saw him again. In Steve’s place was her ex being felt up by a girl she’d considered a friend, someone she’d trusted, two people she’d trusted, and yet.

This was why she didn’t want to do this shit again.

Hawkins was a new beginning.

She’d gotten distracted.

Steve’s eyes opened for a moment, just long enough for him to see Sunny. His eyes went from her to the girl he was kissing and back before he promptly shoved the girl off of him.

“What the shit?!” he said to the blonde who looked positively offended. Steve’s attention turned back to Sunny but it was too late, Sunny had already started to make her way out of the house. It was an expert level of maneuvering, one she’d perfected when she found herself at a party she didn’t want to be at anymore with her ex.

Sunny was in the front yard before Steve had even made it to the foyer, crossing the lawn and hopping over someone who’d fallen over trying to catch a football. The chill in the air didn’t feel the same anymore, in fact, she didn’t even notice it. From behind her, she could hear the repetition of Steve calling out her name but she didn’t yield, making her way toward her Jeep until her hand found the driver’s side handle and yanked it open. With a quick hop, she got in and slammed the door shut, keys igniting the engine in an instant.

“Sunny wait!” Steve said and practically collided with her door.

“Leave me alone,” she said in response, looking in her rearview.

“Sunny, please, I thought it was you!” he said. Sunny shook her head, a mean scoff leaving her. She’d heard that before. “I swear, I was coming to find you and I turned around—”

“I don’t care, Harrington,” she snapped, cold, level. This song and dance was all too familiar. “I knew doing this was a mistake, but I thought you might be different than most guys.”

“I am—”

“Obviously not!” she yelled, tears pooling in her eyes. It was too much, all of it, flooding her mind in ways she hadn’t dealt with since her breakup. She felt stupid and naive.

Steve was stunned at the outburst. Not angry like she’d grown used to… hurt.

But she didn’t care. Couldn’t.

“Sunny, I wouldn’t do that to you. Please just let me explain.”

Sunny couldn’t look at him. She could hear the sincerity, the sadness in his voice, the puppy dog eyes, but she couldn’t—she had to protect herself.

“We barely know each other,” she said. “And I should have trusted myself about this.”

With that, she backed up and spun around to drive away as fast as she could, leaving Steve Harrington behind.

When Sunny got home she turned off the car and pressed her forehead to the steering wheel, tears that had blurred her drive home finally falling onto her jeans, the material turning dark upon contact. They were angry tears but also ones laced with hurt. The pain felt as though it were constricting her heart, a pressure she could barely take. It was all stupid. She felt so stupid.

She barely knew Steve but everything about him had felt different. A feeling she’d felt in her gut—something she trusted over everything else. Yet here she was. Crying in her car about a stupid, goddamn, boy.

The cold settled into the space after a little while until she finally leaned back, wiped her tears, and gathered her things to go inside. She hoped that Anna was asleep, not willing to deal with an embarrassing explanation about how her sister made a mistake she swore she wouldn’t make. The light inside of the trailer was off when she entered, quiet as she could, and she was relieved to see Anna passed out on her bed, sketchbook pressed to her chest, and pencil long since fallen to the floor.

Sunny slowly retrieved the sketchbook from her grasp, placing it on the nightstand beside her sister’s bed. She caught a glimpse of what she could only assume was a new D&D character in the middle of casting a spell before she closed it and placed the pencil on top. A tightlipped smile crossed her features before she pulled the covers up to Anna’s chest and turned to flick off her bedroom light, closing the door behind her.

In typical Sunny fashion—and in need of a distraction—she auto-piloted and began cleaning the trailer. Nothing too noisy, but doing the dishes and picking up trash that had been left lying around was a well-needed distraction. An entire hour had passed before Sunny gathered the two trash bags she’d filled and opened the front door to the trailer.

The trash area wasn’t too far, a brisk chilly walk now that her anger wasn’t keeping her warm anymore. She opened the lid to one of the metal cans and popped the bags in as she heard a car door close. When she turned to go back, she noticed a brown and white van across the way and, none other than, Eddie hopping out.

He noticed her pretty quickly and gave a wave, a sympathetic expression on his face.

“Hey,” he managed, just loud enough to be heard but not loud enough for his neighbors to start yelling.

“Hey,” she responded. Eddie made his way toward the road and she met him on the opposite side. “I didn’t realize we were neighbors.”

“Small world,” he said. “You, uh, you alright?”

“I will be… Not my first rodeo.”

Eddie considered her words for a moment, eyes on her face. Sunny’s hands found her pockets as she kicked at some gravel on the street’s edge, unsure if she wanted to have this conversation. He nodded, seeming to pick up on her uncertainty, and looked like he was going to turn away but ultimately didn’t. A sigh left his lips.

“For what it’s worth, while I don’t know Harrington all that well—” he said, only pausing when Sunny looked back at him with sad eyes, tears shimmering at the edges of them like little stars in the dark. “But I’ve heard that when he cares, he really cares. Puts his whole self into something. Owns up to his mistakes. I can’t attest to it myself but, I’ve got what I’d like to think are reliable sources. So… Do with that what you will.”

Sunny crossed her arms, this time the one to consider Eddie. All he did under her scrutiny was smile.

“Goodnight, Eddie,” Sunny said.

“Night,” he responded, teetering back until he fully turned away. When Eddie reached the front door of his trailer and proceeded inside. The trailer park was quiet after that.

Sunny’s tense shoulders dropped, gulping down the nausea she felt brewing in her stomach, and looked up. The stars were out, twinkling a little past the streetlights that illuminated some areas of the trailer park. They were probably the clearest she'd ever seen them… Maybe Eddie was right, maybe she was overreacting and Steve was telling the truth.

Maybe.

But for now, all Sunny could feel was the weight of his hands on her shoulders, a looming shadow that had crawled out of the depths of her mind, intent on reverting all the progress she’d made. By the time she finally made it to her bed, her eyes remained glued to the ceiling, unable to find solace in sleep or her dreams, knowing she’d either find him or Steve there—neither of which she wanted to see right now.

#stranger things #st #stranger things fanfiction #st fanfiction #stranger things x reader #stranger things fic #stranger things x you #steve harrington #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington x you #steve x reader #steve x you #fanfiction #fanfic #oc #oc fanfiction #original character #original character fanfiction

[violettaskies]

Maybe, Just Maybe

prompt: exhibitionism

pairing: neighbour!steve x f!reader x neighour!eddie munson

genre: romance, smut, autumn vibes

notes: wc 12k // this is literally a halloween story oops // lets pretend that i posted this when it was NOT November lmao // steddie smut lol // eddie and steve are roommates // reader is their new neighbour

warnings: MINORS DNI, 18+ ONLY, NSFW // exhibitionism, balcony sex, eating out, blow jobs, doggy style, sex, cozy sex lol, vaginal fingering // threesome // mfm // smut // please let me know if there are any more that need to be added!

ao3 // kinktober masterlist // full masterlist // lazy ghoul’s kinktober prompts

-:-:-:-:-

Maybe moving into a new apartment during the month of October seems like a good idea to a normal person. It’s right after the busy summer months that are filled with vacations and plans with friends. But, also just before the holiday season with back-to-back family parties that can become borderline awkward. 

Well, looking at it now, maybe it wasn’t the best idea.

Maybe you shouldn’t have put the idea in your head that you wanted to update your decorations every season. Maybe you shouldn’t have spent three paychecks on cute pumpkins and fake cauldrons. Maybe you should have asked your parents to leave the ladder they brought when they helped you move in. Maybe you should have just grinned and bared it when you weren’t able to reach the ceiling of your balcony, and you couldn’t hang up the cute lights you bought.

In a world full of maybes, full of possibilities that were drowning in regret towards what could have been; you didn’t regret a thing once you looked upwards to see your extremely handsome neighbour helping you hang up the lights. He saw you about an hour earlier, standing on a chair and some books attempting to install a bunch of string lights that looked like candles. But with one moment of imbalance, causing you to drop the broom which was supposed to help you push the tape onto the ceiling — your neighbour ran out of his own apartment to see what all the noise was about. Especially since he heard a high-pitched scream coming from your lips. 

“What’s going on—” he ran out to his own balcony to see you in a state of shock, looking down at the ground below. 

“Sorry, I overreacted. My broomstick fell,” you said sweetly with a pout. Truthfully, you could already hear your parents’ scolding as you imagined the moment you would attempt to tell this moment as a funny story during Thanksgiving dinner in a few weeks. 

“Were you practicing your flying before Halloween?” he smiled as he saw the definite shape of a purple broom on top of a bush. 

“No, Steve, I was just trying to put up my decor,” you tried to hide your embarrassment with a bit of giggling. “Maybe I should’ve asked my parents to leave their ladder the other week.” 

The man looked over at the red curtains, fake spider webs on the window, and gigantic box of fake candles — he smiled at the way you seemed so excited to decorate for the upcoming holiday. Steve didn’t know you, his new neighbour, well. However, your kindness was something he adored to see every time he did get the opportunity to speak to you. Noticing the softness in your eyes every time he offered to help you with your grocery bags, or when he offered you a ride to the bus station, Steve promised himself that he would find a way to see that sparkle as much as possible. 

“You’re really going all out, aren’t you?” he said in a teasing tone. 

“Oh, of course. Halloween is always so fun. But, you should see what I have ready for Christmas,” decorating just always seemed so exciting to you. Yes, maybe you should be saving your money to buy regular things you can use on a daily basis. But, this was way more thrilling.

“Can’t wait, doll,” the nickname made you feel so warm amidst the cool autumn air. “If you’d like, I can hop on over there and help you.” 

Steve looked like he was about to lunge himself to jump the metal gate that separated your balconies, but you stopped him before he could. “There’s a front door for a reason, please don’t join my broomstick down there. What if there’s a huge gust of wind or something?” 

“Fine, fine, I won’t. But that’s mainly because my ladder will be too hard to jump with.” Steve winked.

“You have one?” you gasped and tightened your grip around the railing in excitement. 

“My roommate and I used to do some construction jobs,” Steve shrugged nonchalantly. 

Right, the roommate. 

In truth, that man was the first person you met in the entire building. You had just gotten your keys and were bringing up two suitcases full of your everyday clothing. Right then, a man with crazy hair and even crazier tattoos, that could be seen with his low-cut top, took the elevator with you to the sixth floor. He was about your age, and no matter how much you wanted to say hello to the handsome man, he couldn’t stop staring at you. 

But, not in a menacing, extremely creepy, kind of way — instead, Steve’s roommate looked at you in a sort of shock. It made you believe that he was just an extremely shy guy. You try not to think about the times he and Steve would have friends over and you could hear his deep voice talking about books and mythical creatures, all things that you wished to talk about with someone too. It was not difficult to admit just how badly you craved to have a moment to talk to him. 

“Eddie?” you nearly felt your cheeks explode with heat. 

“Yup, that’s him. You seem to be getting the hang of everyone’s names here, smart girl,” Steve chuckled as he saw the way your eyes darted around from his own eyes then to the floor. 

“Well, he is the only person I haven’t been able to speak to yet.” 

“One day, I promise I’ll get that guy to talk to you.” Honestly, Steve wished that Eddie would stop being so annoying about his bad habit of never talking to you, but always talking about you when you weren’t around. “Now give me a minute and I’ll knock.” 

-:-:-:-:-

And so, after about five minutes of waiting — and you pushing boxes out of the way of the front door so that no one was about to trip whilst finishing up the decorating — Steve appeared with a small ladder that would be the perfect size to hang up all the lights you wanted. The man looked around the interior of your apartment first. It was the same as his, only a lot cleaner, with less pictures of dragons and movie posters on the walls. The young Harrington noticed that you represented just about every haunted creature in your tiny apartment. Even going as far as having all of your horror genre books laid out on the coffee table for guests to read when they desired. 

Although you had only been here for a few weeks, this was already becoming home to you. “Looks like you made this your own little haunted mansion,” Steve teased as he set up the ladder outside. 

“It’s not much, just things to get into the spirit,” you smiled up at him. 

“Now I really gotta put your lights up. It’ll be boring if people are looking into your balcony and there are no decorations,” he chuckled as he looked to the balcony ceiling to see only one candle light successfully hung.  

“Thank you, Steve,” you bit your lip as you remembered all of the hostess manners that your mother engraved into your brain. “Let me at least offer you some coffee, beer — oh, I think I have some cake in the fridge.” 

“No, it’s fine. Just keep me company and that’s all I need. Some eye candy is sweeter than the real thing sometimes.” The man in front of you finished setting up his ladder as he finished speaking those words and winked at you. In truth, you weren’t so sure if the shaking of your legs was due to the cold breeze passing through and under your skirt, or if it was because the wink sent a thousand warm vibrations through your body. Regardless, you didn’t notice the way you squeezed your legs together as you went to the other side of the balcony to finish decorating — and trying to hide your slightly embarrassed face away from the man. 

But, Steve noticed. He noticed it right away, and it only made him wonder just how many times you try smiling to yourself every time your cheeks would feel warm.  

Over the next hour as the sun set, Steve hung up your lights one by one in a cute pattern. He talked about how often his own mother would make him do similar work during Christmas time because he was always home, as opposed to his father. You listened intently as you learned more about your neighbour, all while fixing a few plants and the pillow covers on the small seat on the balcony. Once the sun set a part of you got a little sad because that would mean the work was almost done and Steve would have to head back to his apartment. It was nice to finally get to talk to someone for the first time in weeks. The busy time of unpacking, on-boarding at a new job, and getting used to the new time zone, was over. Now you actually are able to start your life. 

What also made you a little sad was that you would soon need to say goodbye to your neighbour for the night, and try your best to forget about the way the muscles on his arms would flex whenever he would focus on sticking a light to the ceiling. Even making you gasp when his shirt would ride up slightly and the little sliver of his chiseled stomach would tease you. And every time, you would look away immediately, only to cause a hitch in your breathing. 

It would be a lie to say that Steve wasn’t intentionally on a lower step of the ladder because it would force him to flex his muscles a little bit harder in front of you. It would also be a lie to say that Steve wasn’t doing his own little form of spying. He would always glance down to see what you were up to; his favourite moment would be when you would go to sit down and your thighs would be squeezed a bit under your skirt. 

Steve wondered what it would be like to be between them and eat you ou— 

“Would you like a bite?” you whispered, bringing him out of a haze. 

“W-what?” he genuinely thought he was caught in his escapades. 

“Maybe we could order some take out. If you weren’t busy tonight, of course.” The shyness in your eyes and tone made Steve’s heart melt. 

“So pizza, Chinese, or maybe something new in town that you haven’t tried before? Take your pick, sweetheart.” Steve winked as he sat on the little rattan couch you just put pumpkin-themed pillows on. 

The sweet pet names he had been calling you this evening have been making you giggle every time out of pure giddiness. Even as the name slipped from his lips, and his figure sat in front of you with arms spread wide, waiting for you to join him; you prayed that he wouldn’t notice the way you sat to his left with slightly shaky legs in excitement. Truthfully, it wasn’t helping that he put his arm respectfully behind your back and would fix your hair whenever it fell close to your face throughout your next conversations. You felt like you were experiencing your first crush ever, that’s how excited you were. Adding your little delusions of grandeur to the mix, and you were equally as hypnotized with Steve as he secretly was with you. 

It had been so long since someone had taken the time out of their day to slyly flirt with you. Adding the fact that there was a sunset happening from the corner of your eyes, with the lit up candles and slowly appearing stars becoming witnesses to your sweet autumn evening with Steve; it was all aspects to becoming one of your favourite nights to happen since moving in. 

-:-:-:-:-

Once the white cartons full of noodles, fried rice, chicken balls, and steamed vegetables arrived, you and Steve stayed on the balcony to bask in the cool autumn evening. Luckily, you kept blankets nearby for moments like these. So the two of you continued to talk under the coziness of the fluffy fabric and dim lighting of the fake candles. 

Just as Steve finished up his large portion of noodles, he leaned back to stare at the ceiling. “These are really nice. You could be a professional decorator one day,” he teased you. His actions made you mirror his neck movement. 

“As long as I can borrow your ladder then I’ll be set,” you giggled. 

“Or I can always help you out too,” he looked to his left to see the silhouette of your face. The glow from the lights made you look like a beautiful doll. 

“I’ll pay you in Chinese takeout,” a small dimple on your cheek showed your giddiness. 

“Deal,” Steve sat up slightly and turned his body towards you. “Another option would be for you to come to my party next weekend. All my friends will be there and everyone goes all out with their costumes.” 

Just as the words were said, you looked up at him, then to the metal railing behind the rattan couch. It had been placed at the separator between your two balconies. Knowing that you actually made a friend who lived so close to you, caused a warm feeling through your body — one that made you cuddle in deeper with your blanket. “Really? You’d like me there?” 

“Of course. Someone who doesn’t invite their pretty neighbour to a party they’re hosting needs to be out of their mind,” considering that Steve’s roommate has never spoken to you, it could be seen as a miracle to be invited over. 

“Well then it looks like I gotta go through my closet to find a costume,” you smiled. 

The sparkle in your eyes, reflecting the light shimmer of the lights above, hypnotized Steve. “Why do I feel like you already have at least five options in mind?”

“Only three.” 

“Would you tell me?” Steve chuckled at the way you took a bite of egg roll in order to hide your excitement. 

“No, it’s a surprise,” you looked away from your neighbour’s gaze. 

In truth, you had about thirty ideas in mind, but there was no need for your new friend to find out that you had a collection of clothes you bought from the thrift shop — with its only purpose being for last-minute costume parties. Everything from a vampire to a zombie, there were at least enough costumes for everyone in the party in the first place. Admittedly, a part of you wondered what Steve was going to wear. Throughout this evening, you saw the way his muscles were so defined. Even now, as he put an arm on the couch, above your shoulders but not touching them, you wished so badly that he would dress in anything that would show them off. 

God, you really did sound so boy-crazy for your neighbour of all people. 

It really wasn’t helping that Steve brought his arm down slightly to pull you in closer, mentally giving himself the excuse that he wanted to keep you warm. “Then, would you help me decorate?” 

“I knew there was a catch,” you giggled before slapping him lightly on the chest. “But, yes I will. I still have so much decor left in the storage locker from back home.” 

“Just not these lights though. I swear my arms are about to fall off,” the man tensed his shoulders dramatically.  

“Fine, there are probably some sort of easy string lights we could use though. The ones with the little pumpkins are too cute, and maybe —”

“Our friends are gonna love you.” Steve accidentally cut you off by letting his thoughts be heard aloud. 

Anyone from a mile away could see the way the man’s demeanour softened as you spoke. Even his own voice was so soft, yet deep. The sound resonated through your body — causing a few shivers to roll up your spine. The moment anyone hears the way he speaks with you, they’re all going to berate him about it forever. Yet, Steve could already tell that Robin was going to love your excitement about life, or the way Dustin would adore how you listened so intently in any given situation. Well, mostly everyone he knew was talkative anyways, so a good listener was something they all craved. 

“Our?” you asked, tilting your head to the side in slight confusion. 

“Yeah, they’re friends with Eddie too. A bunch of them are driving up from our hometown,” Steve noticed the way you backed away from his body a little, leaning closer to the left corner of the couch. 

“Right, right.”  

“Are you scared of him?” he asked concernedly. “You always seem so shy when he comes up.” 

The way Steve placed a caring hand on your thigh, above the blanket, made your heart flutter. But, you wanted to subdue any thoughts he had towards you disliking his roommate. “W-well, no, not at all. It’s just—”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to pry.” 

Well, it’s now or never. Millions of scenarios went through your head — both reality-filled moments, and imaginative possibilities of what you believed Eddie’s ill-fitting thoughts were in that situation. But, would it be polite to even mention your concerned thoughts? What if Eddie found out that you were gossiping to his roommate? That could make the situation worse, making him believe that you enjoyed talking about people behind their backs. 

Alas, you decided to keep it vague. 

“No, uhm, I just don’t think Eddie likes me so much,” you shrugged before smiling at Steve. 

“That’s not true,” he would know. Now would probably be a horrible time to mention the amount of girls Eddie invites over who had similar hairstyles to you; or there was even one time you were wearing a new sweater, and Eddie was able to find someone wearing the exact same one then proceeded to take them out that night. 

The lengths his stubborn roommate would go through astounded Steve. The little gossip fiend within him desperately wished to know your perspective of the curly-haired man. 

“He looks at me all funny when we take the elevator together, or whenever we are in the hallway at the same time,” you pouted. 

“How so?” Steve asked, his arm reaching around you now a little tighter. You savoured the warmth immensely, causing you to lean your head on his shoulder comfortably.  

“There was this one time this girl was in the elevator with me and so I started talking to her since I really loved the purse she had, plus she seemed super nice,” you paused for a moment as you looked up to Steve, almost placing your chin on his side. “She was, by the way.” 

The puzzle pieces were connecting in his head. “Was she the one with the blue streaks in her hair? Kinda tall?” 

A light gasp fell from your lips as you moved away from Steve to have better eye contact. It almost felt like second nature to put your hands on his left thigh as you became more immersed in the storytelling. In truth, the man next to you was about to lose his mind. Just as you found your balance, your right hand was a bit too close to his member. The young Harrington prayed that you didn’t move much more, as your arms squeezing together made your cleavage become more visible as you continued to speak. 

“And then when we got to our floor,” you said after nodding. “She was walking with me and said she was heading in the same direction. So after a few minutes, Eddie opened the door to see what the chatter was all about. H-he looked so mad.” 

“You probably woke him up from his nap,” Steve chuckled at the way your voice became quiet with the last few words. 

“I suppose so. Then I said goodbye to the girl and she went into your apartment with Eddie. The door wasn’t even closed by the time they started — you know — making out.” 

There it was: the confirmation that you and him were definitely thinking about the same girl. But, what intrigued Steve more, was the way a hint of awkwardness and jealousy flashed before your eyes. Then, as you bit your lip, Steve wished so badly to kiss them until they were more plump. 

He really needed to stop himself. 

“Munson must’ve been real stressed that day then. He only calls her up when he is,” Steve leaned his forehead closer to yours. 

“Why would he call up his girlfriend only when he’s in a bad mood?” you couldn’t help but lean closer as you asked the question, completely oblivious to Eddie’s situation. 

“Oh, sweet girl. That is definitely not his girlfriend,” the man chuckled politely as he leaned close to your face.

“But they were —”

You barely got the words out before Steve’s lips bypassed yours. The deep amber notes of his cologne filled the air as his breath tickled your ear sweetly. Just this small movement made you gasp in surprise before smiling to yourself. A pleasurable chill went up your spine as he whispered deeply into your ear. 

“Do you know what friends with benefits are?” He asked, his right hand placed softly on the side of your face. “They just fuck whenever they feel like it. They’re not actually together though.” 

As secretly as you could, you squeezed your thighs together as the words were felt between your legs. Steve’s small touches, his low voice, his soft brown eyes — it all made you want to kiss him so sweetly. There was a part of your brain that craved it, the same part that was imagining what it would be like if he were to lean a little closer and place kisses down your neck. 

And oh, Steve was wondering the same things as you. The way your body was reacting was making him notice how your breathing hitched. His eyes even saw the way your thighs squeezed together. The man wasn’t sure if it was the blanket or both of your beating hearts that made everything feel so warm. 

“Oh, this is my first time hearing about this,” you finally breathed out. 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to be so vulgar,” he smiled as he touched your chin to look at him. 

“No, you weren’t,” you giggled. “I’m still a little confused though. Does Eddie like having sex when he’s in a bad mood?” 

“Don’t you? It brings out the passion in him, I think. Hate sex and all that,” Steve rambled casually. 

You move away slightly to laugh to yourself before looking up at Steve again. “So maybe he doesn’t hate me that much since he doesn’t want to have sex with me.” 

If that’s what you want to believe. 

“Well, I can tell you that he definitely doesn’t hate you in a bad way.” 

“You’re so sweet to me, Steve.” He weirdly knew just how to comfort you, even after only knowing you for a short while. 

“What type of neighbour would I be if I didn’t help you with your worries?” He leaned back slightly and twirled his fingers in the air, symbolizing for you to turn around. So you did, slightly tilting your body and following Steve’s lead to have you lean a bit on his front as he started massaging your shoulders. 

You were so beautiful like this, to the point where the man couldn’t help but be entranced by your delicate skin and soft whimpers of relief as each moment passed. 

Just as much as Steve could tell that his roommate had a schoolboy crush on you, he desperately felt the same way too. The young Harrington was used to girls throwing themselves at him. Especially working the odd job here and there to make ends meet — there was no shortage of new women in his life. Just some flirting with someone at the bar and he could let out all of his pent up energy with someone. In the same way that Eddie had a tendency to go out with people after his shows, the apartment almost always had a guest of some sort. No one could count just how many times a sock on the door was used on a random day of the week, and not a Saturday night like a normal person. However, that all seemed to stop when you moved in. The day you came into town to look at the apartment for the first time, Eddie and Steve were hanging out on their own balcony and heard a soft voice from the slightly open window next door. 

There you were with a sweet smile and soft voice, it seemed to hypnotize both men instantly. After some prying, they found out through the landlord that you were one of ten people who had interest in renting the place next to them. Needless to say, the two men did everything in their power to seem like annoying, loud and obnoxious neighbours — thank God that Eddie’s band was up for the game too and decided to have rehearsal in the apartment for a few days. Slowly but surely, you were the last interested party; the goal that Steve and Eddie were aiming for. When you officially moved in, the playboy days were dwindling down for the roommates. Of course, there was maybe the bi-weekly partner whenever things became really stressful. However, sometimes a right hand and imagination go a long way. At the very least, Steve had more ammo than Eddie, since he actually spoke to you. Eddie just kept to himself about the crush and tried to do everything to forget about you. 

Such a stubborn man , Steve constantly thought. 

In truth, the men were not strangers when it came to sharing a partner or five. They were like a fantasy come to life when some women walked through the apartment doors. Imagine going home with a hot guitarist, only to head to his place and find a muscular pretty boy lounging on the couch in a tight white shirt. Anyone with a sound mind would feel their legs go numb at the thought of taking both men at once. 

Alas, Steve and Eddie were of sound mind as well. They knew that sharing was caring, and if all parties were up for it, then it was bound to be a long and pleasurable night for everyone. 

Currently, it was all up for the younger Harrington to see if you were even slightly interested. And by the way you bit your lip every time Eddie’s name was mentioned, or how your eyes would glaze over every time Steve would unintentionally flex his muscles; he hoped that maybe he would get the chance to place a soft kiss on your lips. Especially since his roommate would not be able to get rid of his stubbornness and make the first move on you.   

“Feels nice,” your voice brought him out of his thoughts. Slowly, your shoulders began to relax beneath his fingertips. “Sorry I kept asking about your roommate’s sex life.” In truth, you felt shy with the fact that you spoke so heavily on such a private matter with someone you barely knew.  

“It’s not a problem at all. You get so cute when an embarrassing topic comes up,” Steve whispered as he got close to your ear whilst massaging you. 

“Honestly, I’ve never really talked about this stuff with other people. Even my ex-boyfriend rarely spoke about it with me,” you said honestly as you closed your eyes.  

“Curious?” 

Softly, Steve placed a kiss on the back of your neck. The small action made you whimper accidentally. It shocked you in the nicest way possible, so much so, that you didn’t think before speaking. “I-I suppose. There are just a lot of things I want to experience but no one to do it with.”

“You don’t need to do it with anyone. You can always have some fun on your own,” Steve teased as his hands went further down your spine to massage you.  

“Oh, I can?” 

With soft eyes, you looked at him over your shoulder. You saw the way there was an intense look behind his gaze — full of fire and lust; it made you bite your lip out of excitement and desperation. Steve’s hands were barely massaging your back now, they were caressing your sides up and down. Every few movements he would brush against the bottom of your clothed-breasts before going back down again. It was causing tingles to vibrate throughout your body. In an instant, Steve kissed your shoulder before looking at you intensely. 

“These walls are thin, baby. I haven’t heard you bring anyone over. A pretty girl in a new city deserves to be taken out on dates. But, most importantly, I haven’t heard you touch yourself since you moved in either,” he teased, his face getting closer and closer to your face with each word. At this point, your lips were barely a centimetre apart. 

“How did you — there’s no time for me to try,” you said honestly with a pout. 

“Aweh, pretty girl is stressed out with everything going on, huh?” he whispered, his breath tickling your nose. 

“Yes, but this makes me feel so good,” you moaned as Steve’s fingers moved down to massage the sides of your thighs. “Do you talk like this to all your neighbours?” 

Steve chuckled as he stopped his movements to look at you with a grin. “Only the most beautiful ones. Especially the ones who want to help with my horrid interior design.” 

“So there really is a catch,” you giggled, hoping that Steve didn’t feel your cheeks warm up as he held your face in his hand. 

This was it, the smile you showed him, the lust in your eyes that increased as time went on, and the way you kept squeezing your thighs together — Steve was about to lose it. In so many ways, everything felt so easy-going with you. He could barely remember a time where he actually enjoyed having a conversation so mundane with anyone. 

“I wanna kiss you so bad,” he thought aloud. 

“Please do.”

With that, both of you leaned forwards to feel the softness of each other’s lips. It was a kiss that was so unchaste that you prayed no one would even attempt to look into the balcony. Goodness knows that there actually is a very religious old lady who lives above you. So a near impossibility floated through your head, wondering if she had the flexibility to use the fire escape. But, that thought easily left your head as you felt Steve’s tongue tease your lips. That, along with his hands roaming your entire body made you moan just enough for him to tease his tongue with yours. 

In truth, you couldn’t handle the angle of twisting your body around, so you moved the blanket slightly before moving your back a little straighter. Steve got the message and moved forwards too, to allow you to be more comfortable as the kiss progressed. After a few moments, he had you lay down on the arm of the couch, secretly placing a pillow above your head in the process. 

You looked so angelic like this. With the light from the fake candles above making you glow from your hair to your eyes to your smile, Steve wished so badly that he was able to capture this moment forever. Even as you slowed down the kiss to catch your breath, the small noises you were making only solidified the fact that he adored this night. Slowly, Steve kissed down your neck, noting the way you whimpered louder when he hit your pulsepoint. When you arched your back, it coincided with the moment the man placed a hand right above your breast. The cold autumn air made your nipples a bit hard, even through the dress you were wearing. As if by instinct, Steve pushed the neckline of the fabric down so that he was able to bare more of your soft skin to the evening stars. 

“Such pretty tits,” he whispered as he exposed your nipples to the cool air. Steve’s mouth began to drool at the thought of putting his mouth on them. “It’s a shame it’s almost winter time and they’re gonna be covered up.” 

“Well, you don’t know my costume yet,” you giggled sweetly as you unknowingly lifted your body up, bringing your breasts closer to his mouth.  

So, the man kissed down your skin, ensuring to linger on his lips in his path. “What’re you gonna be? A bunny? Little puppy?” he teased, placing a chaste kiss onto both of your hardened buds with the final two questions. 

“I was thinking of a pirate. Could be really nice with a little dress and a corset—oh,” you moaned as Steve sucked and bit your nipple. 

“You’ll be the death of me that night,” he whispered onto your chest as one hand moved the blanket to the side and began massaging your bare thighs. 

“Not if you get to me first,” you giggled. The man’s hands were moving further and further up your thighs before it reached a sliver of lace. Desperately, you moved your hips forwards and squeezed your thighs together to give yourself some level of relief. No one has ever dreamed more for someone’s hands to move faster. “What if people see?”

The question filled your mind as the cool air seemed to touch more of your skin. A mixture of hot and cold overwhelmed you now, alongside conflicted feelings about whether or not to ask Steve to bring the activities inside. 

However, if the throbbing between your legs was telling you one thing, it was to please find the climax of your pleasure as soon as possible. 

“We’re on one of the top floors, plus everyone is inside already,” Steve comforted you, moving his body upwards to kiss you sweetly. 

“How about Eddie?” you asked in a whisper. 

“Not home for another hour, I think,” he mirrored the volume of your voice as he continued to kiss your cheek and neck. 

“Oh, alright, keep going,” you smiled whilst helping the man out by lifting the skirt of your dress higher in order to expose more of your thighs to the cool-air. 

Steve nearly came in his pants as he looked down to see the glowing skin. “Yeah?” he teased, biting your ear in the process. 

With one last kiss down your neck, the man next to you looked down to see the way your arousal was seeping through your black lace panties. Even in the darkness of the evening, your thighs were glistening with the wetness that has grown throughout the night. Steve took a moment to capture the image of you squeezing your thighs and rocking them slightly to satiate your desperation, before slowly taking his hand and removing the drenched fabric from you. Once it was off, your pussy began to throb in anticipation as to what was going to happen next. 

You both looked down to see how Steve’s hand slowly made its way between your thighs. He was so easily able to make you bite your lip and look back and forth between his focused face and his large hand. 

“Please, touch me,” you begged sweetly, moving your hips upwards to get his fingers to meet your needy clit. 

“Like this?” the words barely left his lips before he finally touched the wetness between your thighs. He began to massage the little nub in circular movements, then from side to side. Any small touch was enough to make you mewl and lean your head on his shoulder as you moaned in pure ecstasy. “So sensitive, doll.” 

“Feels so nice, Steve. I need more.” Moans and whimpers were releasing from your throat like a song. 

Steve decided on a fast pattern that made you breathe heavily next to him. You were so beautiful like this, so needy and throbbing beneath the evening skies. The cool air made your nipples hard, silently begging Steve's lips to go upon them again. However, he wanted to kiss you first, savouring the way he was drinking up every moan and whimper you were emitting, whilst his other hand went to massage and squeeze your breasts softly. 

It was when the man next to you slowly inserted one finger into your wet hole, that you moaned louder than you have tonight. “I-I-Steve, I really like that,” you whimpered incoherently between kisses. 

“Can I add another one?” he asked with a smile against your lips, but you barely needed to nod before your hips were thrusting themselves upwards in excitement, urging another finger inside of you to stretch you out. 

“More,” you whispered as you arched your back. Steve continued to thrust his fingers deep inside you, his thumb massaging your clit every few movements. He wanted to continue this moment of ecstasy by kissing down your neck and then going to suck on your hardened nipples. 

“You’re so beautiful like this. So wet for me. Look how well you’re taking me.” 

“Your fingers are so much thicker than mine,” you giggled through bitten lips. 

“When was the last time you’ve been fucked, doll?” Steve asked as he looked up at you as he sucked on your left nipple, the most sensitive of the two. 

The question was a simple one, one that embarrassed you quite a bit. But, remembering what it was like to be stretched out, made you throb upon Steve’s thick fingers. Your mind couldn’t stop itself from wondering one thing: what would it be like if the man before you was going to be the one stretching you out. 

Judging by the hardness that he has been sporting for the past little while, you had a pretty good idea. 

“It’s been too long. Months, Steve,” you admitted. “C-can you, please help me?” 

You wished so badly to be more vulgar with your words; however, your brain was so focused on the climax of your pleasure, and the fact that Steve’s fingers were thrusting in and out of you at a faster pace. 

“Not even a toy? Hairbrush? How about using a cute pillow as something to rub your pretty pussy on?” Steve’s perverted mind kept urging him to ask the questions. He noted the way your heat clenched with each word. 

“No, I have no time,” you moaned loudly. This time, Steve kneeled in front of you now, leaving your breasts feeling colder as the wind hit the trail of saliva he left. 

“You poor thing. Well, looks like we gotta find a way to let out all your pent up stress,” he kissed your clit sweetly with the last word. 

The words failed to leave your throat. Instead, a breathy moan escaped instead. Steve began to kiss and lick your sensitive clit as his thick fingers were making their way inside of you. This felt like such a dream. There have been countless nights where you have awoken from a rather active imagination — wondering what it would feel like if your neighbour were to help you release your sexual energy. The dating game has not been extremely friendly to you, and the only person who has come up in your mind as someone who made your legs involuntarily squeeze together, was your neighbour. 

But which neighbour exactly? 

It would be a lie to say that only Steve has been the main focus. Sometimes you have dreamed that it was Eddie thrusting his silver ring-clad fingers inside of you. Maybe it was both of them at the same time. But, good god, Steve was so good that you nearly forgot everything in your brain. His soft lips began to suck on your clit, circling it with his tongue slowly. He noticed how you would clench on his fingers and gush a little more if he sucked hard and moved his fingers upwards. And so, he did it over and over until you were moaning so loud that he could even hear it when your thighs squeezed around his head. 

“You’re so good at this, Stevie. My pussy feels nicer than it ever has,” you thought aloud. 

“And here I thought you were too embarrassed to do it outside,” he winked up at you before going down to kiss your swollen clit. 

“Maybe I’ll use a blanket to cover you up a bit, just in case,” you smiled before putting the warm fabric upon his shoulders. 

“Such a sweet girl,” he whispered onto your clit, with two meanings behind the words. 

Remembering how nice it felt when Steve’s lips and fingers were squeezing your nipples, you mirrored his previous actions with your hands. Thankfully, it added a little bit of warmth to your skin. 

“I-I’m so close, Steve.” 

“Gonna get louder for me, doll? Your noises are so fucking nice.” He started to thrust his thick fingers inside of you faster. He was able to hit a sweet spot that made you cry out in ecstasy.

“Someone might hear, Steve,” you whimpered as you grasped onto his hair with one hand. 

The man looked up at you and winked whilst sucking on your clit. You couldn’t stop staring at the hazel eyes, focusing on them and the pleasure he was able to give you. However, it was when his eyes broke eye contact with you, that your heart dropped to your stomach. 

“It’s a bit too late for that.” 

Fuck. 

The voice was familiar, clouded by a raspiness that made your body shiver. Then, there was the smell of cigarettes lingering in the air that felt comforting to your senses in the cold weather. No matter how much you knew you should turn around and confirm who was behind you, your instincts knew exactly who it was. So you didn’t take your gaze away from Steve, who gave your clit one last kiss before straightening his back — his fingers were still knuckle-deep inside of you. 

“When did you get back?” Steve asked with a tilt to his head. 

“Like five minutes ago. I stopped by the grocery to get eggs and some sliced cheese because we ran out yesterdat,” Eddie said calmly. 

How dare they act so nonchalant as you lay here, extremely exposed to the elements? 

“Thanks, man,” Steve nodded as he took his roommate’s cigarette for a slight puff. His movements made his fingers inside of you twitch slightly 

This made you turn around to see the curly-haired man leaning on the railing that separated your two balconies. He probably hates you so much right now. Every time you two have interacted, it has been moments of silence and awkward stares. This was surely the most awkward situation of them all. Thus, you got some of the blanket to cover yourself up, covering your chest and the top of your thighs. 

For some reason though, everything seemed to excite you. Steve noticed it too, how you were getting wetter and wetter by the second. It made him smirk when he looked down to see your thighs squeezing together slightly. 

“Did you invite more people to the party this weekend?” Steve continued. 

“Nah, I think our guest list is finalized,” Eddie shrugged without breaking eye contact with you. It was you who looked away first. 

“Add in our neighbour here, she said she’ll help us with decorating too,” he added, about to give you the cigarette before you shook your head. 

“Steve,” you whispered annoyedly, your eyes looking between his own and the hand between your legs. 

He got a hint, not the right one, but a hint nonetheless. “Sorry, sweetheart,” he said. Steve simultaneously gave Eddie the cigarette back whilst thrusting his fingers in and out of your throbbing centre. 

It felt so nice that you tilted your head back without realizing you did so. With bitten lips and a slightly frustrated whimper, you were about to respond. Instead, it was Eddie who spoke up first, looking at the both of you. 

“Cool, it won’t be too crowded anyways. Maybe I’ll head out and find a costume,” Eddie said. It would be a lie to say he didn’t glance over to see the glistening arousal on Steve’s fingers. 

“If you see a punch bowl then buy it, I think the one we have broke,” Steve said nonchalantly as he easily brought his other hand to your core and started to circle your clit. 

The pleasure was becoming too much. The sound of both their voices was doing things to your body which were inexplicable. Adding the warmth of the blanket around you, you began to sweat with pure eroticism running through your veins. But, you weren’t about to orgasm in such an embarrassing situation, with a neighbour who always seemed to be on his last nerve around you. 

“I can't do this,” you whispered. Steve stopped his movements and placed his hands on your thighs instead, looking at you with concern. “This is so embarrassing.” 

“Eddie and I have walked in on each other dozens of times, it’s fine, doll.” 

“It’s true,” the dealer admitted. “I’ll leave you two to it.” 

“N-no,” you exclaimed. Closing your legs and turning your body towards Eddie’s. 

Unsure of what came over your body, you bit your lip, looking between the two men. Your entire sex life has been filled with mediocre relations — men who just enjoyed the missionary position more than anything else. Even if you asked for a little bit of a change, the guys would pretend to be up for it. But, in the final minute, claim that the previous actions have worked before, so there was no need to try something new. But right now, your body is on fire in the best way possible. This was a situation that only your imagination could think of. But this wasn’t a fantasy, this was the realest your life has been thus far since moving into this apartment. The throbbing between your legs only solidified your feelings. However, you did want to get something out of the way first. 

“Do you hate me more now?” You whispered to the curly-haired man before you. 

“Why do you say that?” Eddie asked in return, leaning over the railing and placing a hand on your cheek. 

“This is the most you’ve ever spoken around me, a-and it’s such a lewd act I’m in.” The words fell from your lips, tears welling up in your eyes slightly. 

Steve noticed the nervousness exuding from your body, so he slowly drew soft circles on your thighs to comfort you. He knew that Eddie probably had a million thoughts in his head, but he wanted to hear it be said from the man himself.  

“Oh, sweetheart, I don’t hate you,” Eddie wiped a tear from your cheek. “I-I—” 

“Say it, Munson. Admit it already,” Steve teased. Eddie looked at him in a slight annoyance before looking at you again. 

“What does he mean?” You asked sweetly. 

“I-I want you. Fuck , I’ve always wanted you from the start. But you seemed so angelic, so untouchable. It pissed me off that you were so close yet I didn’t have the guts to talk to you.” 

His words shocked you, so much so that you gasped and looked away from him. Your head turned towards Steve who gave you a sweet smile. The men before you seemed to read each other’s minds as they looked at you with a warmth that filled your body. For a moment, you pulled yourself away from Steve’s touch on your legs, and Eddie’s hand on your cheek and sat close to the corner of the couch. In that second of contemplation, you tried to listen to the millions of thoughts running through your brain.  

However, it was Steve whose voice comforted you amongst your thoughts. “Are you alright, doll?” 

All you could do was nod as a response. 

“I’ll be going —” Eddie said as he finished his cigarette and put it out on the ground. 

“N-no, stay here. Please, Eddie.” It came out as a desperate plea. 

“You mean that, sweetheart?” The man asked you. 

With a look in your eyes that told the world that you were so unsure of where the situation would go next, you looked towards Steve, who was kneeling next to you. He smiled at you so sweetly that you brought your face close to his and kissed him chastely. A moment later, you brought your body upwards, blanket still covering you, and sat up near Eddie’s figure. 

“I mean it. I need you, the both of you,” the words were so filled with lust that it shocked the roommates. 

Steve went to stand behind you, a hand grasping your hip and pushing you forwards slightly. With a soft whisper in your ear, he said, “you know exactly what you want to do next, don’t you, doll?” The man winked at his roommate before moving your hair to the side to kiss the back of your neck, his eyes still looking at you and Eddie. 

And so, with a deep breath and a hand on the guitarist's cheek, you leaned forward by merely an inch. There was barely a need to move far as Eddie was meeting your halfway. The smell of tobacco filled your senses for a moment. But then, whether it was a gust of wind, Steve’s kiss upon your neck making you tingle, or you and Eddie’s bodies moving simultaneously — you kissed him. You kissed him so deeply that you moaned into the kiss as if it was something you have been longing for. 

You have. 

So has he. 

So has Steve, but he was going to keep his perverted thoughts to himself for the next little while as he saw the way you were finding pleasure just through kisses. Also, if the way Eddie’s cheeks were blushing with each movement and touch your fingers laid upon his collarbone, he definitely was enjoying this just as equally. 

“Look at you, doll, you look so pretty when you get what you want,” Steve teasingly whispered in your ear. “Needy girl.” 

“Am not,” you pouted as you separated your lips from Eddie’s to look at the man behind you. “I just know what I like,” you giggled. 

Steve chuckled with you as he took his turn to kiss you now. Eddie took the opportunity to jump the railing and find his way to the couch seat next to you. The man pushed the blanket down to expose your breasts to the cool-air again, taking a moment to admire the way they bounced every time you moved your head slightly to deepen the kiss you were sharing with his roommate. 

“Fuck, they’re so perfect,” Eddie whispered loudly to himself. 

“They’re so sore,” you teased, bringing a hand up to squeeze your right nipple. The pleasure from the pinch, as well as Steve’s lips leaving little love bites on the left side of your neck made you moan. 

“Oh, I can definitely help you with that, sweet girl.” After the words left his mouth, Eddie brought himself closer to you. After going to kiss you once and winking at Steve in the process, he dove down to suck on your tits in a motion that caused you to lean forward to feel more of the pleasure. 

You didn’t notice, however, the way your hips were grinding on the squished pillow that found its way beneath your thighs. Steve saw how you were riding your waves of ecstasy with all of the sensations you were feeling. He swears his cock couldn’t handle it now. So much so, that he leaned back from you to stroke his hardness through the fabric of his pants. Even the little bit of pressure made him moan alongside you now. 

The noise made you turn around to see the way Steve’s cheeks reddened as he stared at you and Eddie like his own personal porno. “Having a hard time, Stevie?” Eddie teased between licks to your breasts. 

“Fuck off, man. My doll looks so beautiful like this. I’ve been hard for hours.” 

“Would you want some help with that?” you giggled as you pushed Eddie further onto the couch, nearly laying on top of him. All in order to bend over in front of Steve. 

“Still so wet,” he said deeply, admiring the glistening arousal between your legs and the roundness of your bottom. 

“Please, Steve. Your fingers felt so nice, but I want to be stretched out by something more,” you nearly whined. 

Eddie was kissing your neck now, loving the way your voice sounded when you begged. “Come on, big boy. Looks like our girl can take it.” 

“I’ll take you real nice,” Steve said as he stroked his fingers from your clit to your sopping hole. “Will you tell me if it becomes too much?” 

In truth, this was the most exhilarating your have ever felt during a moment of sexual relations with another man, let alone two. Everything before this was so vanilla, that anything besides the usual seemed scary. However, this didn't. This made you want to experience pleasure whilst giving it simultaneously. Adding the fact that someone may see at any moment was causing waves of thrill and excitement to flow through your being. Steve must have seen the plethora of emotions in your eyes, as he was so hypnotized by them. 

“I promise. Now, please,” you moaned while bringing your butt back to grind on Steve’s clothed-hardness. Even through the layers you could feel the heat emitting from it. 

“Your wish is my command.” With that, he pushed his pants and started to tease your entrance with his tip. 

Although you couldn’t see it as you looked back from your left shoulder, you could tell it was thick. So thick in fact, that even him spreading your folds was enough to make you whimper and giggle. 

“He’s never had a complaint thus far,” Eddie whispered in your ear before kissing you again. 

“Maybe I’ll give a review—oh,” you moaned into Eddie’s lips as Steve slowly entered your throbbing pussy. 

“That’s it, taking me so well,” he said, thrusting into you at a slow but pleasurable pattern. Inch by inch, he swears that heaven was before his eyes. Seeing the way you held onto Eddie’s shoulders with a tighter grip made Steve smile with the amount of ecstasy you were feeling. 

“F-faster, please, Steve. I h-haven’t felt this good in so long,” you nearly began to move your hips to meet with his thrusts. Desperately, achingly, you adored the way his cock felt inside you. Each throb was met with a new inch for you to get used to, and it was the easiest thing to fall in love with. 

Before you could even take a breath after saying a sentence, Steve grabbed your hips tightly and began to rock into you faster and faster. Eddie looked at his roommate with pride, noting how entranced Steve looked as he fucked you deeper and deeper. Then, when the dealer looked at you, and the way you bit your lip and placed your head on his shoulder because of all the ecstasy you were experiencing — Eddie had never thanked the gods of fate more than he was right now. For some reason, he was feeling utterly horny beyond belief throughout the day and promised himself when he got home he would smoke a bit and indulge in some X-rated films and a squishy plastic toy. The fact that he got every green light on the way home, and his parking spot wasn’t taken by the annoying downstairs neighbour; it was like the universe wanted him to be home right on time to get a live show of you and Steve on the verge of fucking. 

Now, as your body squished against Eddie’s, your thighs brushing against his hardness, he swears he could get off on only this. 

“Can I suck you off, Eddie?” The words brought him out of his thoughts. 

They were the best words to do so, too. 

“Oh, my darling. You seem to be enjoying Stevie over here,” he kissed you as you moaned loudly, wanting to drink up your sounds. 

“But, I need you too. My mouth feels s-so lonely.” You pouted as you brought your left hand down to place a trail of light touches from Eddie’s neck to his stomach then to his bulge beneath his jeans. 

“He’s big, doll. Are you sure you can take our two cocks?” Steve leaned down to whisper in your ear as he continued to thrust into you. 

“Yes, I can. I promise it’ll be alright,” you whimpered as you felt Steve throbbing within you, before turning your face to pout and say: “he’s so hard too.” 

With a grip to Eddie’s hardness below, you stroked it through the denim to emphasize your point. When you finally got a moment to breathe, you looked down to see just how thick — and maybe even longer — Eddie was in comparison to his roommate. Just like Steve was doing before, you slightly drooled and looked at the rockstar’s member with hypnotized eyes. 

“It’s a dream come true. Isn’t that right, Munson?” Steve teased as he went to straighten his back and continue thrusting into you. 

“What do you mean?” you asked innocently. In truth, the possibility of Eddie dreaming about this moment made you clench slightly; the younger Harrington definitely felt it. 

“I mean — fuck — he’s been waiting for you, doll.” 

“Harrington, I swear to god,” the other man said through clenched teeth, due to both the pleasure of your hands and his roommate’s annoying mouth. 

“Have you dreamed about me, Eddie?” You looked at the man in question now whilst biting your lip. “Pictured me just like this: fucked out in front of you?” 

This was a look that neither man has seen in your eyes before: one that was filled with lust and teasing. Every time before this, you had such a serene and sweet look behind your eyes, with the remnants of a smile always lingering on your face. But this, this was as if you were a succubus on earth for the two roommates before you. The drool dripping from your lips was enough to solidify that thought. “Every night,” Eddie grunted. 

“Your cock is so long,” you said with a whimper. “May I?”

“Please,” Eddie was able to say in his haze, right before you started to unzip his pants slowly. “Fuck, you’re such a good girl for me.” 

The words made you throb harder on Steve’s cock as he thrusted into you, making you imagine the moment when the two roommates would switch places. The younger Harrington was staring at you both like he was watching his favourite film come to life. Even the words you were saying were right out of an erotic movie he saw the other day. 

“Can I ride you one day?” You whispered to Eddie, kissing down his shaft slowly. 

“You’re so needy,” Steve grunted. “Just the thought is making your pussy throb on me — unh, fuck ,” he moaned. 

It’s true, getting a taste of Eddie made you throb slightly at pleasure of it all. Especially once you started to lick the head, tasting the precum and hearing the guitarist moan above you, you felt yourself throb around Steve harder and harder. 

“Sweetheart, are you gonna be our good little fuck toy?” Eddie asked once you started to envelop your lips around his cock.

The image of you looking up at him and drooling over his hardness will be something ingrained in his mind forever. Then the humming got louder and louder as you nodded, causing vibrations to flow through Eddie’s cock. It felt so good that he tilted his head back slightly as you moaned on him, the warm and sucking sensation only making him get closer to the edge. After a moment he looked down to see that the source of your mouth’s vibrations weren’t just due to the fast pace Steve was thrusting into you; but it was also the fact that younger Harrington also was reaching down to circle his fingers in your clit. 

You were so overwhelmed with pleasure that your hands took over now to squeeze Eddie’s hardness, all so you could whimper and moan loudly for both men to hear. 

Here’s hoping the neighbours won’t complain tonight. 

“Your mouth is so good, you know that?” Eddie said in a tone deeper than usual. 

“I can take you deeper, use my throat, Eddie,” you looked up at him whilst moving your hips to meet with Steve’s. The pleasure was overtaking all of your bodies now. 

“I wanna see you cum while you’re sucking my cock, can you do that for me?”  

“Y-yes,” you nodded quickly, your hand stroking him faster out of pure eagerness.  

Eddie smiled, nearly sinisterly. “Can you do that for me, Harrington?” 

“We both know I can,” Steve grunted, moving faster into you. 

In truth, he was so happy that Eddie said those words. Steve swears he was about to combust at any moment, but he was just waiting for you to find the climax of your pleasure. He was only praying that he would last longer. However, with the way you were throbbing so beautifully on him, nearly glowing with ecstasy, Steve wanted to see the climax of it all. “That’s it, pretty girl,” Steve teased, he knew exactly what you needed to bring you closer and closer to the edge. “You look so pretty with two cocks in you. This is what you wanted, huh?” 

“Yes, yes, every night I think about it,” a loud groan fell from your lips as you responded, Steve’s cock hitting you from an angle that was hitting your sweet spot over and over. Then, Eddie was the one who felt the remnants of your pleasure — with your hands and mouth going back to milking his own hardness in the process. 

“Looks like we’re all on the same page. The amount of times I’ve imagined fucking you on this balcony. You look so pretty when you’re reading here in your little shorts.” 

Who knew the exhibitionist bug within Steve rubbed off on you in more ways than one? 

“Keep going, Steve,” Eddie moaned as he gripped your hair with his right hand. “I think she’s close. Sweetheart loves to hear how pretty and fuckable she is.” 

“Feels nice,” you whispered quickly before going back to suck harder. 

“Oh yeah? You should hear about Eddie’s little escapades about you, doll.” 

All you could do was tilt your head whilst The guitarist was still inside your mouth. Eddie got the hint as he looked into your eyes, his hardness thrusting deeper and deeper into your throat slowly as he spoke. “Every time I see you in the hallways I swear I can’t control myself. I feel like such a perv with the dreams that float through my head.”

The man barely had a moment to savour the feeling of being fully into your mouth now, because you released him quickly to tease. “Wanna make them come true one day?” You asked with a wink. 

“One of them already is, sweetheart,” Eddie smiled, noting the way your legs began to tremble as Steve continued to circle your clit again whilst hitting the soft spot within you with his cock. 

“Now how about you cum for us to really make this dream one to remember?” the man behind you said.  

“Faster,” you nodded, accepting his challenge. 

“Good girl.” 

The words were echoing through the air, but you weren’t sure who said it. In truth, it could have been both of them. The roommates were so prone to playing off of each other, seeing what exactly the third person liked and enjoyed. Most of them adored it when one of them was sweet whilst the other was slightly degrading. Some wanted them both to be a little mean. But then there was you, who enjoyed the feeling of being praised and teased like such a good girl for them. So with the words echoing in your head, of different compliments which bordered the line of perversion each time — you swear that the pleasure you’ve been feeling had been turned up a thousand times. On one hand, Steve was doing such a good job on you: thrusting back and forth into your throbbing hole, whilst bending down to circle your nub. The stretch was everything you needed after such a long time of being single and busy with life. From behind you, he would whisper just loud enough for you to hear. 

“Such a sweet girl for me, huh? So tight and wet for us,” he would chant like a prayer — a prayer to the gods who were probably looking down upon this scene from the starry sky. Steve was nearly thanking them for putting him in this moment where he was able to see how you nodded in response upon Eddie’s cock, and then feeling your pussy throb below as you reacted to the little compliment. 

Then, there was Eddie, who was doing such a wonderful job stroking your hair lovingly as you looked up at him. Now it was your turn to give the pleasure, noticing how Eddie would thrust his own hips upwards into your mouth every time you squeezed his balls with the right amount of pressure. He also adored the way your moans would vibrate through his own body every time you felt good. So the guitarist used his skilled fingers to reach down and use one hand to twist your lonely nipples. The way you would moan and whimper was felt on him ten-fold. With a light grip on the side of your hair, he would help you swallow more and more of his cock: his main goal wanting to feel your ecstasy. 

“If we knew you were so horny, these holes would have had a lot of fun by now,” Eddie teased as he saw your eyes start to roll back a little. “Come for us, sweetheart.” 

With that, Eddie looked at the way you nodded up at him with pleasure-filled tears in your eyes. Your climax was so close now as your moans became louder and the grip on Eddie’s shaft tightened. 

Eddie looked up at Steve with a smile, knowing that his roommate was close to the edge as well. And so, Steve circled your clit faster and faster — the movement making your pussy throb. It wasn’t until you gave one hard suck on Eddie, tasting his cum, while Steve massaged your nub at the right angle that it happened. You felt the orgasm take over your entire body in an instant; it was like a vibration that you didn’t know how to control. It was evident to everyone on the balcony that your climax was extremely overwhelming. You were arching your back more, creating another angle for Steve to thrust into you. All while you had to let go of Eddie, who was inside of your mouth, in order to release your moans to the world. Your hands continued to stroke his hardness until you saw that his hot tip was ready. With a slightly open mouth, you looked up at the man to show him you were ready to taste his cum too. 

“Are you boys gonna cum for me too?” You teased sweetly. It was enough for both men to finally let go from the pent up ecstasy they were feeling. 

You were so beautiful, taking the creamy liquid everywhere. Moans filled your ears as both men thrust deeply inside of you; at the same time, you were being filled from two different holes as the men fell deeply in love with the feeling of your warmth. For all three of you to ride out your orgasms so sweetly, was the most erotic part of it all. With the situation nearly looking like it was out of a painting as all three of you took a few moments to bask in the evening breeze, a blanket intertwined between your bodies, and sweat glistening upon your skin. 

Both men looked at you with adoration, noting how you were glowing as you relaxed your body. Just as Eddie pulled out of your mouth first, grabbing one of the leftover napkins from dinner to wipe away at your mouth, he noticed how you had swallowed nearly all of it. 

You really were such a good girl , he thought but didn’t say aloud as he wiped your mouth that was covered in saliva. 

Then, Steve took his softening cock out of you, taking a moment to admire the creamy fluid in between your legs. He pushed your skirt down to cover you up and whispered,  “are you alright?” 

“I’m fine, thank you, Steve.” Your voice was tired out — mainly from all the moaning and whimpering you were just doing. The serene sound will never leave the men’s thoughts. 

“I hope we weren’t too rough on you,” Eddie sweetly chuckled whilst pulling you up to move your body and have you sit comfortably on the couch. 

“Not at all,” you giggled sweetly as you sat closer to the guitarist. “It was quite fun.” 

The giddiness in your voice was apparent as you smiled to yourself. Steve adored how you became slightly shy, even after all of the lewd acts you three have committed on this balcony. He would do anything to continue seeing the heat rush to your face, even in the coldest of weather. Just as he sat down on the couch, leaving you in between both men, Eddie continued to tease. 

“Yeah? Looks like we gave you a nice housewarming gift.” 

“Maybe we gotta christen every part of the apartment — it would only be right,” Steve said whilst smoothing the blanket over your thighs. 

“Is he always this kinky?” You questioned towards Eddie now, with a chuckle in your voice. 

“Oh yeah, sometimes if I know he invited this one girl over, I don’t go to the apartment for a few days so the smell of sex can leave the air,” Eddie groaned jokingly, putting an arm around you. 

Honestly, you do remember the way you heard a patterned noise that sounded really similar to a headboard hitting a wall, alongside moans and laughter. Your innocent mind genuinely thought that Steve was watching a funny movie with a date — not, well, you know . “That explains why you didn’t come the other weekend. I thought you hated me. Who knew it was because Steve is so horny.” 

“Hey, I didn’t bring you two together to gossip about me,” Steve gasped in disbelief as he saw the way you and Eddie had quickly gotten past the phase of awkwardness.  

“But it’s fun,” you pouted, moving over so your cheek could rest on Steve’s broad shoulder. 

“There’s definitely something more fun than this that I could think of,” Steve teased, looking in his roommate’s direction 

“Maybe we could —” you paused as you looked between both men, fearful that you looked too eager. 

But, they seemed to admire the excitement in your eyes, looking at one another before focusing their gazes on your figure which was sinking into the couch. A teasingly sinister smile crept up on Eddie’s face as he touched your thigh softly. “We could do what, sweetheart?” 

“Maybe we can head inside? It’s so cold now,” you giggled, shivers running through your body. 

Luckily for you, warmth ran through your body, shooting straight to your heart amongst the cool autumn breeze overtook your senses now. No other moment in your life has ever made you feel so exhilarated like this. Just as Eddie placed a chaste kiss on your lips, whilst Steve teased his mouth over your neck — a million thoughts ran through your brain. Then, when you felt a hand reach under the blanket and touch the soft skin of your thighs, one thought became louder than the rest: 

Maybe, just maybe, moving into a new apartment during the month of October was a good idea after all.

-:-:-:-:-

#my writing #writing #st fanfic #st fanfiction #fanfiction #kinktober #kinktober 2023 #steve harrington x you #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington smut #LazyGhoulsKinktober2023 #fluff #fluff and smut #steve harrington x f!reader #afab reader #just the tip #stranger things #stranger things fanfic #stranger things fic #my fic #writing prompt #steve harrington #eddie munson x you #eddie munson #eddie munson smut #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x f!reader #eddie lives

[howdareuasumeimstable]

Joyce during the whole fic:

#stranger things #red alex and the mission to end all missions #joyce byers #st fanfiction #ao3 #stuff #fanfic stuff

[monstrous-femme]

“Another morning and I wake with thirst for the goodness I do not have.”

— Mary Oliver, from Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver; “Thirst”

*

Nancy wakes up in such deep pain that at first, she thinks she’s injured. It’s only as she assesses her surroundings—high school bed, Tom Cruise poster on the wall, deep cracks running down her ribcage in a spiral around her heart—that she knows when she is.

It’s a feeling so specific that it can only belong to one era of her life: fall of 1984. The feeling that had started with Barbs death has fractured by now, splintered into millions of tiny bits of shrapnel, spiderwebbed its way throughout her life.

Even her fingernails ache.

#ronance #nancy wheeler #stranger things #stranger things femslash #st fanfiction

[idlyfretting]

Chapters: 1/2 Fandom: Stranger Things (TV 2016) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington, Past Nancy Wheeler/Jonathan Byers - Relationship, Past Nancy Wheeler/Steve Harrington Characters: Steve Harrington, Robin Buckley, Nancy Wheeler, Jonathan Byers, Original Characters Additional Tags: Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington Are Best Friends, Codependent Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington, Complicated Relationships, Dating, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Steve Harrington Is a Mess, and doesn't know what do with his feelings, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Angst, Post-Vecna (Stranger Things), Post-Season/Series 04, Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington Are Roommates, they are also in new york, Lesbian Robin Buckley, Bisexual Steve Harrington, Bisexual Nancy Wheeler, Robin Buckley Needs a Hug, Steve Harrington Needs a Hug

Summary:

He missed her.

God, this is worse than a break up. He would have laughed at himself if he wasn’t so fucking sad.

It was like Robin had taken half his soul with him when she’d stormed out of their apartment two Saturdays ago. Like she’d packed her duffle, snagged her jacket off of the counter, and ripped his arms off on her way out the door. He didn’t feel like a whole person anymore.

One of their coworkers at the coffee shop had called them ‘unhealthily codependent’ once. Steve thought he understood what they’d meant now.

or

Steve and Robin have a fight they both should have seen coming.

#stranger things fanfic #steve harrington #robin buckley #steve harrington fanfic #st fanfiction #st fanfic

[hourglass-full-of-stars]

'tis the damn season (718 words) by moreramblingsthanbefore Chapters: 1/8 Fandom: Stranger Things (TV 2016) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Steve Harrington & The Party, Steve Harrington/Nancy Wheeler, Eddie Munson & Nancy Wheeler, Steve Harrington & Dustin Henderson, Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington, Will Byers & Eleven | Jane Hopper, Jonathan Byers & Will Byers, Will Byers & Eleven | Jane & Dustin Henderson & Maxine Mayfield & Lucas Sinclair & Mike Wheeler, Steve Harrington & Eddie Munson, Will Byers & Mike Wheeler, Eleven | Jane Hopper & Maxine "Max" Mayfield, Maxine "Max" Mayfield/Lucas Sinclair, Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington & Dustin Henderson & Eddie Munson & Nancy Wheeler, Jonathan Byers & Eleven | Jane Hopper, Joyce Byers/Jim "Chief" Hopper, Eleven | Jane Hopper & Jim "Chief" Hopper, it's for like a minute but it counts Characters: Dustin Henderson, Steve Harrington, Robin Buckley, Will Byers, Eleven | Jane Hopper, Jonathan Byers, Nancy Wheeler, Eddie Munson, Lucas Sinclair, Mike Wheeler, The Party (Stranger Things), Jim "Chief" Hopper, Joyce Byers Additional Tags: Secret Santa, Fake/Pretend Relationship, background anyway - Freeform, Christmas, Hanging Out, Fluff, No Angst, Surprisingly, everyone is just hanging out all the time, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Eddie Munson Lives Summary:

“Henderson, what is the point of a secret santa, exactly?” asked Steve, sitting lazily on the sofa in the Hoppers’ cabin. “What if I want to give gifts to someone other than the person I get?” “You can still give other people gifts, Steve, it doesn’t contractually obligate you to a single person to give gifts to,” said Dustin, rolling his eyes.

 December '86. Dustin finally puts together a secret santa much to everyone's chagrin. aka the secret santa story that became longer than I expected

#stranger things #stranger things fanfiction #stranger things fanfic #st fanfiction #dustin henderson #steve harrington #robin buckley #will byers #eleven #eleven hopper #nancy wheeler #eddie munson #lucas sinclair #jonathan byers #stancy #edancy #uhhh yeah it's them #millie bobby brown #joseph quinn #my fics #@ my steddie mutuals i am sorry but this had to happen #fake dating #max mayfield #will update for the next week or so

[xawkward-ariesx]

Leave it on Read ✔️✔️ - 12:

The Party try to convince Steve and Eddie to set aside their differences now that they can’t avoid each other but the two boys prove stubborn. But maybe there’s something else going on beyond petty rivalries and old high school hierarchies.

A stranger things chatfic

Summary:

Ed-die (DM): how pissed will harrington be if I try to run hellfire without lucas? Dustin (Bard): scale of 1-10? Mike (Paladin): 100. Ed-die (DM): shit.

The Party struggle with scheduling conflict with the upcoming Championship game and Campaign finale.

Read here on AO3

Previous chapter here. Or read from the beginning.

#Ace writes #stranger things #stranger things fanfiction #ST #ST fanfiction #ST fanfic #Steve Harrington #Steve Harrington fanfic #Eddie Munson #Eddie Munson fanfic #Steddie #steddie fanfic #Steve x Eddie #Leave it on Read #LioR #LioR: 12 #Chatfic

[ronanceluvrr]

I've been seeing some fanfics where Robin smokes like in the current Season 4 timeline, did some ppl forget that Robin took Eddie's cigarette out of his mouth, said "Gross" and threw it in the lake?

#robin buckley #st fanfic #st fanfiction #eddie munson

[ace-harrington]

I’ll Be Home For Christmas

I just decorated my house for Christmas so here a short Christmas blurb, this is also my first published piece so I didn’t go too crazy lmao

Steve Harrington x OC

No Warnings!!

“Steve.” I say poking his arm. He stays asleep. “Steve.” Once again, no response. “Steve! Wake up.”

“What?” He says groaning, hiding his face from me.

“Wake up, I want to decorate for Christmas.” I say climbing to straddle him. “Please? If you get up I’ll make you breakfast.”

“You’re a pain in the ass, you know that?” He asks rolling over to face me.

“I know, I know. But it’s our first Christmas in the house and I want to make it special.” I say leaning down to kiss his cheek. “Please will you help?”

“Yeah I’ll help.” He says making me jump up,

“Great! I’ll start on breakfast.” I say jumping off the bed giving him one last kiss.

I walk to the kitchen and start mixing the pancake mix dancing to Last Christmas coming through the record player.

Halfway through the song I feel Steve’s arms wrap around me as I sway to the beat. I smile and grab his hands and unwrap them from me to dance with him.

I sing the lyrics to him softly while I dance and he watches with a soft smile.

“Ooo ooo, now I found a real love you’ll never fool me again.” I sing to him before wrapping my arms around his waist. “Y’know Christmas was real depressing when this song didn’t exist, best thing that’s happened since Elvis’ Christmas album, it also helps that George Micheal is a total babe.”

“Mmm, I’m glad you say that because I’ve been told by many people that I look like a brunette George Micheal.” He says making me laugh.

“It’s only the hair, but I totally see it.” I say running my fingers through his hair before turning back to the pancakes.

He walks away from me and grabs the orange juice from the fridge to pour us some while I plate our last pancakes and take them to our table.

We eat slowly, not rushing out the door like the day before, for Thanksgiving. When we’re done I turn on my Christmas mixtape to get to work.

“This is a lot of decorations for our small house.” Steve says when I pull the box out of the closet.

“It is a lot now but when it’s up it’s going to look amazing.” I say smiling wide.

Steve takes the outside, hanging up the simple Christmas lights and and wreath before coming back in and taking off most of his layers til he’s back in his pajamas.

An hour later, we’re finally done and our house looks like the North Pole.

“It looks really good.” Steve says wrapping his arms around my shoulders, pulling my back against his front as we admire our work.

“See? I told you it was worth it.“ I say smiling.

“You know this time next year we’ll be married?” He asks putting his lips next to my ear.

“I know. I’m excited.” I say smiling with excitement. “5 months.”

“152 days until you’re my wife.” He says kissing my cheek. “Are you nervous?”

“No, you?”

“No, all I care about is marrying you, everything else could go to shit as long as I’m your husband by the end of the day.”

“I love you.” I say turning around to kiss his lips.

“I love you too.” He says smiling. I smile when I hear Elvis coming from my cassette player. Steve wordlessly let’s go of my waist and trails his hands up my arms to grab my hands.

I smile and put one arm around his waist and one grabbing his hand as we sway to the music. Steve keeps his cheek to my temple as he hums softly to the song that’s playing aloud.

“Christmas eve will find me, where the love light gleams. I’ll be home for Christmas, if only in my dreams.” He signs softly in my ear, making my eyes drift to close. I keep run my hand up and down his back, feeling the scars along his back from the years before from fighting Vecna.

“Can we stay like this for a bit?” I ask softly, not wanting to move.

“We can stay like this for as long as you want, I have nowhere to be but with you.” He says kissing my forehead.

“Good.” I say smiling softly.

#steve harrington #stranger things #steve harrington fanfiction #x reader #st fanfiction

[hairstevington]

"Barb is Alive?!"

Summary: Barbara Holland wakes up next to Steve Harrington's pool after what she assumes is the result of blacking out at the horrible party Nancy dragged her to. Instead, she discovers she's been dead for three years - yet, for some reason, this isn't the thing she finds most surprising. Nancy, Robin, Steve, and Eddie reunite with Barb, and help her come to terms with everything she's missed. (requested) - Ao3 link!

Word Count: 9.25K

Warnings: Steddie/Ronance are sickeningly cute (pretty heavy on The Fruity Four), slight reference to Barb having some self confidence/body image issues, mention of Byler (if you squint), Barb is also not straight, nothing too intense in this one, just a lot of processing the events of the series with funny banter from our faves <3

A/N: This is obviously an AU fic, but I vaguely reference some canon through st4 vol 2, so if you haven't finished the season and don't want anything spoiled I'd sit this one out. Thank you to @eddiemunsonswife for requesting this (original post here)! I followed their prompt to the best of my ability, and they've been very patient and kind with feedback along the way :) I hope you all enjoy!

One time, when she was a kid, Barbara Holland stayed up all night with Nancy Wheeler during a sleepover. Neither of them had actually managed it before, as sleep usually took over around 3am. But this time would be different, they said. They were only eleven years old, but much smarter than the average kid. So naturally, they had a whole plan. They tucked sugary snacks and sodas under their beds for the weeks leading up to it in preparation. Nancy created a schedule by the hour of activities they could do so that they’d stay awake. It turned out to be one of the most memorable nights of Barb’s childhood. 

Mrs. Holland picked her daughter up from the Wheeler’s the next day, and wondered why she was acting so off. The thrill of their accomplishment kind of dwindled after sunrise, and after that the two girls were mostly just miserable. Barb fell asleep as soon as she got home, and she didn’t wake up until dinner. She opened her eyes to total darkness, and for a moment she forgot where she was, or even what day it was. Slowly, her surroundings made sense to her, and the night she’d had before with Nancy came back to the forefront of her memory. 

Waking up next to Steve Harrington’s pool was kind of like that. 

Her eyes snapped open, and she winced at the feeling of concrete beneath her. Her entire body ached worse than she’d ever experienced. She tried to remember how she got there - there was a party at Steve’s. I was with Nancy. Her and Steve went upstairs, and I -

That’s where her memory stopped. She only remembered having that one beer, if you can even count it, but she must have drank more after Nancy abandoned her. That must have been what happened. It seemed out of character for Barb to do, but Nancy sleeping with Steve “The Hair” Harrington seemed equally as unlikely, so she figured she couldn’t rule it out. This was Barb’s first time waking up after blacking out. It had to be. 

She managed to stand up, the night much warmer than she remembered it being. Most of the lights were off in the Harrington household, except one in the main hallway and one upstairs - Barb assumed it to be Steve’s bedroom. She felt a rush of anger and disappointment at Nancy. She’d never behaved like this before. Nancy had told Barb to keep her from doing anything stupid, but there was no stopping Nancy when she had her heart set on something. Or someone, in this case. Barb didn’t hate Steve as a person, but she certainly didn’t love him. He had a reputation, and he was funny and attractive and popular, and Barb was seen as a loser, an outcast. But Steve hadn’t done anything to Barb to intentionally hurt her. He didn’t really seem to notice her at all. That was the bit that hurt the most, along with him using Nancy like he was. Barb tried to see the good in people, and she wanted Nancy to enjoy the fact that Mr. Popular was interested in her, but she couldn’t help but feel like this was all a game to him. That Nancy was just another conquest - And Barb knew that Nancy was so much more than that. 

She peered through the window on the first floor, seeing no sign of anyone - not even Tommy and Carol. She wondered how long she was out, and why nobody moved her or took care of her or showed any sort of concern for her in any way. She rolled her eyes, and considered just leaving. She was Nancy’s ride home, but she couldn’t help but feel like if the roles were reversed, Nancy wouldn’t stay. She had no idea what time it was, and knew her mom would be worried if she stayed out any longer, so she decided to walk back to her car. There was a van parked in the driveway that she didn’t notice before. The sight of it gave her the creeps, and she started walking faster down the street to where she parked her car. Dammit, Nancy, she thought to herself. The long walk from Steve’s to the car (that Nancy had demanded they take) was a lot less spooky when they were walking together. 

It was also a lot longer of a walk than she’d remembered. Too long. She could have sworn she left her car by Cornwallis, but she kept walking anyway. 

Her car was nowhere to be found. 

Reality hit her like a ton of bricks. Nancy had left without her. Nancy had taken the car.  That had to be the case. Cars don’t just disappear like that, and there wasn’t a huge market for grand theft auto in Hawkins. Anger bubbled inside of her, more intense than she’d ever felt in her life. Barb wasn’t one to get angry, in fact, she rarely raised her voice. But this was different. This was betrayal, abandonment. This was awful.

She had no way home, no phone, and no idea how late it was. It was only about 8 or 9 when she blacked out. At least, that’s what she thought the time was. Barb made the trip back to the Harrington house with nowhere else to go. The light was on in Steve’s bedroom, after all, and although Barb hated the idea of asking him for help, she had no other choice. She at least could use his phone, or figure out where Nancy went, and why. Every step towards the house fueled Barb with more rage. None of this made sense. Nancy wouldn’t do this. Was she possessed? Was she crazy? How could someone do this to their best friend? It was mortifying. 

Barb went around to the pool again to check the back door, which was luckily left unlocked. The house was quiet, her footsteps echoing up to the high ceilings. She found a clock and realized it was about 10pm - not too horribly bad to call her parents or Nancy and ask for help. But before she went that route, it was time to face her fears and confront Steve. He took Nancy up here, and apparently did something so bad, she left without her best friend. Barb wasn’t a violent person, but she wasn’t opposed to kicking Steve in the nuts if she felt it was appropriate. 

She walked up the stairs, following the light under Steve’s bedroom door. There was music playing faintly, and she could tell Steve was at least awake. She didn’t think she was alone either. 

“Steve?” Barb asked, tapping lightly on the door. 

“Oh shit.” Barb heard various curses and muttering from inside the bedroom. Barb couldn’t really understand the frantic whispers between Steve and his guest, but Barb wasn’t naive - she had interrupted something.

“Nancy? Are you in there?” Barb asked, hopeful. If Nancy was in there, at least that meant she wasn’t completely abandoned. 

“Mom, you weren’t supposed to be home until Monday!” Steve called. Barb heard another male voice next.

“Did she just ask if Wheeler was in here?” The question was followed by a violent shushing.

“I’m not your mom, Steve.” Barb said, jiggling the locked door handle.

“What?!” Steve shouted. “Oh. Oh my god, it’s just Robin. Robin, what are you doing here?” Barb heard his voice get louder as footsteps approached, and then the door opened.

Steve looked different than Barb had remembered. He was bigger, more toned, and his hair was different, which didn’t make any sense. Behind him, a random man with hair longer than Barb had ever had hers was crawling back through the window almost as if…as if…

As if he was trying to make a quick exit so as not to get caught by Steve’s mom. And based on the state of their clothes, Barb could infer exactly what he didn’t want to be caught doing. But that…No, none of this made sense.

“W-where’s Nancy? Are you…What’s going on?” Barb sputtered, her brain malfunctioning. 

“That’s not Robin.” The strange man said, standing up and fixing his disheveled wardrobe. Steve stared at Barb, frozen and wide-eyed.  “Hellooo, Earth to Steve. Who is this chick?” 

“Eddie, what did…what was in that joint?” Steve remained completely still, his eyes fixed on her. 

“Just normal weed, man. What’s going on?” Eddie walked closer to Steve with concern. 

“No, no, no. Nonononono. I’m dreaming.” Steve shook his head and finally broke eye contact. He paced around the room before settling on his bed. Eddie looked at Barb next.

“Hi, I’m Eddie.”

“Barb.”

“Whatcha doing at my boyfriend’s parents house in the middle of the night, Barb?” 

“Jesus Christ.” Steve muttered from the bed. He was now lying on his back, his hands over his face.

“Boyfriend? No, he -” Barb looked at Steve, then back to Eddie. “He was just up here with Nancy. Except he looked…different.”

“With Nancy, huh?” Eddie said, amused. “Don’t think so. He’s been with me for, uh. I don’t know, a while. I’ve been here all night.” 

“No, that doesn’t make sense.” Barb’s brain was melting. “Nancy and I came over tonight for the party, and she went up here with him, and I blacked out or something.” Steve made a pained noise from the other side of the room.

“Don’t think so, Sweetheart. Sorry. Also, not to tell you how to live your life, but you probably shouldn’t just walk into people’s houses.” There was a lightness to his voice that pissed Barb off. He was being way too calm about this - He just seemed to be making fun of her. How could he be saying these things?

“But Steve’s not -” Barb stopped, hoping she didn’t have to say the word out loud, but Eddie waited patiently, his arms crossed, begging her to say it. “He’s not gay.” It came out almost as a whisper.

“I beg to differ on that one. Although, technically he’s bisexual, if you must know.” 

“Eddie…” Steve groaned from the bed. There was a vulnerability to Steve’s voice that made Eddie’s face soften into something a lot more likable than his previous disposition. He walked over to the bed and knelt beside Steve. 

“You okay?”

“It’s her. It’s Barb.” 

“Yeah, that’s what she said.”

“No, Eddie. Remember when I told you about…About Nancy and I? That one night? And her friend -”

“Oh, fuck. But how is that-”

“I don’t know. Call Nance. I think she’s with Robin. Get them over here. Please.” 

“Okay. I’ll be right back.” Barb watched as Eddie tenderly grabbed Steve’s hand, squeezed it, then brought it to his lips. It was a kind of intimacy that couldn’t possibly have developed in one night. Barb’s head spun. It still wasn’t making any sense. “Come on, let’s go downstairs.”

Barb followed him to the kitchen where the main phone was. She was somehow more confused than ever, but at least she knew Nancy was okay. Although, apparently Nancy was with some other friend. Maybe she’s the one that convinced Nancy to steal Barb’s car. 

Barb looked around the kitchen while Eddie dialed Nancy’s number on the phone. It was pretty clean. At Barb’s house, there were tons of pictures of her from all ages. Steve’s house had none of that. There was some opened mail on the counter, and Barb happened to glance down at it while she was walking past. And that’s when she saw the date, and everything simultaneously made more and less sense.

“Hey, Nance. It’s Eddie. Sorry, yeah, I know it’s late. It’s Steve….He’s okay, I mean, he’s not in danger or anything. But you should come here. No, his parent’s house.” Eddie sighed into the receiver. “It’s a long story. It’s, um…” Eddie glanced up at Barb, then quickly turned away. “Barb is here. Yes. No, like she’s literally here, dude. Hello? Helloooo? Shit…” He hung up the phone and sighed. “I think that means she’s on her way.” 

“Eddie, what year is it?” Barb asked, nervous. 

“Uhh, ‘86 last I checked.”

“No, it’s not.” She couldn’t believe this. I mean, time travel? That’s impossible. This is a dream. It had to be. A really weird, insanely detailed dream. 

“Okay, so uh.” Eddie began. “Let’s sit down.” He walked her to the couch and sat next to her. He took a deep breath. “I don’t really know how to tell this story. Not really mine to tell, honestly. You, um. You…died…three years ago.” 

“What are you talking about?” 

“So, I don’t know everything, and don’t shoot the messenger. Nancy and Steve were together back then, and they ditched you, and then you died out there near the pool. Wheeler, she uh. She felt a lot of guilt about it. Ended up breaking poor Harrington’s heart.” Eddie had lost his condescending tone, but he maintained a light quality to him that almost made this conversation seem casual. It wasn’t, but Barb appreciated it anyway, because the words weren’t landing in her head in a serious way. She couldn’t comprehend them at all. 

“Wow, uh…I’m…dreaming. Have to be.” She said to herself. 

“Do you want me to pinch you or something?”

“Please don’t touch me.” 

“Copy that.” 

“So, how did I die then?” Eddie shrugged.

“You’d have to ask Steve or Nancy. Or Dustin, he probably knows more than I do.” 

“Dustin?”

“Yeah, you know. Henderson?” 

“Wait, Mike’s friend? What does a child have to do with any of this?” Barb was getting more confused by the minute.

“He’s not so much of a kid anymore.” Eddie chuckled. “More of an annoying teen. Love the guy, but yeah. Him and Steve have a whole brotherly thing going on.” 

“Wow.” It was an understatement.

“You’re taking this pretty well.” Eddie acknowledged.

“Am I? I feel like my head is about to explode.” She looked down at herself, wondering if she looked any different, too. But her clothes were the same ones she remembered putting on before any of this happened. “Wait, so I died. Three years later I just…showed back up at this pool. I’m in the same clothes, I haven’t seemed to age, and I feel exactly the same -”

“If you’re asking for any sort of explanation, I gave up on figuring that shit out a long time ago.” Eddie leaned back on the couch, feeling more relaxed now that he was no longer the bearer of bad news.

“You’re saying things like this have happened before?” Barb asked, astonished. Eddie shrugged.

“Yeah. But since your brain is already about to explode, the rest of the story should probably wait.” 

“I feel sick.” Barb said, her hand pressing against her stomach.

“If you’re gonna puke, I highly recommend the bathroom.” 

“No, I think I just need to lay down.” Barb said, already doing so on the couch. Eddie stood up so as not to touch her when she stretched out her legs.

“Okay. Nancy should be here soon. Is it alright if I go upstairs to check on Steve?” 

“Yeah.” Barb muttered. Eddie waited awkwardly for a moment, in case she needed anything else from him, and then he left to go back upstairs. 

Barb lied there for an indiscernible amount of time, hoping that if she managed to fall asleep, she’d wake up back in the world she remembered. 

But she couldn’t fall asleep. She couldn’t stop thinking about what Eddie had said, and how Steve had looked, and how even though there was no explanation for how this happened, it clearly had. Eventually, the front door opened, signaling Nancy’s arrival. Nancy. Barb sat up, excited to see her friend, despite everything else that was going on. 

“Hello?” Her voice carried from the other room. Barb froze, listening intently to the footsteps walking through the foyer, around to the kitchen, and then -

Barb locked eyes with Nancy, giving her a slight smile and a shrug. Nancy’s eyes grew wide as saucers, her face growing with concern, surprise, fear, and a million other things Barb couldn’t place. Then, Barb noticed something in Nancy’s face that she rarely ever saw - there were tears in her eyes.

“Nancy, hey.” Barb said, standing up and whisking her way to where Nancy was standing. She stopped suddenly at the sight of the woman behind her - someone familiar. “Woah. Robin…Buckley?” 

“Shit. Nance, it’s really her.” Robin muttered. “Hi, yeah. It’s been a while.” Barb knew Robin, but she was a Freshman the last time she’d seen her - now, she was older, her style was different, and she was…pretty. It’s not like she wasn’t before, but she was also fourteen before. Nobody is that beautiful at fourteen - Barb wasn’t sure she even was pretty yet at 16, or whatever age she qualified as now. She hadn’t even looked in the mirror yet. 

Nancy was still frozen in shock, but she looked mostly the same. Her hair was bigger, and much shorter, but otherwise she looked exactly as she’d had the night of the party. She was still Nancy. Barb was relieved to see at least one thing hadn’t changed. 

“Barb, oh my God.” Nancy said, finally stumbling from her trance to launch herself into Barb’s arms. They hugged each other tightly, neither of them wanting to let go. Barb felt like she hadn’t hugged her friend in years, which wasn't technically incorrect. She heard sniffling next to her ear - Nancy was actually crying. Barb never really saw her cry, because she always insisted on being strong. She was a warrior, that’s what they always used to say as kids. “I’m so sorry.” 

“It’s okay, Nance. I’m here now.” Barb assured her. Nancy finally let go and backed away enough to look at Barb. 

“I can’t believe it. You’re really here.” Nancy said. “How did - What was it like for you?”

“I just remember the party, then nothing, and then I woke up outside like an hour ago.” 

“No injuries or anything?” Nancy asked. Barb shook her head. “You don’t - You didn’t - The Upside Down, the Demogorgon…?”

“What? I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

“Wow.” Nancy sighed. “I just…Wow.”

“What…happened to me? To you?” Barb asked. “Did you know Steve’s dating a boy??” Robin snorted.

“Robin!” Nancy admonished in a hushed voice. “Yeah, he’s with Eddie.” 

“I met him. He seems nice enough, once you get past the fact he looks like a serial killer.” 

“Ha, yeah, about that. You’re not the first person to think so.” Robin said, rolling her eyes. 

“Anyway.” Nancy interrupted. “You, um. Maybe we should sit down.” Barb nodded, the three of them walking over to the couch. 

“Just tell me, Nance.” Barb sighed. 

“I should leave you two alone.” Robin said, nervous. “I can go check on Steve maybe?” 

“That’s a good idea.” Nancy agreed.

“He’s upstairs with Eddie.” Barb informed her. Robin nodded, then headed to the staircase. 

“So.” Nancy said, nodding awkwardly. “It’s been an eventful three years.” 

“Just start with that night.” Barb suggested.

“Okay.” Nancy took a deep breath. “Steve and I went upstairs, and we…We slept together. You were gone when I went back downstairs, so I just went home. I’d told you to leave anyway, so…”

“Yeah, you did.” Barb said, trying her best not to be bitter. But it hurt to know that Nancy had done exactly what she’d feared - she’d ditched her friend to have sex with a guy. 

“Barb, that night changed everything for me.” Nancy said.

“Okay, gross. Spare me the details.” Barb muttered.

“No, no. Barb, listen to me.” Nancy sputtered, trying to say things she’d never really let herself say. She’d never had the chance to before. “I haven’t stopped grieving you since that night. Not ever. I mean, it kind of set up a whole chain of events that led me here, with Robin.” 

“Wait, with Robin, as in…?” 

“I…” Nancy stumbled over her words. She still wasn’t used to coming out, still wasn’t sure of what she even was. “Yeah. I love her.”

“Woah.” Barb said. “You and Steve, huh?” 

“Yeah.” Nancy smiled. “It’s a wonder he and I didn’t work out.” 

“So that’s why it ended?” Barb asked, confused.

“No, it’s not.” Nancy corrected. “You disappeared, and Steve didn’t really seem to care.” Barb rolled her eyes. Figures. “I promise he’s a good guy, Barb. He’s really matured since then. But, yeah, he shook it off. We dated for like a year, but I just couldn’t get over that.” 

“Oh.” Barb said quietly. “I’m…sorry.” 

“What for?” Nancy argued. “No, I’m sorry. If I had just listened to you that night -”

“Hey, it’s okay. Teenagers do stupid things all the time. Usually the consequences are less…severe.” Barb pointed out.

“Thank you. I can’t believe how long I lost you.” She whispered. 

“Keep telling me the story, Nance.” Barb prodded, wanting to leave space for Nancy’s emotions, but also desperate to know more about what she’d missed.

“Right. So, when you disappeared, Jonathan was the only person who helped me look for you. Because he was also looking for his brother, and - “

“Byers??” Barb asked. “He always creeped us out.” 

“Yeah, turns out he’s not so bad.” Nancy shrugged. “We found Will, but you…Well, you were gone. So anyway, I dated Jonathan for a while too, after Steve. Up until we graduated.”

“Seriously?” Barb asked, astonished. Nancy nodded.

“Yup. But he moved to California, and we just had different aspirations, so it didn’t work out.” 

“You sound like you’ve really practiced that speech to avoid saying what actually went wrong.” Barb teased. 

“Yeah, well. It’s easier than saying I fell for my ex's best friend. Sounds more mature.” Nancy added with a flourish. Barb smiled. “I don’t know how you ended up back here, but I’m so happy.”

“Me too, Nance.” 

Footsteps started echoing down the stairs rapidly, signaling that their privacy together was coming to an end. Barb saw Eddie first, who made a beeline for the kitchen. Robin and Steve came next, slightly more hesitant. Steve at least looked less pale than he had before. 

“I’m sorry about my reaction earlier.” Steve said, sheepishly.

“Don’t be.” Robin said, smacking her friend on the arm. “This whole thing is bonkers.” 

“Robin, could you just, like, chill out?” Nancy asked.

“What? It’s true!” Robin doubled down. She squeezed herself on the couch next to Nancy. 

“I’m with Robin on this one.” Eddie mumbled with his mouth full of something he’d found in the fridge. Steve looped around to the far end of the couch, putting as much distance as possible between him and Barb. Eddie joined moments later with snacks, plopping himself between Barb and Steve. 

“So…” Steve said, breaking the silence. “Nancy told you…everything?”

“I still have a lot of questions, but I’m at least up to speed on your love lives.” Barb said before she could filter it. “Sorry. I’m very tired.”

“No, I get it. Finding out your friends are queer must be interesting as all hell.” Eddie approved.

“Well, that and the whole monster apocalypse underground secret government agency mind control demon dust evil Russians thing.” Robin vented the words in such rapid succession that Barb had no way to keep up in any capacity. The room fell quiet.

“I actually didn’t get to any of that.” Nancy admitted. 

“Ohhh, shit!” Eddie chuckled, amused. “Sorry. You dropped the ball on that one, Nance.”

“Eddie, come on.” Steve groaned. 

“You love me.” Eddie said, leaning over and kissing Steve right on the lips. Steve seemed to melt into him instantly, almost giddy from it. Barb stared at them, wide-eyed and entranced. She’d never seen two men kiss in her entire life. 

“Okay, right, so.” Nancy interrupted. “How you…How you died.” 

“Do you want me to tell her?” Steve asked once he pushed Eddie off him.

“No, it should come from me.” Nancy answered. “When Will went missing, he was taken to this place called the Upside Down. It’s like here, but dark and dirty and gross, and there are…Monsters.” Nancy finished. 

“Yeah, and the two dimensions started merging together and a monster came into Steve’s pool and totally attacked you.” Robin added. Nancy shot her a glare, then sighed.

“Uh, yeah. That’s what happened.” Nancy shrugged. 

“Well, I’d say that’s impossible, but…” Barb realized at this point, nothing would ever seem impossible ever again. “I’m really tired. I kind of just want to go home.” 

“Oh, well…” Nancy bit her lip. “Your parents don’t live here anymore. After the funeral, they…They sold the house.” For whatever reason, that’s the piece of information that affected Barb the most. She had no home to go to, and everything had changed, and she had missed it all. She must have started crying, because all of a sudden, everyone in the room was looking at her differently. Robin was the first to move, extending her arm across Nancy to grab Barb’s hand.

“Why don’t you come home with us? We’ll have a little sleepover or something.” Robin offered. Barb looked at Nancy, then to Robin, and nodded.

“Yeah, that sounds nice. Thank you.” 

“And I’ll call your parents tomorrow. I mean, if you want me to.” Nancy suggested. Barb felt herself feeling slightly relieved, knowing that she at least had people right next to her who cared. Nancy scooted herself closer to Barb and snaked her arm around her, pulling her close into a side hug. Robin leaned into them both. After a moment, Barb felt Eddie moving beside her, tentatively, with Steve following his lead.

“This, uh.” Eddie began. “Just feels like a good time for a group hug. But I don’t have to-”

“Group hug is cool.” Barb permitted. Eddie nodded, then shifted himself towards her and put his arm around her back, hooking with Nancy’s. Steve joined last, leaning his head against Eddie’s shoulder and reaching his arm across to grab Robin’s free hand. They sat like that together for a few moments, until Barb eventually broke the silence.

“So, after everything, the four of you are like…good friends?” She wondered. Eddie snickered.

“Yeah, weird, huh? The Band Geek, The School Freak, The Goody-Two-Shoes, and King Steve turned out to make a pretty good team.” He joked. 

“Yeah, and you’re one of us, now.” Robin added. 

One of us. Barb thought to herself. Maybe, she could get through this.

~~~~~

Robin, Nancy, and Barb headed back to the Wheeler house - At least one part of the Hawkins she knew and loved was still intact. It looked about the same, there were even still a few pictures of Nancy and Barb up in Nancy’s bedroom - but a lot of them had been replaced. 

“Can I take a shower?” Barb asked. Her clothes stuck to her, and she felt kind of grimy. She’d been dead for three years, after all. 

“Yeah, of course. You know where it is.” Nancy said with her signature tight-lipped smile. “Here, let me grab you some clean clothes.” 

“Uh, no way.” Robin interrupted. “No offense, Nance, but your clothes are itchy and uncomfortable. Here, I have something way better.” Robin walked to a dresser and knelt down to the bottom drawer, pulling out a pair of men’s sweatpants and a big t-shirt. 

“Are those Steve’s?” Nancy asked, confused. 

“Duh. You gave me my own drawer, I get to put what I want in it.” Robin smirked. “Besides, mens clothes are just so much comfier. I keep telling you this.”

“Yes, I know, I know.” Nancy dismissed, chuckling.

Barb stayed in the shower a lot longer than normal, but she felt that was valid considering the situation. She spent a long time washing herself of the night, using Nancy’s soap that thankfully was the same kind she used to buy. She left the shower feeling clean and refreshed, and then she looked at herself in the mirror for the first time since she’d woken up. Woah.

Her hair was the same. Her body was the same. But she still looked and felt older. There were dark circles under her eyes, and she thought she saw a stretch mark that wasn’t there before. She looked at it closer, only to find that - oh. It wasn’t a stretch mark. It was a scar. 

She hurriedly put on Steve’s clothes - which, by the way, is something Barb never thought she’d be doing in a million years. But she was grateful for them, because Robin was right - they were really comfortable, and Nancy’s clothes were always too tight. 

“Guys, I think I found something kind of weird.” Barb said as she returned to the bedroom. She lifted her shirt up to reveal her stomach and the pale line that crossed it. “I have them on my legs, too.” 

“Oh, shit.” Robin said, looking closer. “So does that mean-”

“You were attacked, and now you’re…healed?” Nancy added. 

“Yeah, but that doesn’t make sense. Where would she have gone then these last few years?” Robin asked.

“I have no idea.” Nancy shrugged. 

Barb was moments from passing out, so she quickly got comfortable in the makeshift bed Nancy and Robin had made on the floor in Barb’s absence. She felt herself losing consciousness instantly.

“Hey, you okay?” Barb heard Robin ask Nancy.

“Yeah, I’m….” There was a silence, followed by a sound that broke Barb’s heart - Nancy sniffling. 

It was the last thing she heard before she fell asleep.

~~~~~~

When Barb woke up, there was a moment she forgot entirely where she was. She thought she was home in bed, at first, and then she realized she was in Nancy’s room, which also wasn’t weird. But she was on the floor instead of in the bed with Nancy. And then everything from the previous night hit her all over again. She groaned, her body aching from sleeping on the floor - and also probably from the whole being dead 3 years thing. 

“N..Nancy?” Barb mumbled as she stood up. She looked to the bed to see her best friend snuggled up to Robin. They looked so natural together that Barb wasn’t even thinking at all about how it was two women, just that they looked like a good fit. And Barb was happy for them, truly. It’s just…

Well, three years ago, or yesterday (depending on who you asked), Barb had some feelings of her own to figure out. She didn’t really even consider dating women to be an option, and now here she was, surrounded by people who were treating it so casually. She couldn’t imagine that in only three years, society had changed THAT much. She wondered if they were open about it, or if they had to hide it. Either way, Barb was grateful they had a small group they could just be themselves around. And now Barb was a part of it. One of us.

She decided she’d let them be, instead finding a book on Nancy’s shelf that looked interesting and reading it until they woke up. 

“Morning sunshine.” Barb heard Robin’s voice.

“Mm, morning.” Nancy responded. 

“Good morning.” Barb said with a smirk, sitting up so her head became visible to the couple from the foot of the bed. Robin jumped, then laughed nervously.

“Holy shit, I can’t believe I almost -”

“Forgot? Yeah, me too.” Barb agreed.

“Hi.” Nancy said, quietly. 

“Hi.” Barb responded. 

“How are you feeling?”

“Better, oddly enough.” Barb replied.

“That’s good, because we’ve got some more craziness to face today.” Robin interjected. Nancy looked at her quizzically, then slapped her palm to her forehead.

“Dammit! Dustin’s party is today!” Nancy groaned. 

“Again with the Henderson kid.” Barb rolled her eyes, standing up to sit on the foot of the bed. “Eddie said you were friends. I guess I didn’t realize you were…good enough friends to party with him?”

“It’s not like that.” Robin said, chuckling. “But Steve and I planned a sweet sixteen for him, except he’s really only turning fifteen - don’t ask.” 

“It’s just gonna be a barbecue in Steve’s backyard.” Nancy explained. “We’ll be there, Steve and Eddie too, obviously. Dustin, Will, my brother, Lucas, Erica, Max, El…Oh, Hopper and Mrs. Byers, too. Maybe Jonathan?”

“And you guys…enjoy hanging out with these people? A bunch of kids, your exes, and the Sheriff?” Barb asked, confused. Nancy laughed.

“Yeah, actually. I mean, the kids are nice, and they entertain themselves while we get the excuse to hang out. The Sheriff and Joyce are actually engaged now.”

“Saving the world together really bonds people.” Robin added. 

“I can imagine.” Barb said, having no choice but to just accept this reality. “Saved the world, huh?” 

“Oh yeah. I mean, we mostly focused on behind the scenes stuff. El does most of the action.” Robin replied. Nancy took over to clarify.

“El is Mike’s girlfriend. She has superpowers.” Barb eyed Nancy, suspicious. “No, really, she does. Just don’t ask her about them, she doesn’t like being treated like a magician.”

“Okay, good to know?” Barb couldn’t believe a word she was hearing, but she figured she’d get to see it in the flesh soon enough. 

“Oh, and we do a lot more than behind the scenes.” Nancy said, nudging Robin. “Lest we forget when you were literally tortured underground.”

“I actually do really try to forget that.” Robin muttered. Barb cleared her throat before speaking.

“Right. Wow, your problems really went from 0 to 100, Nance. Like, last we talked our biggest concern was our chem test and whether or not we were popular,” Barb said. Nancy chuckled dryly.

“Yeah. All that stuff seems kind of silly in hindsight.” 

“And Nancy is a total babe with a shotgun, now.” Robin chimed in. “Owns multiple guns and is a great shot. Can you believe it?”

“Actually? Yeah. Nancy’s always been a badass.” Barb said, raising her eyebrows at her friend. 

“Anyway.” Nancy said, uncomfortable with the attention. “We should get dressed. Barb, we’ll - I’ll find you something to wear.”

“And then I’ll find you something better.” Robin smirked. 

“Right. Do you still want me to call your parents?” Nancy asked, nervously. Barb thought about this for a moment. She wanted to see her parents, of course she did, but they thought they’d lost their daughter for years now. They’d moved on, at least a little bit, and Barb’s reappearance was going to be a huge thing. She wasn’t ready to face that just yet.

“Maybe tomorrow.” Barb decided. Nancy nodded, with both understanding and relief, then got out of bed to start getting ready. 

The girls got ready together with Blondie playing in the background. They chatted exclusively about timeless things - Barb couldn’t handle any more surprises. They did each other’s hair and makeup, joking and laughing with each other in a way that put Barb at ease. It became clear that Nancy and Robin had nothing that would go over Barb’s hips. She was embarrassed, at first, but Robin just shrugged it off.

“Here, put on the jeans you woke up wearing, we have time to go shopping before the party.” She suggested.

“I can just wear these.” Barb replied, gesturing to the ripped, stained jeans she had put on.

“No way. You’re going to be making a grand entrance - your big return to Hawkins, Indiana. You really think we’re gonna let you show up looking like anything less than the total babe you are?” Barb glanced at Nancy, overwhelmed.

“That’s just kind of how she talks. She’s right, though.” Nancy added. Barb was open to the idea of spending more time with these girls, so she agreed. 

They went shopping together, and Barb let Nancy and Robin dress her. Every time she put something on in the dressing room, one of the girls threw something else over the door. It only took about fifteen minutes for them to find Barb the perfect dress.

“I think we have a winner.” Barb shouted from inside the dressing room.

“Come out, let’s see!” Robin encouraged. Barb emerged slowly, nervous to be seen in something as bold as the dress was. It was a pale yellow vintage dress - the kind that hugged tightly at the chest, then flared out around the waist. It looked like something Audrey Hepburn would wear.  It was completely flattering to Barb’s curves, and unlike any article of clothing she’d ever owned. She looked at herself in the full length mirror, aghast. Nancy and Robin appeared in the mirror behind her shortly after.

“Total. Babe.” Robin said in approval.

“Barb, you have to get this.” Nancy insisted. She knew it was the kind of dress Barb had always imagined herself wearing at prom - of course, she’d never gotten to go.

“It’s way too expensive.” Barb said, disappointed. Nancy pulled at the price tag to check.

“No, it’s not. We’re getting it. Come on!” 

~~~~|

They showed up to Dustin’s party about fifteen minutes late, although it didn’t really matter, as people were still trickling in. Robin had already called Steve that morning in secret, telling him to warn everyone he could about their surprise guest. The only people there that really knew Barb were already adjusted to the idea - other than Dustin, Mike, and Jonathan. But they didn’t really know her THAT well. Hopper obviously knew of the case, but he as well as everyone else was so used to chaos and people dying and coming back to life that he was hardly fazed. After all, he had “died” and come back, too. 

“Do people know about…You and Robin? Steve and Eddie?” Barb asked Nancy in Steve’s backyard. 

“These people do.” Nancy replied. “Like I said, they’re a good group.”

“Oh. Huh.” Barb said. As she stood in the corner of the backyard with Robin and Nancy, she inspected Steve and Eddie further from a few feet away. 

Steve was at the grill, wearing an apron that said Kiss the Cook. Robin informed Barb that she’d gotten it for Steve as a joke, and Steve was basically like, “jokes on you, I needed an apron anyway.” It was strange to see Steve like this, so confident in his masculinity that he’d be wearing an apron in public, around the freaking Sheriff, sneaking flirtatious glances with the long-haired man in the denim vest and ripped jeans. She watched Eddie lean against the brick wall, smirking at Steve. At one point he tried to help Steve cook, although it was obvious he really just wanted an excuse to be physically close to his boyfriend. Eddie would reach around Steve to grab the spatula, and Steve would smack Eddie’s hand away, playfully annoyed.  Barb was close enough to hear their banter.

“Sorry, I just - I got this, alright?” Steve said.

“I knowwww.” Eddie teased. “And it’s alright. You’ll just have to kiss it better.” Eddie held his hand up to Steve’s face. Steve grabbed it, bringing the back of his boyfriend’s hand to his lips briefly with a roll of his eyes, then threw his arm back down. 

“Happy?”

“Ecstatic.” 

They were perfect together. It was so weird. 

“Barbara?” Nancy’s voice brought Barb back to the moment. “You okay?”

“Yeah, it’s just - They’re really cute, aren’t they?” Barb said, nodding towards the boys in question. Nancy chuckled.

“Yeah, it’s gross.” Nancy countered.

“I think it’s amazing.” Robin added. “I mean, Steve needed someone to rough him up a little, you know? Expand his mind, or whatever. Obviously, I loved him even when he was striking out constantly with women at Scoops Ahoy, but I gotta say, Eddie’s influence has really changed him for the better.” 

“How so?” Barb asked.

“He’s just more…Well, he’s not pretending anymore, I guess.” Robin replied. Barb smiled. She liked that answer. “You ready to make your debut?”

Oh, right. There still was that. Barb was clearly overdressed to the event, which she realized as soon as they’d gotten to the party. That’s the reason she pulled Nancy and Robin to the back corner of the house - to hide from everyone else before they could see her. 

“I stick out like a sore thumb.” Barb said, nervous. “I’m already the zombie girl, I just - It’s a lot of attention.”

“Yeah, but it’s the right kind of attention.” Nancy responded. “Look, let’s just get out there, and if you hate it, I’ll take you home. Well, my home.” Barb pondered this, then sighed. 

“Okay. Here goes nothing.” The three of them walked into the backyard, in full view of the others. Barb saw many people she recognized - Dustin, who thankfully was talking to some girl about something and paying little attention. Jonathan, who was taking pictures and also therefore oblivious. Mike was hanging out with the girl Barb correctly assumed must be the one with superpowers, and holy crow. Puberty had hit Mike like a bus. He was tall and lanky now, but his mannerisms had at least stayed the same. Will Byers was next to him - He was also a lot taller than he had been the night of Barb’s disappearance. He no longer was the little kid on the Missing Person’s posters that had lined the halls of Hawkins High. He looked…healthy. Well-adjusted, despite what must have been a great deal of trauma. It gave Barb hope for her future. 

“Come on, let’s go say hi to Steve and Eddie.” Nancy said, tugging at Barb’s arm. They walked together towards the grill, interrupting yet another cute moment - although those moments seemed to be constant, so Barb didn’t feel too bad about it. Eddie managed to look away from Steve towards the ladies approaching, then did an actual double take in Barb’s direction. 

“Woah!” He said, his mouth agape. Barb waited for Eddie to continue his train of thought, but he didn’t.

“You look good, Barb.” Steve said with a sweet smile.

“Yeah, you clean up real nice. Prettiest former-dead chick I’ve ever seen.” Eddie finally managed to say. Barb blushed, far from accustomed to being complimented by boys. 

“See? Told ya.” Robin whispered in Barb’s ear. She found herself giggling, and was finally able to relax into the dress she was wearing. They were interrupted by a loud, booming voice.

“You sure you know what you’re doing there, champ?” Barb turned to see the Sheriff, now outside of uniform - which was kind of like seeing your teacher in the supermarket. 

“Yeah, I got it under control, Hopper, thanks.” Steve replied. 

“Let me know if you need any help.” Hopper offered.

“I’d let him be, sir.” Eddie said, smirking. “With all due respect.” 

“Watch your attitude, Munson. I’m still watching you.” Hopper’s eyes narrowed, and Barb couldn’t tell how intimidated she should feel about it. Maybe it was a joke between them, or maybe Eddie was often in trouble with the cops - it wouldn’t surprise her, considering what she knew about him already. Suddenly, a very tiny woman appeared right behind Hopper. She looked kind of like -

“Be nice, Hop. It’s a party!” She hooked her arm in the Sheriff’s and leaned into him. He happily brought her closer, kissing her on the top of her head. She smiled, then looked over at Barb in shock. “Oh.”

“Mrs. Byers.” Barb acknowledged, nervous. She continued to look at Barb, a million expressions crossing her face.

“Oh, please. Call me Joyce - I won’t be Mrs. Byers for much longer, sweetie.” Joyce’s arm slipped out from Hopper’s, and she took the chance to walk straight up to Barb, pulling her in for a hug. “Welcome home. Hawkins is happy to have you back.” 

Barb had never really interacted with Joyce personally - I mean, it was a small town, so they knew each other, but they didn’t have a rapport. But at that moment, it didn’t matter what history they had, because everybody at this damn barbecue seemed to have some communal understanding of each other. Joyce was warm and comforting, and while her hug was nearly a little too long, Barb didn’t mind at all. 

“Thank you, um. Joyce.” Barb finally said, overwhelmed. Joyce released her, and Barb locked eyes with Hopper next.

“I guess we have something in common, Miss Holland.” He said.

“We do?” Barb asked.

“We’ve both had funerals.” His joke was mediocre at best, and poorly timed. Still, Eddie and Robin couldn’t help but snicker. 

“...Okay?” Barb replied. Hopper bit his lip, his eyes going slim. 

“Sorry, I just - Don’t really know what to say here. I worked on your case, you know.”

“Was that before or after your funeral?” She asked. Hopper’s look of worry eased into a smile.

“Okay, well, uh. Welcome back, kid. And all that other stuff Joyce said.” He pulled Joyce back into him again. “She’s always been the words and feelings person.” 

“And he’s always been the muscle.” Joyce added. “And the person who gets things off the top shelf for me.” She winked at Barb, then gestured for her and her fiancé to leave the teenagers in peace. 

“Wow. I can’t believe I’m not even the first person at this barbecue that’s been resurrected.” Barb said, amused.

“You’re actually the third.” Nancy said. “Will technically had a funeral, too.” Barb paused for a moment, confused.

“Is this town….Like, are you guys okay?” Barb asked. Nancy and Robin glanced at each other, then to Eddie and Steve. All four answered at the same time.

“Nope.”

“Absolutely not”

“I mean…” 

“We’ve been worse.”

Barb shook her head, laughing.

“This is all so crazy.” She repeated. 

“Yeah, give it time.” Eddie said, patting Barb on the back. “Pretty soon you’ll look back on this and consider it a normal day - trust me.” 

“I’m sure you’re right.” Barb agreed.

“Order up!” Steve exclaimed, spinning the spatula in his hand. “Bonjour, psychos.” 

“I’m sorry. Did you mean bon appetit?” Robin said, laughing.

“Uh, yeah. What did I say?” Steve wondered. Barb and Nancy laughed with Robin, while Eddie just stared at his boyfriend in admiration. “Okay, well, sorry. I took Spanish in high school.” 

“Right. And how’s that going?” Nancy teased him. Robin reached her hand out and high fived Nancy at her hip. Steve glared at them, then thought for a moment, searching for a comeback that never came. He sighed.

“You’re so lucky I don’t remember enough to insult you.” Steve untied the apron and set it on a nearby chair. “Food’s ready!” He shouted, loud enough for everyone to hear. He turned back to the girls. “Was that better?” 

“Oui, c'est bien mieux.” Robin said. Steve scoffed while Eddie rolled his eyes, then both of them stuck their middle fingers up in Robin’s direction.

“Show-off.” Eddie muttered. They lowered their hands and intertwined them. 

“You know, with love and all that.” Steve added to soften the blow. He could never truly be mean to Robin or Nancy, even in jest. 

“You guys spend way too much time together. It’s honestly alarming how similar you’re becoming.” Nancy pointed out. 

“That’s rich coming from you two.” Eddie said, gesturing to Nancy and Robin. 

Their conversation screeched to a halt when everyone in the backyard appeared in line to get their food. 

Barb wasn’t feeling that hungry, and besides - there was no way she was going to risk accidentally spilling on herself. So, while everyone else ate, she continued to observe the people around her. Dustin seemed happy, which was good considering this party was for him. He’d also had a growth spurt, but he still had the same goofy kid energy Barb remembered from before. He was with Eddie, doing what Barb could only describe as play-wrestling, which she thought was odd. Then again, the way guy friends interacted never really made sense to her. 

“Hey. Uh, Barbara.” A soft voice said from behind her. Barb turned to see Jonathan Byers, a man she’d spoken to only once or twice in her life. He at least hadn’t changed in the slightest.

“Hi, Jonathan.” Barb responded. Jonathan awkwardly shifted his weight back and forth, fiddling with the buttons on his camera.

“I guess I just wanted to - “ He stopped himself, as if he shouldn’t say the thing he had wanted to. “Actually, I don’t really have anything to say.” They both chuckled awkwardly.

“That’s okay. I’m more or less getting the same reaction from everyone.” She responded.

“Oh yeah? What’s that?” Barb furrowed her brow and lowered her voice, impersonating nobody in particular.

“Hey, uh, wow. Look at you, um, back from the dead. Must be Wednesday, ha ha. ” Jonathan laughed.

“Yeah, it’s been a pretty packed three years.” 

“So I’m learning.” She responded with a nod.

“Do you want me to get you a drink or something?” He offered. 

“Yeah, sure.” Barb agreed, smiling. Jonathan nodded, then walked a few paces to a cooler. He returned moments later with a bottle of water. “Thanks.” 

“Don’t mention it.” Barb noticed him looking past her, so she turned to follow his gaze. He was looking at Robin and Nancy. “Is it…Is it weird for you?” Jonathan’s eyes snapped back to Barb.

“Oh! Sorry. Well, honestly, yeah.” He said, chuckling. “I mean, we ended on good terms, just kind of went our separate ways. We wanted different things.” Barb tried not to smile at the fact he had almost the same explanation for the breakup as Nancy. 

“Alright. So what have you been up to, then?” She asked him.

“Mainly spending time with Will. A-and our mom, although she’s mostly been busy planning the wedding.” 

“Will’s doing okay?” Barb wondered. Jonathan smiled.

“Yeah, he is. I mean, he’s got a few things on his plate right now, but - “ Jonathan looked to his brother, who was still with Mike and El. “- He’s one of the best people I know.” 

“Do you think it would be weird if I…talked to him?” Barb regretted it as soon as she’d said it. “Actually, forget I said that. It would totally be weird -”

“I actually think you should. Come on, I’ll introduce you.” Jonathan motioned for Barb to follow him across the backyard to Will, who smiled at his brother’s arrival. “Will, this is Barbara. She, uh-”

“I know who she is,” Will dismissed. “Nice to meet you, Barbara.” Will seemed kind. He was soft spoken and slightly awkward, just like Barb. And they’d both gone missing at the same time, so they were kind of like kindred spirits.

“Nice to meet you, too.” Barb knew she had specifically requested to talk to Will, but now that she was actually doing it, the words had fallen from her head. “Shoot. Sorry, I don’t mean to be awkward, I just-”

“I-it’s okay,” Will said, empathetically. “I remember how weird it was for me. To be back, you know. After missing so much.” 

“Yes, exactly!” Barb said, thrilled someone actually understood. “So much has changed, I can’t even wrap my head around it.” 

“Yeah, I only missed like a week and that was already insane to come back to. I think it’s impressive you’re acting as normal as you are.” 

“Thanks, Will.” They smiled at each other in understanding, but then Barb turned to catch the eyes of Mike and El, who were watching her with unease. “Uh, hi you guys.” 

“Hey.” Mike waved, non-committal, his discomfort obvious. Barb snuck a glance at Will and caught the way he looked at Mike - Barb knew that look well. She’d had that look before. Suddenly, another piece of the puzzle clicked together. 

“You were - “ El began, processing what she was seeing. “You were gone.” She shook her head, unable to make sense of it.

“Trust me, I’m just as confused as you are.” Barb assured her. 

“But I saw you -”

“Hey, hey.” Will said, cutting El off. “What matters is that she's here now.” Mike jumped in a moment later.

“It’s like when we found Will in the quarry, and then it turned out to be a fake body.” 

“So what I saw…Barb in the Upside Down…That was fake?” El wondered.

“No, it’s a little different, but…” Mike thought for a moment on how best to explain it. “Remember when you saved Max? Someone must have saved Barbara, too.” 

“Oh. Like Henry.” El’s eyes narrowed. Mike grabbed her hand quickly.

“No! No, not like him. Like -” Mike sighed. “Help me out, here?”

“Don’t look at me, I’ve been dead for three years.” Barb said. Suddenly, a mop of curly hair showed up beside them.

“Are you guys talking about how Barb came back to life? Because I have a theory,” Dustin began.

“By all means,” Barb said, permitting him to share.

“Okay, so we defeated Vecna, then the gates closed, and Max woke up - right?” Everyone nodded (except for Barb), listening intently. “Okay, so since Barb died in the Upside Down -”

“Everything reset.” Mike said, softly. “Barb was the only person killed in the Upside Down.” 

“So when the Upside Down ceased to exist…” Will continued.

“Barb got a second life.” Dustin smiled, content with his theory.

“Huh,” Barb said, processing all of it. She had no memory of her death, and certainly didn’t feel the time that had passed. But, did the how of it all really matter? She was here now, with a great (albeit incredibly strange) group of friends - some old, some new - and she was accepted for exactly who she was. Hell, she was accepted for who she was and she was accepted as some zombie freak of nature. If they could still treat her as a normal girl after all that, she couldn’t imagine a single thing they wouldn’t accept, which was a very freeing feeling. 

Barb had missed out on a lot. She didn’t get to graduate, or go to prom, or grow up. She hadn’t even had her first kiss, yet. She’d fallen asleep next to a douchebag’s pool at 16 years old, angry over being ditched by her best friend, and she woke up next to the same pool, except now she felt pretty and loved. Her future felt full of possibilities. The next day, she’d talk to her parents, and her life could actually be normal, finally. 

She looked out across Steve’s backyard, admiring the people she knew were going to become like family. Everything seemed all right, now. 

Barb chuckled to herself in disbelief. She’d conveniently missed the craziest and most dramatic part of her life, of her friend’s lives. 

Maybe all of this was a blessing in disguise.

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

TAGLIST: @ofherscarlettwitchways @livvyshmiv @paintballkid711 @abraca-fxckyou @allbimyself26 @jellybabiesforall @allbymyselfexceptformycactus @aethermint @mysteriousxmidnight

Feel free to send requests! :)

#st fanfic #writing #me #st fanfiction #stranger things #stranger things fanfic #stranger things au #robin buckley #nancy wheeler #steve harrington #eddie munson #robin buckley x nancy wheeler #eddie munson x steve harrington #steddie #ronance #the fruity four #jonathan byers #joyce byers #jim hopper #jopper #byler #mileven #will byers #mike wheeler #eleven hopper #dustin henderson #barb holland #barbara holland #stranger things barb #justice for barb

[bifuriouswaterbender]

Eddie Munson Bingo Masterlist

Here is everything I wrote for my @eddiemunsonbingo 2023 bingo card!

A1 "I was rage. I was a child" - So Roll the Highlights: Eddie/Steve, Rated T

A2 Blanket Forts - I will never ask you for anything (except to dream sweet of me): Eddie/Steve, Rated T

A3 Sexting - Take Pleasure in the Details: Eddie/Steve, Rated E

B1 Bad Pickup Lines - Are You From Tennessee?: Eddie/Steve, Rated T

B2 Free Space [Movie AU] - He's All That: Eddie/Steve, Rated T

B3 Role Reversal - for pasts that we're never gonna change: Eddie/Steve, Rated E

C1 Red String Of Fate - I'm stuck in a lonely loop, my baby: Eddie/Steve, Rated T

C2 Eddie Admires Steve From Afar - Get The Feeling: pre Eddie/Steve, Rated T

C3 "Who are you?" - I Got A Secret, I Must Admit: Eddie/Steve, Rated T

#eddie munson #steddie #st fanfiction #stranger things #masterlist #my writing #my fanfic

[pixel-percy]

🌻 Moving to a new town always takes some adjusting and Sunny isn’t about to mess up her fresh start in Hawkins... Even if there’s a cute boy in town. 🌻

🌻 Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 🌻 Word Count: 4.1k 🌻 Music Vibes: Sunflower, Vol. 6 by Harry Styles 🌻 Warning(s): Referenced infidelity & relationship trauma 🌻 A/N: Flirting, pet names, cuteness, y'know, setting things up~

The tease of Fall winds moved through Hawkins as discolored leaves began their descent from trees. The heat still felt sticky on the skin but more bearable than when Sunny and Anna had first arrived. It was closing in on around two months and there were still new experiences to be had. None of which involved boys if Sunny could help it.

Days passed –that turned into a few weeks– since she’d last run into the ever-so-charming, taken, Steve Harrington and the rest of the male population of Hawkins didn’t seem to draw her eye in the same way. At least when she entertained the thought of looking. A cute passerby here that flashed a sly smile, a lingering gaze there while picking up some flowers for someone else, or the occasional whistle from boys she ignored – unless it was about Anna. Then it was the quadruple middle finger as they walked away together.

Other than small-town nonsense and bored teens, everything was fine. More than Sunny had anticipated it to be. She was in such a good mood that she lightly smacked Anna’s knee with the book she’d been reading and told her to get dressed. It was movie night.

Without too much protest, her younger sister rolled off the couch and disappeared into her room, long brown hair trailing behind her. It took about fifteen minutes before they made it out of the door and climbed into Sunny’s Jeep, but then they were off. The sun was low in the sky, strands of violent and orange sherbert painting the canvas between the clouds. It was later in the evening and –unfamiliar with the rest of the town’s business schedule– she hoped the video store would be open by the time they got there. Thankfully it wasn’t too far, but she still hoped.

When they arrived, Sunny was thankful to see the open sign still present on the front door. A smile crept onto her lips and she turned off the car, Anna already out of the car.

“I wonder if they have any new horror movies!” Anna called, hand on the front door. Sunny followed close behind and chuckled.

“I don’t want to hear it when you have to sleep with your lamp on,” Sunny teased.

Anna ignored the comment, rushed into the store, looked around on her tip-toes, and b-lined for the horror section once she spotted it. There weren’t many people present and Sunny didn’t see any immediate workers, which surprised her, but she decided to roam off in a different direction than her sister.

The aisles were long and stacked with plenty of titles she’d yet to watch. Friday nights used to be Family Movie Night before everything turned into a blazing forest fire of drama and pain between her parents. She’d tried to carry on the tradition with her then-boyfriend, but he spent most of his time trying to stick his hands down the front of her pants and no time with his eyes actually on the screen. So she’d effectively given up on the tradition but today… Today she just wanted to pop some too-buttery popcorn into her mouth and enjoy her time with her sister.

Sunny’s fingers trailed over the cases of some action adventure movies, stopping on Karate Kid II momentarily to pick it up before she continued down the hall. Her steps were slow, eyes on anything and everything, nose inhaling the hint of caked-in must on the carpet, and enjoying the feeling of being outside of the trailer and the flower shop. She needed to get out more with Anna, for both their sakes.

The romance aisle was after the action section and she briefly stopped her perusing to take a copy of She’s Gotta Have It from the shelf. Her eyes skimmed over the back, interested in the plot for pure curiosity’s sake–

“I gotta say–” A familiar voice startles Sunny, video bumping against the rack it was perched on as her attention turned to… Steve. “–Romance? Not surprising. But, Karate Kid?” Steve leaned against the wall beside the rack she remained in front of. “Wouldn’t have guessed you were a connoisseur of the karate variety.”

Sunny raised an eyebrow, tucked the new selection into her arms with the other video, and turned fully to look at Steve. He donned a green vest that had the Family Video logo on one side and a large nametag on the other. She hadn’t expected that.

“Steve,” Sunny greeted.

“Sunny –the sunflower– herself.”

Cute, she thought. Even if it was unoriginal and the primary reason for her name, it sounded new and refreshing tumbling from his lips.

“The one and only,” she quipped and smiled up at him. A ridiculous grin was plastered on his face, one less flirty than she’d remembered, but his body language begged to differ. “And for your information, yes, I do enjoy the art of karate.” Sunny mocked his pronunciation of the word and held up a playful hand to pretend to chop him without actually making contact. 

Naturally –so naturally she should have expected it– he dramatically whisper-cried, grabbed at his arm, and feigned being wounded, a ridiculous pained expression on his face. She couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped her lips. He straightened up a little bit before pointing his index finger at her.

“You’re ridiculous,” she chuckled and moved around him in an attempt to look at more of the videos. She was hyper-aware of how he followed right behind her.

“I prefer charming, thank you,” he countered. Sunny reached out to grab a random movie and pretended to be interested in the description on the back. “You planning a big movie marathon with someone tonight?” He gestured to the movies in her hand. “Or are those for a party of one?”

Steve’s question sounded laced with inquisition much deeper than surface-level curiosity. It was a smooth way to ask if she had a date tonight and it made her heart flutter ever so slightly. She couldn’t remember the last time someone was genuinely interested in her private life… But he was taken.

Without lifting her gaze at first she said, “Maybe. How’d the apology flowers go over?”

He obviously hadn’t expected that question because it took him a moment to respond. He let out a chuckle. Sunny turned her head to look at him as he ran a careful hand through his luscious-looking locks. The girls in this town must eat that up… Not that she could blame them.

“We broke up,” he answered, another laugh escaping his lips. Shit. “She was apparently allergic to roses so uh, I’m still cleaning petals out of my car.”

Sunny bit her bottom lip in an attempt to hold back a laugh of her own. That was hilarious but also dangerous for her, the only protection against his charms completely removed from the board. It’s not going to happen, it can’t. Steve looked down through his mess of eyelashes, warm brown eyes locked onto Sunny’s face.

“Are you… Are you laughing at me, sunflower?”

Again with the nickname. It was not lost on Sunny but she pushed the way it felt to the back of her mind. Normally she’d correct someone for trying to use a pet name on her –she had hated them when her ex used them as they were a notorious sign of his cheating– but the way he said it didn’t feel laced with poison and regret. Even despite his borderline playboy demeanor, something about him didn’t lend to the idea that he was all that bad. Not like the rest of the losers she’d encountered in her two months here in Hawkins.

“I did tell you roses are the worst.”

“Everyone loves roses,” he repeated.

“They’re so boring, Harrington.”

“Steve,” he corrected but in a lower, more definitive voice. It wasn’t mean or demanding but it was something Sunny hadn’t expected. She became hyper-aware of how hard her heart had been beating in her chest while she looked up at him. Before she could say anything a voice called her back to reality.

“Hey, Sunny they have the new Alien movie!” Anna’s voice made Sunny’s heart jolt and she took a step back from Steve at the same time he took one away from her. She hadn’t realized the slowly decreasing space between the two of them until they created a chasm. Sunny’s attention immediately swapped to her sister and she cleared her throat. Anna’s eyes squinted a little between the two.

“Are you sure, Anna?”

“Sunny,” Anna warned, eyes flicking to Steve. In response, Sunny raised her free hand in defeat and made her way to the end of the aisle.

“Okay,” she said. Over her shoulder, she added, “Mind ringing us up, Steve?”

Without a word, only an exhale, he followed suit but much further behind this time. Sunny beat him to the counter and placed the three different selections on top while Steve approached from the other side. He grabbed the boxes, popped them open, and looked for the corresponding boxes behind the counter.

“So, sister?” he asked.

Anna’s eyes felt like they were burning a hole into the side of Sunny’s head, even if it was just a simple gaze from the corner of her eye. She was starting to burn up.

“Yeah? And you are?” Anna asked before Sunny could answer him. He placed the first movie in the box and looked between them with an amused smile.

“Steve Harrington,” he answered. “Friend of your sister.”

“I haven’t heard of you,” Anna said plainly.

“Well, we met a couple of weeks ago and–” Sunny tried.

“She gave me some flowers that almost killed my ex-girlfriend,” he said, voice as teasing as his smile. Anna turned her head slowly to Sunny whose mouth had dropped.

“Sunny,” Anna said in a sing-song voice. “Move to a new city and suddenly you’re attempting murder?”

“Alright, alright,” Sunny said with a dismissive wave of her hand. The shared laugh between the three of them caught Sunny by surprise but in a good way. Her ex had left a bad impression on her younger sister too. It was difficult when he had no regard for how he spoke to Sunny in front of people she cared about and Anna had to hold her tongue on more than one occasion. This was a good sign in her opinion. Even if it was a fleeting one.

Steve finished packing up the videos and rang them up for the duo before he relayed the total. Once Sunny finished paying, he placed the odd collection into a plastic bag and slid them across the countertop.

“All set,” he said and leaned onto the counter. It was a simple gesture but it was one that made Sunny bite her lip a tiny bit with the way his upper arms flexed. An involuntary reaction on both of their parts. A smirk appeared on his lips this time around, brown eyes completely locked onto her face.

“Thank you,” Sunny said with a small lift of the bag. “See you around.”

“Anytime, sunflower.”

Again, she could feel Anna’s eyes on the back of her head. Sunny quickly turned around and left the store, avoiding all eye contact with her sister who she was sure wanted to say something. Thankfully she waited until they were both in the Jeep.

“Sunflower?” Anna asked, voice dripping with curiosity and teasing.

“Hush you,” Sunny responded, peering in the rearview as she pulled out onto the street. “He’s just a dumb boy… You know I’m not here for that.”

“Mmm,” was all Anna could muster and, thankfully, dropped it for now.

The rest of the night was filled with popcorn, ice cream, and movies, just like Sunny had wanted. They made it through Alien –which had Anna screeching for various reasons like Sunny thought it would– before Anna was passed out in her sister’s lap, soft snores drowned out by She’s Gotta Have It. Sunny felt her own eyes drooping from exhaustion and when she allowed herself to succumb to the feeling, she found a green vest-clad Steve Harrington painting the back of her eyelids…

Though it had been a slight battle to convince Anna –who very much wanted to spend the day at home– Sunny was triumphant. The local arcade was a hotspot from what Sunny understood and in her attempts to integrate themselves into Hawkins, she thought it would be fun. It was also Sunny’s slyest attempt to get Anna into more social situations to make possible friends and good memories. Anything to drown out the noise that remained from Indianapolis. Hopefully, Anna wouldn’t resent her for it.

The arcade itself stood out from the rest of the businesses along the road. Its big neon signs were striking and inviting even in the sunlight remaining in the day. There were people of all ages moving excitedly through the doors while some were perched outside along the walls chatting and smoking. 

Sunny pulled into a parking space and the two of them hopped out of the car, both in cute, comfortable outfits. Even if she didn’t want to go somewhere, Anna was always stylish in her own way. Sunny opted for a homemade tye-dye shirt that was tucked into a pair of cute jeans, and sneakers. Her hair was in a messy, low bun overflowing with curls, with loose curls that weren’t held back by the headband she donned.

“Busy spot,” Anna commented, playing with the edge of her hair that was slung over her shoulder. The neon reflected off of their glasses as they shared a look.

“Seems so,” Sunny said. A few eyes were on them but she didn’t care, hooking her arm into her sisters and leading them toward the door. “You ready to get your butt kicked?”

“Bring it on,” Anna challenged.

If there was one thing Sunny and Anna enjoyed, but never got enough of, it was video games. While Dungeons & Dragons was something Sunny found herself a bit less familiar with, she knew they could at least connect on this. Every time a new game cabinet opened up, they hopped onto it immediately. If it was a more competitive game, their interactions would garner a few looks from those around them, and the more collaborative typically ended in chaos. 

“Out of quarters,” Sunny said as she watched Anna attempt a game of Dig Dug with immense concentration. “I’ll be back in a sec.”

With some dips and dodges, Sunny was able to make it to the front of the arcade where the coin exchange machines were placed. The buzz of everyone’s heightened mood and the spirit of competition felt like a constant surge of energy for Sunny. The 8-bit symphony added to the atmosphere too, a smile creeping onto her lips. She smoothed out a couple of bills she’d brought with her, gently placed them in the required slot, and waited for the coins to tumble out into the spout.

From the corner of her eye, she spotted a decently sized group of boys pile in excitedly, and following suit was an older teen with familiar chestnut-colored locks.

“Hey! I got plans tonight so be ready by 9 or I’ll make you all walk home,” Steve called out to the group in question. They seemed to ignore him which only made Sunny laugh.

“Well hey, Steve,” Sunny greeted and leaned against the sturdy coin machine. Instantly the boy turned to her, his irritation quickly shifting into surprise. She felt warmth growing in her cheeks as his eyes did a quick dart over her body when he approached but she kept her composure.

“Two times in one week?” he asked. “I’m starting to feel lucky.”

“Don’t get used to it,” she said, a smile tugging at her lips.

“Of course not,” Steve reassured with a dramatic expression. “You here with your sister?”

“Yep, I left her sweating over Dig Dug while I got more quarters.” As though waiting for that exact moment, quarters loudly poured into the holding tray. She gestured to the currency before scooping them into one of Anna’s extra dice bags, an assortment of swirls and abstract designs.

“Dig Dug? Oh, man, she’s got some competition coming her way then,” he said with a quick glance over the machines. His arm was perched atop of the coin dispensers, the distance between the two small enough to ensure they could hear each other over the mixture of sounds in the building. At least that’s what she told herself.

“The boys you’re babysitting I’m assuming?”

“Babysitting is definitely one word for it.”

“Huh, I never got ‘babysitter’ energy from you,” she teased. With a quick tug of the strings on the bag, the material pulled together smoothly.

“You’re still getting to know me, sunflower,” he said and leaned in a little bit. Sunny clenched her jaw a little but did not move. “I’m full of surprises.” God.

“I’m sure you are.” Sunny stood up straight, nose inches from Steve’s before turning back toward the games. “I gotta get this back to, Anna.” She spun the bag around by its strings loosely. Steve followed suit, per usual, and walked next to her as best as he could with how many bodies were in the arcade.

“When you’re done with that, you want to get some air with me?” Steve asked.

Sunny considered him for a moment. A part of her –the distrustful, hurt part– didn’t want to do that, but another side was yearning to know more about this mysterious boy that had somehow crossed her path. He didn’t seem harmful but… No one usually did at first.

All those thoughts and yet she found herself saying, “Yeah, sure.”

By the time she made it back to Anna she found her sister in a friendly competition with the boys that had come in with Steve. They seemed nice, matching her competitive screeches and shouts. Anna finished her turn and stepped aside from a boy that had a hat and curls that could rival Sunny’s.

“Here’s some more quarters,” Sunny said and placed them in Anna’s hands. A chuckle left her as she watched Anna’s eyes stay glued to the screen while clutching the bag to her chest. “I’m going to step outside with Steve for a bit in case you need me.”

“Sounds good– AWWW!” Anna exclaimed, the boy’s defeat evident in the way his head hung before another took his place.

Sunny turned away from the scene and headed back for the door. Somewhere behind her she heard Steve mention something about the time again which the boys continued to ignore. It was a short walk to the door, continuing the dance between patrons until she got there, and once she smelled the fresh –well, as fresh as it could be with the tobacco being smoked right outside– air, she walked to the edge of the sidewalk toward her Jeep. Funny enough… Steve was parked right beside her.

“Mike, Lucas, and Dustin,” Steve said as she came to a stop at the front of his car.

“Sorry?” she asked, confused.

“Mike –lanky, black hair. Lucas – basketball jersey. Dustin – curly hair with the hat. Those are the little gremlins your sister has found herself in competition with.” Steve’s eccentric hand motions during his descriptions made Sunny laugh and she naturally sat on the hood of his car, arms crossed.

“Ohhh, I see,” she said. “Well, she can hold her own. Maybe she’ll even make some friends.”

“If she’s a nerd, she’ll get along with them just fine.”

“Well, there might be hope yet.”

Steve propped a hand on his hip, eyes on Sunny. The lack of comment on where she was seated surprised her when she realized it herself. Should it have? She wasn’t sure, but she did enjoy how natural their interactions seemed to be.

“You a nerd too?” he asked, question playful. It was the step he took forward, nudging one of his feet against hers and settling it between both of her feet, that she felt the muscles in her stomach tense. He was close again but not in a way that made her feel uncomfortable. She leaned back, hands propped on the hood now, and gazed up at him. The neon behind him gave his face a pink and blue glow and illuminated his features in a way that made it feel like she was briefly back in the city.

“I think everyone is to an extent,” she answered. “I like books and video games and listening to Anna talk about her D&D characters.”

Steve raised an eyebrow.

“Video games?”

“I mean, arcade games are fun & The Legend of Zelda is pretty cool when I’ve got the time to spend on them,” she said with a shrug. Steve’s gaze on her felt wondrous, like something she’d said was groundbreaking or mesmerizing. Overall, she thought it was silly when guys made a big deal about girls liking nerdy things but she understood that maybe Hawkins might have been lacking a bit in variety. Steve must’ve realized he’d been staring because he cleared his throat after a few seconds.

“What about parties? That your scene?”

“Mmm, I’ve been to one or two when I was still in school back in Indianapolis. Why?”

“Well,” Steve started. He stepped off the curb and plopped down on the hood next to Sunny, knee nudging hers in the process. It was silly that it sent a surge of warmth over her skin. Again, he was dangerous… But something about him also made it feel comfortable. “If you’re interested, there’s a party at a friend of mine’s place tonight and I’d love for you to join me.”

That had to be the plans he’d been talking about earlier with the boys. Parties weren’t a surprise for her, especially in a town like this that felt a bit repressed and looking for ways to act out. At least when it came to the teens. It was another pattern that ran parallel to the overworked, barely home parents that allowed for these big plans of debauchery to happen in the first place.

“I… I don’t know if I can leave Anna alone.”

“Aww, it’s only for a few hours, are you sure?” Steve nudged her shoulder with his upper arm – shoulder too high up to match hers.

Sunny nibbled on her bottom lip and locked her eyes on the door of the arcade. If she was honest with herself, Anna would probably be passed out the moment her head hit the pillow tonight. Partying was never really Sunny’s thing and any previous experience had been at the behest of her ex-boyfriend who’d try to sneak grabs and kisses from the female attendees every time she looked away from him. But this was a new place and Steve seemed nice enough…

“If Anna’s comfortable with it… I’ll go for a bit,” she finally said.

Steve’s eyes widened a bit and he gave her a big smile. It wasn’t the answer he was expecting apparently.

“Well shit, I’ll, uh, I’ll get you the address then so we can meet up there,” Steve said and fumbled around for what she could only assume was a pen or something. Instead of letting him do so, Sunny stood and it was her turn to stand in front of Steve, thumbs hooked onto her pockets.

“You can write it down for me in a bit, but in the meantime–” Sunny jerked a thumb back at the arcade. “I’d love to check on Anna and then show you what’s what on a game of your choice.” Her smirk matched the playful challenge in her tone and Steve responded in kind by standing and moving close enough to bend his head down, nose inches from her own again.

“I accept your challenge, sunflower,” he said in that lower tone he’d had in the video store yesterday. It made Sunny’s jaw clench again, the smell of that foresty cologne piercing through the warm air and tobacco smoke. She held her ground though, her eyes flicking down to his lips and back up again before she spun around to head back toward the arcade’s entrance. It made her a bit more confident knowing he’d probably be trailing behind her like he had been since their first interaction. So when she peered behind her shoulder and caught him right on her heels with a look that held a hint of softness… Maybe even hope… She smiled.

#stranger things #st #stranger things fanfiction #st fanfiction #stranger things x reader #stranger things fic #stranger things x you #steve harrington #steve harrington x you #steve harrington x reader #steve x reader #steve x you #fanfic #fanfiction #oc #oc fanfiction #original character #original character fanfiction

[violettaskies]

Not Just a Dream

Prompt: sex toys

Pairing: bodyguard!eddie munson x f!reader

Notes: wc 9.5k // kinktober story two of five // hope everyone enjoys this one, the love for the first story was so crazy omgggg and it’s so heartwarming to see all the support. so thank you for everything // this is my first au sorta thing so i hope everything makes sense // eddie is a perv as always lol

Warnings: MINORS DNI, 18+ ONLY, NSFW // peeping, pillow humping, sex toys, vibrator, masturbation, mutual masturbation // smut // reader’s first time is mentioned, not the most mind blowing experience, but not gone into heavy detail // please let me know if there are any more that need to be added!

ao3 // kinktober masterlist // full masterlist // lazy ghoul’s kinktober prompts

-:-:-:-:-

To say that this was probably the easiest job in the world would be an understatement. For years, of doing newspaper routes in the rain, having near-misses with the Hawkins’ police department due to being Reefer Rick’s little dealer — being a bodyguard was pretty sweet. Especially since he is always standing next to an angelic beauty as the person he needs to protect on a daily basis. It was truly a miracle that this job fell into Eddie’s lap, literally. 

As he was rummaging through shelves to look for something to do whilst hiding away from the hypothetical pitchforks of the townspeople several days ago, there was one item in Rick’s home that stood out from the rest. It was a copy of The Silmarillion, which could be deemed as relatively normal in homes with a bookworm or two. However, it being the only novel in the entirety of the building, was strange. Within the pages, there was a piece of paper with a note that contained a phone number and address. Truthfully, Eddie felt like this was all meant for him, so he decided to follow it. When he did, he found himself at a large apartment complex in Chicago with a huge penthouse at the very top.

This didn’t feel right, everyone walking in and out of the lobby was dressed in the finest clothes. Even if they were going out on an afternoon jog, Eddie noted how they were still wearing a gold watch so casually. As he stood there, with the same outfit he had washed and re-wore a thousand times, the former Dealer’s heart dropped. 

This was a mistake. 

All he was able to do was walk backwards, almost as if he wanted to see if the beautiful architecture was bound to get smaller if he kept his gaze on it. Eddie wanted to go home — well, he wanted to find a new home. At the very least, it probably wasn’t here; the little note gave him too much hope in a time of despair. Maybe he should just — 

“Are you lost?” a sweet voice nearly whispered from behind him. As Eddie was walking without looking, he had accidentally bumped into a young woman with a few books in hand. 

“No, just passing through. Maybe I would have better luck if I wasn't walking backwards,” the man chuckled as he looked at you fully now, noting that you were about the same age as him; only you were definitely in a different tax bracket than him. 

“Well, hopefully you can walk in the right direction to wherever you need to go.” The sound of your voice was so soft in comparison to the sounds of the city. Eddie couldn’t help that he was hypnotized the instant he took you all in. 

“Y-yeah, have a good day,” although he wished to bask in your beauty for a moment longer, this city was not for him. 

And so, like strangers on the street on a regular day, the two of you nodded politely before walking in opposite directions. Only Eddie stopped himself after taking three steps, just to see where you were — something in him told him to check if you were safe, like his conscience thinking straight for the first time in his life. However, he noticed how you walked into the building he was just admiring, confirming that you two really were from different worlds. Well, at least he got to see some beautiful things before leaving the city. 

Or so he thought. Just as he was about to look away, he noticed two tall men dressed in long black coats following her; and then one walking his way. The man had a chiseled jaw, as if it were cut by the gods themselves. The dark sunglasses made him so much more ominous and scary to Eddie who was shorter than the man in black by at least half a foot. In a flash, Eddie was looking up at the man with the building towering above both of them. 

“Come with me.” The command fell from the man’s lips in a deep tone, Eddie could nearly hear the bass in it. 

“Nope,” Eddie looked around awkwardly before spinning around, only to be stopped by a firm grip on his shoulder that pulled him backwards. 

If one thing was for certain, the young Munson truly knew how to get away from situations he didn’t want to be in. There were countless moments like this one where he was stopped by a manager at a store, or maybe even Chief Hopper. Sometimes they would grasp him by the shoulder, but he was always able to find a way out of the hold. This time, however, Eddie found himself surrounded by other men wearing similar-looking black suits, who all looked at him in a slightly threatening manner. It was more than enough to halt him in his tracks and take on whatever was going to happen next. 

“You’ll want to come with me,” the scary man whispered in the younger man’s ear before dragging him to the alleyway and into an entrance on the side of the beautiful building that just turned into a sinister figure in his life as he was being pulled further and further into it. 

-:-:-:-:-

Over the course of two weeks, way too much has happened to Eddie’s heart. He swears that it has felt like it has beaten out of his chest at least once a day due to all of the series of unfortunate events that started at home and ended up here: in a dark room with one lamp lighting it and large men dressed in suits surrounding him. Eddie knew that his life decisions would probably end up costing him a lot. But, he never knew that he would probably be paying the price now. He really should have ran when he had the chance. He has always been good at anyways. But, if he did, then he wouldn’t be able to have really seen you. Again, he’s happy he was able to see one beautiful thing in this week full of terror. 

The fear within him only multiplied a thousand times as he heard footsteps walking towards the room. No one could hear a thing except for the slow patter of expensive shoes hitting the wooden floors. The noise was nearly a countdown for Eddie, each step bringing in a new question into his mind. Is someone going to kill him? What did he even do? Was the news from Hawkins spreading this fast and someone wanted the bounty? Is Rick the one walking behind him? 

It wasn’t. 

Instead, it was a handsome older man, probably a bit younger than his Uncle Wayne — only dressed in clothes that probably were worth more than anything everyone in this room was wearing, combined. Plus, the smell of the man’s cologne was nicer than all of the ones Eddie stole from Starcourt last year. As Eddie looked around him whilst sitting in the chair in the middle of the room, he prayed that whatever these people wanted from him, it would at least be something he had. 

“Are you Rick’s kid?” the expensive-looking man’s voice echoed as he stood above Eddie. 

“Rick?” He tried to sound a little dumb to make sure that they weren’t people who hated his acquaintance. 

“Yeah, from Indiana. The little shit is in jail but he called us the other day. You his kid?” The man said, who Eddie figures is most likely the boss of this entire scene. “You look exactly like he said you would.” 

“Looks like he set your expectations really low then,” He genuinely hasn't showered properly in days — so goodness knows how his appearance looks to people who are meeting him for the first time. Eddie chuckled as he thought about the possibility of his crazy hair being crazier right now, trying to liven up his own spirits. 

Luckily, the boss did smile with him. He did seem like a nice man surrounded by scary men. Maybe it just helped whatever image he was trying to portray. Eddie remembers the times Rick would drunkenly tell stories about his boss in Chicago who was the real supplier of everything, and how he was actually a very nice and forgiving man in comparison to the other leaders in the game. 

He was so nice in fact, that he snapped his fingers and someone was able to bring a chair over, so that he and Eddie were able to look at one another eye-to-eye. 

“You look like shit, Rick said you’re running from something in your town,” he said in a concerned voice. 

“Y-yeah, a few things,” Eddie paused. “I went over to Rick’s place and found a book—”

“Tolkien?” 

“Yes, sir. There was an address in it and something in me told me to follow it.” Eddie could feel his breaths getting heavier as he knew that everyone was listening to every small detail. 

The boss leaned in closer and placed a soft and comforting grasp to Eddie’s shoulder, making the younger man look at him with slightly nervous eyes. Yet, he felt like he didn’t need to feel that way anymore. 

“Well, you listened to your gut, son. You listened well, I promise you’re safe now.” The boss coughed a bit in his pause. “Rick knew you’d probably head to his place and snoop around while you were hiding. Thank god he picked such an obvious book, huh?” 

“I swear I’ve never seen that man read in my life,” Eddie chuckled as he saw the smile lines on the boss’ face become more prominent. 

“Exactly, he’s had that in there since he got his ass in the slammer. After hearing about your little wanted poster, he called us right away.” 

“You don’t need to help me, really. I can get on my way somewhere else—” 

Eddie was rambling. His guilt was taking over now. There were so many people here who wanted to help him; whilst he only thought the worst when the men in black suits dragged him in here. They were probably keeping an eye out to see if he would show up. Eddie genuinely believed that he was about to die again, but he was strangely welcomed to a boss who was a lot nicer than the ones portrayed in The Godfather movies. 

“We’ll help you, son,” Eddie’s heart felt warm at the nickname. “Everyone in here is wanted in a state or two, maybe even a country,” the boss laughed which made everyone else in the room follow suit. 

“Help me?” 

“Listen, I trust Rick. If he says you’re a good kid, then you’re a good kid. Anyways, we need another hand on deck and you’ll be the perfect person for it. You help me, and we keep you safe from the feds. Sound good?” The boss sat back in his chair with a smile waiting for a response from the younger man in front of him. 

“Yes,” Eddie exclaimed rather louder than intended. “Sorry, uhm, that would be great, sir.” 

“Look at you, already getting the hang of things,” the boss chuckled at the usage of the formal name. “Isn’t that right, boys?” 

Echoes of agreement bounced off the walls before another snap was heard and the lights went on and blinds opened up to reveal that about two dozen people were in a grand ballroom of sorts. There were beautiful paintings and crown moulding surrounding the walls. Eddie truly wasn’t sure where he was now. However, when he looked out a window, he saw that no other building was in its way. Meaning only one thing: this was the top floor — this was the penthouse he admired from sixty stories down. 

Oh God, what did he get himself into now? 

-:-:-:-:-

The main job description was just to watch the security cameras, scope the halls every hour, and follow his boss’ daughter around whenever she was going to university classes or going out into the city. It sounded easy enough. The head security guard explained it all to Eddie as they were walking towards the workers’ quarters which held everyone’s uniform. Every person had a different style of black and gray clothing. Although the boss really wanted everyone to coordinate, he still wanted his people to look good — and most importantly, normal as they walked around in the city. So quickly, they gave the newest employee a dark gray suit and a black button-down shirt to wear, as well as a spacious room he could clean himself up in. It was the most dapper Eddie has looked in his entire life. He truly couldn’t comprehend the way his heart was so conflicted with how amazing and weird everything is. 

After an hour, he got a knock on the door. It was the man who grabbed him by the shoulder earlier today. “So the Princess’ bodyguard, huh? Alotta pressure for the new kid,” the bleach blond man teased as he nodded his head to urge Eddie to follow him. 

“I thought I would be doing all the shitty jobs or something,” Eddie laughed. “And to think I thought I was gonna need bodyguards with my dream job.” 

“Did you wanna be a rockstar, Munson?” the man nudged his shoulder as he walked down the hall towards the stairs with Eddie. “Your hair sure gives it away.” 

“Come on, man. I can tell you listen to freak rock music too. You have more piercings than me,” the younger man noted as he looked up to see nearly four piercings on the taller man’s ear. 

It amazed Eddie how laid back everyone seemed to be when it was the house of such a powerful man. He has relationships with people all over the world: suppliers, other dealers, bankers, politicians. The Boss probably had enough connections to rival the President — maybe even the President was on his contact list too. Regardless, everything seemed to be so easy. Even talking to his peers was so much easier than talking to people at school. 

“The boss gets tickets all the time to concerts all over the world. If you mention your birthday to him, he’ll probably fly you out to whoever is playing that night.” 

“You’re shitting me,” Eddie gasped in disbelief as he walked down a large grand staircase. 

“Not at all, he does it like every other year for people, helps the morale.” The man stopped in the middle of the foyer where the front door was. “The name’s Garcia, by the way. I used to be the Princess’ bodyguard when she was a kid. But, now we all just take on different shifts.” 

“Oh, so it’ll just be now?” Eddie wondered. 

Garcia began to fix the folds of Eddie’s jacket, and ensured that no lint could be seen. For some reason, the former Hawkins resident felt like he gained two father figures today. “Yes, the boss wants one person to be head of her security detail. He was looking for someone her age too to make things less awkward if she had a man trailing next to her, or behind her in public.” 

“Cool, cool. Do I get a weapon or something? Like a stick or taser?” Eddie asked with focus and concern in his eyes. 

“You’ll get a taser, and we’ll teach you how to fight. But, honestly, you probably won’t need it,” Garcia smiled as he began to walk towards the library. 

“Why not? I feel like the Boss is Batman or something and has cool weapons,” Eddie followed behind with quick steps. “Oh—”

For a moment, Garcia stopped in front of the library doors. He looked at Eddie’s appearance one last time before knocking on the wood. Just like the rest of the house, even the mahogany door was grand, with gold decals of a family crest and door handles bigger than a regular person’s thigh. 

Everything is so beautiful, so nice, so calm. As he heard footsteps from the other side of the door, Eddie genuinely had high hopes that this was going to be one of the most easy-going jobs he has ever had. There would be no more running away from the police or sneaking around to get five dollars. However, he spoke a little too early, because everything was just the calm before the storm that ignited in his heart. As the library doors opened, Eddie’s heart raced at a million miles a minute; something it had not done in about an hour or so. 

There you were, the girl in front of the building who he bumped into. The girl he thought about as the most beautiful thing he has seen today — and it was only confirmed as he saw your eyes reflect the gold on the door. You are the reason behind his whole job. You are the princess. 

You’re his princess. 

“Mr. Garcia, you didn’t need to knock,” you quietly chuckled. “Would you like to — it’s you.” 

Eddie and you stared at one another for a few moments before Garcia spoke up to break the silent tension. “This is your new bodyguard, Eddie Munson. He’ll be escorting you to and from your university classes, as well as any time you need to go out of the house.” 

“All of the time?” you asked, inviting the two people into the library. 

“Yes, your father is going to need a larger security personnel for the next little while so we believe that one person to watch over you would be good,” Garcia smiled at you, before elbowing Eddie. 

“It’s an honour to serve you, m-miss.” The brunette wasn’t sure what to call you. Especially as you were surrounded by the beautiful books that he could only dream of reading, he wasn’t able to just call you the love of his life so prematurely. 

You giggled politely as you sat at the large table. Truthfully, you had to regain a bit of balance after having a slight shock of getting such a handsome person to join your father’s employees. Not that anyone was ugly; however, most of the people hired were older than you by many years. This was the first person you’ve met in any situation in your life who has made your heart feel so warm for so long. Earlier, you came to the library to hide away and try to subside your feelings with some studying. But, it looks like that’s not going to happen for a while. 

Maybe after this little meeting, you need to take a shower to scream into the abyss for a bit. 

For now, you would have to keep up appearances. 

“Mr. Munson, you don’t need to call me such a formal name. If you can think of a nickname, then I would prefer that,” you smiled. 

“Then, how about you call me Eddie?” The man thought for a second before speaking aloud again. “And I can call you Princess.” 

The lines between your eyebrows became more prominent as you gasped in slight disbelief. “Mr. Garcia, have you already called me that in front of him?” you pouted, making Eddie blush at the soft sound of your voice. 

“It suits you,” the older man chuckled. “Anyways, I should get going. How about you two mingle and get to know each other?” 

And with that, you and Eddie were left alone in the library. It’ll be the first of countless moments alone together; however, this one will be the one of the most memorable. As you didn’t realize that your hearts were beating as one in this vast library full of stories of love, friendship, and adventures beyond compare. Just like the one you were about to start with a few words.  “Would you like to sit and read with me?” you asked quietly, looking up at him with a small smile. 

“As long as you have some good books, then I’ll be quiet for at least an hour,” he said with a slightly teasing tone that resonated through your body. 

“The wall closest to the globe contains all the science fiction, fantasy, and adventure book genres,” you replied, as if you already knew him. 

Eddie was really going to love it here. It was the peace he needed after this Hell adjacent week. 

-:-:-:-:-

Over the next few weeks, the on-boarding process began for Eddie. In the early morning he would need to wake up before the sun even rose, in order to go through hours of training in case of emergencies. Being one to skip gym class because it felt pointless, Eddie felt like he was about to pass out at the end of each session with the various trainers. However, when it came to the moment you would greet him a good morning during breakfast — he swears that all of the body aches would go away in only a few syllables. 

A routine was set for the two of you: breakfast, drive to campus for any lectures, run any errands that were necessary, then head home to study some more and relax. If you were cooped up in one area of the house for the night, Eddie would be dismissed to train some more. For some reason, it felt like he was being trained to protect a royal. So he often wondered just how powerful your family is. He notices that everyday, you were always dressed in the finest fabrics, whilst your other classmates would be dressed in regular clothing. Or even the food served in the house to all workers and the family, was nicer than anything he had back home — there was a time you ate an apple and it looked right out of a magazine. But, the craziest thing was that whenever you walked into a store to buy something small for yourself, or a gift for someone else; the entire store would be shut down even if you gave no warning in advance. If this was the influence you had, Eddie could barely imagine what it would be like if you were shopping alongside your father. 

So maybe the training on how to swim better, fight at least three guys at once, first aid, and tricks to ensure that the car was never followed, was not exactly unnecessary at all. Not like gym class was, at least. Going from Hawkins to here was such a huge hurdle to get past physically. 

But, every day would end off with you smiling at him before you fell asleep, and the former Dealer swears that it’s all worth it for that sweet moment. 

“I’m going to head to bed now, Eddie. Hope your training went well,” you said as he was leaving the fitness area your father built. 

“Right, u-uhm, let me know if you need anything then,” he breathed out. 

“Everything should be fine. As long as you don’t accidentally blast Black Sabbath like you did the other night,” you giggled sweetly. 

Three nights ago, when he hit the gym and thought everyone was asleep, Eddie started playing music on the stereo; however, the play button is right next to the button that is attached to every speaker in the house. Well, let’s just say that not everyone wants to wake up at two in the morning to Ozzy’s voice like a clock alarm that didn’t stop ringing. Luckily, the boss wasn’t home to stomp around the house to turn off the music, or else Eddie probably would not have a job at this very moment.

“No music tonight, I gotta be on high alert with everyone away,” Eddie chuckled as he started to walk you to your bedroom. 

“Only in your first month and you’re already head security for the house tonight,” you nudged his shoulder lightly. 

“That’s only because they’re all at that meeting with your father’s associates. I’m kinda freaking out over here, Princess.” 

In truth, there were times your father would make you go to another state during these meetings. He always feared that someone would target the house while he was away. But, after years of secretive missions and being on the good side of the majority of the competitors, the fear went away. Regardless, Eddie was still on edge right now. “You’ll be just fine. I promise not to do anything drastic for the next twelve hours,” you offered the man next to you a sweet smile which he treasured. 

“No jumping from balcony to balcony, or reaching high shelves, or using scissors that are too sharp.” Eddie sarcastically said as the two of you reached your bedroom door. 

“I’ll try my best not to do that,” you giggled as you opened the door to your room slowly. The handle was held tightly in your hand, almost like you were anxious to do something. Your bodyguard noticed it, but brushed it off as nerves regarding an exam you’ve been studying for. “Good night, Mr. Mu—Eddie.” 

“Sweet dreams, Princess.” 

With that, you closed the door behind you and Eddie was left on his lonesome to walk towards the security footage room to watch over the cameras for the night. Even during regular days, not much would happen in the first place. You were always one to stay in your room to study and spend most of the evening, maybe head to the library to use the new computer and printer down there, or sit in the terrace to paint. In truth, the most dangerous situation you could possibly put yourself in is a really bad paper cut, or whenever you cut up fruit in the kitchen — even then, you would use a regular dinner knife so the chance of injury was minimal. Overall, Eddie thought his job was pretty easy. Although, a part of him misses chasing the rockstar dream; but, this is more than enough thrill whilst he kept a low profile. 

Tonight, he was even told to just sit in the security room and just make rounds every hour to see if you and the other workers in the house were alright. But, it was when he heard a weird cry echoing from the window, the man looked outside to see what could be happening. It sounded like a pattern of cries and groans coming from above: your room to be exact. 

Fuck. 

Of course, the one time he’s left in charge, you got yourself hurt. Eddie was already preparing himself for the berating from the head security guards for letting the precious daughter of the Boss to be wounded in her own room. And so, with a slight panic, he began to run up the stairs and head to your room at the end of the hall. The door was closed and there wasn’t any glow of a light being on from behind the door. But, the sounds were getting louder, there was even a repetitive creaking noise. Could you be in so much agony that you were trembling on the bed? The worst thoughts ran through Eddie’s head as he reached for the door handle and twisted it open. 

It was dark, only the soft glow of a lava lamp barely lighting the room and reflecting on your soft skin. For a moment, Eddie had to squint to see the whole visual. When he did, he swore his heart dropped. 

There you were, like a glowing goddess, straddling a pillow, naked, and rocking against it harshly. Your hands were on the headboard for more leverage, causing it to hit the wall furthest away from the door. Just seeing your back was already enough for Eddie to feel weak at his knees. If he moved his head slightly, he could see your reflection in the mirror next to your bed, which showed a very focused face. Combine that with the sound of soft moans and whimpers echoing through the air. It was a sight for sore eyes. 

What made the image a thousand times more pornographic was the slight hum coming from your bed. It was a bit mechanical and had a slight pattern to it too that sounded familiar to Eddie. 

He really wasn’t sure what to do in this situation. There was one side of him that told him to walk away and forget about it. It’s not like he was an angel every other night before bed too. But, God, he knows that you have never been on a date or had a boyfriend before — you admitted it once when he joked around with you in the car, asking if he needed to third wheel any date that you are asked out on. But, you profusely said no and that he doesn’t need to prepare for that since it has never happened yet and may not happen for a while. The dirtiest of thoughts ran through Eddie’s mind as he thought about how sweet you were, and how you were absolutely losing your calm demeanor as you continued to hump and moan atop your bed. He began to wonder what it would be like to help you out with your little workout. You seemed to be a bit frustrated; whispering ‘it’s not working’ over and over. 

Eddie would definitely help you make it work, there was no doubt about that. However, that would cross more lines than an HR department could even think of. So, he moved away slowly; however, the sound of the floorboards creaking echoed so loudly that it made you and him freeze every muscle in your bodies. 

Something in you said to grab your blanket and put it over your shoulders; whilst Eddie’s body seemed to think for itself. Instead of running away and pretending that nothing happened, he walked into your room, making sure to close the door quietly afterwards. 

“Does daddy know about your little toy?” he said, walking towards the bed. 

“E-Eddie—” you gasped, turning your body around to catch his eye before freezing in place. The pillow between your legs was being squished so much that it caused the little piece of vibrating plastic to press firmly on your clit beautifully. 

You didn’t know whether to cry out of embarrassment or scream from the pure ecstasy of the moment. 

“And here I thought you were hurt. Your cries could be heard all the way downstairs. But they don’t seem like bad ones,” the chuckle that escaped his throat was deep and resonated throughout your entire body. 

“You heard?” it was barely a whisper that fell from your lips. Your eyes followed his figure as he came to kneel next to your bed. Although you were covering yourself with a blanket; you still felt so exposed, yet excited simultaneously. 

The man looked up at you as he placed a gentle hand on your exposed left thigh. “Next time, don’t open your window when you wanna be a naughty girl.” 

It was all Eddie's fault in your opinion. Honestly, ever since he began working for your father, things have been the opposite of normal. The other bodyguards would drive you to college to attend whatever class was on the schedule, then drive you home so that you didn’t need to take a taxi. Maybe they would bring you to the store if you needed to buy school supplies or a gift for someone’s birthday. But, other than that, you were content with the schedule that you had gotten used to. All of them were old, close to your father’s age, and boring — to be completely frank. However, when you were eating breakfast one day and your father mentioned the news of wanting a new bodyguard on the roster, there was no inkling in your mind that he was going to be hiring someone who was your age. No need to get started on the way all the heat in your body rushed to your face when you first saw him. Anyways, the way you always choked on your cereal whenever Eddie would walk into the dining room everyday to greet you with a good morning before telling you it was time to leave, was more than enough of a reaction to prove that you had a tiny crush on the man. 

Eddie just had to call you ‘Princess’ jokingly, brush his hand on your waist whenever he needed to guide you around, whisper quietly in your ear when you two were walking to the car — as if he couldn’t say it out loud like a normal person. Every single one of those actions were so sweet, something you had never experienced before. He was so different than your sheltered-self, and you easily fell for the care-free man who acted as mature as possible when the other security guards were around. 

For countless nights you wondered what it would be like if his hands brushed a little lower than your waist, or if he could call you sweet pet names in different scenarios. Mostly, you dreamt about him being your ride home in more ways than one. 

It was so perverted to even think of someone like that, let alone a man who worked for your father. But, you wanted to feel good, needed it even. So many of your friends talked about hooking up with different guys across campus and how it helped with stress-relief during exams. A part of you wished you had the courage to call Eddie over to help you during your study breaks. Instead, you chose to fill your free time with a romance book and the toy a friend gave you last week. 

Guilt started to build within you now. Your thoughts were so impure, your actions even more so. But, what made you feel guiltiest of all was that you were caught in the act the very first time you decided to commit the act in the first place. 

“I-I’m so sorry,” you whispered, noticing that he moved to sit on the bed facing you. 

“There’s nothing to apologize for,” he said sweetly. Eddie put a soft hand on your chin to try and get you to look him in the eye. But, truly, he wanted to see how beautiful they could be with the moonlight in them. 

Pushing yourself back, you moved from his touch. “This is so embarrassing.” 

It became more embarrassing when the sound of vibrations suddenly became louder and stronger because of the change in angle. You felt the impact right on your sensitive clit. It became a lot more painful to keep down just how good you were starting to truly feel. Eddie’s touch only helped you reach your end goal faster. 

The man in front of you had the same thought, but decided to tease you sweetly. “Why so? Is it because I caught you? No, I think you like that, sweet girl,” he said whilst inching his face closer to yours, a calloused hand massaging your left thigh simultaneously. “Or is it because you’ve been trying to make yourself cum all night with no avail?” 

“How did you—” 

“Oh, I would know. There was no scream, no muffled noises of you moaning into your pillow, no heavy breaths that went silent for a moment. Look at you now, you didn’t even take your pretty pussy off this toy the second you saw me,” he said. His hand found its way to your inner thigh, barely touching your dripping heat. However, Eddie did feel the cotton of the pillow and how soaked it was from all your actions earlier tonight. 

In truth, most of it was because of him. Not only the imaginary version in your perverted dreams; but also the continuous touches through the conversation that electrocuted all your senses and went straight to your pussy. Then, there was the fact that Eddie spoke with his lips so close to yours. Every syllable caused the lightest pressure on your glossy lips. Trying not to give in to both of your desires to lean in was the most difficult task of the night. 

“Help me,” you whimpered, the vibrations from the toy getting stronger now. 

“What was that?” he teased, a hand massaging further up your left thigh. 

“Help me, Eddie. I need you to help me so badly.” The words fell from your lips desperately, sounding as if you were about to cry. 

However, the man in front of you kissed your cheek sweetly before leaning back against the headboard. He noticed the way you shivered slightly at the cold air — your blanket only covering your chest and stomach mainly, as it fell from your shoulders a bit. Knowing that you were in such a naughty state in comparison to what you normally portrayed yourself as, was absolutely arousing to Eddie. He didn’t even hide his growing hardness beneath his black dress pants. 

You have never thanked the tailor your father hired more in your entire life. 

“Tell me what’s wrong,” he said in a deep tone. 

 “Well, I opened this toy today and read all the instructions,” you answered truthfully whilst clutching the blanket closer to your body. “After following everything to a tee, I still don’t think I’m doing this right.” 

“You seemed to be having fun along the way,” he teased as he heard you whimper between some of your words. 

“I suppose so,” you nodded along, moving your hips slightly as he spoke to you.  

“So what’s stopping you?” 

In truth, you were on the edge of three things: annoyance, an orgasm, and annoyance due to not having an orgasm. So your body tensed up a bit, causing the toy to be pressed up against your clit even more — it made you whine a bit as you said, “more like who.” 

“Well, if it’s my fault I guess I have to help you now. It would be the gentlemanly thing to do,” Eddie teased, bringing up both hands to cup your face. 

“Please,” you whispered. 

Then, both of you leaned forward at once, capturing each other’s lips in a beautiful kiss that could hardly be seen as chaste. It was a kiss that had been waiting to happen for weeks. To say that this is what dreams were made of would be an understatement. For countless nights, Eddie has woken up in a sweat as he pictured your soft lips on his own, and other parts of his body too. 

“You look like an angel, holy fuck,” Eddie whispered his thoughts aloud as he brought his right hand down to push the blanket away, whilst his right hand involuntarily started to move on its own to grasp your waist and urge it to move atop the vibrator.

“Feels nice when you do that,” you sweetly giggled and moaned. 

“How do you like this?” He asked, squeezing your nipple between two fingers. “Such pretty tits, they’re begging to be sucked on. You’d like that, wouldn't you?”

“Y-yes, please.”

They’ve been hard all evening from a mixture of the cold and your intimate thoughts. However, just thinking about Eddie sucking on them was making you clench between your legs. Even these few moments with your bodyguard were much more successful in your pursuit of a climax than what you’ve experienced on your own. 

“Always so polite,” he teased in a voice that vibrated through your body alongside the piece of plastic on your clit. Your hands were on his neck even as he moved down towards your breasts, noting how Eddie really enjoyed it when you lightly tugged on his hair. 

“O-off, take this off,” you tugged on the back of his shirt this time. 

“You know what you want, huh?” 

“Y-yeah,” you said shyly as he sweetly teased you. 

You had always admired Eddie’s tattoos and muscles. But that was something you saw under the flourescent lights of the gym. This time, as he sat in front of you with the glow of your lamp next to him — he was genuinely glowing. Plus, the fact that he was wearing extremely well-fitted pants made him look like he was right out of those fashion magazines where they tried to showcase the pants and abs of the model. Only, Eddie looked so much more god-like than them. 

“Move your hips, doll. Come on, you can take it, I know you want that too,” the man whispered upon your lips after taking off his shirt and then moved his way down to kiss your hardened nipples. 

“It’s so strong, you’re so strong,” referring to the toy’s strengthening vibrations and him. But, you let your body move on its own to whatever felt right. 

The toy was doing a little pattern beneath you, so you moved forwards and backwards in order to see if you could match the intensity of it. Eddie got closer to you, his knee going on top of the pillow and right in between your legs. If he moved it an inch closer to your body, he would be able to move the toy slightly and see your reactions. And so, he did, in between kisses — wanting to drink up your moans of ecstasy, then massaging your tongue with his every time you gasped in pleasure. 

This was the most intense moment you’ve ever experienced with another man. When you lost your virginity a few years ago, it was a one and done type of situation for the guy. While you laid there wanting to crave more, he told you how good you were, then left for the night. So later, even all of the times you’ve tried to use a shower head or your fingers, nothing has ever made you feel this way. You could nearly cry as the amount of vibrations going through your body increased. 

Once Eddie began to kiss down your neck and you tugged the back of his hair without realizing it, he said, “feisty girl.” 

“Can you please touch me there—ah,” you moaned as Eddie bit your neck 

“I can’t do that, sweetheart. You have to do this for yourself. Give into all your needs and desires, self-pleasure is one of the greatest things in the world,” Eddie continued to tease you as his hands roamed your body. 

When his hands landed on your hips, he started to help rock them for you. The vibrations felt so good that you started to tremble; however, something within you wanted so badly to see him shiver as well. So, you moved your own hands slowly — from his shoulders to his stomach, then brushed over his obvious hardness, all before landing on his thigh that was between your legs. “B-but, please —”

“So needy, huh?” Eddie could see the desperation in your nearly tear-filled eyes. “You’re soaking the pillow too.” 

“Too strong,” you nearly screamed out as the man before you moved the pillow slightly to angle the toy on another part of your clit. 

“Go on, you can do it, Princess.”  

“Keep touching me, I need you to, please.” This time, you kissed his neck and began to suck on his pulse point; copying what he was doing to you earlier. 

Fuck — you were going to kill him tonight. If not you, then the way he’s about to cum in his pants would surely knock him out. 

“Will do, just keep going,” Eddie grunted before gently pulling you off of his neck in order to look you in the eyes. “Do what feels right. Tell me what you were doing before I came here,” he kissed you gently as you moaned into his mouth again since a wave of pleasure took over. 

“I-I thought you were busy, then, I started reading this book. It talks about the couple h-having relations.”

“Sex?” he chuckled as you got shy now of all times. 

“Yes, uh-uhm, and then I started to feel warm right here,” you grabbed his wrist and dragged it towards your core. Eddie knew exactly what you were doing. 

“Oh, my naughty girl. This spot?” 

With his ringed-fingers he brushed them over your clit quickly because you deserved a little treat. But, he went further down to touch the toy and move it close and away from your clit at a massaging pattern. He adored how wet you were, and it took every ounce of strength within the man not to lay you down and have a taste until you could orgasm in his mouth instead. Alas, that was for another time. For now, he would memorize the feeling of your slick pussy for when he took care of his problem later. For now, he would treasure every time you whimpered through swollen lips because it was his mouth that helped ruin your lipstick. 

“Yes,” you whispered as you grasped his arm for balance. “And then I just put my toy on top of the pillow because my friends say they love using their pillow to r-ride.” 

“Look at you, already a pro,” he teasingly smiled.

“Eddie,” you moaned louder as you grounded your hips against the toy and pillow. “I wanna ride you so bad. I’ve always wanted to try this position when I had sex for the first time, but the guy never let me,” you continued your little pillow humping confessional.

“He’s an asshole, I would let you ride me until your thighs gave in,” Eddie said with a jealous tone. He really shouldn’t have been because you weren’t his partner. You were also the most beautiful woman he has ever seen, the fact shouldn’t have surprised him so much. However, knowing that another man only wanted to focus on his own pleasure, made Eddie want to scoff. 

Now, you can’t say the first guy was bad at all — he was just never able to get you to where you really needed to go. You never arched your back towards the ceiling because you couldn’t handle the throbbing between your legs; you never had to bite your lip to suppress a moan that would echo through the halls because he didn’t do much to make you be loud; you never scratched his back with your perfectly manicured nails because you needed to let out your waves of pleasure. Not with Eddie though, if anything, he was going to have a scratch or five on different parts of his skin for the next little while. You prayed that no one would notice it if they were training together; however, that was a worry for another time. All you wanted to think about now were the upcoming vibrations and how it would feel when you orgasm for the first time. 

“Will you cum with me, Eddie? I’m so lonely,” you pouted, wanting him to feel pleasure just as much as you were.  

“Keep going, just like that,” Eddie nodded, then leaned back onto the headboard to admire you in the final minutes before your climax. 

The whine from your throat hurt the man as you didn’t feel the warmth of his skin anymore. You leaned your hands on the pillow for leverage, moving your hips harshly to feel an immense level of pleasure in front of him. But, you craved Eddie’s touch so badly that you bit your lip and rested a hand on his knee and squeezed it every time the vibrations became too much. 

“Help,” you whispered. 

“God, you’re so beautiful like this,” Eddie groaned as he massaged his hand over his clothed-hardness. “Is your pussy throbbing while you ride your pretty little toy?” 

“So much,” the whimper fell from your lips as you continued to slowly thrust against the toy imagining what it would be like if it was Eddie beneath you and not a small piece of plastic. 

“I can't wait until I stretch you out. You’d take me like a champ.” 

Right then, Eddie unbuckled his pants just enough for you to see that he hadn’t been wearing any boxers beneath. The trail of hair leading towards his hardness was tantalizing, nearly a guide along with his muscles to point to the place you were so curious about. 

Once he noticed that you were hypnotized at the thought of what was going to happen next, the man in front of you stopped his movements to look you in the eyes then roam them down to your core. You got the message and wanted to give your bodyguard a little show. With confidence taking over your body, you sat back up and put both hands on your thighs. Eddie swears that this was a pose right out of his favourite porn magazine — only you looked a thousand times better with swollen lips and sweat glistening your skin in the dimly-lit room.  

“I’d like that a lot,” you whispered in between bounces. 

“Prove it for me, squeeze your tits for me,” Eddie urged you to do so, moving his hands to push his dress pants further down. Just the short glimpse of his cock was enough motivation for you to touch your hardened nipples in front of him. 

“Oh, oh,” you giggled at how good it felt. 

“Feels nice, right?” the man in front of you finally put his hands around his cock and you swear your mouth started to water at the sight. 

Throughout your life, you always giggled alongside any friends at a party who mentioned hookups or flings — all you could ever do was imagine how things looked and felt though, since most of what you did with your previous partner was in the dark and done quickly in the middle of the night. Never once did you think that they were being honest when they talked about the length and girth of the different members they’ve seen.

Oh, how wrong you were. 

Now, as you stared at Eddie in awe of the size of him, you were so wrong to think that they could be exaggerating. Some guys really did have the cock that dirty dreams were made of. As Eddie massaged himself in front of you, you noticed the small details about him. From the colour, to the vein, to the way his balls looked so squishy and large as they laid on his thighs. Fuck, you really did feel like a pervert staring at it for so long and imagining how it would feel like if he was stretching you out right now. Instead, your pussy throbbed at the thought, making you knead your breasts harder and push yourself further upon the vibrator beneath you. 

“I think I like your mouth more,” you said in your trance, knowing your fingers weren’t as soft as his tongue. 

“Fuck,” Eddie whimpered as he marched his hands’ movements with your bounces on the pillow. “Are you close?” 

“Yeah, I think so—ah,” you reached one hand to lay on his knee for leverage as he moved closer to you so that he could massage your thigh with his free hand. 

“That’s it, pretty girl. Come all over your pillow and you’ll get a kiss,” Eddie’s breath tingled on your lips as he teased you, his mouth so close to yours whilst his hand got closer to your core. 

You pouted as he began to kiss your cheek and neck but never your needy lips. But, you didn’t have time to be slightly sad, as you felt Eddie’s fingers reach your centre and push the toy onto you. Moans and whines fell from your throat simultaneously as everything began to work in tandem to make you climax — one that you’ve been craving for so long. 

“It’s too much,” you whispered as you felt yourself clench harder and harder, as if your body was getting ready for something.  

“Almost there,” Eddie said in a deep voice into your ear. “I got you,” he said as he pushed it again and again, trying to match it with the hand on his cock. 

The man was so close to orgasming right now, his imagination allowing him to feel your slickness on him. Eddie was chanting a prayer in his head that he could hold on until you came first. In truth, he wanted the image of you finding the climax of your pleasure to be burned into his brain forever. And so, he did everything he could to help you get there — you so desperately needed it. With kisses to your neck, his hand now on your hip to help you ride out your incoming orgasm; you came. Hard. 

Moans of ecstasy filled the room as you found your bliss next to him. Eddie made the fist around his cock harder to imagine it was you who was clenching around him right now. Then, your voice whispered above him. 

“Kiss me, please—” 

“So good, so beautiful,” Eddie obliged happily. “Fuck, how are you glowing right now?” 

“Eddie, more,” you begged into his lips. 

“I-I, fuck , you’re—” it was Eddie’s turn to become incoherent as he could feel his climax coming. 

You smiled on his lips, slowing your own movements now to watch him. “Are you gonna cum for me too, Eddie?” 

That was it. 

One look in your eyes and those words falling from your lips was more than enough for him to cum in his hand. You both stayed there, sitting up and kissing each other’s lips sweetly as you both basked in the post-climax bliss. 

Eddie thanked God that you had a pretty tissue box on your bedside table, which he was able to use to clean himself up a bit, before holding your face as he kissed you. He noticed that you kept on whimpering and moaning into the kiss still; however, you tried to lift your body up from the pillow. You were so sensitive down there now, that although the vibrations felt so nice, you were getting a bit tired from the previous experience. 

So, with one hand, Eddie took out the toy from underneath you and turned it off whilst still kissing you. 

“I’ve dreamed about this a million times before and it’s better than I ever could have imagined,” he said into your lips, and then looked down to see the little pink piece of plastic that brought you to orgasm. It was soaked with all your juices, and Eddie’s intrusive thoughts told him to have a taste. But your soft voice brought him out of a haze. 

“You dream about me?” 

“Every night,” he smiled before laying the toy on the bedside table and involuntarily licking one of his fingers. 

“Am I dreaming now?” you lightly gasped at his actions. 

The man savoured the taste quickly before kissing you again and laying you down on the fluffy pillows. “Not at all.” 

As you lay on the bed on top of light grey sheets, Eddie swears that you are officially the closest to an angel he has ever stood near. The soft light reflecting on your sheets and skin made you look like you were glowing, with a halo on your head as you basked in the post-orgasmic bliss. The moment you looked up at him with soft eyes, he promised himself that he would do anything to experience this moment over and over. 

With a touch to the side of his face, you smiled at the way his eyes focused on everything about you, just as you did the same. “Would what we did tonight happen in a wet dream? Because it sure does feel that way,” you giggled as you got comfortable with him laying slightly on top of you.  

“Well, then let me help clean you up,” Eddie kissed you deeply again, adoring the way this angle allowed him to hold your body, and feel every time you arched your back up slightly to feel each other’s skin again. When you moaned into his mouth after he squeezed your ass gently, Eddie smiled against your lips. 

“I can grab a towel from the washroom,” you whispered as he moved down to kiss your neck, a move he found you loved so much that it made your hips meet up to massage your heat against his thigh for some semblance of extra relief. 

“No, no, we don’t need that just yet,” he mentioned as his voice vibrated through your entire body. The second the words were said, Eddie began to allow his lips to roam down your body, kissing your stomach before looking up at you. “Because I’ve dreamed about kissing you in one other place, only if you would want me to, of course.” 

It was in that moment that you both realized that dreams had their own way of coming true, and it was all part of fate's plan. If someone were to tell the former Dealer that after years of living in a town he wanted to run away from, he was able to do so and find a high-job, he would never believe you. If the reason he was able to find someone he found peace with, was all because of a slip of paper with an address, he would never believe you. That although, right now, as you lay in bed with him, he thought he was going to wake up from one of the greatest dreams he has ever had. Yet, he wasn't dreaming in the slightest. This was his real life, a life he was able to treasure all thanks to a book he found in a cabin on the lake. 

-:-:-:-:-

#my writing #writing #st fanfic #st fanfiction #fanfiction #kinktober #kinktober 2023 #LazyGhoulsKinktober2023 #fluff #fluff and smut #innocent!reader #afab reader #st #stranger things #stranger things fanfic #stranger things fic #my fic #writing prompt #eddie munson x you #eddie munson #eddie munson smut #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x f!reader #bodyguard!eddie #eddie munson x innocent!reader #toys #pillow #reader is a rich girlie but not too emphasized #eddie lives #post season 4

[immortalecstasy-blog]

You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth 18+

Chapter 8/16 Pairing: Eddie Munson / Chrissy Cunningam Need to catch up? Click Here for Chapter 1

When Chrissy finally woke up, she was mute. People are sympathetic at first, but when she doesn’t magically get better, she slowly finds herself as one of the ‘freaks’. Lucky for her, there’s one freak in particular she really doesn’t mind finding herself beside. 

Warnings: Slow Burn, Angst, PTSD, Chrissy still got attacked by Vecna but didn't die, Eddie still got mauled by bats but didn't die, Hurt/Comfort, Abuse

Read on AO3 or...

Eddie didn’t see her the day after she’d visited Jason, and he’d convinced himself that she was already pulling away. He’d known after that first day, in the aftershock of his little episode after she’d helped him put Dustin’s room back together and collected all the pieces of his guitar and thrown them away for him, that Chrissy wasn’t going to be a shining star in his sky, she’d be a comet. A brilliant light that was blinding, electric, and then gone. Never to grace his sky again. He could survive it. The absence of her. But he wasn’t ready yet. He wanted more time. As much as he could get.

It scared him just how much, and he fucking hated feeling afraid. He hated that he didn’t deserve her anyway, that he’d fucking left her there in that trailer in the first place.

He’d spent the whole morning in his and Dustin’s room, music blaring through his headphones as he lamented the broken record player – even if he wouldn’t be able to use it at the only reasonable volume (max) with his uncle sleeping down the hall.

Dustin was out, making the most of the last week of summer.

His plans the following day were to have a repeat of the day before, but then she’d turned up.

“Urgh!” She’d said as she closed the door behind her. “Prisons are horrible.”

“Kinda the point, princess.” Eddie told her offhandedly, discarding his Walkman.

She frowned at his tone. “Everything okay?”

“Peachy.”

“Okay… did you still want to try going for a walk today?” She asked, sounding unsure.

Eddie scratched his head and sighed. “Um… I’m thinking not.”

“Alright. Do you want to read to me?” She asked, “I could read to you?” She offered when he didn’t say anything.

“Chris…” He started, and then stopped himself.

She sat awkwardly down in front of him, using his shoulder to balance herself, waiting patiently.

“I’m just… thinking about school.”

“I thought you weren’t worried?”

“No, not about graduating. About… um…”

Chrissy’s shoulders sagged. “Us?”

“Yeah.”

“And… have… your ‘thoughts’ come to a conclusion?” She asked carefully.

“None I like.”

She frowned, “What do you mean?”

He could feel his chest tightening with anger, at her. At himself. Her mom. All the fucking shit heads who walked the halls of Hawkins High School.

“It’s… look, this has been… I…”

Chrissy looked taken aback, “has?”

“Well, yeah, I mean…”

Her eyes widened and then face set in an unhappy scowl. Eddie’s brain whirred as he took her in and rewrote the assumptions he’d made in the last forty-eight hours.

“I thought you wouldn’t want to.” He admitted, staring at the downward curve of her lips.

“Want to what?”

“Be… like this. With me. At school.”

She looked hurt but not all together surprised. She reached out for his hand and pulled it into her lap, holding it with both hands, twisting his rings around and around.

“I’m not saying it’s not going to… be without its problems, or anything. Um, I don’t…” her throat started to close up and she took a deep breath before continuing, “I don’t think my mom would approve, she’d probably pull me out of school, actually. But, I do want this. Us.”

“You do?”

“Don’t you?” She asked haltingly, staring resolutely down at their hands, he turned his hand over so he could take her hand firmly in his.

“Is it that simple for you?”

“What do you mean?”

“Chrissy. I don’t mean to, I don’t know, burst your bubble here or anything. But at school… I don’t… I’m the weird guy who can’t even graduate, and that was before all the Vecna shit. If people… if people saw us together at school you’d turn into one of the freaks, I don’t want that. You don’t deserve that.”

“Eddie, I’m already one of the freaks. They all think I was tortured by a psychopath. I can’t even speak. All my friends have already graduated, I’m not going to be able to be in the squad, I won’t even be able to be a sub. Walking’s tiring enough, never mind cheering.” She was about to add that she would also never be seen dead in a short skirt again but stopped herself. “And you said I was a freak before all that, remember?”

“None of that is going to put you in the same category.”

“Well then what do you want, Eddie?” She asked, irritated.

“I want you.” He told her honestly, squeezing her hand, “But I don’t… I don’t want you to have to… be with me?”

“You’re an idiot.”

“I’m serious.”

“So am I.” She snapped, her voice high, he glanced up to see her eyes were shiny with unshed tears and quickly took her face in his hands.

“Hey, no, it’s okay, Chrissy, don’t…”

She cut him off, pressing her lips against his. He kissed her back, tasting her tears as they spilled from her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. “I’m sorry.” He told her, kissing her again. “I’m sorry.”

She pulled back to wipe the tears off of her cheeks. They’d never spoken about how she’d acted at the cinema with Lisa. She’d managed to justify it to herself and then ignored it. But she’d never explained it to Eddie, she realised. He thought…

“No, I’m sorry. Eddie, I don’t care what anyone at school thinks. I really don’t.”

He looked like he didn’t believe her but gave her a pass. “What about your mom?”

“I…”

“Do you think she wouldn’t find out? Parents, students, hell even the teachers. Someone would tell her.”

Chrissy’s bottom lip stuck out sullenly, and she looked so cute he couldn’t fight the smile that came to his lips.

“You look cute when you’re being grumpy.”

“I don’t want to break up.” She whispered.

Eddie almost laughed, “Oh so we’re a couple then?”

“No, I make out with all my friends.”

He did laugh then. Pulling her in for another kiss. “We won’t break up.” He told her.

“Promise?”

“Yeah.”

“Is that your way of asking me out?”

“You just said—” he started, but she covered his mouth with her hand.

“Eddie Munson. I hereby dub you ‘Boyfriend of Chrissy’. No arguments. Okay?”

He nodded, and she slowly took her hand away. “But—”

The hand was back, and she gave him a warning glance. He laughed, pulling her hand away.

“I have a condition.” He explained, pressing a kiss to the back of her hand. “Before I accept this great honour.”

“What is it?” She asked wearily.

“It has to be a secret.”

“Why would we keep it a secret?”

Eddie levelled her with a look, and she glanced away, swallowing.

Eventually she nodded, turning back to face him.

“Okay. Who would I tell anyway, right?”

“Seen but not heard.” Eddie teased, “Isn’t that supposed to be the perfect woman?”

“You did not.”

“I think I did.”

“You’re so dead!” She threatened, wrapping his hair in her fist, and kissing him. “I just made us official, and that’s the thanks I get?!”

“You going to teach me some manners?” He asked lewdly, pulling her lip between his teeth.

“Hey, have you seen my – oh shit! Sorry!”

Eddie turned to the door just in time to see Dustin slam it shut again. He turned back to Chrissy, raising his eyebrows.

“So much for secret.”

Chrissy shrugged. “I don’t think Dustin counts. Or any of your friends, actually.”

“Excuse me, the secrecy is my rule – don’t you think I should set the parameters?”

“Nope.”

The last week of summer was sucked up in the blink of an eye.

“Are you sure I can’t just get a GED?” Eddie asked on the last day before school started, they were in Eddie and Dustin’s room. Dustin had been more than happy to be banished to the living room with the bribe of one of Eddie’s cool looking sets of dice he’d ordered from the back of ‘Dragon’ magazine years before. Eddie had expected to lose the dice to Dustin anyway, the kid was obsessed with the pearlescent finish. Hell, he’d have given them to him if he’d asked.

When Chrissy had left the evening Dustin had caught them kissing, Eddie had foregone all politeness and simply threatened to kill him if he told anyone. A grinning Dustin had sworn not to tell a soul, and then badgered him with questions until way past his bedtime, stopping only when Eddie threatened to shave his head in his sleep.

Chrissy had finally met his uncle the day before. The poor man had looked like he’d seen a ghost, and Eddie belatedly – shamefacedly – remembered that Wayne had been the one to find her, broken and twisted, presumed dead, on the floor of his living room after a ten-hour shift. He wondered if Chrissy knew and decided he’d rather she didn’t.

“You don’t need a GED.” Chrissy admonished him now. She was sat on Dustin’s bed, Eddie sat with his back to her, nestled between her legs so she could play with his hair.

He had explained to her (twice) that if he brushed it when it was dry, it would just turn into a giant frizz ball. He’d had to let her do it just to prove a point, and she was now trying to salvage the mess she’d made. He didn’t immediately tell her that once he’d washed it again it would spring back into its normal waves, letting her panic.

“No, but I can’t go back to school with my hair looking like this.”

“It’s not that bad!” Chrissy lied.

Eddie laughed, “I could go look in the mirror.”

“No don’t!” She said quickly, grabbing his shoulders.

“See?”

“I’ll fix it.”

He waved her hand away. “I’ll just shower later, don’t worry.”

“So no GED then.” Chrissy joked, still stroking his hair.

“Please?”

Chrissy laughed, “I don’t know what your problem is. You can talk and you have friends still there.”

“Yeah, but I made this really selfless decision to ignore my girlfriend in public, and I don’t think I’ll be able to keep it together.”

“No?”

“Nope. Pretty sure I’m going to pin her up against a locker in front of everyone.”

Chrissy grinned, “Well. Keeping it secret was your idea, so if you change your mind…”

Eddie laughed. “Don’t tempt me.”

“You could kiss me right in front of the basketball team.”

Eddie licked his lips, considering it. “You’re evil.”

“You think so?” Chrissy asked, “I could’ve suggested feeling me up in the hall on parents evening.”

This was too ridiculous even for Eddie, and he couldn’t think of a single scenario that both beat that one and didn’t cross a line.

“No, no, talk about the lockers again.”

Chrissy giggled, pulling on his hair so his head tipped back and she could kiss him.

“You’re a pig.” She told him, running her thumbs down the contours of his face, ignoring the asymmetry caused by the scar near his mouth. Eddie oinked, making her laugh again as he reached up to cup the back of her head and pull her mouth back onto his.

She slipped from the bed into his lap, using cheerleader worthy gymnastics to twist her body so that they wouldn’t have to break the kiss.

She could feel the curve of his smirk on her lips. Her skin trembling at the firm touch of his hand on her waist, the confident way one hand snaked under her shirt to press against the bare skin of her back, his fingertips less than inch from the strap of her bra.

She hummed against his lips, melting into him. Her hips flexed without her permission, and Eddie pressed her tighter against him, bringing her hips in closer. She could feel his belt buckle press against the concave of her stomach.

She pushed his crazy hair out of his face, cupping the back of his head so that when she least backwards, he followed her. Covering her body with his.

She frowned as she made contact with the floor, adjusting herself awkwardly as something small bit into the centre of her back.

“You okay?”

“…yeah, there just… there’s something…” Chrissy released his hair, her hand disappearing  behind her back. She found the irritant and wrapped her fingers round it, removing it from underneath her. She made to toss it aside, but Eddie’s hand caught her wrist and she opened her palm so he could see whatever it was. He took it, and she put her hands on his shoulders, rising with him as he sat up.

The heat that had been building plummeted, like a snuffed out candle.

“Is that…?” Chrissy asked, moving back a little without relinquishing her hold on his shoulders.

Eddie licked his lips, “part of my guitar.” He finished for her with a sigh and a scowl. She could feel the tension in his arms as his hand left her waist and she took her hands from his shoulders, taking the tuning peg from him and retreating a few inches.

Eddie rubbed at his eyes with his palms, shame creeping up his spine like one of Vecna’s horrible spiders.

“It’s okay.” Chrissy told him, taking hold of his wrists so that she could pull his hands away from his face and meet his eye. “It wasn’t your fault.”

He scowled.

“I love you.” She said. Meeting his eye. “Not just the stuff you let everyone see. I love you. All of you.”

“Even the broken shit?” He asked, ever the pessimist, ever the doubter.

“Especially the ‘broken shit’.” She promised, kissing him again, moving his hands back to her waist - and for what was perhaps the very first time in his life, Eddie Munson was rendered speechless.

There was a welcome back assembly that first morning back at school. For some reason Chrissy didn’t think the events of spring break would come up, despite having sat through similar assemblies herself when Will ‘died’, and after the mall fire.

They mentioned her, by name, and she cast her eyes downward as everyone turned to stare at her. They mentioned the other victims, praying for Max, grieving for Fred. They made no mention of Jason or the accusations towards Eddie. Keeping everything focused on the positives and lamenting that Patrick would not be joining them to complete his academic career.

The one time Chrissy managed to drag her eyes up from a twist in her shoelace, she caught Eddie looking at her from the other side of the room, his eyebrows drawn in concern.

‘You okay?’ He mouthed, and she gave him a quick nod, but his expression didn’t change.

He wanted to go to her, but was bound by his own rule of secrecy. Everyone was already staring at her, it wasn’t going to help if Eddie “The Freak” Munson went to check in on her. She crossed his path when they were all filing out, and he resisted the urge to comfort her, instead stepping back so a few more people filled the space between them. Dustin shook his head at him, and Eddie did his best to ignore him.

Chrissy was lucky, despite most of her friends already graduating, the younger cheerleaders all rallied around her. It came as a bit of a surprise, as there had always been a fair bit on animosity between the senior cheerleaders and the younger up and comers. Perhaps now that the majority of them were seniors themselves they felt some of that superiority themselves.

She was grateful that Principal Higgins hadn’t mentioned anything about her inability to speak, though it may have been easier. The gossip mill had already started doing the legwork but it was uncomfortable to be constantly reminded how unusual her communication method was. Even if her mum was a total bitch about it, everyone else in her life had adapted quickly and without comment. Even the zit-covered teen who worked the late shift at the diner she, Eddie and Dustin often snuck out to was accustomed to reading her order off her board without batting an eyelid.

The staff all seemed to be in the know at least, so Chrissy was spared being questioned about it. She wanted to seek Eddie out at lunch, but the cheerleaders led her to their table like a school of fish. Eddie was already at the head of one of the lunch tables. Sat on the back of his chair so he towered over the rest of them. She wondered if anyone else had noticed that Eddie’s table was so crowded they’d had to steal chairs from other tables, elbows pushed together. For an ‘unpopular loser’ he didn’t seem to be doing so bad.

She picked at her lunch, smiling and nodding enthusiastically as and when required, putting so much effort into looking like she was paying attention to what the girls had got up to over the summer, that none of the words actually made it through.

Whenever she had a comment, by the time she was done writing the conversation had usually moved on, only one or two of them actually pausing for her like Eddie’s friends always did. They backtracked, trying to make an effort to include her, but that somehow just made her feel worse and she resigned herself to just sitting and listening, her ponytail bobbing wildly with each encouraging nod.

Towards the end of lunch, Mike disentangled himself from Eddie’s table, having to climb over his chair to do it. To Chrissy’s surprise, he seemed to be coming towards her and she quickly looked away, back to the smiling faces around her.

She knew the instant they noticed him too, casting each other glances with raised eyebrows and unkind smiles.

“Hey, um, Chrissy?” Mike said awkwardly from behind her,

Chrissy twisted around to look at him, smiling broadly (fuck them and their side-eyed glances)

“Nancy said she’ll pick you up after school, if.. if you want.”

Chrissy nodded, and Mike huffed out a breath before nodding back, clearly uncomfortable under the gaze of the rest of her table. She wanted to reassure him somehow but he was already walking away.

One of the basketball players at the next table made a nasty comment about him looking like a frog, and by association the conversation quickly turned to Lucas Sinclair. Who was at Eddie’s table instead of theirs, a traitor.

How had Chrissy ever thought she enjoyed high school?

“So you’re friends with Nancy Wheeler?” One of the girls asked, taking a mouthful of dry looking salad.

Chrissy nodded.

“Is she still with that weird loner guy? The one who took those creepy photos?”

Chrissy nodded again uncomfortably.

“What’s that like?”

‘He doesn’t seem so bad’ Chrissy wrote.

The response was either disbelief or a general murder of how Chrissy was so nice and trusting and how Jonathan Byers was a total weirdo.

“So’s his brother” one of them commented, and that started another round of giggly bullying which culminated in all of them staring at Will.

Eddie noticed in a heartbeat, either because he’d been glancing at their table or because he had a sixth sense for that kind of thing.

“Can I help you with something ladies?” He called out loudly.

Chrissy closed her eyes, sending out a silent prayer that no one retaliated. But life had already shown her time and time again that she wasn’t that lucky.

“Drop dead!” Someone shouted, and Chrissy had a mental image of Eddie falling back off his chair like he had when she had tried to buy drugs of him, it took all her willpower not to laugh to herself at the memory before panicking that he actually would and would injure himself on the hard floor of the cafeteria. She looked over, pleased to see he was still sat on top of his chair. He leant forwards and the panic returned, but he was just scooping sweetcorn from El’s tray to throw at Dustin.

She wondered what Dustin had said.

The afternoon dragged by, and Chrissy began to regret not taking classes in the summer. She had only chosen the extra semester to keep Eddie company, and she wasn’t even doing that. Banished to the other side of the cafeteria or ignoring him in the halls.

So hoped they would at least have some classes together but that didn’t happen at all that first day back.

Nancy was true to her word and was waiting for her when the school day was finally over.

“How’d it go?” Nancy asked as Chrissy tossed her bag into the footwell and climbed in. Chrissy tipped her head back and groaned.

“That bad, huh?”

She took Chrissy home and went inside with her. No one else seemed to be in, but Chrissy still led her upstairs. There were still some snacks leftover from her care package, and she put the carrier bag on the bed so that Nancy could help herself.

“So how bad was it, exactly?”

For the next hour, Chrissy wrote about her day, complaining about the assembly and the funny looks, whispers. Lamenting that all her closest friends had already graduated, about how unfair the basketball team were being to Lucas. How all the new freshmen looked like literal babies.

When her mom came home, she snatched up the carrier bag and hid it again, startling Nancy.

Chrissy just shook her head, not having time to write an explanation before her mom appeared in the doorway of her bedroom.

“Nancy, hello dear! How are you doing?”

“Oh! Um, great! Yeah!” Nancy rushed with a wide grin, before turning back to Chrissy, “I should... go?”

“You’re welcome to stay for dinner.”

Nancy glanced at Chrissy, but her expression was unreadable.

“Oh, yeah, okay, that would be great Mrs Cunningham, could I just use your phone to tell my mom?”

“Of course.”

 Chrissy uncrossed her legs stiffly, and led Nancy downstairs to the phone.

“Do you want me to stay?” Nancy whispered, and Chrissy nodded.

Her moms need to show off to everyone else what a wonderful family they were always circumvented her issues with Chrissy’s eating habits, it had happened time and time again whenever Jason or Marie and the other girls had come over for dinner. To begin with, Chrissy had stuck to her normal portions, but her mom had brought it up as if she hadn’t been drilling body issues into her daughter from a young age.

That’s how the purging had first started.

But Chrissy had managed several normal sized meals in the last few weeks without purging, even if it hadn’t sat well afterwards. The numbers on the scale were still lower than they had been pre-Vecna, thanks to the long hospital stay and wired jaw.

Dinner wasn’t too tasking, as Nancy was a surprise guest there was nothing dripping with fats or bearing an excessive salt content, but Chrissy’s plate bore a lot more than usual, and she struggled to finish under the surreptitious glances as her mom played the graceful host.

Nancy had clearly sensed something even if she didn’t quite grasp what, circling Chrissy’s wrist when she said goodbye.

“Is everything okay?”

Chrissy nodded quickly, and Nancy frowned.

“You sure?”

She nodded again, and opened her mouth to speak, to reassure. Surprised when nothing came out.

Chrissy had only scraped in a B in wood shop all last year – it was one of her worst classes, and she knew Eddie has sworn off playing his guitar again, telling Dustin to throw it out. But she was determined to put it back together again.

She’d wrote a letter explaining herself before she sought out her wood shop teacher. Nervous of getting Miss Owen to wait while she wrote. She could be quite sour in their class, but Chrissy thought that was more about students not paying attention or unintentionally handling equipment dangerously – and against the very strict rules that were in place.

In the end, she’d waited until the end of the class – embarrassed about the idea of being turned down and having to sit through the rest of the lesson.

Miss Owen had taken the hand-written letter cautiously, and Chrissy stood with her hands clasped behind her back as she watched her read it.

“I’d need to take a look.” Miss Owen said finally, turning the letter around and writing her address on the back. “Could you bring it over to my house after school?”

Chrissy nodded, grinning as she took the letter back and hid it in her bag.

She asked her dad to take her there after she’d arrived home, the broken guitar nestled in a duffel bag Jason had used as a gym bag that had somehow ended up in her bedroom.

She hoped that her enthusiasm for the class would trump her average grade, and she had no reservations about playing to her tragic backstory to get what she wanted. But it turned out there was no need.

“I think I can fix it. If you want me to.” Her teacher had said after examining it at length in her living room.

‘I want to. Need help’

“You want to fix it yourself?”

Chrissy nodded, and Miss Owen baulked a little, thinking of the projects Chrissy had completed in her class previously.

“It won’t be easy…”

‘Ok’

“Well okay. Then you better come out the back.”

Her teacher led her round the side of her house to the garage, which had all the equipment she had hesitantly used at school as well as several other machines that seemed totally beyond her.

“I suppose the first thing to establish is your budget.” She told her after examining the guitar a second time. “There’s a fair bit of damage. I’m not an expert on instruments, but you’ll definitely need a fund for materials.”

Chrissy thought of her small stash of birthday and Christmas money, bolstered by the money she used to receive for tutoring some of the younger kids on the block, and wrote down the full amount.

The teacher whistled, “This… probably isn’t worth that Chrissy. You could buy a new one.”

Chrissy shook her head, gesturing to the broken guitar.

The teacher looked weary, “Okay. If that’s what you want, I can certainly give it a go.”

Chrissy hesitated, and then wrote ‘Just need help.’ Followed by ‘Do it myself’

To her eternal gratitude, her teacher agreed.

She’d already explained in her letter that she wouldn’t be able to work on the project during school. She didn’t want Eddie to know about it, and so began her secret side-project.

#st fanfiction #fanfiction #eddissy #hellcheer #eddie munson #stranger things #eddie x chrissy #st fanfic #chrissy this is for you #eddie munson x chrissy cunningham #chrissy cunningham

[monstrous-femme]

In 1991, Nancy falls asleep on Barb's grave and wakes up in 1985. From there, she finds herself completely unstuck in time. It's also a love story.

#secret nancy fic #secret nancy fic!! #stranger things #st fanfiction #i'm quite nervous about this i've been working on it so long and now y'all are going to see part of it ahhhh