gr3yearl

[gr3yearl]

rockstar Eddie au where everyone in the fandom knows that if he's stepping towards the audience for a moment that they shouldn't get excited, his eyes have locked onto his husband Steve and has become blind to everyone else in that moment. he does it so much that it becomes a meme.

[gr3yearl]

why'd you crack the door open man there was a sock on the door for a reason

[gr3yearl]

Waiter! Waiter! More bloody Joe please 🙏

[gr3yearl]

There are ghosts in Hawkins...

[gr3yearl]

TW for internalized homophobia and related bad decisions

Steve is 12 and he thinks about finding his soulmate all the time.

You're supposed to find them through touch; your life together will flash in front of your eyes. They're rare, though, soulmates. So rare that most people never find theirs. So rare that some people say they're made up.

Steve wants to be one of the lucky few. He wants it to be a true, unbreakable bond, a love he gets to have forever.

He wonders if he'll find his soulmate at school. He's popular, he thinks. Tommy would say they were popular. But Tommy's definition of popular mostly has to do with the number of kids he can get away with being mean to, and that's not really Steve's deal. Tommy is like a prey animal, the way he can find weaknesses.

There's a new boy at school. Steve doesn't know his name, but they have English together. He's too thin, with huge brown eyes, and all his clothes are too big. His head's been inexpertly shaved and he never looks anybody in the eye. It's only a matter of time before he catches Tommy's interest, and Steve wishes he could stop it somehow, but he's never been good at going against Tommy.

The day comes, of course. They're standing in the hall, the new boy walking towards them, head down, as always. Tommy nudges Steve says, "What a loser."

And Steve shrugs, starts to ask Tommy about football, if the Colts can make the Super Bowl, but the boy is nearing and Tommy is cackling.

"Watch this." Tommy sticks his foot out.

The boy doesn't react fast enough. He falls forward with a bitten off yelp, and Steve moves without really thinking, only knows he can't stand to see him fall. He catches the new kid beneath his armpits, Steve's thumbs brushing the soft skin his arms.

The world around him falls away at the touch.

---

He's sitting on the floor in the band room, Eddie--the boy's name is Eddie--next to him. Eddie's hair is a little longer and Steve's in a green polo he doesn't recognize, and he's never been in the band room in his life. They're leaning into each other and laughing and Eddie's so beautiful.

---

They're in the woods--Skull Rock, Steve thinks. Eddie's hair is curled and frizzed around his chin, and he's laughing, his cheeks pink, his dimples prominent. He tries to pull his hair in front of his face, but it's not long enough yet to reach. Steve is overwhelmed, wants to kiss him so bad. He's never had to wait to kiss someone, or been unsure, or--

He wants to kiss Eddie.

So, he does.

It's hard, desperate, not the first kiss Steve expected, but then they've been waiting for so long.

---

Steve stands in the hallway of Hawkins High. He's wearing a striped, beige short-sleeved polo, and flirting with Nancy Wheeler.

He likes Nancy, she's pretty and smart and fun. And it's easy. He can hold her hand. Can introduce her to his parents. Can take her on dates and kiss her in public.

She bats her big blue eyes at him, and he can't help but kiss her.

He pulls away gently, brushing his thumb against her cheek, and when he looks down the hall, Eddie is there, frozen. His mouth is wide, his eyes glassy.

Steve thinks the way his heart stutters must be what dying feels like.

---

He's sitting on his diving board, facing away from the pool. He smokes a cigarette and there's a bat studded with nails at his feet, what the fuck. Music thuds, shrieks and laughter seep into the cool night air.

He should be playing the gracious host. He should be having a good time. Instead, his eyes search the woods and he taps another smoke out of the pack.

"Harrington?" The voice makes him jump, hand flexing around the bat handle. "It's freezing out. What are you doing?"

He recognizes the voice now, doesn't turn, doesn't respond, can't stand to see another person he let down; another person who could call him bullshit and be 100% correct.

"Do you not have a jacket? C'mon, man."

Something warm settles over his shoulders, and he inadvertently breathes in weed and leather and cedar. He squeezes his eyes shut, like that will make the comforting, familiar scent go away. He'll have to move to shrug off the jacket, though, which would mean acknowledging Eddie's presence.

"Can you at least say something, Harrington? You're freaking me out."

"I'm fine, Ed--Eddie." The nickname falls from his lips too easily. He doesn't miss how Eddie flinches.

His hair is long now, down to his shoulders, brittle looking in the cold. He's wearing a t-shirt and worn flannel, arms wrapped around his chest for warmth now that his jacket is draped over Steve's shoulders.

Steve is an idiot. He's such an idiot. Chasing after Nancy when Eddie is--

"I'm sorry," he says. He turns to face his soulmate, then. "I'm sorry about Nancy, I--"

Eddie jerks back like he's been hit. "Fuck you, Harrington," he snarls.

---

He sits in the back of an ambulance, eyes swollen shut, face throbbing. He's wearing a sailor suit for inexplicable reasons, which is almost more upsetting than the ambulance. He smells like puke and something toxically sweet.

A girl is with him, one he doesn't recognize, but he feels deeply, instinctively protective of her. He holds her shaking shoulders tight, tries to whisper comfort to her through his busted and bleeding mouth.

He's pretty sure he has a concussion.

"Steve!" Someone screams over the sounds of the EMTs and firefighters, of the building burning and collapsing behind them.

Eddie bursts through the gathered onlookers and past the ring of police cars enclosing them. He's falling into the ambulance before Steve has a chance to react.

"Sweetheart," Eddie sobs. He tries to cup Steve's face, but his fingers flutter around the damage. "Sweetheart, oh my god. I came as soon as I heard. Are you--what can I--"

Steve stares at him--his hair falling from its messy bun, his cutoff Metallica tee, concern and love leaking from those brown, brown eyes--and bursts into tears.

---

They sit on the roof of his house, sharing a joint back and forth. It's chilly, bordering on cold, winter just on the horizon. They're laughing, leaning into each other, and Steve is--he's happy. Elated. Could float away with it.

Robin--Robin-- is in the bathroom, or maybe in the kitchen for snacks, and it's just them for now. They're looking at each other, smiles wide, eyes bright.

They're taking it slow. Steve knows it's important, after what he did. They talked about it, his abandoning of Eddie for Nancy, chasing what his dad told him was normal and expected.

He doesn't want to cross any boundaries, wants to do this right. How Eddie deserves. But they're leaning into each other and they're smiling, and he's so in love. Intoxicated with it, lost.

In the end, he doesn't know who makes the first move, just that they're kissing and it's like coming home.

---

He's in a building, a shed or something. It's musty and dirty, smells like oil and gasoline and a building left closed up too long. Eddie's in his arms and he's talking through hiccuping sobs.

"I didn't save her, Steve. I didn't help. I just left her there! She was broken in pieces and I--I--"

Steve holds him close, tight, squeezes his eyes closed to stop his own tears from falling. He never wanted this for Eddie, never wanted him involved. Thought he could protect him from all of Hawkins's terrible things.

They aren't alone. Robin is there, coming up to hold Eddie too, plus a redheaded girl and curly haired boy he doesn't recognize.

"We'll figure this out, Eddie." The boy promises.

"We won't let anyone hurt you. We know you didn't murder Chrissy," the girl says.

---

Steve is in a world he doesn't understand, and Eddie is his arms. Eddie is in his arms, and there's blood everywhere. He's not awake, he's not--his heart beat is soft and slow, too slow, and his breathing stutters, and Steve can't--

"Baby, stay with me." He begs as he runs across the dead and rotting landscape. "Eddie, please. Wake up, okay? Wake up for me. I need to--I need to know that you're alright."

Eddie stays limp in his arms.

"Please," he begs. "You can't leave me. We promised, remember? We promised we'd be together forever. The rest of our lives. Me and You. Our six little nuggets. You promised."

The portal back to Hawkins is less than a dozen feet away, he's so close. Eddie gasps to consciousness, but his eyes are still hazy.

"Hi, sweetheart," he mumbles.

"Hey, hi, you're doing so good. We're almost out, okay? We're almost out and we'll get you to the hospital."

Eddie reaches out a weak hand, touches the edge of Steve's jaw. "Love you, Stevie," he whispers. "Glad you were mine."

He goes still in Steve's hold.

---

The images come faster now--

A hospital room at Hawkins General, Eddie hooked to machines. Steve holds hands with an older man. They wait in terrified silence

Eddie propped in a bed, a bunch of kids around him, Steve and Robin at his side. His eyes keep sliding to Steve, like he's making sure Steve's real, that he's still there

Their bodies tangled together in a bedroom Steve doesn't recognize

Steve down on one knee in a marble room lit only by black and red candles, Eddie standing in front of him

Hand-in-hand on a cliffside overlooking the ocean. The Chief of Police, Jim Hopper, stands in front of them with tears in his eyes and a beaming smile on his face

In a big, green yard behind a cozy little house. A little boy with Eddie's eyes and curls riding on his shoulders. Eddie sprinting around with a tiny girl giggling after him, perfect imitation of the King Steve hair-do on her tiny head

In a park, surrounded by family and friends. Steve has a little bit of a paunch and wears glasses. Eddie's hair streams around his shoulders, going grey at the temples. There's a banner strung between trees proclaiming 'Happy 20th Steve and Eddie!' They're surrounded by everyone they love and it's perfect

---

The images flash too fast for Steve to catalog after that, seconds-long glimpses of a shared future, and then he's back in his body in the hallway of Hawkins Middle, still holding too tight onto Eddie's arms.

Eddie rears back, face pale and terrified, and Steve is too shocked to do anything but let him go.

Tommy's yelling, but Steve only has eyes for his soulmate, who scrambles to his feet and throws himself down the hall away from them.

"What the hell, Harrington? Why'd you catch him? That was about to be funny as hell! I bet he'd have broken his nose--you ruined it!"

Steve isn't listening. He's trying to hold on to the memories of their life together, the ones that are already fading.

The last thing he remembers is that, sometime in the not-too-distant future, he'll find his way to the band room, Eddie Munson, and the rest of their lives.

[gr3yearl]

finished rewatching st4, somebody kill me

[gr3yearl]

Eddie and Steve had a will they/wont they going on for years while Eddie did the whole famous rockstar thing. And now he’s on a break. Two platinum records with Corroded Coffin behind him, Eddie can finally concentrate on Steve. And the miracle is that Steve never resented Eddie for focusing on his career. That wasn’t a problem for him. He waited (sometimes patiently and sometimes not) until it was his turn, and when they got together, it was just as incredible as both had expected it would be.

So you can’t blame Eddie for writing his first solo album all about Steve. He’s done hiding in the closet for his career, so it’s he/him pronouns and filthy imagery. Shockingly it sells like you wouldn’t believe. In fact, he’s getting picked up in markets he never reached before. And when he gets the numbers for radio stations, he’s killing it on stations totally unfamiliar to him. But he’s still completely wrapped up in Steve so he’s not paying a lot of attention and he lets his manager take care of everything.

The mystery is revealed the day they get a package from Wayne. It contains clippings from newspapers and magazines, and a note that just says, “Something you want to tell me, boy?” All the headlines are some variation of “Former Satanist Eddie Munson Releases Worship Album quietly signaling his conversion to Christianity”

Eddie is furious and Steve has to watch him throw a tantrum yelling and screaming. When he eventually calms down Steve reminds Eddie that doing zero press and releasing songs like, “On My Knees in Worship” and “He is my Sunrise and my Salvation” might in fact be a little misleading.

They spend the rest of the night giggling about all the good Christians listening to songs about their sex life.

[gr3yearl]

steve's only active on tiktok when he goes on tour with corroded coffin. he posts one that's of a peaceful looking eddie with his head in steve's lap at the park of whatever city they're in and steve's running is fingers through his hair with the soft version of "here comes the boy, hello boy" and the sparkly filter over it

the cc boys post one later that day with the chaotic version of the audio of eddie almost falling off stage and climbing on shit he's not supposed to and being a general menace backstage

[gr3yearl]

honestly hate that the secret history has become such a prominent example of what classicists are like because the only people i've met who study the ancient mediterranean who act like that are the absolute assholes that nobody wants to deal with. most of my professors were so intensely aware of the history of racial/socioeconomic privilege and colonizing mentality in our field that it would make marcus tullius cicero nauseous. meanwhile if you told henry winter that there were black people living in rome he'd explode on the spot

[gr3yearl]

guard dog boyfriend eddie who thinks that steve is the guard dog boyfriend because he'll go "hey" if anyone is mean to eddie but eddie has tried to bite people for glancing at steve in the "wrong tone"

[gr3yearl]

I maybe started working on something to go with my proposed “what if Steve met Wayne first” scenario.

Disclaimer: I know nothing about plant jobs.

CW: smoking, brief mention of weight loss, but I think that’s it?

No tag list.

———————

Most of the guys who have been there a while hate training the seasonal workers the plant brings in each summer. But demand goes up, more hands are needed, and some sucker’s got to show them the ropes. More often than not, that sucker is Wayne. He’s got a soft spot for the kids that come through, sees his nephew in each of them, hopes that any job Eddie gets, there’s someone there to take him under their wing.

But the latest new guy to join the second shift crew—Harrington Steve—Wayne’s not too sure about him. He was brought on at the end of the hiring surge, filling the spot of a guy who’d gotten the axe for falling asleep at his station twice in a row, so he’s got Wayne mostly to himself as they run through safety protocols and other job basics. Doesn’t say much, but he pays attention. Watches intently and steps in quickly when Wayne indicates it’s his turn to lift and pull and set. He takes Wayne’s soft corrections and suggestions with a nod, and doesn’t need to be told something more than once. As far as Wayne’s concerned, the kid does a fine job and he’s happy to have him.

The other guys don’t take to him. At all. They respect Wayne enough not to antagonize the kid to his face, but Wayne overhears them in the break room sometimes, talking about his hair and his clothes and the fancy car he refuses to park near anyone else’s in the parking lot, too precious about it getting dinged. It doesn’t help that the kid spends his breaks God knows where. He never eats in the break room, but the couple of times Wayne’s been curious enough to check, he hasn’t seen him sitting in his car either. He’s got no idea where the kid holes up.

Steve also never joins them for a bite at the 24-hour diner they go to at least two to three times a week at shift change. The guys don’t bother inviting him, but Wayne asked a couple of times at the beginning. Hard to catch him, because as soon as the shift’s over, he bolts for the tiny shower room that Wayne didn’t even know the place had until he’d stumbled across Steve leaving it one night. It’s dark and moldy and Wayne wouldn’t be caught dead with his bare ass anywhere near those tiles, but every night Steve ends his shift with a shower—every third night with a shower and a hair wash—then he’s out the door.

One night, a few weeks after Wayne stopped asking about the diner, he decides to try once more. Kid’s been looking too skinny. Not unusual to lose weight when you first start a physical job, but something about how fast he’s losing it doesn’t sit right with Wayne.

He smokes a cigarette at the edge of the parking lot waiting for Steve to emerge from his shower. It’s not a hair washing night, thank God. Kid actually brings a blow dryer in on those nights. The other guys usually book it out too fast to notice, otherwise they’d be ragging on him even more.

Wayne’s about half done with his second cigarette and starting to sweat in the June heat even at 1 am, when the door finally opens and Steve steps out. Illuminated by the single light mounted on the brick wall of the building, he looks tired, drawn. But even as dark as it is where Wayne’s standing, Steve clocks him immediately and tenses, holding the door open as if ready to dart back inside like a spooked animal. Wayne holds a placating hand up.

“It’s just me, kid.” His body immediately sags.

“Oh, hey, Wayne. What are you still doing here?”

He steps out, pulling his own pack of cigarettes out of his pocket. He looks inside, grimaces, and slides the pack back in.

“Want one?” Wayne asks, reaching for his own pack, but Steve waves him off.

“Nah, I’m trying to quit. My coworker hates the smell, swears she can smell it on me even when I’m not wearing clothes I smoked in.”

Wayne’s brow furrows. “Ain’t never seen you talking to someone here long enough for all that.”

Steve laughs and it’s not quite bitter. “Yeah, definitely not someone from here. I work at the mall during the day. My coworker Robin likes me about as much as everyone here does, but it’s just the two of us most of the time, so she’s forced to talk to me.”

Steve’s mouth twists as he’s done saying the most Wayne’s ever heard him say. The exhausted heaviness he carries around with him makes a little more sense now, if he’s working two jobs. Wayne takes a final puff of his cigarette and stubs it out.

“I was gonna ask if you wanted to come to the diner with us, but if you’ve gotta get up for work in the morning, I guess you better get home to sleep.”

That laugh, not quite bitter, comes out again. “Home, yeah.”

They fall in step beside each other as they make their way down a row of empty spaces. They reach Wayne’s car first and Steve gives him a stiff nod as he walks on to his car.

“Hey, kid,” Wayne calls after him. Doesn’t know why. Doesn’t know what he’s going to say. But he thinks of the heaviness, the exhaustion that he’s too skinny to carry, the edges of bitterness. And he thinks of Eddie, who looked exactly the same all those years ago when he’d come to live with Wayne. Wayne had wiped all that away from his kid, and it’s the thing he’s most proud of in his life. He’s older now but he thinks he’s got it in him to do that again. Somehow. He’ll figure it out. To Steve, he says, “Take care of yourself, ya hear?”

The light doesn’t reach far enough for Wayne to see the expression Steve makes as he replies, “I always do.”

————————————

This will likely be updated about as often as the sad steddie scenario is, so, terribly sorry about that 🫣😬 but I hope you like the beginning all the same! Reblogs/tag comments appreciated! Thank you for reading!

[gr3yearl]

Everything is going slowly foggy. The fear is fading. Eddie's vaguely aware that it's probably because he's dying. What was terrifying a couple of minutes ago, is only vaguely of interest now. An ephemeral pressure on the back of his brain. Present, yet easy to ignore.

All he can taste is his own blood, but it's not so bad. At least he can tell Dustin how much he loves him. And Steve's there. Steve Harrington. Who knew he would turn out to be such a great guy? So, yeah. It all feels alright.

Eddie feels sleepy, vaguely aware that he's, actually, probably dying.

He closes his eyes.

There's a strange sense of vertigo, strange enough that Eddie notices he's standing up before he notices that someone's kissing him. It's a soft press of lips. It's wonderful.

Eddie blinks his eyes open, and from an inch away, he's looking at Steve Harrington.

He's standing in a kitchen. it's nice. Eddie's clean; he's wearing sweats and a tee. Barefoot. The kitchen smells like coffee, and sun is shining in through the window.

Somewhere in the house, a child sequels; Eddie startles. "Steve?" He asks, carefully. "I mean...not that it isn't-"

The child comes barreling into the room. It's a little girl. She's wearing the smallest Dio shirt Eddie's ever seen. She throws herself at Eddie's legs, screaming "Papa!"

Eddie has no idea what his face is doing as he looks down at this little girl, but Steve is taking his hand, tugging it, Eddie looks up, "it happened again, didn't it? You forgot again?"

"I...what?"

Steve scoops up the little girl, throwing her over his shoulder, she squeals again, laughing like this is the best thing ever, "come on pumpkin patch, Papa's not feeling so hot today and auntie Robin's going to be here in two whole minutes."

He looks back to Eddie, mouthing 'just wait, okay?'

Eddie, at a loss, just nods.

He creeps to the doorway, watching, fascinated, as Steve Harrington fixes the little girls hair into pig tails. Helps her get her socks straight. Helps her tie the laces on her sneakers. Gets her back pack on her, "eat your carrot sticks today, okay Ronnie?"

'Ronnie,' Eddie mouths to himself.

Watches as Steve puts her little hand into Robin's, standing on the front porch. Robin looks different. Older. She's smartly dressed.

Steve whispers something to her, and she looks at Eddie. Smiles a sad smile. They leave.

Steve stands there for a moment, waves them off, then closes the door. He seems to steal himself, and then he turns and comes back to Eddie, "I have to go to work, but, come on, let me show you something."

Eddie follows Steve into an office, there's shit everywhere, "I don't come in here often, your mess drives me fucking batshit," Steve digs into a desk drawer, brings out a notebook. "I have no idea what's in here, I've never read it. Something about...what happened. You did die. You were oxygen deprived long enough to cause a brain injury, so sometimes you...forget everything. After the second time it happened, you started writing letters to yourself. So, yeah...you call it your instruction manual, I get it for you when this happens."

It takes Eddie what feels like a really fucking long time to process this, and he can't help but notice that Steve's eyes are wet, Eddie feels crushingly guilty about it.

"Okay so what do I...do?"

Steve shrugs, "read it, I guess. You add to it whenever anything important happens...Eddie...just, the bats, they did a number on you...when you, when you look at the scars, the first time, just, brace yourself, okay and...don't forget that I love you, no matter what, I love you."

And Steve just...leaves the house. Leaves Eddie in this absolute disaster of an office. Leaves him holding a notebook that's ratty and untidy and feels like it's bursting at the seams.

Eddie reads.

So, I'm going to try and keep this simple, but I'm you, from the past, and our dumb ass has fucking brain damage...

You're not going to fucking believe this...we bagged Steve Harrington...

Hold on to your hat big boy, but we got fucking published! And if you're reading this, then you are in for a treat, because it means you get to read our genius for the first time all over again...

Okay, so this one was a bad one, we initially, didn't react so well, so, here's what I was worried about, and I'll talk you through it...

So, I need you to not fuck this up for us, okay? So, this is the Steve Harrington play book. The man is romantic, buy flowers, do nice shit. I cannot stress this enough - just pick up your crap man, he hates it when the place is messy. Now, we have to get it right so here's everything I know, I'll start at the top and work down. He loves having his hair played with, and tugged, but not too hard, gentle but firm, there's a sweet spot. The neck, the whole thing is an erogenous zone, I really can't downplay the importance of the neck...

We bought a fucking house! Look at it! Just look at it! And Eddie does, because there's a Polaroid stuck to the page.

So, this might sound dumb, and I probably should have written to you sooner, but...Steve jizzed in a cup for Robs, and Nancy turkey basted it, you know. Anyway, the point is...Rob's pregnant. With our baby. And then me and Nance got drunk, like, to celebrate, and she got all sad that her and Robin weren't having a baby, stay with me, I know this is mad as shit, but Nancy wanted our kid and their kid to grow up together....

Look, I don't know if it's the stress of like, imminent fatherhood, but we've been forgetting a lot lately, so, here's the plan for when Rob's in labor, and everything you've talked to Steve about when it comes to being the stay at home parent, okay...

The next page is just a Polaroid, a little scrunched up face. A little pink potato swaddled in blankets, and underneath it says 'Ronnie Jamie Harrington'...

And the next page, another Polaroid, another scrunched up face, another little pink potato swaddled in blankets, and underneath it says 'Stephanie Edwina Wheeler'...

Steve comes home. He looks exhausted. Like, drained. And, worried and scared and pale and lots of other things Eddie can't even begin to imagine. Eddie holds his arms out and Steve practically throws himself into them, "how long does it take, for me to get back to normal?"

Steve shrugs, "it's different every time, but it's a good sign you're still here, sometimes you run. Those times are the worst ones."

Six weeks later, Eddie writes to himself, "do not, under any circumstances, run away..."

Eddie thinks he's seeing things. Thinks maybe he's going senile. But he hasn't forgotten for...well, it's been years now. At least seven or eight. And yeah, Ronnie might be about to finish high school and Steve might be stressed to fuck over her college applications, but...Eddie's glad. He's glad she's spreading her wings. He's glad they managed to produce a stand up human being.

He's really glad her and Steph are trying for the same colleges, they're always going to have each other.

But yea...he's worried his mind is kind of...slipping. Hasn't told Steve. Doesn't want to worry him. They're both sprouting a few gray hairs, no need to add to those.

But sometimes. Sometimes when Eddie looks out of the window, he thinks, for a moment, that the sky is dark and...it looks like snow?

And sometimes, Eddie catches himself in the mirror, and he's sure he's dirty. A mess. Covered in blood but...no. He walks back a step, checks again. Everything is fine.

Sometimes he's sees movement out of the corner of his eye.

Sometimes, in the beat of the music or the rumble of the car engine, he swears he hears things. Sometimes a voice. Sometimes it sounds like they're yelling.

Sometimes it sounds like Steve.

And once, he blinked awake, Steve bringing him a coffee. But it wasn't Steve, for the time between startled, half asleep blinks, it was Vecna.

It gets worse.

Something isn't right. The house is empty, and it shouldn't be.

He can hear Steve, but he can't find him. And that's silly because the house isn't that big. He searches and searches, growing more frantic. He calls back to Steve, but Steve...doesn't seem to hear him.

There's something dim about the light, but the light has always been that way, hasn't it? Something...dusty, in the air. Eddie feels like he's dreaming. He has to be dreaming; there's a crack in the living room wall. A crack that spreads and lengthens until the whole house is crumbling and Eddie can see clearly now that the sky here flashes red.

That it's always been flashing red.

How did he not see before? The dust on every surface? The pages of his notebook are blank. Eddie knows. He's always known.

Steve.

Steve is here. He's hanging from Eddie's fist, bruised and bloodied and begging Eddie. Begging Eddie to stop this, to hear him, to see him. It's Steve.

It's Eddie's Steve.

Next to him, Vecna says, "finish it."

Eddie has something in his hand, the hilt of something he's sure of, long and sharp and dependable.

Eddie doesn't think, he just moves.

He drops Steve.

He doesn't need to look. Eddie turns, and he swings.

[gr3yearl]

he likes to be included (this is prior to his bi awakening)

[gr3yearl]

broke: steve and robin are sisters

woke: steve is robin’s sister and robin is steve’s brother

#steve harrington #robin buckley #stobin #platonic stobin #platonic soulmates stobin #platonic with a capital p #stranger things

[gr3yearl]

We know Vecna can fuck around with minds, can create a kind of pseudo inner world type of thing, and that is what he does to Eddie--makes him believe he gets everything he wanted, switching him into a false world while he implants Kas into his body. 

It starts off with the band making it big. Now a rockstar, Eddie leaves Hawkins with his head held high and more money than God, but soon he starts seeing Steve in the crowd. 

(He’s seeing Steve because Kas is seeing Steve in reality.) 

Eddie’s Steve starts off as a groupie, no an old friend, no--

It changes a lot, really. 

Eddie doesn’t catch that it all changes, not at first. 

(Kas does. Kas very much does, seeing a new scenario from Eddie’s curse every single time he has to face down Steve Harrington and his sweaters and his nailbat. 

He shouldn’t know what a dimple is, shouldn’t know to look for a certain smile or stance, and yet he’s faltering trying to do just that.) 

However Vecna’s curse decides they meet, they end hooking up and then dating and then married and then suddenly Eddie’s dream isn’t of a rockstar life, standing atop a world stage to a sold out crowd, but coming home to a man in an old yellow sweater, a man who pulls him by the waist into a hug, a man who leans in and whispers silly things in his ear…

(Kas is starting to fail.

His personality is taking Eddie’s on more. He’s pulling punches, he’s starting to do things outside of what he’s been commanded too--but only ever with Steve. 

No one quite believes Steve at first, because of course he's the one to catch it. He’s spent what feels like years managing the emotions and in-fighting of a  group of teenagers younger than him, often through intensely volatile situations. 

The thing that’s stolen Eddie’s body is nothing compared to a Max/El/Mike spat--and the thing that has him is reacting weird to Steve.

He can exploit that.) 

The curse Eddie’s under has stopped jumping around. 

It’s landed him into one, singular story. One narrative, where he survived the bats, they defeated Vecna, and he and Steve are dating now.

It’s the best life Eddie’s ever lived, better than being a rockstar, more wondrous than leaving Hawkins in the dust. 

He loves Steve with all his heart, and the best day in his life so far is when he tells him so--and Steve says it back. 

(Kas knew Steve wasn’t being listened to by his peers and he uses that to get Steve alone.

To tell him some of Eddie’s secrets and desires--taunt him with it.

Tells him that he’s right, Eddie is still alive, and is very much trapped, and do you want to know what Vecna is showing him? What he’s using to suppress the vessel Kas is piloting?

“It’s you, Steve.”

“It’s always been you.”) 

They get fake married, because Eddie can accept that Steve would one day love him but not that gay marriage would be legalized and Vecna somehow, knows that. 

Robin moves out of their shared apartment, helps them move into a house (a house!) and later helps them discuss the possibility of kids, something Eddie knows Steve wants, something he’s slowly realizing he kinda wants. 

Then one of Eddie’s books takes off, gets them not rich but stable, and Robin and Nancy are finding ways to help get them a kid and he’s never been happier in his life-!

(Kas can’t take it. 

Steve can’t take it. 

They’re breaking down together, a glorious spiral of disaster, and finally in desperation, Kas extends information he knows he shouldn’t. 

Steve can enter the curse Eddie’s in--and Kas has heavily implied that he will let him.

Allow Steve to bring Eddie home, back in his own body. 

“Why should I trust you?” Steve demands of Kas, in the small space they’ve mutually decided is neutral, hands clenched tightly at his sides. 

“Vecna’s curse isn’t meant to last this long. Eddie and I are blending, more than ever was intended.” Kas admits, because Kas now has to deal with these kinds of thoughts--with all kinds of feelings and emotions he’s never had too, and it’s eating him alive. “And what he wants, more than anything, is you.”) 

Tonight’s the night they’re meeting with the adoption agency, and Eddie’s never been excited for Steve to get off work in his life.

He practically pounces on him the minute he walks through the door, kissing him hard, hands tangled in his hair. 

Steve isn’t kissing back. 

Seems kinda breathless in fact, as his arms tentatively come up to hug Eddie, and when they pull apart his face is full of a stunned sort of wonder.

“Well shit he wasn’t lying.” Steve says and Eddie’s confused, because what? Who? 

“I think you better sit down for this.” And Steve’s  not pulling away, exactly, but driving Eddie to the couch, looking all around their house as he does so, like it's the first time he’s seeing it.

“Sunshine?” Eddie asks, concerned. “You okay?”

“Sun-?” Steve chokes, chokes on the word, and his eyes are back on Eddie’s now, like he’s seeing him for the first time too. “Where’d that nickname come from?” 

“You, duh.” Eddie tells him, dropping down onto the couch, frowning when Steve does the same but sits farther apart than usual. 

Eddie doesn’t like that.

Fixes it but scooting close. 

Steve blushes.

Honest to God blushes, in a way Eddie’s Steve never really has before, because Eddie always saw Steve as someone who was incredibly smooth. 

“You’re my sunshine.” He adds, reaching out to fix the collar on Steve’s shirt. 

“I’m--” Steve pauses, emotions rioting all over his face before he sucks in a breath like a man drowning. “Okay. I have to uh, tell you something but before I do, can I…can I ask…”

He trails off and Eddie’s never seen this before, this weird sort of fragility, like Steve doesn’t understand what’s happening. 

Like he doesn’t understand the two of them.

“Anything.” Eddie tells him. Makes sure the honesty comes through his voice. “You can ask me anything.” 

Thinks on what could have possibly triggered this and quickly adds; 

“If you decided you don’t want to adopt anymore, you know that’s fine right?”

Steve’s eyes practically boggle out of his head. The look he gives Eddie is wild, his breath catching in his chest.

“Kids? You want kids?” He asks, voice quiet. Stunned.

“Well yeah, we haven’t spent the last four months talking about puppies.” Eddie snorts, poking at him, before slowly reaching down and grabbing Steve’s hand. 

“If you wanna start with the puppy first though that’s okay. It’s a big step not having the house to ourselves anymore.” 

Steve’s eyes have trailed from Eddie’s to their joined hands and back, but he doesn’t let go. 

“That’s not what I was going to ask but that’s--I never thought--I thought you liked being metal.” He sounds kinda wet, almost close to tears and Eddie frowns again.

“Sweetheart I am metal.” He teases gently. “But I told you before. That kind of life just didn’t compare to the one I get to have with you.” 

He brings their hands up, slowly, keeping eye contact with Steve as he leans down and presses his lips to their joined hands. 

“Is that what this is about? The kids?” Eddie prods gently.

Steve sucks in a breath again at the word ‘kids’ but shakes his head. “Why me?”

“What?”

“You could have anyone you wanted in here, and you picked me.” Steve gestures at the house with his free hand, as if that entire sentence somehow made sense. “We barely even know each other so--why me?”

Before Eddie can even process that, Steve quietly adds, “God there’s even the stupid gum I like on the table. How did you know about that?” 

“Dustin told me you liked them at a Hellfire meeting, way back when.” Eddie answers, because that ones easy at least. “And you--you know this, Stevie. I’ve always liked you.” 

He grins, leaning into Steve’s face in a way that has him blushing again. “Might have acted like an ass back in the day, because well, the town gay crushing on the local golden boy is just sooo cliche,” He rolls his eyes playfully, elongating his o’s and enjoys the tiny smile he gets for it. 

“but the more time I spent with you during that whole Vecna thing, the more time I kept thinking to myself that Nancy Wheeler was a moron. And that if I ever got to move out of Hawkins and actually date, then I wanted to be in a relationship with someone like you.” 

Steve does the weirdest thing then. 

Pulls their hands back to himself and bows his head over it, pressing their joined fingers to his forehead. 

“God Munson, you know how to seduce a guy.” He says after a second, refusing to move, to look Eddie in the face. 

“Only guy I’m hoping to seduce is you~!” Eddie sing-songs, before giving in to his own desire and giving Steve a kiss on the top of his perfect hair. 

“Yeah, well, you succeeded, I think.” Steve tells him with a laugh, and it still sounds wet, like he’s seconds from bursting into tears, but there’s something else wound up in there too. 

Eddie thinks it might be wonder, but isn’t sure--which is odd, because when it comes to Steve he’s always been sure. 

Steve’s like a fairy tale prince to him. An open book that's easy to read. 

To not know what he wants, what he needs, is--weird. 

“I was going to ease into this, but I’m not sure you’re gonna be happy with anything else I have to say now, so.” Steve finally sits back up, and fuck, he does have tears in his eyes. “Just--let me talk, okay?” 

Eddie reaches out, wiping at the one that escapes and tracks down Steve’s cheeks. 

“I don’t have to always be happy with you to hear you out.” Eddie tells him sweetly. “I will always hear you out.” 

Steve shakes his head, like he can’t believe anything that’s happened in the last ten minutes, and moans what Eddie is pretty sure is a quiet “Oh my God.” but bravely plunges ahead.

At which point Eddie promptly decides Steve was absolutely right on the money about the not-liking thing, because he’s informed that:

He’s under Vecna’s curse.

He and Steve are not fake-married. 

They’re not even dating or involved with each other and that--surprise!-- ten years have not actually gone by. It’s actually only been about three weeks total. 

They also all thought he died, but Vecna somehow kept him alive, by getting some kind of Upside Down thing to galivant about in his body. 

“Kas helped me come here and I didn’t get it at first, why he would, but I get it now.” Steve tells him, refusing to let go of Eddie’s hand even when he kept trying to jerk it away. 

“No way.” Eddie shakes his head, as he had been shaking his head, because he was deep in denial. “No fucking way, man. This cannot be fake, I lived this, Steve!” 

“Look,” His partner (not his partner? Fuck!) sooths, once again pulling Eddie back down to the couch when he tries to spring to his feet, “I can’t, like, promise it’ll work out just like this did. I didn’t--fuck, I hadn’t actually really thought about dating men before about five minutes ago, but-,” 

Steve bites one of his lips before seeming to make a decision, firmly saying; 

“We can try for this, if you come back.” 

“How do I even go back, Steven!?” Eddie snips in return, this close to using Steve’s full government name and--wait, fuck, what is Steve’s full government name? He had it a minute ago, he had…he had…

“Kas said I had to get you to accept that this wasn’t real, and then you have to walk through the door with me. Not sure he meant the physical door but,” Steve shrugs, “It’s a start.” 

“If you and I never--if we didn’t,” Eddie is stumbling, grasping for memories that are suddenly leaving him, crumbling like sandcastles kicked over. “Why would you even want me, man?”

Why would the Steve of old, the one who hadn’t had that critical moment (what moment? Eddie had it a second ago and now it was lost too--) who hadn’t gone out on those dates (why couldn’t he recall the dates now? The--there was a stuffed bear, wasn’t there? Or was it a tiger? A llama? No…) want to be with Eddie? 

Steve’s on his feet, and tugging at Eddie to follow. 

“Look at what you built, for me. For us.” He says. “I know I’m stupid Eddie, but I’m not this stupid. This is--” He pauses.

Casts his eyes around before letting them find Eddie once again. “This is amazing.” 

“You’re not stupid.” Eddie protests, free hand tugging at his hair because Steve is still refusing to let go of his other one. “You know I hate it when you call yourself that.”

“You do?” 

“Yes!” Eddie’s not breaking down, he’s not!--Except he sort of is and oh God, this is fake, isn’t it? 

Even the house is starting to look a little dreamy, too perfect, too plastic…

“No one’s ever hated that for me. They just agreed. Even--” Steve pauses, before plowing ahead, “even Robin, sometimes, does it and she’s like, my best friend, Eds.” 

“So!?” 

“So maybe my sexuality wasn’t as firm as I thought it was five minutes ago. Maybe I’m just a slut for people putting in effort. Either way,” He’s tugging at Eddie again, trying to get him to walk through the front door. “What I really need is for you to come back.” 

“Fine, fine, but if this is true Steve and you decide otherwise I don’t want to fucking hear a word about this, okay? I don’t need to hear how stupid I was for--for playing house!”

“I want to play house Eddie. I apparently want to play it with you. Now,” They’re almost there, Steve’s hand on the knob, twisting the door open, “Come on. Come back with me.”

“Okay.” Eddie says, six million emotions flowing through him and yet he’s unable to name a single one he’s so strung out. “Okay.” 

Together they step through. 

(“You have to promise me, Steve, that no matter what you see, you’ll take care of him.”

“That’s a damn weird thing to hear from the parasite that's taken over his body, Kas.” 

“Promise me anyway, you stupid fucking human. Eddie is--he’s…I can’t let him come back to you if you’re going to throw him away.”

“I,” And Steve is standing tall, a snarl on his face and voice sharp, “would never throw him away.” 

“Even if he wants you? Even if he thinks he has you?”

“Eddie does have me, dipshit. Now let me in so I can get him back.”)  

“Eddie?” Someone asks distantly. 

Eddie thinks it's Steve, but he can’t tell because he’s face down in what feels like dirt, and also his entire body hurts. 

“Yeah?” He answers with a groan, cautiously rolling over onto his back.

God why does it feel like he went ten rounds in a mosh pit? 

A shadow falls over him and he blinks, looking up dumbly to see Steve’s face. 

Squeezes his eyes back shut, moaning as the light tries to immediately give him a headache. 

“Are you back?”

“From what?” He says, as his brain tries to catch up with his body.

“With me? Kas isn’t uh--there? Anymore?” 

“Who the fuck is Kas?” Eddie asks, before everything fucking hits him at once. 

His eyes shoot back open and he sits up with a horrified gasp. 

Nearly smacks Steve in the head as he does it, hands scrabbling at the dirt, then at his chest. 

Steve, and kids and puppies and fake, fake, it was all fake--

“Who's Luke’s father in the Star War?” 

“Star Wars, Steve, there’s an S.” Eddie snaps, the question something to focus on amidst all his panic. “ And Darth Vader is.” 

Steve’s kneeling in the dirt, one hand in his hair and the other outstretched, like he’d tried to touch Eddie and stopped himself.

“Good. That’s--that’s good.” He says cautiously. 

The look on his face is…

Distantly, Eddie realizes he’s about to puke.

He sucks down a breath, suppresses it. 

“Was I actually trapped?” Eddie starts after a long, painful moment. “In Vecna’s curse?”

Steve nods so fast he might as well have been a bobblehead. 

“Yeah man, you were.” 

“Okay.” Eddie feels the panic start to gnaw at him again, but keeps it at bay because maybe, just maybe, Steve experienced something different. Didn’t say things about playing house and get kissed and all that embarrassing shit. “You--came and got me, right?”

Steve’s nodding again. 

“What did you see?” Eddie’s voice is rising impossibly high, and he can feel how red his face is getting, and the stupid shirt he’s wearing feels like it hasn’t been washed in a decade and it’s low-key driving him crazy with how stiff it is, and--

“Steve, get away from him!” Someone shrieks.

“It’s Eddie!” Steve calls back, throwing a hand up like he’s a wizard trying to cast a spell. “It’s not Kas, Robs, it’s Eddie!” 

There’s a loud noise, the cocking of a weapon that makes Eddie flinch. 

Nancy Wheeler has a shotgun pointed right at him, Robin hovering next to her.

“Prove it.” she says coldly. 

“I can.” Steve calls back, before turning his attention back to Eddie, still crouched in the dirt because Eddie’s still sprawled out. 

If Nancy wants to shoot him, she has him dead to rights. 

“Come on, Eds.” Steve says, and his voice is gentling, echoing a tone Eddie has heard a thousand times in his memories. “I wasn’t kidding about giving it a shot and I really liked that nickname you gave me.”

“Sunshine?” Eddie blurts out, because his mouth and his brain have never, ever synced up right, and decides to just trot out that he knows exactly what Steve is referencing. No playing coy, no pretending he has no idea and forcing Steve to pick something that doesn’t out him to the world. 

A smile breaks across Steve’s face. “Yeah. Sunshine. Come here, I didn’t get to kiss you back the first time.” 

It’s fucking emberassing how fast Eddie is scrambling to his knees, how he doesn’t care that Nancy is lowering the gun with a raise of her eyebrows, or how Robin’s saying something, he doesn’t know what, because he needs this right now, when things are still blurred together. 

He needs Steve. 

Flings himself at him, and finds himself caught as Steve hauls him close. 

Kisses him and of all the things Steve had said, this was all the proof Eddie needed that the world he’d lived in was fake.

This kiss was far superior to all of the rest. 

(“I’m really happy for you guys, but can you like, stop making out in front of us!?” Robin yells sometime later.

Steve flips her off.) 

[gr3yearl]

Eddie stands at the bar, sipping at the whisky in his glass, eyes flickering over the crush of bodies and dark mahogany. He's at a premier party at TIFF, doesn't remember what movie it's for, is supposed to "mingle" according to his agent. And sure, he's charismatic, got a big personality and a loud mouth, but he's not good at networking; resents having to perform when he's not playing a role. Resents it more that he's an Oscar nominated actor, that his work doesn't stand for itself.

And then there's the Steve Harrington of it all. Heartthrob. America's Sweetheart. The boy next door. He's across the room, deep in conversation, but his eyes--they keep finding Eddie, scanning him with unmistakable heat.

They starred in a movie called Dying on the Pass. Played life-long best friends who became elite chefs and opened a restaurant together. The movie follows the dissolution of their friendship as the stresses of pursuing a Michelin Star drive them apart. It was a critical and commercial hit, cue awards noms, and offers pouring in, and--

Steve Harrington is his bed.

They promised, when filming wrapped. They swore it was the last time. They promised--

They basically shared a hotel room during awards season, woke up tangled together every morning.

They spent a torrid weekend in Atlanta after Steve wrapped on a Netflix action movie.

Six months after, they had a quick, furious fuck in the bathroom at a club in London.

Dangerous, stupid, but no one caught them. And here Steve is in Toronto, surrounded by press, staring at Eddie like he wants to eat him.

Eddie tries to ignore it. But every time their eyes meet, warmth pools low in his abdomen, and he wants.

They meet up eventually, pose for a couple of pictures, Eddie trying to ignore the way his skin tingles everywhere that Steve touches. Steve slings an arm around his waist, lets it linger.

After, Eddie goes out for a smoke, the patio blissfully deserted. He's half way through his cigarette when Steve steps out the sliding door, wrapping his hands in Eddie's hair, pulling him into a kiss. The cigarette drops as he grips onto the other man, a whimper slipping from his lips.

He should stop this, they're outside, anyone could see, and Steve isn't out--isn't--he's straight to the entire world, the straightest man alive. And Eddie, he's open about his preferences, identifies as queer, though lately he's been more interested in men--in one man, specifically-- and Steve isn't out, isn't ready to be and--

"Come back to my room?" Steve asks. Their mouths are still pressed together.

"Uh-huh," Eddie answers.

Steve whispers his room number before disappearing back inside. They're in the same hotel, on the same floor, like the universe wants them to keep hooking up. But Steve is being reckless.

Eddie goes to Steve that night with every intention of telling him they need to stop, to slow down, that they're going to get caught and he knows Steve isn't ready, but he doesn't. He doesn't that night and he doesn't two months later when they bump into each other in Venice, or four months after that in New York, or--or --or

It's dangerous, impulsive, too many close calls for them to keep it up and then--and then he's at a house party in the hills, an industry thing, the host is a wannabe big shot producer trying to get in good with the Hollywood elite. Steve is out of town. In Europe filming or maybe Australia for some event or--

Striding through the party, eyes locked on Eddie, and they're in a hallway, in a hallway where anyone could see them, but Steve is kissing him. They're kissing and it's rough and possessive and it stings.

Steve pushes him through double-doors, to the room at their backs, and Eddie wants to protest, to remind him they don't know if it's empty. But Steve is tugging the tie out of Eddie's hair, digging this hands into the now loose curls, and Eddie whines, lets himself be lead.

He's pushed against a table, and in the weak light from the windows, he realizes they're in the dining room. Steve grinds against him, muttering, "missed you so much, baby. God, it's been too long. Need you so bad."

Eddie moans, shifting to press more against Steve. "Missed you too, sweetheart, fuck."

They're kissing and Eddie's high on it, on Steve, can't get enough.

There's a loud burst of laughter outside the door, and reality smashes back into focus.

"Stop," he whispers to Steve.

Steve does in an instant, stepping back. Even in the darkness, Eddie sees the confusion and hurt mingling in the squint of his eyes, his light frown.

"Steve we--this is dangerous. There are people everywhere. Anyone could come in. There's a TMZ guy here, and we--need to be careful."

"Fuck," Steve breathes. "Eddie I--fuck." He presses his hand over his mouth, eyes squeezed shut. "I can't get enough of you, man. Whenever I see you I just--I don't think--I see you and I want you so bad it hurts. Once every few months isn't enough. Hookups aren't enough. And I know that's not what we agreed to, and--"

"Steve," Eddie gently cuts him off. "I'm crazy about you. It hasn't been hookups for me for--" ever, it had never been, but he shakes his head instead of saying that. "But we've been reckless, sweetheart, and I don't want to see you hurt."

"It's not fair to you, though, right? Hiding and sneaking around with me."

"You need time, Steve. You deserve to come out on your terms, when you're ready. And if that means we're not public for a while, then we're not."

"What if I'm never ready?" He whispers. It breaks Eddie's heart, but it's a fair question for a man who got famous as an angelic child star in a series of fantasy-adventure movies before playing a quarterback with a heart-of-gold on the CW for seven seasons. He's always kept up a squeaky clean image, never in trouble, name rarely in the tabloids.

"Then we'll deal with it together."

"Okay," Steve whispers. A smile spreads slow across his face. "I'd like that."

--

Steve Harrington and Eddie Munson are seen around town together often. Getting lunch, at parties, shopping. In an interview Steve says that Eddie's his best friend, they do everything together. There's speculation online, of course, but it's pretty quiet. So, they go to premiers and award shows and events together.

A year goes by and it's easy, light, fun. They're in love.

Eddie's messing around on his guitar, not with any intent just for the joy of it. He's on the loveseat in the office of their apartment--their apartment. Steve is in the kitchen, he thinks, or puttering in the garden.

They haven't talked about Steve coming out; haven't needed to.

"Hey," Steve says from the doorway. Eddie jumps.

"Hey yourself."

"It's Bi Visibility day."

"Is it now?" He's not sure where this is going

"I want to come out."

He puts the guitar down. "You sure?"

Steve nods. He doesn't seem nervous, just calm and steady.

"How do you want to do it?"

He crosses the room, climbing onto Eddie's lap, making Eddie laugh. "Works for me." Eddie gives Steve's ass a playful squeeze.

They start kissing then, Steve snapping pics on his phone randomly as they make out.

Steve won't let Eddie peak as he crafts his Insta post, not until it's done and live for his 15 million followers.

The picture he picked, it's a soft kiss, mouths open but lips only just brushing, noses pressed together in a sweet little bump. But the thing about, the thing that makes Eddie's stomach swoop, is the way they're both smiling, the way it's obvious just how in love they are.

Steve's captioned it with the words "Witness Me" and the bi flag.

He pulls his boy into another kiss, says, "Hey,"

"Hmm?" Steve doesn't pull away.

"Wanna go be visibly bisexual with me in the bedroom?"

Steve hops off his lap, strides across the room, turning to flash Eddie a devious smile. "Thought you'd never ask."

[gr3yearl]

im not thrilled on the whole ‘having a vagina’ concept but i must accept that this is a gift god gives to the boys he knows will have the most constant and embarassing boners. at least im given some peace in this life