#steve‚ gareth‚ and chrissy are cousins au

[strangersteddierthings]

Steve, Gareth and Chrissy are cousins AU (sad edition) [prologue] [part 1] [part 2] [part 3] [part 4] [part 5] [Part 6] [Part 7] [Final Part]

The saving grace for Steve here is that all eyes are on Eddie, so no one witnesses how he freezes, just for a moment, when Eddie tells them who the 'she' is he's been referring to. How he just wanted to help her. Help Chrissy. Whatever Eddie has been saying has turned to buzzing, to white noise, to nonsense in the background of his mind.

He has to be wrong. Mistaking some other girl for Chrissy. Because it can't be Chrissy. It can't. Steve has worked so hard to keep his family away from the Upside Down shit. She couldn't be- there's no way she somehow got caught up in it. There's too many questions and not enough answers and when did the air get too thick to fit in his lungs?

Does Gareth know?

Gareth, who Steve knows is one of Eddie's friends and here Eddie sits before him, a witness to Upside Down shit. A witness to a murder they have no clue how to solve. Gareth, who isn't exactly friends with Mike, Dustin, and Lucas, but who is in the same club as them and on friendly terms. That's too many people connected to the Upside Down in Gareth's personal circle for Steve to be okay with.

He thought this was done. That they wouldn't ever have to deal with this shit again.

Eddie is still talking as the pounding in Steve's ears fades and he listens as Eddie swears, he just wanted to help, that she seemed so freaked out by something, and Steve's insides twist and churn. Why hadn't Chrissy come to him? Just last week he was at her house, hanging out and catching up. She never mentioned an issue. A problem. Something that would cause her to seek out heavier drugs than weed.

They used to tell each other everything. What changed?

His stomach drops as the answer comes to him.

He did.

He'd changed. He started keeping secrets first. Pushed Chrissy and Gareth away after that first incident and hadn't really started to let them back in until after Starcourt. He'd just wanted to keep them safe. Keep them as far away from this horror as possible. He'd ended the weekend sleepovers because of his nightmares, stopped inviting them over to hang out by the pool because he can't look at it without thinking about Barb, started avoiding them at school when he'd ended up beat to shit by Billy because he knew they'd dig for more answers than he could give.

No wonder Chrissy didn't tell him anything was wrong.

There's no way for Steve to know if he could have helped or not, even if Chrissy had talked to him. Eddie doesn't have answers; just a story.

Steve hates him a little bit. It's irrational. Eddie didn't do this Chrissy, (even if he had been arguing that point at Family Video) but it doesn't stop the anger inside him from boiling up. He doesn't act on it, of course he doesn't, he's not that person anymore.

Plus, acting on it would kind of negate everything Dustin just convinced Eddie of, such as he's not crazy and they do believe him, and Steve's not about to undo what Dustin's accomplished by taking Eddie by the vest and shoving him against the wall in a reverse of earlier. It wouldn't do any good, not now that they're all sure it's a new, unknown threat from the Upside Down that they'll have to figure out on their own.

No. Taking his anger out on Eddie won't solve anything.

He can be mad about this later.

It does sit heavy on him, though, that he doesn't think anyone in this boathouse knows Chrissy was his cousin. That the Upside Down has taken someone from Steve this time. He can't tell them. Robin wouldn't take it well, and Dustin might not either. They'll be sad for him, and he can't handle that right now.

He can mourn later.

-

Remember the fun lil fic of Gareth not wanting his cousins, Chrissy Cunningham and Steve Harrington, to ruin his street cred in high school? Well, the fun is done. Have some angst. More parts will follow but it's not really a fic? Just... disjointed scenes, rewritten from canon to fit the cousin AU.

#steve harrington #chrissy cunningham #gareth #gareth cunningham (in this au) #steve‚ gareth‚ and chrissy are cousins au #canon divergent au #kinda #my fic

[rottenaero]

And also, the reasons behind each pairing

1.Steve, Max, and Will-

C’mon, have you SEEN the SASS? I guess one could argue Dustin should also be here, but his sass™️ is reserved for his brothers. Also, imagine the gossip sessions, like Will ranting about anything and Max and Steve absolutely cheering him on because he is 100% in the right.

2.Eddie, Robin, and Will-

Queer in a small town, Barb could also probably be in this group. They all bash each-other’s crushes until Robin wants to date Nancy, and Eddie starts liking Steve. Will would absolutely still be trashed for his crush on Mike. Robin would still bash on Eddie like have you seen that man? He’ll watch the same movie on repeat until he has to being it back.

Eddie just sighs and is like, I know, he’s great.

3.Nancy, Chrissy,Barb, and Robin-

Barb and Chrissy absolutely needed more screentime!! They were both so aghhh<33 They all kinda band together to do sleepovers and stuff, sometimes El and Max are invited when they aren’t doing their own thing. I just really like the characters.

4.Steve and Gareth-

Okay guys, have you seen that Steve and Gareth cousin au??(Someone please tell me the creator so I can credit them) Steve having another extravagant handshake for Gareth and Gareth always gushing about his cool older cousin to hellfire who is just like uh-huh sure Gareth.

I know theres the idea that Gareth would despise Steve, but also Gareth inviting Steve to hellfire after he got dethroned because Steve was there for his tough times so why can’t he be there for his?

5.Holly, Erica, and Steve-

Lets take babysitter!Steve to the MAX. All the parent call him when their younger kids need to be watched, he watches Holly for the Wheelers all the time to the point where he’s her brother, and she pretends to forget Mike’s name for like a week.

Erica insists only Steve can watch her, because he’s the only one who lets her watch My Little Pony without judging her or treating her like a baby, also because he starts getting into the show. Sometimes Tina and the rest of Erica’s friends come over and rope him into letting them paint his nails. Random days Steve will show up to Erica’s school with some McDonalds for her.

6.Murray and Alexei-

Self-explanatory because c’mon, really?

7.Steve, Will, and El-

Steve ADORES the Byers siblings, they say thank you when he does stuff for them, they are usually never the source of trouble when they go out.

Sometimes Will will just be so nice that it makes Steve feel bad for what he told Jonathan in s1 before their fight, because nobody in the Byers family is a screw-up except Lonnie, who was just a giant douche and a terrible father.

The only thing Steve dislikes about them is their respective crushes on Mike, because are you serious? He’s well on his way to becoming the next town Keith.

8.El and Max-

Also pretty self explanatory, El needs a better role model than Mike, and Max being overwhelmingly confident in every decision helps. Max also tries to make sure El doesn’t push herself to hard. Oh your head hurts? Lets get you some juice, we have this new flavor you’d like. You don’t feel good? Lets take a break. You scrapped your knee? I have a first aid kit somewhere…

Etc etc, Max just always making sure El feels comfortable.

#I NEED more will max and steve friendship ficlets/fics #try to guess who my favorite character is from this #or characters #just guess #stranger things #steve harrington #will byers #robin buckley #nancy wheeler #steddie #ronance #byler #barbara holland #chrissy cunningham #max mayfield #murray bauman #el hopper #jane hopper #erica sinclair #alexei #eddie munson #st4 #st1 #st2 #st3 #stranger things polls #love these dorks #crisisinverted17

[ao3feed-steve-eddie]

by alittleoff

This lil thought experiment/ficlet explores what might have changed in the show if Steve, Chrissy, and Gareth are cousins.

Words: 2171, Chapters: 1/7, Language: English

Series: Part 2 of Steve, Chrissy, and Gareth are Cousins

Fandoms: Stranger Things (TV 2016)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: Gen

Characters: Steve Harrington, Gareth (Stranger Things), Eddie Munson, Robin Buckley, Nancy Wheeler, The Party - Character, (I am not listing them all just know they're here), Wayne Munson

Relationships: Steve Harrington & Gareth, Steve Harrington & The Party, Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington, Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson

Additional Tags: Steve Harrington & Chrissy Cunningham & Gareth are Cousins, this is a s4 exploration of what might have happened if they were related, Canon-Typical Violence, Scene Re-Writes, Steve Harrington Has a Crush on Eddie Munson, and refuses to admit it, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Not Beta Read

Read on Ao3

#steddie #steve x eddie #stranger things #steve harrington #eddie munson #steddie fic #ao3feed

[saltyseagoat83]

WIP GAME

RULES: Post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it! and then tag as many people as you have WIPs.

Tagged by @purplehazed-h. Sorry it took so long for me to reply, dearest. <3

Most of my WIPs are Stranger Things related but I have a couple of others going

Holding Out For A Hero [Steve Harrington/plus size OC lady - Robin's cousin]

The Unnamed Feeling [Billy Hargrove/ plus size OC lady]

Life Is Ours, We Live It Our Way [Eddie Munson/Nancy Wheeler]

Extroverts and Introverts [Eddie Munson/plus size OC lady]

I Think I Dreamed You Into Life [Steve Harrington/OC lady - Hopper's niece, single mom]

Running Away, Running Toward [Eddie Munson/Chrissy Cunningham]

How It Should Have Been [Eddie Munson/Chrissy Cunningham AU with Chrissy's parents not being POS's]

Untitled Gareth/Eleven fic

Untitled Billy Hargrove/Chrissy Cunningham fic

Untitled Steve Harrington/Chrissy Cunningham fic

Untitled Jonathan Byers/OC besties fic

Untitled Henry Creel/OC lady fic

Untitled Yennefer/Jaskier fic [The Witcher]

Untitled Tolya/OC fic [Grishaverse]

Not sure I'll match the number, but here go the (as always, obligation-free) tags, and apologies for any duplicates: @munson-blurbs @ghost-proofbaby @hopsgirl @imyourdaninow @1lostsoul0fishbowl @pearlypairings @lavendermunson @wynnyfryd @acowardinmordor @chrrymunson @stalactitekilla @deathbecomesthem

#stranger things #the witcher #grishaverse #steve harrington #eddie munson #chrissy cunningham #billy hargrove #nancy wheeler

[strangersteddierthings]

Steve, Gareth and Chrissy are cousins AU (sad edition) [prologue] [part 1] [part 2] [part 3] [part 4] [part 5] [Part 6] [Part 7] [Final Part]

There is a voicemail on the answering machine when Steve gets home that night. It's from his Uncle Phillip, stumbling through a clumsy message about Chrissy's death, all while he can hear his Aunt Laura wailing in the background. He cuts the message off halfway, rewinding it for his parents to listen to when they return from wherever they've been. Whenever they return.

He picks up the phone, dials Gareth's number, and immediately hangs up before anyone can answer. This is a phone call that needs to wait. Even though all of Steve is itching to reach out to the family that still matters to him, he can't. He can't offer comfort or kind words or even offer to just be there. He's got the Upside Down to deal with first.

The Upside Down has returned and they don't have El and her powers. They don't have Hopper or Joyce. What they have is Steve. Steve is the only adult left in Hawkins that knows anything. It's his job to protect them all, somehow. Someway.

He's the adult.

Fuck. He can't think about this anymore tonight. He's so fucking tired. Instead of climbing the stairs to his room, he flops onto the couch in the living room, falling quickly into sleep plagued by nightmares.

Meanwhile, across town, Gareth has finally pried himself free of his mother's grip and slunk to his room. He flops on his bed and rolls to stare up at the ceiling.

He feels numb.

Chrissy is- she was- and in his best friend's house. And now Eddie is missing. What if whoever killed Chrissy kidnapped Eddie? Is something worse going to happen to Eddie?

And his mom and dad. They wouldn't say it to his face, but he can tell they blame Eddie. Maybe not blame, as in think he's the murderer, but certainly blame, in that, they think it's his fault Chrissy's dead. That whoever murdered Chrissy was really out to murder Eddie and Chrissy was an innocent bystander turned victim.

When his uncle called with the news it was unbelievable. His parents had seen the news, knew about the murder, but the police hadn't stated a name yet. He'd been asked so many questions, mostly about who Eddie knew that could have been over, but Gareth didn't have answers. Eddie hadn't mentioned anyone that was going to go to his house.

The police didn't take long actually identifying Chrissy, because they're reached out to next of kin and then Uncle Phillip had called, spoken to his dad and it's-

Well, it's all unbelievable. Hawkins has always been so dull and boring. Nothing happens here! Well, beyond that time the Byers kid went missing, then was dead but then not or whatever. And the fire at the brand-new mall but that was an accident, so even though a lot of people died, it was- it wasn't a murder.

Eddie is missing.

Chrissy is dead.

And Gareth is here, finally alone, in his room. His parents hadn't let him out of their sight since the phone call, and he can't really blame them. The death of someone in a family always makes his parents cling tighter to him but never before has the person who's passed been younger than his parents. He's been to the funeral for an uncle on his mom's side, which was her older brother, as well as for both his grandparents on his father's side.

Steve's side, he thinks. He knows Chrissy's dad called Steve's house, but his aunt and uncle probably aren't even in town. They barely were when Steve was a minor. Now that they can legally abandon him, they probably won't hear about Chrissy until Thanksgiving.

Jesus. Is Steve doing okay with the news? He knows he's got a best friend who stays more nights than not but are they there now, or is Steve alone?

Tears build in his eyes again as he thinks about when they were all younger, each just a year apart in school but all each other's first best friend. It used to be Steve, Chrissy, and himself against the world. Why had that changed?

Oh.

He knows. He changed it, heading into his freshman year. He told them he didn't want to hang out with them in high school.

And now Chrissy's dead and he realizes he no longer knows her -knew her- well enough to know why she'd be at Eddie's. Were they friend? Was Eddie her dealer? Did Chrissy even smoke weed? He knew she was dating Jason Carver but- was she also into Eddie? Chrissy had never seemed the kind of person to cheat, but what did Gareth actually know about her at the end of the day?

At the end of her life?

He rolls onto his side and sobs, curling into himself with all these unanswered questions running through his mind until he cries himself to sleep.

Steve has been awake for maybe ten minutes before Dustin is calling. The Upside Down waits for no man, so Steve finds himself picking up Dustin, Robin, and Max, and then they go to Cerebro to eavesdrop on the police.

Dustin talks him into handing his wallet over so he can run into the store and buy Eddie something for breakfast.

They deliver bad news to Eddie, follow a police car, meet up with Nancy, Robin and Nancy go to the library, he drives Max and Dustin first to Ms. Kelley's house, then the school. Once Robin and Nancy join them, Max fills them in on some depressing news before noises from the hallway draw their attention.

It turns out to be Lucas, here to warn about Jason.

Steve isn't meaning to eavesdrop when Lucas saddles up next to Dustin on the way to Steve's car and says, "Jason. He, uh, he went to Gareth's. Looking for Eddie. And he. Did you know Gareth and Chrissy Cunningham were cousins?"

Steve stumbles but if anyone noticed they don't call him on it.

Dustin says, "no. Oh, no. Don't tell me-"

"Yeah," Lucas confirms an unspoken question, "he's joined Jason's hunt for Eddie."

"Shit," Dustin and Steve say at the same time.

Unlike Steve, Gareth wakes late. It's almost noon before he drags himself from bed and to the bathroom.

A half hour later, he's clean and fed, and dialing Steve's number for the third time in a row, to get a third answering machine pickup.

"Answer the goddamn phone, Steve!" He snarls into the receiver this time, not having left messages the first two times. Just hung up and dialed again, then. "Have you heard about- I need you, so answer your fucking phone."

He slams the phone back into its cradle. His parents are still lost in their own fear and sorrow, because neither of them scold him for his language or the treatment of the phone.

He calls Jeff, and then Frankie, to cancel practice. They're worried but don't push when Gareth blames his mom. Then he spends another two hours trying to get a hold of Steve, and even Wayne a couple times, but no one answers.

He is surprised, and a little annoyed, when he mom comes to his room a bit later in the day to let him know he has guests at the door. He hauls himself from his bed, ready to tell the guys to fuck off, but when he steps outside to Chrissy's boyfriend instead of Jeff, the words die on his tongue.

Carver, some other guys from the basketball team, and Lucas Sinclair standing in the way back, are waiting for him on his lawn. Gareth closes the front door before slowly stepping off the porch. "Can I help you?"

"We're looking for Eddie. He here?" Carver asks.

"No."

Carver nods, hands shoved into his letterman lifting and dropping, like he was going to make a 'what can you do' gesture but forgot his hands were in his pockets. "Know where we can find him?"

They're looking for Eddie. This is -was- Chrissy's boyfriend. He probably knows the truth as much as Gareth does. And, he wants to know more. He's sure, judging by the tension in Carver's stance and how Lucas is shaking his head no behind them all, that Carver's probably convinced Eddie did it. So, if Gareth wants the truth, he needs to find Eddie, too. "You try Dustin Henderson's house?"

Carver looks surprised by the freely given information, and Lucas looks betrayed. "No. But we will. Thanks."

"I'm coming with."

Carver, who had turned away, turns back slowly. "You think so?"

"She's my cousin. Chrissy. So, yeah, I think I'm coming," Gareth hopes it's enough to get Carver to agree. If Eddie's innocent, Gareth wants to be there to help him. And if- if the fucking worst has happened and Eddie did it.

Well. He wants to be there to help with that, too.

#steve‚ gareth‚ and chrissy are cousins au #my fic #listen im not rewatching the show so if you see inconsistencies from canon events no you dont #canon proceeds almost as normal for steve here except for the worry for his cousin #canon also proceeds as normal for jason and gang just with a more people #you'll see what i mean when you read the ficlet

[strangersteddierthings]

Steve, Gareth and Chrissy are cousins AU (sad edition) [prologue] [part 1] [part 2] [part 3] [part 4] [part 5] [Part 6] [Part 7] [Final Part]

"So," Robin says after they clink their molotov cocktails together, "do we also get to talk about the whole cousin situation now?"

Steve looks across the field, where Eddie and Dustin are defending themselves from invisible enemies. Gareth and Lucas are swinging the finished spears at each other while Erica shakes her head at them, working on a third. It looks like Nancy is showing Max the proper way to hold a shotgun, which isn't nearly as bizarre as it probably should be.

"What's there to talk about?"

"Are you doing okay?" Robin asks.

Steve doesn't mean to making a scoffing noise. It just leaves his body involuntarily. "No. But I'm not the only one not doing okay. Now that we know Vecna doesn't have to do the whole weeklong build up to murder town, that he could get any of us, as any time and he's just being a sadistic bastard-"

"Steve. He'll take the bait. If nothing else, we have to believe that."

Steve looks from Max to Gareth, then back to Robin. "Yeah. Right."

Robin is quiet for a moment, before her eyes flick away and back to him again. "Do you want to talk to Gareth? He was... God, Steve, it was awful, hearing him scream for you. While Vecna was... Anyway, I know you two are like avoiding each other for whatever reason, but I think you can let go of whatever it was."

"I just wanted to keep them safe, Robbie," Steve swallows down the sob that wants to break free. "I never wanted them involved in this. I was so scared that I'd somehow infect them with the Upside Down that I just kept them away and it took Chrissy anyway. It-it-"

"It hasn't taken Gareth, though," Robin says softly, cutting Steve's spiral off. "It hasn't taken him. But he needs you. I think you need him, too. You should talk. Before we drop him at the Creel house. Because."

She doesn't finish, but that's fine. Steve knows what she's saying. They could die today. Any one of them. Chrissy died without Steve making it right. He'd started to work on hanging out with Chrissy again, but it was all surface level. He didn't even apologize. With Gareth he could justify, however shitty that was to do, that he was staying away because Gareth asked him to.

Chrissy hadn't asked for Steve to step out of her life. He'd done that himself in '83.

He can't do right by Chrissy anymore, but he can try with Gareth.

He stands and Robin gives his knee two solid pats before he walks away.

"Dustin, you piss off Steve somehow?" Eddie asks.

Gareth, in the middle of facing off with Lucas, pauses to look around, which gains him a light tap to his side by Lucas' spear. Sure enough, Steve is stalking their direction with a grim determination on his face.

"What, why am I the one getting the blame?" Dustin says, offended.

"It is usually you," Lucas adds, which earns him a squawk of indignation from Dustin, who shoots back, "he could be coming to lecture you for making Erica do all the spear making!"

Steve doesn't approach either boy, though.

"Hey, can we talk?" Steve asks once he comes to a stop in front of him.

"Got some end of the world regrets, Harrington?" Gareth says, trying to keep his voice lighter than he feels. He wants to tease Steve, not bully him.

He must succeed because Steve gives a chuckle and says, "I don't think we have time for all the end of the world regrets, so, uhh, just the one for now."

"We're cool, dude," Gareth says, eyes flicking from Steve to Eddie. The kids know, Gareth told them himself, but Eddie doesn't. "I started it."

"Yeah, but I graduated and still pretended you didn't exist. Which isn't what you asked for."

Gareth shrugs, because he doesn't know everything but he knows enough. Learned this isn't anyone else's (besides Eddie and his) first rodeo or whatever. That there have been other times, dating back to the year Will Byers was lost for a week. "Dude. Seriously. We're cool. You've been dealing with... whatever the fuck this is. So, just, like promise to be around more once we all survive this."

Steve looks pained but before he can reply, Eddie cuts in, "I'm sorry. How do you know each other?"

Gareth looks to Steve, who just shrugs as if to say your friend, you responsibility and honestly? Fuck Steve Harrington. Keeps traumatizing secrets and pushes Gareth away and also throws him to the wolves. Except, this is the secret Gareth has been keeping from Eddie. He sighs and turns to Eddie. "Well, uh, Steve's my cousin. We used to be super close before I started high school. Actually, Steve here is the reason I joined Hellfire!"

Eddie seems to go through all 7 stages of grief before settling into a confused. "I'm sorry. Steve talked you into joining Hellfire?"

"That is not what I did!" Steve defends himself.

"God no. He just went into great detail about how loud and obnoxious and attention-grabbing the current president was, as if that would make me want to not meet you for some reason."

"It was a warning!" Steve yelps at the same time Eddie sing-songs, "You think I'm attention-grabbing, Harrington?"

Dustin, Lucas, and Erica are all laughing at Steve has he tries to sputter through what he meant by attention-grabbing ("It's hard to not pay attention when he's shouting from the top of a lunch table!"), and Gareth just watches on, amused.

After they fight an... evil wizard? Vecna or whatever his name is. Once this is over, Gareth is going to sit Steve down and make him tell him everything, but that can wait.

He wants to watch Steve flounder trying to defend himself from the accusations of watching Eddie just a bit too much back in high school.

Later, as they all pack up and load up in the RV, Nancy stops Steve from entering the RV, ushering everyone past until Gareth and Steve are the only ones left outside.

"Are we acknowledging that you're cousins, now?" she asks.

"You knew!?" Steve sounds surprised. Gareth's surprised, too.

Nancy just rolls her eyes. "Steve, I've been to your house." When that just makes Steve look confused, she rolls her eyes and says, "there are family pictures covering almost every inch of your living room."

"Why didn't you say anything sooner?" Robin pipes in, appearing in the doorway with an angry expression.

"It wasn't really my thing to talk about, was it?"

"Yeah, but did you even check in with Steve? If you knew, and knew what happened to Chrissy- you didn't even ask if he wanted to go to the funeral!"

"Robin!" Steve hisses.

Nancy doesn't look upset by whatever accusation Robin seems to be trying to make. "If Steve wanted to go, he could have said something. We aren't his keepers. But, also," her gaze goes from Robin to Steve, "I didn't want to pry or seem pushy. I figured you'd tell us when you were ready."

Robin frowns but doesn't say anything else, disappearing back into the RV. Gareth gestures for Steve and Nancy to go first, and then he's closing and locking the door behind him before heading to sit by Eddie along the back bench seat. A bunch of shit has been piled there, so Gareth shoves it off the seat and to the floor. The pile of things ends up being a hazard and he almost brains himself while turning to sit down; something under his foot slides and Eddie saves him, yanking him to fall onto Eddie. After some fussing and laughter from those around, Gareth gets seated and looks down to see what almost killed him.

It's a phone book.

Eddie leans in close once they're back on the road to town to whisper, "so, you just let me go on all those rants about King Steve and never once thought to tell me you were related?"

Gareth just gives him his best impression of a King Steve smirk and says, "I would have hate to have deterred you from talking about your favorite school subject."

It's worth seeing the scandalized look on Eddie's face, even as the man socks him in the leg for the comment. "I hate you, man."

Gareth rubs his leg and says, "you don't mean that."

There's a long silence from Eddie after that before he says, "you're right. I don't mean that. And. Uh. In case I don't- in case it goes south down there but ends up fine up here, I just-"

"No," Gareth growls. "Fuck you, Eddie. We're going to be fine. All you gotta do is shred on your guitar and get the hell out. You're going to be fine."

"You didn't see the bats."

"Eddie."

"Fine. It's gonna be fine," Eddie agrees and falls silent.

Gareth frowns at that. Eddie must really be worried, to not argue back like he usually does. Gareth's worried, too, but what can he do?

He thinks about his mom. When did he last tell her he loves her? If they don't succeed tonight, will he get a chance to say it again? Will anyone get a chance to say it again?

Gareth looks down at the phone book at his feet.

"Wait, does anyone have change for a payphone?" Gareth asks from somewhere behind him. Steve turns in his seat to look into the back of the RV.

"Uh, yeah," Robin digs into her pockets, but then narrows her eyes at Gareth and asks, "wait. Who are you calling?"

"I have to let my mom know I'm alive. Just... hear my voice," Gareth says. "She needs to know I'm okay. It's already been too long since last we talked and... after Chrissy she was..."

Robin's face drops into the guiltiest look Steve's ever seen on her face and she produces her wallet, dropping the whole thing into Gareth's open hand. "Yeah, no. Sorry. There's still plenty of time for a phone call before the end of the world. You better return my wallet, Cunningham."

"I'm not going to rob you, Buckley," Gareth says before ducking out the RV with Max, Lucas, and Erica.

Steve tries not to let the guilt well up in him as they drive away. Gareth had wanted to come with Team Kill Vecna but Steve had quickly argued against that. He wasn't going to let Gareth anywhere near the Upside Down.

So it was decided. Max, Lucas, Erica, and Gareth at the Creel house, Dustin and Eddie on distraction, and Nancy, Robin, and Steve were going to face down Vecna.

There was still hours to go before they'd try, with a time set for 9:20ish, since that's the time Vecna's been enacting his curse according to Eddie's broken watch. Plenty of time to fortify Eddie's house in the Upside Down, plus the almost 40 minute walk to the Creel house from Forest Hills.

This was going to work. It had to.

Max and Lucas opt for hiding around the back of the house, waiting for time to pass until it's closer to dark, and Erica said she was going to snoop around the abandoned playground, so Gareth decided to head to the payphone a couple of blocks down the street.

He makes it halfway there before Erica scares the shit out of him by saying, "why do you need a phone book?"

Gareth yelps and spins, stupidly trying to hid the book behind his back even though he knows she already saw it. "I- uh, no. No reason."

Erica eyes him and he's suddenly very aware of whatever Eddie saw in her that night at Hellfire, that let her join the club. She's pretty scary for a middle schooler. "Do I look stupid? Who are you calling." It's not a question. It's a demand.

"I'm going to try and get a hold of Eddie's uncle," Gareth answers, trying to sound like an authority figure. "Tell him he'll find Eddie at his home at eight tonight. I know you all are so used to not telling people but this is- we need a real adult and Wayne's an army vet. He'll know how to help. He'll want to help."

She purses her lips, stays quiet for a moment before she nods. "I'm usually surrounded by stupid people, but you're kind of not one. I've got more change if you need it."

Gareth calls the plant and asks to speak to Wayne Munson. It's a bit of back and forth before the secretary agrees, but only if Wayne agrees to speak to a Gareth Cunningham. The plant must be getting calls from angry locals.

"Are ya really Gareth, or are ya just wantin' ta yell at me for helpin' raise the devil incarnate?" Wayne sounds tired and Gareth feels bad for him.

"Eddie would love for you to call him that to his face when you see him again."

"Thank God, son," Wayne sounds relieved. He must recognize Gareth's voice. "Ya okay? No one's harrassin' ya, are they?"

"No. Listen Wayne, I'm going to say something crazy but please just listen and do your best to be casual. I know where Eddie is. Or, where he will be at eight tonight. He's.... not physically hurt but he's going to need you. He might hate me for telling you this but I had to."

There is a pause where all he hears through the phone is a long inhale followed by a slow exhale. "Mmm hmm. I appreciate yer concern and glad ta hear no one's botherin' ya just for knowin' Eddie."

Gareth is only confused for a moment before he realizes Wayne is trying to make this conversation sound routine from his end. "Just. He's going home. But please don't show up until after eight. If you... if you beat him home he might run. Try to keep you out of this, y'know?" Gareth is just lying now, but he's a teenage boy in a garage band that plays in a dingy bar at the edge of town. That is to say, he knows how to lie off the cuff.

"I read ya loud and clear. I'll let ya know as soon as Eddie's been found safe so ya can quit worryin'. I gotta get back to it, but thanks for reachin' out."

Gareth hangs up and looks to Erica. "Well. Let's hope I haven't ruined everything."

"Let's hope that you know Wayne as well as you think you do."

#steve‚ gareth‚ and chrissy are cousins au #my fic #everyone is like “wE cAnT tElL aNyOnE wHaT wE aRe DoInG” and gareth is like “i think u are all stupid and also i havent signed an nda and #i know what my best friend looks like when he needs support and since yall wont let ME go with to kill vecna for revenge for chrissy #(thanks no thanks STEVE) im going to sick eddie's uncle on you" and i think that's very smart of him #gareth has zero issues asking for help when he thinks everyone he loves could DIE

[strangersteddierthings]

Steve, Gareth and Chrissy are cousins AU (sad edition) [prologue] [part 1] [part 2] [part 3] [part 4] [part 5] [Part 6] [Part 7] [Final Part]

"So," Dustin starts as he falls into step with Gareth, "you were pretty interested in Steve's whereabouts earlier. What's up with that?"

Gareth debates not answering at all. Just ignoring Dustin until he jogged to catch back up to Lucas and Max. That's rude, though, and he has no reason to be rude to Dustin. The thing he has to decide is how honest is he going be? "Just thought he'd be at Chrissy's funeral and he wasn't."

"I wasn't either, but you didn't shove me."

"Should I shove you now to make up for it?"

Dustin glares at him before it morphs into a frown and he mutters, more to himself than Gareth, "the storm comes, and now all friends should gather together, lest each singly be destroyed."

"What- are you quoting Lord of the Rings to me? That's-"

"What, no, I'm quoting it to myself. Were Steve and you friends once?"

This kid is way to observant. Truth it is. "Uh, yeah. But also, he's my cousin."

Dustin processes this, if the silence that follows is anything to go by. "Wait. Like your cousin but- on whose side?"

"If you're asking if Chrissy is -was- also his cousin, the answer's yes. My dad, Chrissy's dad, and Steve's mom are siblings," Gareth spells it out, and hears a gasp from ahead of them. Looking forward reveals the distance between their two little groups has vanished, as Lucas and Max are mere steps away and stopped. Eavesdropping, apparently. Max whips around to look at him with the first expression he's seen on her face since they met at Skull Rock. He's a little impressed that she can look pissed off and concerned at the same time.

"Are you telling the truth?" she demands.

"Why would I lie?" Gareth says. "Ask Steve after we rescue him if you don't believe me."

The kids exchange looks that he can't decipher. Max jams the headphones back onto her head and turns on her heel, marching onward. The three boys have no choice but to follow.

"You've been worried for Eddie and Steve, haven't you?" Lucas asks.

"Yeah," Gareth says truthfully. He's been on just this side of freaked the fuck out since yesterday, but learning his best friend and his cousin were in the alternate dimension has done nothing to calm that. He's going to strangle them both when he sees them again. For stressing him out this much.

Steve has never been happier to see Dustin than he is now, standing in the Upside Down version of the Munson trailer, looking down at him. Up at him? He doesn't want to think on that too much.

The kids haul Eddie's mattress from his room to below the gate and make a rope of sheets, and soon enough Eddie is volunteering to go first. Steve watches, almost afraid that this easy escape is almost too easy, but Eddie lands on his mattress, looking startled before a wide smile breaks across his face. Eddie should smile more. Happy is a good look on him.

Before Steve can really have to process that thought, Gareth is helping Eddie up and Robin is asking for Steve's assistance to go next.

He watches her land before turning to Nancy. "You're turn."

Nancy's got a look on her face Steve hasn't seen in a long time. It's mischievous, almost teasing. She hasn't looked at him like that since before Barb died. "Steve Harrington. Who would have thought?"

"What?" Steve asks, confused.

"Eddie says one nice thing to you and you can't take your eyes off him?" Nancy says, using the same fake tone of surprise and shock that Carol used to use when she was making fun of someone.

"I don't know what you're talking about but we gotta go. Come on," he gestures for her to step closer, but she just smiles, almost too wide.

"Don't think I didn't notice," Eddie shouts from above him. Steve whips his head back to look up. Eddie, Robin, Dustin, Lucas, Max, and Gareth are standing in a circle around the sheet rope, all looking up at him. "You kept looking down at my lips, like you couldn't believe the words I was saying."

"Sure. Or another, less platonic reason," Robin wiggles her eyebrows at him.

"Is this really the time for any sort of conversation?" Steve asks, incredulously. "The heckling can wait until we're back on the right side."

"Was all the shit about trying to warn me to stay away from Eddie so you could stare without consequences? Didn't want a witness to your crime?" Gareth's voice comes out cruel. "Is that why it was so easy to toss me and Chrissy aside? You thought if we weren't close enough, we wouldn't see the cracks in your foundation?"

"Steve. Steve!" Nancy's shouting grabs everyone's attention, and Gareth scrambles to look up at what is happening. Nancy has her hands on Steve's shoulders, shaking him as he just stands there.

"What's-" Gareth starts to ask but Robin cuts him off.

"Music! Eddie, do you have Tears for Fears!?"

Eddie looks insulted at being asked but that quickly gives way to fear. He takes off to his room, Robin and the kids quick on his heel but Gareth stays. He doesn't understand why they need music. Not that he could take his eyes off Steve anyway. "Is Steve- What is happening?"

Nancy looks down (up?) at him, and says, "It's Vecna's curse. Music can reach part of your mind that other things can't. It helps pull you back, away from Vecna."

"Steve is- like what happened with Chrissy?" Gareth asks, unable to keep the rising fear and panic from his voice.

It looks like it pains Nancy to say, "Yes."

Steve isn't in the trailer anymore. Instead, he's watching as four gates spread and tear Hawkins apart, devouring the town building by building, slowly creepy towards him but he can't seem to bring himself to move.

"Just one more gate, Steve Harrington."

Steve blinks and he's not looking at the destruction of Hawkins anymore. In front of him is a monster.

"I could have picked you. Instead of Chrissy. Instead of Maxine. But I think I have a better use of you."

"I'm not doing shit for you," Steve spits with more bravado than he actually feels.

The monster, who can only be Vecna, just twists his lip up in a disgusting grin before Steve finds himself rapidly closing in until Vecna is inches from his face. "You will tell Eleven that I am coming for her. You will live to deliver this message. In return, I will let you choose."

"Choose what?"

"I will take one more life for my gates. It can be Maxine, or another."

"Me. Leave Max alone!" Steve screams in his face, fights against the force holding him hostage. He wants so bad to swing his fist into Vecna's stupid face.

"No. No. I took one cousin from you, and now you've only one family member left to might care that you exist at all, Steve. I took Chrissy, and now, perhaps, I'll take the other cousin, too. Gareth."

"If you even try-"

"Maxine or Gareth. Which means more to you? Who would you sacrifice to save the other? I think I know. Or, if you cannot choose, I can take both."

Everyone watches as Steve drops like a stone to his knees, hands shooting out to stop his decent further. It takes a second for that to sink in. That he's not dead.

Gareth almost cries over it. All his anger at Steve, the resentment, fades into nothing but relief. It feels so stupid to hold a grudge suddenly. What does he gain from being mad at Steve? For something he originally asked for? He told Steve, and Chrissy, to pretend to not know him. He can't be mad that Steve did that, even after graduating. Gareth never took back his request! How was Steve to know he didn't care about that anymore?

And now that Steve could have- that Vecna tried to- it just seems stupid.

There's more fussing and fretting but eventually Nancy and Steve drop onto the mattress and everyone crowds Steve.

Gareth waits just a few minutes before he bully he's was in. He takes Dustin by the back of his shirt, like Eddie does all the time, and drags him bodily backwards. Dustin fights for all of four seconds, until he turns to see who's moving him, then he lets himself be moved. All the kids take a step back, give him room.

Steve meets his eye and he looks so haunted. So hurt. Steve opens his mouth but Gareth beats him to speaking.

"I'm sorry. God, I'm so sorry," he says, then launches himself at Steve. Steve catches him easily and hugs him back almost too tightly.

In a barely perceptible whisper, Steve says, "I'm sorry, too."

Later, much later, Steve sneaks out to get some fresh air. He doesn't go far from Max's home, just around the back into the dark, hidden from the street lamps.

He lets himself break down, for just a moment, where no one can see and keeps his sobs silent so no one will hear.

He's going to hate himself for the rest of his life. Because Vecna told him to choose, and God help him.

He had.

#steve‚ gareth‚ and chrissy are cousins au #my fic #idr if the kids biked or walked to eddies so here they walked #also idr what was in nancys vision so steve gets this version of one with added angst #because vecna wasn't cruel enough i think #speaking of steve #who do YOU think he chose? #would love to know your guesses (:

[strangersteddierthings]

Steve, Gareth and Chrissy are cousins AU (sad edition) [prologue] [part 1] [part 2] [part 3] [part 4] [part 5] [Part 6] [Part 7] [Final Part]

Steve climbs into the back of Nancy's car with Dustin, trying his best to play off his mood as having slept poorly in the Wheeler's basement, instead of the guilt and sorrow churning inside him. He had been hoping to be able to make excuses to go home for a bit today, away from the group, so he could go to Chrissy's funeral.

Doesn't seem like that will be happening. Not unless he tells them the truth. They're going to the Creel house and Steve can't let them ago without him. Can't let them walk into potential danger if he's not there.

Because Chrissy's already dead. He can't change that. But he can try his damnedest to make sure there's no one else. So, it's more important to him to be there with the living, than at a funeral. Chrissy would agree.

Chrissy would understand.

Right?

Gareth sits through Chrissy's funeral and notes that Steve's not there. No one from the Harrington household is. He doesn't know what to feel about that. All his sorrow has been spent on Chrissy, so all he feels for Steve is anger. What the fuck is more important to Steve right now than being here? For his family. For Chrissy. For him.

He sits next to Jason even though his mom left a spot next to her available for him. He's not suddenly Jason's best friend, but he was told they plan to continue their search immediately after the funeral, and if he sat next to his mom, she wouldn't let him go.

This is how he finds himself at Reefer Ricks, long past the mandated curfew with just Jason, Andy, and Patrick. The others having slowly dropped off the search the closer to night it got.

"Hey," Gareth calls out to Jason before entering the house, "I'm going to go check if Eddie's van is hidden where he usually parks it when he comes out here."

Jason pauses on his way through the door. He looks over his shoulder and gives a nod, "yeah, smart thinking. There should be a flashlight in the back of the car."

Gareth nods back and heads back to the car. It doesn't take long to find the flashlight and soon he's walking down the road. It's not a long walk, about fifteen minutes away is a cluster of trees that Eddie parks at when he comes to get more goods from Rick. Gareth (and their other friends) spent plenty of afternoons waiting in the van for Eddie to return from his 'job', as it were. It does keep the van out of sight of any road, though.

The van is there, and Gareth doesn't like what he sees. The driver side door is open, so he approaches slowly. "Eddie? You in there, Eddie?" he gets no response. He shines the flashlight through the back door's window, smooshing his face against the glass to look in. Once he's sure it's empty of anything, he approaches the open door and examines the front.

The keys are still in the ignition. Door left open and keys still in the ignition paints a story Gareth isn't sure he wants to read. That makes worry curl inside his body. He can't think of a single thing that would make Eddie abandon the van this quickly, too... scared? Worried? to bother to even close the drive door. He climbs in to try and start it but it won't. With the door left open for over 72 hours, the battery is dead.

He pockets the keys and locks up the van. If worse comes to worst, he can return the keys to Wayne.

He's almost back to the house when he hears shouting. He starts running, following the noise, and quickly finds Jason and Patrick on the shore, pulling their shoes off. His gaze flicks out to the lake and catches the sight of what can only be Eddie trying to get the motor of a motorboat started.

Well. Shit.

He doesn't think much more beyond that. He's just acting. He steps on the heels of his shoes to get out of them as quickly as possible and dives into the water. He's only seconds behind Patrick and Jason into the water, slowing to keep pace with them at first.

Gareth grew up in the Harrington swimming pool just like Steve had. Chrissy had. He's never been so glad for that as he is now, as he quits trying to pace himself and takes off, leaving Jason and Patrick behind.

Eddie's swinging the oar around wildly, as if they would stop any of them. He falters in his swinging when his eyes land on Gareth and he breathes out his name, "Gareth?"

One final stroke and Gareth can reach out of the water and grab the side of the boat. He doesn't haul himself aboard, but does haul himself high enough to look up at Eddie. "The police say you did it. Did you?"

Hurt flashes across Eddie's face but he answers, "No."

Gareth nods once, a decision made. Before he can respond though, Jason's caught up and Eddie is turning in the boat to wave the oar uselessly at him.

Clinging to the side of the boat gives Gareth a clear view of Patrick, who has stopped swimming. Jason and Eddie shout at each other as Gareth watches Patrick being to rise out of the water. "What the fucking shit!?"

Gareth doesn't know if Jason turns to look, he's too busy staring, wide-eyed and slack-jawed.

"Don't look," Eddie says and the boat jostles as Eddie moves suddenly, dropping to his knees in the boat and throwing his hands up to block Gareth's view.

"What the fuck-" Gareth cuts himself off when he hears the snapping of bones. Jason is yelling and Gareth panics, pushes back from the boat, which makes Eddie lean more to block his eyesight, causing Eddie to fall out of the boat. On instinct, Gareth dives for him, the month and month spent in Steve's pool, hearing about pool safety kicking in.

Eddie doesn't really need rescuing, but he doesn't fight Gareth during the rescue. Patrick is no longer in the air when they breach the surface, and Jason is swimming back the way they came. Eddie flops himself back into the boat, then helps Gareth in as well.

They don't speak again until they've reached the other shore, in which case they just sit in the boat, soaked through, panting at each other as the adrenaline fades.

"What the fuck was that!?" Gareth doesn't shriek. He doesn't.

Eddie suddenly looks very severe and grim when he says, "that's what killed Chrissy."

#steve‚ gareth‚ and chrissy are cousins au #my fic #also i know in the show they end up at reefer ricks while there is still daylight out #his house was NOT big enough for them to search it until dark #so they just spend all day at all the other places before getting out to ricks at night #ok? ok #also why isn't gareth weighed down by his nice funeral clothes you may be asking #itself because he wore his nicest dark jeans and a black tshirt #not even chrissy could get him to dress up #short steve part‚ mostly just wanted to establish why he doesn't go to the funeral

[strangersteddierthings]

Steve, Gareth and Chrissy are cousins AU (sad edition) [prologue] [part 1] [part 2] [part 3] [part 4] [part 5] [Part 6] [Part 7] [Final Part]

"Oh Boom!" Steve cheers, stepping though the plants, "Bada bing, bada boom! There she is, Henderson. Skull Rock. In your face, man. In your stupid, cocky little face."

"Doesn't make sense," Dustin mutters, following after him.

"Yeah, yeah. Even with it staring you in the face, you can't admit it. Can't admit you're wrong, you butthead," Steve says, one hand on his hip as he looks up at Skull Rock.

"I concur," Eddie's voice is preceded by the thump of his landing, which causes Steve and Dustin to turn around to, "You, Dustin Henderson, are a total butthead."

"You son of a bitch!" a different, familiar voice shouts, and Steve watches, to his increasing horror, as Gareth rounds the rock Eddie just jumped off and beelines for Steve. He's too shocked to do anything other than watch as Gareth plants his palms to Steve's chest and shoves.

Steve goes down hard, arms pinwheeling. He hears several people call his name but the white noise his brain is generating has blocked out everything except Gareth. Gareth, who stands before him, chest heaving in his anger, hand back to his sides and fists clenched.

"Where were you!?" Gareth screams at him, and Steve can see tears threatening to fall. "Where the fuck have you been?"

"Excuse me, but who are you?" Robin asks, stepping forward and into Steve's periphery. The white noise quiets just a bit as he watches Robin whip to Eddie. "Who is he?"

Eddie says something back, but Steve doesn't fully hear it before Gareth has taken a step forward, closer, pulling all his attention again and Gareth asks again, quietly, "Where were you?"

Steve swallows, looking Gareth up and down. He's dirty, much like Eddie, and not wearing shoes. Why isn't he wearing shoes? What happened to them? He looks back up to Gareth's face. To the anger he can see, is sure everyone else can see, too. But, also, to the sorrow, the fear, the hurt underneath it all. Steve opens his mouth, a thousand questions on his tongue. Where are your shoes? How did you get here? When? I tried to keep you out of this, I wanted to keep you out of this. Why are you here? But, instead, what comes out is, "I'm sorry."

Those words seem to break Gareth. A choked off sob rips from his throat and he drops to his knees, curling in on himself. Steve, always protective, moves to comfort him at the same time as Eddie does but Eddie beats him there, kneeling down to be at Gareth's side, concern etched in every line of him. Eddie places a hand on Gareth's back, near his shoulder, rubbing small, soothing circles there.

It makes something squeeze deep inside of him, to see Eddie caring for Gareth so much, even as Eddie is now glaring at Steve in defense of whatever slight he thinks Steve has caused. Or maybe he knows. Maybe Gareth told him. Told him how Steve is the worst cousin in the world, failed to protect Chrissy. Failed Gareth, too, since he's here, barefoot in the middle of the goddamn woods instead of safe in his home.

Robin's arm hooking under Steve's own breaks him from his thoughts. He lets Robin help him stand, and watches as Eddie does the same for Gareth, and for a moment, the whole forest is quiet.

But they have Dustin with them, so that doesn't last long. "Can someone explain what the hell is going on? Why's Gareth here?"

Steve doesn't even have it in himself to scold Dustin for his language.

Eddie and Gareth exchange looks, a silent communication so like how he is with Robin that it gut-punches him, and then Eddie says, "it's, uhh, quite a story."

"Start telling it, then," Nancy says gently but still with her usual no nonsense undertone.

They get a story told by both. When Eddie pauses, Gareth picks up the tale, and the vice versa. When Gareth gets choked with emotion, such as explaining that Chrissy is his cousin, Eddie takes over and explains. He says nothing about Steve, doesn't even imply he knows more, so... maybe Gareth hasn't told him Steve is also his cousin?

Then they talk about Patrick and Nancy wants to know the time, and soon it's back to dealing with the Upside Down. Something's up with Dustin's compass they have to go investigate now, and Steve thinks everyone's forgotten the weird tension of Gareth shoving him down and demanding to know where he's been.

Everyone but Robin, it seems, who hangs back to ask about it as they follow Dustin and his broken compass.

"So, how do you know Gareth?" Robin asks, uncertain.

Steve frowns at the back of Gareth's head, where he walks ahead with Dustin and Eddie. "He's my cousin."

"Oh!" Robin's eyebrows shoot up in surprise, looking from Gareth to Steve, as if she can spot a family resemblance from the back of Gareth's head. "How did I not know that?"

"Gareth asked to pretend we weren't related when he started high school," Steve shrugs. "Was afraid it would ruin his 'street cred'."

"What a nerd."

"Right?" Steve chuckles at that and they walk in silence for a bit longer before Robin gasps like she's dying. A realization.

"Steve," she breaths out, a hand flying out to grab onto Steve's shoulder in an almost painful grip. He's so glad she's keeping quiet, as she whispers, "was Chrissy your cousin, too?"

Steve swallows and nods.

"Steve, I-"

"No. Not now. Not the time," Steve cuts her off, prying his hand from her arm. "Please, Robbie. I can't think about that now. Please."

Robin doesn't look happy about the development but she gives a nod, swallowing around the lump in her throat now.

#steve‚ gareth‚ and chrissy are cousins au #my fic #and then canon proceeds as normal #robin nancy eddie and steve in the boat #because both eddie and steve were like 'NO' when gareth tries to get in the boat #they demand he stay with the kids 'for their protection' #gareth glares at them the whole time they're rowing away #when dustin and lucas stay silent after max demands to look through the binoculars when steve's hairiness gets mentioned #gareth pretends to gag and throw up #otherwise #canon proceeds as normal until the next part just with gareth added to the kids team

[strangersteddierthings]

Steve, Gareth and Chrissy are cousins AU (sad edition) [prologue] [part 1] [part 2] [part 3] [part 4] [part 5] [Part 6] [Part 7] [Final Part]

Wayne Munson wasn't sure what to expect from Gareth's phone call, but a hole in the roof to what appears to be a reflection of his home covered in vines and extension cords with the sounds of power tools was not it. That's partially untrue; he did have an expectation. He expected to find his traumatized nephew hiding in his bedroom.

"What the fuck," he whispers to himself, staring up at the ceiling. He's seen a lot of weird shit in his time, so he takes a couple of deep breaths before he pulls his eyes away from the hole to head down the hall. Ever fiber in him knows that he's not going to find Eddie in the safety of his room, or the in the bathroom, but instead, through that hole in the ceiling.

Still. He checks just in case.

With no Eddie in sight, Wayne heaves a sigh as he stands below, staring up at the mattress on the floor of his living room, a mirror of the one he is also standing on. It's been a hot minute since he's had to climb any sort of rope but whoever made the sheet rope had the smarts to knot it, so it's not the climb that ends up being difficult. It's the shift in gravity that he wasn't expecting.

He has just enough time to turn enough so he lands on his back instead of his head. Thank God for the mattress, could have been worse, but it still winds him.

He finally gets to his feet just in time for the front door to be ripped open and some boy he doesn't recognize stands ready to throw a hatchet at him.

"Whoa!" Wayne throughs his hands up to show he's unarmed.

"Holy shit," the boy sags, arms dropping, though he's careful with lowering the hand holding the hatchet so Wayne's gotta give him a little respect. Eddie woulda just ended up slashing himself probably. Speaking of Eddie.

"Where's Eddie?"

The hatchet raises again, though the boy takes a stance less like he's going to throw it and more like he's ready to charge forward with it. "Who's asking? How you get here?"

"What's in there, Steve!?" A voice Wayne doesn't recognize calls from somewhere behind the boy.

"This is my home, boy. Or, that is," Wayne points up to the hole and watches the boy as a myriad of emotions cross his face. Wayne watches him back a few steps out the door and look up.

"Eddie! Your dad just dropped through the gate!"

"My dad!?" He hears Eddie- he hears Eddie! Wayne is out the door, crowding into the boy's space, turning to look where the boy was looking. He sees Eddie. Eddie on the roof, a tangle of cables in his hands.

The both just stare at each other for a moment before Wayne barks, "Get your ass down here, son!"

Eddie scrambles into action. The cords get dropped and Eddie vanishes from sight. Wayne hears the sound of him clambering down the side of the trailer. Wayne takes this time to step off the small porch and onto the ground, looking back and forth between the two ends of the trailer, unsure which side Eddie's going to appear from.

"Wayne!" Eddie calls from his right side, and Wayne turns just in time to catch an armful of his nephew.

Wayne sends Steve back through the gate to fetch a backpack he has hidden in a cupboard above the dryer. He was right when he'd told Steve he'd know it when he saw it. Steve's got to climb the dryer to look on the top shelf, but there's only one backpack in the whole cupboard, black, shoved against the back, and bursting at the seams.

Wayne had said it was full of emergency supplies and it looks like he wasn't joking.

He drops back into the Upside Down and finds Wayne waiting in the room. There's thumping on the roof that draws his attention.

"I'm makin' Eddie cover up the vents. He probably woulda gotten around to it 'fore I interrupted earlier, of course, but sometimes ya gotta remind him 'bout things. Thanks, son," Wayne explains and takes the backpack from Steve, turning to place it on the counter beside him and digs into it. He watches as Wayne pulls out a bunch of stuff -rope, flashlights, box of matches, and more- before shuffling out a box with a handle on it, pushing the backpack away to set the box down and flick it open.

Inside is a pistol.

"How long have you had that?" Steve asks.

"A coupla decades," Wayne answers.

"Has it always been in that cupboard?"

"Since I got custody of Eddie in '77."

Steve moves around him, climbing the dryer and opening the cupboard. The same black backpack sits shoved to the back, not stuffed nearly as full at the one he brought through the gate. Steve pulls it out and jumps off the dryer, before setting this backpack down and repeating what Wayne did, pulling out the same handled box. Then he looks up to Wayne, who looks pleased.

"Given what y'all told me, I think two's gonna be better than one. Y'know how to use that, son?"

"No," Steve shakes his head, "but Nancy does. She's got the shotgun, though. Will she need a pistol, too?"

"Dunno. Your mind wizard could pull it from her hands. Best to have a backup. Send her in here."

With a nod, Steve goes to find Nancy and then help finish boarding up the vents.

When Wayne and Nancy emerge from the trailer, they have a new plan. Robin will stay behind and help team distraction, just in case. Wayne's going to be coming with Steve and Nancy. Eddie tries to argue, but a stern look and small speech about how Wayne's not going to let any of "you children" walk into danger shuts Eddie down quick. Wayne's the only one with military training, infiltration training, so it's an obvious choice anyway.

That would have been fine and good, except before they leave, Eddie calls out. Says to make him pay. And Steve doesn't know the Munsons beyond this terrible week, but he does know what a face looks like when filled with grim determination and a willingness to die for someone else. He sees it on Eddie's face. He thinks Wayne sees the same thing he does on Eddie's face.

They make it only a couple of trailers away before Steve has to ask, "you think Eddie will do something stupid?"

"Worse," Wayne says, "I think he'll do something brave."

"I'm switching with Robin," Steve decides.

"What? Why? I thought you wanted to get back at Vecna. For Chrissy," Nancy asks. No accusingly, but curious and concerned.

"Not at the expense of someone else's life. I'm going to switch with Robin. Eddie's not going to be able to overpower me if he wants to try something brave."

Nancy and Wayne nod at him, and Steve jogs back, calling out for Robin when they're closer.

She runs to meet him, "what happened?"

"Nothing. You're going instead."

Robin scans his face, and says, "okay."

Steve gives her his Vecna-fighting equipment, and the backpack of molotov cocktails, and she heads off while Steve moves to the trailer, where Eddie and Dustin are finishing things up and both look surprised to see Steve instead of Robin.

"Steve? Why're you back?" Dustin asks.

He grins. "I've decided I'm no hero. I'd rather be the babysitter."

Lucas can't imagine how this would be playing out if Gareth wasn't here. Gareth was keeping eyes on Erica while Lucas watched Max, and shortly after Max cut off mid-sentence, Gareth had gasped, writing furiously on his notebook and rushing down the stairs as quietly as possible, closing the door behind him.

Lucas grabs the notebook to read it quickly. Someone tackled Erica. Going to investigate.

A short while later Lucas hears the sound of fighting, and even though he wants to go help, he has to wait. Max can't put the headphones on herself and he can't abandon her. He's got to trust that Gareth will figure it out.

Max starts to float, and Lucas is in the process of dragging a chair that looks like it'll support his weight to stand on and get the headphones over her ears when the door flied open and there stands Jason Carver. The sight freezes Lucas in place.

"What the fuck!?" Carver says, and it's then that Lucas sees the gun he has. Where's Erica? Where's Gareth? He didn't hear a gunshot but-

"AAH!" Gareth yells as he barrels up the stairs. Jason turns, and Lucas takes a step towards them but Gareth shouts, "MAX!" and Lucas is back on task. He climbs the chair and places the headphones on Max, pressing plays and making sure the volume is up as loud as possible before stuffing the walkman in the pocket of her hoodie.

Lucas doesn't know what happens, but he hears the gunshot and then the sound of someone crashing down the stairs. He looks quickly to see that Gareth is the one of the top of the stairs.

"Holy shit!" Lucas yelps, jumping off the chair. The noise makes Gareth turn around, startled. "Holy shit." Lucas repeats, because there is blood spreading quickly across Gareth's shirt.

"I think he shot me," Gareth says, quiet and scared, before he slumps to the floor.

Lucas doesn't know what to do, he needs to go call an ambulance but Max could still be in danger-

"Holy shit, is Jason dead!?" Erica screams from the floor below and Lucas shouts back, "Go call an ambulance, he shot Gareth!"

Erica doesn't say any more but he can hear her running away. He rushes to Gareth and rolls him over before pulling his own shirt up and off to press against the bullet hole.

Max drops, and it's a rough landing, but she's cursing about it so she's not dead. It'll be fine that she's mad at him for not catching her, especially if it means Gareth doesn't bleed to death instead.

#steve‚ gareth‚ and chrissy are cousins au #my fic #i cant remember if eddie ever even talks about wayne in the show #and if he did idk if he clarified that wayne is his uncle #so im going with he didnt clarify that info with steve so steve thinks wayne is his dad #tee hee #the next part is the final part! the Aftermath

[strangersteddierthings]

Steve, Gareth and Chrissy are cousins AU (sad edition) [prologue] [part 1] [part 2] [part 3] [part 4] [part 5] [Part 6] [Part 7] [Final Part]

He knows he promised Robin he wouldn't smoke anymore, but honestly, he thinks he's earned this one. Saving Eddie from his stupidity had been a full time job that still amounted to Steve getting a repeat chow down from the goddamn bats. Not that Eddie made it out much better, but fuck, if Steve hadn't been here to keep Eddie in the trailer for the extra five minutes, all of Eddie would look like hamburger instead of his sides looking like steak (all of those five minutes spent fucking wrestling each other while Dustin kept screaming at him to stop Eddie, don't you fucking dare let him out that door, Steve).

Not that Eddie had won the wrestling match, Steve wasn't joking when he said he knew Eddie wouldn't be able to overpower him. Instead, Eddie'd given up, rag-dolled in Steve's grip with a quiet sob.

"Steve, I have to. I have to make sure they have enough time. That's my uncle!"

And yeah, Steve was surprised to learn Wayne isn't his dad, but that took a backseat to the new issue wiggling its way into his brain. Vecna had taken Chrissy. Had threaten to add Gareth to that list. The fear of losing the only family you have... "Fine. But we go together. A loop around the park and back here. I swear to God, Munson, if you get us killed, I'm ruining your afterlife."

"What!? Steve, no! Steve!" Dustin screams above them.

"As if we'd end up in the same afterlife," Eddie had huffed.

And it had worked well, until the end there. Eddie went down, tripped over a dropped bike just yards from the front door of his home, and Steve couldn't leave him there to become bat dinner. They'd held their own, barely, and then the bats had started dropping.

They'd exchanged startled looks before bursting into hysterical laughter of relief that only slowed when Dustin came busting through door, screaming at them some more.

So, yes, Steve earned this cigarette, which Eddie had climbed the sheets to fetch a pack from the stash in his room. He'd offered to bring a joint back if Steve wanted but he'd declined that, citing Dustin as his excuse. He doesn't feel like having to explain why he doesn't get high anymore, especially since he used to be a frequent customer back in the day. Goddamn Russians under Starcourt.

Eddie and he sit on the porch, side by side, and watch the horizon for any sign of Wayne, Robin, or Nancy.

The monster falls from the attic, and they all advance to look down at the smoldering body. "You girls go down and confirm he's dead."

"Yes sir," Nancy says while he hears Robin mutter, "confirm!?"

He waits for the girls to be down the stairs before he draws his pistol and takes aim. The burning has slowed, and with as much buckshot is in the bastard, he should be dead. But Wayne follows his training anyway. He takes aim, and fires three shots in a row. The first lands next to Vecna's head, and he sees the body startle, but the next two land true, and there's no movement after that.

The girls appear soon after and he watches as Nancy pulls his matching pistol out with no hesitation and doesn't even flinch as she fires point blank.

Well, he's certainly dead now.

Wayne joins them shortly. Vecna's dead, for sure, but the girls hesitate. "What's wrong?"

"It always comes back," Nancy says, "I just. What if it's not done? What if Vecna wasn't the source? If there is something worse out there? What if he's just faking it?"

"Whoa," Robin says, placing a hand on Nancy's arm slowly, both girls tracking the movement, like Nancy's a wild animal. "I am the one who freaks out like this, so you can't be doing that, because then what will I do?"

That gets a laugh out of Nancy. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right."

"What'll make you feel better about this situation?" Wayne asks.

"I don't... How do we know he's dead?" Nancy replies.

"Well, he's a man, ain't he? Magic or not, ain't no man survivin' what we just did to him."

"Sure, he was a guy once but now he's. Look at him!" Robin flaps a hand in the direction of the body without looking at it.

Wayne does look down at him. He doesn't much resemble any person Wayne's used to seeing, but he's distinctly human. Still, the girl's going to worry. "Right. Well, someone give me a hatchet. I'll remove his head."

Robin reaches for her hatchet, the one Steve gave her, but something predatory reflects in Nancy's eyes and she reaches for the hatchet first.

"I'll do it," Wayne says, "you shouldn't have to. You already killed 'im."

Nancy just looks at him. The girl looking back isn't a girl anymore. She looks as hardened and haunted as any other vet he knows. "I got this."

Wayne reaches for Robin instead, pulling her into him so she doesn't watch. He does, though. Watches as Nancy raises the hatchet up and brings it down on Vecna's skull with a scream filled with grief and anguish and repeats that process again and again and again.

The ambulance doesn't have room for all of them, so Lucas, and Max shuffle into the back of Chief Powell's police car. Erica climbs into the ambulance with Gareth in it. Lucas doesn't know what Gareth did to earn Erica's loyalty and worry in such a short amount of time but he also isn't thinking too hard about it.

Chief Powell follows the ambulances to the hospital. Ambulances because there is one for Gareth, and one for Jason Carver.

Jason. Who had shown up with a gun and pointed it at him. Gareth, who'd taken that shot instead and-

"Hey," Max says in a whisper, squeezing his hand hard, pulling him from his own mind. "Hey. They said you did good. That you bought Gareth time. Like... like, hopefully, we did. For..."

"We had to of. It can't be for nothing," Lucas whispers back.

They arrive at the hospital, where Erica and Max are given a look over, since Erica was tackled by a boy twice her size and Max was limping down the stairs after the paramedics. Erica has a scrape on her arm where she landed on a rock, and Max's ankle is sprained, but otherwise they're fine.

They get shuffled into the waiting room, where Chief Powell stands guard while their parents are on the way to collect them. They do get left to themselves, so they brave talking in public.

"El was there," Max confesses, voice low. "She found me and was fighting him. I don't know if she got to finish him. Or if they did."

"I don't like not knowing," Lucas says.

"They had help," Erica says, causing Max and Lucas to whip their heads to her. "I followed Gareth to the payphone. He wasn't calling his mom. He called Eddie's uncle instead. Said he could help them."

"He what?"

"Shhh!" Erica shushes him, looking around the empty waiting room before leveling a glare at him. "I know, okay. But Steve's not a real adult and we needed a real adult."

"Steve's a real adult."

"Sure," Erica agrees, using the tone that Lucas knows means she doesn't agree. "He's also the guy that sacrificed himself to the Russians and had to be saved by Dustin and me, and it hasn't even been a full year since then. So, hopefully having a real adult made him not take stupid risks."

"Well, we'll just have to wait to find out," Max says, then adds, "do you think Chief Powell will let me go with you guys when my mom doesn't show up?"

Gareth is released from the hospital into his parent's custody two days after getting shot. He is a little surprised the hospital stay was so short -he was fucking shot- but with no organs hit, Gareth was released after minor surgery to remove the bullet and a full day of monitoring him.

It's been a whirlwind. Police wanting statements, and his parents screaming at the police every time they show up to get those statements, that they're pressing charges on Jason as soon as possible. (Which might not happen, because Jason hasn't woken up yet.) The kids come in and out, and he gets to learn that the only person dead in the Upside Down is Vecna. Robin looks very haunted as she says it, but he can imagine that killing a telekinetic wizard is a haunting ordeal.

Steve makes an appearance at his beside and lies to his parents, claims he was out of town and got back to hear the messages on the machine too late for Chrissy's funeral but just in time to hear about Gareth getting shot. Gareth lets him have the lie. How can he explain to his parents that Steve wasn't at the funeral because he was too busy hunting down Chrissy's real killer?

Before he leaves, he asks if Gareth wants to come over, once he's well enough to.

It takes Gareth three more days from his hospital release before his parents agree to drop him off at Steve's. They're worried for both him and Steve. They know there's been a rift in their friendship, and his mom sniffles when she says she's so sad that it took Chrissy's death to reunite them again.

He's not going to say it out loud, but Gareth's sad about it, too.

His dad doesn't walk him to the front door but it's a near thing. He does sit in the driveway until Steve answers the door and gives him a wave. Even then, Gareth doesn't hear the car leaving until he's beyond the threshold of Steve's house.

Steve lets him sit on the couch before apologies and explanations start pouring from him.

"Gareth, I'm so fucking sorry. For everything. For pulling away, and staying away, and also for ever agreeing to act like we weren't cousins to begin with. I should-"

"Steve, shut the fuck up."

And Steve does. Blinks at him, surprised.

"I don't care. None of that matters. You were- fuck, how long have you known about this? About monsters and shit?"

"Since, uh, since '83. With Will Byers and Ba-Barb Holland... They weren't just missing."

"Was that... related to the other dimension?"

"Yeah. A demogorgon took 'em. Will got away. Barb didn't."

"And it's been like... a yearly thing?"

"Yeah. I didn't want you or Chrissy involved, and look what good that did."

"Dude, I'm involved because of Eddie. I didn't go looking for you."

"Chrissy's dead because of me!" Steve shouts, "I pulled away! And we- I tried to reconnect and it wasn't enough. Chrissy was struggling and she didn't tell me."

"She didn't tell me, either," Gareth says, voice quiet and even. "Is it my fault she's dead, too?"

"What? No, of course not."

"We reconnected. Last year," Gareth confesses. "Hung out every weekend until she got with Jason. Then it was less, once a month about. But we talked, were friendly. And she didn't tell me what was bothering her. It's not your fault any more than mine."

Steve's pinched face says how much he wants to argue, and because he's Steve, he opens his mouth and argues verbally, too, "I knew about the Upside Down! I should have told you guys. Warned you about it!"

"Dustin said you guys didn't know Vecna existed until this year. What would you have warned about? The Demogorgon I've heard about but never saw?"

"Well, they were in Russia this time, apparently, so-"

"What do you mean they were in Russia!?"

"Oh, uh, not important right now. But. I just..." Steve huffs and deflates against the couch. "I thought I was doing the right thing. For you, and for Chrissy. By keeping you at arm's length. Pretending I didn't know either of you. And then it wasn't pretend! I don't know you, not anymore. But I... You got hurt anyway. And- and Vecna had said- Fuck!"

Gareth blinks at him. "Hey. You did your best. We were safe for years, and it's. This situation is shit, and fuck, we'll miss Chrissy the rest of our lives, but she'd want us to keep living, right? Even if you think you didn't know her anymore, you have to know that. So, fuck whatever Vecna told you in your head. Whatever it was, it's not true."

And that. That makes Steve sob. A full, loud, choked noise before he curls in on himself, shaking his head. "It is true. He said- he made all of you say- and it's true but the truth is-isn't e-even the worst of it."

Gareth scooches down the couch to rub awkwardly on Steve's back. "Um. It's. He lies, right? Twists things in your mind to make them worse. That's what Max said wh-"

The mention of Max brings out a whole other sad, wailing noise from Steve and Gareth is not equipped to handle this. He needs Robin. Or Dustin. "Hey, hey. It's okay. Shhh. Shhhh..."

He keeps shh-ing until Steve's sad noises gives way to a hiccuping laugh.

"You're shit at this comfort thing," Steve says.

Gareth snatches his hand back, offended. "Well, fuck you, too."

Steve looks at him, eyes red but otherwise looking like regular, snarky Steve. "Hey. Are we... okay?"

"Man, I forgave everything when Vecna was giving you that shit vision, or whatever. Nancy told me it was Vecna's curse and I just. I thought you were gonna die. All the anger left. I thought it might come back but I'm still just glad you're alive. So, yeah. We're okay. Friends again?"

Steve nods, smile a little watery. "Alright. Then, can I tell you a secret? I haven't even told Robin yet."

"Shit, dude, spill. I love secrets."

"I- I think I like guys, the same as girls."

"Good for you man," Gareth says easily.

Steve looks at him like he's surprised. "That's it? Your- it's okay? That I do?"

"I'm not the police of you," Gareth scoffs, "whatever makes you happy, dude."

"Cool. Cool," Steve nods to himself, then looks at the time on the clock. "Oh, shit. We're late."

"Late? To what?" Gareth asks.

"Well, just to going to the basement. But it's an important basement trip, so come on."

"Are you going to murder me now that I know your deepest secret?"

"I will if you keep talking about it," Steve says as he stands from the couch, heading towards the door to the basement. "Seriously. The surprise down there involves people so you cannot say shit once I open this door."

"Got it. Wait. People!?"

The surprise, it turns out, is Eddie and Wayne. Eddie, still wanted while someone works on clearing his name, has been hiding here with Steve apparently, and Wayne comes and goes, but is here to thank Gareth for calling him. Wayne seems to be under the impression that if Gareth hadn't, he would have lost Eddie forever.

Steve is avoiding Max. Hopper has come back from the dead. The Hopper-Byers have moved back to Hawkins. Eddie has been cleared of all charges thanks to government intervention and many eye-witnesses putting Jason Carver at the scene of all crimes (does not help that the police found him holding Patrick's body, nor that he can dispute the chargers, what with being brain-dead, possibly. Still comatose for sure). Wayne and Eddie have moved into a little duplex near the Hendersons.

All these things happened before Steve spoke with Max.

He'd still be avoiding her if it wasn't her on his doorstep currently, two months post-Vecna. He was expecting Dustin when he pulled the door open in annoyance. "Max."

"Steve."

"I-what-why are- do you want to come in?" Steve asks, wincing at himself.

Max rolls her eyes. "No. I just have something to say to you before I head to El's."

"Ah."

"I forgive you. But I'm still..." Max pauses, breathing harshly through her nose as if mad at the situation. Or Steve. That would be fair. "I'm still hurt, but I get it, so I forgive you."

Steve swallows. "He told you. Didn't he?"

"Vecna? Yeah. Said he asked you to pick, and you picked me," Max says it, so matter of fact. The grass is green. Sky is blue. Steve would rather Max die than Gareth.

"You shouldn't forgive me until I apologize."

"No, don't think I want to hear it. 'Cause here's the thing, Steve. I get it. Billy was awful, and I hated him, hate him so fucking much. But if he were still alive? If he were, and Vecna said him or you. I'd give you to Vecna. And it's fucked up, hell, it's worse than the choice you were given! At least Gareth is worth having a life, getting to live, and Billy's not but. Like I said. I get it."

Steve is stunned to silence. He doesn't know what to say, or if there's anything he can say. Doesn't really have it in him to call her on all her cussing either, because if any kid has earned swearing around him, it's Max. "Max. I am sor-"

"DON'T!" she shouts, "I'm not ready to hear it yet! I'm hurt, and I- that might take a while to change or whatever. But. I know you. So, I have to tell you that I forgive you. Or, like, I will one day. It was a shit choice to be forced to make. I get it. So, just take the forgiveness and quit avoiding me while walking around like a kicked puppy. It's unbecoming and I'm never going to really forgive you if you avoid me."

"Ok. Alright. No more avoiding."

"Good. You still got that letter I wrote you?"

"Oh. Uh, yeah. Do you... want it back?"

"No. I want you to read it after I've actually forgiven you, and not a second sooner. Okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah, okay."

"Good," and she turns on heel and heads down the drive to a car Steve doesn't recognize, and realizes it's because he's never seen it. The driver is Max's mom, and she gives a small wave to Steve when they make eye contact. At least until Max bats her mom's hand out of the air and then must say something that makes her mom laugh.

Steve stands in his doorway and watches them drive away.

Max is hurt, and that's his fault. But she's not mad at him, so that's great. Max is a woman of her word, so Steve thinks that one day, they might be good again. One day, he'll be able to look her in the eye and not feel like the scum on the earth.

Until then, he'll be okay. Gareth's back in his life, he has a new crushfriend in Eddie Munson, and Robin and he have been gotten even closer since he told her he likes boys, specifically one boy at least.

Chrissy is gone, and Steve will always mourn that. Will probably always feel like it's his fault, deep down. But he's got reasons to make it to each new day, and that has to count for something.

#steve‚ gareth‚ and chrissy are cousins au #my fic #nancy gets to be a little feral. as a treat #whew! what a fun little fic to explore #pre steddie #because i couldnt make it be established here but just know that it happens eventually #i dont know the process for caring for bullet wounds so like dont come for me. i did four full seconds of googling isnt that enough?

[strangersteddierthings]

As much as I would love Steve and Gareth mourning together and growing close again, Steve's reaction and "I'm sorry" to seeing Gareth after he got out of the upside down really makes me think he chose to save Max. However, I do see it hapoen that this having to choose who'll die will just add to all the stuff Steve is already dealing with which only makes him a better victim for Vecna to use him as the final sacrefice. I just can't help but imagine the relieve Steve will feel when Vecna uses him as the final sacrafice because now both Max and Gareth would get to love

I am LOVING all the theories people are sending!!!

It still always shocks me that people get invested in what I'm writing. I'm like you like this??? and are having THOUGHTS about it??? What? Why?

Love this theory, though!!!

#Anonymous #steve‚ gareth‚ and chrissy are cousins au

[strangersteddierthings]

i love max but I don’t think steve would be willing to sacrifice gareth. that’s his baby cousin and he already feels like he failed him, he wouldn’t be able to let vecna kill him too. he tried so hard to keep his family away from everything and has so much lost time to catch up on with gareth. and while I think it would be hard for him to let that happen to max, I don’t think he’d ever be able to let anything bad happen to gareth (especially judging from how stressed he was about gareth simply being barefoot in the woods lol)

He was SO stressed.

Gareth - 2

Max - 5

#anonymous #steve‚ gareth‚ and chrissy are cousins au

[strangersteddierthings]

For the cousins AU, I think he chose to sacrifice Gareth cause I have a real difficult time believing he would sacrifice Max and he will justify it any and every way in his head, but truth is he chose because he is closer to Max than Gareth. Then again, I am also of the firm headcanon that he and Max grew a sibling-like relationship between the seasons so what do I know lmao

Very logical Anon.

One vote Gareth, zero votes Max.

#steve‚ gareth‚ and chrissy are cousins au #anon

[strangersteddierthings]

dear god if steve chooses gareth and vecna tells him… poor gareth already feels like steves abandoned him, i can’t imagine the pain he’d go through knowing steve left him to this fate too

That would sure suck for Gareth! Yikes!

Is it torture Gareth hours up in here?

#Anonymous #Steve‚ Gareth‚ and Chrissy are cousins AU #ask

[strangersteddierthings]

I'm just screaming about the fact that Vecna is absolutely going to tell whoever he picks that Steve chose them. Because Yikes.

You know it >:)

#anonymous #steve‚ gareth‚ and chrissy are cousins au