temptingfatetakingnames

[temptingfatetakingnames]

The Last Steve Harrington Part 18

AO3 / Part 1 / Part 17

Steve loved the tape. He loved it almost as much as he loved taking his car out for long drives. He didn’t go anywhere; he just rolled the windows down and turned the volume up. Sometimes he parked on the side of the road and laid down on the hood, smoking and looking at the sky, enjoying the quiet and the wind playing with his hair. Other times, he drove as fast as he could on old highway roads, when there were no other cars for miles and only Eddie’s tape for company.

The songs he chose were equal parts expected and unexpected. Steve could tell that Eddie had toned down his own tastes to pick songs that he thought Steve would enjoy. There were a few that he recognized and some that were new. He liked the first song because the lyrics reminded him of Will and Eleven.

Evil power disappears Demons worry when the wizard is near He turns tears into joy Everyone's happy when the wizard walks by

The middle of the tape got much wilder and louder and were all songs that Steve could imagine Eddie screaming and banging his head along to. One of the last songs was probably his favourite, the beat was great and he loved the vocals and lyrics. It was one that he recognized though he didn’t know if it was because Eds showed it to him or if he heard it on the radio on his own.

I've been too long, I'm glad to be back Yes, I'm let loose From the noose That's kept me hanging about I've been looking at the sky 'Cause it's gettin' me high Forget the hearse 'cause I never die

And the last song, of course, was Like a Virgin by Madonna. Steve burst out laughing when he finished the tape for the first time. He loved it. He didn’t know how Eddie managed to create a playlist that suited both of their tastes so well. As curious as he was to listen to the B side – he held off for now. When he got home, he ran for the phone, dialing Eddie’s number quickly from memory.

“Hello!”

“Like a Virgin, Munson? Really?”

Eddie’s laughter crackled through the phone and Steve’s clutched the receiver closer to his ear, as if he could prevent the sound from escaping into the air, could keep it all for himself.

“Courtesy of one Robin Buckley, my friend! Had to be included, she said.”

“I’m surprised she was able to strong arm you, especially with music. Madonna on a tape you made?” Steve tsked into the phone with fake disappointment.

“Steve, that woman is truly frightening when she sets her mind on something.”

“So, it was collaborative? And here I was giving you all the credit.”

“Oh, big word for you, Harrington. I asked for her input, she vetoed one or two of my songs… and then made me put on Madonna. Never asking her for help again,” Eddie mumbled, causing Steve to laugh.

“So,” Eddie drawled out slowly, drawing out the syllables. “You liked it?”

“I loved it! Haven’t listened to the other side yet… I’m saving it, I guess? For when I need it.”

Eddie hummed in understanding.

“Which song did you like the best?”

“It’s near the end, I’ve heard it before but don’t know the name. Back in Black?”

“No need to try and be cool, Steve. I already know your favourite is Like a Virgin.”

“Asshole,” Steve said trying to hold back more laughter, a smile very clear in his voice. “You made the tape, maybe it’s your favourite.”

Eddie gasped in outrage. “How dare you?” he asked in a scandalized tone.  “It is called Back in Black, by the way. By AC/DC.”

“Hey, why didn’t you put any –” Steve began but was cut off by Joyce.

“Steve? Is that you?” she yelled.

He held his hand over the bottom of the phone and shouted, “yeah.”

Putting the phone back up to his ear he told Eddie, “sorry, gotta go. Thanks again for the tape, I’ll see you this weekend?”

“Yup, see ya then. Next time I’ll put Madonna on the tape first so you don’t have to skip so many good songs to get to –”

Steve laughed and hung up before he could finish. He was still smiling softly to himself when Joyce walked into the kitchen.

“Who were you talking to?” she asked.

“Eddie.”

“Oh? Making more plans for the trailer?”

“Yup. And talking about music. I finally finished the tape he made me. Well, the first side anyway.”

She nodded and moved around him, going to the fridge and pulling out ingredients. She was smiling a little and Steve wondered what had put her in a good mood.

“I was thinking spaghetti tonight?” she asked. “You have to show me how to make that sauce you did last time. It was delicious.”

“Sure,” Steve said. “The secret is Heinz 57.”

Joyce popped her head out of the fridge. “The steak sauce?”

“Yup, about three tablespoons.”

“Huh, I never would have guessed,” she said and grabbed the bottle out of the fridge door, adding it to the growing pile of ingredients on the counter.

Steve went over to the sink to wash his hands before grabbing the peppers and onions. He started chopping them and didn’t notice when he started humming happily to himself.

But Joyce did.

Wednesday was a slow day at Family Video. It was just Steve running the store and he had already done all his work for the day unless someone actually came in to rent a movie. Which he highly doubted would happen at –

He glanced at the clock and groaned when he saw it was only noon. He morosely flipped through a magazine that Robin had left, feeling time drag on…

And on…

And on...

He thought about putting on a movie but couldn’t really be bothered to do it.

After what felt like an eternity later (but was probably only thirty minutes) the bell chimed over the door. Steve looked up excitedly when he saw Dustin coming in. The excitement quickly dried up however, when he saw the steely determined look on his face. He stomped over to where Steve was leaning against the counter, eyes angry and hands bawled into fists.  

“Henderson, what’s wrong?”

“You!” Dustin shouted and Steve flinched back.

“What –”

“You won’t talk to me! You avoid me, Steve! I know you do.”

He opened his mouth to deny it but stopped himself from saying the words. Dustin deserved the truth. When he had decided to talk to him at Eddie’s a few nights ago, he thought he would have more time to get his thoughts together. He should have known that Dustin would get tired of his avoidance and do something about it. He had never been the type of person to shy away from uncomfortable situations.

“You’re right,” Steve said. “I have been avoiding you.”

“Why?” Dustin asked in the heart-breaking way of a child trying to understand a fundamental law of the universe. Why would you do that? Why would you hurt me that way? Why why why?

“When you look at me, I can tell sometimes that you’re not really seeing me…” Steve said, holding Dustin’s gaze. “You’re seeing him. You all do, to some extent. Robin does a good job of hiding it but I see it when she thinks I’m not looking. I can take it with the others, I get it. But with you – it hurts more when it’s you because –” Steve cut himself off and looked away, unsure of how to continue without causing more pain. “I needed to know that you saw me, that you wanted to know me,” he finished.

“How was I supposed to get to know you? I tried to talk to you, to include you but all you did was ignore me, even when I was right beside you! I wanted to know you, Steve… but you didn’t let me.”

Steve winced, knowing that Dustin was right. He had unilaterally decided that it was impossible, that Dustin would always miss Other Steve – would always rather have Other Steve – than him. He had stayed away, kept his distance, because he was afraid that he would never measure up to the brother he had lost.

“I was the one who wouldn’t let Eleven give up, you know. She wanted to stop but I begged her to keep looking. I knew you were out there. Then we found you and you’re here… but you’re not – at least not for me,” he said dejectedly, his shoulders hunched and his face defeated.

Of course Dustin would be upset, seeing how Steve had slowly been getting closer to everyone… except him. He hadn’t meant to hurt him, but he saw that he had – deeply. He needed to fix it. He needed to fix it now. The look on his face was one that Steve never wanted to see again. That he had put it there made his chest feel tight with self-loathing.

“I’m sorry. You’re right, I didn’t let you. I kept you at arm’s length because – because I was afraid that even if you did get to know me you still wouldn’t be able to see me as separate from your Steve. Or if you did, that you’d be disappointed…that I’m not –” Steve trailed off. His inadequacies compared to Other Steve were something that he didn’t think would ever go away. The fact that he was in this universe at all was a testament to how much they loved him. How much they couldn’t let him go.

“Disappointed?” Dustin repeated, shaking his head. “I like the things that make you different. You play D&D, you loved Eddie… you fucking lived. I do keep looking for my Steve but it’s not for the reasons you think. Jesus, Steve – you have no idea. I see him sometimes, just like Robin probably does – but it’s because it’s rare that we look so hard. You really are a different person and I don’t think it’s only because of the year you survived alone. So yes, I look for him sometimes but that doesn’t mean I don’t see you. I like you for the things that remind me of him and for the things that make you different.”

That was… unexpected. Had he been misinterpreting the looks everyone had been giving him this whole time? No, he couldn’t have been that wrong. At least not in the beginning. Had it changed and he hadn’t noticed?

His whole worldview was being upended and he didn’t know how to handle it. The uncertainty must have shown on his face because Dustin came around to the other side of the counter. Steve turned and waited until he was standing in front of him – but he still didn’t know what to say. His mind was spinning, hopeful yet confused.

“Do you see me, Steve?” Dustin asked, turning the question back on him. “Or do you see the Dustin you lost?”

The question hurt; the pain cutting because that was the problem, wasn’t it? He wanted Dustin to be able to do something that he wasn’t able to do himself. But how unfair had he been to deny them both a relationship they wanted because of his failure?

“Both,” he whispered the agonizing truth. “Always both.”

He thought this truth would hurt Dustin in the same way that it always hurt himself, but the younger boy smiled at him instead. Small and with so much understanding and Steve was thrown by the maturity he saw in it.

“You haven’t given us enough credit, Steve. We knew when we went looking that you weren’t going to be the same as the Steve that we lost – but we went looking anyway. You think it wasn’t something we talked about? That we might find a version of you that didn’t even know us? That we might find a Steve who was so different from who we knew as to be unrecognizable? It didn’t matter, we needed to know – I needed to know that a version of you was alive somewhere. Then we found your universe. A universe that looked so irreparably different from ours that we didn’t expect you to be like our Steve at all.” Tears welled in Dustin’s eyes and his voice turned raspy as he said with quiet weight, “but you were still his brother.”

“I was,” Steve said around the emotion tightening his throat.

“So, why can’t you be mine?” Dustin asked, voice breaking.  

The question was soft, quiet – brave. Innocently simple. Why can’t you be my mine? And the answer, of course, was that he could be. So why were the words so hard to say? He nodded quickly and the hope burning in Dustin’s eyes cut right through him. He had told himself to fix it; so that’s what he did.

“I can be,” Steve said with determination and sincerity. “I want to be.”

It didn’t matter, in the end, whose memories belonged to whom. Dustin was Dustin and Steve was Steve and everything they had gone through was still theirs. It didn’t matter that Dustin had lost Steve and Steve had lost Dustin – because right now, they were standing in front of each other, alive. With all the shared history of family between them, and how could Steve deny the miracle of that?

Dustin smiled, widely and toothily and rushed into his arms.

“Thanks for not giving up on me,” Steve said into his hair, holding him closer.

“Never,” Dustin said, clutching him back just as tightly.

Steve couldn’t explain it – but the universe felt right all of a sudden. A missing piece of the puzzle had been found and the whole picture finally made sense. His wrong-footed shoes felt right, comfortable even. They released each other after a moment, surreptitiously wiping their eyes.

“Does this mean you’ll play D&D with us?” Dustin asked sheepishly.

Steve barked out a laugh and reached out to ruffle his hair.

“Yeah,” he said around a wide smile. “I’ll play.”

@just-a-tiny-void @mx-jinxous @child-of-cthulhu @awholedamnmesstbh @phoenix0bird @bookworm0690 @estrellami-1 @hbyrde36 @a-gae-af-racoon @novelnovella @meela86 @lenathegay @vampireinthesun @penny00dreadful @questionablequeeries @espressopatronum454 @r0binscript @seths-rogens @fruity-nerd @sani-86 @n0-1-important @swimmingbirdrunningrock @ellietheasexylibrarian @manda-panda-monium @paintsplatteredandimperfect @viridianphtalo @goodolefashionedloverboi @13catastrophic-blues @newtstabber @tinytalkingtina @whole-moods @queenie-ofthe-void @nailbatanddungeon

-Hello everyone, I apologize deeply for how long this has taken. No piece of writing has challenged me more than this… I struggled so deeply to have these characters express their emotions in a realistic way. Every word was painstakingly chosen, rewritten, changed, changed back, deleted, and agonized over. That whole scene changed so so many times and I really love certain moments and I am completely unhappy with others. I would love any and all feedback! -If you'd like the full playlist for Eddie's tape please check out my note on this chapter on AO3 :)

#steddie #stranger things #steve harrington #steve x eddie #eddie munson #angst with a happy ending #multiverse #the last steve harrington #slow burn

[temptingfatetakingnames]

Pant.Night

[temptingfatetakingnames]

Quick study

"Sin título-1.psd" is such a mood.

[temptingfatetakingnames]

steve why does eddie call you babygirl

[temptingfatetakingnames]

I was incredibly lucky to be in the path of the full solar eclipse today. What an awe inspiring experience. Truly unexpected and beautiful. If you ever have the chance to travel and see one, do it!

#eclipse #solar eclipse #eclipse2024

[temptingfatetakingnames]

Dancing in the Dark Final Part

AO3 / Part 1 / Part 2

Eddie wouldn’t say he drove over the speed limit when he took his friends home, but he certainly toed the line. He also wouldn’t say that he kicked them out of his van as soon as he pulled up to their places, but that would be a lie. He was…anxious to get back to Steve. He hadn’t wanted to leave him in the first place but they both had people they needed to get home.

Designated driver duties done for the night; Eddie was on his way to Steve’s place and he was freaking out a little.

Okay, he was freaking out a lot.

Him and Steve were friends. They had slept over at each other’s places before. What they hadn’t done is sleep in the same bed after admitting they liked each other. Steve was struggling, and Eddie didn’t want to add to his stress by being nervous or weird about it. Steve needed sleep, that’s what Eddie was going over to help him with.

Sleep.

Nothing else.

…Maybe cuddling – to help Steve sleep.

The beamer was already in the driveway when Eddie pulled up to the Harrington House. He turned the van off and wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans before he got out. His heart was a fluttering thing in his chest as he approached the door. Before he could knock, it swung open. Steve smiled. A real one, small and soft, and Eddie felt himself melt into a gooey puddle. Oh. The power that little smile already had over him was dangerous.

“Hey,” Steve said, smiling wider.

“Hey,” Eddie replied, smiling back, and they stood staring at each other in the doorway like lovesick fools.

“Come in,” Steve said and stepped back so Eddie could pass in front of him as he closed the door. Eddie was a little unsure where to go. Living room? Kitchen? Right up to Steve’s room? It was late and Steve was probably tired but adrenaline was coursing through Eddie like a goddamn freight train. His fingers tapped against his legs.

“Need anything? I can grab you some comfortable clothes to change into?”

Eddie hadn’t gone home to grab an overnight bag because he couldn’t bear to be away from Steve any longer than was strictly necessary. He nodded and Steve grabbed his hand, leading him through the house and up to his room, turning off the lights as they went.

Right to bed then.

When they got to his room, Steve let go of his hand to go over to his dresser. He pulled out pajama bottoms and a worn-out t-shirt. Eddie wasn’t going to tell him that he usually just slept in his boxers… if he slept in anything at all.

“Thanks,” Eddie said as Steve handed him the bundle of clothes. He went to change in the bathroom, giving them both a moment alone. The reflection staring back at him from the mirror was of a person he barely recognized. Wide eyed and red cheeked. He was so fucked. He dropped his head into his hands, shaking it back and forth. After his little internal crisis, he changed into the pajamas. They were soft and baggy on him. He and Steve were pretty close in height but Steve was broader than him, more muscular. As he was about to head back out he heard a soft knock on the door.

He opened it to Steve, a toothbrush in his hand and wearing his own pajamas.

“For you,” he said, holding it out.

Eddie took it. “Sorry, I really should have stopped at home first but I –” Eddie cut himself off before he admitted that he hadn’t wanted to waste any more time away from him.

“All good,” Steve replied, “I always have extras handy.”

He walked into the bathroom and fluffed his hair in the mirror before grabbing his own toothbrush. After squeezing out some toothpaste onto his brush, he passed the tube to Eddie, who did the same. They brushed their teeth, eyes meeting in the mirror and Eddie couldn’t help feeling slightly seduced by the look he was being given. It made his body feel warm – to have Steve Harrington looking at him like that. He wanted to kiss him. The urge to reach out almost impossible to resist. But he did.

Sleep, Eddie reminded himself. He was here to sleep… and talk. No kissing.

Not yet anyway.

When they were done, they walked back to Steve’s room and nerves lit up his spine as Steve turned on the small lamp beside his bed and turned off the main light. The room was cast in an intimate glow, the lamp only giving off a small amount of light. Steve flipped down the covers and slid under them, looking at Eddie with a searching look as he hesitated to do the same thing on the other side. Eddie crawled into the bed, heart pounding wildly, with none of the grace Steve had displayed.

They laid down on their backs, faces toward the ceiling, letting the night settle around them. Steve was warm beside him, a powerful force of gravity, pulling Eddie closer. Steve must have felt it too, because seemingly at the same time, they turned towards each other. Edging closer and closer on their respective pillows until Eddie could feel Steve’s minty breath on his face. Slowly, so slowly, Eddie reached out and put his arm over Steve’s shoulders, drawing their bodies closer. Steve didn’t resist but melted forward until their bodies aligned tightly against each other, legs intertwining.

Eddie didn’t know what to do with the feelings in his chest when Steve sighed and snuggled in against him. They felt too large for his body, threatening to erupt and spill out everywhere. Steve Harrington was in his arms. Soft and warm. Eddie breathed him in deeply, a delicious smelling cologne still lingering on his skin.

“Good night, sweetheart,” Eddie said.  

He felt Steve’s response against his skin. “Good night, Eddie.”

Silence descended and Eddie closed his eyes, trying desperately to calm his pounding heart so he could go to sleep. He didn’t question Steve’s need to leave the small light on. There had been many nights that he hadn’t been able to sleep without them. Flashlight in one hand and a walkie-talkie in the other.

“I’m not tired,” Steve whispered.

Eddie couldn’t help but snort and Steve laughed a little.

“Alright,” he capitulated. “I am tired, but I don’t want to sleep yet.”

“Is there something you want to talk about?”

He went quiet, thinking, and Eddie held him close – wondering if he would fall asleep before answering.

“You said you want to know more about me… so, ask a question. Any question and I’ll answer it.”

“What’s the secret Robin has on you?” Eddie asked immediately and was instantly more awake because of the riotous blush that erupted on Steve’s cheeks.

“Any question but that one!”

“Too late sweetheart, you said any question!”

Steve gaped up at him but Eddie just looked calmly back, eyebrow raised, waiting for the answer. He refused to look away and after a moment Steve released a resigned huff and hid his face into Eddie’s neck. He fought to suppress his body’s shiver as Steve’s breath ghosted over his skin.

“It was you,” Steve said so quietly Eddie had to listen closely to hear his voice. “In the van when you called me Big Boy…” Steve trailed off, like that answered his question. Which it very much did not. What was him? He gave Steve a little shake.

“Shit. You’re really going to make me say it?”

“Say what?”

“You gave me a goddamn sexual crisis! Robin was absolutely no help as I struggled for months to figure out what I was feeling was a crush…” Heat bloomed warm and quick on Eddie’s face at Steve’s admission.

“But you didn’t see me,” Steve continued and Eddie’s good feeling disappeared as quickly as it had come. Steve huffed a laugh that sounded suspiciously close to a sob. “But no one did, so that was nothing new.”

Eddie wanted to say that he was wrong – that he had seen him – but he wouldn’t lie. He saw him now… and hoped that was enough.

“You hid yourself too well, Steve. I had no idea you felt that way. I’m sorry it took me so long to see behind that mask you show everyone… but I’m looking now. I see you… and Steve?” Eddie asked and waited for him to lean back and look up at him. When he met his eyes, Eddie said, “I like what I see.”

Emotion burned in the hazel depths staring back at him. Fierce and bright and Eddie threw his no kissing rule out of the window and captured Steve’s lips with his own. As much as he wanted to bite and consume, he kept it gentle and soft. Steve’s eyes fluttered closed and he deepened the kiss, tongue questioning at Eddie’s closed lips. Without thought, they parted and Steve surged forward. His hands came up to Eddie’s cheeks, before slipping behind his neck and into his hair. The kiss became wet and slippery, messy in their desperation to taste each other. There was no longer anything gentle about it. Eddie nipped at Steve’s plush lower lip and was gratified when he moaned deep into his mouth. Eddie clutched him closer before releasing him and backing up as much as Steve’s hands in his hair would allow. They needed to slow things down… and breathe.

Steve let out a slow breath. “I wasn’t expecting this,” he said. “I wasn’t expecting you. All of this because of a song?”

Because of a song? No. Because of how Steve sang it. So raw, like he was pulling the lyrics out of himself bleeding. Eddie had never heard anything like it. He wasn’t sure if he ever would again.  

You can't start a fire You can't start a fire without a spark

“It wasn’t just the song. But it did…open my eyes, I guess? I had never seen you be so vulnerable before. You always act so tough, so unshakeable. The way you sang that song showed me that I didn’t understand you at all, that I had seen the surface of you but didn’t look any deeper. Everything you said about your fears and your dreams – I get it. I really fucking get it.”

Steve was nodding along with what Eddie was saying, his fingers idling playing with his hair.

“It was easier… to try and lock it all away. If I just told myself that I was fine, that everything was fine – then it would be. But the box wouldn’t stay shut. Not this time.”

I'll shake this world off my shoulders

Eddie had experienced horror. Had lived through hell. It was easy to forget that Steve had experienced it, too – but for longer. He remembered being absolutely stunned when they had finally told him the whole story. Demogorgons, Russians, Mindflayers, Vecna. The men and the monsters Steve had fought. Eddie was still fucked up over his one encounter, he didn’t know how the rest of them did it.

“You didn’t talk to Robin?” he asked.

“I did. Of course, I did. She’s my best friend but she’s moving on – it’s over for her and I wanted it to be over for her, too. So, I stopped bringing it up. She didn’t question it. To her – to everyone – I was back to my old self. Easy, simple Steve Harrington.”

“Steve, I –”

“I know that I hid away parts of myself,” Steve interrupted. “Hid them well enough that no one could see them. I don’t blame anyone for not seeing through me, I just…” Steve sighed and trailed off. He flipped onto his back so he was staring up at the ceiling, hands across his chest.

I could use just a little help

Eddie hesitated but Steve had told him to ask questions. So, he asked the other one that had been burning a hole in his tongue the whole night.

“Why did you sing that song?”

“I didn’t want to sing at all but Robins stubborn and I knew she wouldn’t let it go. I wasn’t planning on singing it, but I heard you guys – laughing and joking. Abba, Duran Duran, Madonna.” Steve said and paused. “I didn’t want to be easy, simple Steve Harrington anymore.”

There's a joke here somewhere and it's on me

Shame burned through Eddie, sudden and sharp. An uncomfortable feeling that he had little experience with. He had no idea that Steve had heard them, but he should have. Their table had been right in front of the stage, and they certainly hadn’t been quiet about it. At the time, he probably wouldn’t have thought that Steve would care.

“I decided at the microphone – to try and show you all who I am, what I’ve been feeling. To see if it would make any difference,” Steve said and turned back to face him, a hand under his cheek. He smiled slowly, softly. Beautifully sad. “I guess it did.”

He was too far away, so Eddie drew him against his side again. Without hesitation Steve tucked his head under Eddie’s chin and clutched his back.

You can't start a fire Worryin' about your little world fallin' apart

“It did,” Eddie agreed quietly. “You shocked me – shocked all of us. I’m sorry we made you feel that way. I’m sorry I made you feel that way. I’m not happy about how we ended up here, but I am happy to be here, with you warm and lovely in my arms. I want to get to know you better, which means no more hiding what you’re thinking and feeling. Promise me, Steve – no more hiding.”

“Lovely? …You think I’m lovely?”

“Steve,” Eddie warned.

“No more hiding, I promise. I’m happy to be here, too.”

“Good,” Eddie said and kissed his forehead. “We should go to sleep.”

Steve poked him hard in his side instead and Eddie laughed before telling him what he wanted to hear.

“Yeah, Steve. I think you’re lovely.”

As if there was any doubt.

A mumbled response that Eddie couldn’t hear came from the man in his arms.

“What was that?”

“Think you’re lovely, too.”

Eddie couldn’t keep the massive smile that came over his face or the warmth that settled into his heart. Gooey puddle, that’s what he was.

“Good night, sweetheart,” Eddie whispered into the dark.

“Good night, Eddie.”

He held Steve tightly all through the night. Held him against the darkness and the loneliness and the nightmares. Held him because he was precious and worth protecting.

Even if we're just dancin' in the dark

---

@newtstabber @warlordess @tillystealeaves @imfinereallyy @heartsong18 @saltyseagoat83 @aceofwands @djohawke @th30ra3k3n @lazy-duck @surreal-honeypot @awkwardgravity1 @yoriposts @alycatavatar @tearsonthemoon222 @roastingdragon @mightbeasleep @helpimstuckposting @goblintendencies @dannys-guilt-ridden-cockroach

I tagged everyone who commented on the first part asking for more, I hope that's okay!

I think that will be it for this little fic, I wanted to finish off the night and give a bit more of a conclusion. I truly hoped you enjoyed this mostly fluffy and a little bit angsty final installment. As always, it's a pleasure to share with you all <3 Good night!

#steddie #steve harrington #stranger things #steve x eddie #eddie munson #steve harrington can sing #open mic night

[temptingfatetakingnames]

these pieces have a companion fic!! go read it its AMAZING

[temptingfatetakingnames]

Highly requested portrait of Eddie Munson🖤

[temptingfatetakingnames]

The Last Steve Harrington Part 17

AO3 / Part 1 / Part 16

Months passed and Steve fell into a routine. He worked three days a week at Family Video with Robin, spent time with the kids and the Hopper-Byers,’ and slowly – slowly started living again.

He wouldn’t say he was happy.

But…

He wasn’t unhappy and that was new.

He liked working with Robin and every chance he got he went to the lake and swam. He borrowed Joyce or Hopper’s car and drove for miles and miles, listening to music and just…being. Every penny he made at work went towards buying his own car. A beamer would be out of his budget but he would find something good and durable. He was fit and healthy and even though he still had nightmares he managed to sleep most nights, even if it was just a little. Late night walks were still a common occurrence, as were morning coffee conversations with Hopper as they watched the sun rise. On Sundays they watched football and sometimes Eleven joined them. On the nights he wasn’t working, he and Joyce made dinner together.

The kids invited him to the movies and the arcade and Dustin had started asking him to play D&D with them. He had managed to deflect that for now. D&D was something precious to him, something he had played to make Eds happy but had turned into a way to bond with the kids and Hellfire. Steve knew it could do the same for him here… but he wasn’t sure how he felt about that. So, deflection… for now anyway.

Another Eleven visited. They had all just sat down for dinner when a knock sounded at the door. Joyce had gone to answer it and had come back wide-eyed with Eleven trailing her into the house. She looked identical to the Eleven sitting at the table, sharing her colourful clothes and hair. They had stared at each other hard, some secret communication passing between them before she turned to Steve with a beaming smile.

She sat beside him and held his hand and he didn’t let go. It didn’t matter how hard it was to eat one handed, he didn’t let go. They ate and talked, Eleven telling him about her Steve and Steve telling her about himself and his life. When dinner was over, he walked her out and she said the words that every visiting Eleven said: Thank you. I am so glad you lived. He hugged her and told her he loved her and that everything was going to be okay. She left with tears in her eyes and a smile on her face.

Eddie liked to stop by Family Video to see him and Robin and the three of them hung out fairly often on weekends. When they had time, he and Eddie worked on fixing the old Munson trailer. Eddie had seemed pleasantly surprised that Steve hadn’t been joking when he said they should try. They borrowed tools from Hopper and Wayne and started clearing everything out. It was a large project and often they had no idea what they were doing but it was something tangible for Steve to work toward. A small purpose that quickly became one of his favourite days of the week.

The thing was…

Eddie was clumsy… and not your average person clumsy.

Clumsy.

The man tripped over literally everything. Carpets, street curbs, his own damn feet. And he didn’t just trip a little and catch himself. Oh no, he fell flat on his face, sprawled on the floor. It never failed to make Steve laugh – the over-the-top dramatic nature of it. If he didn’t know better, he might think Eddie was doing it on purpose. But that was just how Eddie was, loud and dramatic and over-the-top. He and Eds’ were similar in that way. Both were exuberant playful people, but there was a calculation behind Eddie’s eyes that Eds’ had lacked. A darkness… or a wisdom. Something that spoke of loss and survival that Steve recognized in his own eyes. An understanding that scared him… and thrilled him.

He knew Robin tried. They all tried. But their understanding came from the loss of Steve Harrington, whose ghost lived in their eyes… and sometimes it hurt to face them. There was a reason he struggled so hard to connect with Dustin. Steve never expected that he would become so comfortable with Eddie, but he was. Eddie wasn’t Eds and Steve wasn’t Steve and he didn’t know why, but the ghosts left them alone.

Eddie never seemed to mind the days when Steve was quiet. When he needed to hit nails with a hammer until all other thoughts disappeared, when he was angry and destructive. They made a few trips to the junkyard on the particularly bad days. Steve spent the time destroying whatever he could get his hands on and Eddie looked for materials they could use for the trailer. He was good at scavenging – at finding useful things that others had deemed useless and thrown away.

And so, the summer passed.

The kids went back to school and the house got quieter. Steve worked at Family Video and put all his earnings towards a car. He spent time with his friends and worked on rebuilding the Munson trailer. He cooked with Joyce and watched football on Sundays…

… and the good days slowly started to outweigh the bad days.

---

“Steve!”

He was sitting on the roof, the strong September sunlight hitting the back of his neck as he hammered nails into the plywood beneath him. He and Eddie were trying to get the trailer patched up enough to get them through the winter. They had spent the majority of their time cleaning out the inside and had only just started on the infrastructure. Eddie had been working on putting in a new frame for the wall while Steve worked on the roof. There was still so much to do –

“Steve!”

His hammer almost slipped out of his fingers as he was jolted from his thoughts. He leaned over the side, shielding his eyes from the sun with his hand. Eddie was looking up at him, hands on his hips. His shirt was off, his usually pale skin was red and shining with sweat. Steve sighed. He would have to remind him to use more sunscreen. His eyes glanced down his torso, his scars and tattoos on display and Steve wished he had even an ounce of Eddie’s self-confidence. It never failed to surprise him; how much Eddie didn’t seem to care about them. Or didn’t seem to care about other people caring about them?

“What?” Steve asked, looking away before Eddie caught him ogling.

“Dude, I’ve been calling your name for ten minutes. What’re ya doing up there?”

“Shit, sorry. Just focused, I guess. I want to get this done.”

“You’ve been nailing for hours, come down and have dinner.”

“You made dinner?” Steve asked incredulously. He must have been really zoned out if he hadn’t noticed Eddie had left for that long. He was also surprised that Eddie knew how to cook.  

Eddie laughed. “Fuck no. Wayne made dinner.”

“What’d he make?”

“Fish. Caught it fresh yesterday.”

Steve immediately set his hammer down. Oh yes. He would stop working for Wayne’s fish. His pasta? No. His meatloaf? Steve suppressed a shudder. Defintiely not. But his fish?

Yes.

He carefully made his way to the side where a ladder was set up against the trailer. He turned around and put his feet on the top rung and started climbing down. He wasn’t expecting Eddie to be at the bottom holding it steady for him. When he got close to the end, Eddie stepped away to give him space but still held onto one side of the ladder. Their faces passed close, and Steve could see that his cheeks were even redder than before. He definitely needed to use more sunscreen.  

“Thanks,” Steve said with a smile.

“Yup,” Eddie said looking away from him. “No problem. Happy to help. You really shouldn’t climb a ladder without someone holding it, ya know? You could fall and die. Or break your back and be paralyzed for life. Safety first, Steve.”

Steve looked up at the trailer, it was maybe 12-15 feet high. If he fell the worst thing that could happen was him breaking a leg. If he had bad luck and fell on it wrong. Eddie wasn’t allowed on the roof because he would definitely fall off and break his leg or die or be paralyzed for life – he was that clumsy… or that unlucky. But Steve appreciated the concern.

They walked through the park, waving and saying hello to the other residents as Eddie kept up a constant stream of chatter at his side. When they got to the new Munson trailer, Eddie skipped up the steps first and then held the door open for Steve, which earned him a snort and a side eye that just made him smile. Wayne was in the kitchen and Steve’s stomach growled as the smell hit his nose.

“Wash up boys,” Wayne said without turning around.

The bathroom was small and they were both hot and sweaty. Eddie turned on the water at the sink and let it run as he washed his hands. Steve reached in beside him with cupped hands and splashed the water on his face and neck.

“Hey!” Eddie yelped as some of it hit him.

He was about to apologize when Eddie turned his hand sharply, sending a blast of water directly into his face. Steve spluttered for a moment before glaring over at him. Eddie was smirking, probably thinking Steve wouldn’t start something in Wayne’s bathroom. Oh, how wrong he was.

“It’s on, Munson!”

“Show me what ya got, Harrington!”

Eddie had the advantage of having his hands already in the sink, so he got off another shot before Steve managed to slip under his defenses and get his own hands on the frigid water. Eddie shrieked as Steve landed a hit on his bare chest. They grappled over control of the water source, getting progressively wetter as the battle raged, their laughter sounding loud in the small room.

“Boys!” Wayne yelled.

They stopped abruptly and moved out of each other’s space, breaths ragged and water dripping from their hair. Steve grabbed a towel and passed it to Eddie before grabbing one for himself. They smiled softly at each other as they dried off. Steve put his towel on the floor by the sink to soak up the water and they left.

Wayne glared as they re-entered the kitchen and Steve felt heat rise on his neck. It was easy to forget that this Wayne didn’t know him. At least he had the foresight to know that his gruff exterior hid a truly sensitive man. Steve had been absolutely terrified of Wayne when he and Eds had started dating but he had quickly become someone he loved and trusted. Now, they were almost strangers again. Eddie left the room, returning with his arms above his head as he put on a black sleeveless shirt, the muscles in his abdomen pulling taught.

“Steve, go sit. Eddie, set the table.”

They both did what they were told. Steve sat and Eddie moved around Wayne with ease, grabbing mismatched dishes and cutlery and bringing them to the table. When it was set, he slid into the seat on the other side of Steve, shooting him a wink and reaching his arm across the back of the chair beside him. Wayne carried over a large tray full of steaming food and put it on the table before sitting down with a heavy sigh.

Eddie immediately attacked the tray, grabbing fish and potatoes but leaving the vegetables untouched. Steve waited and risked a small smile at Wayne who only blinked back at him tiredly. When Eddie had tucked into his own food, Steve scooped out a bit of everything onto his own plate before handing the spoon to Wayne who did the same.

“I heard a funny story at work,” Eddie began. “A friend of mine has a cat. Well, his wife has a cat, she loved the thing, he always hated it. Anyway, it was sick so she made an appointment at the vet. She’s busy with the kids and can’t take it, so she makes him go. He’s driving and the thing is meowing like crazy in the backseat. All of a sudden it goes quiet, and he’s just glad to have some peace for the rest of the drive. He gets to the vet and goes to get the cat. Unfortunately, it’s dead, but his wife made the appointment and he doesn’t want her to get mad at him. So, he picks it up, takes it in. Walks up to the counter holding the cat and says, ‘I’ve got an appointment.’ The lady looks at him, looks at the cat, and says ‘sir, that cat is dead.’”

Wayne stared at him like he was crazy but Steve burst out laughing. After a moment, Wayne laughed too, shaking his head.

“Oh my God. Why’d he bring the cat in if he knew it was dead?” Steve asked, wiping the tears from his eyes.

Eddie shrugged and said, “he had an appointment!” and Steve burst out laughing again.

“You need new friends, son,” Wayne said seriously.

Steve settled back with a smile as Eddie and Wayne argued over the value of Eddie’s friendship. He ate his dinner and it was as delicious as he remembered. The fish was light and flaky, the potatoes had a crunchy golden skin and the vegetables were cooked to perfection. Steve thought back to the days when he had nothing to eat but beans – how he used to dream of Wayne’s fish – how he thought he would never get to eat it again. Slowing down, he ate more carefully, savoring every bite. He wouldn’t take it for granted, not this time. He knew now how easily things could be torn away.

When they were done, Steve took the dishes to the sink. Wayne protested weakly but settled back down when Steve insisted he would wash them.

“Thank you for dinner, Wayne. It was delicious,” he said as the sink filled with water and soap.

“Good t’have ya,” Wayne replied gruffly.

Eddie came over with a towel and started drying the dishes Steve had stacked in the rack. Wayne grabbed a beer out of the fridge and headed out to the living room. A grunt sounded and Steve heard the chair recline and the television switch on. Eddie started humming beside him and Steve looked out of the window, feeling full and peaceful. Good food, good company. They had made some progress on the trailer. Another good day. He just hoped the nightmares would stay away so he could sleep well. Good days meant bad nights… sometimes.

“I’ll drive you home when we’re done.”

“Thanks,” Steve said and let out a little sigh. He hated being driven around, it made him feel like a child. A car meant freedom. Independence. Not being beholden to anyone.

Eddie nudged him with his shoulder. “What’s up?”

“I just really need my own car, man.”

Eddie looked over at him. “You’ve been saving for a while. Think you’re close?”

Steve thought about his bank account, how slowly it was increasing with the crappy pay from Family Video. He should ask Robin for more shifts, she really needed to fire that idiot who kept calling in sick on her.

“Getting there,” he replied.

When they were done with the dishes, Eddie asked him to wait a few minutes. He went into his room, so Steve went and sat with Wayne while he waited.

“He laughs more with you around, ya know?” Wayne said suddenly and Steve looked over at him with surprise.

“He does?”

Wayne nodded and took a sip of his beer. “It’s good, what you’re doin’ with the trailer. Good for Eddie. Good for you too, I think. Ask for help if you need it, yeah?”

Wayne was looking at him intently and Steve couldn’t help but fidget.

“We will,” Steve replied and looked away from his heavy gaze.

“Not just about the trailer.”

Steve slowly turned back and met Wayne’s eyes. There was something in them, that same look that he and Eddie shared. Loss and survival. Darkness and wisdom. He was viscerally reminded that Eddie had died. That Wayne had thought Eddie was dead. He still didn’t know the whole story. Eddie had explained a bit… but he knew there was more. Steve nodded slowly and Wayne must have accepted whatever was on his face because he gave a decisive nod back just as Eddie walked into the room.

“Ready to go?” Eddie asked, wiggling his keys

“Yup,” Steve said and stood up. “Bye Wayne, thanks again.”

“Steve,” Wayne said and dipped his head.

He was quiet on the drive home, thinking about The Upside Down and Vecna and how much pain they had caused the people of Hawkins. Steve knew his loss was great, but that didn’t mean he could ignore everyone else’s. He needed to talk to Dustin and find some way for them to move forward. They had both lost a brother and they might never be that to each other again…but –  

They could be.

It was something that had always struck Steve as odd whenever they discussed Other Steve – how despite all the changes with himself, Robin, Eddie, Joyce, Hopper, Nancy and Jonathan, with Vecna, Hawkins and the world – the kids were the same. Who he was to the kids was the same. At least in this universe. And what were the odds of that? Fucking astronomical if he had to guess. He just needed Dustin to understand that even if they did share those memories, he was a different person now.

He also needed to talk to Eddie. Ask him about what happened to him, or at least let him know that he was open to talking if he wanted to. Eddie had told him that he thought he could understand what Steve had gone through. Which meant the opposite was true and he could understand Eddie, too. Steve glanced over at him from the corner of his eye. He had the radio on and he was humming and drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. They were almost to his place so now wasn’t the time, but he resolved that when he saw Eddie next, he would ask him if he wanted to talk about The Upside Down and what had happened to them.

They turned onto Steve’s street and he could see Hopper, Joyce, Will and Eleven were all standing outside like they were waiting for him. Eddie slowed down as he approached and parked the car on the curb in front of the house. Sitting in the driveway was a maroon 1983 BMW. His car. Steve stared at it unmoving. It gleamed in the sunlight, chrome flashing.

“That’s my car,” he said to himself, still staring at it like it was a mirage that would disappear if he let it out of his sight.

Eddie chuckled and said, “yup! Gunna go get it or just keep sitting in my decrepit van?”

Steve unbuckled his belt and slowly opened the door. Will and Eleven ran over to meet him, each grabbing one of his hands and pulling him towards Hopper and Joyce.

“Your parents had it in storage,” Hopper explained. “I called them about it months ago to see how I could go about getting it for you but they never called me back. They only just reached out because they heard you’re back in Hawkins.”

Steve froze as panic rose with frightening force throughout his body. His parents knew he was in Hawkins. He did not want to see them. He couldn’t see them. Hopper must have seen the panic on his face because he rushed over and put a hand on his shoulder. His heart was still beating fiercely, adrenaline rushing through him as he tried to calm his fight or flight response.

“They’re not coming back here, Steve. They just had some questions.”

Steve swallowed hard. “Questions about me?”

Hopper nodded. “They wanted to know where you went.”

“What did you tell them?”

“That it was none of their business.”

“I can’t afford it,” Steve said quietly. “Whatever you paid my parents for it, I can’t pay you back.”

“I didn’t pay anything for it.”

Steve reared back in shock. That wasn’t possible. His parents would never give something away for free… his actual parents wouldn’t anyway and from everything he had learned about Other Steve’s parents they were just as bad as his were.

“How?” Steve managed to ask.

“It’s in your name. When you were listed as a missing person your parents took ownership but with you back, they had to give it up.” There was an or else that Hopper left hanging in the air. “All yours,” he said holding out the keys. “No strings attached.”

Steve stared at them, unsure how to respond to such kindness. Hopper was making it sound like it was an easy simple thing he had done, but Steve knew it wasn’t. He knew that Hopper probably had to yell and threaten and pull all his weight as chief to get his parents to do the right thing. And even then, Steve was surprised he had managed to convince them.

“Go ahead, Steve,” Joyce said softly from Hopper’s side. “Take it for a drive.”

Will and Eleven tugged at his hands. “Can we come?” Will asked.

Steve smiled, happiness unfurling in his chest like a flower seeing the sun after days and days of rain. He had a car! And not just any car. His car. It felt like the whole world had opened for him. No more asking permission, no more waiting for anyone else to be ready. He could leave whenever he wanted. Go wherever he wanted. Do whatever he wanted.

“Kids, let Steve go–” Joyce began but Steve cut her off.

“Of course, you can!”

They both shrieked and ran for the car, a scuffle breaking out over who would get the front seat. Will reached it first but when he went to open the door, Eleven blinked and the lock clicked back into place.

“No fair!” Will exclaimed.

“Shot gun.” Eleven said firmly and crossed her arms over her chest.

“Thank you,” Steve said as he took the keys from Hopper who nodded and clapped his shoulder again.

Joyce kissed his cheek and said, “you’re welcome.”

He looked at the keys in his hand and another huge grin broke out on his face as he noticed the Scoops Ahoy keychain. Eddie came up to his side and wordlessly held out a cassette tape. Steve took it and turned it over, looking for the band name but it was blank.

“It’s a mix tape,” Eddie filled in, looking a little sheepish. “A side for good days. B side for bad days.”

Steve felt his smile soften. It was a thoughtful gift. A mixtape could say a lot about a person. He was curious what Eddie would choose for good days and bad days and was looking forward to listening to it – to learning more about him.

“Thanks, Eddie.”

Eddie waved him off, his cheeks tinted red.

Joyce pushed him towards his car. Steve slid into the driver’s seat, and waited for the kids to get in and put on their seat belts before he backed out of the driveway. He waved at Hopper, Joyce and Eddie as they passed.

They all rolled their windows down and Steve put Eddie’s tape in the player.

On the A side.

Part 18

@just-a-tiny-void @mx-jinxous @child-of-cthulhu @awholedamnmesstbh @phoenix0bird @bookworm0690 @estrellami-1 @hbyrde36 @a-gae-af-racoon @novelnovella @meela86 @lenathegay @vampireinthesun @penny00dreadful @questionablequeeries @espressopatronum454 @r0binscript @seths-rogens @fruity-nerd @sani-86 @n0-1-important @swimmingbirdrunningrock @ellietheasexylibrarian @manda-panda-monium @paintsplatteredandimperfect @viridianphtalo @goodolefashionedloverboi @13catastrophic-blues @newtstabber @tinytalkingtina @whole-moods @queenie-ofthe-void

@nailbatanddungeon So sorry I missed your name change a few chapters ago!!

#steddie #stranger things #steve harrington #eddie munson #steve x eddie #multiverse #angst with a happy ending #the last steve harrington #slow burn

[temptingfatetakingnames]

skull rock, spring ‘86

Eddie is alive. He’s staying at Hopper and El’s cabin. He wears Steve’s clothes, Erica’s hair ties and doesn’t let anyone treat his wounds (it’s a miracle they’re not infected)

Steve? Steve keeps staring at his lips when they talk.

[temptingfatetakingnames]

✨ An experiment with lighting (and a limited color palette)

[temptingfatetakingnames]

he's nothing if not determined

[temptingfatetakingnames]

The Last Steve Harrington Part 16

A03 / Part 1 / Part 15

CW: Descriptive nightmare, panic attacks, drug use

He was sitting on a lawn chair talking with Robin when the sky opened and rain came pouring down. He turned to look at her and saw red dots splatter across her cheeks with more appearing by the second. He opened his hands and watched them fill with thick red liquid.

Blood. It was raining blood.

It started coming down harder and Steve was quickly blinded. He tried to wipe it away from his eyes but there was too much. It was too heavy and too thick. He stood and slipped, crashing hard into the ground. He reached for Robin but couldn’t find her. Tried to shout for her, but the rain was too loud and it poured into his mouth. His clothes were saturated, and still it continued to pound down on him. It coated his hair and trailed down his face, went into his ears, his nose, his mouth –

He couldn’t hear.

He couldn’t see.

He couldn’t breathe.

Choking. Drowning. He gasped and wheezed as he slowly suffocated. With every breath he inhaled more and more of the thick liquid into his burning lungs. The ground was too slippery for him to stand, there was nowhere for him to go. He flailed and panicked, terror seizing his mind.

It ended as suddenly as it started.

Steve choked and spat, his throat and lungs on fire. He sobbed and tried to wipe the blood away from his eyes, but every inch of him was covered and all he could do was smear it around. He couldn’t get it off his face with his hands, so he shook his head back and forth as quickly as he could. Blinking furiously, he was finally able to see…

And immediately wished that he had remained blind.

His kids were standing in front of him, covered in the same blood that coated his skin, staring at him with white clouded eyes. Dead eyes.

“How dare you?” Dustin asked, blood spurting out of his mouth with every word.  

“You think you deserve to be happy, Steve? After what you did?” Eleven scoffed.

“No, I –” Steve tried to speak but his throat closed painfully around the words.  

“You should be dead. Why aren’t you dead?” Will asked with a horrific tilt to his head.

“Please –”

“We would be alive if you had died like you were supposed to!” Max yelled.

“You’re a pathetic coward, Steve,” Mike sneered.

“I’m sorry!”

“No,” Lucas said with no emotion in his voice. “But you will be.”

They rushed toward him and Steve screamed –

And screamed.

And screamed.

He jolted awake, heart pounding and heart racing, sweat coating his skin.

Fuck.

He brought his shaking hands up to his face, feeling wetness on his cheeks. A dream. Just a really fucked up dream. But… it had been right…he had felt a happiness that he didn’t deserve. A happiness he had stolen from a Steve who had done the right thing. He had spent the day laughing in the sunshine and he hadn’t missed them.

Wrong. That was wrong. A rough sob burst from his mouth.

How could he do that? How could he not miss them?

He continued to breathe harshly, the sound too loud in the quiet house.

Out.

He needed to get out. Tossing the blanket aside, he slipped out of bed, only stopping to grab his yellow sweater before he ran outside. The summer warmth had fled with the sun and the night air was cool. He started running, trying to silence the voices screaming in his head with exertion. He ran until his lungs heaved and his legs burned. How dare you? You should be dead. He ran until he was a panting mess and a stitch began in his side. How dare you? You should be dead. He ran and ran, but still the thoughts persisted. Where could he go?

How dare you? You should be dead. How dare you? You should be dead. How dare you?

He just needed them to stop.

The cliffs flashed briefly across his mind, but he shut that thought down and locked it away. The night was quiet, only a light breeze stirring the trees. It felt too at odds with the storm raging in his chest. He didn’t know how long he had run for, but the pain in his side reached a point where he had to stop. Bent over, he struggled to get air into his lungs. How dare you? How dare you? How dare you? He could feel the panic waiting to jump him now that he wasn’t moving, a jittery feeling under his skin.

“Steve?”

Clutching his side, Steve unbent and stood up straight. He was standing in front of Eddie and Wayne’s trailer. Not the one they currently lived in, but the original. The one Steve had spent too many nights to count in. He had run to the trailer park, his unconsciousness leading him to a place where he felt safe. It looked different – broken, and he remembered that this is where Chrissy died and a gate to The Upside Down was opened in this universe. It had just been… left here. Unlived in and slowly falling apart. Left behind and forgotten.

Gravel crunched under his feet as Eddie came closer, a lit cigarette flickering in his hand. He was still wearing the clothes he had on earlier. Did he ever sleep?

“Steve?” Eddie asked again, concern etched in his voice. “What are you doing here? Everything alright?”

Oh yes. Totally fine. Definitely not having a complete mental breakdown. Steve knew he must look like a total mess. Sweaty and disheveled with tear tracks running down his face. He was still gasping, trying to get his breathing under control as his side continued to scream at him.

He waved to Eddie as if to say, ‘all good, just out for a completely normal run at two in the morning. Nothing to see here.’ But it was clear from the other mans face that he wasn’t buying it. Steve tried to smile at him, but it felt weak, wobbly.

Fuck.

He did not want to cry in front of him again.

“I’m fine –”

“Don’t,” Eddie cut him off, coming closer, eyes roaming over his face. “I can tell you’re not fine.”

“Bad thoughts,” Steve admitted quietly. “I was hoping a run would help, but…” he trailed off and shrugged.

Eddie nodded, eyes still intent on his face. “What’d ya need?”

How dare you? You should be dead. How dare you? How dare you? How dare you?

“Something to shut my brain off?”

They stood there, staring at each other in the darkness. Steve’s breath had evened out and he was able to stand normally. Eddie dropped his cigarette and stomped it out under his foot. He flicked his hair over his shoulder and took a joint out from behind his ear, before gesturing towards the dilapidated trailer.

Steve nodded and followed him inside. It wasn’t as bad as he was expecting from the outside. Eddie had likely cleaned the place up a bit. They settled on the couch, the silence between them…not exactly awkward, but not comfortable either. Eddie lit the joint, inhaling a few puffs until it caught then holding it out to Steve. It might be a bad idea. Getting high had been something he enjoyed in high school and he never had a bad trip but he knew there was a possibility it could increase his anxiety. Which was the last thing he wanted but he needed to do something.

He took the joint between his fingers and inhaled deeply, letting the smoke fill his mouth, then inhaled it again into his lungs. It had been a long time since he last got high. He tried to breathe through the burn and not embarrass himself but he couldn’t stop the cough that erupted from his chest. He wheezed and passed the joint back to Eddie. Steve expected him to snark at his inexperience but he just smiled and took his own toke.

“Wanna talk about it?” Eddie asked, breaking the silence.

No. He really did not. He shook his head.

Eddie passed the joint back and they finished it in silence. It didn’t take long for him to start feeling the effects, his body sinking deeper into the couch as all the tension he had been holding himself up with disappeared. Despite the state of the trailer, it was a place that offered him comfort. The voices in his head were blessedly absent as he floated on his high. Eddie had some good shit. Steve blew a raspberry and turned to look at him, wanting to say something witty or charming but coming up completely blank.

“You come here often?” slipped past his lips before he could stop himself. His heart started beating faster.

“Do I come to my own trailer often?” Eddie asked, a smile in his voice. “Yeah Steve, I come here pretty often.”

“Why?”

“It’s a good place to think,” Eddie said looking up at the torn apart ceiling. A large tarp had been spread across the roof to keep the rain out. “No one comes here. You’d think kids from the park would have vandalized it, but no one has. Too scared, maybe.”

 “Still?” Steve asked.

“Mhmm, Hawkins was really fucked up. It’s taken a long time for things to be normal again. Well, normal for Hawkins.”

They both laughed at that.

“We should fix it!” Steve said and sat up excitedly. “The trailer!”

“Oh, should we?”

“Yes! You’re handy, I could be handy. We should do it. How hard could it be?”

“The roof is basically gone and that wall is torn in half, it’s gunna be pretty fucking hard to fix, Steve. Especially if you don’t even know how handy you’re going to be.”

“I can be very handy,” Steve said slow and sultry and was gratified to see a blush rising on Eddie’s pale cheeks before he shoved him off the couch. Steve laughed as he slid to the floor, the room spinning pleasantly.

Eddie leaned forward, elbows on his knees and looked down at him, a soft expression on his face. “Feeling better?” he asked.

“Yes,” Steve replied truthfully. “Though it is a little quiet in here.”

Eddie hummed and stood up. “Easily fixed.”

Stepping around where Steve was lying sprawled on the floor, he left the room, returning a moment later with a portable stereo player. He pushed play and a familiar guitar and drumbeat sounded throughout the trailer. Steve sat up and leaned up against the back of the couch, listening. It took him a minute to place the band, but it had been one of Eds’ favourites so it came to him quickly.

“Judas Priest,” Steve said and Eddie turned to him sharply in surprise.

“Steve Harrington knows Judas Priest, will wonders never cease?” Eddie asked, drawing out the syllables of his first name.

He turned up the volume, just a bit, not enough to hurt Steve’s head but enough that he could feel the music in his bones. Eddie started dancing, or what Eddie would consider dancing. Mostly it consisted of him banging his head, whipping his hair around his face. Steve watched him fondly before getting up to join him. They danced and they sang, screaming the lyrics at the top of their lungs:

I heard your body talk I saw a shooting star In some magnetic trance Our beating hearts would dance And crash down from afar Oh how strange fate is Never dreamed of this

Time moved strangely. It felt slow, almost frozen even though he knew it was moving forward whenever a new song started. He let his thoughts go and felt the music.

When the tape finished, they collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavily. Steve’s high had worn off, sweated out of his skin. He didn’t know if it was because of where he was or the presence beside him but the voices stayed away. Eddie’s hair was a complete disaster, wild around his face. He knew his own probably didn’t look much better.

“What happened?” Eddie asked softly, his eyes close and sincere.

“I had a good day,” Steve said back just as softly. An awful laugh burst from his chest at the admission. It was stupid, to have become so upset over a good fucking day. “I felt normal. Good. I cooked with Joyce and did my hair and … I – I didn’t think about them. Or I did, but it wasn’t –” Steve cut himself off and pulled his hair in frustration. He didn’t know how to explain. “I thought about them, but not the right way.”

“Steve –”

“I miss them!But for one day I didn’t and it felt so fucking good…not to miss them. And that’s why everything is wrong.”

Eddie’s eyes swam with sympathy and understanding and Steve had to look away from their depths.

“It’s okay, Steve. You’re allowed to have good days. That doesn’t mean you forgot them. It doesn’t mean you don’t love them and miss them.”

Steve shook his head.

“I have – too many feelings,” he said as he clutched his chest. “And I don’t know how to live with them. The anger, the guilt, the shame, even the fucking love. I’m drowning and they’re so heavy, Eddie. So damn heavy and I don’t know how to put them down. I’m surrounded by love and grief and everyday there’s a war in my heart. Sometimes grief wins. Sometimes love wins… but then grief wins again and again and again.”

Eddie was quiet for a moment beside him.

“We all carry people with us, Steve – some heavier than others. But they get lighter, I promise. They get lighter and lighter until one day you don’t even notice the weight anymore. Or…”

Steve looked over at him. His head was tilted up to the ceiling, ghosts in his eyes. “Or?” he asked when it didn’t seem like Eddie would continue on his own.

“Or they stay just as damn heavy but you get stronger, and… you carry them all the same.”

Steve let out his breath in a woosh of air, thinking he was more likely to get crushed dead rather than either of the scenarios Eddie mentioned. He couldn’t imagine the kids’ loss getting lighter and he didn’t think he had the strength to keep carrying them this way.

“I can hear you thinking,” Eddie said with a smile in his voice.

“No, you can’t,” Steve immediately quipped back.

“You’re not going to get crushed.”

Steve blinked wide eyed at Eddie who turned to him with a heartbreaking smile on his face. Did he just –?

“How’d you –?”

“I thought the same thing when my mom died – that I was going to die too, buried under the weight of her loss. But she got lighter, gentler, and she’s with me now when I listen and play music.” His eyes tilted to the ceiling again. “Chrissy is heavy. I think she’s always going to be heavy. But I’ve got her, too,” he said as he patted his chest above his heart. “She makes me strong.”

Steve was surprised. Eds’ mother had run out on him when he was a kid, leaving him with Wayne but she wasn’t dead. Chrissy had died in front of Robin, not Eds. He had lived through his own shit; Steve wouldn’t deny that, but Eddie – understood his grief in a way that he didn’t think Eds would have been able to. And it was… beautiful. Steve could only hope that one day he would feel his own grief as… gentleness and strength instead of something threatening to crush him or drown him.

He closed his eyes, breathed deeply, slowly… and remembered:

Braiding Elevens hair as she smiled into the mirror at him, playing basketball with Lucas after he shyly asked for help, shaking hands with Dustin and adding more and more moves to their routine, reassuring Will that there was nothing wrong with him, taking Mike shopping because he was a hopeless gift giver, and eating burnt cookies with Max that somehow tasted more delicious than anything he had ever cooked alone.

… it hurt, sharp and piercing.

Oh – how he loved them.

Silent tears ran down his cheeks and Eddie shifted closer, putting an arm around him. A soft but persistent hand pushed his head down until it was resting on Eddie’s shoulder. He could hear the wind outside howling through the park.

“I know, Steve,” Eddie said into his hair. “I know.”

Part 17

@just-a-tiny-void @mx-jinxous @child-of-cthulhu @awholedamnmesstbh @phoenix0bird @bookworm0690 @estrellami-1 @a-gae-af-racoon @nailbatandfreak @novelnovella @meela86 @lenathegay @vampireinthesun @penny00dreadful @questionablequeeries @espressopatronum454 @r0binscript @seths-rogens @fruity-nerd @sani-86 @n0-1-important @swimmingbirdrunningrock @ellietheasexylibrarian @manda-panda-monium @paintsplatteredandimperfect @viridianphtalo @goodolefashionedloverboi @13catastrophic-blues @newtstabber @tinytalkingtina @whole-moods

-I wanted to have a moment where Steve reacted to having a good day. I hope his feelings about it made sense, please let me know your thoughts. -I took some liberty with the Munson trailer. I know it was mostly destroyed but I needed a setting and it fit. -The song was Fever by Judas Priest and the album was Screaming for Vengeance. -As always I love you. If you are grieving – my dearest hope is that it becomes gentle for you too.

#steddie #stranger things #steve harrington #eddie munson #steve x eddie #multiverse #angst with a happy ending #slow burn #the last steve harrington

[temptingfatetakingnames]

The Wings and the Roots Part 2

AO3 / Part 1

1986 Hawkins

Vecna was dead. The world was saved. Again. Steve wished it would just stay saved. He didn’t know if he could do it again. It had been too close this time. Too close to losing. Too close to losing everything. And Steve had failed. The fact that he was constantly moving between two hospital rooms meant that he had failed so spectacularly he wasn’t sure if he would ever be able to forgive himself. Max and Eddie were both in comas, their bodies bloody and broken. The doctors didn’t have good news. Weren’t sure if they were ever going to wake up. El kept trying to find them in their dark unconsciousness but every time she came back, nose bleeding, shaking her head, they all lost a little more hope.

Steve was currently in Eddie’s room. It was dark and the only sounds were Wayne’s soft snoring and the beeping of life support machines. It had been three weeks since Vecna was defeated and El had closed off the Upside Down for good. Hopper was back. Quiet and haunted. He had enough weight in Hawkins to clear Eddie of the murder charges after they had explained the situation to him. The cops were no longer after Eddie, but the court of public opinion was still very much against him, even as he was lying in a coma fighting for his life. Steve let out a deep groan as he stretched out gently in the hospital chair, conscious of his own healing injuries. He was tired of small-town small mindedness.

Wayne shuffled in the chair on the opposite side of the room and jolted upright into wakefulness.

“Any changes?” Wayne asked.

“No,” Steve yawned. “The nurse came by a little while ago and checked his vitals. No change.”

Wayne was a quiet man. Steve had been terrified of him at first, but they had learned how to move around each other in the small space of Eddie’s hospital room. Steve often wondered what it would be like to have someone care about him that much. Thought of his parents. Thought of Joyce and Hopper. He shook his head; it wasn’t the same. He could take care of himself anyway, he always had.

Wayne sighed and rubbed his hands into his eyes so hard he must have seen stars. Even though he had just woken up it looked like he hadn’t slept in years. It was the kind of exhaustion that came from more than a lack of sleep. He had grieved for Eddie, thinking he was dead. Steve couldn’t imagine what he had felt when he found out Eddie was alive but in a coma the doctors weren’t sure he would ever wake up from.

“I’m sorry,” Steve whispered. To Wayne and to Eddie.

“Stop apologizin’ kid,” Wayne grumbled. “You did what you could. More than what most woulda done.”

It hadn’t been enough. Eddie’s blood and Dustin’s screams were now embedded in the horror that had become his dreams. His nightmares. Right beside dark tunnels and Russian soldiers and Demogorgons. Right beside backyard pools and dark lakes and bullshit. Right beside Mind Flayers and sharp teeth and tails wrapped around his neck. Steve needed to get out of the room.

“Gunna take a walk and grab some coffee. You want one?” Steve asked.

Wayne nodded as he settled back into his chair, eyes on Eddie.

Stepping to the door Steve said the only thing he could. “He’s going to wake up, Wayne.” He had to. Steve didn’t know what he would do if he didn’t.

He went to check on Max before heading to the cafeteria. She was in the room next door; Dr. Owens had pulled some strings to get them a private section of the hospital. Max looked even worse than Eddie. Her arms and legs were in casts and thick gauze covered her eyes. Steve walked up to the bed and gently touched the fingers that were sticking out of her casts.

“Hey Max,” he said quietly. “Just got back from visiting Eddie. He looks good. Not as good as you though, kiddo. Will and El are coming to visit this morning and I’m sure Lucas will be by soon too. We’re all waiting for you.”

Susan had visited yesterday so she probably wouldn’t be back for a few days. Steve sat in the chair that was pulled up close to the bed. He talked to her about how everyone was doing, trying to stick to the good things. He told her about Hawkins and how the reconstruction was going. He talked to her about the weather and how terrible the hospital food was. Reminded her that she had that to look forward to when she woke up.

“Rest up Max, see you soon.”

Steve left the room and walked the quiet hospital hallways aimlessly. He would need to go home soon. He needed to shower and change his clothes. He should probably check in with Family Video too. It had closed after the ‘earthquake,’ but with things more settled now it might be opening again soon. Steve grabbed two cups of coffee and headed back up to Eddie’s room.

Another week passed in much the same way. Steve spent his days working at Family Video or volunteering at the school and his nights in hospital chairs. He had made a tentative friendship with Wayne; they didn’t speak much but the silence was comfortable. He made sure to talk to Eddie and Max as much as possible, mostly just senseless chatter. Today was Saturday and the kids were all visiting. Their voices and laughter filled the rooms, trying their best to be lighthearted and hopeful. Lucas, Erica and El were sitting with Max while Dustin, Mike and Will sat with Eddie.

“The better horror movie is obviously The Fly, Mike. It’s disturbing and gross, how could you not be horrified?” Dustin threw his hands up in the air.

“It being disturbing and gross does not make it the better horror movie! Aliens clearly has more classic horror movie tropes.” Mike argued back.

“Aliens is an action movie!”

“Action/horror, and the horror parts are better than The Fly’s.”

“Steve,” Dustin whined, “you work at Family Video. Which is the better horror movie?”

Steve hadn’t really been paying attention. Will had been quietly watching the exchange between his two friends, seemingly content to listen and not weigh in.

“I have no idea. Get Will to settle the argument.” Steve shrugged.

Both sets of eyes immediately turned to Will, who started glancing wide eyed between them.

“Well, if I had to pick the best horror movie, I would pick The Fly. Though I think Aliens is the better movie in general,” Will said quietly.

“Ha!” Dustin yelled, “I win!”

Mike shot Will a betrayed look as Dustin beamed in victory. Steve couldn’t help but smile fondly at them all.

A soft tap at the door drew their attention. El stood in the doorframe, she was wearing colourful clothes and her hair had started growing back.

“I am ready to try again,” she said.

Every time she went in search of Max and Eddie, Steve couldn’t help the burning hope in his chest. But every time she failed it felt like something inside of him died. The mood in the room immediately sobered. El settled cross legged on the floor beside the hospital bed and tied a cloth around her eyes.

“Quiet. Please,” she whispered.

Time seemed to slow as they watched her, silently watching for any sign that it was working. Steve slipped from the room, wanting to check on Max. Lucas and Erica were holding her hands. Lucas nodded at Steve, who tipped his head back. Max was in good company, so he returned to the other room. He hated waiting. Hated feeling useless, but this wasn’t a battle he could fight with a nail bat. It was up to El. And Max and Eddie. He forced himself to stand still in the corner, even though all he wanted to do was pace. The minutes kept ticking by and Steve couldn’t look anywhere but at Eddie’s face.

Steve had known Eddie Munson for years before The Upside Down had thrown them together in a closer capacity than either of them could have expected. But knowing about someone and actually knowing them were terrifyingly different things. And Steve was surprised by how comfortable he felt in Eddie’s company. He liked hanging out with him. Was looking forward to doing it more without the threat of death and world annihilation hanging over them. But in order to do that, Eddie needed to wake the fuck up.

Once again Steve couldn’t help but wish he had been a better person in high school. Wondered how things could have been if he had been different. Steve would make it up to him if Eddie let him. There was so much he wanted to say. He needed to tell him how much he admired him for being so unapologetically himself. He needed to tell him how brave he was for keeping up with them through The Upside Down even though he must have been terrified. He needed to thank him for distracting the bats and giving them a chance at Vecna, for protecting Dustin.

Please find them. Please find them. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please.

It could have been minutes or hours before El’s nose started bleeding. She took the cloth away from her eyes and smiled.

“I found them. They were far away. Hiding. Resting. They should wake up soon.”

El had found them. She found them! The relief was so overwhelming Steve felt his eyes well up with tears. He choked back the emotion as Dustin threw himself at him, gripping him tight. Mike went to check on El, helping her into a chair as Will ran to tell Lucas and Erica that El had succeeded. Max was going to wake up. Eddie was going to wake up. A huge weight lifted off Steve’s chest, they were all going to be okay. They had won!

---

Eddie was alive. That was…unexpected.

His thoughts felt heavy, sedated. Something was weighing down his hands as he went to move them to his face. Looking down, he found a tanned hand grasping his tightly. Steve Harrington was sleeping on a chair pushed up close to his bed. His head was tilted sideways onto his shoulder, his mouth slightly agape, hair falling into his face. He was holding Eddie’s hand. He looked exhausted. He looked beautiful. Steve Goddamn Harrington. Good dude and demon slayer… Who the fuck knew?

He blinked heavy eyes and fell back into a dreamless sleep. Harrington had him.

The next time Eddie woke up, he felt more clear-headed. But with the clear headedness came pain. His stomach and throat felt like they were on fire, and he had never been so thirsty.

“Easy, kid,” Wayne said.

“Water,” Eddie rasped.

Wayne grabbed a cup that was sitting on the table beside the bed and brought a straw up to Eddie’s lips. He drank deeply.

“Good to have you back…” Wayne could barely get the words out before he started crying. He pushed his face gently into Eddie’s shoulder. “Thought I lost you.” Eddie reached for Wayne’s back and held him tight.

“Sorry, Wayne,” Eddie whispered.

“What is it with you kids and apologizin’ for things you can’t control?”

Eddie huffed a laugh which sent a sharp spike of pain through his body. Wayne noticed him flinch.

“I’ll get a doctor. They’ll want to see you.” Wayne rushed to the door. Eddie was out again before he made it back.

---

Days later Eddie was starting to feel like himself again. He was still in pain, but they had him on some good drugs that left him feeling floaty and warm and safe. Steve and Robin were visiting. This surprised him. He had assumed that with everything said and done they would all separate back into their own worlds. That hadn’t been the case and he was still trying to find his footing with all these new people in his life who seemed to give a shit about him. Nancy and Jonathan had stopped by the day before and the kids were a constant presence, flitting between his room and Max’s. Even Hopper had come to see him, which had been a terrifying moment. Not only because he was a cop but because he was a dead cop. Eddie had briefly worried that this meant he was dead too and he was in some seriously shitty afterlife. Hopper had apparently pulled some strings and had the murder charges against Eddie dropped, so no more crazy hick manhunt. Yay!

Steve and Robin were catching him up on everything he had missed while he had been in a coma and filling in some holes about their past with The Upside Down. There was… a lot.

“…And that’s how we found a secret Russian base under Starcourt Mall,” Robin said excitedly.

Eddie blinked at her. Of course there were Russians under the Mall.

“It didn’t burn down in a fire either,” Steve added. “Or it didn’t just burn down in a fire. There was also the Mind Flayer – big monster made out of people and a portal machine that Joyce and Hopper destroyed.” He said the end like a question. “I’m a little fuzzy on that last part.”

Eddie needed way more information than these two idiots were providing. He made a mental note to talk to Dustin about it. A monster made out of people? Eddie was glad he had missed that particular foray into Upside Down-ness. Vecna and Demobats were creepy enough for him, thank you.

“Let’s table that for now,” Eddie said.

Robin had been mindlessly ripping pages out of a magazine stolen from the waiting room while they had been talking. She tossed a crumpled ball of paper at the garbage can, narrowly missing Steve and entirely missing the can.

“Were you trying to hit me or the garbage?” Steve asked.

“Aren’t they the same thing?” Eddie quipped from the bed.

Steve shot him an unimpressed look as Robin snickered.

“Alright dinguses, I’m heading home.” She stood and stretched. “Behave you two!” 

Robin waved as she left, calling out good-byes to Max and anyone still visiting next door. The two were quiet after she left. It wasn’t exactly uncomfortable, but it was charged. Eddie wasn’t sure how to talk to Steve. During The Upside Down he had let himself flirt, lean into him, and take strength from his presence. He had let himself act without consequence because he truly thought he wasn’t going to make it. And Steve never reacted in any way that Eddie expected. He never pulled away, never looked at him with disgust, never told him to stop touching him. Steve flirted back. And that was a problem because that gave Eddie hope. But Steve flirted with everyone, probably didn’t even realize he was doing it. His feelings for Steve had been complicated when they were in high school. A stupid crush on a beautiful bully, almost shameful. But this Steve? This Steve was a fierce protector, a badass demon slayer, and he cared about people so damn much. Eddie was fucked around this Steve.

“Can I brush your hair?” Steve asked, suddenly breaking the silence and shocking the hell out of Eddie.

“My hair?” Eddie squeaked.

“Yes, the absolute disaster on your head that looks like it’s never seen a brush in its life?”

“Was all of this some elaborate scheme to get your grabby hands on my gorgeous locks?” Eddie asked playfully.

“You caught me, Munson.” Steve smiled. “I organized a government conspiracy, opened a portal to another dimension, nearly got us and a bunch of fifteen-year-old kids killed, all so I could finally play with your hair.”

“Well, it sounds ridiculous when you say it like that!”

Steve laughed. “You are ridiculous!”

Eddie was ridiculous. He was ridiculous because Steve’s laugh made him feel warm and fuzzy. Or maybe that was the drugs. Steve was still smiling, and it was so pretty Eddie could feel himself blush. Probably not the drugs.

“But seriously, it’s all tangled and really needs to be brushed. I’ll be gentle,” Steve promised.

Eddie thought Steve gently brushing his hair might actually kill him. “If you must,” Eddie said trying to sound like he didn’t care either way.

“I must,” Steve said as he went to grab a hairbrush out of his backpack.

“Didja plan for this, Harrington or do you always have a spare hairbrush on you?” 

“Why not both?” Steve replied with a smile.

Steve moved to the side of Eddie’s bed, leaned over, and grabbed a loose fistful of Eddie’s hair. He started working the knots out of the bottom of the strands, slowly working his way up. He was gentle. Eddie stopped breathing. Steve was so close, his chest right in his face. They didn’t speak as Steve worked his way through his hair, and bit by bit Eddie relaxed. Steve had to know what he was doing to him, right? Brushing someone’s hair was not an activity platonic friends did. At least none of the friends Eddie had. He was new to trauma bonding though, so what the hell did he know? When Steve was finished, he put the brush down and started running his fingers through the strands instead. Pulling a little and kneading his scalp. Steve kept running his hands through Eddie’s hair long after it had been untangled, the motions making Eddie feel relaxed and warm. He couldn’t remember the last time anyone had touched him this gently or tenderly. He could feel his eyelids start to droop, the motions of Steve’s fingers lulling him into blissful unconsciousness.

“Go to sleep,” Steve whispered.

And Eddie did.

---

Steve was visiting with Max, one of the few occasions that he managed to be alone with her. She didn’t talk much, was sad and angry most days. Lashing out at anyone and everything she could. Lucas really took the brunt of her anger, but the kid was good at being patient. He kept showing up, and that was the best thing he could do right now. Show up and show Max that he was there for her when she was ready.

The doctors were hopeful that with physiotherapy she would be able to walk again but they didn’t think her eyesight would ever fully recover. It was going to be tough; he knew that Max could do it but he wasn’t so sure about Susan. The woman was barely hanging on during the good days, and Steve knew there would be a lot of bad days to come. Steve would help with anything Max needed, he just hoped that she would let him. Stubborn brat always wanted to figure everything out on her own. Steve wasn’t going to let her shut herself away this time. He took her hand gently and she turned her gauze covered eyes in his direction. She stiffened and was about to pull away but stilled when he began talking.

“I know how strong you are Max.” He needed her to understand. “It’s okay if you don’t want anyone to know that you’re weak or scared or hurting right now. You don’t have to tell us. You don’t have to say anything, you can just squeeze my hand. I’ll always be here Max. And if all you have right now is anger, I’ll take that too. I can take anything you can dish out and I’m not going anywhere. There is nothing you can say or do that will make me leave. I promise.”  

Steve just kept holding her hand lightly as she gazed unseeing in his direction, thinking about what he had said. After a moment, she lightly squeezed his hand and nothing had ever felt as good. Max was one of his kids. He had failed to protect her from Vecna, but he sure as shit was going to take care of her now.

Steve had always had a complicated relationship to his family. His parents were cold, uncaring and absent. He had taken care of himself for most of his life, trying to fill the empty places inside of himself with girls and parties. It didn’t work. He couldn’t have expected that six kids - in desperate need of adult supervision – would become his family, but here he was. And Steve couldn’t help but feel a little bit grateful to the Upside Down for bringing them together. Babysitter. It was a title he had fought against, but he couldn’t imagine his life any other way now. They were his family. Steve needed them to know that he would always drive them to the arcade if they were bored, would buy them food if they were hungry, would put himself in front of them if anything threatened them, would offer his house and his car and his body if it meant he could keep them safe. He loved them. He loved them all.

He looked at Max. He looked at this girl who had been through literal hell and had survived and all he could feel was pride and affection. They sat quietly, Max just holding his hand lightly and Steve hoped she could feel how much he cared about her. When she fell asleep, he stayed just a little longer before disentangling their fingers. He gently touched his lips to her forehead before heading to the room next door.

---

Eddie was jerked awake when a nurse turned on the lights in his room, he sat up blinking as his eyes adjusted. She quickly walked over to his bed holding a needle in her hand.

“Not even a ‘good morning’ before I get jabbed?” Eddie mumbled, still groggy from sleep.

The nurse just glared at him as she grabbed his arm. She stuck the needle in without warning, wanting it to hurt. “You better leave Hawkins, Munson.” She hissed at him as his blood filled the vial in her hand. “You aren’t welcome here. I don’t care what Hopper says, we know what you did.”

Eddie said nothing. What could he say? The cover story Hopper concocted was flimsy at best and the government would never allow the truth to get out. He glared back at her, just wanting her to finish and leave. Her grip on his arm was punishing, would probably leave bruises. Add them to the others, it didn’t matter. She sneered at him as she left. What a peach.

He settled back into the pillows, but sleep was elusive. Wayne spent as much time as he could with Eddie but now that he was awake and healing, he had to get back to work. He usually stopped by in the mornings after his shift. Eddie didn’t have to wait long before Wayne slipped quietly into the room.

“Mornin’ kid.” Wayne said. “Have you had breakfast yet? I can grab ya somethin.’”

“Nah, I’m alright,” Eddie replied. “Oh! I wanted to know if you’ve heard anything about school. I was so close to graduating, well crawling my way to graduating, but still!” Eddie said. “I was hoping they would let me finish out the year.”

Wayne was quiet. “I tried, kid but they refuse to have you back. I’m sure there’s some test you can take that’ll give you your diploma.”

“You’d think saving the world would earn a guy some extra credit.” Eddie joked outwardly. Inwardly his thoughts were spiraling.

The blows kept coming. He wouldn’t be able to graduate, there’s no way anyone in Hawkins would ever give him a job and he wasn’t sure he could stomach his side gig after Chrissy. Seeing his lunch box would probably send him directly into a panic attack. Seeing the trailer park would too, and Skull Rock and Lover’s Lake. Hawkins was tainted in a way Eddie could never have imagined. It had never felt like home to him, and he had always wanted to leave. But he had wanted to leave victoriously diploma in hand, not like this. Not as Eddie the Banished.

Eddie sighed. He didn’t know what to do. But it didn’t matter at the moment, he couldn’t go anywhere even if he wanted to. His insides were still trying to become his outsides. Fucking bats. Fucking hick nurses. Fucking Hawkins.

“Can you look into that for me, Wayne?” Eddie asked. “I’d like to figure out what I need to do to get whatever equivalent diploma I can.” It was a place to start, he would figure out the rest as it came. One step at a time.

“Sure thing, kid,” Wayne replied.

---

The weeks passed slowly for Eddie, and he was starting to lose it. He felt antsy, his natural chaotic energy having to be contained as much as possible so he didn’t tear out his stitches… Again. So, it was with great relief that the powers that be finally decided he was well enough to finish recovering at home. Or at least to whatever trailer the government had seen fit to replace his actual home with. Wayne said it was great, new and updated and bigger than the one Vecna had destroyed. He wouldn’t have most of his shit, but Wayne and the kids had done a good job of replacing a lot of what he had lost. He had a second-hand cassette player and a bunch of tapes, a thrifted copy of The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings, and clothes that Robin had snagged from the school. The most important thing – his sweetheart – had been salvaged. He couldn’t wait to start playing guitar again. He had written some pretty sick lyrics that he was excited to put music to.

Wayne finishing packing his bag just as a nurse came in with a wheelchair. He settled himself in and she pushed him out into the hall, Wayne trailing behind. He had her stop as they passed Max’s room. Steve was visiting. Steve was always visiting, never leaving either of them alone for too long. He noticed they were holding hands, which was weird because usually Max freaked out if anyone tried to touch her. Eddie was still constantly surprised by how good Steve was with the kids. How different he was with each of them based off their personalities and needs. Playful with Dustin, sincere with El, firm with Mike, soft with Max, heartfelt with Will, mentoring to Lucas. He understood people, saw them and what they needed. Eddie could never have imagined how much Steve gave of himself to the people he loved. Eddie wondered what Steve would give him, if he ever reached the level of friendship Steve had with the kids. And the thought sent a wave of longing so intense through Eddie that he was glad he was sitting down because his legs went weak with it.

“Heading out, Munson?” Steve asked, getting up and walking over to them.

“Yup! This place has had enough of my charms and they’re kicking me out.” Eddie shrugged and tried to steady his racing heart.

“You were a terrible patient, I don’t blame them at all!”

“I was a model patient, Harrington! I thought we were friends, how dare you take their side?” Eddie asked with feigned disgruntlement.

“How many times did you pull out your stitches, Munson?” Steve asked and folded his arms across his chest.

Steve had him there. He had pulled his stitches a few times trying to do things he shouldn’t, like play his guitar or - heaven forbid - go to the bathroom by himself!

“I can’t believe you’re going to leave me all alone here,” Max said from the bed. They had hung out a lot over the last few weeks, bonding over terrible wounds and angry music.

“Don’t worry Red, I’ll be back to visit. I would never leave you to the not-so-gentle mercies of the sadistic needle wielding nurses of Hawkins Memorial.”

Max smiled a little at the description. Eddie was ecstatic he could elicit even a small bit of happiness out of her.

“Onward, mighty stead!” Eddie pointed down the hall as the nurse sighed behind him. The staff were truly over his shit.

“Before you go, I wanted to give you this,” Steve said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a slip of paper. He handed it to Eddie. It had Steve’s number written on it.

“Call if you need anything, Munson. Any time. I mean it.”

“Oh, you’re making a huge mistake giving me this Big Boy, prepare yourself for a lot of prank calls.” Eddie grinned up at him.

Steve went to grab the paper out his hands, but Eddie shoved it in his mouth to keep it away from him and mumbled, “kidding, kidding!”

Steve laughed and shook his head. “Get outta here Munson!”

---

“Get in the car Henderson!” Steve yelled. Dustin had a foot out of the door but was turned back and yelling at his mom. They were supposed to meet everyone at the arcade and they were going to be late if they didn’t leave now!

“Yes, Mom. I know… I know! I gotta go!” Dustin yelled and started closing the door. Suddenly Claudia appeared and grabbed Dustin’s face in a kiss. He struggled a bit before she let him go. She waved at Steve as Dustin ran to the car.

“Not a word, Steve,” Dustin said as he slipped into the passenger side. 

“Would I make fun of you because of your mom?” Steve asked.

Dustin just gave him a look because yes. Yes, Steve would. Dustin immediately started fiddling with the radio and Steve batted his hands away as he pulled away from the curb.

“Who’s all meeting us?”

“Mike, Will, El, Lucas, and Eddie,” Dustin replied.

“Is Eddie healed enough to go to the arcade? He’s only been out of the hospital for a week.”

“He said he would take it easy but he really needed to get out of the house for a bit.”

Steve nodded. He could understand that, he went stir crazy in his house all of the time. But he would keep an eye on Eddie to make sure he wasn’t overdoing it. He sighed a little to himself. He really was a mother hen. He knew that no matter what Eddie said, he would push himself. Steve’s injuries were nowhere near as bad as Eddie’s had been and they were still bothering him so he knew Eddie must still be hurting. They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes when Hungry like the Wolf by Duran Duran started playing on the radio. They were both bobbing along to the beat and singing the words quietly. After a few lines, they looked at each other smiling. Steve turned up the volume and they belted out the words together.

In touch with the ground I'm on the hunt, I'm after you Smell like I sound, I'm lost in a crowd And I'm hungry like the wolf

As the song ended, they howled out of the windows and laughed.

The drive to the arcade was calm. They chatted about school and Family Video and other little things. When they pulled up to the arcade, only a few minutes late, the rest of the group were all waiting outside.

“You’re late,” Mike grumbled as him and Dustin walked up.

“Blame Henderson. His Mommy wouldn’t let him leave without twenty kisses.”

“Steve!” Dustin whined and shot Steve a betrayed look. “That is not true!” The other kids snickered, all too aware of Claudia’s affection.

“Alright, line up!” Steve yelled. Mike, Dustin and Lucas immediately started pushing and shoving to get to the front of the line. Will and El, his current favourites, were hanging back and waiting for everyone else to settle. Steve always brought a shit ton of quarters whenever they went to the arcade because he never knew how many of the kids would be there and he wanted to make sure he had enough for everyone to have a good time.

“Nicely,” Steve scolded, “or you can use you own quarters.”

When they finally organized themselves into a peaceful line in front of him, Steve reached into his pocket and started divvying out quarters. Eddie was off to the side, looking unsure. Steve tilted his head in a ‘get in the line,’ gesture and Eddie grinned and went to stand behind Will and El. Quarters in hand, the kids scattered leaving Steve and Eddie behind.

“Back in two hours for lunch!” Steve yelled after them.

“You’re really good with them,” Eddie said as they walked side by side into the crowded arcade.

“Thanks, man.” Steve smiled fondly. “It’s good to see them get to be kids, ya know?”

Eddie nodded and shook the hand that held Steve’s quarters, making them rattle. “I didn’t know you saw me as one of them.”

Steve had to laugh. “Definitely not, Munson! You’re just lucky I always bring lots or you would have been out of luck.”

“I may be poor trailer trash Harrington, but I did bring my own quarters,” Eddie said as he leaned into Steve’s personal space. “I don’t need an arcade sugar daddy.” Steve felt his face warm up at the suggestive words.

Not one to back down, Steve stared directly into Eddie’s eyes and leaned toward him. “Well now you have more, just say ‘thank you, Steve’ and we can move on.”

Eddie’s eyes widened and whispered, “thank you, Steve.”

They were standing very close, still staring into each other and Steve’s heart did a weird little lurch. Eddie had really nice eyes, soft and warm. Steve couldn’t help it as his eyes flicked down to Eddie’s lips and then back up. Eddie was looking at him like he was trying to understand the secrets of the universe and Steve didn’t know what to do so he broke the moment by stepping back and slinging his arm over Eddie’s shoulder, steering him towards the machines.  

“Let’s find you a game, Munson.”

Steve left him playing Asteroids and went to check on the kids and win himself some tickets. He was really good at Skee-Ball and basketball so he always cleaned up. He usually gave his tickets to El who was still learning how to play the games and was content to watch the others most of the time. He found them all huddled around Dragon’s Lair. They were occupied so he didn’t disturb them. After a few rounds of Skee-Ball Steve had already collected a good amount of tickets. He felt a pull on his sweater and turned around.

“I need more quarters,” Mike said.

“I didn’t hear a please in that sentence, Wheeler. You wanna try again?”

Mike glared at him, but Steve just raised his eyebrow.

“I need more quarters…” Mike took a deep pained breath. “Please,” he choked out.

“Sure thing, kiddo!” Steve replied happily and handed him a bunch more quarters. Mike took them and ran off without saying thank you. He was going to win that kid over if it killed him.

The hours passed quickly as Steve walked around the arcade and kept an eye on everyone. He frequently checked in on Eddie to make sure he was still doing okay. He looked tired but happy so Steve left him alone. Will and Dustin spent most of their time at either Dragon’s Lair or Pac-Man so they were easy to keep tabs on. Mike and El had disappeared deeper into the arcade to have some alone time and Lucas joined him at the basketball hoops every now and then. When it was getting close to lunch time, Steve started wrangling them up. He had them all gather at the display cases so they could trade in their tickets before heading out to eat. Eddie looked shocked that Steve had managed to get the most tickets out of all of them.

“I’m really good at putting balls into holes, Munson.” Steve winked and was pleased when the other man blushed.

He divvied up his tickets out to the kids like he did with his quarters, but gave the most to El and Eddie. Surprisingly, the other kids didn’t complain that this was unfair - probably because they understood why without having to ask. After everyone had picked out their prizes they headed out into the sunshine. Steve could admit to himself that it was one of the best days he had in a while. He was glad that Eddie had come, and just wished that Max could have been there too.

---

Family Video was always quiet on weekday afternoons. Steve was lost in thought as he mindlessly rewound tapes. Robin was sweeping the floor across the room. Now that The Upside Down was closed for good, Steve had to get on with living his life, but he didn’t know what to do with himself. He had no dreams of his own. Steve knew he wasn’t smart like Robin or Nancy, he had got by in high school on his looks and charm. He had no ambitions or motivations, he had mostly been gliding through life waiting for the next Upside Down disaster to strike. It was hard to make real plans when at any moment, the world could end… Again. But according to El, this time it was really over.

Steve didn’t know what he would do when everyone all left for college. And they all would, he knew that. Robin and Nancy were already working on it. Robin kept offering to bring him with her, saying they could get a place together. She would go to school and Steve could get another job… but it wouldn’t be his. And Steve desperately wanted something to be his. Something he could care about and be proud of. He just didn’t know what. He had no skills other than scooping ice cream, babysitting, demon slaying, and shitty customer service. Not exactly a well-rounded resume.

Oddly enough, Steve liked Hawkins. It was his home and always would be. And he felt like it was important for someone to stay here who knew what had happened. Just in case. And he was the only choice. He wasn’t sure what the Byers’ plans would be now that Hopper was alive. They might move back, or Hopper could leave for California. And the kids may have just started high school, but Steve knew they would graduate and leave Hawkins to do amazing things too. And Steve would be alone like always, left behind. As much as Steve hated the idea of them all leaving, he would never ask them to stay.

He wondered what Eddie’s plans were – maybe he would stick around -

“Steve?”

- why did that thought make him so happy? -

“Steve!”

“Jesus Rob, what?” Steve was jolted out of his thoughts by Robin standing in front of him, saying his name. Steve hadn’t noticed her come over.

“You’ve been staring into space for twenty minutes, what are you thinking so hard about?” she asked, exasperated.

He didn’t want Robin to know. The topic of her leaving was a hard one for both of them to talk about. Soulmates, even platonic ones, weren’t meant to be separated. And he couldn’t tell her he had been thinking about Eddie either. Steve panicked. What was something Robin would believe he had been thinking about for so long that wasn’t his existential crisis over his mediocre life and lack of purpose?

“Boobies!” Steve blurted.

Robin sighed. “You really are a Dingus.”

“Speaking of boobies, when are you going to ask out Vickie?” Steve asked.

Robin threw her hands up in the air. “I can’t just ask her out, Steve! How many times do we have to have this conversation?”

“You’re never going to know unless you make a move, Rob. Wouldn’t you rather know for sure than keep doing this awkward friends thing you’re doing now?” 

Robin snorted. “You’re one to talk about awkward friend things!”

“What are you talking about?” Steve honestly had no clue. Robin just kept looking at him like he was the biggest idiot in the world. Nothing new, there. Whatever, she would tell him if it was important.

“Look, invite her over for a movie and sit really close to her on the couch and then touch her hands as often as possible in the popcorn bowl. Or anything that toes the line between friendly and friendly,” Steve said and wiggled his eyebrows.

Robin seemed to think about it, tilting her head to the side.

“You want her to know that you’re interested but not come right out and say it. If she reciprocates the more intimate touches, I think you’re in the clear for more. Yeah?”

“Maybe,” Robin sighed. “I just don’t think I’m brave enough to do anything like that, Steve.”

“Rob, we fought a literal super-powered villain right out of our worst nightmares and won. Vickie can’t be any scarier than that! And hey, if it does go badly you’re leaving for college soon anyway.”

“I think I’d rather fight Vecna again,” she said and Steve laughed.

Robin smacked his arm and then left to finish sweeping and Steve went back to rewinding tapes. God, he was going to miss her.

---

Dustin was dead and Demobats were eating Eddie’s face. They were tearing his skin off and he was drowning in his own blood. A tail was wrapped around his neck and he couldn’t breathe. His arms and legs were being held down. He couldn’t move, couldn’t do anything as they started working on his stomach, biting huge pieces of his skin away…

Eddie woke up screaming. He laid on his bed panting and grabbing at his face. Was he bleeding? He couldn’t seem to catch his breath. He was drowning. Fuck. He looked at the clock. 2:15AM. Wayne was gone for the night. There was no way Eddie was going to be able to go back to sleep after that. He shuddered and wiped at his eyes.

He needed… He needed to talk to someone. He wanted to call Dustin but it was too late and he didn’t want to disturb the Henderson’s. Steve had told him to call if he needed anything. This didn’t qualify though, right? He couldn’t call Steve Harrington at two in the morning because he had a nightmare. That was too embarrassing, even for Eddie. But his heart was still beating too fast and he felt seconds away from a full-blown panic attack. He quickly grabbed the paper with Steve’s number on it out of his notebook and crawled to the kitchen. He grabbed the phone off the wall and sat down in front of the fridge, dialing quickly before he could stop himself. Steve probably wouldn’t answer anyway…

“Harrington residence.” It didn’t sound like Eddie had woken him up.  

“Is that really how you answer the phone at 2:00 in the morning?” Eddie couldn’t help but ask.

“I didn’t know there was a time limit on politeness, Munson. What’s up? Are you okay?”

Eddie didn’t know how to answer that question. He had called badass demon slayer Steve Harrington because he had a stupid little nightmare. Did he admit to the nightmare or just say he was having trouble sleeping? He didn’t know what to say. Didn’t want Steve to think he was a pathetic loser who couldn’t handle his shit. He was breathing too quickly and his vision was starting to get blurry – black spots dancing in the edges.

“Munson? … Eddie, talk to me. Please.”

“I’m sorry, I know it’s late… In the hospital there was always people around, nurses and - and doctors just outside the door and the hallway lights were on. But here… Wayne works nights and I’m alone…I - I haven’t been able to sleep… I had a nightmare and I – I…” Eddie couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe. He was still trying to catch his breath, clutching the phone against his ear so hard it hurt.

“It’s okay Eddie,” Steve said softly, “listen to me and try to match my breathing.”

Steve started taking large and exaggerated breaths and releasing them slowly. Eddie couldn’t do it at first, his own harsh breaths making it difficult to hear Steve through the phone. Knowing that another person was there helped though and he slowly started to calm down enough to follow along to Steve’s breathing. In and out. In and out. In and out. On and on and on. Steve never stopped and never changed his pace. Eddie leaned his head back against the fridge and closed his eyes. In and out. In and out. In and out. He was exhausted. He hadn’t had a full night’s rest since coming home from the hospital and it was starting to wear him down, panic attack aside.

“Thanks,” Eddie rasped, “I – I think I’m alright now. I’ll let you go, sorry for keeping you up.”

“I’ll be there in fifteen minutes,” Steve said instead of the ‘good night, Munson’ Eddie had been expecting.

“What?”

“You can’t sleep alone, so I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”

“You don’t have to do that! I’m fine now!”

“See ya soon,” was all Steve said before he hung up the phone.

Eddie listened to the dial tone for a minute before putting the phone back in its cradle. He grabbed a glass of water and went to sit on the couch. He rubbed his hands up and down his arms and rocked himself back and forth. He just had to get through the next few minutes and Steve would come. Steve would… be here. Steve Harrington would be in his trailer! At… He looked at the clock…3:00AM. Shit. Shit. Shit. He looked around. It was a mess, he and Wayne never really bothered with tidying up. A short while and a mini whirlwind of cleaning later, Eddie heard Steve’s car pull up on the gravel outside.

Steve knocked quietly, and Eddie went to let him in. He was wearing what must be his pajamas, loose fitting track pants and a faded green sweater that looked really soft. His hair was messed up, like he had constantly run his hands through it, and he looked bone weary.

“You didn’t have to come,” Eddie said instead of hello.

“Of course I did,” Steve replied as he stepped past Eddie into the trailer.

“I’m exhausted. Let’s go to bed,” Steve said and Eddie’s brain short circuited as he followed him to his room on autopilot. Steve crawled into his bed like it was the most natural thing in the world and tilted an eyebrow up at Eddie, who was just standing there and staring at him. Was he still dreaming? Was this all an elaborate illusion cooked up by his traumatized brain? There was no way Steve Harrington was actually in his bed right now. Eddie pinched himself. Ouch. Real then. Trying not to be any more awkward (and probably failing miserably), Eddie gingerly laid down on the other side of the bed. He was too stiff, there was no way he was going to be able to sleep with Steve so close. Eddie’s bed was small. Steve must have felt how tense Eddie was because he broke the tense silence.

“I get them too,” Steve said so softly Eddie could barely hear him. He was quiet for a few minutes and Eddie didn’t want to push so he just waited.

“We told you about the Russians under the mall but we didn’t finish the story.” Steve took a shaky breath.

“They tortured us. Me and Robin. I think they come up so often in my nightmares, more than the Demobats or the Mind Flayer or Vecna, because they were just people. Not monsters… but men. The Upside Down is closed but there are still evil people in the world who just want to hurt us because they can and there’s no portal we can close to stop them. I dream that I’m strapped to the chair, and they’re not even touching me, but I can feel them hitting the person I’m tied to. Over and over again. Sometimes it’s Robin, sometimes Dustin or Nancy. And there’s nothing I can do to save them, even as I’m screaming at the Russians, begging them to hit me instead. Kill me instead. They never do.”

Eddie didn’t know what to say. What did you say to someone after they told you they were tortured?  Words felt meaningless, instead he reached for Steve. He slipped his left hand into the sweater of Steve’s right arm. The sweater was as soft as it looked. He kept inching up until he was grasping Steve’s forearm in a tight grip inside the sweater. It was an extremely intimate touch, and he held his breath waiting for Steve to push him away. He didn’t. He gripped Eddie back. There was still so much he didn’t know about Steve, but every new thing he learned just made him like him more. Made him understand why the kids loved him so deeply. It also broke his heart realizing that Steve only saw his value in being a punching bag so his friends didn’t get hurt.

“I’m glad you called Eddie. I don’t sleep well alone either,” Steve whispered into the darkness.

They were practically embracing and it felt so good to have Steve next to him. Eddie couldn’t get his heart under control, wondered if Steve could hear it. Wondered what this meant, if Steve knew that Eddie liked him or was just accepting a comforting touch from a tactile friend. Steve seemed to accept how often Eddie touched him like it was just a quirk of his character. He probably didn’t realize Eddie wasn’t like that with everyone. He had no idea how Steve felt about him, but he couldn’t help but hope. And every time Eddie flirted with him and Steve flirted back, every time Eddie touched him and he didn’t immediately turn away, the hope kept growing. Eddie wanted him closer. Wanted to crawl into his lap and stay there forever. Wanted to own him and be owned by him. Eddie’s feelings had always been overwhelming, crashing over him in waves that threatened to drown him in their intensity. And Eddie was drowning. He just didn’t know if he was drowning alone.

#steddie #stranger things #steve harrington #eddie munson #steve x eddie #second chances #rockstar eddie munson

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Master Fic List

Hello and welcome!

This is currently a Steddie obsessed page! I'm new to writing fanfic but it's been such a pleasure to join this community. Please feel free to reach out with questions or requests!

The Last Steve Harrington AO3 / Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 / Part 7 / Part 8 Part 9 / Part 10 / Part 11 / Part 12 / Part 13 / Part 14 / Part 15 / Part 16 Part 17 / Part 18 The Wings and the Roots AO3 / Part 1 / Part 2 Dancing in the Dark *Complete* AO3 / Part 1 / Part 2 / Final Part Thanks for stopping by, I hope you like my stuff!

#masterlist #fanfiction

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my gift for @maryofdoom for the steddie as she goes v-day exchange!!! happy valentines day!! 💕💞

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Eddie Munson + looking at Steve for reassurance