In 2073, the world is still moving forward despite arid climates and the quick relay race between man and machine. Within the walls of the hospital center at Vecna Labs, Steve Harrington has just woken up after an accident inside the depths of the classified sections of the lab. Stricken with amnesia, he is brought to Edward Munsonâs home to recover and to be observed during his recovery after experimental treatments had brought him back from the brink of death.
In Edwardâs home, Steve finds question after question. Why does Eddie seem to hate him so much? What do all the observations have to do with his accident? What exactly is going on with his malfunctioning mind, and what does this all have to do with Creel and Vecnaâs tech monopoly? All the while, Steve struggles with the feeling that there was something more to his relationship with Eddie that he canât quite understand.
Fic l Art Below
Pairing: Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson
Characters: Steve Harrington, Eddie Munson, Robin Buckley, Henry Creel, Dustin Henderson, Joyce Byers, Jim Hopper, Will Byers, Jane Hopper, Nancy Wheeler, Jonathan Byers
Tags/Warnings: Future AU, Science Fiction, Technology, Amnesia, Character Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Angst With a Happy Ending, Mentions of Blood/Violence
In 2073, the world is still moving forward despite arid climates and the quick relay race between man and machine. Within the walls of the hospital center at Vecna Labs, Steve Harrington has just woken up after an accident inside the depths of the classified sections of the lab. Stricken with amnesia, he is brought to Edward Munsonâs home to recover and to be observed during his recovery after experimental treatments had brought him back from the brink of death.
In Edwardâs home, Steve finds question after question. Why does Eddie seem to hate him so much? What do all the observations have to do with his accident? What exactly is going on with his malfunctioning mind, and what does this all have to do with Creel and Vecnaâs tech monopoly? All the while, Steve struggles with the feeling that there was something more to his relationship with Eddie that he canât quite understand.
Fic l Art Below
Pairing: Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson
Characters: Steve Harrington, Eddie Munson, Robin Buckley, Henry Creel, Dustin Henderson, Joyce Byers, Jim Hopper, Will Byers, Jane Hopper, Nancy Wheeler, Jonathan Byers
Tags/Warnings: Future AU, Science Fiction, Technology, Amnesia, Character Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Angst With a Happy Ending, Mentions of Blood/Violence
An AU where Eddie starts serving at a restaurant where Steve has been methodically making his way through the staff and adding to his roster. However, Steve finds that Eddie is decidedly more difficult to romance, and Eddie realises that it's actually him that's on the menu.
I... I dunno where I'm going with this. đ
(Inspo from Nana on twitter who is forever living in my brain.)
"Steve! I got it! I can't believe it, he jumped right into my hand!" Eddie exclaimed happily and Steve sloshed over excitedly, pants decidedly soaked despite Eddie's earlier warning.
"Wow! Can I hold him, Eddie?? I want to see!" Steve pleaded, putting his hands around Eddieâs and peering into the cracks of their fingers. Eddie froze, heart racing again. Steve looked up at him through his lashes and when he saw Eddieâs expression, he let go, flushing. Fate heard Steveâs heart flutter. Eddie panicked at the way Steve's hands slipped away.
"Oh! No, sorry, of course you can. Come here, look. Cup your hands over mine. There you go." Steve followed along carefully as Eddie slowly opened the cage he had made with his fingers. "Alright, now go ahead. Take him, be careful, and don't squish him." Eddie spoke gently, like he would to Jane or Maxine when he was trying to teach them something new, patient and soft. Steve scooped the frog into his hands and shivered at the slimy feeling, laughing nervously.
"It feels weird!" He whispered excitedly and Eddie watched Steve smile down at his hands, breath hitching.
"Yeah⌠it does."
Frog babies from my steddie fic series, "Cruel Fate"
Happy Steddie Big Bang day to us!! @paradimeshifts7 @peachypurr
JJâs beautiful fic đ¸ Among the Wildflowers đ¸ is out now!! It was such a pleasure getting to read early and getting to work with her and @peachypurr đĽ°
Their socials:
JJâs Twitter
Peachyâs socials
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
eddie as a vigilante serial killer who murders bigots and those who take advantage of their power, and steve as the FBI agent assigned to lead his case. the longer the case goes unsolved, the more brazen eddieâs crimes become - he leaves messages, notes with the bodies. steve makes appeals on the news, hopes to appeal to eddieâs hero complex.
the moment steve realises he might have met his match is when a letterâs delivered directly to his office, one that addresses him as âbig boyâ.
it contains polaroids of a police badge, a driverâs license. the letter promises to reveal the location of a missing corrupt copâs remains, IF steve agrees to call him. sure, itâs a burner phone, untraceable, paid in cash. theyâd never get anything from the call. but when the guy picks up, smile evident in his voice as he says, "thought you wouldnât come through, big boy," steveâs mind short circuits, because the voice. he knows it. recognises it immediately, even without the nickname.
the man on the other end of the phone is eddie munson, his high school crush.
CUT TO:
steve finds eddie but doesnât turn him in right away; the thrill of seeing him again is overwhelming. and he means to arrest him, he does. but itâs enthralling, the way eddie talks, the way he describes taking a life.
and something shifts in steveâs mind, something forced down by a life of rule-following, of learning all the ways humans can be cruel. and before he realises, heâs overcome with need to exert some of that same cruelty.
so when eddie tells him he gets the next one, whatever he wants, steve canât help the way his hand twitches towards a broad knife laying on the counter.
and eddieâs smile as steve picks it up, well thatâs all the encouragement he needs.
Author: @lihhelsing l Artist: @keikei_firefly l Artist: @verdiris
Posting on Thursday, November 30
After the world ended and the undead creatures were everywhere, Steve Harrington survived by isolating himself. Completely alone in a house, he barely knows what to do when someone breaks in.
Injured and alone, Eddie Munson slowly wins Steveâs trust as they navigate surviving together in the middle of the Apocalypse and their relationship grows into something Steve canât quite understand.
But just as he has his share of secrets, Eddie has some of his own and this might be enough to get in the way of whatever they were building together.
Keep reading for a sneak preview!
It took a bit of time for Eddie Munson to be on his feet.Â
Or maybe foot was more accurate. Steve was honestly shocked Eddie had been able to stand like that, let alone walk for who knew how long.Â
He would definitely need to take a closer look and he already knew he was completely out of his depth. He had seen broken bones and crushed limbs on his motherâs medical books but he never saw it in real life. That was still the best shot Eddie had so it would have to do.Â
Steve also knew what he was about to say was a douche thing, but one could never be too careful.Â
âI need you to strip down,â he said and there it was again, the weird sound Eddie made when he laughed. It ringed in Steveâs ears and tingled his brain.Â
âWoah, Harrington. Guyâs usually pay at least for a coffee first, but I canât say Iâm opposed to the idea,â Eddie answered easily, a grin splayed across his face. Steve stared and stared and he was afraid he was blushing but the dark should still conceal his face. âOh, youâre serious.âÂ
âDeadly,â Steve added and let the word hang between them.Â
Death had taken a new meaning for Steve after everything. You didnât just throw the word around like a joke anymore like âOh Iâm dying to eat chocolate muffinsâ. It felt especially disrespectful now that death walked the earth.Â
Eddie bit his lower lip like he was thinking about it.Â
âIf youâre not going to strip I can show you the exit,âÂ
âHarsh, man. Itâs been a while since Iâve made a show of undressing in front of a guy. Gimme a minute, will you?âÂ
x
When they were done Eddie did his bit cleaning everything up and they went into the living room. Eddie lay on the couch and pulled from under his pillow a hardcover book Steve had never seen before. He looked up at Steve and there was a glint in his eyes.Â
âI was just going to start this one and I thought I could⌠Nevermind, thatâs stupid.â Eddie shrugged his shoulders and held the book close to his chest. He was, once again, shirtless. Steve had stayed awake too many nights watching the way Eddieâs pale skin glowed with the moonlight. He was shameless.Â
Steve leaned on the chair, his back already twisting in an unpleasant way.Â
âYou could what?â He asked and Eddie pressed his lips together.Â
âI could read it for us. Out loud, I mean.â
Steve blinked, watching him as if Eddie had grown another head. He had never been one to read much, one of the many ways he disappointed his father. Steve found it was hard to concentrate on a book for too long but he always liked when his mother read to him.Â
âForget it,â Eddie said at the same time Steve said âOk.â
âYeah? You really want to? Youâre not saying that just so you donât hurt my feelings?â
Steve chuckled. âNo. Maybe. A story seems nice, actually. Whatâs the book?â
Eddie turned it in Steveâs direction and he could barely see the name printed. The Picture of Dorian Gray.Â
âItâs one of my favorites of all time. There are so many things he says in this book that stuck with me. Thereâs so much truth and hurt inside of it.â
âSounds nice,â Steve said, because it really did. âCan I⌠Do you mind if I lie next to you? That way I can hear you and you donât have to shout.â
âBe my guest, Stevie. It will be just like a slumber party,â Eddie wiggled his eyebrows and Steve rolled his eyes pretending to be annoyed. The truth was Steveâs hearing wasnât the best, courtesy of years playing sports in high school and getting head injuries. He hadnât admitted that to Eddie because he had never admitted it to anyone but Eddie seemed so excited about the book Steve didnât really want to miss anything.Â
He put his pillow and some blankets on the floor and he lied, close enough he could touch Eddie if he just reached out his hand.Â
âCan I tell you one of my favorite quotes from this book?â Eddie asked and Steve just nodded. The moment felt charged as if Eddie was about to show his soul to Steve. â'Some things are more precious because they donât last long'.âÂ
Steve blinked. He looked up at Eddie and he wasnât sure if that was just a nice citation or maybe a foreshadowing of them. He felt like they were living in a bubble that could burst at any moment and Steve wasnât really ready for it. It seemed Eddie wasnât ready either.Â
He had to fight the urge to argue about it. To say that some things lasted a long time and were precious and good. Instead, Steve put his hands behind his head and closed his eyes. He could feel Eddie was looking at him and he knew that was happening more and more, and every day they seemed to be less worried about not being caught.Â
Steve opened his eyes and there it was, those two brown eyes watching him curiously, as if Steve was a puzzle Eddie wanted to decipher. They held each otherâs gaze for a minute before Eddie adjusted himself back on the couch and opened the book on the first line.Â
âThe studio was filled with the rich odour of roses, and when the light summer wind stirred amidst the trees of the garden, there came through the open door the heavy scent of the lilac, or the more delicate perfum of the pink-flowering thorn.â
Eddieâs voice was velvety and smooth as he dove into the book and soon Steve was deep down in the story, feeling how every word tickled his brain in a way reading a book had never managed to do to him. He fought sleep for as long as he could and when he finally lost the battle he dreamed of flower scented gardens, precious things and deep brown eyes.Â
Eddie should have never been at that Halloween party, but he wanted to see what world the other side was living in. So he cut two holes out of his bedsheet and snuck in. He should have never been in that room when Steve stumbled in drunkenly, slamming the door behind him.
"Fuck! Fuck..." Steve rubbed at his face, smearing the black makeup he had applied as part of his costume. An old baseball uniform from his golden years. He turned around and jumped.
"Oh, shit! Sorry, I didn't know someone was in here... Do you mind?" He asked exasperatedly. Eddie went mute. He had denied Steve three different times when he had mentioned that he should drop by the party. Eddie had said that people still thought the worst of him. So he didn't say a thing, just shrugged, anonymous under his costume. Steve sighed.
"Alright... I just need a second anyway..." He sent Eddie a sidelong glance. "Who are you, by the way?" He asked, and Eddie shrugged again before pulling his hand out and making a shushing gesture. Steve wrinkled his nose.
"Ah... Okay. Fine." He muttered, looking back toward the door. He seemed torn between leaving and facing whatever fear lie beyond the wooden panels or staying in the room with some freaky ghost. Finally, he smacked his hand on the door and growled. He walked over to the bed where Eddie was standing and sat down on it grumpily.
"You ever feel like you've been like... Cursed or something?" Steve said suddenly, and Eddie snorted softly. He nodded his head with more drama than needed, acting more like a mascot at a sports game. Steve sniffed.
"It's just... Man, sometimes I just want to let go, you know? Just go to a party, get drunk, have people around I can have fun with. But then the people won't come with you, you get drunk anyway, and then all there is..." Steve stopped, smacking at his forehead. "Is memories. Of everything you ever did wrong." Steve finished. Eddie frowned. He wanted to feel some sort of excitement that Steve thought he could have fun with him, but the pity for him overshadowed it. He looked around the room nervously before sitting on the bed next to his friend. Steve took this as a cue to keep going.
"I always get stuck on the nostalgia of how fun nights like this used to be, but then I get here, and it's like... thpppt." Steve raised a thumb in the air, pointing down as he made the razzing sound with his tongue out. Eddie smiled under the sheet. He patted Steveâs thigh comfortingly. It was getting clearer as Steve spoke just how much he had drunk. Steve looked down at Eddieâs painted nails and narrowed his eyes. Eddie slipped his hand back under the sheet, flushing. He didn't want to give himself away. Steve didn't seem to clue in though, leaning back and looking at the ceiling.
"You get it, I guess. Anyway, I was just mindin' my own business, and Tommy just has to try to pick a fight. I used to go for it but... I dunno, there's bigger fish to fry." He grumbled. Eddie nodded. He understood what the man meant. There was more to life than just petty spats between men. The two of them sat in silence for a moment as the music drifted through the vents from the party below. Eddie swallowed. He wanted to cheer up his friend. He hopped off the bed suddenly, and Steve startled, staring at him.
"What the-" He stopped when Eddie started to jump around. He pointed at Steve and then gave two massive thumbs up. He mimed Steve, running a hand through his hair. He pretended to swing a bat. Eddie finished by putting his hands on his hips like a superhero for a moment before pointing at Steve again. The man was grinning, his eyes sparkling.
"That's supposed to be me?" He asked, and Eddie nodded enthusiastically. Steve laughed. Eddie then pointed to the door. He put his hands out, giving two thumbs down and making the same sort of razzing noise that Steve had earlier. Steve laughed harder, and Eddie felt his heart beating quickly. He jumped and turned to the door, giving it two middle fingers, waving them up and down. As he turned back to Steve, he tried to stifle his own erupting laughter as Steve chuckled pleasantly on the bed.
"Thanks, Casper. Really nice." He managed through little breaths. Eddie approached him. He reached out to Steve and put his hand on his shoulder near his neck. Looking at the man, flushed with alcohol and laughter, he felt brave. Eddie wanted to risk it. He inhaled deeply, looking down at Steve, who was staring at him unwavering and calm.
"You're better than all of them." Eddie whispered, trying to keep his voice disguised. Steve's eyes widened almost imperceptibly, and he tilted his head to look down to Eddieâs pants and shoes before glancing back up to where his eyes were peeking through the sheets.
"Oh." Steve whispered, and Eddie had no time to react before Steve was on his feet. He grabbed Eddieâs arm, pulling him in. He reached up to steady his chin. As he looked into Eddie's eyes, he smiled.
