| Writer | 25 | Female | Stranger Things fanatic | I mostly write fanfictions because orginial stories are fucking hARD but I am trying to write one at the moment, writer's block is a bitch. Gotta love AU months where you have certain paths to follow right?
(i'm lost in admiration) could I need you this much?
Forced Proximity | Explicit | 65k
Author: @biclarity
Artist: @bunnvoid
Pairings: Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson
Characters: Steve Harrington, Eddie Munson, Wayne Munson, The Party, Corroded Coffin, Male OC (Eddie's little cousin), Claudia Henderson
Tags: Canon Divergence, Forced Proximity, Slow Burn, Fluff & Angst, Idiots in Love, Post Season Four, Babysitting
Trigger Warnings: Mentions of past child abuse, Mentions of traumatic events within the Upside down (on Eddie and Steve's ends at least)
[Link to fic] | [Link to art]
↳ Keep reading below for a sneak peek!
After unforeseen circumstances (Wayne breaking his leg on the job), Eddie gets put in charge of caring for his little cousin, Leo. Not exactly Eddie's idea of a great way to spend the next two weeks, at least at first. The little tyke starts to grow on him, and just about everyone else the toddler encounters on their journeys around small-town Hawkins, most of all, Steve Harrington, whom Leo has viciously clung onto whenever Eddie needs a hand babysitting between band practices. Leo isn't the only one who can't stop thinking about Steve, though. Eddie is treading a dangerous path, playing his hand at coy and flirtatious, which is working just a bit too well in his favor, but can his heart handle it when Steve gets bored? Will he get bored? Eddie's almost certain Steve's just sticking around for Leo's sake, but why does he cast all of those sidelong looks Eddie's way? Why does he agree to come to the Correded Coffin gig? The only hope Eddie has in answering these questions is taking a leap of faith, and he's not sure that's something his heart can endure.
Will Eddie get his questions answered within the two weeks he has Leo as a silent assistant?
Hiii back from the dead with a piece for Steddie Big Bang 2025 >:D
Title:
‘(i'm lost in admiration) could I need you this much?’ By biclarity
|
Summary:
“After unforeseen circumstances (Wayne breaking his leg on the job), Eddie gets put in charge of caring for his little cousin, Leo. Not exactly Eddie's idea of a great way to spend the next two weeks, at least at first. The little tyke starts to grow on him, and just about everyone else the toddler encounters on their journeys around small-town Hawkins, most of all, Steve Harrington, whom Leo has viciously clung onto whenever Eddie needs a hand babysitting between band practices. Leo isn't the only one who can't stop thinking about Steve, though. Eddie is treading a dangerous path, playing his hand at coy and flirtatious, which is working just a bit too well in his favor, but can his heart handle it when Steve gets bored? Will he get bored? Eddie's almost certain Steve's just sticking around for Leo's sake, but why does he cast all of those sidelong looks Eddie's way? Why does he agree to come to the Correded Coffin gig? The only hope Eddie has in answering these questions is taking a leap of faith, and he's not sure that's something his heart can endure.
Will Eddie get his questions answered within the two weeks he has Leo as a silent assistant?”
Hope you all love Leo as much as I did
It’s such a sweet and just such a lovely story! I’m so excited to share this with you all!
Please give all the love to my teammate for their stellar writing and just for being so sweet themselves!
It’s here yall!! And my lovely partner @bunnvoid for the @steddiebbang beat me to the punch! Please give so much love to their art! It brought me to tears when I saw the scene drawn out so beautifully 😭😭
Steve and Eddie share their first detention.
Read on A03 [here]
Parts: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
Steve stays silent as Robin slides into the passenger seat. His eyes are fixed across the parking lot, watching Eddie Munson climb into a beaten-up van.
At first, when Eddie had given him a chance to win him over, Steve had felt elated—maybe even a little smug. He was confident in his ability to charm people, after all, and he’d been sure Eddie would be no exception. But now, doubt was creeping in. This didn’t feel like a game or some lighthearted banter. He genuinely wanted to be Eddie’s friend. And for some reason, he had a gut feeling that his usual approach wouldn’t cut it.
“Stare any harder and you might set him on fire with your mind,” Robin says, breaking the silence.
Steve doesn’t respond. He just keeps watching until the van rumbles to life and pulls out of its spot.
“A penny for your thoughts?” she tries again.
Steve taps his fingers against the steering wheel, then lets out a troubled sigh. “How do I prove to someone I’m not a complete asshole anymore—in two weeks?”
“Don’t be yourself,” Robin deadpans.
Steve shoots her a look—equal parts frustration and betrayal.
“I don’t know,” she continues, shrugging. “Ask him about himself. Take an interest in his interests. Or bake him a giant cake with ‘Sorry I was a humongous asshole’ written on top in three different colours of icing.”
“Thanks, Rob,” Steve scoffs. “Maybe I’ll open an apology bakery. Hand out cakes to everyone I’ve ever personally victimised.”
“Is there enough flour and icing in the world for that?” Robin teases, laughing at the wounded look on his face. “Okay, okay—maybe that was too far.”
Steve flips her off with a sigh, then starts the engine.
The next afternoon, Robin is doubled over with laughter as Steve pulls a Tupperware container out of his locker. It’s full of cookies, each one iced with a single word in neat, looping black and red script. Lined up, they spell: “sorry for being an asshole.” The last cookie, added just to make the number even, is decorated with tiny bats—like the tattoo Steve had noticed on Eddie’s arm.
“I can’t believe you actually baked something,” Robin says, wiping a tear from her eye. “Please tell me you took pictures of this. We need scientific proof that guys will do literally anything except talk about their feelings.”
“I was stressed, okay?” Steve hisses. “I stress-baked. And then I figured, why not do something with it? At least it’s not a cake like you suggested.”
“Right, because a container full of perfectly decorated cookies is totally normal, but a cake? That would be too much,” Robin says, deadpan. “Honestly, the worst part is no one’s going to believe me when I tell them Steve Harrington bakes under pressure.”
“I don’t usually,” Steve mutters. “You put the idea in my head.”
“You can’t lie to me, Steve,” Robin says, narrowing her eyes. “I bet you had a little apron with your initials on it and everything.”
Steve doesn’t respond—because unfortunately, he did have something like that. When he was six, his nanny gave him a tiny apron with his initials embroidered on the chest. She’d been teaching him to bake. His mom had called it adorable. His dad had just frowned, waiting for the day Steve would outgrow it so he could throw it away.
“Oh my gosh, you did!” Robin crows. “This is the best day of my life.”
“I was six, Rob. I don’t have it anymore.”
Robin is still giggling as Steve carefully places the container into a gift bag he picked up from the store, handling it like it might explode.
“I mean, it’s actually kind of impressive,” she says, peeking into the bag. “They look really good. You even kept the icing from bleeding. That’s, like, expert level.” She glances from the cookies to Steve, then back again. “Wait—where’s mine? Why didn’t I get anything from the Harrington Apology Bakery? Is this because I’m a lesbian? Wow, Steve. Discrimination and emotional neglect?”
Steve glares at her. “You’re not helping.”
“I’m not trying to help,” she replies cheerfully. “I’m preparing myself for the moment you hand this to Eddie Munson and he either laughs in your face, throws the box at your head, or proposes on the spot because you’ve proven you’d make a great house husband.”
Steve groans, staring down at the gift bag like it’s suddenly a terrible idea. “He’s going to think I’m making fun of him, isn’t he?”
Robin’s grin softens. “Maybe. But if he does, you’ll explain. You’ll tell him it’s sincere. And if he still doesn’t believe you, at least you tried.”
Steve sighs, running a hand through his hair. “I don’t know why I care so much.”
“Because you’re not plastic anymore, remember?” Robin shrugs. “Or maybe you are, but now you’re using your powers for good.”
“Something like that,” Steve mumbles. He looks at her, then down at the bag again. “I just hope he sees that too.”
“Hey,” Robin nudges him gently as they head toward the entrance. “It’s going to be fine. And if it’s not, you’ve still got eight more days to win him over. That’s what the prophecy says, right?”
“Now you sound just like him, nerd,” Steve says with a laugh as they stop outside the music room.
“I’m not the one who spent last night perfecting apology cookies for a guy I once saw drop half a sandwich in the parking lot, shrug, and keep eating it without brushing off the gravel,” Robin says, giving him a look. “Loser.”
“Go hang out with your crush.”
“Enjoy making a fool of yourself in the name of friendship,” she fires back.
They grin at each other before heading off in opposite directions.
Steve mutters under his breath on the way to detention, rehearsing what he’ll say when he hands over his homemade olive branch.
“Okay, just say it. ‘Hey, Eddie, I made you these to say I’m sorry I used to be a jerk’” He grimaces. “No, too blunt. He’ll think I’m trying to bribe him into forgiving me.” A pause. “‘I figured you deserved something sweet for once.’” He winces. “Nope. Sounds like I’m flirting. Shit.”
He stops outside the classroom door, takes a deep breath, and squares his shoulders.
“You’ve got this. Just walk in, hand it over, be cool. Be sincere. No big deal.”
He pushes the door open—and frustration hits him like a freight train. Tommy Hagan is sitting in the second row, smirking like he owns the place.
“Well, well,” Tommy sneers. “Precious Stevie slumming it in detention with the misfits.” He nods at the gift bag in Steve’s hand. “What’s in the bag, Harrington?”
Steve rolls his eyes. He spots Eddie in the back row, watching curiously. Drawing on the same fire he’d felt in gym class, Steve smooths his expression into one of bored disinterest.
“Wouldn’t worry about it, Tommy,” he says coolly. “It’s not for people who peaked in sophomore year.”
Laughter ripples through the room as Steve walks past.
Tommy scoffs and twists in his seat. “So, how’ve you been spending detention time? You and Munson been bonding over being total losers? Your shared Daddy and Mommy issues? Might wanna watch who you’re spending your time with, Steve. We’ve all heard the rumors. People might start thinking you’re a Devil worshiping queer too.”
Eddie stiffens. His gaze drops to his notebook, shoulders tense, fists clenched.
Steve stops. Slowly, he turns. The room falls silent. He sets the bag down on an empty desk with deliberate care, then faces Tommy, arms crossed.
“You know, Tommy,” Steve says, voice calm but cutting, “I used to think you were just a loudmouth with a small brain. But now I think you’re scared.”
Tommy blinks. “Of what? You? The freak?”
“Yeah,” Steve says, stepping closer. “Because he’s got something you never will—an actual personality. He doesn’t need to tear people down to feel important. He doesn’t need to ride someone else’s coattails to matter. And he definitely doesn’t spend his afternoons trying to prove he’s relevant by bullying people who are ten times more interesting than he’ll ever be.”
Tommy opens his mouth, but Steve keeps going.
“You’re not funny. You’re not clever. You’re not brave. You’re just loud. And the only reason anyone ever laughed at your jokes was because they thought they had to.”
The silence is deafening.
“And what really scares you,” Steve finishes, “is that I feel better now—without you, without Billy, without any of it. Because that means all the crap you did to be popular? It didn’t matter.”
Tommy’s face flushes. “You think you’re better than me now?”
Steve leans in, voice low. “I’ve always been better than you. I just used to pretend we were equals.”
Before Tommy can respond, the teacher walks in and clears his throat. “That’s enough, gentlemen.”
Steve doesn’t break eye contact. “Yeah. It is.”
He turns, picks up the bag, and walks to the back of the room. Eddie is staring at him, wide-eyed.
Steve sets the bag down gently. “This is for you,” he says, quieter now.
Eddie blinks, then pulls out the Tupperware. He lets out a breathless laugh. “You really are full of surprises, Harrington.”
Steve shrugs and slides into the seat beside him. “Get used to it.”
“I thought you’d try to bribe me with some fancy rich-kid gift. But this?” Eddie lifts the lid. “You bought me personalized cookies?”
“I baked them,” Steve says. “They say ‘sorry for being an asshole.’”
“You baked these?” Eddie stares at him. “From scratch? And iced them?”
“Yeah. I didn’t know what else to do. I was stressed, started baking, and… well, here we are.”
Eddie looks at the cookies, then at Steve, then back again. Then he exhales—and bursts out laughing.
Steve’s stomach sinks. He knew this was a bad idea.
“Shhh!” the teacher hisses.
“Sorry,” Eddie says, trying to stifle his laughter.
“If you think it’s dumb, I get it,” Steve mutters. “I can take them back.”
Eddie’s head snaps up. “Don’t you dare.” He clutches the box to his chest. “It is dumb. It’s also the most ridiculous, thoughtful thing anyone’s ever done for me. I love them.”
Steve blinks. “Really?”
“Yes, really. The time and effort you put into this?” Eddie shakes his head. “I gave you two weeks, and you’ve already got me rethinking everything I thought I knew about King Steve Harrington in twenty-four hours.”
Steve swallows. “And what conclusions are you coming to?”
Eddie grins. “First? You’re really fucking weird.”
Steve frowns.
“No, that’s a compliment,” Eddie says quickly. “The weird ones are the ones I trust.”
Steve smiles. “I can live with that.”
Eddie sets the box down, pulls out the bat-decorated cookie, and snaps it in half. He offers one piece to Steve.
“To new alliances,” he says, holding his half like a toast.
Steve taps his cookie against Eddie’s. “New alliances.”
They take a bite. And honestly? They’re pretty damn good cookies if Steve does say so himself.
Steve drags himself to detention the next afternoon.
If he had to guess, he’d say he got maybe two and a half hours of sleep last night. His brain had decided to torment him again—visions of monsters with too many teeth, and flashes of Nancy with her finger on the trigger, aimed right at him. Worst of all was the dream about Barb. Dying alone in his pool.
Those were always the hardest. He hadn’t seen what happened to her, so his imagination filled in the blanks—usually in the cruelest way possible.
Tommy’s already there when Steve walks in, but he’d overheard the teacher say it’s his last day. Small mercies. Still, Tommy seems determined to go out swinging.
“You look like crap today, Steve,” he sneers.
Steve doesn’t miss a beat. “So, like you every day, then.” He pauses, then adds, “By the way, I never said this before because I didn’t want to hurt your feelings, but last year? Your hair looked like a toilet brush.”
Tommy bolts upright. “You said it looked cool! You said Carol would love it!”
“Yeah, I lied,” Steve says with a cringe. “We used to laugh about it when you weren’t around. Sorry. Guess I’m just a huge bitch—like you told Billy when you ran and cried to him after I showed you up in gym last week.”
Eddie’s doing that thing where he hides a smile behind his hand. Steve feels a flicker of relief—at least their fragile truce from yesterday hasn’t shattered overnight.
He drops into the seat beside him. “So… Dungeons and Dragons has monster fights, right?”
He’s still jittery from the nightmares. Part of him just wants a distraction. The other part is hoping Eddie might say something—anything—that makes the things he saw feel less real.
“That’s a bit of an oversimplification,” Eddie says, leaning forward, “but yeah, that’s part of it. Why? Thinking of playing? Because I’m telling you now, Steve—if you give another DM your D&D virginity, I might have to revoke our friendship.”
Steve grins. “So, you admit it—you think of me as a friend.”
He ignores the rest of what Eddie said. He has no idea what a DM is and he’s not ready to ask.
“It’s been, what, two days since you issued your challenge? Be a bit harder to get than that, Eddie.”
“What can I say? The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” Eddie pats his stomach for emphasis. “Also, my uncle tried one of your cookies and told me to hold off on forgiving you until we see if you’ll bake more. So, it works on him too I guess.”
“Well, now you’ve shown your hand,” Steve teases. “But honestly, if today keeps going the way it’s been, I’ll probably be stress-baking again by tonight.”
Eddie’s expression shifts. “You okay?”
“I’m fine,” Steve says quickly. Then, after a pause: “Do you ever feel like you’re living on a completely different planet from everyone else? And you wish you weren’t, but there’s no changing it?”
“Only all the time,” Eddie says without hesitation. “Every single day. Three sixty-five, twenty-four seven.”
He looks at Steve like he’s trying to figure him out—and like he’s willing to offer a piece of himself in return.
“What do you do about it?” Steve asks.
“I find people who feel the same way,” Eddie says. “Makes it less lonely.”
Steve nods slowly. “Yeah… that makes sense.”
He remembers Mike and his friends huddled together in the hospital waiting room, comforting each other while they waited for news about Will.
“That makes perfect sense. Thanks, Eddie.”
“No problem,” Eddie says with a quiet smile. “So, I believe we were talking about D&D. What did you want to know?”
Steve hesitates. “Say you defeat the monster. What are the chances it comes back?”
Eddie tilts his head, thoughtful. “Short answer? Yeah, it can. Depends on how it was defeated. Some creatures are hard to kill for good. You can slay it, sure, but if the conditions are right—or if something’s unfinished—it might return.”
Steve’s jaw tightens. “Unfinished like what?”
“Could be anything.” Eddie shrugs. “Maybe the party didn’t destroy its source of power. Maybe it left a mark on someone. Or maybe it just lives in a place that doesn’t follow the same rules. Some monsters don’t die the way you expect them to.”
Steve nods, eyes distant. “So even if you think it’s over… it might not be.”
“Exactly,” Eddie says, watching him more closely now. “But that’s why you don’t fight alone. You’ve got your party. If it comes back, you face it again—together. And maybe this time, you’re stronger. Smarter. Less scared.”
Steve’s voice is quiet. “Right. Yeah. That’s what I was afraid of.”
Eddie shifts in his seat, more careful now. “In the game, that’s kind of the point. The danger coming back—it keeps the story going. Helps the characters grow.” He glances at Steve, then away. “But if you’re talking about something else… it’s not really about the monster. It’s about what it left behind. The effect it had on you.”
Steve doesn’t respond, but he doesn’t look away either.
Eddie clears his throat. “I’m not trying to get all deep or anything. I just… I get it. Being afraid something’s not really over. Even when everyone else thinks it is.”
He offers a small, tentative smile. “You don’t have to tell me what it is. But if you ever want to talk—through D&D metaphors or just normally—I’m around.”
Steve gives him a grateful smile. “I’ll keep that in mind.” He straightens up a little, trying to lighten the mood. “Anyway. What made you get into D&D in the first place? I remember Mike’s games used to go on for hours, and he never ran out of things to say.”
“Oh yeah, that can happen,” Eddie laughs. “Who’s Mike? I need to know who my competition is for best DM in Hawkins.”
“Nancy Wheeler’s little brother. Don’t worry, he’s like 13, he’s probably not coming for your throne any time soon.”
“See, you say that, but I do actually have a throne in the Hellfire Club room. And it’s not nailed down. If this Mike kid’s good at lockpicking, I might be in trouble.”
“And they call me the King.” Steve laughs. “I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone more dramatic than you.”
Eddie gasps. “Me? Dramatic? you wound me, Steve!” He clutches his chest like he’s been mortally wounded, then flops back in his chair—too far. The legs tip, and his eyes go wide.
Steve lunges forward and catches it just in time.
They look at each other, then both burst out laughing as Steve steadies the chair. He’s still giggling when he sits back, the image of Eddie’s panicked face replaying in his head.
“Dude, your face,” he wheezes. “You looked ridiculous.”
“Still saved me, though, didn’t ya?” Eddie says smugly, leaning in. “Anyway, it’s cool you know another group of players. Always nice to hear about more people keeping the game alive. You’ll have to introduce me sometime.”
Eddie pauses, more serious now. “D&D was the first thing that made me feel like I was good at something. I could make people laugh, get them hyped, tell a story that mattered. Suddenly, I wasn’t just the weird kid—I was the Dungeon Master. People respected me. It gave me a place to belong. Still does.”
“That’s really cool,” Steve says.
“Really? Even though it’s a nerd game?”
“Yeah. I wish I had something like that.”
“You can,” Eddie says. “You just have to find it. It’s part of the journey from current jock asshole to reformed jock asshole.”
Steve thinks for a moment. “I used to like swimming. Now I just get in the pool, panic, and swim as fast as I can to get it over with. Still works—timing-wise—but I don’t enjoy it anymore.”
“Why’s that? If you don’t mind me asking.”
Steve hesitates. “It’s kind of a long story.”
Eddie raises an eyebrow. “What, I’m not cool enough to know?”
“No, no. There’s just legal stuff involved, and I have to be careful what I say,” Steve sighs, running his hands through his hair to self-soothe. “Someone... drowned... in my parents’ pool. I didn’t even know they were out there. But I still feel guilty. I get these nightmares, and since I didn’t see what happened, my brain fills in the blanks. It’s disturbing. Now I feel weird around pools. It’s stupid.”
“Well shit,” Eddie says. “That’s rough, buddy.”
“Yeah. Tell me about it.”
Eddie shakes his head. “It’s not stupid, Steve.”
Steve raises an eyebrow. “Really? Who’s afraid of swimming pools other than literal children?”
“Trauma is trauma,” Eddie says with a shrug. “Brains do weird stuff. My dad was a shithead criminal. Used to make me hide in the closet when the cops came around. Now, even if I know it’s not for me, sirens make me feel like I’m back in the dark again. Scares me every time.”
Steve blinks. “Wow.”
“Yeah. Mom’s dead and dad’s on the run. Your old buddy wasn’t totally wrong with the ‘mommy and daddy issues’ comment.”
Steve is quiet for a moment, then lets out a breath.
“My parents aren’t… like that. Not in the same way. They’re not around much, but it’s not because they’re running from the law. It’s more like they just… don’t care.”
He glances at Eddie, then away again.
“My mom had me to try and save their marriage. She told me that once—like it was some kind of confession. But it didn’t work. She still has to follow my dad around on business trips to make sure he doesn’t cheat on her. And when she’s not doing that, she’s pretending everything’s fine. Like I’m just this… background detail in their life.”
He shrugs, trying to play it off, but his voice is quieter now.
“I think they see me as a disappointment. Or maybe just a reminder that things didn’t turn out the way they wanted. Either way, I’ve kind of been on my own for a while.”
Eddie’s expression softens. He leans back slightly, like he’s giving Steve space but still fully tuned in.
“Man… that sucks. I mean, I knew your folks weren’t exactly winning Parent of the Year, but I didn’t know it was like that.”
He pauses, thoughtful.
“That thing your mom said? About having you to fix the marriage? That’s not on you. None of it is. You didn’t ask to be born into their mess. And if they can’t see what they’ve got in front of them, that’s their loss.”
He gives Steve a small, sincere smile.
“You’re not a disappointment, Harrington. You’re just stuck trying to live up to expectations that were never fair to begin with. And honestly? You’re doing a hell of a lot better than most people would in your shoes.”
Then, after a beat, Eddie adds with a crooked grin:
“Also, if it helps, I think you’re alright. And I’ve got excellent taste in people.”
“Just alright?” Steve asks. “Damn, tough crowd.”
“Well, I can’t let you have all the highest honours right away. There’s still a chance I might find something that makes you go down in my estimations—like what if you’re secretly lying about your perfect hair and have just been wearing a wig this whole time?”
Steve gasps, deeply offended. “You take that back right now. Don’t even joke about that.”
“I don’t know,” Eddie says, eyes narrowing playfully. “Sounds like you’re protesting a little too much there, Steve.”
Steve lunges at him, but it’s all in good fun. Soon they’re both roughhousing and laughing in a way that makes Steve feel light and carefree. The teacher starts to yell at them, but the timer goes off, signaling the end of detention.
Somehow, the hour flew by.
They gather their things, still grinning.
“Same time tomorrow?” Eddie asks as they head for the door.
Robin and Eddie accidentally show up wearing matching flannel shirts and curly high-bun hairdos and Steve pulls them both into a Steve sandwich group hug like
Steve: Awww, my favorite lesbians are matching
Eddie: Excuse you! How come I have to be a lesbian, huh? Why can’t Robin be one of your boyfriends?
A happy wip Wednesday to all, especially me because the @steddiebbang anonimity ban has finally lifted and I'm overjoyed to share a lil snippet of the fic that'll be coming out in collaboration with the lovely @bunnvoid <3 (this is a rough draft be nice)
After a brief delay I'm happy to finally post this piece, made for @biclarity 's 2024 big bang fic, thank you to her for swooping in to collaborate with me <3
Her work can be found here:
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Within the woods, shrouded by twisted and gnarled branches, Eddie hears the saccharine call that ricochets off each tree and straight into his ears. When it had started, it was whispers that stroked at his cheeks, but now it howls desperately, for what? Eddie can only hope to know, and he can only hope that it’s not intended for him.
Eddie attempts to ignore the distant, detached voice as he plucks away at his guitar strings. Frustration stirs in his very soul when the calls synchronize with the strumming rather than come to a halt. Eddie can no longer dismiss the reality in which the beckoning melody is intended for him as it whistles through his hair and hisses across the frets under his touch.
Despite the misleading echoes, Eddie knows where the tune is coming from. It pulls at his rigid core and rakes against his bones until they ache. The lure is impossible to brush aside any longer, so with his guitar abandoned against a well-used stump-turned seat, Eddie heads toward the call.
Welcome to the Steddie Big Bang 2024! This is our backup blog, as we woke up to find our beloved original blog completely gone with no rhyme or reason. We've contacted support and hope to regain access, but given that our posting season starts tomorrow, there's no time to wait.
We will be working to reblog all of the teaser posts we can find, and get this blog up and running as quickly as possible ahead of posting season tomorrow. If at all possible, please reblog and share this post so we can spread the word!
“They’re back to square one, and it’s better that way. It’s better when Steve doesn’t look back through his car door mirror as they drive off, even as Robin is all but hanging out of the passenger side and waving in that reckless way of hers.”
I can't help but love you (even though I try not to) by @biclarity for @steddiebang
Summary: It’s 1992, and during a visit from Dustin, Eddie comes to learn of Steve’s (supposed) betrothal. Many miscommunications over the years have led Eddie helplessly pining over Steve. With Steve and Robin in San Francisco, while Eddie’s slumming it out in Portland, there aren’t many chances to even test things out though the chances they are given aren’t used all too effectively either. Now, Steve’s wedding is days away, and Eddie feels like this is his last chance to have a real shot with Steve, and he takes it without a second though. He’s going to stop this wedding by any means possible. Now if only Dustin had clarified that it isn’t Steve who’s getting married.
Warnings: angst with a happy ending, grief, depression, battling with extreme insecurity
((Honestly I lucked out with this bang. I got 3 out of 3 awesome authors to work with. Clarity has been so much fun to work with and her story is so good and entertaining to read. I hope y’all enjoy it as much as I have 🥰)
Robin convinces Steve that Eddie is interested in him, just based on how frequently he flirts with Steve. Uses the same logic that Steve deployed to convince her to give Vickie a shot. Except, there’s no doubt about who Eddie could be attracted to. He’s gay and doesn’t really flirt much with women, keeps it more surface level.
But with Steve, he’s all over him, getting in his personal space, tapping his chin, batting his eyelashes and draping himself over his lap during movie nights. Steve’s confident in his newly discovered attraction to men, and subtly tries to turn up the charm on his end. Flirting back, giving as good as he gets, but it never seems to affect Eddie.
Steve’s gotten used to striking out. Never really catching anyone’s attention these days, what with the lackluster attempts at being interested in the mundane things some of the girls drone on about, to being afraid to sleep over for fear of a nightmare tearing him from sleep, to the way no one makes his skin buzz. He’s given up the pursuit of anyone else, setting his sights on Eddie, pushing gently at the boundaries that barely exist between them.
Until the first time Steve and Robin are invited to see Corroded Coffin perform at the Hideout. He watches from afar as Eddie bounces across the room before the show. He hasn’t spotted them yet as he makes his way over to the bar. There’s a cute, older guy bartending, probably in his late twenties, buzz cut hair, ripped leather vest accentuating his arms.
Steve watches in what feels like slow motion as Eddie leans over the counter to get as close as possible to this guy. That mischievous smirk that Steve’s used to seeing pointed at him is out in full force. Eddie is saying something, looking up at this guy, reaching out to squeeze a bicep and getting playfully batted away. Eddie lets the guy tuck a strand of hair behind his ear, almost a caress along the side of Eddie’s face.
And there’s a moment where Steve feels like he’s floating on air, suspended in a moment in time before a catastrophic shift changes his trajectory. He’s careening to the ground at break neck speed and crash landing all in a matter of seconds. A vice-like grip squeezes his heart, reminding him that he’s not special. He’s dissecting every memory of Eddie flirting, finding nothing consequential there in the wake of this discovery.
How stupid could he have been to think that it meant anything? That must be why Eddie never reacted to his advances, they were just a blip on his radar. He’s got this guy wrapped around his finger, just like he’s had Steve. Except Eddie’s never blushed like that around him, or let Steve tuck his hair away.
As much as he wants to turn around and get the hell out of here, he promised he’d come to Eddie’s show, even if looking at Eddie right now feels like a shot straight through his heart. That inexplicable draw to Eddie doesn’t just disappear. He wants to cross the room and drag him away from this guy, but what right does he have to do that?
He feels Robin’s hand slip into his, turns to look at her, sees a mirror image of how she looked on the grimy bathroom floor of Starcourt, letting Steve down gently. Their friendship past the point of needing to verbally communicate anything. Robin gently tugs on his arm to convince him to sit at a table, clasping his hand underneath it tightly when Eddie finally spots them and Steve has to pretend like he’s fine. And he is fine.
But he’s also not. His heart is cracking open with each note Eddie sings, the fault line growing until it feels like he’s split in two, bleeding out on the floor of this disgusting bar. When is he going to get it right? When is it his turn to feel wanted? Nancy and Robin hurt, but he feels blindsided by this one. He was so confident he was right, that this time it was reciprocated.
Robin is too lost in thought to even hear it. She was so sure that the way his face lit up when he saw Steve meant something more but now- she can’t deny what they just saw. They both witnessed Eddie hanging onto every word the bartender said. Being fair the lighting up could be because Eddie has a crush on Steve. But to what extent? She knows Steve is hurt by what he’s seen, and she is sympathetic. However, they’re not dating. They aren’t exclusive. Eddie is allowed to flirt with other people.
She knows Steve is a hopeless romantic who is going to be thinking the worst because when he likes someone, they’re the only person that matters. And yes, she thinks he deserves to be with someone who is the same way back, but she also knows other people don’t usually dole out endless devotion until the dating part starts.
So, yeah, Eddie is allowed to first with other people.
What is not allowed, is if he’s flirting with Steve just for fun. She won’t let him hurt her best friend by simply having a skin-deep crush, or worse, no actual crush at all and he’s just trying his best to fluster Steve. Because Eddie doesn’t flirt with every boy. He doesn’t treat Jonathan or Argyle with the same flirtatious looks and touches as he does Steve.
She’s got to ask Eddie. It’s as simple as that. If Eddie isn’t crushing on Steve, she’s going to demand he stop. If he is, then he needs to decide if he can be Steve’s and only Steve’s.
She leans in real close when the set ends, as Eddie is bidding his goodbyes to the audience, and says, “Hey, if you don’t want to talk to Eddie right now, run out the door and I’ll stay. Tell him you got a migraine and we gotta go or something.”
Steve nods, giving her hand a ‘thank you’ squeeze before he slips from the chair and heads out the door as Corroded Coffin starts packing up. She’s got a decision to make now. If it comes down to it, does she tell Eddie about Steve’s crush. Will she have to to get him to back off?
She slides from her own chair, to stand by the table and wait. It doesn’t take too long for Eddie to approach the table.
“Hey Robin! Steve in the bathroom?” Eddie grins at her.
“I saw you flirting with the bartender,” she says instead of answering. “Is that a thing?”
She watches as Eddie throws up walls, gets defensive. “What of it, Buckley?”
“I just… I was so sure you had a crush on… a mutual friend,” she says, and Eddie goes from defensive to confused. “I was so sure. But then you treated the bartender the same way and I guess I just wanted to know if you were serious. Or if you just flirt with anyone cute.”
“Well, not everyone,” Eddie says the words slowly, like he’s trying to be careful with them. “Did you… is there a reason you’re asking?”
Again, she bypasses his question. “You planning on going home with the bartender?”
“Is that any of your business?”
He’s getting defensive again. She won’t get any answers if he does. She steps closer and lowers her voice. “Just concerned, as a fellow friend of Dorothy, y’know?”
It’s a bit of a lie, a bit of truth, and it makes Eddie soften to her. He shrugs. “I dunno. I thought I’d hang out with you and Steve. See where the night took us.”
Now that she likes the sound of. That Steve is the top of his list for being around, even before older bartenders. “Steve isn’t feeling too well. Might have a migraine starting. But he might still want to hang out if it’s not here. Can’t really control the volume here, y’know?”
Eddie nods, but does look over his shoulder at the bartender.
“Munson!”
Eddie whips back around to look at her. “What?”
“Steve or the bartender. Five seconds to pick.”
“Steve.”
Robin nods. “I’m going to tell you something, and you should really listen. Are you listening?”
He rolls his eyes but lets her tug him slightly closer so she can whisper in his ear, “if all you want from the bartender is a roll in the hay, that’s understandable. But if that’s all you want from Steve, then you need to walk away now, and seal the deal with the bartender.”
He tries to jerk away, but Robin’s got a pretty tight grip on his shirt. “What I want is none of your goddamn business-“
“Edward Munson, I will not let you hurt my soulmate anymore than you have!”
That stills them both. She shouldn’t have said that, he shouldn’t have heard it. She can’t shove the words back into her mouth, though, so all she can do is double down. “We both saw you flirt with that bartender when we arrived. And I was so sure you liked Steve. Just Steve. I talked him into believing you liked him and we both walked in and saw- Steve is a hopeless romantic and even though he didn’t say it out loud, I know seeing that crushed him. So. If you want to a good time, you can let that bartender tuck some hair behind your ear again. Or, if you want to be Steve’s boyfriend, you can go out to the parking lot, find the BMW, and explain to Steve that you do want him, and only him.”
For the longest time, Eddie doesn’t move. They probably stand completely still for three minutes before Robin breaks it with more talking.
“Eddie, if you want to be with Steve, that will mean full monogamy. We both know what Nancy did to him. If you can’t- if you aren’t done with your sleeping around and flirting era, that’s fine. Have your fun. But you have to stop flirting with Steve if that’s the case.”
“I- No one’s- Robin, are you sure? I couldn’t let myself believe so, are you sure?”
“Eddie, there is nothing in the world that would make me lie to you about this. Never this.”
She watches his adams apple bob as he swallows thickly. “No one’s ever wanted me to be their boyfriend. I don’t know- I don’t know how.”
She rolls her eyes. “If that’s your only hang up, I’m sure he’ll be happy to learn with you. But you gotta go tell him that bartender meant nothing right now if you want that shot.”
“Yeah. Yeah, I do,” Eddie says, and heads towards the door without a single backwards glance.
She’ll wait in here for another ten minutes or so. Just to give them some time.
@strangersteddierthings @rebelspykatie - hope you two don’t mind me jumping on board…
Eddie almost can’t believe this is happening. Sure, he’s been flirting with Steve for months - and it even seemed like Steve might be flirting back - but the idea that he might have an actual shot? It’s almost more bizarre than monsters existing.
Because he likes Steve a lot. He’s gorgeous, he’s badass, and he’s actually a really nice guy. He’s completely different than he was in high school; at least, before his junior year when things started changing. But he was also pretty sure Steve was straight. Everyone knows he’s dated a lot of girls and there was never even a hint of rumors about him looking at other boys.
Robin is the authority on Steve though. Soulmates, even if they are Platonic with a capital P. If she says Steve likes him? Steve likes him. Now he just has to talk to Steve.
Steve, who’s watching him warily from against his BMW, and Eddie fights a wince. It hurts to see Steve looking at him like that but it was probably for Steve to watch him flirt with the bartender.
“Uh, hey.” Smooth, he thinks, wishing he’d had more time to think about this. “Robin said you weren’t feeling great.”
Steve shrugged. “Migraine.”
Eddie grimaced, even though he knew that wasn’t the whole story. “That sucks. Robin, uh, she also mentioned something else.”
“Yeah?” Steve looked even more wary now.
“Yeah.” Eddie hesitated, before forging on. “Can you hear me out? Like, all the way. I have something I want to tell you but its kind of complicated.
It was almost like Steve was braced for impact, but he met Eddie’s gaze as he nodded.
Eddie took a deep breath, reminded himself he was done running away, and spoke.
“I really like you. I didn’t - I couldn’t let myself believe you might like me though, even when you started flirting back, because if I did and I was wrong? It would hurt so bad and I couldn’t lose you as a friend if I fucked it up. And no one’s ever wanted to actually date me before. I’ve had hook ups, sure, but with you that wouldn’t have been enough. So, I flirted with the bartender but you have to believe me - if I had known I actually had a shot with you, I wouldn’t have done it. Would have been all eyes on you. And if I haven’t ruined things completely, I’d like try with you. I don’t really know what I’m doing or how to be a good boyfriend but I want to learn for you. So, what do you say - will you go on a date with me?”
Through his speech, Steve kept his word and didn’t interrupt, but Eddie could see his emotions on his face. Guarded, hurt, then almost sad as Eddie talked about his lack of relationship, before blossoming into hope.
“Are you sure?” Steve asked.
Eddie reached out, brushing his fingers over Steve’s cheek and tucking his hair behind his ear much like had let the bartender do not three hours ago. “I’m so sure, Stevie.” He felt Steve finally relax. “Can I kiss you?”
Steve smirked. “Not if I kiss you first.” He leaned in, pulling Eddie closer by his jeans but just before their lips met, they heard some one clear their throat pointedly.
“Robin!” Steve yelped as they jumped apart. Eddie should have known.
“Steve!” She called back mockingly. “Did you two talk things out?”
Steve’s cheeks pinked as he glanced back over at Eddie, almost shy. “Yeah Robbie, we did.”
“Good.” She said, before turning back towards the bar. “Now come on, the rest of your band is wondering where you went.”
Laughing, they both nodded and caught up with her as she reached the entrance. Eddie opened the door with a sweeping bow.
“Thanks Birdie,” Eddie whispered as she passed him.
“Just make sure you treat him right.” She answered almost as quietly, before dragging him in after her.
I hope everyone’s happy now, the trifecta is complete thanks to @steviesummer and @strangersteddierthings. You’re both angels thank you for your additions.
Wheeler’s Basement / They save each others lives / Carol Perkins is there
Steve breathes heavily, air burning in his lungs as they run for their lives—literally. There’s a fucking demogorgon following them through the woods, roaring in that screechy way they do, probably letting all its friends know where they are.
Carol trips over a branch and he yanks her up, and pushes her in front of him, after Eddie. The three of them got split up from the rest of the group and they need to find shelter now.
“Keep moving!” says Steve in a loud whisper, “We’re almost at the Wheelers, we can hide there… see if the walkie still works”.
“You got it, big boy,” Eddie calls over his shoulder, “Onwards!” He points with his spear—an improved version of the ones he and Dustin used to fight off the bats at the trailer park all those months ago. The night that Eddie almost died.
Steve hates that Eddie’s back here, in the Upside Down, that they’re still fighting for their lives when Eddie already nearly lost his. But now that Eddie found his courage there was no stopping him from joining them on yet another suicide mission.
Somehow, even in this life-or-death situation, Carol still finds the energy to be her sassy self. “Big boy?” she scoffs under her breath as she raises an eyebrow at Steve.
He shrugs, tries to fight the blush he feels rising to his cheeks, tries to rationalize that he feels hot from the whole running for their lives thing, rather than the alternative I think I might have a crush on my friend thing.
It should be comforting, that Carol’s still herself even after all this shit. After she and Tommy unwittingly got dragged into this mess for the simple crime of coming home for the summer to help with earthquake relief. Completely unaware of the horrors that awaited them here.
If Steve had still been friends with them at the time he’d have told them to stay far away. He’s not sure if they would have listened though, Tommy’s always been very protective of his little sister and his mom, and Carol tends to follow Tommy wherever he goes.
Tommy’s grown up a lot more than Steve expected after one year away at college. Or maybe it was the realization that monsters are real. Steve knows that helped him grow the fuck up quickly. Either way, some weird twist of fate landed them all here, in the Upside Down, together.
They break free of the trees, Eddie ahead of them running across the clearing shield held over his head. Steve hears the bats before he sees them, chittering and screeching as two of them dive down. One hits Eddie’s shield with a loud bang, shrieking as it’s caught by the large nails embedded in the metal.
“Eddie!” Steve calls out, running after him. He won’t let anything happen to Eddie, not this time.
Steve’s barely been able to let the guy out of his sight since he was released from the hospital a couple of months ago. He’s been wracked with guilt over leaving Eddie and Dustin to fend for themselves, and no matter how many times the rest of The Party tells him that it’s not his fault he can’t help but feel like he could have stopped it from happening.
He swings his nail bat, strong and sure, knocking one of the demobats down to the ground and wailing on it until it stops twitching. Eddie’s taken care of the other one that got caught in his shield while Carol aims her shotgun at the trees behind them, keeping watch.
They make a pretty proficient trio, surprisingly. Steve would laugh if he had the energy, and Carol seems to have the same thought as she grins manically at him and lowers her shotgun. Who’d have thought Carol Perkins and Steve Harrington would be fighting monsters with Eddie ‘The Freak’ Munson? Not their high school selves, that’s for damn sure.
“Let’s get inside,” Steve says, dropping his own smile and stepping forward, stomping on one of the demobat corpses with his heavy boots for good measure.
After they quickly check the house, Eddie throws himself down on a couch and grabs the walkie, trying to call the rest of the party and find out where they ended up. Carol sits next to him, wringing her fingers and biting her lip. Steve feels for her, knows she’s worried about Tommy.
He’s worried too, about all of their friends, but especially Robin. It’s not that she’s entirely inept, but she’s clumsy, and not a great runner. Steve just hopes that Robin managed to stay with Nancy, Jonathan, and Tommy. He figures that Tommy can handle himself, he was always proficient enough in a fight. Plus he knows that the rest of them work well as a team.
Steve excuses himself to take a leak, figures it’s better to take care of it during their brief downtime rather than hold it. He wonders if the toilets even flush here, once he’s finished he tries the handle just to check. No dice. Ah well, it was probably too much to hope that an alternate dimension would have indoor plumbing.
He’s walking back from the bathroom when he hears a noise coming from the stairs down to the basement. Steve raises his bat and opens his mouth to try to call for Eddie and Carol, but everything happens so fast.
The door to the basement bursts open, demogorgon screeching and clawing at him as he swings, catching it on the arm. It charges forward, forcing him back as he darts around the kitchen island, dodging the tips of its pointed fingers as they reach for him. He’s not really thinking, other than wanting to lead it away from his friends.
Steve runs down the basement stairs, not his smartest move. The monster is hot on his heels, and he crouches down as it leaps at him, sending it sailing forward into the old couch there. It slams into the wall before it turns and shrieks at him.
He plants his feet and raises his bat, heart pounding as he faces off with this hideous creature that’s probably about to tear him limb from limb. It charges at him, halted by a blast from a shotgun behind him. It staggers back after another blast from the shotgun, and a Molotov cocktail sails forward, hitting it on its head. There’s a burst of flame and Steve shields his eyes.
Inhuman screeches fill the Wheeler’s basement as the demogorgon claws at its own petaled head. It retreats out of the back door, and Steve assumes that’s where it came in. Carol rushes forward and shoves a chair in front of the door, looks out the windows to check the back door.
“Steve, what the fuck man, are you okay?” Eddie asks, and suddenly he’s in front of Steve. Holding him by the shoulders while his big brown eyes flick over Steve’s face and down his body, checking him for injuries.
“Y-yeah,” Steve responds hoarsely, “I’m fine”.
“Good,” Eddie says, punching him on the shoulder, “You idiot!”
“Ow!”
“I thought we had a group agreement, you know, the whole lecture you gave us? No sacrificing yourself for the good of the group? That means you too!” Eddie gives him a little shake, oddly intense as he moves his hands up from Steve’s shoulders to his face, brushing some hair out of the way.
Steve leans into the touch, brushing his cheek against Eddie’s palm. He doesn’t mean to. Maybe it’s the adrenaline or the fact that Eddie’s so close to him, and looking at him with so much concern that it’s making Steve’s heart pound. But the movement makes Eddie suck in a breath, his eyes dropping to Steve’s lips and that’s all the indication that Steve needs.
“Fuck it,” he says, mostly to himself, as he leans forward and captures Eddie’s lips with his.
Just a quick press, nothing monumental, but it makes his stomach swoop all the same. Makes him realize he’s wanted to do that for a long time, longer than he’s ready to admit to himself in this moment.
When he pulls back, Eddie looks shocked. He’s still standing close, one hand on Steve’s face, the other in his hair, but Steve can’t decipher his expression. They stand there for a moment, staring at each other, and just as Steve’s about to step back, apologize for misreading things, Eddie pulls him forward and kisses him again, open-mouthed and wet. Enthusiastic and a little sloppy. It makes Steve laugh, his chuckle lost into the cavern of Eddie’s mouth.
Eddie takes the opportunity to slide his tongue into Steve’s mouth, his breath is far from minty but it still makes Steve groan. He grabs at Eddie’s jacket, pulling him in closer and kissing him fully, completely forgetting where they are and what just happened for a moment.
That is until Carol clears her throat. “Uh, not that I’m not thrilled for you two, but maybe this could wait until we’re not in Nancy Wheeler’s basement with monsters trying to kill us lurking right outside?”
Steve and Eddie spring apart. Eddie grins, wipes his mouth on the back of his hand. “Sorry Perkie, The King kissed me and I guess I got a bit carried away, surely you understand.”
Carol rolls her eyes, “Munson, I told you to quit it with that nickname. I’ll let it slide this time, but next time I’m aiming my gun at your balls”.
Eddie quickly cups his aforementioned bits and does a goofy bow, “Yes, m’lady”.
Steve stares between them, an incredulous laugh bursting out of his throat before he gathers himself. He stares hard at Carol, “You don’t have a problem with this? Us?” he gestures to himself and Eddie.
“Us?” asks Eddie quietly surprised, Steve’ll fill him in later.
She scoffs and rolls her eyes again, “Honestly Steve, you really need to get out of Hawkins. I don’t care, and neither will Tommy”. She adds on the last bit in a sweeter, more reassuring tone.
Steve nods, “Thanks.”
The three of them shove the couch and table in front of the door for good measure before they head back upstairs to their discarded packs, Carol rushes up the stairs when they hear Tommy’s voice calling for her over the walkie.
“Us?” Eddie asks again in a lower tone as they shove more furniture in front of the basement door.
“Yeah… us,” Steve says slowly, “You and me… you want that right?”
He has to hold back a smile when Eddie’s cheeks go bright pink.
“Yeah, yeah I want that,” Eddie says shyly, pulling a lock of hair over his mouth to hide his own smile.
“Well c’mon then,” Steve says, grabbing Eddie’s free hand and pulling him towards the living room. “Let’s save the world, survive, and we’ll figure out the rest later.”
“Sounds easy enough,” Eddie replies with a chuckle. His hand is big, rings digging into Steve’s knuckles when he gives his hand a squeeze.
Not for the first time Steve’s struck by how pretty Eddie is, even with the layer of Upside Down grime coating his face. It helps that he’s looking at Steve with a smirk, doe eyes big and sweet as they rove over Steve’s face, darting down to his lips like he wants nothing more than to drag Steve back into the basement and kiss him again.
Steve knows what he’s about to say is stupidly cheesy, but he can’t help it, not when Eddie is looking at him like that.
