For those who are new (hiii <3), I’m Frenchie, and I figured I'm official enough now to have an introduction post, so here's some basic info, FAQ, and a Masterlist of my content so far!
I reblog exclusively Stranger Things content here, although surprisingly I DO have other interests :o
I have an Ao3 account under this same username, if that's your thing!
I keep my writing and this blog PG-13 (with language/drug use and mild sexual content), so if you're looking for explicit stuff I am not the writer for you!
Favorite ship is Any Character x Peace and Happiness (also I love writing Steddie and Lumax has my whole heart)
Every time I get a comment, like, reblog, or feedback of any kind, my heart grows three sizes. Seriously, I'm so honored when people enjoy what I write!
Always looking for new internet friends!
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Masterlist:
Note: WIP's are "we can be heroes," “the hardest part is who we are,” and “every city’s got a graveyard." Ficlets won't be linked here but I will have them all tagged under "dailydrabble"
Stranger Things (follows the general canon of the show):
"Back to the Future (Hawkins Edition)" - (OC travels back in time and lives through the canon show, season 4 fix-it, 132K words) this one is my fav you guys go read it on Ao3 here
“i’m counting the days to the rapture” - (all canon characters who died on the show reunite, 40K words) found here and on Ao3
“Every city’s got a graveyard” - (Buffy x Stranger Things crossover) - still in its early stages but the first chapter can be found here!
“Sooner or later, will I realize?” - (Nonbinary!Nancy one shot, 4.8k) idk where else to put this but I am v proud of it, read on tumblr or Ao3
Eddie Munson x Steve Harrington:
“songs that voices never share” - (alternate canon Steve goes deaf after season 3 and meets Eddie, who can sign, 70K words) found here and on Ao3
"we can be heroes" - (Part 2 of the Deaf Steve AU, season 4 rewrite/fix-it in Eddie's POV) found here
“I wanna cut to the feeling” (modern day AU enemies to lovers slow burn feat Rockstar!Eddie and Hairstylist!Steve, 79K words) - Chapter 1-5 found here, the rest found on Ao3!
“I can’t tune you out” - (Rockstar!Eddie/Musician!Steve fake dating enemies to lovers slow burn, 113K words) found here and on Ao3
"Freaky Friday (Steddie's Version)" - (enemies to lovers body swap shenanigans, 36K words) found here and on Ao3
"flowers and ink" - (tattoo artist x flower shop modern day au, 21K words) found here and on Ao3
"Stranger Therapy" - (first date at couples counseling with Dr. Murray, 13K words) found here and on Ao3
“the hardest part is who we are” - (group therapy fic! Enemies to friends to lovers, sorta, lots of angst and dark humor) found here
“Eddie Munson vs the World” - (very camp, in the style of Scott Pilgrim, 20k words) found here
“Call me when you get this” - (one shot, friends to lovers told through voicemails, 3K words) found here and on Ao3
“That ‘90s Fic” (post-canon cute fic for the Valentine’s Day fic exchange 2023! 5.5K words) found here and on Ao3
“Daisies” (requested one shot of Eddie giving his best friend Steve flowers for Valentine’s Day) - found here on Tumblr and here on Ao3
"mysterious ways" - (Steddie week 2023, Kas!Eddie/Steve post canon season 4, 12K words) found here and on Ao3
“The Marriage of Bigfoot and Mothman” found here and on Ao3
"Do I wanna know?" - (modern day AU fluffy one shot) found here and on Ao3
STWG April Fools Day Swap (one shot where Steddie saves a wounded bunny) found here
“Like real people do” - (one shot written for the STWG’s Hozier collection, 1K words) found here
"Well, this is new" found here. The follow-up, "A Different Kind of Nervous," is only on Ao3 (idk why lol). Part 3, “Hands,” found here. Ao3 links for part one, two, and three
Robin Buckley x Nancy Wheeler:
“No Way” (featuring one of my fav lines I've ever written) found here, Ao3 link here
“Best Friends” (another tumblr exclusive!) found here
“I wanted her to look at me” (aka Robin liked Nancy instead of Tammy Thompson) found here, Ao3 link here
The Fruity Four (Robin/Nancy/Steve/Eddie):
“Barb is alive!” (AU request) here, Ao3 link here
"Teleplatonic" (Robin can read Steve's mind, no romance just Stobin) here, Ao3 link here
“Who looks like the better kisser?” - (very short and sweet) found here, Ao3 link here
“This is gonna be fun” (aka the two couples decide to be each other's beards) found here, Ao3 link here
"Steve is NOT Straight" (feat platonic Stobin baybeee) here, Ao3 link here
Misc Content (not fic related):
Steve Harrington (Taylor’s Version) - collab with the Tumblr bestie! Found here
Chaotic Stranger Things Headcanons (part one, part two, part three)
Songs that I associate with the characters
Steeba
Steve Harrington as a cat AU (shitpost collab with my Tumblr bestie, truly a treat and v chaotic, you'll love it)
Cover art for my fic “I can’t tune you out” done by my Tumblr bestie 🥰
How the characters would react to you coming out
Random hair opinions
I still might write this essay on S4 costuming lol
Robin/Nancy parallel with Steve (lowkey sad but also go Ronance) found here
Ronance evidence - found here
My Maya Hawke concert experience!
Byler x Scott Pilgrim meme - found here
Joe Quinn moments - First late night appearance and the falling blooper
List of confirmed JQ improvised moments
Very valid question
Stancy x Taylor Swift (Midnight Rain) found here
Quick Steddie headcanon
Steve is simply A Dad (and I love him)
Theory about season 5, Eddie, and inconsistencies
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Inbox is always open for questions, concerns, feedback, hot takes, requests, or literally whatever as long as you're not weird about it.
“So,” Eddie said. Then, he signed something else Steve couldn’t understand. YOU, something, then ME?
The missing word was extremely important. Thankfully, Eddie seemed to recognize that Steve didn’t understand. Eddie fingerspelled, S-T-A-L-K, then signed STALK again.
YOU STALK ME?
Once Eddie’s initial question clicked, Steve shook his head aggressively.
“No, no,” he insisted. “I came here for Max, because her and I have a bunch of friends in common, and -”
“Steve,” Eddie said, cutting him off. JOKING.
Steve exhaled in relief. “Oh. Right,” he said. From then on, Eddie spoke as he signed.
“How long have you been signing?” he asked.
“Three months,” Steve answered. “Started losing my hearing in July.”
“Shit,” Eddie replied. “So it’s very new.” Steve nodded, noticing that instead of signing VERY NEW, Eddie signed NEW with a more dramatic motion and expression. Interesting.
this fic is one that i hold so very near and dear to my heart. honestly? i haven't found a lot of deaf/hoh steve fics that actually do the trope justice. while i'm not deaf OR hoh, exactly, i do struggle with auditory processing disorder and often rely on ASL or visual cues so i love the way that this fic was written!
there's not a lot to worry about in this fic, honestly. possibly an ableism warning, if you squint at nancy but it gets better. mentions of cancer in a chapter, period typical homophobia, drinking and weed mentions.
i should also mention that this fic is pre-relationship but is definitely part of a series where steve and eddie get together! (spoilers — sorry not sorry!)
The duffers in season 3 really said hear me out - A LESBIAN. The gays went wild. The duffers panicked, not realizing how much of the fandom is queer.
The duffers in season 4 said hear me out - EVERYONE IS FRUITY. The gays didn’t know what to do with themselves. They applauded and created entire queer plot lines that may as well be canon.
@a-raging-aroace tagged me to take this uquiz and do this piccrew.
Ayyy there's an option to add my t-boy scruff! Also of course in the million times I've been tagged in this one quiz, I don't get "the hot one" until post-T, hehe
Anyway, @lazthecat3 @thehistoryone @70snasagay @randosfandos @roach-in-the-kitchen you can do this if you want, but I also know these two go around constantly so no pressure
Fic where all of Eddie’s friends know the perfect guy to set him up with. Gareth wants to set Eddie up with his study partner’s brother (Steve), Jeff want to set him up with his accident-prone coworker from Dunkin Donuts (Steve), and Grant wants to set him up with the dorky live model from his art class (Steve).
But Eddie’s not interested because he’s too busy mooning over a guy he’s practically stalking at the park (also Steve).
Rules: You will be given a word. Share one sentence/excerpt from your wip(s) that start with each letter of that word.
Tagged by @eriquin - thank you!! My word was MIRROR. This was a real challenge - I got a good variety in here, some from WIPs that are nowhere near ready to post! So...enjoy!
M (from we can be heroes - this excerpt is so unserious lol)
Max blinked as she stared at Steve huffing in the doorway. He looked awful. Well, he looked -
Okay, so it was the first time Max had ever seen him shirtless, and …
It was probably super disgusting of her to be stunned by how hot he was at a time like this. It was similar to earlier when he was fighting the bats, and now?? Could her teenage hormones just, like, stop for a second??
Jane would probably get it. Then again, Jane was attracted to Mike. And Eddie?? Dear God. Eddie could never, ever find out.
I (from the hardest part is who we are - many sentences starting with I in a row!)
“I don’t even remember telling you about that,” Eddie said, stalling.
“You said it in group once,” Steve replied.
“I say a loooot of things,” Eddie pointed out with a chuckle. “In and out of group.”
“I know,” Steve said with a smile as he ran his hand through Eddie’s hair. “And I remember almost all of them.”
R (from a WIP called now KISS that may or may not get posted eventually, who's to say)
Robin took a deep breath, resigned. “Ugh, fine, you’re right,” she said. There was a beat of silence, until she lit up again. “Okay, not toying around with anyone makes sense. But, what if they deserve it?”
Steve raised an eyebrow curiously. “What do you mean?”
She had this smirk on her face - the kind that meant she had a full plan brewing in her brain - and Steve gulped as he realized he was about to be on another adventure.
R (also from we can be heroes)
“Right,” Dr. Owens agreed. “But hopefully it doesn’t come to that.”
“I can’t believe this,” Chrissy muttered to herself.
As they continued to discuss the situation and make a plan, Dustin pondered how routine this whole thing had become. Get intel, split up, regroup, share, plot, and go. Over and over again. He couldn’t say it ever got any less exciting, but it was starting to feel easier. He’d gotten over the disbelief. He believed. He knew. Chrissy would get there eventually.
Well, actually no. Dustin was hoping that this would be the last time. He wasn’t betting on it though.
O (from the hardest part is who we are)
Other than that, the only problem was that every time Eddie did pretty much anything, Steve’s heart fluttered, and all he wanted to do was go full heart-eyes on the guy - like, head over heels declarations kind of vibe. But he had to keep his cool. Keep it together.
The movie marathon went well. Robin gave her official seal of approval about a third of the way through the second movie, when Eddie made her laugh so hard with a dramatic reenactment of a scene that soda came out of her nose. There was a whole debate on whether they should even bother watching the fourth movie, but it was two against one (Robin and Steve for, Eddie against), in the name of the movie being “camp.” Besides, none of them wanted to stop the marathon, because it was one of those days where all of them felt like they were exactly where they needed to be. In life, in the apartment, together.
R (from Robin & Steve's High School Reunion, which I have only written like 300 words about lol)
Robin chuckled as she took another handful of popcorn. “You’ve always had the worst taste in men.”
Steve shrugged. “Decent taste in women, though.”
“Debatable,” Robin replied. “You like women who don’t like you. Wouldn’t say that’s a good thing.”
Steve snorted, nearly choking on the soda he was sipping on. “Yeah, well…” He took a deep breath. “Touche, or whatever.”
They glared at each other - the friendly kind only shared between good friends, and that was that.
Dustin rolled into Hawkins High School like, “What’s up. My name is Dustin, my best friend is Steve Harrington, and my girlfriend lives in another state.”
And the only reason that he didn’t get bullied into oblivion is that Eddie got to him first.
hey maybe one of these days i'll have my shit together and manage to post my monthly fic recs in the first week of the new month. but this is still a new thing i'm doing so.. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
in order of reading.
Chrisilakatos by @starshideurfics
buckingham | teen | 5,730 words
Half Light by @griefabyss69
steddie | Mature | 2,239 words
the garfield teapot steve pin up in question by @spicyglitterfang
SEVENTEEN (17) MORE RECOMMENDATIONS
✂️✂️✂️✂️✂️ UNDER THE CUT ✂️✂️✂️✂️✂️
Beneath the Witches' Brooms by @steviestits
steddie | teen | 3,016 words
Forgive Me, Father (For I Have Sinned) by Anonymous
steddie | explicit | 7,002 words
rape/non-con | demon!eddie/priest!steve
Sing if You're Glad to be Gay by VTHX (V_Haley)
steddie | explicit | 120,520 words
Hidden In The Woods by Moldypossum
steddie | not rated (mature?) | 1,466 words
The Inherent Homoeroticism of Al Pacino by idiotslantern
eddie/other | explicit | 4,072 words
cruising + age difference / voyeurism (steve watching)
feline fine by @mixsethaddams
steddie | mature | 8,329 words
feral cat eddie!
i can't tune you out by @hairstevington
steddie | teen | 113,115 words
famous musician au with fake dating
Paper Thin by idiotslantern
steve/other | explicit | 3,066 words
voyeurism (eddie listening)
See More Of Him by BlueStripedSky
steddie | explicit | 4,347 words
trans masc eddie
Strange Overtones by @arimakes
stommie w/ steddie + stommy | explicit | 38,393 words
body swap frog stack!
not overdramatic (knows what she wants) by @formosusiniquis
starb (steve harrington/barb holland) | mature | 2,899 words
Pretty Star by @mojowitchcraft
starb (steve harrington/barb holland) | general audiences | 1,214 words
Queer Lodgings by sleepingoffyourdemons
steddie | explicit | 39,405 words
double bi-awakening post canon roommates
The Pizza Box Pact by 96tears
steddie | teen | 24,257 words
I'm Coming Out by @mugloversonly
robin buckley/eddie munson | general audiences | 1,488 words
trans feminine eddie <3
pull my body back and whisper in my ear by @catknives
steddie | explicit | 33,250 words
omegaverse | bitching
Remember Me, Love (when I'm reborn) by @stevebckley
steddie | explicit | 34,420 words
omegaverse | bitching
@stevesbipanic B HAPPY VALENTINES!!! Tis I! Your secret admirer!!! I loved this prompt and I had so much fun with it thank you so much and I hope you love it!!! Special thanks to @thefreakandthehair and @hairstevington for listening to be a little feral and insane about the first thing I'm writing in a very long time
Read on AO3 instead
If there was one place Eddie never expected to end up at on Valentine’s Day, it was the mall.
When Steve had asked to ‘take point’ this year, Eddie had imagined a day at the lake, maybe a secret picnic, perhaps even a scenic road trip. Something that was their style. A tucked away moment, quiet and held close, so it belonged to just the two of them.
There was no way the mall - the epicenter of American greed and capitalistic cannibalism - would have that.
“I can’t believe I found this parking spot!” Steve crowed, tossing Eddie a winning smile as he threw the car into park and grabbed his phone from where it was charging, “Wasn’t that lucky?”
“Sure, Stevie,” Eddie agreed, trying to hide his disdain, but definitely failing given the way Steve’s smile dipped. The mall loomed over them, blocking out the sun with its oppressively boxy architecture, and Eddie couldn’t help his own glow starting to dim.
The day had started so promisingly. Steve had woken up early and slipped out of bed without Eddie realizing, coming home with ludicrously over decorated heart shaped donuts and coffee from their favorite bakery. They had traded lazy sugar-filled kisses, cuddling and watching Labyrinth.
Hell, Steve had even managed to almost hide how much he disliked the movie, commenting on David Bowie’s ass and conveniently ignoring the plot and puppets. He hadn’t even texted Robin all morning!
And now…well now they were at the mall.
“Are we going to a movie or something? We could’ve just gone to The Hawk. You know IMAX movies give me headaches.” Eddie said as they exited the beemer. Steve came around the front, grabbing Eddie’s hand and squeezing it twice - their signal for needing the other person to listen.
“Trust me?” Steve offered, chewing on the inside of his lip and giving Eddie the big puppy dog eyes he could never resist. Eddie groaned, grumbling softly to himself as he lifted their joined hands up to his lips.
“Always,” he whispered back, sealing the promise with a kiss.
As much as Eddie hated to admit it, the mall actually wasn’t as bad as he had imagined. His brain had conjured up tortuous images of packs of useless husbands trolling around for a cheap gift to pawn off on their wives, or hordes of angsty teens lamenting not having someone to share the holiday with.
But at almost four in the afternoon it was sleepy, practically dead. And besides, it was hard to look around when Steve was dragging him forward with a single-minded determination. All Eddie could do was try and keep up, shooting glances at his boyfriend to try and catch his eye, wondering why Steve was suddenly loath to meet his gaze.
Then they were stopping short, Eddie stumbling and nearly tripping as Steve let go of his hand out of nowhere. He righted himself, about to tell Steve off for acting so weird, when he looked up and was struck speechless.
“You mentioned that you always wanted to go here, but that Wayne never had the money for it,” Steve mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck and leaning out of Eddie’s space as he continued to avoid eye contact.
Eddie had told him that, but just once. Only once. He could remember the exact moment. The two of them in the kitchen of their apartment right after the move, unpacking mugs as Eddie told the story of each one and placed it with care on the shelf. It was the last mug, the final story of that night.
“My dad promised me he would take me to Build-a-Bear for my fifth birthday. And my sixth. And my seventh. By my eighth, I stopped answering when he asked me what I wanted, ‘cause I knew it didn’t matter. By ten I was already living with Wayne, and I didn’t even want to ask him, I knew we couldn’t afford it. Wayne found out anyway, because he’s Wayne, and so he got me this mug for my eleventh birthday, and told me it was an IOU. I don’t even know why I wanted to go to build-a-bear so badly, I just got it in my head that having my own bear would be special. Something that was mine, and always would be, you know?”
And now here Eddie was, standing in front of an ostentatiously yellow store with his heart settled neatly in his throat.
“I know it’s kind of silly now, because we’re almost thirty. You might not even care anymore, but I thought maybe it would be a nice Valentine’s Day gift? We could build you a bear, and then you would have him forever and always,” Steve explained, his thoughtfulness continuing to choke Eddie to death.
Eddie didn’t believe in God, but it was hard to believe there wasn’t something looking out for him. Something had to have given him Steve. There was no way this wonderful, beautiful man just landed in his lap.
“I’m sorry I-” Steve began, obviously misinterpreting Eddie’s silence.
“I love it,” Eddie said, cutting off the apology before it could truly begin.
He couldn’t let Steve doubt this, not even for a single second. Eddie cleared his throat roughly, blindly reaching out and latching onto Steve’s wrist, pulling his boyfriend close and wrapping him in the tightest hug possible as he continued to ramble.
“I do, I love it and I- thank you, Stevie. You’re so- you’re just- thank you, thank you, thank you,”
“Easy, Eds,” Steve murmured, the tips of his ears turning pink as he pressed their cheeks together and gave Eddie a parting squeeze. Eddie let him pull away, but didn’t let him go, interlocking their fingers as he began to bounce in place.
“We’re going to Build-a-Bear!” Eddie giggled, his joy beginning to spill all over the place.
Steve nodded, smiling just as brightly as Eddie. But, when Eddie went to pull him forward, Steve held fast, keeping them both in place.
“There’s just one rule. I don’t want you to look at prices at all. You get whatever you want, however you want it. Got it?” Steve said with a mock stern look. Eddie opened his mouth to agree, then hesitated.
It wasn’t like they were destitute. Between Steve’s job as a sub and Eddie’s work at the garage, they were making good money. But with rent, Steve's tuition, and the regular expenses, they didn’t exactly have a lot of cash to blow on fulfilling a childhood dream.
“I’ve been saving for this, baby. Been doing extra tutoring on the nights you were with the guys playing dungeons and dorks,” Steve admitted, a pretty blush sitting high on his cheeks. Eddie’s heart clenched up again, and he couldn’t resist dragging Steve into a chaste but forceful kiss.
“You’re the most amazing partner, you know that, right?” Eddie whispered against his lips. Steve ducked his head, pulling away and squeezing Eddie’s fingers silently as they walked into the store.
The store was almost empty, even quieter than the mall itself. A couple of parents were watching their daughters giggle over clothes for their new stuffed animals, and a young couple was chatting by the little clawfoot bathtubs in the back, but other than that it was just the two of them. There was some bubblegum pop playing in the background, the kind of thing Steve liked to listen to when he made dinner at night. The sound of it settled Eddie instead of setting his teeth on edge, and he couldn’t help leaning against Steve as they approached the bins of unstuffed bears.
“Go on, pick your new friend,” Steve said, nudging Eddie forward and taking a step back to watch.
It was easy to eliminate some choices off the bat. Eddie took away anything that was themed for Valentines, or promotional, and he pretty quickly decided against anything that wasn’t a traditional bear. Normally he would’ve loved the contrarian energy of building a dragon or a unicorn, but he wasn’t just making this for right now. This was also for the little Eddie that had dreamt of having that perfect plush bear to snuggle with at night.
But the problem was, he had never really imagined what the bear looked like.
“Help me?” Eddie whined, turning back to Steve who shook his head fondly but walked forward anyway. Steve perused the options for a second before reaching into a bin and pulling out a charcoal black bear with brown eyes.
“What about this one? If you give him a battle vest and a band tee he would be a mini-you,” Steve offered, holding the bear out. Eddie took it, letting his fingers run over the fur and imagining the bear properly stuffed and dressed.
It was perfect.
They walked past the bear bins, up to a stand with plastic cases and the words “HEAR ME” above it in bright red letters.
“Okay, one more rule for today. Cover your ears and turn around,” Steve ordered, putting his hands on his hips and giving Eddie a no-nonsense look. Eddie raised a brow, briefly considering putting up a fight, just for the heck of it.
But there was something in Steve’s face, a glint in his eyes that just bordered on the edge of panic and a crook in his smile that made it sit not quite straight on his face. Whatever he was doing, it was probably something big.
So, instead of being a gremlin, Eddie remained obedient, turning on his heel and cupping his ears, humming one of the band’s latest creations for good measure. He managed to get all the way through the first two choruses and up to the bridge before he felt a soft hand on his shoulder and opened his eyes.
“Time for the best part,” Steve said in a soft sing-song tone, pushing Eddie towards the machine filled with stuffing where an employee was patiently waiting for them.
“Hi there, guys!” She said with a bright grin, “My name is Rosie, and I’m here to help you bring your friend to life.”
Steve, being the amazing boyfriend he was, somehow sensed Eddie’s hesitancy, speaking for both of them as they got closer. “I’m Steve, and that’s Eddie. It’s his first time here.”
“That’s so great! Okay so I am going to stuff your new friend exactly how you’d like him, then you’re going to pick a heart out of this box and follow all my instructions,” she explained in a patient but authoritative tone that reminded Eddie so much of Nancy he almost laughed out loud. He willingly handed over the bear, watching as she lined him up with the machine.
“Firm or soft?”
“Soft,” Eddie answered automatically, going with his gut.
Rosie nodded and went through the process of stuffing the bear, methodically filling up each paw and giving them a good squeeze before handing the bear to Eddie for a quick check.
“Before we do the heart ceremony, do you want to add a smell to your bear? We have some of our scents here, and I can go to the back and get you any one off this list if you want.” She offered as Eddie held his bear close.
“Remember our rule,” Steve whispered loudly in his ear, and Eddie rolled his eyes, his heart almost filled to the bursting. He pointed out a lemon scent on the list and they watched Rosie leave to grab it.
“Why lemon?” Steve asked, cocking his head to one side.
“Reminds me of how the house smells on Sundays,” Eddie replied. “All your favorite cleaning products smell like lemons, and all you drink from May to September is lemonade.”
“It’s a refreshing smell,” Steve grumbled, not a trace of heat in his tone. Eddie chuckled and pressed a kiss to his cheek.
“Whatever you say, Lemon Boy,” he managed to get out just as Rosie returned, a yellow bear paw held in her hand.
“Now while I put this in and add some final touches, you choose your heart and then we will do the heart ceremony.” She instructed.
Eddie peered into the box, his eyes immediately locking onto a plaid heart. He plucked it out, showing it to Steve who couldn’t resist laughing. It was the exact same pattern as the god-awful wallpaper he had in his room when they first started dating, and, without words, they both knew what they were thinking about.
“Okay, are you ready?”
Eddie nodded, bouncing on the balls of his feet as Rosie stood in front of them and held out her hands.
“So you’re going to hold the heart just like this,” she demonstrated, cupping her hands and beginning to rub her palms together, “and you’re going to make the heart all nice and warm and toasty for your new buddy over there!”
Eddie followed her directions to the letter as she had him flip the heart and tap three times (“To wake up his heart and get it beating!”) and lifted the heart up to the sky and waved it back and forth to give his bear very high hopes. He even turned in a circle, delighting in listening to Steve laugh at his antics.
This was the exact kind of thing Eddie loved to do most - put on a show and lose himself in being a little silly.
“Now, rub the heart down your back, that way your buddy always has your back. Rub it down your side, so they stay by your side forever and always. Rub it across your cheeks, so your buddy is always smiling each and every day, and hold the heart to your chest to make a nice big wish!”
Eddie paused for a second, closing his eyes and taking a second to think. He had lots of wishes. He wished his van would hold out for just one more paycheck, that the kids would enjoy the campaign he put together for them. He wanted Wayne to stay healthy, for Steve to pass his classes, for someone, anyone, to find the band and give them their big shot.
But there was one wish that was more important than the rest.
“The last thing is giving it a nice big kiss, so your buddy is always full of love.” Rosie said with a flourish.
Eddie was about to lift the heart to his lips when he paused, turning to Steve and holding it out. Steve’s lip curled in a small, indulgent, smile, and he leaned forward, pressing a long kiss right in the middle of the fabric heart. The edge of his lip touched Eddie’s thumb, sending a shiver down his spine.
From there the process moved quickly. Rosie sewed up his bear with deadly efficiency, and Eddie and Steve tag teamed the wall of outfits to find the perfect battle vest for Eddie’s bear. Before he knew it, Eddie was sat at a tiny little computer with his bear in his lap and Steve’s chin hooked over his shoulder, both of them staring down at the blank bear birth certificate.
“I don’t know what to name him,” Eddie moaned, leaning back against Steve, who appeared to be deep in thought.
“Beddie.”
“Beddie?” Eddie repeated incredulously, turning to look at Steve properly.
“Bear Eddie,” Steve shrugged, as if that made any sense at all. “He does look just like you.”
Eddie snorted, leaning forward and typing out the name, then hesitating and typing some more.
“What do you think?” he asked, trying to hide the sudden nerves that were lighting up his veins. The last name wasn’t a huge risk to take, but it meant something, something far more than either of them were willing to admit just yet.
“Perfect,” Steve said with a kiss pressed to Eddie’s cheek.
And that was how Beddie Bearington ended up nestled between Eddie and Steve that night as they lounged on the couch. Steve had fallen asleep two episodes deep into their Survivor binge, and Eddie was content to stay exactly where he was for at least a few more hours. He dipped his head down, pressing his face to the center of the bear’s chest and smelling the candied lemon scent that permeated through the fur. As he continued to cuddle his bear, Eddie felt something hard and square in the left paw. He pulled back, perplexed by the sudden change, carefully feeling around the object and wondering what it might be.
With a jolt, Eddie finally put together Steve’s behavior from before. He had somehow hidden a sound box inside Eddie’s bear, that was the secret Steve hadn’t let him hear before. Eddie slapped his forehead with a palm, unable to believe he could’ve missed something so obvious. The boys would’ve had words to say about their DM being so unobservant.
Eddie took a cursory look down to make sure Steve was still asleep, and then pressed it, putting the bear's paw up to his ear. He had expected a song, or even some funny sound.
Nothing could have prepared him for the soft tone of Steve’s voice, fulfilling the secret wish he had put into his bear’s heart.
“Hi Eddie, it’s me, your boyfriend, Steve. I want you to know that you are the funniest, sweetest, most creative person I know, and I’m so happy that I get to love you…because I do. I love you, Eddie.”
“It’s true,” a voice whispered from below. Eddie moved the bear and there was Steve, staring up at him. “Sorry I couldn’t say it before.”
“I love you too,” Eddie whispered, almost in awe that he could finally say it and hear it back.
He could hear it whenever he wanted. Eddie pressed the button on the box again just because he could. Steve’s words filled the air as Eddie nestled Beddie into the couch and dipped his head down, hair falling in a curtain around them as they shared another kiss.
A/N: Hello all! For those who don’t know, I went to a Deaf school and am fluent in ASL. When writing ASL in written English, you use all capitals. I hope you enjoy!!
The first few times Steve got beat up, he was left with a ringing in his ears for a while. Then, the ringing became constant. Then, the Russians happened.
The ringing stopped. It was quiet.
He didn’t want to tell anyone, and he wasn’t sure why. At first he just acted like everything was fine. He tried to read lips and nodded when people told him things. Whenever he misunderstood something, his friends chalked it up to him being an idiot as always.
Robin and Steve worked together, so it was basically impossible to hide it from her. It became their secret. She helped him at Family Video with customers, covered for him, made sure he always got to do the tasks that didn’t require hearing or listening to other people.
Dustin noticed next, and he convinced Steve to let the others know. They communicated through writing a lot, until the party decided they could all learn sign language together. Like a code, they told Steve. Max and El were excited at the prospect of writing letters, too.
Thank God Steve was out of school, so he didn’t have to worry about accommodations.
One night, Steve went to pick Dustin, Mike, and Lucas from Hellfire, and that’s when he ran into Eddie.
Steve knew he was saying something snarky, but he couldn’t tell what since it was so dark.
DEAF, Steve signed. He pointed at his ear to clarify. Eddie raised his eyebrows.
THAT HAPPEN WHEN? Eddie signed back. Steve stumbled backwards.
YOU SIGN?! Eddie nodded.
MOM DEAF TOO, he explained. He shrugged. DEAD NOW. Steve awkwardly stifled a laugh at how blunt Eddie had delivered the news. Thankfully he didn’t seem offended.
This week’s writer spotlight feature is: @hairstevington! With 38 Stranger Things works, they've published 25 in the Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson tag and counting!!
@marvel-ous-m recommends the following works by @hairstevington:
Deaf Steve AU
call me when you get this
i wanna cut to the feeling
They’re such a fantastic author!!! I love their fics so so much. They bring such joy and realism into their writing, and have a fantastic sense of humor. Sending so much love to @hairstevington for being such an inspiration, cheerleader, and for breaking my heart just to put it back together again whenever I read their writing. <3 -- @marvel-ous-m
Below the cut, @hairstevington answered some questions about their writing process and some of their recommended work!
Why do you write Steddie?
I got into Steddie completely by accident. I hadn’t written fanfiction prior to Stranger Things Volume 2, and I basically fast-tracked the learning curve lol. I think it just took a couple posts on Tumblr for me to see the vision, and then the brainrot just did its thing for 2+ years and counting. I like their dynamic, their banter, how they’re both idiots. Chef’s kiss!
What’s your favorite trope to READ?
I’m such a sucker for slow-burn romance, enemies to lovers, and fake-dating.
What’s your favorite trope to WRITE?
I write what I like to read, mostly! But I tend to do a lot of “firsts.” First time falling in love, first kiss, etc.
What’s your favorite Steddie fic?
That I’ve written? Oh, gosh. “Freaky Friday (Steddie’s Version)” or “i can’t tune you out.” I think those two inspired me the most while writing, so I have a soft spot for them. OF COURSE I also love and adore the Deaf Steve AU. Hard to choose!
If it’s one I’ve read?? Oh man, too many to list. There are so many amazing writers out there <3
Is there a trope you’re excited to explore in a future work but haven’t yet?
Not really a trope, but maybe podfic?? It’s an interesting avenue I haven’t explored yet!
What is your writing process like?
I take a lot of notes on my phone throughout the day about what I want to add to my stories when I get home. For the Deaf Steve series I’ve got a playlist I listen to a LOT and that keeps me in the universe. I also map out the general plot. My current season 4 rewrite has the most extensive outline I’ve ever done (character and group arc breakdowns, motivations, etc). But most of the time, I just sit at my computer and go!
Do you have any writing quirks?
I HAVE to write in chronological order. If I write a future scene, I’ll fall in love with it, and by the time I get there it won’t fit anymore. Tragic!
Do you prefer posting when you’ve finished writing or on a schedule?
I don’t have a schedule. I would love to have one, because I like routine and it gives people something concrete to follow, but at this point I can’t commit to a schedule since I’m so busy.
Which fic are you most proud of?
It has to be Deaf Steve, right??? Both parts of that have taken a LOT of brain power. Learning how to incorporate sign language into my writing was a huge challenge. It was interesting though to write Steve’s POV, because he often is left out of the conversation, which was frustrating for me to write and frustrating for him as a character.
How did you get the idea for songs that voices never share?
Oh!! That was ENTIRELY a fluke. I am in the Stranger Things Writers Guild, and every day we have a “daily drabble.” One day, the prompt was “quiet.” For whatever reason, I wrote about a hundred or so words of Steve having gone deaf, then being introduced to Eddie, who knows ASL. A lot of people requested more, so I fleshed it out and made it a full fic!
When writing songs that voices never share, what was something you didn’t expect?
I didn’t expect so many people to resonate with it!! The amount of comments I got about how important the representation was motivated me to keep going, even when the project went above and beyond its roots. It started as a drabble, then was planned as a 7 chapter fic, which turned into a multi-part series. Wild!
What inspired call me when you get this?
That was another one from the Stranger Things Writers Guild! I wanted a writing exercise, and someone suggested a story through voicemails, and I thought that was so cool I ran with it.
What was your favorite part to write from we can be heroes?
Oh, man!! I had never written suspense/horror before, so that was new territory for me. I wanted to capture the energy of season 1, and I tried to do that by diverting from canon and subverting expectations. I also loved being able to change all the things from canon I didn’t like lol. And, for the record - the part I’ve been MOST excited to write since the fic started hasn’t happened yet, so more good stuff to come!
How do/did you feel writing i wanna cut to the feeling?
Aww, this fic <3 I started writing it while I was sick with Covid the week of Christmas, 2022. It was my first long-form Steddie fic, and I had a blast, but it’s interesting now to look back and see how I’ve evolved as a writer. You can even see my writing skill develop over the course of the fic! Very cool. I also had so much audience engagement for that one. The Trish Takedown™ was extraordinary - I have NEVER had so many readers band together to hate a single character lol.
What was the most difficult part of writing i wanna cut to the feeling?
At the time, it was the most popular thing I’d ever written, and I felt a lot of pressure to get it right. I had a WHOLE inner conflict about whether I “needed” to include smut. I was so worried people would drop off if I didn’t include it, but ultimately decided to do what I was most comfortable with. I don’t think a single person complained, and now I don’t feel the pressure!
Do you have a favorite scene and/or line from any of your fics?
One that I have always adored is from i can’t tune you out. (That’s the one where Eddie and Steve are rivaling musicians who are fake-dating as a PR stunt to promote their new albums). Eddie listens to one of Steve’s new songs and goes on a whole rant about how all music nowadays is formulaic, soulless, and predictable with no fire in it. And he says, “but this? I felt it.” And Steve asks, “the fire?” and Eddie says, “No. You.” It’s a huge turning point in their relationship and things keep growing from there!
Oh, also, the entirety of Chapter 13 of songs that voices never share!
Do you have any upcoming projects or fics you’d like to share/promote?
I am currently writing a fic that is a modern day AU where Eddie, Steve, El, Max, Chrissy, and Argyle are in group therapy, led by Bob (it’s called “the hardest part is who we are”). If you like the thought of the characters processing their trauma together and Eddie and Steve falling in love with each other in the meantime, go check it out! It’s full of feels and at times heavy but also soft at the same time?? I’ve loved writing it so far.
Outside of these questions, Is there anything YOU would like to add?
TO WHOEVER NOMINATED ME - thank you!!! I am genuinely so honored. These questions were awesome, this account is awesome, and so much of the joy and inspiration I feel while writing comes from the people reading who resonate with it. It makes me feel so connected to you all, and so seen. So, thank you’s all around, my friends!
Thank you to our author, @hairstevington, and our nominator, @marvel-ous-m! See more of @hairstevington works featured on our page throughout the day!
Writer’s Spotlight is every Wednesday! Want to nominate an author? You can nominate them here!
