This week’s writer spotlight feature is: @ataliagold! This is @ataliagold's second nomination for a writer's spotlight and they now have 149 works posted to AO3 in the Stranger Things fandom and 145 of them are in the Steddie tag!
Our anonymous nominator recommends the following works by Atalia_Gold:
The Wreckage Of You I No Longer Reside In
Steve Harrington's Cat Cafe
god how lucky can a simple man be?
There and Back Again
Love Like Ghosts
"truly atalia_gold writes such a variety of fics and i've absolutely loved every single one that I've read. It was hard to narrow down which fics to submit for this! So you should go and rummage through their AO3 page after starting here." -- Anonymous
Below the cut, Atalia_Gold answered some questions about their writing process and some of their recommended work!
Which character’s point of view do you prefer to write in: Eddie or Steve?
I prefer writing Steve’s POV. I enjoy Eddie’s too, but I’m more comfortable in Steve’s as that’s what I usually write.
Is there a character you haven't written for that you'd like to explore??
I’m hyperfocused on these two characters, so not reeeealy. I did do a Gator/Eddie fic and that was fun, I enjoyed writing for Gator. I would possibly like to try my hand at some other Joe characters such as Teacake, once I’ve been able to see Cold Storage (loved the book.)
Do you only write Steddie? (For Stranger Things or other fandoms)
Until recently yes, then I did a Gator/Eddie fic. I think they’re the only pairings I’d write for.
When you are planning your stories, do you go in with a word count in mind?
I go in with absolutely nothing in mind except a vibe!
How has your participation/relationship to the steddie fandom changed since you were last nominated?
I’m definitely more active in fandom events now. I used to have my own little corner and stick to it, not really participating in events etc because I’m shy. But now I’ve done a couple - a big bang, a reverse big bang, a zine, an exchange. And looking forward to more! I also started being a beta reader, and I’m enjoying that process too.
Do you think anything about your writing process or your characterization of Steve and Eddie changed since you were last nominated?
I don’t think so, no. My process has definitely been the same since the beginning in that there is no real process - I just have an idea and start writing it start to finish. I guess the only thing within my actual writing that is different now is that I write in present tense instead of past - I find it flows better and feels more in the moment and exciting.
What was the first steddie fic that you posted and have you reread it recently? How do you feel about it?
My first steddie fic was But You Love Me? …Always, it was just a simple little sick Steve/caretaker Eddie fic. I can’t reread my older fics, because I’ll pick up on errors and so many things I would want to improve on!
In your last nomination, you mentioned wanting to explore a modern au. Have you had the chance to write that story?
Yes! A couple, actually. There and Back Again, and we’ve been haunted since we both could know are both modern au’s. The first one done for the Steve Harrington big bang, where Steve, Eddie and Dustin travel to New Zealand (where I live!) to visit LOTR filming locations. The second one a paranormal investigator/horror au which I really enjoyed writing.
Is there another trope or idea that you’re wanting to write?
I’m currently really loving writing some omegaverse fics, I’ve always loved reading them but only recently started writing them. Other than that, I have a few ideas, still waiting for inspiration to strike for my next non-event longfic, but it’ll come!
Are there any steddie creators (writers, artists, editors, any fandom activity) that inspire you to continue to create?
So many. Some off the top of my head - starthecozy, who makes the warmest, coziest art. Authors like katyawriteswhump, who writes omegaverse fics that make me kick my feet. thisapplepielife, who has written some of my favourite fics in the fandom - Take the Money and Run, All Across the Universe, and Tuesday’s Gone With the Wind. Azriel (Oonionchiver) who made me want to start writing fics in the first place (You’re Divine is my favourite fic of all time).
This fandom is loaded with talented people, and these are just a few - there’s so many more.
Which of your fics would you recommend someone read to introduce them to the steddie fandom? And is there a fic written by someone else you would recommend for a first time steddie reader?
I would probably recommend Love Like Ghosts, since it’s the closest I have to anything resembling canon. It’s very canon-divergant, but it picks up after the series 4 final and is the series 5 that I wanted…so a reincarnated Eddie, and Steddie galore!
As for a fic written by someone else…as mentioned above, Take the Money and Run by thisapplepielife, or just dive right in deep and read You’re Divine by Oonionchiver.
Did any of your fics challenge you as a writer, and in what ways?
I’m lucky enough to not struggle much with writing fics. I don’t often get writer’s block, and I usually can just sit down and happily write a chapter. The words just flow, and I can’t explain why. I did try out some new things with There and Back Again, like including photos and messenger conversation formats, and formatting that stuff was difficult because I’m terrible at formatting. So that was a challenge for me!
How did you get the idea for Love Like Ghosts?
I wanted Eddie alive, and the whole fic built around it. That’s the only fic I’ve ever stopped writing and come back to much later. I left it unfinished for months, deleted it, and rewrote it from scratch. I also kept imagining these shadow creatures like Wolf and Fox, and so they clawed their way into this fic too.
When writing There and Back Again, what was something you didn’t expect?
How difficult the formatting would be! It drove me nuts.
What inspired god how lucky can a simple man be??
…Joe Keery in a cowboy hat.
What was your favorite part to write from god how lucky can a simple man be??
I loved writing the main fic We Made Universes Out Of Bitten Lips And Broken Hands, but other than that, looking at the series…I really liked writing Leaning Back On You for some classic Steve whump, steady hand not control was another because I liked the mirroring of Dustin’s first ride on his new horse vs Steve’s last ride on his retiring horse.
How do/did you feel writing Steve Harrington's Cat Cafe?
That was an easy one to write, because I wrote from Eddie’s POV just him being completely shook by how pretty Steve is…and I get it, Eddie. Also…cats.
What was the most difficult part of writing The Wreckage Of You I No Longer Reside In?
That was my first longfic and second fic ever, it was a long time ago now. I wouldn’t say it was difficult, more maybe that I didn’t quite know what I was doing, and I was very surprised by the reception to it - there were a lot of readers, and I felt like I had to churn out chapters very quickly.
Do you have a favorite scene and/or line from any of your fics?
I can’t narrow it down quite that much, but Love Like Ghosts is the fic I’m most proud of, and specifically the final four chapters of that is my favourite thing I’ve ever written. Wolf and Fox stick with me still, and I’m loosely planning some tattoos for them, because I don’t want to let them go!
Do you have any upcoming projects or fics you’d like to share/promote?
I’m going to be putting out oneshots for the we’ve been haunted since we both could know universe, mostly Steve, Eddie and Dustin investigating various haunted places.
I have a piece in the Fables and Freaks zine which may have released before this is posted, otherwise it’s coming soon! It’s a charity zine focusing on fantasy/horror/sci fi stories featuring Steddie.
I’m also looking ahead to the Steddie Big Bang and have a first chapter written for a potential fic for that.
Outside of these questions, Is there anything YOU would like to add?
Just thank you to anyone who has read, commented, or left kudos on my fics. I appreciate every single one. Also to all the Steddie writers and artists out there - this fandom is supportive and incredibly talented and I love seeing everything you all create.
Thank you to our author, @ataliagold, and our nominator! See more of Atalia_Gold's works featured on our page throughout the day!
Writer’s Spotlight is every Wednesday! Want to nominate an author? You can nominate them here!
pairing: steddie | rating: G | WC: 746 | ao3
tags: platonic stobin, meet cute, alternate first meeting, kiss cam
⚾️ 🎥 💕
Robin wasn’t especially happy to come to the game with him, but Steve is grateful for her making the best of it. He knows she’s only there because Lucas had an unexpected family obligation, and she felt bad for him when he was lamenting either missing it or going alone.
At least she seems to be having an okay time. She and Steve periodically lean in close to make each other giggle about the dude three rows down who’s definitely not getting another date. To everyone around them, they must look like they’re having the time of their lives.
Unfortunately, they’re also two young adults of opposite sexes, which puts them on a very particular radar.
Content to chatter with Robin between plays, Steve hardly pays attention to the music the stadium organist is banging out, nor is he really aware of what’s happening on the giant screen beyond second base. The danger doesn’t even occur to him when he sees the camera over the dugout pointed right at them.
The first sign is the look on Robin’s face. One second she’s laughing at one of Steve’s dumb jokes; the next she’s staring across the diamond, aghast. It has Steve whipping his head around to see what’s so shocking, and his eyes land on the screen just in time to see a version of himself doing the same, on a moment’s delay. A gaudy pink frame, made up of heart-shaped bubbles, surrounds the two of them.
Steve turns back to Robin, her eyes as wide as he’s ever seen them. That expression communicates two important things to him.
One: She does not want to kiss him. That’s nothing new, and it doesn’t bother him at all. If anything, he’s a little grossed out by the fact that he ever entertained the thought, even if the last time he did was a million years ago.
Two: They’re watching. Steve, they’re watching us. It’s a silent plea to make them stop watching. He knows how she feels, because there’s a chittering murmur starting up in the crowd, and suddenly he feels surrounded by strangers who are desperate to witness their embarrassment.
What Steve does next isn’t an idea—it’s more of a reflex. He turns away from Robin, and before he knows it he’s got his lips locked with the guy sitting on his other side.
He didn’t clock it until he was already yanking him in by the front of his shirt, but the stranger he’s kissing is a guy. Even though long curls tickle his cheeks, Steve has enough experience to know the difference in an instant. The problem is, he can’t bring himself to care—partly because the guy is starting to recover his wits, and instead of shoving Steve away and kicking his teeth in, he’s kissing back.
He’s a good kisser, too. A great one. As suddenly as he initiated the kiss, Steve loses control of it, and he fucking melts. He feels his shoulders droop as all the tension falls out of them. He somehow manages to cup the guy’s jaw with his palm, despite his arms going all numb and tingly like he’s been lying on them for a while.
Somewhere in the back of his mind, Steve is aware of the fact that he basically just outed himself to an entire stadium full of people, many of them now laughing and wolf-whistling. That’s not what breaks the kiss, though. Instead, it’s Robin tapping him on the shoulder and gently clearing her throat.
“Uh, dingus? They’ve moved on.”
Steve isn’t the one to pull back, either. The stranger’s smirk disconnects from his lips and murmurs, “Wow. Turns out I love baseball.”
Eyes fluttering open, Steve spots an older man in the seat beyond him, suppressing a grin.
Robin leans across and says to the stranger, “Thanks for taking one for the team.”
Blushing, Steve mumbles, “Yeah. Thanks, man.”
“The pleasure’s all mine, big boy,” the stranger replies, still smirking.
The last couple innings go by without further incident. But as they stand up to leave at the end of the game, Steve feels a folded scrap of paper being slipped directly into his hand. He opens it slowly as the stranger departs with a coy look over his shoulder.
Steve has to blink several times before his eyes can focus on what it says. Once he manages it, his breath catches when he sees seven digits and a single word: Eddie.
Prompt: Knot | Word Count: 586 | Rating: E | CW: Sexual Content | POV: Eddie | Pairing: Steddie | Tags: AU, Omegaverse, Alpha Eddie, Alpha Steve, Alpha/Alpha, Freak 4 Freak
Eddie wants to know what it's like.
He can't really know, he knows that. He's not an omega. His body isn't going to give, not in that same way, but the desire to take has slowly scrambled his brain. It's all he can think about. And he needs to find someone, some other freak, willing to try to knot him. Now.
He scans the options from his spot at the end of his high table. Eyeballing every alpha that walks by, he knows they are all no good. Not for this, not for anything. There's nobody in this senior class he'd let anywhere near him.
Then, his eyes catch on a familiar head of hair.
Well, maybe one.
But he's not an idiot. Steve Harrington isn't gonna fuck another alpha. Especially not one that's such a freak. Not when he has all the omegas in their class throwing themselves at his feet. The stink of them is a cloying cloud that follows Harrington everywhere he goes.
Eddie flexes his ass, clenching, squirming in the cafeteria seat. This is ridiculous. He is a freak. At least his cock is, as it's currently getting all horny over another alpha.
Steve lifts his head from his tray, nose flaring, swiveling like a goddamn owl until his eyes lock on Eddie's. A knowing smirk curls on his lip.
Well, fuck. Just kill Eddie now.
Eddie gets cornered outside the school in the alley between the buildings, and it's fucking stupid. Everybody knows not to corner another alpha, especially not one their age. Young, dumb knotheads. All of them.
But Steve Harrington didn't seem to get that memo, and Eddie melts back against the brick. He doesn't want to fight Harrington. He wants to fuck him.
Correction: He wants to be fucked by him.
Eddie spreads his legs tilting his hips upwards. It's obscene, and forward, but Harrington seems to react to it positively.
"Yeah?" Eddie asks, and Harrington's eyes are blown wide as he scents him, extensively.
"Yeah. Let's go."
Steve wraps a big hand around both their cocks, stroking hard as Eddie looks around this very plaid room.
"Fuck," Steve says, "I love your cock. You gonna pop? Let me feel your knot against mine?"
God, he's a freak, too.
Eddie nods, frantically. Absolutely. He still wants. But they can start here.
He feels the beginnings of Steve's knot, and it just fuels his own.
Somehow, Steve's hand fits around them both, and he's jacking them both off, hard. Knots sliding together, getting bigger, catching against each other in a way that Eddie's never felt before.
Fuck.
Eddie comes, making a mess all over both of them. Steve follows, and they are just absolutely slick with it as Steve squeezes both of their knots, gently pulsating his grip. Eddie comes again. Groaning.
Eddie's knot starts going down first, and when Steve feels it, he loosens his grip, allowing his own to deflate as well.
Flopping onto his back, Eddie slings his forearm over his eyes.
Steve does the same, arm brushing Eddie's.
"That what you wanted?"
Eddie laughs, the sound vibrating throughout his chest.
"What?" Steve asks.
"I wanted you to knot me."
"But you're not — oh."
Eddie's humiliated. He rolls onto his belly. He can't look at Steve.
The hand touching his ass cheek startles him, and he jumps.
Steve's wet thumb brushing against his hole is like lightning shooting up his spine.
"You think it's gonna fit?"
Eddie laughs, unhinged. Wouldn't you know it? Freak finds freak.
If you want to write your own, or see more entries for this challenge, pop on over to @corrodedcoffinfest and follow along with the fun! 🦇
AO3 | rating: e | wc: 481 | cw: SMUT | @steddiemicrofic june 2026: pride | tags: established relationship; smut; blowjobs; anal fingering; butt plugs; steve loves making eddie fall apart (and so does eddie) | masterlist
happy pride :)
Steve’s proud of a lot of things. His hair. His heart. His ability to protect the people he loves.
But what he's most proud of is his ability to make his boyfriend make the most beautiful sounds.
There's a spot Steve can hit just right that makes Eddie completely fall apart. Eddie’s eyes will roll back, broken moans slipping between slack lips, fingers clutching tight to hips, chest, stomach, hair – anything he can reach. Even in his blissed out state, he’ll hold Steve tight, not leaving a single inch of space between their writhing bodies.
Steve doesn't mind.
No, he thrives on it.
He has the privilege of completely unraveling Eddie, something more addicting to him than any drug.
Which is why when Eddie is on the phone with Gareth, has been for 2 hours now, instead of upstairs getting his brains fucked out like planned, Steve’s feeling a little on edge.
So, he walks up to where Eddie’s slouched into the couch.
“Yeah, exactly, that's – hey, sweetheart, you okay?” Eddie looks genuinely concerned as he takes in Steve’s frown and crossed arms.
Steve doesn’t speak. Just sinks to his knees, fingers dragging hot up Eddie’s thighs, his mouth in a soft pout as he looks up at Eddie.
Eddie barely gets out a quiet “oh” before Steve has a hand wrapped around him through his sweats.
Eddie should know by now.
He really should.
And yet.
He can't stop the hitch of his breath, the quiet moan that Gareth absolutely hears and will give them shit about tomorrow, but Steve doesn’t care in the slightest.
Steve pulls Eddie's sweats down, achingly hard cock springing free, already leaking at the mere thought of what Steve is about to do.
“Fuck, Stevie –” Eddie whimpers.
Their eyes meet as Steve takes Eddie’s cock to the hilt, the tip throbbing inside his throat, the scent of faint evergreen soap, salty sweat, and Eddie flooding his senses.
“Fuck, yes, just like that, sweetheart. So fucking good.”
Steve wraps his tongue around throbbing veins. Lets the tip graze the back of his throat on each pull. Waits until Eddie is moaning and writhing above him that he pops the plug out and slips two fingers inside Eddie’s deliciously slick hole.
He takes Eddie all the way down his throat again as his fingers twist, curl deep, press hard and unrelenting.
And there it is. Steve's favorite sound.
Eddie cries out, his orgasm wracking through him in brilliant shocks. His hands grip tight to Steve's hair, the pain making Steve moan. The vibrations of that making Eddie jolt, mutter a string of curses.
Steve swallows every last delicious drop. Keeps licking softly, massaging that sweet, tender spot, as Eddie comes back down to Earth.
“Fuck me, sweetheart.” Eddie groans.
Steve stands, pulls Eddie up with him, throat rasping as he says, “That’s the goal.”
an: literally saw the microfic prompt and within an hour this was in my brain begging to be released. so. here ya go. baby's first smut!
Actually kinda in love with Service top!Steve and Power bottom!Eddie. Like imagine Eddie going to bars and subs FLOCKING to him cause Y’know metalhead and he does his part and fucks them and he’s like “idk that was good but not amazing” but it’s the only gay sex he has so he just… sticks with it. Finally a dom finds him and fucks his BRAINS out and he’s like “wait I don’t get it that felt better but something’s still missing???” so he’s going through a whole ass identity crisis until Steve comes out to him and they’re bouta have sex for the first time and Steve’s like “I dunno, I like it when the girl I’m with is bossy.” And Eddie is like “well I actually prefer being penetrated” and Eddie gets to be a power bottom for the first time in his LIFE and he’s like OH. So THATS what was missing
Eddie coming out to Steve as a show of trust but then takes every opportunity to assure him he’d absolutely never try anything with him. Until eventually Steve just snaps “okay I GET IT I’m disgusting to you we don’t have to keep talking about it”
Thinking about elementary school teacher Steve taking his class on a field trip to an animal sanctuary and developing an immediate crush on one of the animal handlers, Eddie. Having to fight back a blush when Eddie asks him to help with a demonstration and then having to fight back actual terror when Eddie drapes a huge fucking snake over his shoulders.
"Don't worry, sweetheart. She's harmless," Eddie mutters with a wink, and yeah, Steve is definitely getting Eddie's number before he leaves.
Thanks to @jehneeg and @cpnsteverogers for reminding me that @thefreakandthehair HAS written something similar to this and I totally forgot about it. Please give this a read, it's excellent ♥️
I came across this image again and started thinking about Steve Harrington as the student council treasurer. He initially ran to impress Nancy, and when he was elected he realized that he. Actually had to do the work.
His dad is CFO for a major company so he draws on the knowledge that's been poured into him for years, and it turns out he's pretty good at it.
He's been managing his own money for years, and it's not too hard to balance the council budget, to shift funds around to benefit more areas, to cut unnecessary costs. He finds all the best deals for things like decorations for the dances, and manages to talk down the cost of having shirts made for different clubs.
That's how he ends up on the prom committee and the FBLA, they come find HIM and ask him to join because they want his financial knowledge.
He ends up being treasurer for his last two years of school and leaves the budget SO much better than when he started.
