Something about steve being so perplexed and put off by all the insane energies that Jonathan, Billy and Eddie bring to their interactions with Steve because they project so much onto him, how they expect him to be and who they think he is.
Like, when you watch the scenes Steve is not returning those same energies. He's guarded. He is so immediately over it with Billy, completely thrown off by Eddie, and frustrated by Jonathan (especially in s5).
Something about Steve putting up such a stonewall with these guys
Something about how that wall comes crashing down when he's with Dustin and he can be himself, let himself be caring and thoughtful, protective and heroic, goofy and dorky, laugh and joke and and be lighthearted.
Something about the specific cruelty of being accused of being fake by Dustin in their fight in the rainbow room when Steve has been the most himself with and because of Dustin.
A continuation of my bday gift for @rowdyheaux. (Also happy birthday to @procyonloser, another beloved Dusteve mutual! I guess I'm using this series to wish my Dusteve friends happy summer birthdays!) The story takes place the summer before Dustin's senior year of high school. Basic summary so far-- in order to make Steve feel special on his birthday, Dustin plans a scavenger hunt.
Part One here.
Part Two here.
āSo any hot babes waiting to make out with me here?ā Steve jokes as they make their approach to Skull Rock. He feels Dustin trip on a root and stumble beside him, and without thinking Steve reaches out to grip him firmly by the upper arm. āWoah dude, you okay?āĀ
āFine! Iām fine!ā Dustin squeaks, straightening up and smacking Steveās hands away from himself. He hurries ahead of Steve, as though eager to win some race. Without looking back, he calls over his shoulder, āAnd no, no hot babes. Sorry to disappoint!āĀ
The woods ring with bird song and the hum of insects. Thereās a fecund, rich smell all around them, the overgrowth verdant and wild following a week of summer thunder storms. Steve watches the back of Dustinās head, admiring the bounce of his curls. After years of jamming hats over his head, Steve is secretly glad to see Dustin is finally embracing one of his best features.Ā Ā
Dustin has many great features, of course, Steve reflects. The thought surprises him. Since when had he started admiring Dustinās features? A branch catches on his arm and pulls him up short with a yelp, twigs and leaves catching on his hair and skin.Ā
āSteve, stop messing around!ā Dustin calls from somewhere up ahead. āWeāre on a schedule!āĀ
Grumbling, Steve jogs after him, his train of thought completely interrupted.Ā
When they arrive at Skull Rock, Steve searches around in the hollow space beneath the rock. Amidst the abandoned beer cans and what looks like the remains of a small fire, Steve finds a note taped to the underside of the cave wall.Ā
āYouāve read my lips, but whatās on my mind?ā Steve reads aloud from the note. Like the note at the arcade, thereās another crude illustrationā this time of a skull. The words are written inside a bubble coming from the skullās open mouth. He furrows his brow in confusion. āWhatās on my mindā¦āĀ
It seems like it should be obvious. Steve looks back at Dustin, who is waiting at the entrance of the rock, bouncing on the balls of his feet. Thereās a manic glint to his eye as he watches Steve, and it sends a thrill through Steveās chest.Ā
āAm I supposed to read your mind?ā Steve asks.Ā
Dustin shrugs and shakes his head blithely, smiling. No clues.Ā
Clambering past Dustin to exit from beneath the hollow of the skull, Steve canāt help but reach out and ruffle at Dustinās enticingly soft curls as he passes. Dustin makes a soft noise of surprise, and Steve catches the shiver that runs through Dustin as his fingers catch on one coiled lock. Cheeks suddenly warm, Steve staggers out of the mouth of Skull Rock and turns to consider the tableau. Dustin leans weakly against the hinge of the skullās jaw.Ā Ā
āWhatās on my mindā¦ whatās on my mindā¦ā At this moment, heās almost glad he canāt read Dustinās mind and Dustin canāt read his. There is something shivering in the air between them.Ā
As Steve contemplates the clue, worrying that Dustin overestimated his intelligence after all, a ray of sun peeks through the tree tops and glints off of something at the crown of Skull Rock. Steve snaps his fingers in realization. āOn!āĀ
After circling the cluster of boulders and sizing up his approach, Steve takes a running jump up onto one of the smaller rocks and uses his momentum to grab a hand hold and sling his leg up onto the flat plane of the bigger rock and tip toe to the top. Steve stands and holds his hands above his head in triumph, panting and satisfied with himself. He has kept in good shape after high school, and the chance to demonstrate his athleticism makes him glow. āHell yeah, Hendersonā Iām king of the mountain!āĀ
From the ground, Dustin squints up at him and gives a thumbs up. āTechnically not a mountain, but yeah!āĀ
Grinning, Steve flips Dustin the bird before looking around himself to take stock of the space atop the Skull. The surface of the rock is warm where touched by the sun, and it makes him feel relaxed and nearly sleepy, muscles tingling from the mild exertion.
There are indeed shiny objects here. A cluster of small metal items are piled in the center of the skull like treasure. What a load of junkā¦
Steve picks out a bottle cap, a crushed can, some unidentifiable but colorful scrap. Itās all oddly pleasing to look at, and Steve feels fond at the thought of Dustin compiling pretty sparkly things to leave for him, like a crow. As he sifts through the pile, his fingers find something distinct. He holds up a tiny model yellow school bus made of tin, admiring the way it fits solidly in the palm of his hand.
āThe junk yard?ā Steve calls down to Dustin, waving the toy bus through the air. The sun high overhead reflects off the yellow paint and sends shimmering light across Dustinās upturned face.Ā
āOnly one way to find out!ā Dustin calls back. Ā
A thought begins to solidify in Steveās brain as he looks down at Dustin, but itās too complicated and painful to look at directlyā itās too big a puzzle, with too many pieces. Instead of thinking, he focuses on climbing back down to rejoin his friend on the ground.
A continuation of my bday gift for @rowdyheaux. (Also happy birthday to @procyonloser, another beloved Dusteve mutual! I guess I'm using this series to wish my Dusteve friends happy summer birthdays!) The story takes place the summer before Dustin's senior year of high school. Basic summary so far-- in order to make Steve feel special on his birthday, Dustin plans a scavenger hunt.
Part One here.
Part Two here.
āSo any hot babes waiting to make out with me here?ā Steve jokes as they make their approach to Skull Rock. He feels Dustin trip on a root and stumble beside him, and without thinking Steve reaches out to grip him firmly by the upper arm. āWoah dude, you okay?āĀ
āFine! Iām fine!ā Dustin squeaks, straightening up and smacking Steveās hands away from himself. He hurries ahead of Steve, as though eager to win some race. Without looking back, he calls over his shoulder, āAnd no, no hot babes. Sorry to disappoint!āĀ
The woods ring with bird song and the hum of insects. Thereās a fecund, rich smell all around them, the overgrowth verdant and wild following a week of summer thunder storms. Steve watches the back of Dustinās head, admiring the bounce of his curls. After years of jamming hats over his head, Steve is secretly glad to see Dustin is finally embracing one of his best features.Ā Ā
Dustin has many great features, of course, Steve reflects. The thought surprises him. Since when had he started admiring Dustinās features? A branch catches on his arm and pulls him up short with a yelp, twigs and leaves catching on his hair and skin.Ā
āSteve, stop messing around!ā Dustin calls from somewhere up ahead. āWeāre on a schedule!āĀ
Grumbling, Steve jogs after him, his train of thought completely interrupted.Ā
When they arrive at Skull Rock, Steve searches around in the hollow space beneath the rock. Amidst the abandoned beer cans and what looks like the remains of a small fire, Steve finds a note taped to the underside of the cave wall.Ā
āYouāve read my lips, but whatās on my mind?ā Steve reads aloud from the note. Like the note at the arcade, thereās another crude illustrationā this time of a skull. The words are written inside a bubble coming from the skullās open mouth. He furrows his brow in confusion. āWhatās on my mindā¦āĀ
It seems like it should be obvious. Steve looks back at Dustin, who is waiting at the entrance of the rock, bouncing on the balls of his feet. Thereās a manic glint to his eye as he watches Steve, and it sends a thrill through Steveās chest.Ā
āAm I supposed to read your mind?ā Steve asks.Ā
Dustin shrugs and shakes his head blithely, smiling. No clues.Ā
Clambering past Dustin to exit from beneath the hollow of the skull, Steve canāt help but reach out and ruffle at Dustinās enticingly soft curls as he passes. Dustin makes a soft noise of surprise, and Steve catches the shiver that runs through Dustin as his fingers catch on one coiled lock. Cheeks suddenly warm, Steve staggers out of the mouth of Skull Rock and turns to consider the tableau. Dustin leans weakly against the hinge of the skullās jaw.Ā Ā
āWhatās on my mindā¦ whatās on my mindā¦ā At this moment, heās almost glad he canāt read Dustinās mind and Dustin canāt read his. There is something shivering in the air between them.Ā
As Steve contemplates the clue, worrying that Dustin overestimated his intelligence after all, a ray of sun peeks through the tree tops and glints off of something at the crown of Skull Rock. Steve snaps his fingers in realization. āOn!āĀ
After circling the cluster of boulders and sizing up his approach, Steve takes a running jump up onto one of the smaller rocks and uses his momentum to grab a hand hold and sling his leg up onto the flat plane of the bigger rock and tip toe to the top. Steve stands and holds his hands above his head in triumph, panting and satisfied with himself. He has kept in good shape after high school, and the chance to demonstrate his athleticism makes him glow. āHell yeah, Hendersonā Iām king of the mountain!āĀ
From the ground, Dustin squints up at him and gives a thumbs up. āTechnically not a mountain, but yeah!āĀ
Grinning, Steve flips Dustin the bird before looking around himself to take stock of the space atop the Skull. The surface of the rock is warm where touched by the sun, and it makes him feel relaxed and nearly sleepy, muscles tingling from the mild exertion.
There are indeed shiny objects here. A cluster of small metal items are piled in the center of the skull like treasure. What a load of junkā¦
Steve picks out a bottle cap, a crushed can, some unidentifiable but colorful scrap. Itās all oddly pleasing to look at, and Steve feels fond at the thought of Dustin compiling pretty sparkly things to leave for him, like a crow. As he sifts through the pile, his fingers find something distinct. He holds up a tiny model yellow school bus made of tin, admiring the way it fits solidly in the palm of his hand.
āThe junk yard?ā Steve calls down to Dustin, waving the toy bus through the air. The sun high overhead reflects off the yellow paint and sends shimmering light across Dustinās upturned face.Ā
āOnly one way to find out!ā Dustin calls back. Ā
A thought begins to solidify in Steveās brain as he looks down at Dustin, but itās too complicated and painful to look at directlyā itās too big a puzzle, with too many pieces. Instead of thinking, he focuses on climbing back down to rejoin his friend on the ground.
I'd love your take on a voyeur!Dustin, or him walking in on Steve
Another is- Steve under the influence, and Dustin to the rescue!
š§”š§”
guess who is finally starting that second prompt you gave me!!! okay, here's part one of "Steve's Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad High." Not sure where i'm going with this, but this was fun to write, so thank you for the prompt!
āHey buddy,ā a voice comes to him out of the fog. āHey, why donāt we get going, okay?ā Steve considers very carefully whether he can pull his head up from where it's curled into his chest like a turtle to glance at the stranger talking to him. Heās a little worried he might throw up though. Do turtles throw up? Steve thinks maybe they donāt and if heās a turtle that means he wonāt throw up. So he looks up at the stranger.
Itās Dustin. His curls are glowing like heās an angel sent from heaven. Oh shit, maybe Steve is dead he's already at the gates of heaven.
āWas I good enough to get into heaven?ā Steve asks.
āWhat are you talking about? Cāmon, letās go. Iām taking you home.ā Dustin says in a no nonsense voice.Ā
Steve doesnāt want to leave the safety of his table though. Itās his turtle tank now and nothing back can get him here.Ā
āYou should get under here with me,ā Steve whispers conspiratorially.Ā
āOh my God, Steve, cāmon, donāt do this,ā Dustin groans, kneeling down and tugging very gently at Steveās bicep. Steve still has his hands and legs wrapped around the table leg. He shakes his head. āLetās go.ā
āIām afraid if I leave then Iāll black out. I might do something dangerous,ā Steve admits, watching as something complicated flutters across Dustinās face. āIām scared, Dustin.ā
āItās okay if you black out, Steve. Iām here now, so I wonāt let anything bad happen to you,ā Dustin murmurs, prying his fingers up from where theyāre clutching the leg. Steve smiles, wondering if it's obvious how high he is to Dustin.
āItās like youāre rescuing me!ā Steve says cheerfully.
āYeah, Steve, absolutely,ā Dustin agrees. āNow as your knight in shining armor, I request your hand, my lord, so that I might escort you from this den of iniquity.ā Dustin offers his hand magnanimously to Steve, a smile playing over his lips.Ā
Steve slips his hand into Dustinās, fingers tingling pleasantly like little sparks of fire are igniting where they touch. Dustin lifts him out from under the table easily, but the movement makes him lightheaded and dizzy. Dustin wraps his arm around Steveās back, fingers firm and warm at the skin of his waist where his shirt has rucked up slightly.
āDo you need me to carry you out of here like a princess?ā Dustin asks, something warm, almost coy in his voice. It makes Steve flush and he almost wants to say because it would be fun to play along, but the thought of not having his feet solidly planted on the ground makes him nervous. Heās just got to ride the wave of this high and he will be fine, but if he loses his balance for a moment heās going to get swept away again. āSteve, I was just joking,ā Dustin says, squeezing him tightly.Ā
Steve looks around at the rest of the party and it's like the noise all comes rushing back in like a stereo thatās been turned on full volume. Itās overwhelming, too much input roaring in his ears and he just needs to get away, needs to get out.Ā
Before he knows it, Steve is being whisked out of the house, and he doesnāt know how heās keeping his feet from under him, but he clutches onto Dustin like a lifeline. When they plunge out of the house, the cool fall air washes over him, soothing the sweat on his brow and ruffling his hair. He sighs at the simple pleasure.
āNow, Lord Steven, if you would but lend me your keys so that I can chariot us back to your castle,ā Dustin says. Steve is confused for a second, until he remembers the joke from earlier.Ā
He fumbles for his keys, turning out his pockets until he remembers.
āI donāt have them,ā Steve giggles. āI threw them away.ā
Dustin blinks heavily at Steve, mouth agape. āYou wanna run that by me one more time?ā
Steve struggles to recall his mentality but it's difficult. It had made perfect sense at the time, but Dustinās face tells him that maybe his brilliant plan wasnāt so brilliant.
āI was gonna get in the car and drive home--ā
āI told you not to do that! Donāt you remember I expressly told you not to do that, Steve!ā Dustin interrupts angrily. Steve flinches but forges on valiantly trying to explain himself.
āI think I blacked out, man,ā Steve says, and Dustinās eyes bug out of his head in alarm. āI woke up sitting in my car. Like, it really freaked me out. So I got out and then I threw the keys into the woods so that even if I blacked out again I wouldnāt drive away. Are you mad at me?ā Steve asks, wondering if heās fucked up. āItās just--you told me not to drive, soā¦ā
Dustin breathes out through his nose heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers. āIām not mad at you,ā Dustin says through gritted teeth. āWeāll just come back tomorrow and look for them in the daylight.ā
āYouāre gonna help me look for them?ā Steve says, perking up.
āNot if you donāt behave yourself tonight.ā
āI'll behave!ā Steve says, snapping a sloppy salute.
Dustin sighs and leads Steve over to his bike. "Your chariot awaits, my lord," he says sarcastically, gesturing to the back wheel's spokes before getting on himself.
quick q: do the majority of steve harrington stans KNOW that canonically dustin henderson is steve's favorite person? like... do y'all actually like steve if you don't care about his #1???
read ch. 25 on ao3 there are still a few chapters that are an ao3 exclusive bc i never posted them on tumblr. read from the beginning on tumblr
As they walked up the stairs, Dustin kept expecting to hear the deeper, rougher voices of Doc and Coach behind him or just ahead. Heād been so frustrated with the two of them when theyād first been brought together, but now that it was just him and Steve, Dustin felt lonely, like he was missing a part of himself.
When they reached the landing, Dustin sat down on the steps leading up to the next floor, studiously looking at the compass and avoiding Steveās eyes. Steve leaned back against the wall of the landing, close enough for Dustin to reach out and touch him if he wanted to. Steve cleared his throat.
āDustin?ā Steve said tentatively. āCan we talk?ā
āItās fine. We donāt need to,ā Dustin said. Too much had happened in too short a time. Too many conflicted memories and not enough time to scratch the surface of understanding them.Ā
āPlease,ā Steve said. āPlease just listen to me.ā Dustin didnāt say anything, feeling like he was heading toward his own execution, despite the assurances and advice of Coach and Doc. āIām sorry Iāve been such a dick about everything.ā
āWhat?ā Dustin asked incredulously, looking up despite himself. Steve was staring at the radio in his hands. He swallowed heavily and continued.
āItās just--it kind of feels like Iāve been in a dream this whole time and any second Iām going to wake up and find that actually Iāve been passed out in the Beemer. Everything that happened with Coach and Dustin, completely turned me around. I mean, I know you know that. I guess what Iām trying to say is that it was just a lot to handle. And I handled it really badly.ā
There was a pause while Steve looked like he was waiting to see how Dustin would respond before continuing.
āYeah, you did kind of punch yourself in the face. Repeatedly,ā Dustin said, trying for humor and hoping Steve wouldnāt take offense. Steve snorted. āThen again, so did I.ā
IT'S HERE! The Summer Break Dusteve Prompt Fest is LIVE! 106 prompts, 24 fics, 2 languages, tags ranging from first kiss to time travel to slow burn to dream sex and everything in between!
Go give them some love!
Thank you to everyone who participated, out writers and betas, artists and cheerleaders, and thank you to the best co-mod anyone could have asked for, @cherrypie-55, without whom this fest literally would not have happened.
people can never prove they're friends with dustin normally, it's always 'let me jump off a cliff for you dustin,' 'let me throw a car at the evil russians trying to shoot you dustin,' 'let me bike eight miles for you dustin,' 'let me hear your voice from an alternate dimension dustin,' 'let me die in your arms dustin.' leave him ALONE why does he make everyone CRAZY
Help. Two of my favorite shows are over and my favorite pairings left like this and the writers all swear its platonic and fine whatever but this is too beautifulš
