Steve with food allergies that he just. Keeps a secret from everyone. So Robin and Eddie start putting together a list when they find out different things he canāt have
Steve is allergic to cats, but only in the stuffy nose and watery eyes kind of way.
The only way Eddie and Robin find out is because Eddie is always surrounded by cats. They surround him at the trailer park and Eddie couldāve sworn he heard Steve sneeze, terribly loudālike a dad sneeze. And yet Steve is still reaching for the cats that follow Eddie going āpspspsā.
But he couldnāt stay out of Eddieās bed for long. Steve loved him, loved sleeping with him, even if he knew it would just make things harder for him in the long run.
Eddie didnāt want him backāheād made that clear when he shattered Steveās heart, after the kids nagged and badgered to get Eddie to tell them what his ātypeā was. It was, clearly, the opposite of Steve.
But when they fell into bed together, Steve could pretend for a bit. Eddie kissed him like he cared about him. Indulged Steve in post-coital cuddling. It was amazing food for his delusions.
He was just hurting himself, the way he had with Nancy, going on like nothing was wrong long after it became clear they would never work out. If Eddie found out he was using him as fulfillment for his fantasies, pretending their hookups meant Eddie loved him too, that would be the end of their friendship. But the other option was ending this, and he hated that even more.
He knocked on the trailer door, condom burning a hole in his pocket.
I think most of the parents would love Steve but I like the idea of Maxās mom being the exception. For whatever reason she kinda never started trusting Steve but immediately loved Eddie. Max gets in trouble at school and Eddie picks her up? He can say ādonāt worry we had a chat about why that wasnāt okay!ā and sheāll thank him and invite him in for cookies. Max gets injured and Steve picks her up? She gives him the side eye she canāt help it.
The best part is I donāt even know why she would hate him. Like the reason other adults hate Eddie is pretty obvious even if itās shitty, he represents everything that a small town doesnāt trust.
But in this case Susanās presented with a kind, polite boy whoās never been anything but great with her kid and goes. Nope. I want that man obliterated
what if: high school steddie, where Eddie is all too aware of the social hierarchy of Hawkins High and his standing in itāthe lowest of the lowāversus a Steve who either doesn't know or doesn't care.
Eddie knows he's at the bottom of the food chain. Knows he's the first to eat shit when some jocks are hungering for some violence. Knows he's about as good as the dirt on their shoes, as far as they're concerned.
And at the top of that mountain, just about the other side of the world, really, is Steve Harrington. Steve "The Hair" Harrington. King Steve. Double Team Captain. Mister Harrington Charm.
They shouldn't EVER interact. It's against the laws of nature, or some shit, Eddie's sure.
Which is probably why it seems like the world's imploding when Steve "The Hair" HarringtonāMister Harrington Charm, Double Team Captain, whatever the fuck else Gareth has on his endless listāasks him to prom.
It's probably a good thing they're alone, in the middle of the woods, on opposite sides of Eddie's favorite deal-making table, so no one's around to hear him yell, "What the fuck?"
It echoes around the woods anyways, maybe louder than he meant to be, which is good, because it's definitely a 'what the fuck' moment.
They've literally never spoken before. Actually, they've done less than spokenāthey could live on opposite poles of the Earth, for all the interaction they've had. They don't share any classes. Hell, they don't even see each other in the halls.
And now Steve Harrington is staring at him like he's actually waiting for an answer.
Again: What the fuck?
A record scratches in his brain and yup, thereās Harringtonās voice again, smarmy little smile on his face, asking: āWill you go to prom with me?ā
As in, Steve Harrington just asked, in this existence, in this reality, on this planet, for Eddie Munson to go to Hawkins High Senior Prom with him. For real.
For real?
No. No way.
Harringtonās joking, Eddie knows. Figures the dayād come he decides torturing Eddie is just as much fun as the rest of his shit-jock cronies made it out to be.
And then, suddenly, Eddie knows what it is. Has seen enough of those terrible movies on early-morning TV with Wayne. Has seen the same damn plot enough times to smell it coming from a mile away.
āYou know what,ā he says, leaning into Harringtonās space, too close, brimming with irritation and a disgusting desire to one-up the smug, cocky bastard, āYou get me a bouquet of roses as black as your twisted, festering soul, and Iāll wear a pretty little dress for you, too.ā
Harringtonās frown makes anger tighten Eddieās jaw. āDo roses⦠grow in black?ā
āI guess thatās for you to find out and for me to know, Harrington,ā Eddie sneers. He gets up, snatches his lunchbox, and stalks back through the trees to school.
He throws a āfuck youā over his shoulder when Harrington calls out āBennyās at six?ā but doesnāt turn around because the last thing he needs is to eat shit tripping over a goddamn branch. As it is, heās already waiting for any of Harringtonās little friends to appear out of the shadows and jump him. Thatās how it goes, right?
Only, it doesnāt.
Thereās no swirlies, no shoving into lockers, no missing clothes after gym, no brutal beatdown on late days after Hellfire. Eddieās almost worried the meatheads have had too many concussions and forgot he was next on the hit list.
And then he realizesāoh. Oh no. Theyāre waiting for prom. Actual prom night to fucking flay him open on stage in front of the whole school or something equally psychotic. Drown him in the punch. Stomp him to death on the dance floor.
Clearly, they HAVE had too many concussions if they think Eddie would EVER show his face there. Fuck Harrington, and fuck his minions. Like Eddieād make it that easy for them.
Except, in the days leading up to prom, weird things keep happening. And Eddie doesnāt know what to think about it.
Thereās pudding at his spot at the head of the table. Once a week, because the cafeteria only has pudding once a week. Eddie loves cafeteria pudding.
Steve Harrington grins at him from across the goddamn cafeteria and Eddieās gut curdles.
One of the Hellfire posters he puts up monthly (and is always shredded by first periodās end) is still up a week later. Sure, torn and taped back together, but itās not slush in a toilet, either.
Steve Harrington tells him that he looks nice when he finds him smoking just outside the school, and Eddieās skin itches like he needs to tear it off.
Thereās a flower on the driverās seat of his van the day he forgets to close the window all the way, a day-old daisy with the petals stained a dark blue, the yellow center dulled.
Steve Harrington says heās got a nice voice and heās really good at playing the guitar and Eddie wonders how the hell he knows that.
One day, Harrington drops down to sit on the curb next to him, in the parking lot of the shitty little convenience store thatās a five-minute walk from the trailer park. He passes over a pack of his fancy smokes and nabs one of Eddieās cheap beers so they can drink and smoke together and neither of them say anything. Eddie wants to say itās because he doesnāt want Harrington to realize exactly what heās done and get his shit beer cans crushed over his head, but in truth, itās because he canāt get a damn read on the guy.
Another, Harrington and Hargrove both come to school looking like theyāve been run over, then backed up over, and then run over again for good measure. Hargrove doesnāt haggle him for weed again, and Harrington still smiles at him from across the cafeteria like the pull of his cheek doesnāt make his broken nose and black eye smart.
Again: What the fuck?
He asks the guys. āWhat the hell is going on with Harrington?ā
He doesnāt like how they look at him, mouths twisted and uncomfortable and unsure.
āHeard he and Hagan beat the shit out of each other a while ago. Havenāt talked since.ā
Hagan. Not Hargrove. A while ago.
āDitched Carol P. and Stacy C., too.ā
ā¦
What the fuck?
ā¦
The day of prom comes. Vaguely, Eddie remembers: Bennyās at six. Yeah-fucking-right.
He doesnāt go. Doesnāt have a suit, anyway, and wouldnāt have gone even if he did. Obviously. He might be stupid, repeating senior year, but heās not THAT stupid.
An hour later, the phone in the trailer rings. When he picks up, Gareth is on the other end of the line. Distantly, Eddie can hear the shitty pop that makes up the schoolās prom mixtape.
āWhatād Harringtonās face look like?ā he asks. āWas he pissed?ā
āHe didnāt show,ā Gareth admits. āI dunno, man, maybe he was being serious.ā
Eddieās laugh probably pisses off half the trailer park. He canāt hear Garethās through the phone. āAre you kidding me?ā
āDonāt kill the messenger.ā
āMessenger might get me killed,ā Eddie bites back, and then he hangs up. He hopes the punch is spiked and Gareth gets so drunk he falls asleep in a bush.
He grabs his keys off his nightstand and the trailer door slams behind him when he leaves.
Outside Bennyās diner is dark, shadows over the parking lot, but Harringtonās beamer is still there, clear as day. Maroon and hideous. God-fucking-damnit.
Harrington is in the driverās seat, arms crossed over his chest as his head lolls back against his seat, half-asleep and definitely getting there. Heās wearing a nice shirt and nice pants and his tie goes flying like a whip across his cheek when Eddie knocks his fist against the roof of the car.
āThe hellās your damage, Harrington?ā He barks, before the guy can even get his bearings.
Harrington fumbles, flailing limbs punch a short blare out of his horn, and his tie ends up over his shoulder.
āEddie, hi. Hi, Eddie.ā Thereās drool at the corner of his mouth. Eddieās lips curl.
āWhat the hell are you doing?ā he snaps again. Harringtonās window is half-downāhe can definitely hear him.
āUm.ā Harrington looks sheepish, now, doesnāt know what to do with his hands. āIt wasāBennyās at seven. I was waiting for you. Didnāt mean to fall asleep.ā
Eddieās jaw tightens.
āIt was Bennyās at seven, right? I thought it was Bennyās at six, at first, but I canāt really keep dates straight up here, anymore,ā he knocks against his head with a knuckle, āAll the pointless melon-splits of American sports, or whatever.ā
Vaguely, Eddie remembers a long-winded rant on the top of a cafeteria table about the same subject.
āIt was at six,ā he acknowledges. āI didnāt bother showing up.ā
āOh.ā Harringtonās eyes drop, take in his pajama pants and his threadbare tee. āBut you did. Now.ā
āYeah, well.ā Eddie turns the words over. āCall it a lapse of judgment.ā
Harrington nods. Heās not looking at Eddie anymore. It sours something in his gut that he doesnāt acknowledge.
Eddie looks past him. In the passenger seat, a bouquet.
Of black roses.
Harringtonās fingertips are stained a shade darker, black stuck underneath his nails.
What the actual fuck.
āWhat the hell was your plan here, Harrington?ā
Harrington blinks up at him with those stupid big eyes that Eddie definitely, absolutely hates.
āDinner, and then, you know, prom? Isnāt that how is usually goes?ā He asks, like Eddie would have any fucking clue.
Eddie grinds his teeth. āYou realize youāve wasted your only senior prom on this dumb joke, right? And I didnāt even fall for it? Way to have your priorities in order, King Steve.ā
Harringtonās face scrunches. Eddie bites his tongue.
āIāve had the misfortune of having two, and I didnāt subject myself to either. So you can cut the shitāā
āWait, hold on,ā Harrington cuts him off. āIt wasnātāwhat joke, Eddie?ā
Oh. Oh no. If Garethās right, heās gonna have to throw himself from the quarry cliffs.
āYou know,ā he spits, like it doesnāt affect him, that every last goddamn person in fucking Hawkins sees him as a freak, like a bug to torture and then squash, āLure me to prom. Dump a bucket of pigās blood over my head or however that movie goes.ā
HarringtonāHarrington looks horrified.
Well. The quarryās always empty at seven in the evening.
āEven Iām not that dumb, man.ā He ignores how the words come out, slower, an edge of uncertainty.
āThatās fucked up,ā Harrington whispers, āThereās a movie like that? I wouldnātāthatās not what Iāā
āYeah, I think Iām starting to get that.ā
Harringtonās jaw shuts with a click, and theyāre both quiet for a minute. And then, like a curse he doesnāt want to say aloud lest he bring it to life, Eddie asks, āThat was you, wasnāt it? With the pudding and the posters and the flowers.ā
āI broke Tommyās nose when I caught him trying to let the air outta your tires, too,ā he says, hollowly, like it doesnāt matter anymore.
Fuck.
Thereās no one in the parking lot, and Eddie tells himself its the only reason he rounds the car and drops into the passenger side seat. The flowers are saved by Harringtonās quick reflexes, and Eddie kind of wants to curse him out for having his doors unlocked.
āOkay.ā He hypes himself up like heās seen Harrington do in PE, a quick breath in and out. āI didnāt know you were being serious. I thought it was just a dumb joke.ā
āYeah, I got that part.ā
He twists his fingers together. āThose were for me, right?ā
Harrington hums. Hands them over. āKinda makes it worse, but sure. Yeah, they were for you.ā
āWorse?ā
Harrington laughs, scrubs a hand over his face. āI thought itād be funny. You said youād wear a dress if I got you black flowers, but IāI didnāt mean it that way. I just wanted to get you flowers youād like.ā
Fuck. Eddie does remember that, now.
The stems are still thorny and prick at his fingers when he hold them. He likes them better that way.
āYouāve been⦠practicing these,ā he realizes. Remembers the little blue daisy.
āFirst ones came out a really gross kind of green,ā Steve admits.
God fucking damn it.
āI donāt do prom,ā Eddie says.
āYeah, I figured that one out,ā Steve replies. Dry. Still isnāt looking over at Eddie.
āNo, I meanāI wouldnāt have gone even if Iād thought you were being honest from the get-go. I donāt DO prom. Itās the death of counter-culture and individuality.ā
āI donāt know what that means.ā
āWhat Iām saying is,ā he takes a deep breath, a little part of him still praying Steve wonāt punch his damn lights out, āIām not gonna go to prom. Ever. Thatās an invitation to douchebags like Hargrove and Hagan to split my skull open on the gym floor. I donāt want my last breath to be weeks-old jock socks.ā
He ducks, tries to catch Steveās gaze. Doesnāt manage. He ends up pressed against the dashboard like a moron.
āBut thereās this bar I go to,ā he continues, āIt doesnāt really check ID. I think theyād go out of business if they did. They let us play on Tuesdays.ā
āI know.ā
He knows? Jesus fucking Christ. Maybe Eddie needs to buy the flowers. About six dozen. Fuck him.
His leg jostles, knocks against Steveās door. He finally looks up.
āThatās more my speed,ā he admits, in a big rush. āItās⦠probably better than prom as a first date, anyways.ā
Steveās eyebrows jump up into that famous hair, perfectly styled. Eddieās is a mane of despair and hopelessness, wilder than a tornado.
āReally?ā he asks, like Eddie didnāt just say heād thought he was a piece of shit in seven different ways. āThatāsāyouādāreally?ā
āI mean, not right now,ā Eddie scoffs, and Steveās face drops. He hurries to amend, āIām not really dressed for the occasion. But maybe, like⦠tomorrow?ā
āTomorrow,ā Steve repeats, and Eddie flushes. āThatās soon.ā
āOr never,ā he snaps, because heās a goddamn moron, āThat works too.ā
Steveās grin splits his face and Eddie has to look back at the flowers in his lap. āTomorrowās good,ā he agrees, too easy.
āYeah, well,ā he mutters, kicks the door open, probably leaves a scuff, but Steve doesnāt say a word. āBetter be.ā
Steveās still grinning as he gets out of the car, slams the door closed, rounds the side again. Heās not scared of a gaggle of dipshits ready to jump him because theyāre not there. And heās got a bouquet of black roses pressed to his chest.
āSee you then, Eddie,ā Steve chirps, as Eddie climbs back into his own van, and EddieāEddie has to hide his smile behind a curtain of hair as he throws the piece of shit into reverse and backs out of Bennyās diner.
ā¦
He leaves the flowers on their tiny kitchen counter and the next morning, Wayneās put them in a vase Eddie didnāt know they had, with water and that weird flower-food crap and everything.
Steve and Eddie are friends before s4 and hang out one night, joking around about how Eddie looks like a vampire or something and Eddie dramatically flops down and claims āIād be such a hot corpseā. Steve laughs and shoves at his shoulder, calling him an idiot. Eddie turns his head and smiles at Steve peacefully.
Then boom!
Cut to Eddieās dead (or not so dead you decide) bloodied and mauled body lying in the Upside down with Dustin hunched over him as Steve and the rest of the teens make it back to the trailer.
One of my fav headcanons is that Eddie Munson hates blood.
Itās there when heās trying to change his bandages by himself but the sight of his own blood makes him want to hurl into the toilet so he always asks Steve to do it.
Eddie feels guilty as hell after he eats if heās a kas/demobat/vampire/hybrid. He hates how good it tastes, how it looks if he accidentally looks down at whatever heās just torn into and he see even a bubble of blood begin to pool at the fresh bite marks.
He hates seeing it on other people the most though.
Eddie and Steve fuck in Eddieās van once. Steve refuses to do it again because it was a sensory nightmare for him and he couldnāt focus on anything else so heās likeā
āBabe, I love you, but we are only doing it in my car from now on.ā
When Eddie first starts actually hanging out with Steve, Robin is always there, naturally. And Steve just assumes to do the same things he does with Robin for Eddie as well.
One time Eddie and Robin are over and they just came back from swimming in the lake or are freezing their asses off in some way. Steve goes up to change and then comes back holding two sweaters and tosses one at Robin and one at Eddie.
Eddie is very confused
But Robin is a sweater stealer and so Steve has just gotten used to lending his sweaters.
Eddie doesnāt complain. He keeps it and takes it back home with him. It either sits in the back of his pile of clothes or heāll pull it out when itās cold (when he misses Steve).
Back when Steve was in high school and still friends with Tommy, Tommy gave Steve the joke gift of panties and Steve justā¦kept it.
He would hide it in the back of his dresser so no one would find it, but naturally, once him and Eddie start dating Eddie goes snooping around and finds them.
He teases Steve relentlessly, but is also BEGGING him to put them on for just one night.
Something, something, Steve being too nervous to get intimate with Eddie because it seems like all of the relationships heās had that he did get intimate with didnāt last and now heās paranoid that if he does Eddie will leave. But he also wants to have that kind of relationship with Eddie because thatās a way of how he shows his love.
Something, something, Eddie being too nervous to get intimate because he doesnāt want it to confirm their relationship with just being just an experiment and Steve leaving him. But also not being able to show his full feelings because he is very much a physically affectionate person and wants Steve to know how much he loves him.