~°DND And Not Listening to Steve°~
Lee: Dustin (some Eddie)
Ler: Steve, Eddie
TW: Swearing, some talk of bullying seen in season 4/5!
Word Count: 1,596
This was written platonically, but can also be read as Steddie. :) Also, this is set sometime after season 4, with an alive Eddie because I said so.
It was a normal day in the town of Hawkins; regardless of the tragedies that had occured months ago, life was begining to take a slower pace. One that the group who had put an end to it all could get behind.
With everyone having been safely reunited, both physically and metaphorically, there were more opportunities to bond without the burden of the world and its destruction guiding their interactions.
One Dustin Henderson seemed especially grateful for that fact. After much convincing and bargaining with Steve, who as of late had taken to the role of what most would call an overprotective babysitter, Dustin was able to meet up with the newest addition to their friend group. That is, outside of school and the weekly DND sessions in whatever classroom was empty and open to Hellfire Club that day.
Despite the comments and threats and bullying Dustin endured by association with Eddie —deemed a satanic freak by likely the whole town— there wasn't anything in the world that could sever the bond they had formed over their roleplay game and shared trauma.
As for Steve, he was hesitantly coming around to the idea of Eddie. Admittedly, it was easier to wrangle a bunch of teenagers with another older figure in the group, and he could think of worse people to fend off monsters with during the apocalypse.
Dustin's sweet, if not somewhat forceful persistence in getting his two favorite people to hang out seemed to be working. The addition of Eddie to the friendship hadn't really made a difference to Steve, aside from the occasional teasing and playful arguments over Dustin that the freshman claimed Steve had with just about everyone.
Dustin was still the same cheerful, smart, and frankly charming kid he'd always been, but as of late, the former king of Hawkins High noticed a shift in his best friend that, if he was being totally honest, was not fond of in the slightest.
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"Alright, Dustin. I told you thirty minutes ago that we need to leave. I'm serious now."
Just as he had for the past few weeks of what Steve would chalk up to too much time with a weirdo, Dustin hardly gave him a glance before going back to whatever nerdy thing he was up to, absorbed in little pieces of paper and strange characters that didn't make any sense to the elder. Steve put a hand to his hip and stared dumbfoundedly as he was shushed by the metalhead before he could even open his mouth again.
"Juust a minute, Stevie. We're working real hard on these character sheets." Eddie muttered, tacking on an "Alllmost done" when it looked for a second like he was going to get jumped yet again by an angry peer.
"Fine. He has five more minutes, but then we need to get back to the Wheeler's place." Steve grumbled as he finally stopped pacing to plop down in an empty chair across the room. A hand came up to run through his hair as he fretted. "I swear, if it's my fault everyone thinks Henderson was murdered, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna be next."
An exasperated sigh caught the attention of the recently-graduated boy, who looked up just in time to catch a somewhat annoyed look from the younger.
"Eddie has a phone, you know."
"...Huh?"
Dustin huffed, pushing his pencil behind his ear before motioning at the landline in the other room. "I can always just call and tell them where I am if they get worried. Plus, we have walkies for a reason. I think you forget that after multiple crises, we aren't exactly going to be unprepared. Just in case..."
But Steve wasn't listening. He was somewhat aware of the rambling still going on, but his brain shut off at the words "modern communication and its relevance in..." whatever the hell else he was saying, prompting a more than entertained Eddie to snicker at his frustration.
Interrupting a monologue about radio frequencies, the brunette got up harshly from his seat, and moved to finally just drag Dustin out of his.
"Ack! Steve, I told you I can just call and-"
"Bullshit. I am getting you back over there like I said, even if I have to carry you to the car like a nine year old."
With arms wrapped around his torso, Steve hoisted the child he'd long ago dubbed as his own up into the air, ignoring the shriek that pierced the room as the younger gripped at the ledge of the table for dear life.
"Eddie- Eheddie, help me!"
The frizzy-haired senior immediately grabbed the teen's arm with that gleeful grin that Steve resented more than anything right now. He stumbled to catch himself from what would've been a very painful fall to the ground had he not been paying attention. Steve pulled back against the force of the other's grip with a grunt.
Dustin, on the other hand, was not making it easy for either of them, kicking and flailing about as he held tightly onto the dungeon master's wrist.
"Shit! Guys, Ihi'm gonna fall!" he yelled, before promptly squealing as a hand dug under his arm.
"I told you to listen to me, Henderson." Steve mocked, reaching another hand to the boy's armpit and tickling, efforts renewed in getting him to release the other party. His plan was faring pretty well, as now Dustin was slamming his arms to his sides, or in the very least trying to as he pried Eddie's fingers off his arm in order to properly protect himself from the onslaught.
As the younger teen was practically ripped from his grasp, Eddie very quickly caught on that tickling was the only thing Steve was doing that was working in his favor. And because giving up on something objectively pretty stupid was apparently not something he was willing to do in the moment, he followed the retreating bodies, scribbling into the belly of his desired prize.
"C'mon, Henderson," the musician teased over the pitchy giggles he was causing in tandem with his sort-of-friend. "Just go with the cooler one of us. The one you'd rather be with instead of sitting inside a smelly car."
That got a whole new bout of giggles from a near-hysterical Dustin, and a very incredulous gasp from Steve, who at this point had had just about enough of this whole situation.
Just as the knuckleheads were reaching for each other again, Steve twisted around, readjusting his grip on the younger so that he could carry him in one arm. Dustin was practically sliding down his body at this point, still cackling at the fingers that he just couldn't get out from armpit no matter how hard he tried. With his free limb, the babysitter reached right over to Eddie, and latched onto the side of his ribcage.
"Fuhuhuck!" the metalhead screeched, but curled in on himself anyways, slapping at the offending wrist in a lighthearted surrender.
With one of two targets neutralized, Steve released the long-haired boy in favor of following the second to the ground. He kneeled over the teen and went in for the kill, clawing at his ribs while simultaneously pinching at his swinging knees.
Dustin screeched profanities, thrashing and laughing anew, kicking desperately as his arms were helpless to do much of anything except try and cover up more tickle spots.
When his sensation-racked brain finally remembered that Eddie existed, Dustin called shamelessly for help amidst the chaos. Nothing but disloyalty met him, though, as Eddie just shook his head, watching with that same smile and flushed cheeks.
"Sohorry, sorry. I can hardly dish it out, little man."
So this was what betrayal was.
"Ready to listen to me and go see your other friends? Or do I have to convince this one to help me out?"
The cap-wearing teen was barely hanging on as it was, and he knew he would crumble instantly if the two were to really get him. Dustin shook his head frantically, rolling over underneath his best friend in a final effort of self-preservation.
"No- Snrt! Nahah, Plehease! Fuhuhuck!"
"Is that a no to leaving, or to more tickling?"
When all Dustin could manage was another shake of his head, attempts at speaking effectively cut off by snorts of laughter each time he tried, Steve finally relented. He got off of the boy, giving him a chance to breathe as he calmed down.
"Ihi.. Yohou guys suck.. Both of you.."
Steve couldn't help but break into a grin, giving the boy a little swat as he and Eddie helped him up.
"Mehe too? I was on your side, dude."
The teen just shrugged, muttering something about being a traitor as he started gathering his things up. Backpack slewn over his shoulders, Dustin ran back over to Eddie and pulled him into a hug. The embrace was gladly returned by a touched Munson.
"Relax, you'll see each other tomorrow." Steve laughed, but gave Eddie a little wave as Dustin finally turned to leave.
The two just narrowly missed a walkie message by the time they got to the car, laughing at the urgent tone the kids on the other side had about starting their movie late.
In retrospect, maybe they should have called after all. But by the happy grin that adorned Dustin's face the whole ride back, Steve couldn't bring himself to think that staying a little longer than they planned was entirely as a bad thing.
