#procyondrabbles

[procyonloser]

Steve stared at the laptop screen, eyes wide, mouth thinned to a small line, as the sound of pounding footsteps came closer and closer down the hall. The door was flung back open, and Dustin stood there, face flushed and hair askew.

"Don't open my- oh, oh my god, Steve, you won't believe it. I think someone hacked my computer!" Dustin started, before quickly reassessing and adjusting. "All... All uh...sorts of strange weird things could be on there."

Steve tilted his chin up slowly, so he could meet his eyes. "... Hackers made you look up... Nerdy Best Friend Sucks Jock Dick, Basketball Star Dribbles On My Balls, and Straight Jock Bottoms For The First time?"

Dustin scrunched up his face, voice high and tight as even he seemed to realize the lie was hitting a solid wall of bullshit. "... Yes?"

"Dustin," Steve said flatly, shutting the screen. "I think we need to talk."

Dustin shook his head resolutely, "no, I don't think so, I think everything is fine actually, we really don't need to-"

"I get it, okay?" Steve told him, exhaling. "It's normal to develop feelings for someone you see a lot, have a lot of history with, and I know you're experimenting with your sexuality. That's normal, it's fine."

With CCD, Dustin's shoulders always looked a bit lower than someone without, but somehow they seemed to drop even moreso, as the falsehoods left his body and Dustin seemed to resign himself to the conversation. He avoided Steve's eyes, shifting in place. "I...I know, it's... I'm sorry, I know it's weird."

Steve sent him a small little sad smile, standing up and putting a hand on his arm, squeezing it. "Hey, you're a great guy, and a great catch. You're handsome, cute, funny, and smart. People are going to be tripping over themselves to be with you, guys, gals, and pals. I promise you. I know you feel like you're in love with Lucas right now, but eventually you'll-"

Dustin snapped his head up, brows knitted together so tightly they looked like one continuous unibrow. "Lucas?!"

[procyonloser]

Dustin held up a picture of a boy in the rainbow room, and pushed Steve in front of a mirror. "This is you."

"It's really not," Steve answered tiredly. "I don't know why you're obsessed with this, you know I don't have powers. I also would tell you. Do you think I'd actually lie to you?"

Dustin made a scrunchy face like he was sizing him up. "No, I don't think you'd lie to me - but that doesn't mean it can't be you. Maybe your mind was wiped, or it was so traumatic you blocked it out. You have literally told me you don't remember big chunks of your childhood."

Steve exhaled, rubbing at the bridge of his nose. "Just because I have a spotty memory doesn't mean anything. I've been hit in the head a lot. But, I literally have baby pictures of me."

Dustin made a noise of agreement, but not a noise of dropping the issue. He immediately pulled out more pictures from various pockets. Why did he have so many pockets? Why were they so frequently filled with bolts and wire and blackmail?

"Look here, isn't it weird how much these two scientists in the back of this picture resemble your mom and dad?" Dustin asked, holding up about 4 more pictures. They did, indeed, look like Daniel and Sandy Harrington.

Except.

"Joyce literally went to school with my parents, Dustin." Steve rolled his eyes, pushing away from him. "Didn't she tell you? My dad pinched her ass once, so she broke his nose, and she's pretty sure my mom hooked up with Hopper a few times. It was an awful conversation. Mike now thinks I'm secretly Hopper's son."

Dustin paused, "....oooor maybe you're Henry Creel's son? Who was also in the same school with them at the same time?"

Steve grimaced, "but he was blonde."

Dustin shook his head a little. "That's not- okay, leaving that behind. Isn't it possible your parents knew Creel and ended up working at the lab in town?"

"And no one noticed when they left the lab with an entire child?" Steve asked incredulously. "You realize you sound insane, right?"

"I generally do!" Dustin exclaimed. "I just don't understand why you look like this kid, why your parents look like those people, and why we've never found records or a trace of child 7 from the rainbow room."

"I don't understand why an interdimensional spider demon invaded our town! Life is weird sometimes, Dustin!" Steve told him, entirely exasperated by the conversation. It wasn't the first time Dustin had brought this up, but it was more as a joke initially, but Dustin was incapable of letting anything go ever. He was an idea hoarder. A paranoia peddler.

"I have no powers, I'm a normal guy with normal problems when the universe isn't as risk. I slept wrong two days ago and my neck still aches. I love Queen, Billy Joel, and Springsteen. I'm just..." Steve waved a hand at himself. "Just Steve. No powers, besides amazing hair and a great ass. That might attract the ladies-"

"And guys, remember that guy who said you-" Dustin started to add, but got a sharp look from Steve. "-said nothing in particular about you or your lips."

"Anyway," Steve huffed, reaching over to flick Dustin's nose. "I know it seems weird, but I'm not lying to you. I wouldn't lie to you. I'm not magic, I'm the only normal one between all you weirdos. The skies aren't going to open up around me and rain down like a plague or some bullshit."

Dustin finally relaxed, hands falling to his sides as he seemed defeated for now. "Okay, okay, you're right...I honestly can't really see your mom as some kind of secret agent anyway."

"Can we go now?" Steve asked him, gesturing towards the door. "Now that you've gotten that out of your system."

Dustin just bobbed his head, looking a bit depressed. Steve thought that deep down, Dustin was just trying to find a way to contact Eleven, wherever she was. Finding another surviving kid from the rainbow room would maybe help, but it didn't seem likely. Still, Steve knew his heart was in a good place, Dustin just really missed his friends, but Eleven was one who he might be able to bring back, unlike Eddie.

Steve reached out, patting him on the back, giving his arm a gentle squeeze before he opened the door. Steve promptly screeched and stumbled back a few feet at what lay before him. Dustin stared, wide eyed down at the steps of Steve's trailer.

Thousands, thousands of frogs were sitting there. Not dead, but unmoving, just staring up at them.

Dustin slowly turned to look at Steve. "... Did you say a plague?"

[procyonloser]

The entire drive took about an hour and a half, and Dustin had happily shown off the mix tape he'd made specifically for the date. Steve mentioned in passing no one had ever done that for him before, in a date context. Dustin practically preened at the compliment, and the knowledge that he was already winning the best date contest.

Steve didn't seem to realize where they were going, which was another check mark in Dustin's date science journal, as they pulled off the interstate and into town. Steve actually leaned forward in his seat, eyes big as he realized what Dustin was aiming for.

There weren't many drive in movie theaters in Indiana, but Steve had mentioned in the past, that he'd gone to one a few times as a kid. "No way," Steve said, looking to Dustin eagerly. "Please tell me they're showing something stupid."

"The dumbest," Dustin practically purred. "We're about to watch Night of the Lepus, Steven Nathaniel Harrington. Just wait until you see how I set up the back of your truck."

As soon as Dustin paid for their way in, and got parked (Steve did have to help him back into a space, but that was neither here nor there), Dustin revealed the truck set up. Steve blinked in awe at the blankets that had been laid down, and the handful of pillows strewn about. In the corner, was a bottle of wine and a bunch of snacks.

"How the hell did you fit all of that in your backpack....I know it's big, but..." Steve wondered to himself, but it left Dustin all too proud of himself.

"It's bigger on the inside," Dustin said with a fake British accent, getting a confused look in return that quickly Dustin pushed past. "Come on, let's go get popcorn and snacks."

And that's about when the date started to go awry.

The girl at the counter with big glasses and bigger braces apologized repeatedly to them, granted it wasn't her fault whatsoever. The soda machine and popcorn machine had all stopped working, and they'd already sold out of most of their other snacks, besides chocolate covered raisins which were an affront to God. Dustin's spirits died a bit at that, but he still had some food in the back of the truck, plus the wibe, so it wasn't like the date was ruined.

They were walking back to the truck when it began to rain, and rain hard. Steve swore, and they ended up jogging back to the truck and crawling into the back, having to tuck their legs in to keep from getting wet. It was raining hard enough that it was almost hard to see the screen, and Dustin wasn't looking forward to driving home in this.

And then the wine slipped out of his hands and broke. "Goddamnit, stupid shit. Ruining everything..." Dustin muttered to himself, feeling a gross lump in his chest. Sure, it wasn't a real date, but Dustin wasn't stupid. Steve hadn't been out very long, and he was just trying to make his best friend happy. And he was failing, after so much pomp and circumstance.

"Hey, stop - Dustin, listen to me." Steve grabbed his hand as Dustin moved to get out of the truck to pick up pieces of glass. Dustin looked up, chewing on his lip, distraught, but Steve just sent him a small smile. "This is still better than most dates I've ever been on. Plus, even without all of that... We're going to watch a dumb movie, and it's going to be great. Okay?"

Dustin huffed, before nodding his head. At least they'd have that, and hopefully the rain would let up some after a few hours.

The audio didn't work.

They'd thought for a minute that is was just their parking spot, until a mumbling of other people and cars nearby them indicated the program was accross the entire lot. Eventually, an announcement over the loudspeaker informed them of the problem, and promised full refunds to all patrons. That was fine, but it was the final nail in coffin.

Dustin flopped back in the bed of the truck, staring up at the roof. "I can't believe this went so horribly. I planned everything so well, how did this happen?"

Steve laid down beside him, looking over at him. "Well, as much as you might think it sometimes, egomaniac, you're not actually god. Shit happens." Dustin just let out a loud groaning noise, like he'd been stabbed.

"I think it'll still be fun." Steve added, giving him an encouraging little thumbs up, which had Dustin staring at him like he'd gone insane. It was pouring out, they could barely hear the cars on the road even, they had nothing to drink, just some crackers, cheese, and grapes that Dustin had flung into his backpack.

"How? In what realm?" Dustin asked, wide eyed. "If you were actually on a date with a guy, there's no way you'd want another. I've failed on every level."

Steve just rolled onto his side to look at him, only the light from the movie illuminating them in the back of the truck. He eventually reached over and flicked Dustin in the forehead. "You're wrong. I'd want another date."

"Okay, so you're insane, I'll jot that down in my notes." Dustin grimaced.

"Let's dub the movie ourselves," Steve suggested. "You're good at doing your little voices, it'll be like... Mystery Science Theater."

Dustin perked up a little bit, thinking it over in his head, before grinning. "Yeah, okay."

They ended up laughing their asses off, making up the dumbest plot lines for what was almost certainly the weirdest movie they'd ever seen. Dustin felt a flush of pride as Steve had to wipe his eyes he'd been laughing so hard at something stupid Dustin had said. And, lo and behold, the skies actually did clear up by the time the credits were rolling. (Steve still decided to be the one to drive them home, however, he didn't trust Dustin to drive in the dark.)

When Steve got to the Henderson house to drop off Dustin, they both got out of the truck. The porch light was yellow and warm, and moths were flickering around it, bumping into the bulb. Hawkins hadn't gotten the same kind of rain as the drive in, but they could both smell it in the air.

"Sorry tonight was such a shit show, I'll have to plan something better so I can actually find out what your perfect date is." Dustin said with a sigh. Steve just looked at him, and it felt a bit bittersweet.

"I thought it was pretty perfect," Steve said quietly, but Dustin shook his head.

"I can do better! Your perfect first date needs to be something where at the end, you want to go into their room with them, but you hold back and just kiss. You need that chemistry, that electricity. Anything less isn't enough." Dustin lectured, talking more with his hands than anything.

Steve just let out a small laugh, shaking his head. "You are so... Goodnight, Dustin." Steve mumbled, before taking a step forward. Dustin froze up as Steve leaned in, part of him expecting to be kissed.

And, he was, kind of. Steve pressed a kiss to his forehead, before moving away and back towards his truck. "Thanks, Henderson. I had a good night. I'll bring your bike by tomorrow, okay?" Steve said, before getting into the truck.

"Uh, yeah. Okay." Dustin said, blinking repeatedly in surprise. Steve had never kissed his forehead like that before.

Was he supposed to be a bit disappointed he'd not kissed him on the lips?

[procyonloser]

Dustin Henderson has a big 🍆 pt 2

"What did that mean squash say to you, Stevie?" Steve turned to Robin, who had leaned in against his shoulder in the aisle, taking in the vegetable he was holding. Wait, was it a fruit? Vegetable? Steve didn't pay that much attention in class, truth be told.

Steve held a zucchini in his hand, staring down at the mottled dark green skin. It'd seen better days, the thin outer layer had cuts and chunks out of it - but Steve wasn't really looking at it. His new found fascination with this particular cucurbita (Steve was currently taking biology classes to get his teaching certificate) was because it was about his size. The weight was similar, the length was about right. It looked like a good amount in his hand too, nothing seemed dwarfed.

Which meant, that the object he was holding, was smaller than Dustin's dick.

"Do you ever think about my dick?" Steve asked her, before his brain had time to catch up. She stared blankly at him. An old woman walking past, who almost certainly had seen the war, blanched as though that was the worst thing she'd ever heard.

"I'm going to ask you to rephrase that question, before I shove that inside you, and for fun and my enjoyment - the hole I pick will be a surprise." Robin said slowly, with a false smile plastered across her face.

"I...look, okay, so. Henderson has a big dick. Huge. And I keep thinking about it, and I don't know why? So, like...do you think about the-" Steve gestured down at his crotch, until Robin grabbed his hand and forced it back above belt level. "Of your friends that you're not into? Like, obviously you're not into me, so..."

"No, Steven, I do not. Now I am, which I hate. I blame you for this. I'm going to go find the booze and you're going to pay for it in place of my therapy." Robin told him, grabbing the shopping cart and trying to get away from him. Steve jogged to catch up, but in doing so, passed by the eggplants. He slowed down, eyes locking onto the perfect one. That had to be about the right size.

"Steve!" Robin said, snapping her fingers at him like he was a dog. "You can think about his preposterously ponderous package another day."

Steve frowned, before placing the zucchini down next to the eggplant. Oh, they looked good together, really complemented one another.

Maybe he was just hungry. "Hey, let's get food."

"Why, do you have a taste for Rocky Mountain oysters now too?"

They were on the same side of the booth, they usually were, with Robin stretched across his lap, happily stealing fries off of his plate and dipping them in her milkshake.

"So, now I'm curious - how big, is big to you?" Robin asked, squeaking some as she readjusted herself on the aging booth bench.

"I'm big, Dustin is giant." Steve said simply, grabbing his burger away from Parasite 1. "The average is like... at least an inch smaller than I am. Probably more like two. Dustin is probably close to two inches more than me." Steve explained, taking a bite, purposely trying to take a big one.

Robin hummed, nodding her head as though she was listening. "I have no reference point for any of this."

Steve cocked a brow at her, no pun intended. "You don't have any... You know. Things?" At her blank look, Steve tried to depict it in air. "Things, you know. Toys."

"That's none of your business, sir - and even if I did, I wasn't checking the exact inch length on it. Guys care way more about that kind of thing than women do." Robin pulled the burger gingerly out of his hands, and stole that too. It wasn't like he was made of money anymore, but it was impossible for him to say no.

"Well, you're going camping with him next week, anyway, aren't you?" Robin asked him, mouth half full, some of it was hair she'd not successfully tucked behind her ear. "Maybe you'll get to see it up close and personal, in a platonic way, and you'll be able to put it behind you."

Steve shrugged, exhaling as he snagged her milkshake. "Yeah, maybe- why are you laughing?"

Robin had covered her mouth, shoulders shaking a little. "Nothing, I just- maybe you'll put it behind you in an entirely different manner."

"Huh?" Steve asked, but she just continued to giggle to herself and her ill gotten gains.

[procyonloser]

"So, I got dumped." Dustin said, sitting down with his ice coffee. Everyone called it motor oil, given the color and general taste, but Dustin needed his caffeine straight. He got his sugar in everything else he ate. "And, get this - Stephanie thinks it's because I'm supposedly secretly in love with Steve."

"You've been dating for a few months, right?" Lucas asked him, trying to simultaneously keep Max from stealing his hamburger. "Why now?"

"He did something stupid." Max said matter-of-fact, snagging a fry. She had her own plate, but it seemed like she enjoyed stealing Lucas' more. "I bet you skipped a date or something to hang out with Steve, didn't you?"

"Oh, definitely." Mike said, leaning across the table to also steal from Lucas. "I bet she noticed they have the same name too."

"Stephanie is the not the same as Steve!" Dustin glared at him sideways. "Steve's full name is Steve. Not Steven. Not Stephen with a ph. It's totally different."

"So, dweeb, what date or anniversary did you miss?" Max asked him, and at the shift on his face, a grin curled across her features. "Oh, anniversary it is, huh? You spend it with King Steve instead?"

"You around like your brother," Dustin hit back as her, and maybe it was a low blow, but Max seemed unaffected.

"No, he sounded like me. Come on, Henderson. Fess up." She said, and Mike began to join in, echoing her until they were both chanting fess up, fess up.

"Steve and I got tickets to a hockey game, I forgot it was our four month anniversary. I don't really keep track of stuff like that, I thought people only cared about anniversaries like...at a year." Dustin groaned. "Then she got on me about like... Why won't I cancel, why do I always prioritize Steve, why did I get him a better birthday present than her? Crazy stuff."

His three friends were silent for awhile.

"When's Steve's birthday?" Lucas asked.

"October 31st, which is the best birthday to exist." Dustin answered instantly.

"How long have you and him been friends?" Lucas asked again, prodding for something.

"November third 1984." Dustin tells him just as fast.

"What day is Max's birthday?" Lucas asks, and Dustin falters.

"I... It's like April something, right?" Dustin says uncertainly. "Like, the 7th?"

"So close," Max nods with a fake smile plastered on her face, "you're thinking of Lucas. My birthday is in July, idiot."

Dustin's shoulders fell, but he tried to save face. "I just get you two mixed up because you're so close.'

Mike snorted into his milkshake, because he was awful and Dustin hated him. "So, are you going to try and get her back? You liked her, right?"

Dustin swirled his coffee around, staring at the cup. "I...uh...me and Steve are going to go camping starting Saturday. We'll be gone for a week, so I won't really have the chance to talk to her."

Lucas just exhaled, shaking his head. Mike rolled his eyes, muttering something under his breath.

"If you're any closer to Steve, we'll have to medically remove you from him." Max quipped. "Keep it up, and you're dying alone."

"Nuh uh," Dustin told her, without even thinking about the next words to leave his mouth. "Steve and I have a pact, so we're dying together."

Mike choked on his drink, looking up at him with milkshake dripping out of his nose. "You what?!"

"... It's ...platonic?" Dustin tried to say, but it did feel a bit like he was pulling blocks out of a Jenga tower that was the mountain of his denial.

[procyonloser]

Dustin ran out to the car to greet them, immediately stealing a wriggling Hannah out of Steve's arms, and peppering her face with kisses.

"There's my favorite Harrington!" Dustin cheered as Hannah laughed, not even trying to get away. She adored Uncle Dustin, he'd been present her entire life, even when things got hard.

Steve tried to smile watching them, but things had gotten harder.

"Gross!" Hannah squeaked, nose wrinkled up. With a missing front tooth, she looked even more like Dustin as a kid, except her facial features were Harrington through and through.

"Hmmm, you know I don't think I remember your name. Habba? Nanna? Oh, I know! Banana!" Dustin said, getting another squeal of laughter out of the three year old. She was the opposite of a shy child, and Steve probably had Dustin to thank for that. He really hated that this was probably the last time they'd see each other for a long time.

"Hey," Steve called out to him quietly, watching as his best friend turned to look at him, eyes bright. "Can we...talk?"

The smile started to fade from his face, and Dustin nodded, gesturing into the house. It was a beautiful home, not huge, not totally out of town, but still private. Dustin had done well for himself, invested correctly, had work that stood the test of time.

They put on cartoons for Hannah to watch, she liked Dora enough that they wouldn't have to worry much about her as they talked in the kitchen. Dustin pulled Steve in for a tight hug, which was definitely needed, though Steve would never ask for it. Dustin just seemed to know by now, when either of them needed the support. He remembered when he'd shown up at Dustin's office, eyes red, holding an infant, telling him that his wife had left them.

"What's up?" Dustin asked, after he pulled away, lips curling downwards. "Hannah seems fine, but you're making your sad Steve face. I don't like sad Steve, it's my least favorite Steve face."

Steve tried to laugh, but it fell a bit flat. He didn't want to say this, didn't want it to be true.

"... The school district had a lot of budget cuts, half the people I know either had their hours slashed, or were straight out fired." Steve told him, looking down at the pattern on the marble kitchen counters. "They're saying we're headed towards a recession, and...I don't know, I don't know anything about that. But, I...I was let go, too."

"What?" Dustin breathed out, eyes going wide as he leaned in. "You- why?!"

"Non-essential, I guess. They can get the biology teacher to cover coaching and Sex Ed. I'd been thinking about trying to get my teaching degree, I just haven't had time. I guess I'll have a lot of time now..." Steve told him, taking a deep breath, trying to keep himself from getting emotional. "...I can't stay in the lot anymore, Dustin. The monthly space fee is too much for me without an income."

The sink was dripping, just barely, Dustin hadn't turned it off fully when he grabbed Steve a drink of water. Hannah was in the other room, talking along with the TV, babbling and rambling as three year olds do.

"I can loan you-" Dustin started, but Steve shook his head.

"... My parents offered to let us stay with them. There's a school down there too, and it'd mean my mom could babysit Hannah. I'm not thrilled with the idea of her learning from them, but...I don't know what options I have anymore." Steve told him, heart breaking as he said it. "I don't want to, Dustin, I just...I don't want Hannah to know how bad things are."

Dustin was quiet for a long moment, taking a few deep shaky breaths as he watched Steve, searching his face for another answer. "... In Tampa?"

"Yeah," Steve choked out, trying to swallow down what felt like a sob. He wasn't one for crying, but this was killing him. He didn't want to leave. It was hard enough that Robin lived a half hour away, the idea of his two best friends being thousands of miles from him was like venom in his veins.

"Move in with me," Dustin said, cutting through the room. Steve's eyes snapped up to him, opening his mouth, but no sound came out. "I'm not joking, move in with me. I have the room. My house is paid for, Steve. I have no mortgage. It's all just me, alone in here. Move in, with me. You know I adore Hannah. My facility also has a daycare in it."

Steve didn't think he could stand without shaking. That was too big of an ask; Dustin was a grown man, he had his own life, he probably intended to date again at some point. Taking Steve and Hannah in was too much.

"Don't say no," Dustin reached over, grabbing his hands. "You're... Steve, don't say no. I need you here. Please don't move to Florida. Think of the humidity, Steve, your hair won't survive."

Steve let out a laugh, sniffing away tears that threatened to fall. Dustin's eyes looked wetter than his, truth be told.

"Don't go," Dustin said softly, dropping all pretenses. "It's you and me until the end, right?"

"... Yeah," Steve agreed, squeezing his hands. Steve's hands were bigger, but Dustin's were broader. Neither of them had soft hands, but it was warm, it was comforting. "I'll pay rent-"

"I'll shove it where the sun doesn't shine; don't be stupid. Family doesn't pay." Dustin told him with a lopsided grin. "Unless you're into that kind of thing."

"Fuck off, Henderson." Steve snorted, but he didn't let go of him.

"Dad?"

They both turned to look at Hannah, who'd wandered into the kitchen. She was staring at where they were holding hands, until Steve jerked back, breaking the connection, face a bit flushed and he didn't know why.

"Hey, banana. Do you like it here? In my house?" Dustin moved from the table, to scoop up the little girl back into his arms. Hannah nodded her head, clearly wondering what he was getting at. "Do you want to live here with me?" Dustin asked her, and she immediately looked for Steve.

"With Dad?" She asked, and Dustin nodded.

"Of course, he's my second favorite Harrington, after all." Dustin teased. Steve thought that whenever Dustin found his person, he'd make a good father. He practically was one to Hannah already.

"Okay," Hannah agreed with a happy little kick of her feet. "I want the biggest room and a kitten! And it should be purple and it needs sparkles and and and I want a unicorn bed!"

Steve clenched his eyes closed, trying not to laugh out loud. She was spoiled, and she probably got that from him, but who could say no to that face?

"Good thing I'm an engineer, huh?" Dustin told her, though she clearly didn't understand. "I'll make you the best unicorn bed in the world, banana."

Steve loved him so much it hurt.

[procyonloser]

"Okay, let's go." Dustin said, walking out of his bedroom. Steve stood up from where he'd been flipping through a magazine on the couch waiting for him. It had a bunch of weird medieval looking clothes in it and then a section of it was just sex toys, that had Steve looking at them a bit sideways. When he looked up at Dustin, he had the same reaction.

"Seriously?" Steve asked, rubbing at the bridge of his nose. "You're going to get us hit wearing that..."

Dustin blinked at him, then down at his outfit. Chunky boots, a heavy coat, one of his usual bright shirts, and then his kilt. "What's wrong with it? I wear stuff like this all the time."

Steve sent him a withering look, "not with a skirt, Henderson."

"It's a kilt, Harrington." Dustin mimicked him. "And, who cares even if it is a skirt? It's just cloth, Steve. Cloth doesn't have a sex. It's just fabric."

"You're going to give me a migraine, I swear..." Steve muttered to himself, shaking his head. "The cloth might not, but people do, and if they see you, a guy, in a skirt, they're going to talk."

Dustin choked on a laugh, gesturing at himself. "Oh, that's never happened to me before! You know what, you're right. I should live my life in a way that makes it so no one else thinks I'm weird or strange! God forbid I ever get bullied for being different! Let me just, uhh....rewind about 20 years of my life. I'll just stop being me in the womb, that'll help!"

Steve's shoulders fell, letting out a short puff through his nose. "Okay, okay, I get it, Dustin. Look, I don't...I don't want you to not be you, I just don't like hearing people calling you names."

Dustin didn't say much to that, just sent him another pointed stare. He got called names all of the time, nearly daily. "I'm not changing. I like it. I'm not confused or insane, I just think fashion trends are stupid. I'm perfectly comfortable in my body. I'm just a guy who likes experimenting with clothes. Plus, skirts are super comfortable down stairs, if you know what I mean. You should try it."

Steve just laughed, moving to grab his jacket off the back of the couch. "Been there, done that... Okay, Macbeth, let's go to the movies..."

Dustin went to follow him before the comment sunk in, and he grabbed hard on the back of Steve's sweater to stop him dead in his tracks, eyes wide, mouth ajar. "... You've worn skirts? Steve Harrington wore- what?"

Steve looked over his shoulder at him, with a small confused frown. "Haven't I talked to you about that before? Shit, maybe it was Robin? No, I thought I'd eventually become a girl when I was a kid, so I was always stealing my mom's stuff, or my cousin's dresses. Then, you know, puberty happened."

Dustin stared at him like he'd just admitted to secretly being part of the Rainbow Room or something, as though his entire world had just shifted sideways and upside down. He'd never seen Dustin so gobsmacked before. It was kinda nice.

"What?" Steve asked with a cautious laugh. "I was just a dumb kid. Kids play dress up."

"You... I'm sorry, how long?" Dustin breathed out, going from not blinking at all to blinking rapidly. "Until puberty?"

Steve thought about it, he remembered his kindergarten teacher lecturing him about it. "like...4 or 5, to about 12? Then, they explained to me I was just idealizing girls because, you know, I'm a guy. It was normal, totally common. I got over it."

Dustin just silently shook his head, mouth still open. "I don't think that's common, Steve..."

Steve just rolled his eyes, and grabbed for the doorknob, tossing it open and marching down the hall towards the staircase. He could hear Dustin curse, then start to jog after him, complaining about his long legs. "We have movie tickets to go to, Henderson, walk and talk, walk and talk."

"You- seriously, Steve?! You can't drop that on me and run away!" Dustin complained, before catching up, holding onto Steve's sleeve. Steve would never admit it, but he liked it when Dustin hung onto him.

"There's nothing to talk about. I was a dumb kid, thought I was a girl. I grew up." So, yeah, he used to dress up, pretended to be a be a princess in need of rescue from a knight in shining armor - but, that wasn't how the world worked. He didn't grow up to be a girl, and that was that.

He said as much to Dustin as they went down the stairs. Occasionally the memory would come to him as he went about his life, sometimes Steve wondered what kind of life he'd have if he had gotten his wish. But, he pushed it to the side. He had bills, responsibility.

"Steve..." Dustin said as they reached the first floor. Steve looked up at him, where Dustin had stopped. He looked...sad? "... If you ever want to dress up again, I'll help you?"

It was getting late, they were going to miss the previews.

"What's it going to accomplish?" Steve asked with a frown. "Not like it's a magic wand. I'm not a girl, Dustin. Do you see how much body hair I have? And don't you dare say anything about your Nonna."

Dustin didn't respond for a minute, he just took a couple steps down, so they were more at eye level. "... If I had a magic wand, would you want to be a girl instead of a guy?"

"Yeah," Steve answered instantly. Wasn't it obvious? "Who wouldn't? All guys do."

Dustin smiled, just barely, and it didn't meet his eyes. "Let's go see our movie. You're staying the night after, right?"

That, too, should be obvious.

"We can talk later." Dustin told him, hopping down the final step. "And... you know, I'm no Knight, just a bard. But, you can still be my princess."

Steve rolled his eyes, lightly elbowing him as they opened the door into the lobby. "Yeah, sure, okay. I'm still driving, though."

[procyonloser]

🔞 dusteve

In which Steve realizes Dustin has a giant 🍆

Pt1

This is very silly.

Steve had never been particularly envious of other men, at least not while he was in school. Steve wasn't the tallest, but he was tall. Steve wasn't the buffest, but he was fit. He wasn't the richest, but he was wealthy. He didn't have the biggest dick, but he was bigger than most. All together, Steve just simply never found himself wishing to be someone he wasn't - at least when it came to physical traits.

So, Steve was left with a complicated series of emotions one morning upon waking up beside Dustin. His best friend had stayed over for the weekend, while he was in town from college, and Steve insisted that he sleep in the bed. Steve did the same for Robin all the time, and she was a kidney kicker. It wasn't fair to kick him out onto the couch, when Steve was the one who invited him to stay here in the first place, was how he looked at it. Plus, it was kind of nice to just have someone nearby.

Steve just wasn't expecting to open his eyes, yawn, stretch, then notice that Dustin had pitched a massive tent.

Steve had never really thought about any of his friend's genitalia, with the exception of Nancy for obvious reasons. Dustin always wore baggy pants, baggy swim trunks, and baggy shorts; not to mention he generally wore layered shirts and coats as well. The question of what his dick looked like, was simply never a question that had come to Steve's mind.

It was unavailable now, however. The entirety of circus circus could have fit under that tent. A ship could set sail and navigate the planet with that mast.

"Jesus, Henderson..." Steve mumbled to himself, unable to move his gaze from it. He even gingerly lifted the edge of the blanket just to make certain it wasn't something else causing the home grown Eiffel Tower. Nope, it was just his dick. Steve wondered if that played a role in some of the bullying Dustin had faced in school. He imagined they wouldn't have loved the idea of a nerdy short guy like Dustin to be absolutely packing. It'd be like a bunch of stallions realizing they were getting shown up by the shetland pony next door.

After a minute, Dustin scrunched his nose up, stretching, and cracking his eyes open. As soon as he saw Steve, a dumb happy smile crossed his face, which made Steve feel a bit weird - given the whole hard on thing.

"Morning," Dustin said happily, looking like he was still fighting the urge to fall back asleep.

"Yeah, you too." Steve answered him, before his eyes flicked down without meaning to. "You want me to step out?"

Dustin blinked blearily in confusion, until he actually took the time to look downwards at himself. In a matter of seconds, Steve watched an entire series of emotions pass over his face, before he raised his knees up and put his hands over his crotch, trying to hide the hard on. Steve had seen Dustin embarrassed before, but he'd never seen him this red.

"I'm shocked you still have enough blood flow to blush." Steve said, sitting up and getting to his feet.

"Sorry, it's just-" Dustin cut himself off. It was natural, of course it was. All guys dealt with it at some point, Steve once as a younger guy woken up to Tommy's dick pressed up against his ass, rocking away until Steve had smacked him to wake up.

"Honestly, I'm more proud of you than anything. I'll go make breakfast, you do what you need to." Steve shrugged it off, and Dustin nodded repeatedly, still flushed. "Just...like, don't jizz on my blankets, I just washed those a month ago. Not cool, man."

Dustin made a face, lips curling downwards, but whatever he was going to say, Steve ignored by walking out the door of his bedroom. He went into the small kitchenette in his trailer, figuring he'd go for something basic. He'd been forced to cook for himself more now that he was trying not to ever ask his folks for anything more, and was attempting to avoid making every single one on his breakfasts just cereal. But, maybe he'd be lazy today and just do oatmeal.

Steve grabbed a banana off the counter, and began to peel it while he put on a kettle of water. He'd raised it to his lips before his brain helpfully reminded him of how phallic looking it was. The tip of it was on his tongue, as Steve let his mind wander. Dustin was almost certainly bigger than this. Steve was happy with his own size at nearly 7 inches hard. It was big, he'd never had any complaints. And Dustin was bigger yet.

Steve leaned against the counter, lost in thought, as he more sucked on the fruit than he did bite into it. Dustin had told him he'd lost his virginity in high school, but never really mentioned having sex otherwise. It made him a bit sad to think Dustin wasn't rocking some girl's socks off, just because they probably dismissed him for his stature and ... well, his personality was an acquired taste.

But maybe, that wasn't it. Maybe he was just too big. A younger girl, especially a virgin, god - he'd be a lot. Even just a blow job would be unnerving at that size, the fear of choking, the stretch of his- their jaw around a dick that big.

Steve pushed the fruit further into his mouth, until it was hitting the back of his throat and heavy on his tongue. He felt a spike of adrenaline as he tried not to gag, but it just made him want to push further.

"Uh," a voice called. Steve coughed, biting down on way too much of the banana, left trying to chew on it with his mouth full and cheeks pushed out like a chipmunk. His eyes burned a little as he forced himself to choke down the mouthful, smacking himself on the chest a couple times.

When he could breathe and speak again, Steve looked up at Dustin, who was standing there awkwardly appraising him. "... Can I use your washer and dryer?"

Steve groaned, hanging his head. "Seriously, man? I told you not to get my bed dirty..."

Dustin held up a scrunched up piece of white fabric in his hands. "Not your bed - your sock."

"You used a so- what do you mean my sock?!"