It was funny before; when the cult leader allegations were more of an implication than an outright condemnation, and then, honestly, it was kind of funny after when he was Actually The Prince Of Darkness Apparently that he was born on the longest day of the year. Prince of Darkness born on the day with the least amount of darkness.
Amazing.
Failing upward since birth.
Like there’s diminishing returns with getting older and the days that denote it - old enough to drive, old enough to die in a war, old enough to vote, old enough to drink, end of list, exciting birthdays over - not that he’s got a lot of room to talk re: time spent maturely, considering his hobbies largely consisting of a very elaborate game of pretend but like you grow out of this particular kind of thing eventually, right? Just like, one day you’re gonna stop feeling no different than you did when you were 17, right? Like some threshold of adulthood achieved surely exists, and there’s some point when you know you’ve crossed it?
Right?
Summary: Before they get together, Steve is begging for Eddie to notice his flirting. After they get together, Eddie is begging for Steve to notice what he wants. (I was talking headcanons with @nhasablogg and said one specific sentence that wouldn’t leave my head, so I wrote a fic based on it. Enjoy!)
Within days of being properly reintroduced, Steve realized that Eddie Munson was incredibly touchy. Not in a bad way, no, it was just…Unexpected. Surprising, he supposed.
It started off small: Nudges to get his attention, walking close so that their shoulders bumped. Like he was testing the waters, almost. To see if Steve minded, or if he would just go along with it.
And so, Steve went along with it.
His friends back in high school had never been too affectionate, but he and Robin were much more likely to engage in some platonic cuddling or wrestling over the remote. But he found that those touches with Eddie were surprisingly welcome, if not a little…flustering. And Steve wasn’t quite sure why.
It was almost the way he felt when a pretty girl came into the store, making his pulse quicken and cheeks turn pink. But Eddie was not a pretty girl. Well, he was pretty. Those big, dark eyes, the curly hair, the silver rings glinting on his long fingers, all calloused from guitar strings…
Well, after confiding in Robin, he was pretty sure he had figured out why he felt that way. And it was scary. Confusing, too. But he was dealing with it.
And immediately after confiding in Robin, she began to tease and pester him about it.
Eddie, Steve, and her were all sitting on a blanket outside the trailer, the setting sun above them. Eddie had gone inside to grab something, leaving the two of them alone.
“Dude, if you’re trying to be subtle, it’s not working,” Robin whispered. “Your puppy dog eyes are practically begging for him to kiss you right now.”
Steve elbowed her in the side, not hard enough to hurt, but a stern enough gesture to shut her up as Eddie came back outside, proudly brandishing a six pack of beer.
They drank, exchanged stories, and watched as the stars began to shine in the newly darkened sky.
As Steve sipped on his beer, Eddie scooted closer, practically leaning against his shoulder.
“Enjoying yourself, Harrington?” he asked.
Steve, pink in the face from their close proximity, nodded.
“Aw, c’mon, loosen up,” Eddie said, grinning as he reached out to ruffle Steve’s hair.
He didn’t mean to do it, but it was just a reflex learned from messing with Dustin and Robin, and Steve reached out and squeezed Eddie’s side without thinking.
The sound that left Eddie’s mouth could best be described as a yelp, and his arm shot back down to his side.
The three of them were silent for a moment before Robin burst into laughter.
“You must be more ticklish than Steve,” she said. “Which is saying something, seriously.”
Steve gave her his middle finger, before turning back to Eddie, who had gone silent, something that was rare for him.
“Sorry, I didn’t think before I did that,” he said. “It’s my usual defense mechanism against her and the kids, so I just did it on instinct.”
Eddie didn’t meet his eye as he replied. “Nah, no worries. I should have known better than to mess with those precious locks of yours anyway.”
Any tension that the accidental tickle had caused began to fade as Robin began pointing out different constellations, and the three of them laid back against the blanket and watched the stars.
When they eventually said their goodbyes, Steve and Eddie’s hug lingered much longer than most casual friends would allow it to.
Robin teased him about it the whole way home.
***
“Those kids are going to be the death of me,” Steve said.
Eddie chuckled with a fond shake of his head. “They’re little terrors, I know. It’s sort of nice to know they trust us, though.”
“Seeing as we’ve all nearly died together, I sure hope they do.”
As he sat in the passenger’s seat of Steve’s car, Eddie fiddled with his rings. “Well, since they’re expecting you to pick them up as well, uh, no point driving all the way back to your place, I guess. You wanna hang out at mine while you wait?”
“Oh! Yeah, sure, I’d like that,” Steve replied, trying to hide his excitement at the proposition.
And so, they set off in the direction of the trailer park.
Eddie’s uncle was out, leaving the two of them alone.
“So, uh, as you can see, I have endless entertainment opportunities,” Eddie said, gesturing to the small space. “Normally I’d suggest smoking, but I don’t think you should drive a bunch of kids around while you’re stoned.”
Steve snorted. “Yeah, I don’t think that’d be a great idea.”
“Wanna watch a movie?”
“Sure! What are our options?”
Eddie dug through his collection of films, and Steve ended up picking “Little Shop of Horrors”, even after Eddie explained that it was a musical, and probably not his style.
“I didn’t think musicals would be your thing, either,” Steve said.
“I’m full of surprises,” Eddie replied with a grin.
They weren’t even halfway through the movie when Steve found himself restless, too aware of how close Eddie was sitting, how their knees knocked together and their shoulders brushed.
He was only torn from his thoughts when Eddie prodded him in the ribs, making him jerk away as if he’d been electrocuted.
“Oh, right. Robin mentioned you were sensitive. You were totally spaced out, though.”
Steve flushed, but found Eddie’s word choice interesting. He remembered that night clearly, despite the alcohol consumed, and Eddie had gotten so embarrassed, Steve may have even dared to call it adorable.
“Yeah, well, she also said that you were more sensitive than me,” he replied, and although he wasn’t sure if he could handle touching Eddie in such an intimate manner, the urge to hear him laugh completely overshadowed his rational thinking.
So, he started tickling him. Fingers clumsily scribbled around his middle, and even though it was a totally uncoordinated attack, Eddie dissolved into surprised giggles immediately.
It was a sound that Steve figured he could listen to forever. A sweet, almost childish sound, so unlike his tough exterior.
Eddie’s hands uselessly batted at his hands, squirming wildly on the couch. It was the cutest thing Steve had ever seen, and he suddenly had a different idea. His fingers stopped.
As he panted, catching his breath, Eddie looked up at him with those big, brown eyes. “Why’d you stop?” he asked.
“Because I wanted to do this instead,” Steve said, leaning in to kiss him.
Eddie kissed him back, hands cupping the sides of his face.
They stayed like that, kissing and only coming up for air, until the credits rolled on screen.
“You have no idea how long I’ve been silently begging for that,” Eddie said.
“Well, I wish I’d realized sooner.”
Glancing at the clock, Steve cursed under his breath.
“What?”
“We have to go get the kids.”
With a dramatic groan, Eddie hauled himself off the couch, offering Steve his hand. “I know I said it was sweet, but right now, I really wish they would just ride their damn bikes.”
“Well, I can always come back over later…” Steve said.
Eddie grinned. “Sounds like a plan.”
***
That one evening of making out quickly turned into an almost nightly occurrence. They weren’t really putting a label on it, and Steve certainly wasn’t ready to label himself. But it was fun, it was passionate, it was something special.
On Eddie’s bed, Steve gave Eddie a knowing look.
“What?” Eddie asked.
“You’re practically begging for it.”
To Steve’s surprise, Eddie turned a lovely shade of pink, and refused to meet his gaze.
“I am not above begging, Harrington, but I would rather not,” Eddie said, and although he was clearly trying to sound playful and smooth, his voice had a desperate lilt to it which made Steve’s heart melt.
“I won’t make you beg for it,” Steve replied. “But I do have a question first.”
“What’s that?”
Steve pinned him back against the mattress, grinning. “Where’s your worst spot, hm?”
Eddie went red. “I think you should find out for yourself,” he said.
Oh, he was going to take that invitation to heart. He had quickly realized how flustered tickling made Eddie, and how he never begged for Steve to stop. He recalled the first time he’d squeezed Eddie’s side, and how embarrassed he had gotten, but how he hadn’t complained about it one bit.
So, obviously, he was taking the opportunity to make Eddie laugh as much as possible, and Eddie didn’t mind one bit.
In fact, it seemed like he craved it sometimes. It was apparent in the way he bugged Steve, knowing that he would retaliate. How he started tickle fights that he knew he would lose.
Eddie had been particularly needy that day, clearly itching for Steve to make him squirm. And what kind of person would Steve be if he denied him of that?
“Okay, well, I know you’re definitely ticklish here…” Steve said, running his fingers down Eddie’s sides.
Just that gentle touch was enough to make him twitch, lips already curled upward in a hopeless smile. God, he was fucking adorable. If interdimensional monsters weren’t going to be the death of Steve Harrington, Eddie’s laughter certainly was.
“What about here, huh?” he asked, turning his attention to his belly.
It seemed as though every spot he tested got a reaction: Hips, ribs, armpits, neck. Eddie’s laughter was constant, occasionally changing in pitch or allowing some words to slip through, mainly swear words, and never any indication that he wanted Steve to stop.
“You’re not tired out yet?” Steve asked. If he were on the receiving end, he knew he would have tapped out ages ago. Honestly, the fact that Eddie was still taking it like a champ was endearing as hell.
Eddie turned his head to bury his face in his own shoulder, declining to reply.
“Hey, no hiding from me,” Steve said, wiggling his fingers over the side of his neck, which got Eddie giggling like mad again. “I’m just surprised, that’s all! Don’t you need a breather?”
“I’m okay!” Eddie replied, batting at Steve’s hands.
Could he get any cuter? Steve didn’t think so. He smiled, looking down at the other’s blushing face, feeling an odd sense of pride that he had managed to get the perceived-as-scary Eddie Munson to blush and giggle helplessly.
“Alright, just let me know when you’ve had enough,” he said.
Eddie nodded. “Thanks,” he replied, his voice soft.
Thanks for not finding it weird. Thanks for giving me the affection I crave. Thanks for being you. It was unspoken, but Steve got the message.
“Of course. Now, are your legs ticklish at all?”
Eddie’s bedroom was quickly filled with laughter once again.
Summary - Eddie's in hiding while being chased down by the whole basketball team and the group proposes that someone stays with him. Nobody else wants to stay, so they volunteer you. No way you're staying with Eddie "The Freak" Munson alone. You finally give up and just stay, and you finally realize maybe he isn't as bad as you thought.
Word Count - 1.2k
A/N - definitely some sort of angst in this one, thinking enemies to lovers fluff? anyway this is my 2nd time writing and I think it might be better? still not sure!
Warnings?? - anxiety (from reader), enemies to lovers, angst?? idk!
"We've got groceries!" Dustin sings, as we all file in and see Eddie coming out from under the tarp. "Thanks you guys really, I don't know how i'd be surviving out here without this honey comb cereal and a yoohoo. Truly." he replies, snarkily, but still graciously taking the food. "We think that someone should stay here with you." Dustin says. "Yeah like as a safety precaution." Robin adds, "But who wants to stay?" The whole room goes quiet. Everyone in the group turns to me standing in the back. "No. No way. I'm not staying here with Eddie "The Freak" Munson, are you kidding me?" They must be crazy. "You know y/n," Eddie says, getting out of the boat, "i might sell drugs occasionally and play a fantasy game for fun, but that doesn't mean i'm a freak like everyone says." He winks at me, as if that meant something else. "You know I really don't care who you are or what you are but there's no way i'm staying here-in this boathouse, with you- alone." I reply. Everyone still seems to be glancing at me, as if they are set on me staying here. "You know what? Fine. I'll stay. But you-" i begin, pointing at Eddie, "stay away from me." i finish "anything for you darling-" the nickname made my stomach flutter. Why is Eddie Munson making my stomach flutter? He isn't, it's just nerves. It has to be. "She's feisty isn't she?" He whispers to Steve, winking and hitting him in the chest slightly. He's not that good of a whisperer considering I heard him from the whole other side of the room. I'm so wonderfully excited for my next few days-or weeks-spent in a boathouse with Eddie Munson. Woohoo.
The party leaves and the realization sinks in. I've barely ever been this close to him before alone and he's on the whole other side of the boathouse. I look at him, his face glowing in the moonlight, and he's actually quite pretty. He catches my glare and I look away quickly. "Do I have something on my face?" he asks and I whip my head around "What?" I reply. "I was asking if I had something on my face, it seemed like you were looking at me a lot for some reason." Oh god, he noticed. "I was just looking at how dirty you look that's all, you really need a shower to be honest." he starts to walk over at me. "That's why you were smiling too?" he laughs, and my breath catches in my throat. His laugh. "No, I was smiling because you look funny." I reply, trying play it off. "You don't have to act like you hate me you know." he says, basically standing right in front of me. "I'm not pretending, it's totally real because I 100% do hate you." i say, sticking my tongue out making it a joke. "You stole my signature move!" he says laughing and sticking his tongue out, copying me. I laugh and the second I do I regret it, he looks at me with such joy but I feel wrong. I don't want to be cracking jokes with Eddie Munson, or do I?
"Well, it's getting pretty late, we can go up to the house to sleep" Eddie says. I nod in agreement and follow him up the path to the house. "Well since there's only one bed, i'll let you take it and i'll take the couch. alright?" he asks me, and I reply, "that's fine with me." I get into bed without saying another word. Every time I close my eyes, it's as if I hear something crawling outside or a low growl. I toss and turn and start to sweat, tears prickling at my eyes. I get up out of bed not being able to control my sobs and decide that my only hope is Eddie. I feel my way to the couch, since the only light I have is the moonlight shining through the windows. "Eddie.." I whisper. I see him open his eyes, and he looks shocked that i'm sitting in front of him right now. "What's wrong?" He see's that i'm crying and immediately sits up. "Nothing I just- I just wanted to ask if you could come sleep with me, I can't be alone right now." I whisper to him and he softens up. "Are you sure you want me to?" he replies. "Yes, please." I whisper, and he follows me into the bed. I go to the right side, and he goes to the left. I lay down with my back facing him, not wanting him to hear my sniffling. A minute or two goes by and I feel him turn toward my back and scoot closer to me. "Are you still awake?" he whispers, with a slight rasp in his voice. "Yeah, I am." I whisper in reply, my back still facing him. I feel him start to cuddle me, with his neck right on mine. "Goodnight sweetheart." He says, and gives me a peck on the cheek. "Goodnight Eddie." I say back, and he doesn't move from his position and neither do I.
I wake up to sunlight and birds chirping, and for a second I wondered where I was. I turn over and see Eddie still peacefully sleeping and then it hits me. I totally forgot I asked him to sleep in here with me-what was I thinking? One day he's my enemy and the next day we're sleeping in the same bed? I can't lie, I did enjoy it a lot even though I knew I shouldn't. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all. "Goodmorning." eddie says, me totally forgetting I was still watching him sleep. "Goodmorning sleepyhead" I say, laughing at how his hair is all frizzed up from sleeping. He gets up and tries to fix his hair, and I just realize that he's shirtless. I couldn't see anything last night because it was pitch black! "I can make breakfast if you want!" he calls from the kitchen, and i'm already making my way there.
He's not an amazing cook, but it could've been worse. "You know, you're a horrible cook." I laugh, and he busts out laughing. "Yeah, yeah I know. But, hey! I tried!" I can agree there. "You know Munson, it's really not so bad hanging out with you. I really like you- I mean. I really like being here with you." he looks at me and smiles. "You what? Sorry, can you repeat that again?" i let out a huff of air. "Don't get to cocky now, huh?" He looks at me. Doesn't say anything. "What is it?" i ask him, curious for a reply. "You're really beautiful, you know?" he says. I blush, and begin my totally sarcastic reply. "I totally didn't know! Thank you so much for telling me, I truly had no idea!" I say, flipping my hair over my shoulder like a model. He laughs at me and walks over to where i'm sitting. Eddie grabs my face. I almost stop breathing. "Can I kiss you? I mean I really want to but I don't want to if you don't want me to beca-" I interrupt him by smashing my lips into his. He holds my face, and doesn't break the kiss. I laugh and break the kiss just to say, "You know Eddie, you aren't who I thought you'd be. I'm really happy to be stuck with you." He smiles at me and pulls me back in.
Summary: Stranger Things and The Upside Down, they're both fictional, right? But what if it wasn't? What if somehow, someone comes across a gate and ends up in not only the 80s...but in Hawkins?
Slow-burn Eddie x Reader / Eddie x OC, Robin x Friendship!Reader
Disclaimer: Don't own the rights to any characters except the ones I created for this story.
This is a spontaneous trip, but at the same time it's not because I've been wanting to do it for a while now. Currently, I'm in a car with my best friend, Sarah, who's driving us to our destination, the location of where they film the popular show, Stranger Things. I've always been a fan, binge-watching the new seasons that get released instantly and then waiting patiently for the next to arrive. However, once season 4 volume 1 came out and I watched it, I felt so much more passionate about the show. I assume it's because the wait for it was so long, the hype for the show increased, and it has such an awesome horror element to it this season. I'm excited, but nervous about watching volume 2.
Anyway, Sarah noticed the increase of my interest with all the theories I was discussing with her. So, as a very early 21st birthday gift, she one day offered to drive me to visit the film location. At first, I was stunned and thought she was joking, but as she grabbed one of my bags and started to pack for me, my excitement was very apparent when I tackled her in a hug. However, she's only available around the time volume 2 is out, which means I'll have to watch it when I come back. I don't mind though because I can avoid spoilers. So, here we are in a car, after quite a long road trip from New York and we're almost at our destination.
"Hey, Kate." Sarah says while nudging my arm to get my attention. "What street was our Airbnb on again?"
"Oh damn, right. Hold on." I say forgetting to look at the address and quickly fumble for the phone from my backpack. "It should be 2 more blocks and then make a left. It'll be on the left side of the street." I reply back.
Sarah chuckles at my moment of being flustered and says, "Man, you just love to daydream don't you?"
"No! I was just really into the music." I defensively tell her. The song that just finished playing was, "The Hell Song" by Sum41, one of my favorite artists among many.
Sarah luckily finds a parking spot near our Airbnb and as we get out of the car, she smirks at me saying, "Yes, I'm sure that you were fully immersed in the song and not at all fantasizing about a certain fictional character worrying about what will happen to him in volume 2."
"Shush! No I wasn't." I tell her and quickly move on to a new topic. "This actually looks a little smaller than I expected." I state while walking up to the door.
"Well it's a good thing you're small yourself." She jokes while patting my head entering.
I walk in as well looking around, "Okay one, I am fun-sized and two, I definitely think I grew an inch taller."
"So…5'1"?" Sarah teases as she takes a seat on the couch.
With genuine excitement I say, "Yep! I will take all that I can get and have the small victories." I plop down next to her and we both stay silent for a moment, happy to finally be at our destination.
After another minute, Sarah stands back up stretching her arms wide while suggesting, "So should we go check it out?"
"Right now?" I ask stunned by her suggestion and then say standing as well, "We just got here. Are you sure you don't want to relax after the drive or grab a bite?"
"Nah, I'm good. We came all this way, why not go there right away? Plus, even though you're trying to not show it, I can tell you're buzzing with excitement." She tells me with a pat to my shoulder. I blush a little embarrassed that my enthusiasm is showing, but she continues, "I'm actually really interested in seeing the place too. So, let's grab our backpacks and head out."
With a nod, we both leave the Airbnb, get back in Sarah's car and head straight there. We found a great location for where we're staying because it's only a ten minute drive until we start seeing familiar landmarks from the show. Sarah makes one more turn and then I see it, Hawkins High. My mouth is a agape as I stare at the sight that has been seen on the show. We stop and get out of the car. Sarah walks ahead as I slowly take it in. It's looks exactly the same. I think to myself.
"Wow, this is actually really awesome!" Sarah shouts impressed with the structure in front of her and adds, "But, it sucks that there's a fence around it." I snap out of my trance now noticing the barrier around the school.
"Maybe there's an entrance?" I suggest to her.
She points to a sign on the far right of us that reads "No Trespassing" and states, "I don't think so." My mood deflates a bit when reading it and Sarah chimes in again, "Ugh, seriously? The whole point of us coming here was to go in and check it out."
"I mean, it is used for filming so it make sense." I say with a hint of disappointment in my voice and add, "We probably should have researched ahead of time." I take one last look sighing before turning to head back to the car and call to Sarah, "Come one, let's grab a bite to eat."
We enter the car once again, but Sarah doesn't start it. I look over to see her staring at the school in thought before facing me with a smirk saying, "We'll come back at night and sneak in."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Wait a minute!" I shout with my hands waving in front of me and state the obvious, "We can't break in!"
With a pleading look, she begs, "Come on! We came all this way to actually go in and not just see it from a distance behind a fence. My gift to you is supposed to be the "Hawkins High Experience" and not just staring at it from a distance like it's a zoo."
"I know, but-" I try to argue back, but Sarah holds her hand up.
She peers straight into my eyes and asks, "Would you really be okay if we just drive away knowing you had a chance to walk through those halls, but didn't?"
I sigh before answering quietly, "No."
"Hey, I don't want to force you to do it, but I know how much you were looking forward to seeing this place and I want you to be able to do it." She tells me sincerely and then says, "I promise that we'll be in and out of there quickly."
I shut my eyes pinching the bridge of my nose and give in saying, "Alright, we'll do it." Sarah bounces in excitement, but I add, "However, if we can't find a way in safely, we walk away."
She starts the car almost singing, "That's totally fine."
I fidget playing with my long dark brown hair and I say more to myself, but she overhears, "You're slowly corrupting me."
"Yeah, but you're turning 21, Kate! Let's make it your year of adventures!" She shouts while driving off as I roll my eyes at her.
We have time to kill, so we go to a local diner to eat and then head to a store to buy flashlights with whatever else we need. Sarah jokingly suggests buying ski masks as well, but I feel like that will definitely draw more attention than less. After about 4 hours, the sun is setting and we're putting the necessary supplies in our backpacks at the Airbnb. The cool night air hits our faces as we now head for the school once again. I have a bundle of nerves in my stomach that just won't go away no matter how many deep breaths I take. At the school, we walk up to the fence and we decided earlier that it's probably best to climb it. Sarah almost makes it look effortless, but she's pretty fit ever since she started taking kickboxing lessons. I on the other hand, have been exercising lately, but I'm still on the chubbier side, so I take a little longer to get over. We hope that's the only difficult obstacle and now we search for an entrance crossing our fingers that a door will be open. Thankfully, luck is on our side and a back door is unlocked.
Sarah looks over to me and asks quietly, "Are you ready?" I nod in response and we enter. The first place we walk into was the cafeteria. We shine our flashlights around the large room taking it in. "Wow, this is so cool. I mean…it's kind of creepy at night, but still really cool. Right, Kate?" Sarah asks me, but I don't respond so she points her light at me to grab my attention.
"Sorry, yeah, this feels…unreal." I tell her while I walk around. All the tables and chairs have been left out like they used this place yesterday. I subconsciously head over to a specific table remembering the introduction of a certain metalhead who stood on it. That was some entrance you had. I muse to myself smiling. Suddenly, I get spooked by the sudden music filling the room. Turning, it's Sarah playing the song "Running Up That Hill" by Kate Bush on her phone.
I give her a look and she shrugs saying, "What? This is the perfect time to play this song!"
"Well don't blame me if your phone dies since you forgot to charge it…and not so loud." I reprimand her in a whisper.
"Who else would be here besides us?" She asks and then says, "Also, I can always rely on you for your charger since you always carry it."
I respond while exiting the cafeteria to a hallway, "We don't know if there's someone else here like a security guard and yes I do have it because you never know."
"Alright, alright. I'm turning it off." Sarah says walking behind me, but that quickly changes when we come across a door and she walks past me. "Oh look! This is the room for the Hawkins High newspaper." She states pointing her flashlight at the door.
With her head, she gestures for us to check it out. Entering, we notice right away that it's not the same as the show. It's empty with no chairs and has white cloths over the tables. Since we planned on not touching anything, we take one more glance and head out. As we walk through the hallways, I imagine the different scenes that took place in the show. There wasn't too much that took place in the school for season 4, but the parts that were, are memorable. It honestly still feels like I'm dreaming. I think to myself still in awe while looking around. We pass by a restroom and Sarah stops prompting me to as well.
"Mind if I take a quick bathroom break?" She asks with a sheepish grin.
"Do the toilets even work here?" I question doubting their functionality.
"Well, I'm about to find out." Sarah says entering, but pauses to turn and ask, "You coming?"
I shake my head and say, "Nah, I'll just wait here until you're done."
Without the added sound of Sarah talking, it's eerily quiet. That is, until I hear a clanking sound a little ways down the hall. It spooks me and I reflexively prepare to hide, but don't when I hear that the sound is in a repetitious pattern. Curiosity winning, I go a little ways down the hall and as soon as I make a left, a red light from under a closet door catches my eye. My body doesn't listen to my mind and it goes towards the door opening it. There's a sigh of relief when I see that it's one of the gates from the show with nothing else in the closet.
"This is actually a really cool set piece. It looks so authentic." I admire it going closer and then ponder, "I wonder if they actually connected it to the next room."
With little hesitation, I go through the slimy gate only to witness that the room I entered was just another closet with the door shut and more dust in it making me cough a bit. I'm tempted to venture off even further out, but decide to head back into the prop gate once more to show Sarah, so we can check it out together. However, as I go through the gate again, I notice the closet that was opened, is now closed and there's now a light seeping through from the outside. What freaks me out more is not only are there janitorial supplies now, but I hear commotion on the opposite side of the door. What is that? I ask myself trying to step over things on the floor to press my ear to the door.
That fails once I trip on something causing me to grab the handle for support. Accidentally, I turn the knob and fall out of the closet onto the floor. What I didn't plan on hearing after my clumsy fall…was laughter. It's bright and I squint waiting for my eyes to adjust to what is now daylight. Once they do, I let my mouth fall open in shock as I see a multitude of people, teens, walking by in both directions passing me in the halls, a few chuckling at me. I grab my backpack while I stand up and look around at my surroundings. Starting to panic, I turn towards the closet to see if I can walk back through the gate prop, but it's no longer there. I close the door and lean my back against it. My mind goes blank trying to process all the new information in front of me, but then I snap out of it and jump at the sound, of what I assume is a school bell. The halls start to clear as teens enter rooms and then I remember, Sarah! I remind myself.
I run back to the bathroom she was in and enter calling for her, "Sarah? Sarah!" All the bathroom stalls are empty and so I charge out of it back into the hallway. I bump into a girl and reflexively apologize. Once I get a better look at her, I'm again in state of shock. I didn't really pay attention to the other people before, but now I do with the girl in front of me. Her outfit, hair and makeup, all of it screams 80s fashion. Before she leaves I grab her attention again, "Excuse me? Um, do you…mind telling me what the date is, please?"
The girl says, "It's September 7th."
"And…the year?" I ask her awkwardly.
She gives me a strange look before replying, "1985."
As she quickly hurries herself down the hall, I'm left standing there dumbfounded. What the hell is going on!?
A/n: I wrote this with no real intention of making a series but I actually think it would make a sick series so let me know your thoughts :)
Summary: y/n has crush on Steve and goes to his place of work, family video, to see him
Content: pretty much just fluff, if that. Could be a set up for a series. Blurb. Perspective changes from narrator talking about Steve and talking about y/n.
Word count: 754
My life had been nearly dull until I set my eyes upon Steve Harrington. I've seen him around school and whatnot, but he never paid any attention to me. He had always set his attention upon Nancy, but ever since he graduated things had been different.
I always see him with this girl named Robin, but things between them are nothing above platonic.
I find myself wandering into Family Video trying to get his attention. Whenever I see him I can’t help but feel this overwhelming sense of joy and warmth.
Today was different. I had always noticed that Steve’s body language changed every time I walked in. He could be doing an important task and his gaze would meet mine, he would always drop whatever it was that he was doing to help me.
I might be crazy because that seems like basic customer service, right? right?
But like I said, today was different. I walked in and he did the same thing as always. Meeting my gaze, trying to help me, but when I denied his help he went back to talk with his co-worker, Robin.
****
“Robin, what do I do?” Steve asked in regards to this girl he had grown a fondness for.
“I don’t know, dingus. Use your charm.” She says mocking him and moving her hands in the motion of fixing hair.
“Robin! I’m serious!” He’s whisper shouting now. “I think today is the day, I think I’m gonna do it.” He takes a deep breath before returning to the outer part of the store.
“Good luck, dingus!” Robin calls out to him.
****
Steve approaches me and I put all of my attention forward. Something about him feels confident and in check. He opens his mouth like he’s about to say something but then doesn’t. His eyes look down to the floor and he runs his hand through his hair.
“Is everything alright?” I ask. Not really sure what else I can say.
“yeah uh- yes. Everything is fine. I’m fine. Are you fine? I mean you are fine. But how are you?” I can see he regrets every word that left his mouth. Anyone could practically see that he’s a nervous wreck.
“I am great today. How about yourself?” I reply, trying to keep my cool.
“yeah, no. I mean yes. I am great today also…” he trails off. An awkward silence fills the air between us before he speaks again. “So I was- uh- I was thinking. Do you have any plans tonight?” His face cringes, embarrassed by this whole interaction. I instantly start to blush.
“I don’t. Do you have anything in mind?”
“Movie theater?” His confidence seemed to boost back at this point.
“I would love to. Do you want to pick me up at 7?” I ask him, trying to make it easier for him because it’s clear he was struggling with the words.
“7 is perfect.” He says.
After his reply, he goes to the back room again to revisit with his co-worker. I’m left with thousands of butterflies in my stomach. I can’t believe Steve Harrington asked me out.
****
“Robin, Robin Robin!” Steve announces, walking into the back room.
“What, what, what?” she replies. Robin looks back at Steve but still faces opposite of him.
“I did it, oh my god! I did it!” Steve exclaims excitedly. He’s still processing what just occurred. “I made a fool of myself, but I did it!”
“Wait you actually asked y/n out? I didn’t think you’d actually be able to muster the words out, dingus.”
“I know you make fun of me for my charm, but it actually worked. It actually worked!”
Steve is interrupted by a *ding* sound of the bell on the checkout desk.
****
I press the customer service bell once, then twice to get Steve’s attention. Finally, after I let the second one ring out he appears at the computer.
“I’m so sorry, will this be all today?”
“Yeah, I think so, I sorta kinda have plans to go watch a movie tonight so I don’t want to overwhelm myself with films,” I say smiling smugly.
Steve laughs nervously before handing me my receipt with the return date.
“I’ll see you at 7 then.”
“see you at 7,” I say before walking out of Family Video with the biggest grin on my face.
Long time in-patient y/n was looking forward to her upcoming discharge date from the Hawkins Memorial Hospital. That is, until she became acquainted with an unlikely familiar face, Eddie Munson.
Author’s Note
This is a fix it fic following Stranger Things season 4, volume 2. In this fic, we’re going to forget the fact that the Duffer Brothers decided to delete Eddie from the series. :-) These events take place after the battle in the upside down. I’m also choosing to change the ending of season 4 by having the issue with the upside down resolved, therefore, Hawkins is not plagued by the massive earthquake that resulted in new portals being opened.
What To Expect
Slow burn, angst with a happy ending, fluff, smut in later chapters. ♡
Series Warnings
Mentions of mental health struggles, SMUT (in the later chapters, 18+ to read this story), angst with a happy ending, canon-typical violence.
Chapter 13
The air was thick with tension in the elevator, y/n waiting anxiously for Wayne to break the silence. He was breathing heavily, eyes glued to the illuminating numbers indicating which floor they were on. The silence was becoming unbearable and she began to wonder if she should be the first to speak. Before she could come up with anything to say, they had reached their destination, Wayne exiting before the doors were opened all the way. Like a shameful puppy, she trailed close behind him, nearly stepping on the back of his shoe a few times. Once in her unit, he led the way to her room and motioned towards the sole chair. "Sit." he said sternly.
She hurried over to the chair tucking her knees to her chest once seated; a pose she frequently adopted whenever she sought comfort. To her surprise, Wayne exited her room without a word, his whereabouts remained unknown for the next few hours. Y/n's schedule was free for the rest of the day, leaving her with far too much time to worry about the outcome of her mishap.
-
When Wayne finally returned to her room, the clock read 4:15pm. Fearing further reprimanding, she hadn't dared leave her room, let alone the seat she was assigned hours ago. Upon his return, y/n noted with slight relief that his demeanor was much more relaxed. He sat on the edge of her bed and crossed his arms, a sigh escaping his nostrils.
"You know, when i told you to sit, i didn't mean forever." he teased, attempting to lighten to mood.
She met his gaze with a worried look, unsure if she should laugh or remain serious.
He sighed once again, this time with his whole chest and uncrossed his arms attempting to look less intimidating. "Do you wanna talk about what happened down there?" he began.
"I don't know" she said gently, her voice muffled from her face being tucked into her knees.
"Alright, well I would like to talk about it. What happened, kid? I mean seriously, i don't wanna come down on ya too hard but i just spent the last 3 hours covering for you." he said, his tone stern but gentle.
Wayne was always hyperaware of the way he spoke to her, never raising his voice. Prior to his disappearance, he felt it was best to collect himself before confronting her to ensure he wouldn't snap. A wise decision on his part given how angry he was at the time.
"Im so sorry Wayne, i didn't mean to be late." she offered, trying her best to hold back tears. She could feel the familiar lump in her throat, a sign her emotions were about to get the best of her.
"I know you didn't mean to, and that's not the issue at hand here. What were you doing down in the ER? You know your access was limited to the 3rd and 2nd floor. Some nurse spotted you down there and you're lucky it was my friend Stephanie. If it had been anyone else, they would have ratted you out to the administration. I know it doesn't seem like a big deal but this isn't the first time we've run into issues like this, and you know who gets in trouble?" he asked rhetorically, pointing his index finger to his chest, pursing his lips.
A few moments passed and he noticed her eyes becoming glossy. He quickly worked to lighten her mood, not wanting her to shed tears over this minor incident. "Lucky for you, the old man is skilled in the art of sweet talkin'," he began, not wanting to dwell on the issue for too long. She knew she made a mistake and clearly felt remorse. His goal was never to make her feel bad or prolong her sorrow. "no one's in trouble for now, but we're gonna have to lay low for a while, if you know what i mean."
She gave him a perplexed look, not wanting to assume what he meant in case she was met with disappointment. He met her gaze and elaborated on his prior choice of words. "We're gonna stick to the unit's floor for the time being on our walks."
It was bittersweet, but she was in no position to complain. Especially since she expected her privilege to be revoked completely. She gave Wayne an understanding nod, her eyes quickly finding the floor once more. Wayne stood up carefully and made his way towards the door, stopping to pat her gently on the shoulder. "Now do me a favor, take a lap around the unit, will ya? Your knees are gonna be locked in that position forever if you keep sitting like that." he quipped.
She gave him a light smile before getting up from the chair to execute his request.
-
The next morning, y/n woke up to the gentle sounds of rain tapping against her window. It was a stormy day, something she had grown to enjoy over time. Days like this always seemed calmer and she would often sit by the nearest window to admire the droplets, sometimes bringing a book to read to pass the time.
She was hoping to hear from Dustin soon, given that she had forgotten to grab his phone number during their previous interaction. It had been three days since she had last spoken to or seen Eddie, his absence becoming more prevalent as the days went on. With her access to his floor now revoked, she could only hope that Dustin would reach out soon.
Her train of thought was abruptly interrupted by the overhead intercom blaring, a nurses voice could be heard calling for her to come to the front desk. 'Crap, what now.' she thought.
She marched over to reception and was greeted by a livelier than usual Margot wearing bright pink lipstick, perhaps she had a date tonight? "Phone's for you, dear. Line 1."
Y/n's heart skipped a beat, her mood instantly bettering as she headed over to the hanged telephone and snatched it from the receiver. She plopped down on the adjacent chair tucking one foot under her opposing thigh and excitedly greeted the caller, who she presumed to be her brother.
"Hey stranger" a familiar voice spoke sweetly.
It took her a couple of seconds to recognize his voice, it sounded slightly deeper on the phone. Or perhaps he was gaining some strength back and didn't sound as winded as he had previously.
"Eddie! Hi!!" she exclaimed, caught off guard.
"Thought i'd try calling since you've been MIA, you free for a chat?" he asked in a playful tone.
"I'm so glad you called." she blurted out, wincing instantly after hearing the words spill out. She heard him chuckle lightly on the other end, hoping it wasn't in malice. It was far from it. Eddie was thrilled to hear hear voice and was just as excited to talk, if not more.
"So, how you been?" he asked, thinking pleasantries were most likely the best way to start their conversation.
"Good, i was actually expecting it to be Dustin on the other end!"
"Ahh, so the cat's out of the bag?" he quipped.
"If the cat is my estranged brother reaching out to tell me he found me through his much older friend who, i met a few weeks ago, then yes. It is out of the bag."
"Alright, that was a run on sentence. And i am not MUCH older, you're making it sound like i'm an old man or something!"
"You ARE an old man" she teased.
"We're the same age!!!" he loudly enunciated each word. Y/n broke out into laughter, nothing made her laugh as hard as Eddie getting frustrated during their playful banter. Despite knowing he wasn't actually offended, she wanted to ensure it.
"I'm just kidding" she said slightly out of breath from laughing.
"I know, don't get soft on me now, y/n." he assured.
"Oh i'm not, just making sure you're not secretly crying over there."
"Jeeeez, you're mean! I like it." he exclaimed, wildly grinning.
"Am not!" she replied, tone slightly raised.
"Are too!"
"Hey, don't change the subject, we can talk about Star Wars later." she said, keeping the banter alive.
Her eardrums almost burst from the cackle Eddie let out. This was a side of him she hadn't gotten the pleasure of seeing, or rather hearing, yet. His laugh was infectious and adorable, she couldn't help but giggle every time she heard it. He seemed to be getting better every time they interacted, something that was slightly bittersweet for y/n. As he composed himself, she thought of a way to steer the conversation a different direction. As much as she enjoyed kidding around with him, she wanted to get deeper.
"How are you feeling? Getting any better?" she offered, her tone coated with care.
"Pretty good, it's not set in stone yet, but they're thinking i might be able to walk outta here early next week!" he said cheerfully, as most people would hearing they could go home soon.
A knot formed in her stomach at the thought of him not being around anymore. It was selfish, she knew that but she couldn't help feeling sorrow. "That's great!" she feigned excitement.
Eddie detected the somberness in her voice and was quick to respond. "I hope you know, that doesn't mean you're getting rid of me. Not that easily! I'm like gum, once it's on your shoe, it's there for life!"
She sighed in relief, a feeling of warmth spreading through her.
"Besides," he continued, "Dustin's been hounding me nonstop to hangout all three of us and he's quite persistent."
"He gets it from our mother" she replied, matter-of-factly.
Eddie chuckled lightly. "You know, i still haven't quite registered that you two are related. It's kind of weird, in a good way."
"Oh?" she inquired.
"Yeah, i mean, don't get me wrong the kid drives me nuts, but he's like family to me. I'd do anything for him."
Oh. Dread washed over her at the possibility of Eddie seeing her the same way he saw Dustin. Simultaneously, he seemed to pick up on his unintentional insinuation and quickly attempted to fix it.
"I don't mean!... Uh.. Sorry," he blurted out flustered, searching for the right words to say. "Not that i see you like i see him, i mean he's like a brother and you're..." he trailed off once again. "It's just nice is all, to know someone as great as him." he finally managed, letting out a soft giggle.
Of their time spent together, she had never seen him struggle so much finding his words. Maybe she wasn't reading too much into what Dustin had confessed. Maybe Eddie did like her in that way.
_
Chapter 14
Let me know what you think & if you’re interested in being on my tag list ♡
steve x eddie, wc 315, prompt: ‘feature’ + 20min time limit | ty @violetevents for prompting this the other day 💜
———————————————————————
“Feature… creature, preacher, teacher…” Eddie mutters under his breath as he taps his pen against his notebook in a frantic rhythm. He blows out a breath and switches to chewing on it instead.
“If you break that and get ink all over your mouth again, I’m not helping you clean it up,” Steve says.
“Aww, baby, no! You wouldn’t lick it clean?” Eddie pouts playfully as he leans over the counter into Steve’s space, and Steve is so grateful that Family Video is totally dead this time of day. “I thought you looooved me.”
Steve blushes and shoves Eddie back to the customer side of things, heel of his palm smushed to Eddie’s forehead, goes back to rewinding tapes while Eddie laughs.
“Why are you writing about creatures anyway?”
“Ooh,” Robin looks up from her magazine, “Are you writing a Halloween song?”
“Are you gonna work at all today, or…?”
“Nope,” she says brightly, just boops Steve’s nose with her pointer finger and turns her attention back to Eddie. “I love holiday songs!”
Eddie chucks a bag of skittles at her. “It’s not a holiday song, Jesus Christ.”
“Okay!” Steve huffs. “You stop messing up my display, and you get your ass over here and help me clean.”
Robin scowls. Eddie gulps.
Robin hears it and scowls harder. “Oh, my god, please tell me Steve’s pissy manager act isn’t doing it for you right now.”
“…Shut up.”
“Oh, my god.”
“Shut up, Buckley!”
———
🎧 bonus: the very sappy love song Eddie was writing that day
you’re my favorite double feature,
love the freckles on your skin
i wanna marathon your smile,
how i love to drink you in
i’m your most captive, captivated, inundated audience
overwhelming waves, they swell, they break, leave me with no defense
i am rudderless, this utterance will set me so adrift
