written for @steddiebingo 12 days of christmas mini event | prompt: proposal | rating: t | wc: 2,1k | tags: modern setting, past billy/steve, first meetings, flirting, fake proposal
read on ao3
Eddie sits at the restaurant, scrolling mindlessly on his phone, waiting for Wayne.
He laughs at yet another one of those hilarious videos of parents doing the Grinch prank on their kids. Seriously, there are so many and he finds them infinitely amusing. He just sent the latest one to Gareth, knowing he’ll get a kick out of it too, and is waiting for his reply when someone slides into the seat in front of him.
He knows it’s not his uncle before he even looks up because he just texted Eddie to say he was running late– and ain’t that rich coming from the same man who’s always complaining about Eddie never being on time?
Anyway.
Eddie locks his phone just as Gareth’s reply comes in but he does get a glimpse of a string of laughing emojis before he looks up. “Sorry, man, that seat is–”
But the rest of the words die in his throat when his brain momentarily stops working. It does that sometimes, especially around hot guys. Like the one sitting in front of Eddie, staring at him with a tiny frown between his eyebrows, probably wondering why Eddie stopped talking like he got sniped.
“Taken. That seat is taken,” he finishes. Unlike me, Eddie thinks as he gives the guy an obvious once-over.
“Shit, sorry, of course, but can you– can you hear me out for a second?”
Eddie raises an eyebrow at him, his interest piqued. The guy is hunched over himself like he’s trying to hide and his voice has a frantic tilt.
“Uh sure, man, what’s up?”
The guy probably expected Eddie to tell him to fuck off because he lets out a relieved little sigh when he agrees to listen to him. Then he leans over the table, lowering his voice.
“Do you see that guy with the mustache waiting at the entrance? He’s my ex-boyfriend and a dick and he just showed up with the girl that he cheated on me with,” he explains hurriedly.
Eddie locates the guy waiting to be seated and the girl holding his hand. He’s hot and she’s hot but the guy sitting in front of him has them both beat.
“So I haven’t seen him since I caught them together and ended things with him and– you know when you break up with someone and constantly think about how things will go when you run into them again? How they’ll see you and realize they lost the breakup and made a mistake by letting you go?” Eddie gives a short nod and the guy keeps going. “Right so that was my plan, only there’s a problem because the guy I was meeting for dinner tonight stood me up and now I’m here alone and pathetic and fucking Billy is here with his fiancée! Yes, they’re going to get married! Even if he always insisted he would never do that and–”
He keeps rambling but Eddie is stuck on the fact that not only did this guy get cheated on but also someone stood him up. What the fuck?
If he ever went on a date with someone as hot as him, Eddie would lock him down faster than anyone can say–
“–help?”
Eddie blinks. Shit. The guy just asked him something and he has no idea what it was.
“Uh, s–sure, how can I help?”
Despite his flawless attempt to make it seem like he was paying attention, the guy can tell Eddie zoned out at some point. It drags an amused chuckle out of him. “I thought I could sit here with you until they leave or until they are seated and I can sneak out without them seeing me,” he says, running a hand through his hair and giving Eddie a sheepish look.
Eddie’s phone lights up with a text then. The guy’s eyes dart down, and even if he can’t read what it says, he makes his own assumptions.
“Unless– unless your date is almost here and you need me to fuck off before they arrive?” He says, his expression turning panicked again. He moves his chair back as if to get up and leave, almost taking out the poor waiter.
Eddie reaches across the table and grabs hold of his sweater, stopping him. “Actually my date is just my uncle and he said he’s running late,” he says with his fingers wrapped around the guy’s wrist.
His eyes flicker down, widening a little but he doesn’t pull his hand back. “So?”
“So you can stay.”
The guy visibly relaxes. “Fuck, thanks so much–”
“Eddie,” he offers when the guy trails off.
“Thanks, Eddie,” the guy says with a lopsided grin that makes Eddie’s chest flutter.
Eddie nods and leans back until his chair is balancing on two legs. He has no choice but to let go of the guy’s sweater. “So what are we doing here? Are we friends? Are we on a first date? Have we been dating for a while? What’s the game plan, big boy?”
The guy sputters, adorably flustered. “We don’t– we don’t have to do anything like that, man.”
“Why? I’m not pretty enough to make your ex jealous?” Eddie teases, pouting a little.
“No!” The guy hurries to say then realizes what that sounds like and blushes furiously. “I mean– no, that’s not it. You’re definitely pretty. Handsome. Hot. Uh–”
Eddie can’t help the way his grin gets bigger with every compliment until he can feel his dimples digging into his cheeks. By then the guy’s face is as red as the tablecloth. “Oh keep ‘em coming, sweetheart. Flattery definitely works on me.”
He chuckles nervously. “It’s just– I can’t ask you to do that, man.”
“Do what? Pretend that a guy like me can get a date with someone as hot as you?” He leans forward again, resting his chin on his palms and smirking. “Oh, baby, it would be my pleasure.”
“Jesus,” the guy mutters. Eddie’s blatant flirting doesn’t give him a chance to get his blush under control. “I guess we could pretend we’re on a date if you’re up for it.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Eddie notices Billy and his fiancée following a waiter to their table. They’re going to walk right past them and there’s no way he won’t see Steve. As they get closer, Eddie catches a glimpse of the engagement ring on the girl’s finger–
“I’ll do you one better,” he says as he gets an idea. “Do you trust me?”
The guy lets out an amused laugh. “I just met you,” he says, and when Eddie shrugs like he’s saying– so? he adds, “Okay, sure, why not?”
Eddie shoots him a grin. “What’s your name?”
“Steve.”
“Your full name.”
“Harrington,” Steve says, his face pulling into a frown. “Why do you need my last–”
“Steve Harrington!” Eddie says loudly, watching as Steve’s eyes widen almost comically. The people around them whip their heads in their direction, including Billy and his girl. Perfect.
“I was planning to do this after dinner but I just can’t hold myself back anymore,” Eddie continues just as loudly. He furtively removes one of his many rings before pushing his chair back and standing up.
He shoots Steve a quick wink and drops down on one knee.
“Oh my God,” Steve whispers disbelievingly as he understands what’s happening. His shock only makes Eddie’s plan more believable.
“Steve, Stevie, sweetheart, I still remember the moment when we met like it was five minutes ago,” he starts, watching Steve’s lips twitch almost imperceptibly. “I remember thinking you were so fucking out of my league you shouldn’t even be talking to me, but fate willed it so, and now I’m lucky enough to call you mine. So now I ask you to let me call you mine forever. Steve, the love of my life, my Prince Charming, the best lay I’ve ever had, will you please marry me?” He finishes by holding up his ring, looking expectantly at Steve, wondering if he’ll play along.
He does.
Wiping a fake tear, he leans forward on his chair, cupping Eddie’s cheeks between his hands. “Eddie, our time together might seem short but I’ve always known I was right to pick you,” Steve says and Eddie has to hold back a snigger when he follows his lead– sticking to the truth as much as they can. “Now I’m picking you again. Forever. Yes, I will marry you.”
The people around them start clapping when Eddie takes Steve’s hand and slides his ring on his finger. He presses a kiss to the back of his hand, earning some cooing from the two women sitting on the table next to theirs. Billy doesn’t clap and his nose wrinkles when Steve pulls Eddie to his feet and into a hug, glaring at the back of his head.
Eddie can’t help but smirk against Steve’s shoulder.
“You’re insane,” he mutters into Eddie’s hair. It should be weird hugging a stranger but Eddie actually enjoys it. It feels familiar somehow. “Thank you.”
Eddie pulls back and grins, his hands still on Steve’s hips. “Aren’t you glad you picked me, huh, sweetheart?”
Steve lets out a laugh. “Yeah, yeah, I am.”
“Eddie?” A familiar gruff voice says and Eddie whips his head around to see his uncle approaching, his eyes darting from Eddie to Steve to Eddie’s hands on Steve’s waist and Steve’s arms looped around Eddie’s neck.
“Wayne!” He says, his grin not faltering for a second. This isn’t the weirdest thing Wayne has walked in on when it comes to Eddie. “You’re just in time to meet your new son-in-law!”
Wayne’s eyebrows shoot up and next to him, Steve makes a strangled sound.
Eddie signals a waiter and it turns out to be the same one who was guiding Billy and his girl to their table before. Billy is nowhere to be found, he probably scurried off to their table while Steve and Eddie were distracted with each other, hoping Steve wouldn’t see him. Serves you right, asshole, he thinks triumphantly.
“What can I do for the happy couple? Congratulations, by the way,” the waiter says and Eddie beams, pulling Steve closer with the arm wrapped around his waist.
“Thank you, kind sir. Can you get us another chair for my uncle?”
The waiter nods and goes to retrieve one.
“Eddie, you don’t have to– I can just go–” Steve says, a faint pink blush covering his cheeks.
“I can’t let you leave, Steve. We’re engaged now, it’d look weird,” Eddie says, and it’s true but he also doesn’t want to say goodbye to Steve yet.
And maybe Steve doesn’t want to say goodbye either because he folds easily. “Yeah, okay.”
They explain to Wayne what he walked into and his uncle gets a kick out of it. He and Steve get along surprisingly well, and by the end of the night, it almost feels like Steve was part of their dinner plans from the beginning.
Wayne leaves shortly after dessert but Steve and Eddie stick around for one more drink, neither of them wanting the night to end.
It has to, eventually, but Eddie is pretty sure that this won’t be the last he sees of Steve, not after they spent the whole night getting to know each other and flirting up a storm.
On their way out they run into Billy and his girlfriend, and Steve almost seems surprised when they do. Like he forgot Billy was there, despite him being the reason why he talked to Eddie in the first place. Their conversation is short but Eddie makes sure to hold Steve’s hand the whole time and call Billy ‘Bobby’ a total of three times just to annoy him.
After they leave, Eddie walks Steve to his car.
“Thanks again,” he says, leaning against the door. “For helping me out. And for dinner.”
“It was my pleasure,” Eddie smiles. “We should do it again sometime.”
Steve quirks an eyebrow. “Stage a proposal?”
Eddie chuckles. “Well, I was thinking about dinner but I’m always happy to get down on my knees for a hot guy,” he says with a wink.
A slightly strangled laugh tumbles out of Steve’s lip but his eyes sparkle with interest. “Maybe let’s start with dinner. Just the two of us.”
They exchange numbers, promising to call each other. When Eddie turns around to start walking toward his van, Steve calls his name.
“Don’t forget your ring,” he says, sliding it off.
But Eddie reaches out to stop him. “Keep it,” he says, “you can give it to me next time.”
With a grin, Steve slides it back on.
He ends up keeping the ring, but that’s okay because Eddie gets to keep Steve.
Written for @steddiesongfics and @steddiebingo
Song: Baby, It's Cold Outside
Prompts: Under the influence (R1), winter (R1 and 12 days of Christmas)
Rating: E | WC: 2,343 | Tags: Alpha Eddie Munson, Omega Steve Harrington, getting together, first kiss, snowed in
For full list of tags see ao3 | Divider credit
This wasn't how Steve had expected his night to go. He'd expected the blind date his mother had set him up on to suck (it had). He'd expected there to be a kerfuffle over the bill, no matter which of them paid (his date had). He'd expected the night to end with him and Robin cuddled on the couch, eating cookies and ice cream while they talked about how bad his mother's taste in dates for him was.
The getting home part was where everything had gone wonky. Even if he hadn't locked the keys in his car, the snow had piled up so fast that he wouldn't have been able to make it out of the parking lot.
Maybe if he'd left at the same time as his date then he would've been able to get out. But he hadn't, he'd stayed behind and finished the wine he'd ordered while watching the Alpha behind the bar.
Now here he was, sitting in the corner of said Alpha's couch while Eddie puttered around the kitchen. He hadn't yet decided whether Eddie living above the restaurant was good luck or not. It would depend on if Steve's mother found out he'd started the evening with one Alpha and ended it with another.
"Marshmallows or no marshmallows?"
Eddie's voice pulled Steve back to the moment. "Marshmallows," he said, looking towards the kitchen.
When Eddie joined him again he was holding two mugs piled high with whipped cream, marshmallows, and… chocolate shavings? As if the cocoa wasn't surprising enough, it was brought out in matching Garfield mugs.
"I sort of thought you were joking about making cocoa." Steve took his mug and held it close. The warm scent of chocolate and cinnamon wrapped around him. It mixed surprisingly well with the scent of Eddie — tobacco and leather.
"Stevie. I would never joke about hot cocoa." Eddie didn't sit down beside him right away and instead crossed to a table pushed against the wall. Steve watched nimble fingers flip through the vinyls until he'd found what he wanted.
"…Really?" Steve laughed as the voice of Ella Fitzgerald filled the room. "Isn't this a little on the nose?"
"Maybe that's why I picked it." Eddie grinned as he took his seat. "Did you get ahold of your friend?" He gestured to the cordless he'd given Steve before stepping into the kitchen.
"No. She didn't answer, I figured I would try again in a few minutes." Steve flicked his tongue out to try and clear a spot for himself to drink out of through the whipped cream. Rich chocolate flavor exploded on his tongue, followed by the subtle burn of alcohol.
"I think Ella was on to something, there's definitely more than chocolate in this," he teased.
Eddie's rumbling laugh made Steve shiver. "I just figured it would help warm you up," he said. His nose wrinkled in a way that made Steve want to lean in and kiss the tip of it. "…Was that creepy? I can make you some without, I just remembered you having wine earlier, didn't think it would hurt—"
"You were watching me?" Steve asked.
"I didn't say that." Eddie arched one brow as he took a long drink. He licked the whipped cream mustache away before Steve could offer to do it. "But yeah, I was. It's always fun to be an innocent bystander for the trainwreck dates."
"Trainwreck!" Steve barked out in a laugh. "You could not tell it was a trainwreck from all the way over by the bar."
"Trust me, you work with people as long as I have, you learn to pick up on things." Eddie settled in against the couch with one arm stretched out along the back of it. "If that's what you count as a good date, I would hate to see what counts as bad."
Steve settled back, too, with his hands around his mug and his body facing Eddie's. "It wasn't the worst date I've ever had. Just… awkward."
"What is the worst date you've ever had?"
Another laugh bubbled up as Steve drained half of his mug. "It'll take more than one mug of hard cocoa to get that out of me."
"You're not serious." Eddie watched Steve with wide eyes.
"I fucking wish I was joking!"
It had taken more than one hard cocoa, but just barely. Steve had managed to get through to Robin (who, to her credit, only panicked a little at the idea of Steve being with a guy neither of them knew, and she only demanded his full name, address, a physical description, and his license plate number in case Steve didn't show up again once the weather had cleared up). Once the cocoa was gone and Robin knew Steve was somewhere safe for the night, they had switched to a bottle of bourbon Eddie had brought home from work.
There was something about Eddie that Steve found comforting in a way he hadn't found with anyone but Robin in a very long time. Maybe it was because Eddie hadn't even blinked when Robin had demanded to speak to him, too. Maybe it was because he looked tough and rugged, with his ripped jeans and his motorcycle boots and the tattoos covering his arms, but he had at least two Garfield mugs in his kitchen and he listened to Ella Fitzgerald on snowy nights.
Eddie's laugh was big and bright and Steve found that he wanted to wrap himself up in it because it warmed him even more than their drinks had. He was just warm, and Steve found himself slowly gravitating closer and closer to Eddie's end of the couch.
If Robin was here, she would be telling him that he needed to be careful. He fell too hard too fast and he always got hurt for it. This night, though, Eddie, it all felt different. This wasn't even a date, Eddie had just been nice enough to offer Steve somewhere to warm himself up for the night.
Now Steve wanted to offer Eddie somewhere warm, too.
It was a stupid line brought on by a horny thought, and Steve nearly spat out his drink.
"You good, man?" Eddie asked as he reached over to lightly clap Steve on the back. His scent was even stronger when he was this close.
"I'm good." Steve wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and cleared his throat. "Just— stupid thought. I think I need to take that as my sign to head to bed."
"Okay." Eddie tossed back the rest of his drink and started cleaning their dishes up. Steve reached out to help and Eddie stopped him with a wave of his hand. "Stay there, I've got this."
"I can help," Steve insisted. He stood up and grabbed their empty mugs. "Besides, I'm, uh… going to need some pajamas, if you have anything I can borrow?"
"Oh fuck, right!" Eddie put the bottle of bourbon back down on the coffee table and hurried down a short hallway to what Steve assumed was his bedroom.
While Eddie was gone Steve carried their dishes to the kitchen. He rinsed them out and left them to be washed in the morning. Eddie could still be heard rummaging in his room, so Steve took a moment to be a little nosy. He let his fingertip curl around the cabinet door.
Eddie didn't just have a Garfield mug. There were juice glasses with the fat orange cat on them, and were those dinner plates? Steve lifted one up carefully to get a closer look— Garfield in a night dress and cap, beside Odie in a rocking chair.
"Not what you expected, huh?"
Caught, Steve put the plate back and turned to Eddie with pink cheeks. "I was just wondering, after I saw the mugs. I would say I'm not usually that nosy, but…" He shrugged. "I would be lying."
Eddie grinned wide and Steve once more found himself watching the way the corners of his eyes crinkled.
"It's something I got into with my uncle," he explained. "We watched the cartoons together. It's something we bonded over when I moved in with him." He held something out to Steve. "I don't actually have any clean pajama pants…"
Steve unfolded the shirt. It was soft and worn, with a few tiny holes around the neck. Clearly this was a shirt that Eddie had had for a while, one he loved. And he was offering it up to Steve to use for the night.
Whatever resolve or sense of propriety Steve had left flew out the window. He'd wondered earlier what his mother would think about him having dinner with one Alpha and then going home with another one entirely.
Finding out her son not only went home with a stranger, but that he was the one who made the first move, might've sent her to an early grave.
Steve didn't let that stop him as he closed the distance between them. His hand cupped Eddie's cheek, thumb stroking his jaw, and then their lips were pressed together.
Eddie's lips were soft and warm. He tasted like chocolate and alcohol and Steve would never get enough.
"Look, I know it might be forward," he murmured. "But you smell so good, and you're so nice, and I would kick myself if I didn't shoot my shot."
Warm air brushed Steve's mouth as Eddie laughed again. Steve was becoming addicted to that, too.
"I got you tipsy and didn't give you pants to sleep in, and you think you're being forward?"
"Giving me pants would've just made it that much harder for you to get into them, wouldn't it?"
Eddie actually groaned, but then his mouth was on Steve's again and Steve's back was pressed against the lip of the counter. "Fuck, that was cheesy."
"Says the man with the Garfield collec— hey!" Steve yelped as he was lifted up onto the counter. Eddie was slim, lean, but there was a strength in his arms that was surprising.
Eddie's lips trailed over his jaw and up towards his ear. "Don't pretend the Garfield collection isn't what won you over."
"Was I that transparent?" Steve murmured. His legs came up to wrap around Eddie's waist, his arms draped around those wide shoulders.
"'Fraid so." Eddie pressed a kiss to the moles on the underside of Steve's jaw. "You know… if seeing my dinnerware made you want to jump into bed with me, I can't wait until you see my pajamas."
Steve threaded a hand into Eddie's soft hair and stole another kiss that was almost teasing. "Oh, baby. I don't think either of us could handle that."
Neither of them stopped smiling as Eddie lifted him off of the counter, as they bumped their way down the hallway.
Steve was far from a blushing virgin, had been around the block more than few times. None of his partners had been like Eddie, though.
Eddie's mouth left a trail of fire as he played connect the dots with Steve's moles. His fingers stoked Steve's pleasure higher and higher, until his thighs shook and there was a patch of slick on the bed beneath them, until he'd fallen apart not once but twice.
Eddie was right there after, too, kissing Steve's shattered edges and melting them until they were fitted together and he was whole again.
When Eddie finally settled over him, when they were finally joined as one, it was with their hands threaded together on either side of Steve's head.
It wasn't rushed. It was slow and languid, with kisses to eyelids and cheeks and chins, with Eddie sucking marks into Steve's skin and Steve urging Eddie on with his heels.
They came together with a cry from Steve and Eddie panting Steve's name into the hollow of his throat.
Afterward there was an ease with Eddie that Steve hadn't gotten from other partners. There was no hasty cleanup, no scrambling for clothes. Eddie just rolled them away from the wet spot. He kissed Steve gently, then slipped out of bed to get a wet washcloth to wipe them both off.
Steve slipped into the shirt Eddie had brought to him. It was even softer when it was on. Eddie's scent was there beneath the laundry detergent scent, too.
Eddie wrapped around him when he got back into bed. He tucked the blankets around them and buried his face in Steve's neck in a way that showed Steve wasn't the only one feeling a little scent addicted.
Sleep was just taking over when Eddie's voice roused him again.
"You think roses would be appropriate?"
"Hmm?" Steve cracked one eye open. "For what?"
"Feel like I owe your date a thank you after this."
Steve lightly smacked Eddie's hip. "You don't think there's someone else you should be thanking?"
"Oh, right." Eddie nuzzled down against the top of Steve's head and held him that much tighter. "I'll have to get some for your mom, too."
"Eddie!" Steve dissolved into sleepy giggles that he tried to stifle against Eddie's shoulder. "That's still not who I was talking about!"
"I know." Eddie pressed a kiss to the corner of Steve's mouth and gathered him impossibly closer. "Thought you might like breakfast more than flowers. Figured I would save flowers for our first date."
"This wasn't a date?" Steve asked. "What would you call it?"
Eddie took so long to answer that Steve was almost sure he'd fallen asleep, too. "Our meet cute. But we should probably leave out the sex when we tell our future grandpups."
Steve couldn't stop the purr that started in his chest.
Even if there was talk tomorrow about what he'd done, and if it made its way back to his parents, he'd met the Alpha of his dreams, someone who collected Garfield memorbilia and talked about pups before they'd even technically been on a date.
They fell asleep wrapped up together, with Steve's purr still rumbling on and the snow falling down around them.
rating: teen+ | word count: 717 | tags: post-s3, post- starcourt, coming out | ao3
The air is filled with red-orange flames and smoke as the mall burns to the ground in front of him. His head is still spinning, face throbbing, and he can barely breathe. The adrenaline is starting to fade, and Steve’s injuries are making themselves known. He stands side-by-side with Robin, neither of them saying a word. Everything has changed. Neither of them will ever be the same person they once were.
Steve has a fleeting thought that Eddie must be worried. It's gone just as soon as it was there when the paramedics are ushering them into the ambulance and taking them to the hospital.
Everything is a blur of sirens and lights, Robin’s hand in his, a shock blanket around his shoulders. Doctors and bright lights, wires and beeping machines. He gets set up in a room for monitoring. Robin is okay. The kids are okay. Everyone is okay.
Steve doesn't even register what's happening when the nurse says they're going to call his emergency contact. His brain still feels a little fuzzy, even if things are starting to become clearer.
Everyone is gathered in Steve’s room. Robin and Dustin are sitting at the end of the bed, on either side of his legs. Robin refuses to leave his side. Steve is thinking about Eddie again.
Steve is late for dinner. He's probably so worried.
There's heavy footsteps in the hallway, shoes squeaking on the linoleum. The door flies open, and a head of curls stumbles into the room. Eddie’s eyes find Steve’s quickly, wild and full of fear and concern. He quickly crosses the room, pulling Steve into a tight hug. The room falls silent around them.
“Christ, Steve, I was so worried about you,” Eddie whispers, his voice tight like he's trying not to cry. “Are you okay? What happened?”
“I'm okay, promise. Just a little banged up, that's all.”
Eddie sucks in a very shaky breath, not letting go of Steve. “You're not allowed to scare me like that anymore, asshole. I can't handle it.”
“I'll do my best. How'd you even know I was here?”
Eddie pulls back, his hands resting on the sides of Steve’s face. “The hospital called Wayne.”
The door opens again, and there's Wayne. Steve notes that he looks tired, but the older man smiles when his gaze lands on Steve.
“Glad to see you're still kickin’, kid,” he says, the worry washing away from his face.
“Sorry, Wayne, can't get rid of me that easy,” Steve says with a grin that pulls at his cuts and bruises. Wayne barks a laugh at that, shaking his head.
“What the hell is going on?” Dustin says, finally finding his voice.
Eddie's eyes go wide as he suddenly seems to realize they are not alone in the room. Steve grabs Eddie’s hand with a smile and gives it a squeeze. Then he clears his throat and looks at Dustin.
"Wayne is my emergency contact,” he explains. “Has been for a little while now. I've, uh… kinda been staying with them from time to time.”
Dustin frowns, his eyebrows knit together. “But… why?”
Steve glances at Eddie, squeezing his hand again. He takes a deep breath. It's now or never. “Eddie is… my boyfriend.”
It's the first time he's said the words out loud. It's the first time they put an actual label on what they are, what they truly mean to each other. They've been boyfriends for a little while now, but they never actually talked about it. There was always so much sneaking around and secrets and keeping it under wraps. They were both scared.
Not anymore.
Steve isn't scared to hide Eddie away from his friends, from his family. The people who truly matter. Not when Eddie has never been scared of hiding him from Wayne, his family. He's done being scared, because he knows there's so many scarier things out there. He knows that monsters are real, and he knows it'll take a lot more than a boyfriend to run off his monster hunting family.
So he smiles at Eddie, and he calls him boyfriend. Because that's what he is. He's Steve’s boyfriend, and he loves him.
He's done keeping that a secret from the people who have always had his back, despite what they've been through.
Written for @steddiebingo Twelve Days of Christmas
Prompt: Gifts
Rating: T | WC: 830 Thank you @oh-stars for betaing!!
Eddie has never been great at giving gifts. He tries. He wants to give the people he loves good gifts. But he’s not exactly flush, ever, and as creative as he is it’s not really make gifts creative. Hence Wayne’s mug collection, which has turned into an inside joke more than anything. Wayne doesn’t even use mugs that often. Always carries his work thermos around. But Eddie still buys every ridiculous mug he finds at the thrift store and stashes them away for Christmas and birthday gifts.
The point is, Eddie is at a loss. He’s the luckiest son of a bitch to have ever lived because he landed fucking Steve Harrington of all people and it’s their first Christmas like together, together and he has no clue what to get him.
He knows things that Steve likes. Obviously. He’s obsessed with the guy. Hangs on every word that comes out of his mouth. But Steve likes…fancy shit. Like shit Eddie wouldn’t even know where to attempt to find. His shampoo isn’t in the hair aisle at the grocery store. He has no idea where he shops for clothes since Eddie gets all of his clothes at the thrift store. The mall is probably a good guess but he hates going to the mall, and he wouldn’t even know where to start if he did. He could try to buy sports stuff but he’s not confident in his ability to keep the teams straight and he’s pretty sure buying the wrong team is a big no-no. So, he’s stuck, and desperate. Because fuck all if he’s going to lose Steve Harrington because he can’t buy a fucking Christmas present. He has to find something good. Something thoughtful. Something that shows he can be a good boyfriend. Something that says thank you for letting me see you naked. Because he honestly doesn’t know how this is even his life and he has to hold onto this perfect specimen of a man.
Eddie groans, shoving a sports shirt back on the rack and stomping his way toward the exit. He’s running out of time but nothing seems right. Nothing is good enough. Nothing is– Eddie freezes as he walks past an aisle of picture frames. He hesitates, feeling like this is too easy. But he knows Steve would love it. He loves anything that has a little thought behind it. Eddie backs up and goes down the aisle, feeling ridiculous for not thinking of this sooner. He chooses carefully, taking his time picking the perfect frame and when he gets home he digs through his little box of mementos looking for–
“Aha!” Eddie snags the ticket stubs from the bottom of the box and stares at them fondly before positioning them on the corner of his favorite picture of him and Steve and then sealing it all behind the glass in the frame.
–
Eddie is nervous. He tugs on his rings and his leg bounces uncontrollably as he watches Robin hand gifts out to everyone from under the tree. What if he’s wrong? What if Steve wants a nice gift? What if he thinks it’s weird Eddie kept the tickets? What if he thinks it’s lame to give him such a cheesy couple gift? What if it’s way too early in their relationship to give him something so sappy? What if–
Eddie holds his breath as Robin grabs Steve’s gift and scoffs at the wrapping, rolling her eyes at Eddie. “Newspaper, Eddie? Really?”
Eddie shrugs and catches Steve's little smirk as Robin hands the gift to him. Steve looks over at Eddie and smiles before starting to rip the paper off. Eddie chews on the side of his thumb, waiting for Steve’s reaction. He turns the frame over so he can see it and gasps.
“Eds is this–” He looks up and locks eyes with Eddie. “Are these from our first date?”
Eddie can feel his face flush bright red. He tugs a piece of hair in front of his face and nods, unable to answer with his stomach so tied up in knots.
Steve looks back down at the frame, rubbing his thumb over the tickets. But he doesn’t say anything else. Just stares. Eddie spirals thinking he absolutely fucked up. Steve hates it. He hates the gift and now everything is going to be ruined and–
Steve finally looks up and there are tears streaming down his face and– great. His gift was so terrible and off the mark he made his boyfriend cry. Good job, Eddie. Really great–
Steve launches himself into Eddie’s lap and plasters their mouths together, holding onto him tight. Eddie can taste the saltiness of his tears on his lips and is very– confused. He pulls back, looking at Steve with wide eyes. “So, you…like it?”
Steve huffs out a wet laugh, his eyes crinkling in that way Eddie loves when he really smiles. “I love it, Eds. It’s the best gift I’ve ever gotten.”
I got a little carried away combining three of my @steddiebingo Twelve Days of Christmas Mini-Event prompts, and wrote 16K of omegaverse bullshit. Prompt fills were: 1) cookies, 2) meet cute, and 3) candy canes.
Rating: Explicit | WC: 16K | Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Upside Down (Stranger Things), Meet-Cute, Omega Verse, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Omega Eddie Munson, Alpha Steve Harrington, Bottom Eddie Munson, Top Steve Harrington, Barebacking, Oral Sex, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, Intersex Omegas, Knotting
Summary: Eddie falls in love with the cookies from a little shop run by a really annoying guy. Definitely just the cookies.
Full fic on AO3.
Eddie wasn't sure why he had to be the one to pick up the cookies. It was Jeff's mate's baby shower, why couldn't one of her friends have picked them up? He was pissed he even had to go to the baby shower, but Jeff insisted that Melissa would be upset if his only omega friend hadn't shown up to support them.
So Eddie was already in a bad mood when he walked into the cookie shop, and his mood wasn't improved by the long line. It was a kitschy shop he'd never heard of that was somehow able to survive selling only cookies. No other baked goods. No coffee. It looked like there was only one employee working today. Eddie checked his watch. He was gonna be late and Jeff was gonna kill him.
The line moved at a snail's pace. Eddie inched slowly toward the counter, where an unfairly attractive guy was working the register. He looked like he'd be much more at home in a yacht club with his perfectly styled brown hair and form-fitting polo and khakis. Exactly like all the guys who'd made Eddie's teenage years absolute hell. The only sign that he belonged in the cookie shop was the flour-stained bright pink apron he had on over his outfit.
By the time Eddie finally got to the register, the acrid scent of his frustration was bleeding through his dampeners. He'd always been an unfortunately pungent omega. It made it so much harder to hide what he was feeling, which had also contributed to making his teenage years something of a disaster.
"How can I help you?" the employee asked when Eddie got to the register. The employee's calm demeanor in the face of Eddie's rapidly rising panic at how late he was going to be was the last straw for Eddie. He hated nothing more than being faced with someone cool, calm, and collected when he was about to lose his shit.
"Does this place always make customers wait so long, or is it just when you're working," Eddie's eyes flicked down to the guy's name badge, "Steve?"
Steve's eyebrows shot up, but he gave no other visible sign of offense. "Sorry for the inconvenience," he said, in perfect, soulless retail-speak. "It's a busy time of year, and one of my only other employees has the flu. What can I get you?"
Eddie bristled at the brush-off. He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Steve. "I'm here to pick up an order. For Benson."
Steve nodded. "One second." He turned around and went into a back room. Eddie glanced at his watch again. Even if he sped all the way to Jeff's, he'd still be late.
"Any time this morning would be great!" Eddie yelled after the man.
An old woman in line behind him tutted disapprovingly, but he ignored her. Eddie stared at the cookies in the display case while he waited. Most of them were ridiculously overdone, decorated like fucking cakes or something, but his eyes were drawn to a perfect-looking, simple chocolate chip cookie. His stomach grumbled. He hadn't had time for breakfast that morning.
He was still staring at the cookie when Steve finally walked back up to the register carrying a large box, vacant customer service expression still on his face. Eddie couldn't pick up any scent at all coming from him.
Steve followed Eddie's eyes to the display case, pulling out the cookie Eddie was staring at and placing it in a small bag. "For your trouble," he said, handing the cookie to Eddie with a smile. "I appreciate your patience."
Eddie grabbed the cookie from his hand with a glare. This bozo wasn't gonna be able to win him over with a free cookie and a smile. But also Eddie definitely wasn't going to turn down that cookie. He shoved it in his pocket and picked up the box of baby shower cookies. Jeff had already paid for them.
"Have a good day!" Steve called as Eddie left without a word. "Come again soon!"
Eddie angrily shoved the consolation cookie in his mouth with one hand while he hurried to his car. It was, of course, obscenely good, which only made Eddie more annoyed.
Jeff and Melissa were not pleased when Eddie rolled in thirty minutes late.
"What the hell, Eddie?" Melissa hissed, grabbing the cookies from him. "You've already missed some of the games!"
"Oh, however will I recover," Eddie deadpanned, holding a hand to his heart.
Melissa glared at him, opening the box. Her face instantly lit up. "These are amazing!" she cooed. "You were right, Jeffy, this guy is fantastic!"
Jeff looked over her shoulder at the unnecessarily fancy cookies. "Oh, yeah, look at that. Chrissy was right, this guy's cookies are great."
Eddie snorted. "Well you should tell him, whoever he is, that the customer service at his shop sucks. There was only one employee there, and he was annoying."
Jeff gave him a confused look. "I've only ever seen the owner working there. I don't even know if he has other employees."
"Well, he must," Eddie insisted. "Because there's no way the guy who was there today owns a cookie shop."
Jeff shrugged and changed the subject. "Thanks for picking them up. At least you got them here before the party ended," he teased.
Eddie couldn't stop thinking about that fucking chocolate chip cookie. It was the best cookie he'd ever had. In his entire life. And he considered himself a bit of a cookie connoisseur. Whoever was running that shop knew what they were doing. About cookies, at least. Maybe not about hiring.
He really tried not to go back to the shop, not wanting to chance another encounter with Steve. He went on a cookie journey throughout the city, searching in vain for a comparable chocolate chip experience. But nothing hit the spot quite like that cookie.
Which is how he found himself standing in front of the shop a few weeks after Melissa's shower, trying to peer in through the window to see if that asshole was working again. There were no customers, though, so whoever was working must have been in the back.
Jeff had said it was almost always the owner working, so Eddie decided to take his chances and hope that's who he'd get this time. He took a deep breath and pushed the door open.
A bell tinkled above the door as Eddie breathed in the scent of fresh-baked cookies. "Just a second!" a voice called from a room behind the counter.
Eddie walked to the counter, looking at the cookies. There were plenty of the fancy, decorated cookies that the shop was apparently known for, but also quite a few simple cookies which made Eddie's mouth water.
He looked up as the door behind the counter opened. Steve, the man from before, came out, smiling pleasantly.
Eddie's face fell. "You again?" he groused.
Steve looked confused for a moment, then recognition crossed his face. "Ah," he huffed. "Come to scold me for my poor customer service again?"
These pretty rich kids really thought their shit didn't stink. "Does the owner of this place know you're such a little shit?" Eddie growled.
"I'm the owner of this place," Steve drawled with an amused smile. "Did you like the chocolate chip cookie?"
Eddie's scent soured with annoyance. "Seriously?" he groaned.
"Seriously," Steve replied. He looked way too pleased with himself. A vague scent started to bleed into the air from Steve, surprising Eddie. He had assumed the man was a beta. He was too big for an omega, but he ran a cookie store, a very unorthodox career choice for an alpha.
The scent was a delicate mix of pine and sandalwood, with just a hint of something sharp and sweet that reminded Eddie of candy canes. Eddie was startled to realize he liked it. He hadn't liked the scent of anyone who wasn't in his immediate pack in a really fucking long time. Figured it would happen with a replica of a Ken doll. He probably had the personality of a Ken doll, too.
"Well? Was the cookie good?"Steve prompted when he got no response from Eddie.
"No," Eddie lied.
"Then why are you back?"
As much as Eddie wanted to leave without buying anything, that was a betrayal his stomach wouldn't allow. "My friend. Who had the baby shower. She has really bad taste in cookies so I guess she likes yours. She wants more." It sounded idiotic even to Eddie's ears.
"Sure." Steve smirked. "What does she want? More of the iced cookies? I have some pretty Christmas trees right now." He motioned to the case.
"No," Eddie snapped. "She wants to try the snickerdoodles. And the peanut butter cookies." Eddie paused, trying to rein himself in. He felt the ensuing blurt come directly from his stomach, "And five of the chocolate chip cookies."
Steve raised his eyebrows. "She just knows she's going to want five of them? Even though she's never tried them?"
Eddie swallowed audibly. "Yes. I described them to her. I'm a really talented food narrator."
Steve hummed thoughtfully, getting out a box for the cookies. "How'd you describe them? I'm intrigued."
"Don't remember," Eddie mumbled.
"Oh. Do you wanna try one again now to jog your memory?" Steve held one of the heavenly cookies out to Eddie. The scent wafted into his nostrils. Eddie worried he might start drooling.
"No!" Eddie yelped, batting away the cookie before he lost all self-control. "I told you, I didn't like them."
"Right," Steve said, drawing out the vowel.
"Just give me the cookies," Eddie grumbled, pulling out his wallet.
The corner of Steve's mouth twitched up in an aborted smile as he packed up the rest of the cookies. He cashed Eddie out, handing over the box.
"Hope your friend enjoys," Steve needled.
Eddie grabbed the box and fled.
Read the full fic on AO3!
Other Twelve Days of Christmas Prompt Fills:
A Golden Opportunity - threesome, elf
The Indiana Lakers - make up sex
A Naughty Lullaby - mpreg, morning sex
White and Rare and Full of All Kinds of Rage - chill, frost, travel - WARNING NON-CON
Congrats @thisapplepielife on completing our 12 Days of Christmas Challenge!
--
Prompt: Soulmate
You're a Fucking Dickhead | Ao3
Rated T, wc 1,894, No Warnings, Tags: Soulmate AU, College AU, Modern AU, Meet Cute, Or: Meet Ugly, Soulmarks, Invisible Strings, Hijinks Ensue, The Universe Had to Work Overtime on These Two
Steve pushes his sleeves up, realizes, and pushes them right back down despite it being sweltering in this auditorium. As much as he prides himself on being confident in his own skin, on being exactly who he is, no apologies, this little three inch line of text scrawled on his arm is the bane of his whole existence. He hates it.
Prompt: Krampus
Same Time Next Year? | Ao3
Rated E, wc 2,400, No Warnings, Tags: Monsterfucking, Spanking, Modern AU, Steve "Monsterfucker" Harrington, Krampus Eddie Munson, Size Difference, Immortality, Rimming, Anal Sex
If he dies, he's gonna die trying to get laid.
It's the Steve Harrington way.
Prompt: Santa
Climb You Like a (Christmas) Tree | Ao3
Rated E, wc 2,806, No Warnings, Tags: Monsterfucking, Modern AU, Steve "Santa Claus" Harrington, Krampus Eddie Munson, Size Difference, Banter, Fluff and Smut, Is It Still Monsterfucking If They're Both Kind of Monsters?
Steve whips his head around, and Eddie is smiling, flicking his long tongue in and out of his mouth, like a menace.
Like a goddamn demon.
And Steve's incredibly fond of him.
Prompt: Velvet
Black Velvet, If You Please
Rated T, wc 1,113, No Warnings, Tags: Future Fic, Established Relationship, Famous Corroded Coffin, Corroded Coffin Guys, Steve Trolling Eddie, Because He Loves Him
It's tacky. Kitsch. An oversized eyesore.
And it's perfect.
Steve couldn't be more pleased. It's exactly what he envisioned and more when he commissioned it.
He watches the artist carefully wrap it, then with their help, Steve picks up one side of the frame, both of them wrangling it carefully so they don't drop it, and carry it out to the waiting car. Gareth's behind the wheel, engine running, like he's the driver of a getaway car.
[READ MORE HERE]
Prompt: Coat
Slip Slidin' Away
Rated T, wc 1,355, No Warnings, Tags: Modern Day AU, Ice Storm, Neighbors Meet Cute, FYP Getting Far Too Local
Eddie reaches for his phone. It's buzzing against his thigh again. He's getting annoyed. His doorbell camera has been going apeshit for the last ten minutes, but every time he checks, nobody's out there.
Another notification, another annoyance, and this time he actually
pulls up the recorded clip instead of just the live feed to see what kind of insect has survived the freeze just to terrorize him.
It's not a bug, though.
It's worse. It's a man, on a pair of ice skates, gliding up and down their frozen street.
[READ MORE HERE]
Prompt: Snow
Fool Me Twice, I'll Bring You Down
Rated T, wc 2,398, No Warnings, Tags: Future Fic, Post Break-Up, Self-Sabotaging Eddie Munson, Good Uncle Wayne Munson, Reconnecting, Olive Branches, Second Chances, Always the Right Guy, Finally the Right Time, Hopeful Ending
Eddie toes at the dirty snow under the sole of his boot. Nudging out a shallow hole in the mostly frozen dirt, and then filling it back in with his heel. Stamping it down, and starting the process all over again. Once he's done dragging his foot through the slush, he swings the axe one more time, splitting another log for firewood.
His arms, his shoulders, his back, are all aching. But he needs to get this done before the winter storm rolls in. They're looking at more snow, and a lot of it.
It's busy work. He doesn't have anywhere to be, or anyone to be with, and that's been a hard truth to accept. He's chilled to the bone, and this has been a long, never-ending winter of his own making.
[READ MORE HERE]
--
Congratulations again to @thisapplepielife for their win!
Written for the @steddiebingo's Tweleve Days of Christmas, using the prompts Sled, Max Mayfield. Each chapter will fill a different set of prompts.
Read Chapter Four Here!
"Greek mythology wasn’t something that Steve knew a lot about. He couldn’t tell you the names of most of the gods or the heroes that served them. Also, he had no idea what any of the weird monsters were called or what any of them did specifically to earn being called monsters. What Steve did know about was that love was rarely found in those stories. And when it was, it was cruelly ripped away. Like that dude who went through the underworld for his lover, only to lose her at the last second, or that lady who turned into a tree because that one god guy wouldn’t stop harassing her. So, while Steve’s love life wasn’t that depressing, he still felt it was a good analogy for his dating history."
As long as Steve can remember, his dating life has been horrible, filled with strings of uncaring alphas who only wanted him for sex. That's why when he met Eddie Munson through the dating app Steve thought this relationship would be different, but one bout of accidental catfishing and a flight to Hawkins turns their relationship upside down, taking Steve on a romantic roller coaster of life-changing proportions.
Fandoms: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Categories: M/M
Characters: Steve Harrington, Robin Buckley, Eddie Munson, Wayne Munson, The Party (Stranger Things)
Relationships: Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Love Hard (2021) Fusion, Omega Verse, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Nesting, Catfishing, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Jewish Eddie Munson, Holidays, Online Dating, Surprise Visits, Scenting, Misunderstandings, There Was Only One Bed, Omega Steve Harrington, Alpha Eddie Munson, Accidental Catfishing, Not Mean-Spirited In Any Way!
This is my personal masterlist of the fics I submitted towards filling my bingo card for this @steddiebingo mini event. (Bingo for this event was completing 6/12 card prompts. Completed on 1/10/25.)
Completed Prompts:
"You're a Fucking Dickhead" - Prompt: Soulmate | Word Count: 1894 | Rating: T | CW: Language | POV: Steve | Tags: Soulmate AU, College AU, Modern AU, Meet Cute, Or: Meet Ugly, Soulmarks, Invisible Strings, Hijinks Ensue, The Universe Had to Work Overtime on These Two
Same Time Next Year? - Prompt: Krampus | Word Count: 2400 | Rating: E | CW: Monsterfucking, Spanking | POV: Steve | Tags: Modern AU, Steve "Monsterfucker" Harrington, Krampus Eddie Munson, Size Difference, Immortality, Rimming, Anal Sex
Climb You Like a (Christmas) Tree - Prompt: Santa | Word Count: 2806 | Rating: E | CW: Monsterfucking, Spanking | POV: Steve | Tags: Modern AU, Steve "Monsterfucker" Harrington, Krampus Eddie Munson, Size Difference, Immortality, Rimming, Anal Sex
Black Velvet, If You Please - Prompt: Velvet | Word Count: 1113 | Rating: T | CW: Language | POV: Steve | Tags: Future Fic, Established Relationship, Famous Corroded Coffin, Corroded Coffin Guys, Steve Trolling Eddie, Because He Loves Him
Slip Slidin' Away - Prompt: Coat | Word Count: 1355 | Rating: T | CW: Language | POV: Eddie | Tags: Modern Day AU, Ice Storm, Neighbors Meet Cute, FYP Getting *Far* Too Local
Fool Me Twice, I'll Bring You Down - Prompt: Snow | Word Count: 2398 | Rating: T | CW: Language, Mentions of Upside Down Trauma | POV: Eddie | Tags: Future Fic, Post Break-Up, Self-Sabotaging Eddie Munson, Good Uncle Wayne Munson, Reconnecting, Olive Branches, Second Chances, Always the Right Guy, Finally the Right Time, Hopeful Ending
