Throwing My Hat Into The Ring - Hi! I’ve Been Loving So So Much The Back And Forth Amongst All Anons

Not sure if prefer established relationship or a get together scenario but picture

Post-Vecna and rebuild - Robin is attending community college (I can’t send her away from Steve) and cuts back her hours at family video, Keith has been scouted to manage a new store, so by process of elimination - Steve now finds himself as Store Manager - with a surprisingly extra amount of spending money

Eddie meanwhile - healing up but cannot find a job because reputations don’t disappear overnight, so he’s still dealing but only household income is Wayne at the plant, and Eddie’s no longer in school so that cuts out one of his guaranteed square meals, so yeah things are tight

Cue Eddie losing a fair bit of weight, cue Steve absoluTELY mother henn-ing it up.

Starts making sure he always has snacks handy - anything calorie dense coz look at his poor boy! He’s wasting away!

Seriously - any excuse for to get a snack in Eddie’s hands- Eddie yawns and Steve’s like “ITS PROBABLY LOW BLOOD SUGAR”

Making sure Eddie meets him 12.30 sharp at family video for his lunch break and Steve taking him any diner or restaurant he’s either knows or has heard is good

(“of course we’re going out to lunch Eddie, it’s good for our recovering local economy!”)

using this as a friendly rouse to pay everything, - insists Eddie orders as much as he wants - and Steve insists he pays it all.

Inviting him over for hearty home cooked meals- always with seconds and desserts

Eddie’s miffed at first and not sure exactly how to bring up that Steve maybe sees him as a total charity case — but he’s got eyes and it becomes apparent that Eddie finishing his plate…is definitely doing things for Steve

So it becomes a game of pushing the envelope- Eddie truly tests the depths of Steve’s seemingly limitless on hand snacks, ordering OBSCENE amounts at lunch, asking for seconds and thirds of both dinner and dessert at Steve’s house

Does Steve eventually realise or does Eddie tell him out right (kink negotiation is key and Eddie’s got more experience in that realm than Steve) does Eddie keep going and try to get him to admit …who knows

Or is the first one to crack robin, having a coke-to-Jesus moment with her bestie at work, watching Steve fuss over his ballooning boyfriend, pushing food on him constantly, even/especially if Steve’s acting all belligerent about it, always asking when Eddie last ate, “nagging” and mothering a smiling fat Eddie like “you sit right there, don’t move I’ve got more snacks in the back” to him etc

Eventually Eddie has to leave, vue a kiss goodbye and a doe eyed lovestruck Steve, watching his boyfriend waddle out the door and pass the shop front window and out of sight…10 seconds of silence til Robin is like “question - wtf??”

Also didn’t know how to work this part into the story - but part of the caretaking overdrive is also caused by (obvi) trauma - and Steve’s need to protect his own, so just idk - boys been working out a lot - beefier and more muscly and hairy than ever before. Eddie’s definitely not the one oblivious to his own size like Steve seems to be but he’s also curious if Steve’d be able to maybe throw him around a bit even with all the new weight

There's so much here and i like it. What I love especially are scenarios where a third party character cops on to two oblivious idiots long before they do.

Like of course it starts off innocently with Eddie convalescing and Steve being natural mom friend, going to lunch with Eddie and Robin. Eddie finishes his lunch because he's, well, hungry, and Steve packs up his leftovers (he didn't really eat his lunch) and Robin's (without asking her) to give to Eddie to take home.

Eddie moves to a new trailer because his uncle's old place has too many hard memories, so what better justification for Steve to fill Eddie's pantries, fridge, freezer, with everything he could want and need and then some. Sure, some of it is pantry-stable junk like cereals, Kraft Mac, chips, pretzels, Stouffer's dinners in the freezer, everything Eddie likes. And once again Robin is conscripted to help shop, bring everything in, and put it away.

It's when they're all hanging out as the older kids and a considerably plumper and happier Eddie has his limbs tangled up with and half sitting on Harrington, and STEVE finally looks calm and happy and contented, and his hand is absentmindedly scratching at and rubbing (oblivious) Eddie's belly, finding any reason to be taking up the same space as his well fed boy, that Robin rolls her eyes and cops on.

She sticks around for a minute or two after Jonathan and Nancy and Eddie go (he kissed Steve deeply, grabbing the back of his head with a ring-heavy hand, and gives him a good grind telling him he'll be thinking about him before bed).

"So. You and Munson..."

"Uh, yeah, for a while now. You knew that." Steve's eyebrows are knit and he chuckles confusedly.

"No, come on. You know what I mean... you and Munson," she draws out his name using her hands to mime an exaggeratedly rounded curvy body.

"I have no idea what you're talking about!" He says going red and rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that. I say live and let live, but I think you should let him know how much you've been drooling over his fat ass. If you ask him nicely, I'm sure he'll give you a taste."

"Jesus, Robin! ... You think so?"

OKAY HI HI

OKAY OKAY SO I GOT AN ASK.

IMAGINE CHUBBY EDDIE ALR? IMAGINE EVERYTIME STEVE AND EDDIE GET IN AN DISCUSSION EDDIE JUST LIFTS HIS SHIRT SHOWING HIS CHUBBY BELLY AND STEVE IS ALL OVER HIM. NOT EVEN REMEMBERING THE DISCUSSION.

AND IMAGINE THE FIRST TIME STEVE SEES EDDIE'S CHUBBY BELLY AND HE IS JUST LIKE "WOW WHY DID YOU HIDE THIS FROM ME? THIS IS AMAZING! ARE YOU HUNGRY? LET'S GET YOU SOME SNACKS I WANT YOU TO BE BIGGER" AND EDDIE JUST LAUGHS BUT HE'S HONESTLY TOTALLY INTO IT SO HE JUST AGREES YOU KNOW! AAAAAAAH SORRY IM SUPER EXCITED OVER CHUBBY EDDIE!

ANYWAYS I HOPE YOURE DOING GOOD! AND I WISH YOU A VERY GOOD DAY!

Omg hello Anon!!! Love your enthusiasm! Hope I can match it!!

And lmao I love this!!

Especially because - loving sexy times aside! - Eddie and Steve, as exemplified in their mutual found-positions of surrogate parents to a ragtag bunch of kids, definitely find themselves filling a role akin to ‘parents with very differing ingrained philosophies’ concerning the absolute most mundane n boring of everyday things.

They’re both fussy, and particular, and while ultimately compatible, these dudes b.i.c.k.e.r.

So this ends up going hand in hand with Eddie’s strategic figuring out of exactly how much Steve appreciates Eddie’s growing heft (short answer being ‘YES! GOOD YES! VERY MUCH MORE PLS!’ but Eddie doesn’t understand that immediately, its not been said explicitly just yet so they’re in the feeling out stages)

Eddie’s pretty good at not lying to himself, so he’s aware he’s put on a good couple (dozen) pounds, but also, his recent largesse can be put to the ministrations of an overeager caretaker of a boyfriend, offering seconds, thirds, and then some, at every meal. Granted, Eddie’s not exactly saying no to anything on offer, but he’s also noticed that, despite going up two pants sizes, its not like Steve’s slowed down on offering that little bit extra at every meal.

So Eddie’s just putting the facts at hand together and either a) Steve is loveblind & really doesn’t care, or b) he does care & he’s too polite to bring it up, or….c) Steve likes it. And given the way Steve’s eyes light up, and take on a certain haze when Eddie says yes to that oft offered forth serve of whatever they’re eating…Eddie’s willing to put money on an option.

So what’s a guy to do but show off his newfound assets?

Eddie starts experimenting. Just a little trial and error – testing it out when Steve’s on a tear about something domestic, inconsequential and boring (Steve’s never made him feel anything less than adored in bed, and Eddie may have passed science by the skin of his teeth, but he knows an experiment depends on controls and stuff. So boring times call for experiments)

So Steve’s gotten started on a rant about how actually! Eddie, its not the same if you just hang dry certain shirts and ironing certain pieces of clothing can be important! And its not the same thing, and people *do* notice crinkled shirts! Cmon these creases can be seen from space!

And while Steve’s had his eyes glued to a (perfectly creaseless! Whats Steve even talking about?) shirt – Eddie’s subtly rucked his pants under his now quite generous & noticeable underbelly, and under his thick love handles, slightly hitching up his shirt as he rubs the top of his own belly. Just staring at Steve as he paces, not paying any mind to his own body on show, waiting for his boyfriend’s gaze to swing his way.

And really, its pretty obvious this experiment doesn’t need three repeats for Eddie’s hypothesis to win out (do hypotheses win? Whatever, it sure feels like a win to Eddie!) because the way Steve’s oh-so-passionate defence of ironing boards** stumbles n crumbles to an ungraceful halt once he turns his sight Eddie’s direction, the way his mouth gets frozen in a beautifully dopey, open-mouthed, disbelieving smile, and the way his eyes widen and subtly rove up & down, and *absolutely* eat up every inch of Eddie…oh yep. Steve is most definitely, at the very leeeast, a fan of the extra weight Eddie’s been throwing around.

Like a fat cat who got the canary, Eddie’s not beyond playing with his prey.

“Hmm I guess I can see your point of view Steve,”

Eddie makes like hes squinting at the shirt in Steve’s hands, leans forward, so his belly drops that little bit lower over his pants,

And really, is steve that worried about creases honestly because he’s not helping the way hes messing up that shirt in his clutches.

“Oh..Oh yeah?” Steve croaks out.

Eddie walks a bit closer, makes sure to keep his face coy and thoughtful, one hand still rubbing his belly and steadily pulling his t-shirt closer to the crest of his belly. And oh yeah, Steves attention is definitely pulled in by that motion.

When he’s close enough to Steve, he plucks the shirt out of Steve’s now almost limp, but fisted, hands and makes to scrutinise it all on his own, holding it up to the light.

Steve’s eyes are clearly telegraphing Eddie’s every movement, but Eddie? Eddie’s eyes are only on the shirt and discussion at hand, totally!

Eddie exaggeratedly lowers his outstretched arms, cocks his hip, knowing from studying himself in the mirror that this move truuuuly accentuates just how big his love handles have gotten recently, feels the jiggle of his own body and the new plump fold of belly over hip that wasn’t there just months ago

“I guess I never really noticed those creases until you showed me in this light”

And Steve actually licks his lips!

“yeah you..see the..creases..that fabric needs..yeah”

And bless Steve for trying to keep up their previous petty domestic tiff but holy shit, Eddie has to bite his lip from laughing in Steve’s gorgeous face because he’s never actually seen someone rendered this helplessly dickmatised in real life!

total cop out - I actually have no idea how to wrap this up, kudos and go ahead if anyone wants to carry on, but basically I just see the pretence of discussion then drawn out and getting to a point just below Eddie all but saying “You are completely and unfailingly correct and I one thousand percent agree with you Steve Harrington!” before Steve’s brain comes back online and the jig is up and Steve knows he’s been caught ogling and, in a loving gruff way, manhandles a giggling jiggling Eddie towards the bed.

I don’t see this tactic employed in too many big discussions (discussions being key operative word, Eddie getting Steve out of his own head by flashing a bit of belly is a different matter), but for smaller domestic scuffles? Hell yeah, Eddies taking this one to the bank!

Eddie’s living for this new discovery. And oh goddd does Steve rue. The. Day! That he handed Eddie that get-out-of-jail-free card.

**Just for my own need for completion - they do sort this out btw, if theres a shirt Steve *insists* be ironed and not hung dry – he needs to write it in laundry proof marker on the tag and make that clear, and sure, whoever does washing will iron it! Although Steve also sees Eddies POV on a lot of shirts, and hung dry does often produce the same result, and relaxes his “must iron” rule for a lot of shirts. Sexy sexy compromise. Besides with how skin tight a lot of Eddie’s shirts usually end up, a lot of this becomes a total non-argument for at least half their laundry.

Oh wow!!! So happy to have received some more anons and sorry I’m so slow getting to them! Have an on-off relationship with sleep rn but will get to them in the morning x

1979 Hair posters, art by Bob Peak

#Steve just wanted to join a club 😔

fuck all romance except whatever the fuck that metalhead freak and his himbo babysitter boyfriend had going on