Steve and Gareth as Cousins, no longer a warm-up and now called Lifelines, part three! I’ll throw it up on A03 when I finish the fourth part.
Prior parts can be read here: Part One / Part Two
First things first, the most amazing @ sereinpetrichor managed to track down the OG Twitter thread this runaway train is based off of!
It was this thread by @gatorthots, the Tumblr version of which can be read, here. All blame for this idea firmly rests on their brilliant, plot bunny inducing shoulders.
The other, follow up thread I mentioned was this one by Silas, whose tumblr name I do not know.
As always and forever, shout out to the most amazing @chalkysgarbagefire who helps me edit/plot/pats my head while I’m crying in their inbox bc the words aren’t wording right.
Warnings: Steve and Robin are canon (S3) drugged. I took a slightly (kinda sorta) more realistic approach. Vomit mention, canon threat of violence/guns (the Russian guards) Mention of pantsing/past bullying, Steve and Robin’s drugged asses not understanding personal space, Dustin’s canon…Im gonna go with assholishness? but like, I think its more than he’s a young kid and doesn’t quite have the emotional growth/awareness yet in this kind of insane situation to know how to react to the whole address/torture bit (really who does)/its a defense mechanism–and Gareth sort of has a panic attack.
Whatever the hell they had been drugged with, Steve and Robin went from ‘giggly happy fun time’ to 'vomiting into toilet bowls while loudly wishing for death’ awfully fast.
Gareth was not an expert on drugs. He knew Eddie wasn’t either (the guy never dealt anything stronger than your average psychedelic–had some agreement with his Uncle about only selling “the 70s basics”) and repeated looks towards him proved Eddie was still trying to figure out what Steve and Robin were on.
Answers hadn’t exactly been forthcoming–Eddie’s gently made attempts at ferreting out information had only caused more confusion.
Like why the two of them were so freaked out about a gate, or what had made Robin gasp, and then laugh so hard she cried when Steve had made a particularly rough noise then muttered; “Even that sounds better than Tammy Thompson.”
Either way, Gareth was mostly trying to figure out what the hell they were going to do, because sobering up in a busy, public mall wasn’t exactly the best idea.
“I regret,” Robin tried to say, in-between gagging. “I regret–hrk–"
"Me too.” Steve moaned, head resting against the stall wall. Gareth, still caught up in panic, had been permanently regulated to door guard while Eddie alternated between sweet talking, rubbing backs and offering quietly whispered advice.
“Let’s go back in time and ignore the whole silver cat thing.” Robin continued, slumping back down onto the floor.
“Wouldn’t have mattered.” Steve muttered. “Dustin would have figured it out without us. Kid’s too damn smart."
"So?” Robin grumbled, quietly thanking Eddie as he once again brushed her hair out of her face.
“So he would have gone down there anyway, which means I’d be down there anyway.” Steve concluded. “We shouldn’t have gotten you involved though."
He shakily pushed himself up, staggering to his feet and looking like bambi on ice while doing it.
Eddie quickly came round to offer his help, hands spread as Steve groaned out a curse and clutched his head.
The older took a step forward right as Steve lurched back, unbalanced and shaky.
"Oh shit.” He said, eyes wide as he crashed backwards into Eddie, the latter catching him with a grunt.
Despite the entire situation, Gareth found himself stifling a laugh as Eddie wrapped his noodle arms around Steve’s chest, trying to hold the other up without falling himself.
“Come on big boy, why don’t we just siiiit back down.” Eddie said, slightly breathless as he helped guide Steve back to the floor. “There we go…”
Weiterlesen
TW: Angst, internalised homophobia, homophobia
Steve is scared. For two days. He's felt fear like this before. When Tommy had given him a funny look for looking at a skirt too long, or for not wanting to use fag, or for when Steve leant on him too long.
or around his dad.
He hated the way his belly churned, how his brain wouldn't stop coming up with different scenarios. The upside down was less scary than this. Robin called round once, but he didn't want her to see him, bleeding noes and hiding in fear.
He didn't want her to know.
It would ruin everything, their friendship.
He'd probably ruined it already, by being so stupid, by not thinking before he acted. Maybe if he had thought about it more, he would have seen that kissing Eddie Munson was not the best idea.
Steve curled tighter in his bed.
He thought….
He'd just thought. They were so close. Eddie liked to cuddle, Eddie touched him, so much more than Tommy ever did. Eddie was accepting of the weird and the wonderful.
Of Robin.
Steve sobbed. But not him. Not the kiss. Not them.
He cried.
Cried and cried until he had nothing left, until his face felt dry and his throat hoarse.
Then he got up. He got up and he washed his face, he put the peas from the freezer on his nose and he locked away his heart. It was fine. He would be fine.
Like he always was.
Robin hunted him down the day after, a million and one questions about his nose, but he just told her he walked into the door. Steve didn't want his stupid impulsive action to ruin what they all had, after all Dustin's birthday was tomorrow and he had to be fine.
He was fine.
He and Eddie looked at each other over the crowd at Dustin's, eyes catching one another. Steve feels his heart rate go up, but Dustin is pulling him away, dragging him over to something and he can breathe again.
He could breathe.
As long as he avoided Eddie. He could do that.
It was almost impossible in the small house, but Steve was good at mingling, good at talking to people and as long as he was talking to…
"Hey kid, was lookin' for ya. Got that repair kit you were looking for,"
Wayne. Fuck. Wayne.
Steve's shaking. He doesn't realise it till Wayne's looking at him funny. He liked Wayne, kind man, always talking to him about fixing stuff up, baseball.
He'd thought…
Steve doesn't know what he thought. He'd told Wayne, in the quiet of the night after a game they'd watched.
How he'd always felt a bit different, how he never felt like he fit in any one box and Wayne had said he'd understood. That sometimes love took different forms. That he was glad that he and Eddie had grown close, hasn't seen Eddie look at anyone the way he looks at Steve.
That Steve wasn't alone.
Because someone different had once meant something to Wayne, meant the world to Wayne even though it didn't mean nothing to society.
"Y-yeah. Ill come get it some time Wayne, thanks,"
"Nothing to it kid, you okay? Ya nose is kinda blue,"
Steve twitches, "Nah, it's fine, just walked into a door,"
"Steve,"
Steve whips around so fast he sends the tray of sandwhiches behind him flying. His back is pressed against the wall, body in flight before h can even think about it.
The room is silent.
All he can see are Eddie's eyes. Those big eyes staring back at him. Fear mirrored inside them.
Fear. Why would there be fear, Eddie's not the one who got punched in the face. Steve feels a sudden surge of anger churn his belly.
He needs to leave. Needs to get out of there.
"I have to- I have to go, Dustin sorry," he mumbles as he stumbles out of the house.
Away from the questions.
Away from Eddie.
"Steve wait!"
Steve doesn't.
"Steve please,"
"It's fine. I'm fine. Just let me go. I need to go. I can't. I can't do this right now Eddie. I'm sorry. I'll just.. i'll leave. thanks for not saying anything I guess,"
"Steve no. I- no. I'm saying sorry. I shouldn't have hit you. Even if you're queer."
Steve doesn't know how many times he'll flinch that day. He stares at Eddie who now that he's actually looking at him, looks a mess.
"Even if? Are you fucking serious?"
"No I meant-
"What the fuck?"
They both turn to see Dustin, who's staring at them with huge eyes. Steve's fear returns, a cold icicle in his belly. Fuck. Dustin. Fuck.
But Dustin isn't looking at him. He's looking at Eddie.
"You hit Steve?" Dustin repeats.
"No- "It's not-
"That's what you said. That's what you just said. You hit Steve for being queer,"
Eddie's mouth flaps helplessly.
"Get out. Get the fuck out of my party,"
"Dusty, no, it's fine. It's not like that," Steve tries, doesn't want this to draw a rift any further.
"How else is it Steve? What the fuck else would he mean?" Dustin says, Steve's never heard him so cold. "That's not fucking cool Eddie. I thought you were cool. But you're just another bully,"
Eddie runs.
And Steve watches.
and Wayne curses.
Here <- Previous Part | Next Part -> Here
--- Authors Note: this will have a good ending! I'm just trying to dig into that feeling of messed up emotions from being told one thing your life and not processing it properly. Please don't hate Eddie to much, he's going through it.
Please, for the love of god, please don’t be this person. No matter how long it’s been since an update, no matter how many unfinished stories are sitting on their account, no matter what - do not be this person.
Not only is it insanely rude, but you also do more damage than you think be being such a self-entitled ass about something someone created for free and for fun. “This author” can see what you say.
RIP decency indeed.
This made my brain go brr, therefore it’ll make your brain go brr too if you’re following me <3
A spoon's only objective in life is to make soup go upwards, and it knows this. That's why when you put one under a running tap it blasts the water way high. The spoon thinks there's suddenly TONS of soup to deal with and it freaks out.
For the fic writers, Eddie Munsons car is a 1977 GMC G2500 Gaucho
word count: 692
The Party throws a party.
for @stobinmonth prompt: Steve and Robin die
They don't talk as much anymore. Ten years ago, things were different-- he would hear from the East Coast gang once a month and at least one of the Cali group was always hanging around the house, shoe rack overflowing in the front hall.
Eddie gets it. That's why he's so grateful when they can all get together like this, everyone under the same roof, just like Steve and Robin always wanted.
It's the anniversary of their death today. They were barely 50 when the two of them left the house for work and never came back. Time has healed the very worst of the loss for Eddie, but it stings him sometimes when he isn't expecting it. He can't imagine ever living through this day alone.
The shoes are piled up around the shoe rack, all different shapes and sizes and styles. The children are playing a video game in the living room. There's a loud ruckus going on in the kitchen over the margarita recipe. He already knows what he'll hear if he walks in. Steve's disciples will bray on about adding jalapeno in his honor. Robin's group will defend her lasting belief that jalapenos have no place in a beverage. They'll get nowhere until Lucas breaks and makes a second pitcher.
Eddie slips upstairs to collect the decorations. He should have done this before they all arrived, but he was busy. Okay. He was wallowing, but you would too sometimes if your best friends had been dead for ten years.
There's the string of letters that spells out their names. The giant blown up posters of the worst pictures of them he could find. A box of random shit he keeps firmly shut every day but this one.
When he comes back down, they're all in the living room cheering on the kids. And Mike, who has commandeered one of the tiny controller things. It seems like he's losing to his own son, who looks about as smug and shit-eating as Mike always had at his age.
They all help him hang the names and the posters, laughing as they do. The box takes its place of honor on the coffee table for anyone to open and sift through if they want to. It's always El who dives in first, somehow unafraid to face her grief.
They spend the day and half the night together. The older children go upstairs to watch a horror movie when it gets late while the youngest (a mop-headed Henderson) falls asleep half on top of his mother. There's a plush alligator wrapped in his lanky arms.
"He should keep that," Eddie says. The words come off his tongue more easily than he feels they should. He fights the urge to snatch them back.
Suzie and Dustin stare at him. "Are you sure?"
"It's just collecting dust in that box. Robin would want him to play with it instead." The fact that it's true makes the idea of it leaving the house a tiny bit more bearable.
Dustin sniffles, his eyes suddenly wet. "He never got to meet them, you know. It kills me sometimes."
Suzie pats his left hand, Max grabs his right. "He knows them, honey," his wife tells him. "Why do you think he knows every single story in that box? Why do you think he loves coming over here to be with everyone each year? That's Steve and Robin, babe. They're still here."
Eddie finds himself joining the waterworks that spring up after that, everyone grabbing a tissue from the table to wipe at their eyes or blow their nose.
She's right, he knows. Steve and Robin are here every year when the people they loved the most come together to talk about them. To complain about how annoying they were in life and in death. I mean, who lives through five separate otherworldly monster attacks and then dies in a ten car pile-up? It's absurd.
But he knows this party, these people all laughing together, is everything Steve and Robin would have wanted.
Eddie slowly collects the items from around the room and closes the box for another year.
Part 7!! (??)
I’m losing track.
More Steddie interactions (kinda?)! Plus Steve and Louie and the kids :))
I’m so excited for this one aaahhhhh!!!!!
I’m starting this on my 15th bday lmaoooo
(Update it is now 2 months after my bday, HAPPY pride month everyone!!)
Tag list:
@cam-cat-writer @jackiemonroe5512 @finntheehumaneater @irregular-child @grimmfitzz @fantrash @bookworm0690 @fiddledeedee85 @hunterbow04 @strangeforest @just-a-tiny-void @jaimeweasley13 @thelittleclare @rebellatio-03 @sirsnacksalot @geekyfifi @sapphireoceansoc @salty-h0e @dragonmama76 @mentallyundone-blog @lingeringmirth @moomkin77 @netflixisacopingstrategymom @jaytriesstuff @goodolefashionedloverboi @hellfirebaby-86 @blu3stars @blackpanzy @strawberryyyenthusiast @lololol-1234 @thestarslittleking @silenzioperso @forest-fogg @bebopbabyy @lawrencebshaggoth @stevesbipanic @dauntlessdiva @live0rdive @y4r3luv @jonesn4coffee @sofadofax @sensationalsunburst @scarlet-malfoy @l393ndjean @asspirin-s @fandomz-brainrot @mugloversonly @virginlemontea @littlebluejane @paintsplatteredandimperfect @astrid-nomically-steddie @maferisa-7 @phantomrose17 @thoughtfulbreadpolice @fandomnerd103 @atemisiscursed @croatoan-like-its-hot @myownworstenemyyy
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Steve didn’t want to leave the kitchen.
“Get the hell out there, Harrington!” George scolded him. “It’s a bunch of middle schoolers!”
Yeah, Steve refused to serve a table of middle schoolers. Because they weren’t /just/ middle schoolers.
They were his middle schoolers.
Accompanied by Miss. Byers and Jonathan.
Steve internally groaned. He had been completely avoiding and refusing to tell any of them where he worked and had sworn Hopper to secrecy. Dramatic? Sure. But valid? Absolutely.
Those kids were menaces. Even Will in his own way, giving Steve one of those sweet smiles of his to get him to give them rides almost whenever. Ugh.
The point is; Steve didn’t want to the Brat Bridge to know where he worked. Because then they’d come just about everyday to harass him.
But a teasing comment about “Scaredy Steve” from Mason had Steve punching Mason in the arm and marching out into the actual diner.
Gwen walked past him into the kitchen with a tray of dirty dishes. She clapped him on the shoulder with a sly smile. “Good luck, they’re a loud bunch.”
Steve sighed. “Trust me, I know.”
Five kids, one teen, and one adult. Steve would be fine. It’d be totally fine. He sees these people like every goddamn day—
“Steve!”
He’s been spotted.
Steve gave a strained smile to Dustin, who was actually bouncing in his chair between Mike and Max, who were both looking at him like a freaky big they’d never seen before.
“What are you doing here?” Lucas chirped, across from Dustin, grinning ear to ear. Will sat quietly next to him but smiled at Steve when they made eye contact.
Steve crossed his arms and popped his hip, a small grin of his own plastering his face. “I work here, Sinclair. Now what does the Brat Pack want?”
A chorus of shouts of different menu items flew at Steve all at once. He chuckled quietly, and then groaned louder— just to be a dramatic shit.
“One at a time! You learned how to take turns in kindergarten, didn’t you? Or are you guys still there?”
Dustin and Mike immediately protested, Max making a dig at Steve’s “elementary school IQ”. While the three of them argued with a not-listening Steve, Steve turned his attention to Will and Lucas.
Orders were placed quickly after. Steve turning to Jonathan and Joyce after the kids.
When he gave the paper to Mason the raised eyebrow he got back held thousands of questions. Questions Steve ignored with a smirk and wave of his hand.
.
His shift that day was rowdy and filled with teasing and laughter. Not much different than usual but it was warmer. More comforting. The kids didn’t leave with Miss. Byers, opting to stay behind with Jonathan and wait until Steve’s shift ended.
Allya and George waved Steve off about closing, insisting they’d get to it themselves.
So, Steve and Jonathan split the brats up between their cars; Lucas, Mike and Dustin with Steve, Max and Will with Jonathan.
“Steve can we go to your house? Please?” Dustin begged, hanging off of Steve’s arm while they all walked to the cars. Steve pretended to think about it, already knowing full well that he’d give in and let them storm his trailer.
He sighed dramatically, just for shits and giggles, before agreeing. Because he’s a giant push over.
Steve and Jonathan split the kids up and Jonathan followed Steve all the way to trailer park.
“Hang on—“ Dustin slapped Steve’s arm from his seat in the passengers side. “Don’t you live in Loch Nora?”
Steve huffed, his irritation flaring at the reminder. He quickly tramped it down, refusing to be angry at Dustin for being curious.
“Used to. Moved out once I got Louie.” He explained, barely even a lie.
Mike and Lucas shared a glance in the back seat. Steve narrowed his eyes at them before quickly returning his gaze to the road. He’d have a talk to them later about trying to play detective.
Jonathan and Steve pulled in side by side in the driveway. The kids got out one by one, rushing to the porch and waiting impatiently for Steve to open it for them.
Steve smiled a small smile at the antics, before catching Jonathan staring at him out of the corner of his eye.
Steve turned to him with a confused raise of his eyebrows. Jonathan raised his own eyebrows and looked pointedly to the trailer before back at Steve.
So it wasn’t Lucas and Mike playing detective, it was Jonathan.
Steve rolled and eyes and made a very pointed and obvious “later” look before pushing through the kids and unlocking the door.
The kids discarded their shoes haphazardly and spread out in the living room, looking at everything.
“I’ll be right back. Break anything and I’ll break your asses.”
Max and Mike rolled their eyes, disappearing with Will down the hall to no doubt look around more. Dustin and Lucas stayed in the living room.
“Where are you going? And where’s Louie?” Lucas asked suspiciously.
Steve rolled his eyes fondly. “Wow ok. More interested in my kid than me, Sinclair?” Lucas spluttered a reply, but Steve waved him off with a chuckle. “I’m kidding, doofus. Louie’s up at Gran— er, Margaret’s, because I had work.”
Lucas deemed this an ok answer and let Steve go.
He knocked on Gran’a door three times before she opened, Louie on her hip and the twins right behind her. Noah and Casey immediately ran out the door to hug Steve on the small porch, each hanging off of a different leg as Steve reached out to take Louie from Gran.
“Heya, baby!” Steve greeted the now teething infant. Teething, as Louie immediately stuck Steve’s shirt collar in his mouth to chew on.
Steve smiled at Gran, letting her know the brats were over but that they could still have dinner together that night if she was ok with an extra five kids (and Jonathan).
Grab waved him off. “The more the merrier, dear.”
Noah and Casey followed Steve home, Gran having to go run some errands and taking advantage of Steve finally being home. Steve didn’t mind.
He’d just made it to the bottom of his porch when something caught his eye across the street; leaving his own trailer was Eddie Munson, his hair thrown half-up-half-down and his shirt and jeans ripped to basically scraps. He was grinning and talking while walking backwards, supposedly to the old man standing in the doorway.
Eddie turned around just in time to make eye contact with Steve, raise an eyebrow, and grin devilishly. He stuck out his tongue, and Steve and Louie both giggled.
Steve broke the tension-filled eye contact to look down at little baby Louie, who was still chewing on his shirt. Louie grinned back at him, his little teeth nubs shiny. When Steve looked back to Eddie, the van was gone and the pretty metalhead was nowhere in sight.
“Steve! Why are you withholding the child?” Max demanded.
Steve snapped back to reality just enough to glare over his shoulder at her.
.
IM SO SORRY FOR THE SLOW ASS UPDATES BUT I CANT PROMISE ILL DO BETTER WITH MY ADHD AND HYPER-FIXATIONS EVERYWHERE 😭😭
It can be really bad, how controlled pain can be really grounding…
It is not always control or to feel something or to fell something other. Sometimes it is just grounding and bringing you back to the now with a clearer mind.
It is conflicting to tell someone to stop if you know it is helping and not to much harming… it could be too much harming and you will never know if it could be until it is.
Steve Harrington was tired.
Tired from the shitty day he'd been having.
Tired of all the sleepless nights he'd been having over the last few years.
But worst of all, he was tired of his existence.
There were days when he didn't want to go on, when he just wanted to stop existing.
It wasn't going to get any better, if anything it was only going to get worse.
Steve was very sure of that.
He had thought about just ending it all, about what would happen if he simply sank into his pool and never emerged again.
But those were thoughts he would keep strictly to himself.
He couldn't do that to Robin and the kids.
They had all endured enough in the last few years, he shouldn't be a part of their trauma.
But he knew that eventually they would leave him behind. That he would become too much and then. Yes, then he could disappear, when no one needed him anymore.
Steve lived as long as his friends still needed him.
He pretended everything was fine and was there when they called for him.
It was after Starcourt that someone started to notice his behavior.
Robin couldn't stop thinking about what had happened and she thought about what had happened to Steve.
She thought about how he had always stepped right in front of her.
How he had run towards a gun.
How he had done the talking and had been the first to be "questioned".
Something that wouldn't let her go.
Had Steve done all that consciously?
Had he actively used himself as a human shield?
However, Robin stopped thinking about it.
It would never go back to normal, but she was happy that it was as close to normal as possible.
Robin had to think about it again after she had told him that she felt that not everyone would get out of here again.
She didn't know why she had to think about it afterwards, only later would she realize that his answer had never included himself. That he was always concerned that all the OTHERS survived.
But at that very moment, other problems were more pressing than the question of what was different about the interaction.
After Vecna was defeated and Eddie and Max were in the hospital, Steve was as busy as ever making sure everyone was okay.
This time she saw clearly that he was taking care of everyone else and not himself.
She wasn't the only one who saw it.
Eddie asked her if Steve was actually taking a break.
They both wished he would.
Corroded Coffin are celebrating an album release in Vegas. Eddie gets bored of the VIP area at the club & wanders The Strip. Standing at the Bellagio fountain is the most beautiful man he’s ever seen. Eddie pushes past some douchey looking dudes in business casual to reach him.
Eddie falls to one knee. “Will you marry me?” Steve who is bored with his business man life and hates his friends takes one look at this random proposing man with wild hair and leather pants and says “Yes.”