Burning Text Gif Maker

In regards of the Trump government scraping all trans inclusion in its queer information portion of its websites I have made this thing. Spread the word. Don't let them pretend we never existed.

P.S: Don't like! Reblog! <3

i found a baby picture of my cat please please look at him i'm begging you

“Marry.”

“What?”

“Marry. He’s hot, I’m not gonna kill him.”

“Eddie, we’re not playing FMK; you’re supposed to be telling me his name.”

“Oh. That’s…. Joe Jonas.”

“…he’s literally from Hawkins. And he’s holding a hockey stick.”

“Nobody from Hawkins is that hot, man, no way.”

~~~

Gareth posts the clip to his personal TikTok. Before he can get around to reposting it on Corroded Coffin’s band account, it has more than 100k views. Things only spiral from there, because once the band shares it, the video goes more viral and ends up on the screens of the right people.

chiblkhwks: @harrington94 is social media challenged, but we’re going to make sure he sees this. Will keep you posted.

The comment is immediately overshadowed by a busy day of PR. A photoshoot to an interview to a radio show to the green room at the Fillmore in Boston, before an intimate pre-album release show for members of their fan club. Eddie has completely forgotten about the video entirely, but Gareth’s phone pings with a text notification.

“A response has been issued!” He declares to the room, still grinning down at the screen of his phone.

The rest of the band shares a collectively confused look, all seeming pleased to find they’re not alone in whatever they’ve missed.

“What?” Jeff asks for the group.

In lieu of an explanation, Gareth just flips the phone in his hand around to show a TikTok, stitched with the clip they’d made earlier that morning.

~~~

“Marry. He’s hot, I’m not gonna kill him.”

#Stitch

“Is… is that supposed to be a compliment?” Steve asks, making a pinched face as he laces up his skates.

“You watched the whole video. He compared you to Joe Jonas.” The girl behind the camera responds, but he levels her with an unimpressed look. She doesn’t respond, and after a beat, he sighs.

“Yeah, alright, I guess Joe Jonas is hot. I’ll take the compliment.” He huffs, standing to his feet and moving from the bench he’d been suiting up on toward the ice. The girl follows him, gliding toward the net once they're in the rink, never falling out of pace with him.

“Do you know who it is talking in the video?” She presses, and Steve looks unimpressed again.

“You mean the other hot guy?” He asks with a grin, then nods. “That was Eddie. I’m surprised you don’t know him, the Party listens to Corroded Coffin all the time.”

The video loops back to the stitched clip from Gareth’s initial TikTok then. Everyone in the room processes what just unfolded.

“The Party? Did… did Steve Harrington just make a reference to DnD? Or is that some sports thing I dont understand?” Jeff asks.

Freak raises his hand, indicating he’s next to speak. “Not only that, but his nerdy DnD friends listen to us all the time?”

“Did King Steve call Joe Jonas hot?” Eddie asks, visibly still trying to connect the wires in his brain that fried at Steve’s agreement. “Did he call me hot?”

All three turn toward Eddie, whose face is still reflecting the long form math equation his brain is trying to work out, and Jeff sighs.

“Well, boys. I think we’ve officially lost him.” He says, bowing his head. Freak and Gareth join him solemnly, making Eddie huff and cross his arms over his chest.

“You’re all so dramatic.”

“Gee, I wonder who encouraged us to be this way,” Freak exaggerates through a grin, before shoving a guitar into Eddie’s chest, just in time for Paige to open the door and summon them.

“We can have a meltdown over Harrington after the gig,” Gareth promises with a pat to Eddie’s back as everyone moves around him, exiting the green room and heading for the stage.

~~~

Riding his post-show high, Eddie makes a bold move in the CC band TikTok, commenting under the video Steve had stitched.

corrodedcoff!n: we’ll be in chicago 1/26 if @harrington94 and ‘the party’ are free 🎫

He only gets about 20 minutes of peace before Gareth is jumping around, proclaiming himself the greatest wingman in history.

“It’s an offer for free concert tickets made over social media, and he hasn’t even answered, Gare Bear.” Eddie tries to get him to relax, but he, too, is eager to see how the other reacts to the offer.

He wakes up the next morning to the answer he’d been waiting on, and his stomach flips as he reads it over.

harrington94: only if you guys come to the home game 1/27 🏒

__________

Steve doesn’t even bat an eye when Max shoves her way into the locker room, b-lining straight for him.

“Can I help you?” He asks without looking up, unhooking the padding from his calf and letting it drop to the ground in front of his locker.

“Are you using TikTok to publicly flirt with Eddie Munson?” She asks, voice quieter than he’d typically expect from her, but he just scoffs.

“I’m just being friendly! You’re the one who started this in the first place! What, you didn’t expect me to log on and check if they’d responded?” He asks in response, freeing his foot from the skate, before placing a cover over the blade and letting the boot drop into the lower shelf beside his locker.

“I’m just confused because you’ve been super weird about coming out, and now you’re out here hitting on a rockstar all over social media, that’s all.” Max says, and Steve freezes for a moment.

“Do you…” he trails off, before closing his eyes and rubbing a thumb into his temple. “You really think I just accidentally came out?”

“You called Joe Jonas and Eddie Munson hot, encouraged this rockstar to come to your game when he’s in town and also accepted tickets to see him perform, Steve.” Max was monotone, and held her hands up defensively when he groaned. “I’m not starting anything, I’m just saying that this could get blown out of proportion now.”

They discuss a little further, deciding neither of them will publicly acknowledge anything that’s been posted to the account for now, until they actually come up with a plan.

Once he’s in his car heading home, Steve calls Robin.

“Dingus,” she greets, as always, and he lets out a grumble. “Uh oh. What happened?”

“I think I accidentally came out on the internet, and it’s Eddie Munson’s fault.” He’s met with several seconds of silence as he starts his car on the path to him and Robin’s shared apartment.

“Eddie, the drug dealer from high school?” Robin eventually asks, confused, and Steve groans again.

“Yeah. He uh, also is in a band?” He supplies, and Robin’s quiet for a moment as she processes. Then, he hears the tapping of a keyboard. “What are you doing?”

“Looking Eddie up, obviously.” Steve can practically see her eye roll, even though they’re not FaceTiming. “You’re nothing if not consistent, I guess. Doe-eyed curly brunet.”

Steve scoffs. “You say as though you’re not the one currently waking up beside Nance every morning.”

He’s met again by a short silence, before Robin lets out a little puff of air, in a small laugh. “Thank you again for being so cool about that, by the way.” She says, before he hears clicking on her end. “Apparently, Eddie is out as bi. Corroded Coffin does a charity show for the Trevor Project every year, and he’s been to a lot of Pride events.”

Steve’s stomach twists with each new bit of information she provides, because a part of him wants to be that out, wants to be like Robin or apparently Eddie, freely sharing that part of themselves with the world and having no one give a shit. But that’s not how it works on so many levels for Steve. Beside the shit he’d have to deal with on the ice from certain other players, he had no idea how it would impact the team overall. There’s no way to gauge how fans would react, when there’s never been an openly gay player in the NHL. And that didn't even begin to touch on how his parents would react.

“Hey,” Robin breaks him out of his spiral and he realizes he’s been chewing a hole into his cheek. “I can hear how loud you’re thinking right now. Do you need me to come home?” She asks, gently, and he sighs.

“Please.” He mumbles after a long pause, and is grateful when he hears the jingle of car keys from the other end of the phone.

~~~

Robin scrolls through article after article once she gets to their place, pulling Steve onto the sofa with her and laying his head in her lap. Her fingers twist through his hair, doing her best to keep him calm as she reads up on the situation playing out to try and help gauge how big of a hole he’s dug himself this time.

“I don’t think there’s really anyone who thinks you were flirting with him. Not seriously, at least.” She tries to assure him, but he’d already seen the twitter posts to contradict that before she came over. He sighs and rolls onto his back, so he’s looking up at her, and shrugs.

“I kind of don’t think there’s any avoiding it, at this point.” He mumbles. “I’m not… I’m not ready to come out, not like this. Not on this scale. I think the only thing I can do is carry on and hope it doesn’t get turned into any bigger of a deal.”

Robin hums down at him, and continues to brush his hair back out of his eyes. “Okay. So you don’t come out yet. But don’t overcompensate for it, okay?” He scrunches his face up at her, and she types something into her phone before turning it back into his face. He immediately pales, met with a photo of him out with Heidi last year. With a black eye on full display, he looks miserable behind a fake smile.

“Low blow,” he grumbles, pushing himself away from Robin to sit up beside her, and she raises her eyebrow at him, still holding the photo pointed in his direction.

“‘Maybe they won’t notice or ask why my literal teammate punched me in the face at practice if I take a fucking supermodel out to dinner.’” Robin’s imitation is a little too good, a sure sign of too much time spent together.

“Hey, it worked, didn’t it!” He asks, taking the phone off of her and closing out of the image before locking it. He drops it back into her lap with a sigh. “I just don’t know how many times I can keep getting away with hiding it.”

“Well, it helps that Billy got traded out to LA. He would be insufferable about this, and would absolutely make everything 10 times worse.” Robin muses.

Steve sighs and hesitates for a moment before dropping his head back into her lap, curling into her. “I just want it to be on my terms, when I’m ready.”

“We’ll figure it out, and it’ll all be okay, no matter what. Okay?” She assures quietly, leaning down to press a kiss to his cheek.

His phone dings with a new notification; Max texted him a screenshot from TikTok.

corrodedcoff!n: you’ve got yourself a deal 🤝🏻

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Off the Court On the Stage

A Steddie Valentine’s exchange gift for Robin @ghosttotheparty 💕

Rated E • read on ao3 • no UD, modern au strangers to lovers, basketball player Steve & rockstar Eddie

“Look up for me?” Steve looked up, following the medic’s finger. “Do you remember what you ate for breakfast?”

Looking back down, he half nodded. “Uhhh… a burrito, two bowls of cereal, an orange and a protein shake?

The medic’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh. Okay. Well, you don’t seem to have a concussion. Take this paper back to the locker room.”

They both stood, Steve a bit unsteadily but he’d felt worse after a hard workout. It was probably nothing.

He got to the door and peered down the grey hallway where both ways looked identical. Someone had walked him here, he hadn’t paid any attention and he didn’t know where the locker room was.

“Um, how do I…?”

The medic was already typing fast into his computer and barely looked up.

“Go left, two hallways down make a right, fourth door on the right,” he rattled off. Steve blinked and took a few steps into the hall. “Your other left.”

Steve huffed and turned, trying to remember his instructions. After he’d turned down another very similar hallway, he knew he was lost.

“Make a right, he said... then fourth door…” he mumbled to himself. He wished there had been anyone to ask.

More confidently than he should’ve been, he threw open the door to his right and walked in.

In front of him, a man with long dark hair was naked, pulling his tight leather pants from a leg.

“Oh! Shit, I’m sorry!”

He continued to stand in the doorway, staring. He couldn't make himself move. The man didn’t seem bothered, looking him up and down and smirking at him.

“Well hi there, pretty. Could you close the door? Don’t need anyone else seeing the goods.”

Shocked, he complied and pushed the door shut behind him. “S-sorry, I’m- I think I’m just lost.” He rubbed at his face, shaking his head. This had not been his day.

“Well, I don’t remember ordering a basketball player, but I think you found exactly where you’re supposed to be.”

He huffed a laugh, shaking his head. “Yeah, this looks like the locker room. Sorry, I’ll just get out of your hair,” he averted his eyes when he realized they’d been tracking downward, following the man’s tattoos. He turned back towards the door but the man was suddenly close to him, a hand on his arm.

“Now now, we both know that’s not where you want to go.”

The man snatched the paper out of his hand. Steve had already forgotten about it.

“You got knocked down?” The man peered at him suspiciously, looking him up and down once more.

Steve knew he was big, tall and broad shouldered, and he bristled. “I got fouled, the guy tripped me and I hit my head.” He tried to take the paper back but the man evaded him, moving to the side. Still naked, reading his paper.

He frowned, trying to follow him as he paced quickly as he looked over his paper. The man was about the same height as Steve, and lightly muscled like he got his muscles from something other than hours in a gym.

Eddie looked over at him and raised his eyebrows at his probably confused expression. He scoffed, “No signs of concussion? Who is this guy? You’re gunna come with me and I’ll have our people look you over.”

“Your people?”

“Oh. Hi, I’m Eddie Munson,” he held his hand out to shake Steve’s, and held onto it for a long moment.

“Uh. Steve. Harrington.”

Neither of them had the reaction they expected at their names, apparently. Steve started to look around now at the room to try to gain some knowledge of this person. So far all he knew was the man, Eddie, had a tattoo over his hip and onto his ass. And he wore leather pants.

And had zero issues being naked in front of a stranger.

“My band is next door, they don’t usually want to share a dressing room with me,” he then looked down and grinned. “But since I have a visitor, I guess I should put on some pants.”

Steve opened his mouth to say it was his room and he didn’t mind, but quickly closed it. He didn’t know who this guy was, or who he’d share that information with.

“It’s okay, sweetheart,” Eddie smirked again. “I saw you checking out the package already. You’re safe with me. I’m gunna take good care of you.”

Steve laughed, but something in his chest unclenched, a warmth rolling in his belly. He tried to ignore it.

Eddie had put on a pair of joggers and a tshirt that was mostly holes before escorting him into a different room.

After he was introduced to everyone, Gareth gave him a wide knowing smile as he looked him up and down. “Where’d you find this one, Ed?”

“Oh,” he grinned from his sprawl on the couch next to him. “He found me. Walked right into my room and saw my naked ass.”

Drew snickered from behind his fist.

Jeff choked on his sip of water. “For real? Why can’t you just keep your clothes on, dude?”

Steve tried to keep up with what was clearly an old and ongoing argument, but Eddie handed him a bottle of water and stared at him until he drank it. Then he just settled in.

It was strangely comfortable, even though he had been thrown into this situation. The easy comradery between these guys was just like being with his teammates.

He felt his eyes slipping shut and jerked his head back up when a hand settled on his arm.

“Hey pretty, I don’t think it’s a great idea for you to be sleeping. Let’s go find Argyle and get him to check you out and then we’ll go to the hotel, okay?”

Eddie’s soft voice somehow booked no argument and he found himself nodding, getting to his feet with a tiny bit of Eddie’s help. He still felt strange, off kilter in a way he couldn’t explain.

“Yo Argyle, this is Steve,” he called once they’d reached a more open area, like a big backstage set up from what Steve could figure.

“Hi Steve!” Argyle’s wide smile and friendly eyes made him relax immediately. He’d love to run his hands through his long silky looking hair, it had to be down past his waist. Argyle did the same look over that Gareth had, and turned his knowing look back at Eddie. “Snatched him up after the game, huh? Typical.”

Eddie huffed and rolled his eyes. “I’ll have you know, he actually stumbled upon me! You guys don’t have to throw this in my face every time, you know. But hey! Steve needs your help!”

“My help?” Argyle looked him over again, more scrutinizing this time. “With?”

“He got ‘cleared’ by their medical for a concussion but I’d like to make sure. He seems disoriented, and he almost just fell asleep. So,” Eddie waved his hand between them like he was doing a magic trick and Steve laughed.

Argyle smirked, looking between them. “So you wanna know if it’s safe for, like, any extracurricular activities tonight.”

“Uhh, well, I-“ Steve stammered, looking between the two of them. Eddie simply grinned at him as he felt his ears and cheeks flush.

“Come sit, Steve,” Argyle sighed.

He flicked a pen light over his eyes and asked about his head and past injuries, Steve answering to the best of his knowledge. It was hard to concentrate, especially with Eddie hovering over them and the promise in his eyes.

“If anything, a very low grade concussion. But it could be just dehydration and fatigue from the game and getting a bump to the head.” Argyle looked over his paper and handed it back to him. Then he turned to smirk at Eddie. “You gunna look after him tonight?”

“Sure am,” he grinned back.

Argyle snorted. “Well you have my number, if he starts feeling worse- nauseous, his pupils look weird or he gets a bad headache- just call me. Nothing too strenuous, Ed,” he pointed a finger at him.

Eddie held his hands up in front of him, putting on an innocent face. “Of course not!” But he winked at Steve when Argyle turned his back.

Steve felt drawn to him, in a strange way that he’d never felt before. He’d messed around with guys before, of course, but this felt different. He already felt like he’d known Eddie for years.

“Oh! Hey Argyle, can you find someone to tell that I’m stealing Harrington? He never made it back to Basketball Land after his checkup.” Eddie held his hand out for Steve and he took it, allowing the surprisingly strong arm to pull him to his feet. With his shoes on now, they stood eye to eye and Steve felt that warmth in his belly again.

Steve let himself really look at him now, noticing the big dark brown eyes and his long eyelashes, the defined Cupid’s bow above his plush lips. Eddie was stunning. He let his gaze get trapped in the dark curls that dropped down his chest.

“Okay space cadet, you’re coming with me,” Eddie huffed.

It wasn’t until he got in the car with Eddie that he realized he didn’t have any of his stuff. His clothes, his phone, nothing.

“Ed- um, this is very nice of you, but I need my stuff from the locker room.” Steve fidgeted with his hands, awkward somehow now that he was being taken back to Eddie’s hotel room. He wasn’t used to not calling the shots.

“It’s being sent over, honey. I got it all taken care of. Just relax. Usually I’m at the venue a lot longer than this, miss all the traffic. It might take us a while to get moving.”

Eddie slid his arm over Steve’s shoulders and he found himself leaning in, letting his eyes close.

“Stevie, we’re here.”

Opening his eyes at the voice, he quickly let them fall closed again and couldn’t hold back the smile at Eddie running his hand through his hair. His dried sweat hair.

“Ugh, good. I desperately need a shower,” he groaned.

Eddie chuckled, unfortunately his hands leaving him to open the car door. “That sounds like a great plan.” He winked at him as he helped him out of the car.

They took a small elevator up from the deserted lobby, Steve not paying attention to the buttons until the door opened. Directly into a large penthouse suite.

“Wha- Holy shit. This-“ He cleared his throat and shook his head. “This is all yours?”

“Yeah,” Eddie grinned. He typed something quickly into his phone and tossed it down onto a front table. “What, they don’t put you guys up in fancy places?”

“No, I was rooming with fucking Aaron ‘The Mouthbreather,’” he shook his head again, rushing over to the floor to ceiling windows looking over the city. He turned back towards Eddie. “Okay, wait. Who are you?”

Eddie looked sheepish for the first time all evening, and it settled something in him. At least the guy was human.

“I sort of liked it better when you didn’t know. But you’ll find out soon enough. You, uh, ever hear of Corroded Coffin?”

Frowning, he tried to place where he had heard that name before. “Maybe?”

“So, Gareth, Drew, Jeff and I… we’re Corroded Coffin. We hit it big last year, been sailing on some radio hits recently. Our big tour starts tomorrow, we were doing some set up and finalizing everything today.”

“Wow,” he breathed, looking around at the huge space.

“The record company had to really sell us on it, to be honest. We’re pretty much small town boys at heart… so I think this is overkill, but it is fun.” Eddie looked around with him for a moment, a goofy smile on his face.

He had a million more questions.

The door opened behind Eddie and a man stepped out with a bag. Steve’s duffle bag. He started walking over to take it but the man handed it to Eddie, quickly receiving some bills from him.

“Will you be needing anything else, Mr. Munson?” He asked politely.

“I don’t think so, thank you. Have a good night.”

“Thank you sir, you as well.”

Eddie grinned. “I plan on it.”

The man actually bowed before turning and getting back into the elevator.

“This is nuts,” Steve whispered. He’d only seen things like that in movies.

Eddie turned back to him, handing him his bag. “Everything accounted for?”

“Oh. Um.” He unzipped his duffle and located his phone and charger, hairspray, protein bars and clothes that had been in his locker. “Yeah. I didn’t have much. Mostly needed my phone.”

He unlocked his phone and quickly sent a text:

Rob, not going to be able to call tonight. Everything’s fine, I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Love you

“Boyfriend?”

Steve turned to see that of course Eddie had read the text over his shoulder. He huffed a laugh. “No, girl best friend, actually. She’d be blowing me up if I didn’t check in.”

Eddie gave him a small smile, “That’s cute. Really none of my business, sorry. I just don’t need any entanglements showing up here to shoot me or anything.” He shrugged but Steve could tell he was more pleased than he was letting on.

“All good, no entanglements who would care if I, uh, entangled with anyone else,” he chuckled.

“Good,” Eddie laughed. “Well, for me at least.”

Steve was hit with the deep and sudden need to kiss him, and he felt himself leaning into him, but then the elevator opened again.

A different guy in a uniform wheeled in a low cart with bottles of water and plates covered in cloches. Steve raised an eyebrow at Eddie.

“Ordered us some stuff,” he shrugged. Again he handed some folded up bills to the man and exchanged pleasantries and Steve was well on his way to falling for him. Pay attention to how a man treats his inferiors or something. Steve was the same way, getting to know their bus drivers and the most lowly handlers they interacted with.

“Food or shower first? Then we can trade off.”

“Oh.” His stomach dropped. “I thought-“ he shook his head. Nothing to get upset about. It would be weird to want to shower with someone you literally just met. “Never mind.”

“Don’t do that.” Eddie came closer, catching his eye. “What’s the matter, sweetheart?”

Holding the eye contact, taking in Eddie’s accepting face, he shook his head again. It was fine. “It’s nothing. Just- I thought… maybe you wanted to shower with me.” He mumbled the last part and looked away, feeling like a teenager again.

Eddie moved closer still, stopping with a few inches between them. He cupped his jaw and tilted his head up to look into his eyes. “Is that what you want? Me to shower with you? We don’t have to do anything you’re not comfortable with.” Eddie stared deeply into his eyes, probably trying to decide if Steve was taking this in. “I’m not that guy. I’m thrilled with whatever you want to do. Okay Stevie?”

He nodded and couldn’t hold back the small smile. He could tell Eddie meant it, and his genuine affection was winning him over quickly. “Okay, Eds.”

They could still blame his little stumble as he got into the shower on the light head injury, but he saw the smirk on Eddie’s face when he caught him with a hand around his waist.

“If you wanted me to touch you, pretty boy, you could’ve just asked. Don’t have to go all damsel in distress on me.”

“Already saved me, didn’t you?” Steve teased back. At Eddie’s cocked eyebrow, he continued. “Would’ve been wandering around grey hallways all night.”

“Hmmm,” Eddie hummed, nodding. “True, someone else could’ve gotten their claws into the little lost basketball player.” He brought his free hand to trace his fingers through Steve’s wet chest hair. “Good thing I scooped him up instead,” he said, low and rumbly.

His voice was doing things to him, and the way he was touching him was going straight to his dick. All the attitude he had evaporated and he was suddenly desperate.

Leaning in, trying to catch Eddie’s eye to get him on the same page, he almost whined when instead Eddie pulled back and reached for soap on the shelf.

“Oh no,” Eddie cooed. “What’s that face for? You look like someone stole your toy, baby.” He chuckled and Steve huffed a small laugh, immensely happy when he came back into his personal space again. “Hi there. Are you always this needy or is it just for me?”

Steve actually whined this time, unsure if he’d ever made such an embarrassing noise in his life. “Fuck, I think it’s just you.” He was already uncomfortably hard, his cock straining upwards between them.

“Uh uh, say it properly.” Eddie’s eyes darkened and Steve thought his knees were going to give out.

He floundered, trying to figure out what that meant. “Wha- I-“ he shook his head but couldn't take his eyes off of Eddie in front of him.

“Say you’re so needy for me,” Eddie directed. His tone and low voice zinged down his spine and his dick twitched between them. Unable to place this feeling, he chose not to question it and just followed directions.

“Holy shit,” he hissed. Then, catching Eddie’s eye, he went for broke. “I’m so needy for you, Eds. Please.”

Eddie made a low satisfied sound in his throat that made the warmth in his belly expand. He’d never felt this turned on before in his life. And they weren’t even doing anything.

“Please what, baby?” Eddie moved closer to him, a sly smile creeping across his face. “Wash your hair?” He reached up and pushed his wet hair back from his forehead. His eyes settled on his lips. “Kiss you?” Steve opened his mouth to agree, but Eddie’s gaze traveled lower. “Play with your pretty cock?”

“Yes,” Steve sighed, not sure which one he was asking for but it didn’t matter as lips crashed into his and he was pulled into Eddie’s arms.

Steve groaned and his bottom lip was sucked into Eddie’s mouth, receiving a quick bite and a soothing swipe of his tongue. If Steve hadn’t been desperately clinging to him he might have hit the floor.

Eddie pushed him against the wall of the shower, maybe knowing he was done for, or knowing he needed the stability. Calloused hands traced down his sides before wrapping around his hard length.

“Open your eyes, sweetheart.” Eddie purred at him after breaking their kiss.

Steve complied and gasped at the image in front of him, Eddie’s wet hair even darker and slicked back, sticking to his shoulders. Eddie’s eyes were deep and dark, his mouth reddened and opened slightly.

“Good boy. You doin’ okay? I don’t want to get in trouble with Argyle.” He smirked at him, somehow managing to look devious yet completely innocent as he slowly fisted his cock between them.

Steve nodded and when he didn’t get a response other than a pointed look, he thought hard about answering his question. He felt okay, other than desperately needing to come and very out of his league when it came to Eddie. But he didn’t feel any of the symptoms Argyle had told them to look out for. “I’m okay. Please don’t stop. C-can I touch you?” He ducked his head down but then was staring at Eddie’s complex tattoos and his neglected hard cock.

“Of course, gorgeous. C’mere.” Eddie arranged their limbs for him, thankfully, getting them aligned so they each had a hand on each other, before crashing their lips back together and sliding his free hand around the back of Steve’s head. He got a fistful of hair and used it to keep him right where he wanted him.

Steve tried to focus on getting Eddie off, but his body felt like it was trying to shatter apart from the slippery hand wrapped around his own dick and Eddie taking him apart with his mouth.

His hips rocked forward and their lengths slid together causing them both to groan into the kiss.

“So fuckin’ hot, Stevie,” Eddie panted into his ear before sucking and biting down his neck.

He couldn’t be sure who moved first, but their hips shifted allowing their hands to come together encircling both of their cocks. They chased their release, both shoving into their combined fingers.

Steve got a handful of curly hair and pulled their mouths back together, quickly allowing Eddie to take over the ravenous kiss.

He pulled back quickly as he realized he was- “Gunna come, ah ah!“

Eddie stared at him, tilting their foreheads together as both of their hips stuttered and they came between their bodies.

“Oh fuck,” Eddie breathed, working their lengths through their aftershocks and looking down to see the combined mess. “So glad we did this in the shower,” he snickered.

“Jesus Christ,” Steve laughed, ducking his head as he could feel the blush rise on his cheeks.

“Now he’s gunna try to be shy, huh? After he seduced me into the shower and mnph-“ Steve captured his lips again and they smiled against each other.

Somehow they managed to get washed up, dried off and tumbled into bed.

Steve was warm and comfortable, but something was nudging his subconscious awake while he tried to sink back into sleep.

Becoming slowly more aware of his immediate surroundings, the soft sheets and someone cuddling behind him, he still wasn’t sure what it was. Then something hard pushed between his cheeks and across his entrance.

He must have startled or tensed up because they quickly moved away, mumbling, “Sorry.”

Finally memories of the whirlwind of the previous day floated across his mind, and Steve pulled him closer, arching his back. “No. Please, Eds. Need you.”

He felt the groan behind him and their hips both stuttered.

“God, Stevie,” he panted into his shoulder. A hand came up to ghost across his nipple, rubbing more firmly at his gasp.

They moved together for a few moments, precome allowing Eddie to glide between his cheeks but it wasn’t enough for him.

Steve finally pushed back hard, gasping, “Fuck me, Eddie. I need it. Need more.”

The hand on his chest cupped his pec roughly before coming up to his mouth. He opened automatically and sucked two fingers into his mouth, reveling in the moan it caused behind him.

“Get those wet for me, honey.” Eddie’s rough morning voice made him moan as he licked across the calloused fingers.

Eddie pulled his fingers out and he missed them for a moment before his leg was moved, widening for-

“Oh fuck,” he breathed as the wet fingers rubbed over his entrance.

The small amount of spit wasn’t going to be enough but Steve rocked back into the fingers and hoped Eddie had lube close by. Or that he’d just push himself inside of him. He groaned and a shiver went through him.

“I know, baby. Wait one second, okay?”

Eddie’s warmth disappeared from behind him and he swore under his breath from across the room.

He heard him come closer to the bed and the familiar plastic crinkle of a condom wrapper as he moved around behind him. Without any further preamble he felt a cold slippery finger slide into him and he gasped, but rocked back into it immediately.

“Please,” he panted. Eddie shushed him and pushed another finger in, scissoring them around slowly. Adding more lube and another finger, Steve finally cried out as he rubbed across his prostate.

Eddie lined himself up behind him and rubbed the head of his cock across his hole a few times to tease him before slowly, slowly pushing in. He set a languid pace, tracing patterns on Steve’s hips and up his chest, holding him close.

He had never felt this close to someone before, his previous hookups usually meaningless and hurried. This felt like they were becoming one person, pressed close and breathing the same air. Moving together without the delirious necessity of release, just wanting to feel.

A hot mouth found his neck and he couldn’t hold back the whimper that left him.

“So sweet for me,” Eddie purred, lips never leaving his skin. Kissing down his shoulder, he twisted his hips causing his dick to drag across Steve’s prostate. He hummed into his skin and picked the pace up only slightly as Steve panted.

Unable to hold back anymore, he wrapped a hand around his own dripping cock and Eddie added his hand too, intentionally slowing down his movements.

“Eds, oh, so good. Oh my god,” he rambled, too gone to coherently express all the feelings swirling in his chest.

“Gunna come, gorgeous. Come with me.”

Steve rocked back against the thrusts, gasping as the hot mouth returned to his neck and hands tightened around his length. He was so close.

“Ah, holy shit, ah-“ he bit into his lip as he came hard over their fingers and felt Eddie’s hips stutter against him.

He felt like he’d melted into a puddle. They stayed stuck together, their breaths slowing in time. He whined as Eddie pulled out of him and got out of bed, but he couldn’t move. A wet cloth was wiped over him and he hummed an appreciative sound.

Eddie got back in behind him and snuggled into his neck, yanked the blanket over them before wrapping his arms around him. Right before he sunk into unconsciousness a hand laced their fingers together over his chest.

“Good morning, sunshine.” Eddie kissed his forehead and he smiled. “Well, afternoon, but we gotta get to the arena.”

“That’s a new one,” Steve mused.

“New what?”

“Nickname. Sunshine.”

“Yeah? It suits you.” Kissed down his jaw to his neck. “Could light up a room without even trying.” He scraped his teeth across his collarbone and Steve yelped. “Hmmm or puppy, since you’re so eager and always making these cute little noises.”

Steve should be offended but he felt the blood color his cheeks.

Eddie sat back with a grin. “You like that one, huh? C’mon then sleeping beauty, let’s get some food in you and we’ll get out of here.”

Steve whined and pulled him down for a long kiss first, soaking in this undivided attention for as long as he could. It was so honest and endearing, and somehow the names made him feel like this could be more than just a hookup. He’d never been the one taken care of or doted on before. He took care of everyone. It was a new feeling that he already felt himself getting used to.

He let the warm feeling wash over him as they quietly ate everything on last night’s snack cart and today’s brunch tray. He could really get used to this treatment.

“Eds, I don’t really have anything to wear for a concert,” he called out from the bedroom, looking down at his meager pile of clean clothes.

“There’s not really a dress code, babe,” he heard Eddie laugh from the next room. “Just put something on and we’ll find something for you.”

It wasn’t until he was dressed and shoving his dirty clothes from the night before into his duffle that he found his phone and groaned. It was dead and they needed to leave.

“It’s okay, sweetheart, you can charge it when we get there. The car is already downstairs.”

Steve simply nodded but internally knew he was in big trouble. He hadn’t checked in with anyone in more than twenty four hours and they wouldn’t have even been able to see his location on the app if his phone was dead. Sighing, he grabbed all his stuff and went down the elevator with Eddie.

Once they got back to the arena and Eddie dropped him off in the same room they’d met, he plugged his phone in and sat on the floor by the outlet watching the little red battery blink at him until it powered on.

He watched as all the missed calls and texts from Robin, Dustin and Max rolled in. Instead of reading anything he just dialed Robin. She picked up on the second ring.

“What the fuck, dingus? You better have a really good reason for falling off the face of the earth. And why was your location off?”

He groaned. “I’m sorry, Robs. My phone died.”

“What happened? You’ve never let your phone die after a game before. Dustin said you got fouled last night and never came back out from the locker room.”

He winced and rubbed his hand over his face. “Well, I never made it to the locker room, actually.”

“What does that mean?” He could imagine the speculative face he was sure she was making.

“Listen, this is weird and I need you to not freak out because it’s turned out to be the best thing ever. So. Give me forty five seconds before you start yelling, deal?”

“Maybe.”

He sighed. “That douchebag fouled me and I hit my head. They brought me to medical where they told me I didn’t have a concussion but I was still kind of out of it. The idiot medic didn’t want to bring me back to the locker room I guess, so I got lost. And I ran into,” he chuckled. Then stopped when Robin huffed at him. “Sorry. I ended up meeting someone, and I spent the night with him. But he’s amazing, Robs…” He wasn’t sure what else he could say, or how much time he had left before she was released. “He’s, um, in a band, we were all in the same place because they’re playing tonight.

There was a long pause before- “Steven Bartholomew Harrington!” He winced again and pulled the phone away from his ear. “You had us all going crazy worried about you and you were getting laid by a dickhead in a band?”

“I know. I’m sorry. He’s not a dickhead though. He saw that I was disoriented and he got me checked out by his own staff and then… took care of me last night.”

“Oh I’m sure he did,” she grumbled.

“Stop, Robin,” he huffed. “I really like him and even though it definitely started as a quick hookup I feel like it could be more. Like he’s amazing. I promise.”

“Uh huh. Let me speak to him.”

“No, Robs-“

“Yes, Steve. Or I’m sending in Max. This asshole had you forgetting you had a phone for twenty four hours? What kind of platonic soulmate would I be if I didn’t look out for you?”

“He’s not here, Robin, he’s doing-“ he didn’t actually know what he was doing.

“That’s fine. You have three minutes.”

Steve scrambled to his feet and the phone fell to the ground when he tried to walk with it still attached to the charger.

“Sorry. Dropped you. I’m going, I’m going.”

Rounding a corner in the direction he sort of remembered going the night before, he followed the sounds of echoing voices until he found the doorway to the open backstage area.

He saw Gareth first and headed to him at a jog. “Hey-“

“Hey basketball, how’s it going?” Gareth grinned at him.

“I’m okay, but I need to find Eddie, quickly.”

Steve watched as he cupped his hands over his mouth and yelled, “EDDIE! EDDIIIIEEEEEEE YOUR BOY TOY NEEDS YOU!”

Steve blinked at him and he continued grinning back.

“Stevie? You okay?” Eddie popped out of nowhere from across the room, heading over quickly. Gareth walked away like this was completely ordinary.

“Uh, yeah, sorry about that. I, um, this is really weird but I need you to talk to my friend Robin? Just real quick. She’s, uh, not happy that I let my phone die and didn’t check in with anyone today… Please?” He held the phone up between them.

“Sure, honey.” Eddie frowned at him, taking the phone from his hand. “Hello? Hiya Robin, my name is Eddie Munson.” His eyebrows went up and Steve winced. He mouthed I’m so sorry at him and Eddie stared at him with an unreadable look. “Okay, hear you loud and clear, Robin. Hope to see you in person eventually. Uh huh, have a good one.” He handed the phone back to Steve with a blank expression before grabbing his hand and pulling him out of the room.

“Wha-“ Steve got out before he was shoved against the wall in the hallway and kissed within an inch of his life. He sank into it and kissed back after a few seconds. Maybe Robin hadn’t ruined this for him after all.

Eddie broke the kiss and hummed at him, looking at him from under his eyelashes. “So, anything you wanna tell me, sweetheart?”

“Uh. That my platonic soulmate doesn’t know the word boundaries?”

Eddie laughed, but shook his head. “Well who really does, but no, that’s not what I’m talking about. She had to tell me if I hurt you they would hunt me down and hit me over the head with a shovel and no one would ever find my body.”

“I’m sor-“

“No, baby. She said because you ‘really like me’ she needed me to know that you had people looking out for you.” Eddie kissed him again quickly. “I really like you too.”

Steve stared at him a bit dumbfounded for a moment. “Th-that’s what you took from that?”

“Well yeah, your friend is terrifying, sweets, but that doesn’t really bother me because I don’t plan on hurting you. I think it’s great that you’ve found people who would threaten my life. It’s somehow endearing,” he chuckled.

“Well do I have some stories for you, then,” Steve laughed.

“Sure puppy,” he grinned at him when color flooded his cheeks. “C’mon, I could use your help, actually.” He squeezed his bicep and Steve groaned good naturedly. He was feeling much better today and could definitely carry heavy things for them.

Hours later, Steve was feeling pleasantly sore and almost giddy after soaking in all the casual touches and lingering looks from Eddie.

Now after they’d cleaned up, only getting distracted a few times in long kisses, Eddie pulled a faded shirt out of somewhere and threw it at him with a leer.

Steve figured it’d be tight, but he held eye contact with him as he pulled it down his broad chest.

“Fuck, baby. Should’ve had you in my clothes all day.” He reached forward to pull the hem straight. “Maybe not though, we wouldn’t’ve left this room.” His eyes didn’t leave his chest.

There was a loud knock on the door and Eddie sighed. “Come in!”

Jeff opened the door a crack to peek through before finally walking in and Steve laughed.

Jeff shook his head with a grimace. “Apparently sometimes he ‘forgets’ he’s naked and still says come in,” he grumbled. “Not all of us want to see your dick, you know. Anyways! We’re all set up and they need everyone to start sound checks.”

Jeff quickly left the room and Eddie pulled him into a hungry kiss. Steve gasped as a tongue swiped over his lip before teasing across his own. He clenched his hands in Eddie’s shirt but he broke the kiss before he could do anything else.

“Stay here, sunshine. One of the venue guys will come bring you to your spot, okay? Then I’ll meet you back here after.” Steve grinned and nodded and he got a forehead kiss before another quick peck on his lips.

Steve hung out in the dressing room until someone with an earpiece came to get him. But instead of being escorted down where he assumed he’d be, they went up an elevator and shown into a private box, where a lower part had a few rows of auditorium seats.

He turned to the man to ask if he was sure this was right, but he was already gone. There was a sheet of paper in the slot in the door that read ‘Guest of E.M.’ He took a selfie with it and sent it to Robin.

An opening band started a few minutes later and he clapped and cheered in support. He hadn’t really been to many concerts and never in a private box. He entertained himself by poking around the snacks and mini bar, deciding to help himself to a beer.

When the band onstage said their thanks and left the stage, he went down into the seats to wait for Corroded Coffin. He was inexplicably nervous but excited. He munched on some pretzels and a candy bar to keep his hands busy.

Then the lights came back up and he gasped loudly as he caught sight of Eddie bouncing on his toes at the front of the stage, in ripped jeans and a tight mesh shirt, hair wild and huge grin on his face. He was looking directly up at him in his box and sent him a theatric wink when he caught his eye. Steve grinned and waved.

Their music was different than he expected somehow, heavier metal and pounding bass, but it worked so well for them and their energy and the energy from the crowd was infectious. He found himself standing at the edge of his row of seats, jumping and bouncing around. Eddie would often come towards his side of the stage to blow a kiss or just stare up at him as he sang and he felt his heart and his pants tighten. He whooped and laughed and jumped up and down as Eddie thrashed around on stage. He was blown away by the band and the music, even if he hadn’t known Eddie and the guys beforehand.

When he realized the band was wrapping up their set he was momentarily disappointed but then remembered he got to go see Eddie. He groaned and tried to reposition his throbbing dick in his pants.

After making his way back down to Eddie’s dressing room after their encore, he paced around before throwing himself onto the couch. He really hoped Eddie didn’t want to wait to do anything until they were back at the hotel.

The door finally opened and Eddie rushed through it, making eye contact as he pushed it closed behind him and turned the lock.

He went to stand but Eddie shook his head and came over to straddle his lap. Steve rubbed his hands up and down his thighs and stared up at him.

“Hi puppy,” he teased, tracing his fingers down his cheeks and to his neck as he felt them redden. “Got me alI worked up watching me play, Stevie.” He kissed across his jaw and down to his shirt collar. Eddie’s shirt collar. “Watching you jump around in my Metallica shirt was something else.”

He captured his mouth in a filthy kiss and Steve could only hold on for dear life. Eddie pulled away with a nip to his lip and a dark look.

“You were so hot, Eds. It was-“ he shook his head, unable to find words to describe it.

Humming at him as he pushed himself down onto his lap to make him whine, Eddie leered at him. “Can I ride your pretty cock, baby?”

Steve nodded dumbly, mouth hanging open, and could only watch as Eddie went to rifle through his backpack across the room.

“Holy shit,” he mumbled as Eddie came back towards him with a couple small packets of lube and a condom. How had he gotten this lucky?

“Gunna be so good for me, aren’t you sunshine?” He pulled his shirt off and wiggled his pants down as he stood in front of him, hard dick already dripping. Steve automatically pulled his own shirt off and awkwardly unbuttoned his jeans to push them off his hips. They giggled at each other when they had to stop and help each other out of their shoes to get their pants off.

Eddie positioned himself back over his lap, staying up on his knees this time as he ripped open a packet of lube and reached behind himself. They both groaned as Steve watched his face, his hands coming up to grab at a hip and wrap around his hard length.

“Oh fuck, honey. You can’t do that or I’m gunna come too quick. Need to come with your cock inside me.”

Steve whined, nodding again and instead reached beside him to squirt some lube on his hand.

“Let me feel you, Eds,” he breathed and at Eddie’s groan he rubbed his fingers across his entrance, pushing the tip of his finger against the rim.

“God your hands are huge,” Eddie hissed. He rocked back into his finger as it slid further in, Steve watching his face with rapt attention as he squeezed his eyes shut and panted. “Another one. I’m not going to last much longer.”

Steve quickly added a second finger and scissored them around, grinning as he pinpointed his prostate and Eddie cried out beautifully. Eddie pushed his hand away and continued on his own, Steve taking the time to slide the condom down his leaking dick.

“Fuck, gorgeous. Can’t wait to bounce on this cock of yours. Oh, holy fuck-“ Eddie panted and finally arranged himself closer, reaching beneath him to line Steve up to his hole.

They panted against each other as Eddie sunk down his length. Their mouths crashed together and Eddie fucked their tongues against each other as he bottomed out.

“Oh my god,” Steve breathed, not pulling his mouth away. “Please move. I’m dying, babe. God you’re perfect. Please.” He had Eddie’s hips in a death grip and finally helped him raise up and down slowly.

“Jesus Christ.” He watched with a deep satisfaction as Eddie’s eyes rolled back and he planted his feet on the floor to thrust up into him. “Ah! Yes, fuck me, just like that princess.”

The name caught him off guard but made his dick twitch and he cried out, staring up at him with wide eyes.

“Yeah you like that one, huh? I know. Such a spoiled princess already. Gunna make me come so hard on your cock, oh fuck.” His hands slid into the back of his Steve’s hair as he held on for dear life, their thrusts becoming wild as they chased their climaxes.

Eddie clenched around him and came untouched between them, Steve crying out as his hips stuttered up as he came.

“God damn,” he breathed, dropping his face into Eddie’s neck as they came down. “You’re never getting rid of me.”

“Wasn’t planning on it, sweetheart,” he groaned.

The next morning, he blearily clicked on a link Robin texted him. The headline of a news site read, ‘Hot New It Couple? Corroded Coffin frontman Eddie Munson seen leaving concert with Steve Harrington of the Indiana Pacers.’ He showed the little picture of their heads huddled together to Eddie and they shrugged and snuggled back under the covers.

Fuck yes!

This was and will always be my hardest hyperfixation. The funny thing is, my best friend who does not have hyperfixations (no adhd brain in her skull, just a „boring“ and lovely brain), had one: the mediocre book she read when she was 13.

Nobody understands the bond between a girl and the mediocre book she read when she was 13 years old.

so i wrote this yesterday and now it's become a whole thing

basically: Steve is actually smart but nobody realized it until he just fixes their various STEM related problems

anyway this is Eddie's very first experience with how smart Steve Harrington actually is

also please don't call me out if my physics explanations are wrong. just suspend your disbelief, i'm begging you lmao

also also, if you see any typos, no you didn't

---

"You're going to fail my class, Munson."

"Gee, no need to sugarcoat it," Eddie mutters, shoving his hands into his pockets and avoiding Miss Chester's gaze. His eyes land on one of the posters behind her desk, a cat hanging off a tree branch. Maybe it would like to trade places.

Miss Chester sighs, looking pointedly at the desk closest to hers. She waits until Eddie sits on it, legs hanging over the edge. "I'm serious," she says. "You're going to fail, Eddie. I don't want you to, but there's just some...disconnect happening here."

He appreciates that she's not totally blaming him. Most of Eddie's other teachers would've been berating him for his laziness by now. This, among other things, is why Eddie likes her class even if he can't wrap his head around physics at all. "I don't know, Miss. It just doesn't make sense."

"So I'm noticing." Miss Chester leans back in her chair, her finger tapping against her desk. Eddie immediately recognizes it as the drum beat from a KISS song. "You know you'll probably be held back if you fail, right?"

"Not the first time."

Miss Chester waves off his words, looking deep in thought. "What do you think about tutoring? I think you'll do better in a one-on-one setting. If you understand the concepts better, I can start grading you based on the work you do with the tutor."

"It wouldn't be you?" Eddie asks, frowning slightly. He's not sure he wants some random geek tutoring him. Not that he has anything against geeks, of course, but he's never known one to talk in a way he can understand. They get all...technical and Eddie's eyes glaze over whenever he overhears their conversations.

"No, I don't have the time. But don't worry," Miss Chester says, smiling reassuringly before pulling her roster close and looking down the list. "The student I have in mind probably knows more than me, if I'm being honest. He should be able to answer any question you have."

"What student?"

"His name is Steve."

Of course, Eddie immediately thinks of that Steve. King Steve. Steve "The Hair" Harrington with his blinding smile that's always looked a little strained in Eddie's opinion.

He then dismisses Steve Harrington as a possibility and reviews the other kids named Steve at Hawkins High. There's Steve Paulson, Steve Meyers, and Steve Barns. Maybe it's Barns? He's the only one that Eddie could imagine being somewhat good at physics.

"Are you open to tutoring?" Miss Chester asks. "For one session, at least?"

"Yeah, sure, one session. Won't help, though."

Miss Chester smiles like she knows something Eddie doesn't. Which, to be fair, she does. She knows a lot more than Eddie in terms of physics, at least. "I'll set it up. Just come by tomorrow after school."

--------

On his first day at Hawkins High, Steve realized two things.

One, his parents weren't kidding when they'd said public school would be vastly different from the private group tutoring he'd received up to that point.

Two, if he wanted to have a good high school experience, he needed to be cool. And being cool, it seemed, meant not being smart. He didn't need to be dumb, but he couldn't breeze through his classes, either.

He's done a good job of it so far. He's bored beyond reason in most of his classes, sure, but he's also popular. Nobody bothers him or tries to copy off of him, and it's great. He can even swallow down the weird surge of frustration and annoyance and guilt whenever his classmates assume he's too dumb to be a good project partner, or when his parents ask why he isn't enrolled in AP classes, or when his teachers give him confused looks after he aces tests for a unit he seemingly didn't pay attention to.

Anyway, he almost rejected Miss Chester's request to tutor a student from a different class period. He was just about to say he didn't have the time when she leveled him with a look so profoundly hopeful that he just couldn't. So, Steve said yes and now he's hesitating outside the physics classroom.

What if the student inside uses this against him? Steve thinks he could play it off, maybe convince his friends that the kid is lying, but he's not sure. Nothing dire would happen, but Steve would have to reorient himself to a new place on the social ladder, and that sounds exhausting.

"Just get it over with," he mumbles. Then, before he can chicken out and just leave the other student hanging, he opens the door and steps into the classroom.

Miss Chester isn't there. Steve knew she wouldn't be. She'd said something about a department meeting that would take her time but leave them with the classroom to themselves.

The only other person in the room is Eddie Munson, bent over a notebook and furiously scribbling on the page. He looks up when the door opens and freezes at the sight of Steve. They stare at each other for a few seconds before Eddie breaks the silence by asking, "What, get lost on your way to the locker room, Harrington?"

Steve blinks, frowns slightly, and takes a deep breath. Okay. Fine. Eddie Munson it is. "Nope. Miss Chester asked me to tutor you," he says, because that's the only reason another student would be in this room after school has let out.

Eddie laughs. He nearly falls out of his chair with how hard he laughs. He's wheezing and clutching the edges of the desk by the time Steve moves another desk to face him and sits down across from him. "Are you done, Munson?" he asks.

"Holy shit, you're serious," Eddie says, his voice slightly strained and his face red from laughing. "No fucking way Steve Harrington is here to tutor me in physics. You probably don't even know what two plus two is!"

"It's four. Do you know what 12 times 40 is?" Steve asks, watching as Eddie blinks.

"I'm not a fucking calculator, man."

"No, you're not. It's 480, by the way."

"You could've just memorized that."

Steve sighs and reaches into his bag, digging around some before pulling a calculator out. He places it on Eddie's desk and says, "Ask me something."

Eddie looks at him like he's grown a second head but still pulls the calculator closer. "1,239 plus 378."

"1,617."

He watches Eddie use the calculator, feeling smug when his face twists into confused disbelief. He then puts the calculator down and frowns at Steve. "So you can add, big whoop. Doesn't mean you can teach me shit about physics."

"Won't know until we try," Steve says, resting his elbow on the desk and propping his chin in his palm. "So, what don't you get?"

"...All of it. Just assume I don't know shit."

"You don't know Newton's laws?"

Eddie snorts, looking back down at his notebook. "There's that motion one and the reaction one," he says.

"Right. Newton's first law and his third. What about the second?"

"It's just...some equation or some shit."

Okay, Steve is starting to get an idea of where things stand. He thinks for a moment before asking, "What kind of stuff do you like?"

"What?"

"What do you like?"

Eddie looks so shocked by the question that he doesn't really think before answering, "Heavy metal. And, uh, D&D, too."

Steve knows heavy metal is music, and he could work with that but the D&D Eddie mentioned might be better. "What does it involve? The D&D?"

"It's a fantasy role playing game. Like, using your imagination to go on adventures with friends and stuff. Needs dice to work."

Oh. Perfect. "Do you have dice with you?" Steve asks. After another brief pause, Eddie nods and pulls one out of his pocket. He passes it over and watches as Steve turns it between his fingers. "Oh, an icosahedron. Cool."

"A what?"

"Icosahedron," Steve says, looking at Eddie. "It just means a twenty-sided polyhedron."

Eddie still looks confused, and Steve is about to explain it again when Eddie says, "Just call it a D20, dude."

"Oh. Sure. Anyway, let's use this," Steve says, rolling it between his fingers before letting it clatter to the desk. It bounces a few times before settling, a 17 facing up. "Do you know what made it stop moving?"

"The desk. I'm not an idiot, Harrington."

"I didn't say you were, Munson," Steve replies, leaning back slightly. "Just...yes, the desk stopped it. This is Newton's first law. If the desk wasn't there, it would have kept falling until it hit the floor. It stopped bouncing because it lost power each time it hit the desk. An object, the D20, will stay in motion, falling, unless acted upon by another force, the desk."

"That...kinda made sense," Eddie says, blinking a few times.

"Great!" Steve says, unable to help the bright smile at knowing Eddie understood him. "Okay, for the second law, the equation is mass times acceleration equals force. Basically, the movement of an object depends on how much it weighs and how much force you apply."

"Aaaand ya lost me," Eddie says.

"Okay, uh, you fight things in that game, right?"

"Yeah, kind of the whole point."

"Right, yeah, and the stuff you fight comes in different sizes, right?"

"Well, an orc isn't gonna be as big as a dragon, is it?"

Steve isn't really sure what an orc is, but he nods anyway. "Right. So if you want to move a dragon, you need to land a stronger hit than you would need for an orc."

"Duh. You're not gonna fell a dragon with a basic cantrip."

"Not sure what that is, but yeah. For this example, moving, or defeating, an object, or a dragon that weighs more than an orc, relies on how much force you apply, which is the strength you use."

"Oh. So, because an orc weighs less, I don't need as much force to defeat it," Eddie says, grinning as he fidgets with his pencil. "This doesn't really sound like math, though."

Steve shrugs. "We'll get to the math part later. Right now is basics. You need to understand those to do more complicated stuff. So, the third law, this is the action-reaction law. Music might be better for it. What happens when you strum a guitar?"

"It...makes a sound. Because it's an instrument."

"Well, yeah, but do you understand how the sound is being made."

"By...strumming it?"

"Yeah, that's part of it. Sounds are vibrations in the air that we can understand. If you touch your throat while talking, you'll feel your voice box, your larynx, vibrate to make the sound of you talking."

He waits as Eddie does exactly that. While holding his fingers to his throat, Eddie says, "Didn't know it was called a larynx. Oh, fuck, yeah, there are vibrations."

Steve nods, waiting patiently as Eddie hums for a few minutes before looking back at him. "So, vibrations. Instruments make sound because playing them causes vibrations. When you strum a guitar, the strings rapidly move back and forth, and that movement is translated into notes."

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but yeah, I'm following you."

"So, the action of strumming a guitar creates the reaction of the strings vibrating. That action of the strings vibrating creates the reaction of air rippling, and those ripples create the reaction of audible noise. Did that make sense?"

"Yeah. It did," Eddie says, his voice soft as he stares at Steve like he's really seeing him for the first time.

Steve shifts uncomfortably, unused to this aspect of himself being known so well by someone at school. He's almost tempted to end things now and apologize to Miss Chester for walking out halfway through a tutoring session. Steve is practicing the apology in his head when Eddie says, "Hey, by the way, sorry for earlier."

"What?" Steve asks, trying to blink away his confusion and failing.

"You know, earlier, when I laughed at you? Pretty shitty of me to do. So, yeah, I'm sorry."

"Oh." Steve stares at Eddie for a few seconds before his shoulders relax. "It's fine. I'm not exactly known for being smart."

"Why not?"

"It's just...easier to let people think I'm dumb. Most of our classmates look at me and think I'm just, you know, a typical jock. They don't expect more from me than that, and I don't expect them to look any deeper."

"Does anyone else know, though?"

"My parents and the teachers. And you."

"Well, don't worry, big boy. Your secret's safe with me."

"Big boy?"

"Don't like it? Would you prefer Stevie?" Eddie asks, grinning as he leans in and exaggeratedly waggles his eyebrows at Steve.

Steve can't help snorting at the sight. "Whatever. Just call me what you want, Eddie," he says.

He tries to ignore the weird swooping in his stomach when Eddie's smile gets wider and he says, "You better not regret it, Stevie."

I tried to leave Kudos on a fic that was already deleted (i had the tab open) and I was expecting it to just bug out or not work but this is so much more unsettling

ilove people who work at front desks of things. i can walk into a building and go to the desk and i ask how do i do this thing. and then they just fucking tell me !!!!

Hide Your Heart pt.4

Part four of the Steve Harrington has bad parents au. I would’ve posted this last night but I past out right after finishing the chapter in an daze of insomnia

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 |

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Steve had been up for hours, waiting for his parents to come back. Maybe he was right and they were never coming back. What if they had just packed up and taken off without a goodbye? It wouldn’t be the first time they’d done that, making excuses about flight times and scheduling errors. 

He decided to clean the kitchen, like he always did when he was stressed. It was three in the morning, he was standing on top of the counter to dust the overly complicated light fixture in the kitchen, when the front door banged open. He heard a shrill cackle and the sound of furniture being jostled around. They were drunk, of course they were fucking drunk. He was just about to hop down off the counter when his mother stumbled into the kitchen.

“Wha-h-what’re you doin’ on the cowter, Steven?” She snorted, falling against the table and slouching her head down to lay on it.

“Nothing, mother. You should get to bed.” He got down, taking her arm to guide her up the stairs. His father was passed out on the couch, he would have to keep his call with Eddie quiet.

“Oh, Stevie, you would’ve loved the dessert!”

 Steve’s stomach dropped, he tried to pay attention to her rambling but he couldn’t listen to her gush about the chocolate cake because his mother hadn’t called him Stevie since the first trip they took. He was 8 years old, she had wrapped him in her arms and whispered how much she would miss him and how it would be over before he knew it into his hair. She had held his hand until she had to get in the car and the nanny had to pull him back. She was losing consciousness, words slurring as she drifted and her head hit the pillow with a snore.

Steve sat a cup of water on her bedside, alongside tylenol for when she woke up, he pressed his lips to her forehead on his way out, “Goodnight, mother.” He whispered before closing the door.

He dragged a kitchen chair over to where the phone hung on the wall, slumping into it as he put in Eddie’s number. It wasn’t until he was listening to the faint click on the receiving end that he remembered his father snoring on the couch. It was too late to hang up, so he resigned himself to whispering and praying that his father didn’t wake up in a drunken stupor.

“Mh’ello?” Eddie’s voice mumbled sleepily.

Steve breathed out, a sigh of guilt, “Hi, I can call later if—”

“Stevie,” Eddie’s voice filled with warmth and Steve bit back a grin, there were no bittersweet memories that plagued his mind when Eddie said the name, “always up to talk to you, sweetheart.”

“Are you sure?” He whispered, already preparing to make himself hang up.

“I promise.” Eddie said it so sincerely, sounding genuinely happy that he called, who was Steve to argue?

“Ok,” It was so quiet, barely a word, Steve wasn’t sure if he spoke it or if it was his breath that formed the word of its own accord.

“Is there a reason we’re whispering?” Eddie asked, playing along anyway. Steve could hear the playful smirk in his voice. What he wouldn’t give to see it in person.

“My father’s asleep on the couch.” Steve told him.

Eddie hummed, “Trouble in paradise?”

“Try too drunk to make it through the front door.”

“Yeesh,” Eddie mumbled, “you gonna be okay over there?”

“I’ll be fine, s’long as he doesn’t wake up.”

He hears Eddie’s big, dramatic gasp, “Risking it for little ole me, Harrington?” And it sounds joking but Steve knows, he knows that Eddie knows it’s not a joke.

“The things I do for you,” he shoots back anyway, because he’s delusional. Because maybe he wishes it could be just a joke. Because he’ll take the humor when he can.

Eddie’s tone changes then, more concerned, “It’s almost one am, Stevie, you planning on sleeping tonight?”

“You know I can’t.” He sighs.

“You should at least try. It’ll be easier to get through the week if you’re not falling asleep at the wheel.”

“I don’t even know if they’re going to be here for a week.” He paused, falling quiet, “Is it messed up that I don’t want them to stay?”

He heard Eddie sigh, “I can’t pretend to know what that’s like but you’re allowed to feel however you want about them. You’re the one who has to live with this, that means you decide how you feel about them.”

“What if he’s right, though?” Steve mumbled. What if everything my father says about me is true and I’m a no good freeloader? 

“He’s not right about you.” Eddie told him, understanding immediately, speaking again when Steve started to protest, “He’s not right about you, Steve. I know you and I know you don’t deserve this. So you know what, live in his house and spend his money and do whatever the hell you want because if he can’t pretend to care about you then fuck him.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah!”

“You’re crazy, you know?” Steve said because he wasn’t going to start tearing up again.

“So I’ve been told. You don’t get accused of devil worship and witchcraft for nothing, my love.”

“Can you witchcraft my routine back?” Steve asked around a yawn.

“Oh yeah, all you gotta do is go to sleep.”

Steve groaned, “No. I miss you.”

“See me in your dreams, sweetheart.”

 Steve rolled his eyes because he could feel the exaggerated wink in Eddie’s voice, “That was terrible. Like, astoundingly awful.”

“I’d say I miss you too but I’m not sure I miss the attitude. Your inner mean girl is surfacing, Stevie.”

“You’re horrible, I’m just trying to go to sleep and my own boyfriend is bullying me.” He muttered with no real conviction.

Eddie gasped, “I knew you were tired!”

“Shhhh, let me sleep.” He didn’t hang up though, just settled into the kitchen chair and propped himself up against the wall next to the phone.

“It’s almost like that’s what I was trying to do, weird.” The sound of blankets rustling drifted from the other end of the line and Steve guessed Eddie was getting back in bed.

“Can you—” Steve hesitated, “Will you keep talking? Just until I can sleep?” 

He hadn’t asked anyone this in a long time, not since his father had lectured him on independence and being a man. Maybe Eddie would finally see him as the loser he was, too much of a baby to handle one night alone.

 But Eddie just hummed, “Nerdy snoozefest or something interesting?”

I love him. Steve would tell him later but now wasn’t the time, “Whatever you want.”

“Anything? Even the newest campaign I’m helping Dustin plan?”

Steve pushed back a sigh and agreed, pulling his legs up onto the chair as Eddie started his ramble with a gleeful ‘You’ve been warned’.

He talked and talked about creatures and myths. He went on a whole tangent about how Dustin was dead set on adding some thing that sounded like some weird dessert Steve’s great aunt Marge used to bring to Christmas dinner, a gelatinous cube he called it. Steve couldn’t keep up if he tried, and he had tried but even though he surrounded himself with a whole gaggle of nerds their mile-a-minute words were still lost on him. So instead he closed his eyes and let Eddie’s voice wash over him until he felt himself nodding off.

When Steve woke up again he was still in the chair—thank God he’d grabbed one with arms or he would have been on the floor. The first thing he registered was the moonlight streaming through the kitchen window, so it was still nighttime. The second thing he noticed was the phone still wedged between his shoulder and ear, soft breathing so close he could almost feel it puffing through the speaker. He sat up, grabbing the phone and popping his neck, only to wince at the sharp pain that shot through his spine. The wooden back of the chair dug into his own back.

“Eds?” He whispered, voice strained.

“Mh-wha?” Eddie’s disoriented mumbling would never not bring a smile to Steve’s face.

“You fell asleep, we both did.”

“Oh. What time is it?”

Steve craned his neck to check the clock, “Two a.m.” 

Eddie yawned and then groaned, “Way too early to be awake.”

Steve agreed, “I’m going to hang up and go to bed, okay? Remind me to never sleep upright again.” 

“Okay. Night, babe.” Eddie whispered, “I love you.” He added, like it was the easiest thing to say in the world.

Steve realized it was when he said it back, feeling a soft smile spread across his face, “I love you too.”

He was about to hang up, hand already reaching for the wall, when a shadow stumbled into the room. 

“Father—” He stood lightning fast, dropping the phone and feeling the cord stretch before coiling back together.

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Fun fact: I Struggled writing their call because I had No Ideas. You can probably tell but I Can Not be bothered to rewrite it, it’s mostly filler anyway