you know what...my favorite steddie trope is actually "they aren't even dating...yet". love seeing the most ridiculous, homoerotic, and codependent shit slapped together in two sentences and then followed by they're not even dating. i eat it up every time, keep doing that shit🙌

You know what? You know who else loves that ‘doing co-dependent stuff but they’re not even dating, they should totally date’ shit?

Dustin. He’s just looking at Steve and Robin instead of Steve and Eddie.

So imagine one day he sits Steve down like, “Steve. Buddy. Longest of my older male friends.”

“It’s so weird that you call me that man, stop it.”

“Whatever, just listen to me.” And proceeds to go on a long, winding lecture about how when you spend all your time with someone, finish each other’s sentences, honestly seem to read each other’s minds half the time, that means something. He doesn’t mention Robin’s name because he knows Steve will shut him down the second he does, like always, so he keeps it general.

And he’s so damn pleased when a startled ‘oh’ of realization crosses Steve’s face because finally!! Progress!!

The next day, Steve is particularly antsy when he picks Dustin and the rest of the party up for a ride to Hellfire at Eddie’s new place. Dustin figures he's still hyping himself up to ask Robin out, so he makes sure to tell Steve all kind of supportive things, reassuring him that he looks good and he’s got this—to the point where Lucas and Mike keep giving him weird looks, but they wouldn’t understand, this is brother-to-brother stuff and all they have is sisters.

When they get to Eddie’s place Steve parks and comes in with them, which is a first. But Dustin knows that he and Eddie have been hanging out a lot lately, which is great! He probably wants an additional pep talk from his friend, and Eddie is great at getting people hyped up. Like, when Steve took them all to see Corroded Coffin play at the hideout a few weeks ago? Even Steve had been into it, let Eddie try and teach him how to head bang after the show and everything—and he doesn’t even like metal. So Steve asks Eddie if they can talk in the kitchen for a sec, and Dustin grins and flashes him a thumbs up.

And, you know, Dustin really feels like he has a part in this conversation, since the whole thing was his idea. He puts his stuff down at the table and only gets into a brief argument with Gareth about where they left off last week and what they should do next before trotting off towards the kitchen with the excuse of grabbing a soda.

He did not expect to walk in on his two favorite older male friends making out against the pantry. (… Okay maybe Steve is right, that does sound weird and he probably should stop calling them that, but that’s not the issue right now.)

They break apart just long enough for Eddie to pant, “Hey, Henderson… fucking thank you, man.”

Steve looks over his shoulder and shoots Dustin a happy grin. Like, the happiest Dustin has ever seen him look, ever. “Yeah, I never would’ve put two and two together without you, buddy. Now… get out.”

“This is great and all,” Dustin says, “but what about our game?”

“Out,” Steve repeats, while at the same time Eddie says, “Give me ten… fifteen minutes. And close the door behind you!”

So that’s a development. And, in retrospect… Dustin can see it.

They kind of make more sense together than Steve and Robin even, considering those two bicker like Mike does with Nancy while Steve and Eddie’s back and forth has always been like… Dustin doesn’t know, but some sort of something. An energy. A vibe. Maybe like that electricity Steve had been talking about, the first time they’d really talked back while looking for Dart.

… Whatever, Dustin is still claiming matchmaker bragging rights as soon as everyone else knows. For now, he has to go back to the game table and spin a worthy cover story to his compatriots about why dnd is going to start a little late.

Firefighter Steve Harrington and certified hoodlum Eddie Munson. Another thing I really really want to write but I won't have time but, specifically, the scene I want to write goes thusly.

Eddie's high on his own supply and his clumsy stoned ass sets light to his own trailer. He's rescued from the, admittedly, minor fire, bridal style, by a 'shining angel'. It's not exactly a raging inferno but it's enough that Eddie's just inhaled a substantial amount of illicit materials all at once.

He's suffering with smoke inhalation but will only let the 'glowing adonis' put the oxygen mask on him and slappy fights off everyone else.

Steve ends up sitting with him because Eddie keeps trying to take the mask off and Steve keeps putting it back on, all the while Eddie's insisting that Steve is a 'constellation of perfection' and 'his angel wings glow like a rainbow' and Eddie 'didn't even know he was gay until now' which amuses Steve so thoroughly he Sharpies his number onto Eddie's forearm.

The next day Eddie wakes up in a hospital bed with no real memories of what happened, but he knows in his bones that the number on his arm belongs to his future husband.

Eddie picks up a vaginal health pamphlet and really fixates on the part that tells him to "air it out as often as posibble". He's all for that, he's dedicated, he's giddy knowing there's a valid excuse to walk around half naked. He warns EVERYONE to give him a heads up before entering his room.

Steve hates it. Because all he can think about is that on the other end of Hawkins Eddie might be winnie-poohing it around his bedroom while reading, playing the guitar, writing. He tries to be a good friend about it, he knows Eddie is trans and it doesn't matter, he wants to be supportive whenever he gets excited about his body. Even if just thinking about it drives him mad. He's determined to be normal about it, he's a king of friendzone after all, but the newest development in Eddie's antics makes it even harder.

Because one day, instead of putting on a pair of pants to meet his guest, Eddie opens his door wearing a skirt. Steve eyes the new outfit with surprise, but schools his face to fall back into his supportive friend mode.

"Nice skirt," he says with a smile.

Eddie grins at him, swaying his hips to show off the new garment.

"Thanks. It's way easier to go commando."

Steve's dead. The words are like an arrow through his brain. Gray matter is leaking through his ears and he can barely focus on what Eddie is saying at any time because the guy does not follow the skirt etiquette. His legs are spread as always when he sits, and he only barely catches himself before throwing one leg over the other. Steve begs him to put on a movie he can focus on instead.

He realizes then that he has to talk to Robin about it. He needs a proper pep talk before he tells Eddie he has a massive Thing for him and would really appreciate if he wore underwear when they're hanging out.

Not Your "Cute Little Button"

Written for the @strangerthingswritersguild kinktober day 10 prompt "size"

Rating: E (18+ only please) | 1.2k words | Ao3 link

Tags: Steve/Eddie, Eddie has a micropenis, Steve loses his mind over said micropenis, mutual insecurities, blow jobs, fluff/smut/comfort, modern AU, bisexual Eddie and Steve, no feminization

All under the cut because we jump right in haha!

Stealth hyperfemme transgirl Stevie Harrington who deep down really loves some traditionally masculine stuff (like cars maybe? video games?) but would never openly admit it.

She gets hit on at a club one night by a total creep and she's terrified because if she rejects him he might attack her, if he finds out she's trans he might attack her (and his hands are trying to wander places she does not want them to wander)

Enter leather genderfuck transgirl Eddy Munson, who first asks the creep to "unhand the lady" and then, when the guy won't budge, pulls out the deepest boymode voice she can muster to tell him to fuck off before she makes him.

Stevie is heart-eyes smitten, especially when Eddy wipes a tear from her cheek with a deep red lipsticked smile and calls her a "pretty little thing"...

Also something something Eddy helping Stevie cope with her internalised transphobia and such and Stevie learns to accept that she doesn't have to be the perfect hyperfemme tradwife to be a valid woman etc etc

Inspired by this post courtesy of @steddiecameraroll

wc: 1.3k || rating: E || cw: drug/alcohol use || summary: Steve loses a bet. Pre-Steddie rivals-to-lovers. Ambiguously takes place in a S1 AU.

Written for @steddie-week.

Reach Out and Touch Someone

Day #7 - Prompt: Free Space | Word Count: 1500 | Rating: T | CW: Language, Alcohol | POV: Steve | Tags: AU, Wrong Number, Right Person Trope, Bisexual Steve Harrington, Meet-Cute

Steve dials the number messily scrawled on the scrap of paper. He’s nervous. He’s always nervous when he has to stick his neck out and make a move on a girl these days. 

Yeah, he did the first bit of legwork and got her number out at the bar last night. But he's fumbled the ball and failed enough times, Robin's loving, but accurate, "you suck" burned in his brain, that he's always leery to try again. He should be used to it by now, but it’s still uncomfortable and awkward, every goddamn time. If his friends weren't all fretting about his emotional well-being from being so terminally alone, he wouldn’t put forth half the effort anymore. 

He has Robin. He has his cat. He's happy. 

It rings three times before he hears it connect, “Hello?”

It’s a man’s voice, and he hesitates for just a moment, “I’m looking for, uh, Lyla?”

“Sorry, man. Wrong number.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I must have misdialed,” Steve says, a different kind of embarrassment. But this is one he can handle easier, for sure. So he pushed the wrong button somewhere along the way. His eyesight isn't the best thing he's got going for him.

“No worries, man,” the other guy laughs, seemingly carefree about being bothered.

They each disconnect and then Steve reads, and re-reads, the number before dialing again. More carefully this time.

It rings only once before it’s connected.

“Still me, dude,” the familiar voice relays, still light and friendly.

sins of the father

@steddiemicrofic Prompt: Stuff | Rating: E | WC: 483 TW: brief mention of homophobia ao3

Dick Harrington would kill them both if he knew what they were up to. Or maybe the universe would take it easy on the two boys who had seen enough pain for two lifetimes, and he would simply stroke out before he could get his hands on them.

Frankly Steve didn't care what his father would think. He only cared about the way Eddie kissed him, the way Eddie's hands felt as they stroked over his ribs and his hips, down his thighs before two fingers pressed to the most intimate part of his body.

Steve loved that Eddie didn't just try to stuff his fingers in. He took his time, got Steve worked up to the edge again and again and fucking again before he finally gave in.

He loved the way Eddie fit against his back. Loved the stretch and burn as Eddie finally stuffed his cock inside of him. He loved that no matter how they did it— slow and sweet with their hands intertwined, or pounding away with hands threaded into hair instead— there was still so much love that Steve thought he could drown in it.

“You seem distracted.” Eddie kissed just below Steve's ear and crooked his fingers, making Steve arch up against him with a gasp. “Does that mean I'm not doing a good enough job?”

“No, fuck no it doesn't mean that.” Steve licked his lips and hitched his thigh up higher, wanting to hold Eddie in place. “'s stupid.”

“It's not stupid if you were thinking about it,” Eddie said. He circled his fingers, rubbing back and forth and making Steve melt beneath him until he was having a hard time finding the words. And just when he knew Steve was right there at the edge, he stopped and pulled his fingers out a little. ”What were you worrying that pretty little head about?”

Steve's flush wasn't just from the way Eddie's fingers had worked him up so quickly. “I was thinking that... my dad would lose his fucking head if he knew what I was doing right now.”

Eddie's nose wrinkled. “Baby, I think you're thinking about the wrong Dick right now.”

“Shut up!” Steve lightly slapped Eddie's shoulder before throwing an arm over his face to hide from Eddie's gaze. “I told you it was stupid.”

Eddie pried Steve's arm away and looked down at him. “No, it's not. It's not stupid, Stevie. Do you want to stop and talk—”

“Eddie, no!” Steve laughed again and shook his head. “No, I want you to stop asking what I'm thinking about and fuck me already.”

“As my king commands.” Eddie let his fingers drag over Steve's prostate, then moved to line up between his thighs once more.

Once Eddie pressed inside of him, as they moved together towards their pleasure, the rest of the world faded away. No one else, nothing else, mattered.

“Do you have a sweet tooth?”

“Uh-huh,” Eddie glanced up from his sketchbook. “I thought everyone already knew about that?”

“I didn't, obviously,” Dustin let out a self-righteous huff. “I just found out recently because you keep running late to Hellfire's meeting.”

Eddie was confused at first, but then he remembered those bad innuendos he had told Dustin as a joke.

“Were those cakes that good?” The kid asked curiously.

“What cakes were good?” Steve returned from the kitchen with a tray of snacks.

Eager to be helpful, Dustin launched into telling Steve the tale about Eddie’s tardiness and the reason behind it.

Poor Steve was bright red by the time Dustin finished.

Robin tries to warn Eddie not to go out drinking heavily with Steve but does he listen? Oh no, the opposite, he's more curious than ever. He needs to know what Steve is like when he's blasted.

And he unfortunately learns that Steve is that clingy, touchy, flirts with anything that moves kind of drunk when he casually plops himself right in Eddies lap, straddling, bc "it's better to cuddle like this, Eds, c'mon 🥺"

lmaoo Eddie having a full on crisis and Steve’s just. blissfully unaware. tugging Eddie’s arms around him, rubbing his face on Eddie’s chest like a cat. all drunk whiny and begging for a back scratch and moaning about how nice it feels when Eddie finally does

The next day, Robin greets Eddie with the most smug expression he’s ever seen. “Sooooo, how did not listening to me go?”

“Shut up. Jesus Christ. I’m never drinking again.”

“Well, that’s a lie.”

“I’m never drinking for a week.”

Three days later he finds himself doing shots with Steve in the living room. And again four days after that, and twice the week after, until Eddie finally asks, “Okay, do you have a drinking problem?”

“Huh?” Steve pulls back from where he was trying to fuse his face to Eddie’s collarbone, shifting his hips to sit up straight in Eddie’s lap. “No, I just…” He blushes. “You seemed like you wouldn’t agree to do this sober.”

Hold up. Hold the fuck up. No, because— because Steve’s the one who only cuddles when he’s drunk. Right? Right??

“Would you…” Eddie hedges, twirling a strand of Steve’s hair around his finger. “Would you want to do this sober?”

“Eddie. I want to do this all the time.”

Thirsty Thursday - Mer-May

steddie, omegaverse, mdni🔞, inspired by Emma’s (crybabyao3 on twt) mersteve and pearls

Eddie didn’t believe the kids at first when they said they found a mermaid. Especially after Dustin explained that he didn’t have a tail.

“He said he got it taken away by a sea witch. That she’s helping him find his alpha.”

“And just where is this tailless mermaid anyway?” Eddie asks, arms crossed over his chest.

“We’re hiding him at Hopper’s beach house for now,” Lucas starts.

“Yeah, he’s not exactly dressed for us to bring him out in public,” Max adds with a smirk.

Eddie shakes his head, rubs at his eyes. “Please tell me you don’t have a naked omega sitting in Hopper’s place. He’s gonna freak.”

“That’s why you need to come with us, get him out of there. You’ve gotta bring him to your place,” Dustin says like it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

Eddie wants to argue, but instead he grabs the keys for his van. “Fine. But I need to meet the guys in an hour, Joyce got us a gig down at the Surf Shack.” It’s a big step up from the high school beach parties they usually play, since they’re getting paid in more than shitty beer and enough money for gas.

“Thank you, let’s move!” Mike yells, grabbing Dustin to lead the group out to the parking lot.

The kids yell the whole way, recounting how the found Steve—the mermaid’s name is Steve  for chrissakes—wandering the beach, completely unsteady on his feet. Max thought he was drunk, but El was worried he was hurt, so they asked him what was wrong and he spilled everything.

He probably found the best group of 12-year-olds possible, since they believed him.

Reaching Hopper’s beach house, Eddie cuts the engine, doesn’t bother waiting for the kids as he heads inside; they catch up almost instantly anyway.

“Steve! We’re back!” Dustin yells as he walks through the side door behind El, since she’s the one with a key.

“We brought our friend Eddie, he’s got his own place so you won’t need to hide there,” Max adds, right on Dustin’s heels.

Eddie is prepared for nudity as he hears awkward shuffling from down the hall. But that’s not what he gets.

Steve walks into the kitchen covered in pearls. The bits of fabric they’re attached to fit perfectly around his torso, but have been tied to cover his bottom a bit haphazardly.

The pearls must be worth a fortune, what with the size and color, but all of Eddie’s focus is drawn by the man’s beautiful face, flecked with moles, his eyes the rich brown-green of sea kelp.

More importantly, his face lights up with his smile. “Thank you! I don’t want to be any trouble, but I’m so grateful for your help!” At first, his smile is just for the kids. But then he looks up, and his eyes go soft.

When his eyes lock with Eddie’s.

“Hi,” Eddie manages to make his stupid mouth say.

“Hello,” Steve answers, not as dumb, but just as soft. “I’ll be staying with you?”

“Yes!” Dustin answers for him. “Eddie has his own apartment, you’ll be safe there.”

“Okay, shitheads—and El—get on back to whatever you were up to before, I’ll get Steve settled.”

The kids try to protest, but Steve agrees, says he won’t be interesting the rest of the day since he’s tired. It’s true, since he dozes off in the van on the way to Eddie’s. He looks so peaceful it pains Eddie to wake him.

But he does, gently, gets another soft smile as he escorts Steve up to his second-floor apartment.

“I’ve got clothes you can borrow for now, then we can find you something you like. But I’m pretty sure you’d get a citation for indecent exposure if you went out in that again.”

“Oh,” Steve says, sadly looking down at his chest. “I wanted to be wearing it when I found my alpha. My pearls show I am ready to be claimed, that I have my dowry for my mate.”

“Did you harvest them all? That’s a lot of oysters to open, especially for the colors,” Eddie says, unable to hide the awe in his voice.

“No, they’re my pearls,” Steve says, like Eddie should understand more than he does. “Mers lay eggs, and if they aren’t fertilized they become pearls. These are the pearls from my heats.”

Eddie suddenly feels the need to readjust himself. “From your heats,” he repeats softly.

“That’s why they’re for my alpha, to show I’m ready for pups.”

“But your alpha is here, on land?”

“Yes!”

“Then you aren’t going to be laying any more eggs, sweetheart. That’s not how heats work for humans.”

Steve’s hand rests low on his belly, covering the perfect circle of pearls. “I know.”

“And how do you know your alpha is here? You can’t have gotten close enough to scent him.”

“I heard him, playing my heartsong. I hear it every so often, coming from the shore, fast like my heartbeat, like he needs to scream to the world. Like he’s calling for me.”

That really piques Eddie’s interest. “He’s playing on the beach? Is he alone?”

“Not always, but I can still pick him out, that’s how heartsongs work.”

Eddie’s mouth feels too dry, and he swallows hard. “Can you hum any of it? Maybe I’ve heard it before, can help you find him faster.”

Steve smiles, hums a melody Eddie knows all too well. One he based on the songs his mother would sing him when he was little. Without a word, Eddie reaches for his acoustic guitar, easily taking over the melody from Steve, playing on as the omega falls quiet.

When Eddie stops, he looks up to see Steve’s big eyes, tears on his cheeks. “It’s you,” he whispers, reverent as he steps closer, far more sure on his new legs now.

“I guess it is.” Eddie puts down the guitar and pulls Steve close, finally scenting at his neck and feeling like there are new colors in his world as he smells waterlilies and coconut and fresh salt air.

Steve leans in first, kissing his mouth, awkwardly guiding Eddie’s hands to tease at his nipples through the gaps in the pearls. Then he grips Eddie’s hips, pulls their groins together and moans at the feeling of his alpha’s cock pressing against his new, human pussy.

“Alpha, please!” he groans. “Want to feel you.”

Eddie obliges, pulls at the ties over Steve’s ass, lets the fabric fall from between his legs, and carefully traces his fingers along his seam, already wet with slick. 

He doesn’t have time to knot Steve. Not if he wants to make it to the gig. So instead, he guides Steve to sit on the couch, Eddie kneeling between his thighs, using his mouth to make his omega come.

————

Steve accompanies Eddie to the gig that night. He’s wearing his clothes: a black band tee and ripped jeans that cover a bite high on his thigh.

Eddie has a single, blue-grey pearl added to the chain around his throat.

🌶️ Spice below cut 🌶️

Steve was very confused why Hawkins decided to start teaching sign language, but when he heard there would be a deaf student coming to town, it made a lot more sense. He didn't know who it would be and didn't know for a long time. Nobody seemed to know.

The benefit of Eddie coming to school at the begining of 10th grade was that there were a couple other new kids from other schools plus he didn't miss anything from earlier in the year.

Eddie, Dustin, Mike, Max, and Lucus become great friends immediately because the party used to have a deaf friend Will Byers who moved away, so they were extremely practiced with sign language. Plus El wasnt exactly verbal the first couple months she lived with Mike.

But then Steve met Eddie. And boy oh boy did sparks fly

Eddie ended up telling Mike how cute he thought Steve was so Mike mentioned it to him and watched him turn fire truck red.

Dating a deaf guy isn't like anything Steve has ever done.

Dating anyone isn't something Eddie has ever done

When Steve hears (or well sees) Eddie tell him how he got the nickname "freak" he feels like punching everyone who ever went to his old highschool.

What about bartender!Eddie who hosts a quiz night and develops an infatuation with one of the members of a team named ‘Scoops Troop’. He overhears the guy saying he wishes there’d be questions on something he actually knew like basketball.

The next month, there’s an entire round on the NBA.

See, the thing is, the prize for first place is a $50 gift card for the bar, so naturally Eddie wants this guy’s team to win so that they’ll come back sooner than a month’s time. And better yet, the team captain has to give their contact details, which is how Eddie officially meets ‘Steve Harrington’.

inspired by the prompt Love is being able to say you’re sorry and mean it by @eyesofshinigami for @steddielovemonth day 23

sorry, not sorry

wc: 1688 | rated: t | tags: Robin Buckley is fed up with her idiot friends, Steve Harrington and Eddie Munson are oblivious and they’re bad at feelings, Love Confessions, Idiots to Lovers

„Why should I say sorry when he is the one acting weird. I didn’t do anything! It’s not my fault he doesn’t like me.” Steve looks at her, lips forming a bitchy pout, acting annoyed at her for bringing it up – like he really believes his own words and Robin is the one who just doesn’t get it.

Robin rolls her eyes.

God, she wants to strangle him sometimes. And Eddie, too. They are both so stupid, acting like they don’t like each other when everyone and their mother can see the longing looks they throw at each other whenever they are in the same room.

It’s been driving her mad.

They’ve been dancing around each other for weeks now, putting up fronts, acting like they just barely tolerate each other’s presence. Like they are forced to get along because of their mutual friends.

It’s bullshit. Sure, these two would’ve never met if it wasn’t for the little shitheads they both took under their wings (or maybe Dustin and his friends are actually the ones that took Eddie and Steve under theirs because the teens are clearly a lot more mature than these two idiots) but now that their worlds have collided, it’s so obvious that there is a connection between them neither wants to admit to.

   “You could’ve at least asked him to come?”

   “Robs, he didn’t even look at me when he came in earlier. What makes you think he wants to come to my place when he made it clear that he hates everything about the idea of spending time there?”

Steve is having a party on Saturday, invited everyone over, except for Eddie. Not because he purposely meant to exclude him but because Eddie’s been teasing him about it all week. Whenever Steve mentioned his plans, Eddie made a silly comment about how lame it sounds. ‘Bet the music will be all pop and no taste.’ – ‘Just beer? Come on, Harrington, grow up.’ – ‘Oh, a sleepover? Great! Are we gonna do pillow fights and face masks and all that fancy shit, too?’

Yeah, maybe Steve has a point. Eddie really didn’t make it seem like he wanted to be part of it. And it’s not really Steve’s fault for not understanding that Eddie is doing that out of self-protecting reasons. That he’d rather pretend to hate the idea of spending the night at Steve’s than having to live with the rejection of Steve not wanting him there in the first place. Steve is oblivious.

And obviously, Eddie is too.

And okay, Steve hasn’t exactly been showing Eddie that he cares for him either. Always pretends to be annoyed at him. Always bitching about the stupidest and most inane things like – ‘Yeah how about you grow up Mr Dungeon Master?! Aren’t you a little too old to keep playing games with teens?’ – ‘Jesus, Eddie, you know there’s a thing called hair brush one can use to tame that frizzy mop on your head?’ – ‘No thank you, I don’t want to be driving around in your van. That thing looks like it’s gonna fall apart any second.’

They’re constantly bickering and bantering, always so quick to be at each other’s throats. That is, until they think that no one is looking.

Because Steve actually loves to listen to Eddie talk when he’s leading the teens through a campaign, uses all these various voices to interpret the different characters he created.

And Robin just knows Steve’s finger itch to take care of Eddie’s unruly curls himself but he would never offer, would never say it out loud.

Robin can see the way Eddie’s gaze follows Steve around Family Video when he’s talking to her while Steve is attending to another customer – a sickly sweet smile on his lips, with eyes that are basically heart-shaped.

The way he blushes whenever Steve walks around shirtless and in his stupid, tiny shorts (ugh, men), tries and fails so hard every time not to stare with his mouth hanging open.

It’s like they’re both so desperately trying to convince themselves that they hate each other, when all of their stolen glances and hidden smiles keep giving them away.

   “You know how stubborn he is. I am pretty sure he would’ve said yes. But you didn’t ask and maybe now he thinks you don’t want him there. Did you think about that?”

Steve worries his bottom lip, looks like he’s contemplating what to say.

   “He hates me,” is all he offers and the sadness in his eyes breaks Robin’s heart.

The Wall

a @steddielovemonth prompt Thank you @oh-stars for betaing this!

WC: 1490 | CW: very brief smut | Rating: E

ao3 link or under the cut

Steve has always had trouble believing people really care about him. He spent a lot of time alone growing up. A lot of holidays with nannies when his parents went off on vacation. A lot of birthdays on his own. He never really had actual friends. Even in high school. He just had…followers. He had people who liked what he could give them. A big empty house and a lot of guilt money from his parents. Of course he was popular. That didn’t mean people actually liked him. That they gave a shit about him. 

He thought he finally found that in Nancy. That he finally knew what it was like to have someone care. That really loved him. 

Bullshit.

One word. That’s all it took. Alone again. 

🎃🍂🍁🎃🍂🍁🎃🍂🍁🎃🍂🍁🎃🍂🍁🎃

Kinktober 🎃 Dry Humping

🎃🍂🍁🎃🍂🍁🎃🍂🍁🎃🍂🍁🎃🍂🍁🎃

You can view the full version here

The mosh pit was intense. 

Steve had never been to a concert with moshing, but after a few moments of assessing the situation while trying to protect Dustin, he got the hang of it. There seemed to be one main focused clump of violence and then the edges where people were taking hits but not giving them. Steve instinctively knew this was where he was meant to go, so he positioned himself between the moshers and his charge. Dustin, unfortunately, seemed completely clueless and kept trying to get around Steve to get in on the fun. 

Upon closer observation, Steve noticed that the pit, while chaotic, wasn't actually as violent as he first thought. If someone went down, everyone around them pulled the person up. No fists were colliding. It was wild and bodies were slamming into each other, but it didn't seem life-threatening. So Steve looked at Dustin and said, "once around and then back here," before stepping aside and letting Dustin into the chaos.

Steve's eyes tracked Dustin's progress around the pit while he continued to take the hits the people behind him clearly didn't want to take. Bodies slammed against him, but there was something about it that was starting to be fun. There was a sort of camaraderie to the whole thing.

The moshing was moving in a sort of slow clockwise rotation, seemingly without anyone consciously choosing to do so. But then a guy slammed into Steve from the opposite direction, swimming against the stream, as it were, laughing and smiling. He looked at Steve and then did a double take.

"Hi," the guy said, now standing still within the mosh pit, unphased by the bodies slamming into him from all angles as he took Steve's hand in a slow shake, staring at him with huge dark eyes and a wide smile. 

"Hi," Steve responded. 

"I love your hair!" The guy said, still holding onto Steve's hand.

"Thanks, I love your vest!"

"Thanks, do you-" he started to ask but was cut off when the pit started to speed up and everyone started slam-dancing in a faster rotation. The guy was swept away into the circle and Steve lost sight of him.

Steve blinked. Then he saw Dustin, whose loud shirt was much easier to spot at a distance, and yanked him out of the circle pit. He could sort of see the guy every once in a while but the pit had him now so Steve continued his barrier duties of protecting the general crowd from the moshing and Dustin continued enjoying the raucous music.

As soon as the song ended, the guy popped back up next to Steve. 

"I love your energy, by the way. I haven't seen you at any shows around. I'm Eddie," he said, flirty, taking Steve's hand again, not really shaking it but more formal than the typical holding hands. 

"I'm Steve. Ow, and this is Dustin who I babysit because he is an immature little child," Steve said, rubbing the back of his leg where Dustin had kicked him.

Dustin was glaring.

"Dude, you don't have to call it babysitting, I'm fifteen."

"Don't worry, little fella, maybe your hot babysitter will invite me over some night he's watching you so we can hang out without you after your bed time."

"Ew. Also, he makes out with women, he likes women," Dustin proclaimed. 

"And more," Steve shrugged, still staring and smiling at Eddie. 

"More, huh? Well I am most definitely more."

Steve had never gone after a guy before, but he couldn't deny the appeal of someone so obviously really attracted to him. His inability to tell if he liked someone or if he liked that they liked him had caused him issues in the past and it sure wasn't showing signs of stopping any time soon, so he just embraced it. He was always willing to give it a shot and see what happened. 

So, with that in mind they exchanged numbers and then got to chatting. Dustin got bored and snuck off back to the mosh pit and Steve decided he could deal with whatever consequences he ended up with, which later turned out to be a bunch of bruises and a bloody, but unbroken, nose. 

But in the meantime, Steve and Eddie discovered they were both in Chicago for the concert and were actually both from the same town, though about as far away from each other as they could possibly live while still being in the town limits. They made plans to hang out at the Hideout the following weekend just in case they lost each other's numbers, and then they were rudely interrupted by Dustin turning up with blood pouring out of his nose. Eddie grabbed them some bar napkins and Steve decided they'd better call it a night. 

"Here, little man, we can trade shirts so you don't have to jumpscare your parents with gore. I like Weird AL and I don't mind being covered in blood. That sounded weird, don't take that the wrong way, Steve."

After some grumbling, Dustin and Eddie swapped shirts. Steve thanked him for being so considerate and kind by pulling him in by the hand and placing a small kiss on his lips, which Eddie eagerly reciprocated and the two made out hot and heavy for a moment until Dustin yelled at them and dragged Steve away.

Eddie just stood there smiling and watching his future husband get pulled out of the club by a disgruntled teen now rocking a Corroded Coffin shirt. After they were out of sight, he sighed wistfully and then headed back into the new circle pit that was just forming.