Briar

He postpones the next session, making excuses that are believable, but won't be if he takes more than two weeks to come up with a solution. And he's getting so close to the deadline and still can't come up with something good. So he tells Steve about it when they're hanging out, who asks him to recap the story. And then Steve promptly offers an exit that is actually really practical and perfect and oh my god how did I not think of that this whole time, it was right on the nose - Steve Harrington YOU'RE A GENIUS! Eddie is so excited he kisses Steve on the cheek and runs off to find the closest piece of paper and pen to write it down.

Leaving Steve to his bisexual crisis. Which gets way worse when he later realizes that Eddie probably wouldn't do that normally (he's so wrong about that) so it didn't even mean half of what it meant to him (wrong again, this is the only thing that Eddie will think about every single day for the rest of his life).

Eddie is not a gamer per se, but his roommate and best friend Jeff is. Jeff's got all the cool shit, he's got light strips and RGB tech going on around his computer, and he's even set it up so Eddie can flip a switch and turn the rolling rainbow colours to Pulsing Red.

Jeff is working, so Eddie gets high and loads up whatever FPS Jeff's been digging into recently.

Eddie is not great at FPSes, he's not terrible, but he is high and he's mostly here to ruin Jeff's KDR on purpose and annoy whoever happens to be online.

He ends up invited to run BR duos by someone off of Jeff's friendlist, a guy called KingScoops who has an obscene level on his nautical ice-cream themed banner. Scoops calls him Jeff for the bulk of the first game they play, but Eddie's nowhere near Jeff's level, and can only stay quiet for so long.

Steve shows up to band practice in black skinny jeans, eye liner, a black leather jacket, and one of Eddie's band shirts. Eddie's eyes go huge but not in a good way. He can't help the way his nose scrunches up in distaste. "Please go put on a polo and a puffer jacket this is not my boyfriend."

Eddie tries to dress nicely for some event, maybe a work thing for Steve, but instead of doing it his own way, he just raids Steve's closet. He's wearing a white button up under a beige sweater, light wash jeans, and his hair in a slick bun. Steve immediately pulls a face like he wants to be sick and makes Eddie at least take off the sweater and undo some buttons so at least he can roll up the sleeves and show off his tattoos.

They love each other exactly as they are and don't want the other to change for them at all.

@subeddieweek Day 6: Possessive/Hands

It's the five days that come next that try to break him.

In the hours that follow his last breath, Eddie lives a little life that he'd never even dared to imagine, let alone dream in the ever after.

There is a house, one he owns, with a little line of cedar trees instead of a fence out back. It has a fireplace, just because they're cozy. In this house, the heat never disappears on some late March day right after they're allowed to turn it off for non-payment. The kitchen is airy and bright, and the fridge, he can tell, is always full of food.

There's also a husband. A legal one. Wedding photos on the walls, their family and friends all smiles as they are captured forever in laughing gazes. The man with hazel eyes gazes only at Eddie, whose face beams with pride and contentment and security.

There's a dog who's name he knows, but will never remember on day six. He's a handsome thing, big and black and smart enough to run agility trials with his husband in the spring.

There is a little girl, with bright red pigtails that neither of them can claim responsibility for. They speak of her hair as though it is a wonder, and she is growing up proud of her firey locks.

The dreamed memories are terrible. Horrendous. Drawn of pain and sorrow. And even while dead, he can feel the edges crumbling, sharp, jagged things meant to cut him into ribbons. He hates these five days.

On the sixth day, though, the sun shines bright. The real sun. An actual sun. It is orange and full and tinted by the window of his hospital room. It's beam is interrupted by a sleeping head, one that stirs as Eddie groans.

One that looks up at him with large hazel eyes and an expression of relief tinged with longing.

Eddie's dark days end when Steve Harrington smiles at him. The shadows recede and he remembers what it is to feel safe.

I technically don’t have time for this. BUT guess what, I did it anyway.

I also added a few tattoos to Eddie because I imagined this was at the start of the 90s ;) it was fun trying to think of something he would get in this context. So there is a devil holding The nail bat and on his calf the text from the ring in lotr. And also a small sword that was supposed to be Narsil (also lotr), but I got lazy.

"Hey, idiot don't forget your dice." and he tosses the pouch at Dustin, who barely catches it because he's an unathletic loser. He scoffs and smiles anyway, "Thanks dad."

Before Eddie can process that, Dustin walks out, completely oblivious to the fact that he'd even said the D-word. Eddie stands there for way longer than he should, circling through pride, affection, and offense because he is NOT old enough to be a father!

A few weeks go by, Eddie pretty much forgets about it and chooses not to bring it up, because despite what everyone thinks, he isn't the biggest douchebag in the word. (He still is one of course but not the biggest!) Eddie forgets about it until another hellfire session is over, but Dustin took a little too long, and Steve Harrington comes marching into the school.

"Dude, I told you to be quick today! I promised Max and Lucas I'd take them to the movies!" The perfectly styled brunette started to scold, Eddie found himself a little hot under the collar as he glanced between Dustin and his much taller, much more attractive friend.

Dustin rolled his eyes, "Okay, okay, jesus, you're such a nag, mom." He added the "mom" mockingly, Harrington didn't even bristle. "I'm flattered to be compared to your mother, now move your ass." He demanded, dragging Dustin away by his bag.

Eddie was once again, stuck standing there for a little longer than he should've, before his feet were suddenly moving and he burst into the parking lot and luckily, somehow, Harrington and Dustin weren't in their cars yet.

"Henderson called me dad once!" He shouted over at them, a little out of breath. "If you're his mother I think I owe you a date! Or at least child support!" He called, giving Harrington a sharp grin even though a part of him was horrified at his own actions.

Dustin looked ten times more horrified than Eddie felt, but Steve just turned, glanced Eddie over, and paused. "That can be arranged." He smirked a little before getting in his car, Dustin followed, and even over the engine starting Eddie could hear the kid screeching about dignity or something.

They drove away but Eddie's heart was pounding louder than them turning out of the parking lot.