AHOY THERE!

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.

Eddie's been practicing smaller charms and spells. He's getting better at control and decides he's ready for something bigger. Flashier. So if course it's time for him to summon a familiar.

Had Wayne warned him against summoning things because quote "You shouldn't going yellin in the dark when you don't know who's listening"?

Yes.

But every good witch needs a cool animal companion right? So this doesn't count.

Plus how metal would it be to roll up in town with a huge wolf at his feet or a raven on his shoulder?

So Eddie heads into the woods draws the circles and does the spell. Except he doesn't end up with a scary looking snake or a wolf. What he ends up with is ...

Frank. A fat, lazy albino opossum that hisses at everyone (except for Steve Harrington which pisses Eddie off to no end), will bite you if you don't share your food with him and steals anything shiny he can get his greedy little paws on.

"What are you doing?"

Theo Hagan looks up from his astronomy homework. He watches his brother's little five year old friend slip through the crack in the door and climb up on the end of his bed before saying, "Homework. Wanna do it for me?"

"No way," Steve shakes his head. "You should ask Tommy. He gives me the answers to our homework 'cause I forget to do it sometimes."

"Hm, maybe I'll try that," He humors the kid. "You hear that we're in trouble?"

"Miss Maria said you're not in trouble," Steve tells him. "She says she's disappoint in you."

Theo makes a gesture like he's been stabbed in the chest and was choking on his own blood. His dying act ends when Steve laughs.

"You're silly," He giggles before getting serious. "It's not good that your mom is disappointed but it's okay 'cause you can make it up to her. Not with a present. I already tried that."

"Why did you try?"

"For Tommy," Steve answers. "But Tommy's being a jerk to me right now so I’m hangin' out with you....I can try to help you with your homework. I know some stuff."

"It's a lot of math," Theo says, making a face. "I need you to remember this when you get to high school, okay? Do not take Mr Wallace's astronomy class."

"Astronomy?" Steve repeats, brightening up. "That's space and stuff! I know about that from Star Trek. I've seen every episode. Me and mama watch it together. She was gonna be an astronaut."

"Was she?"

"Yeah, but she decided to be my mama instead so she didn't go to space," Steve says. "I’m glad 'cause I think I'd miss her too much if she lived on the moon."

"I already miss her a whole lot and she lives with me," He adds. "When I grow up and me and mama can go to the moon together. I think that'd be fun."

"I think that'd be really fun, Steve."

"You should ask my mama for help with your homework. She's really smart. I think she's smarter than my dad sometimes and he's like, really smart."

"I'll keep that in mind," Theo says, sitting his homework to the side. He's like to get off the topic the Harringtons before Steve says something casually off-putting about them so, "What's this Star Trek thing about?"

"Your mom isn't mad at you," Steve say when he gets back to Tommy's room. "She'd disappointed."

"But that's worse!"

"I know," Steve nods, climbing onto the bed and flopping down next to Tommy. "I tried."

"Did you tell her it wasn't my fault?"

"Oh?" Steve says. "No, I forgot."

"Steve!" He exclaims. "That was the whole point! You never do anything right."

"Sorry."

"It's okay," Tommy sighs. "It's not your fault. You just don't know better 'cause you never get in trouble. You're always supposed to tell them that it's someone else's fault."

Steve frowns, "Thats lying."

"It's not lying," Tommy says like he's talking to a baby. "It's only lying if you actually did it. I didn't break the wall, I just pushed Tyler and he broke it."

"But-"

"It doesn't matter 'cause you messed it up."

"I tried my best," Steve says. "And - and it's not that bad 'cause Miss Maria isn't mad at you. She said that you jus' gotta stay here 'til your dad comes home. Some kids have to stay in their room for so long that they miss dinner and have to wait 'til breakfast."

Tommy sighs again, slithering away from Steve and off the bed, "You always make stuff up, Steve. No one can stay in their room that long. They'd pee their pants."

"Some bedrooms have a bathroom connected to them. Mine does."

Tommy doesn’t respond. Instead, he crouched down next to the air vent. He taps against the metal grate before whisper-shouting, "Tyler, psst. Tyler, come here."

A few seconds pass before Tommy's bedroom door is eased open. Tyler carefully closes it shut behind him. He almost asks but Tommy cuts him off, "Steve messed it up."

"I didn't-"

Tyler groans, "So, we're still in trouble?"

"Steve said that we have to wait until dad gets home to get in trouble."

"So, he could go back downstairs and fix-"

"No," Steve snaps at them. "You guys are being jerks! I tried to help but - but you're not gonna get in trouble. Your mom said you're gonna get con-see-quenches 'cause you don't listen to nobody! And I - I made her promise not to take your allowance so. You're welcome."

Tommy looks to his ten year old brother. Tyler looks back. They frown when they look to Steve, "We don't get an allowance."

Steve pauses in the doorway of Tommy's bedroom, his backpack halfway off his shoulders. His eyes narrow as he frowns, "Why not? I said I was comin' over."

"Yeah, but that was before Mom got mad," Tommy sighs dramatically. "She's mad at everyone and she said she doesn't want to hear a peep from us until Dad gets home. No one is allowed to leave their room."

Steve's frown deepens.

"But!" Tommy jumps. "You should talk to her!"

"Why?"

"Because you're never in trouble," He replies. "You can tell Mom that I'm sorry and it wasn't my fault. It's Tyler's fault. Or Theo's 'cause he's the oldest. Or Travis', just not mine."

Steve frowns more.

He gets in trouble all the time at home and at school but...his mom doesn't talk to him either when she's mad at him and he hates it.

He's gotten pretty good at making it up to her so, "I'll try to fix it."

"Awesome," Tommy cheers. "Remember, it wasn't my fault. I just pushed him. I didn't break the wall."

Steve slides his backpack off his shoulders the rest of the way and digs around for what he needs inside before heading back downstairs. He follows the sound of Tommy's mom to the dining room where she stood in front of a head-sized hole in the wall, "Hi, Miss Maria."

"Hi, Stevie," She says, not sounding particularly angry. "I didn't hear you come in."

"It's 'cause I’m like a ninja," He says."I got you something. It's a present. From Tommy."

He presents her - "A rock?"

"It's a lucky rock," Steve informs her. "The weird kid at the park that bites m- Tommy says that it has good luck magic. He says that there's not a lot of magic in the world no more so you have to be real careful who you share it with when you find some."

"The weird kid said that he's got a lot of good luck already," Steve continues. "So he gave me - I mean, Tommy - this magic rock. He said you have to carry it with you all the time and if you squeeze it real tight, it'll steal your sad away. That's good 'cause you don't want to be sad anyways."

He pauses and adds, "Now I'm giving - I mean, Tommy is giving you the magic. As a present 'cause he's sorry and he loves you. Do you like it?"

"This is a very nice rock and a very thoughtful gift," She says. "I think it was really nice of your friend to give it to you, Steve. I think you should keep it."

"But - but it's a present," Steve says. "It's a present from Tommy so you stop being mad at him."

"Steve, I’m not-"

"Take it."

"I’m not go-"

"Take my stupid rock and stop being mad at Tommy!" Steve snaps. "Stop ignoring him! It hurts people's feelings when their mama ignores them and-"

"Hey," Maria says firmly. "Steve, I’m not ignoring Tommy. I’m not ignoring anyone. I sent the boys to their rooms so they could think about their actions and to calm down."

"I’m not happy that they damaged the wall," She concedes. "One of them could have gotten hurt and we're lucky that they didn't, but I’m not mad at them. I’m disappointed."

"That's worse!" Steve complains, scrubbing at his dry eyes. "Tommy said you told him not to leave 'til Mr David got here."

"That's true," She says. "When Mr David comes home, we're going to discuss their punishment."

"What if he doesn't come home for a long time?" Steve asks. "What if Tommy had to stay in his room all by himself forever? He's gonna get hungry."

"Mr David will be home in fifteen minutes, hon," She assures. "I wouldn't make them stay in there all day otherwise. Is that something that happens at your house?"

"I don't want Tommy to get punished."

"Me neither," She admits. "But there are consequences to our actions and sometimes the consequences aren't very fun but they're necessary. They teach us not to do things that can hurt us."

She gestures Steve over to her. He comes easily, allowing her to pick him up into a hug. She presses a kiss to the top of his head and asks, "What kind of punishment do you think my boys should get?"

"I dunno," Steve shrugs. "Just don't take their allowance away."

"Deal," She says, feeling a little unease at the request. She pushes the concern to the side for now with a hum and asks, "You think I can fix this hole?"

R: I see all the leafs

He watches as notebook, notebook, coloring book, sketch pad, notebook are methodically and pointedly stacked on the table in front of him. The stack is topped off with a ziplock bag of colored pencils.

Hopper raises an eyebrow.

He asks the five year old in front of him, “Homework?”

“No,” Steve says. “I’m an artist now. I’m gonna be an artist when I grow up.”

“I thought you were going to be a lawyer.”

“No,” Steve makes a face. “Being a lawyer is boring. I’m gonna work with my dad when I’m big but I’m gonna be an artist. And a ninja.”

Hopper nods.

He takes a bite out of a stick of celery, “Sounds like you got it all planned out.”

“Uh-huh,” Steve agrees, opening the notebook on top. He flips through the colorful pages as he says, “In art class, Mr Healy told us to draw ourselves as animals. I’m a monkey. Duh.”

Steve shows Hopper a kid drawing of a monkey-like figure with a squiggle of brown hair and an S on its chest, “I’m wearing a shirt like Alvin.”

“What’s that?” Hopper asks, pointing to a blue scribble in the corner.

“That’s Tommy. He’s a shark,” Steve says. “You can’t see him ‘cause he’s under water so he doesn’t die.”

He points to another monkey and says, “This is Carol. She’s a cat, I’m really good at drawing cats.”

“Right,” Hopper nods. “That’s a good picture, kid.”

Steve beams at the compliment.

He flips wildly through the next few pages in his notebook before holding it up to show Hopper a seal in a wide-brimmed hat, “This is you.”

“I’m a seal?”

“That’s a sea lion ‘cause you’re like a sea lion,” Steve says like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “You’re not a seal ‘cause you got ears and big hands. Seals don’t got ears. They got holes for ears and little fins so they just wiggle around. You don’t wiggle.”

“Oh, okay.”

“I sawed you walkin’ the other day when it was real slippery,” Steve adds. “You waddle. Like a sea lion.”

Before Hopper can respond Steve rips the page out of his notebook, “You can have it.”

“Thanks.”

Hopper is contemplating folding the drawing so he can put it in his pocket when Callahan walks over. He doesn’t get a word out before Steve is ripping another page out of his notebook and holding it out, “I drawed a picture of you.”

Callahan takes the drawing, looks at it and frowns, “You drew me as a snowman?”

“Yeah,” Steve nods. “He has macaroni in his head like your hair. I’m a really good artist.”

“What’s this?” Callahan asks, pointing to a big circle in the corner.

Steve: *reaches out an arm to help*

Eddie: *shifts all the bags to one hand to hold Steve’s hand with the other*

Mentioning it every 5 minutes. Especially in hellfire. "You see a goblet on the mantle. It's glowing and shiny...like the engagement ring MY FIANCE gave me"

Dustin has to radio Steve like "come get your man, he's being annoying."

He's a freshman in high school and this nice drug dealer guy is showing him how to smoke a joint so he doesn't beef it in front of all his friends, and...he's kinda cute.

And then Steve kisses him.

And Eddie kisses back.

And they're making out at a random table in the woods until - "Whoa."

"You okay?"

"Sorry," Steve says. "Sorry, man. I'm actually going to do the whole gay thing - bi thing? I think I still like girls - in a couple of years. I want to be popular first."

"...We can still do this if you're in the closet. I can keep a secret."

"I’m not in the closet. I’m just going to be - whatever I am later."

Eddie is just, "... You're scheduling being gay?"

Steve thinks about it and, "...Yes."

"You can't do that."

"Um, yeah I can. Free country."

"What," Eddie starts and stops. He takes a breath and asks, "Do you have 'be a homosexual' penciled in your calendar four years from now?"

"I don't think they make multi-year calendars like that."

Because that's the only issue with this conversation, not pushing your gay awakening down the road. Eddie can't even point out that all of this is absurd because Steve is just like, fingerguns, "Anyways, if you're free in a couple years, hit me up."

"For what, a meeting on the gay agenda?"

"Or to make out," Steve shrugs as he packs up his stuff. "You're a good kisser. See ya, Munson."

Eddie doesn't hit Steve up.

The Buckleys have a daughter in the same way some people have horses. Just being responsible for the well-being and safety of a creature dead set on breaking their own legs.