#lunaraindrop

I'm shipping Byler like nobody's business, and I am completely alone in this with my rl friend group.

Help??

John Watson's Abominable Bride by lunaraindrop

For those of you who like your Halloween sweet and fluffy, here are a few bitesize fics for that shot of sugar!

Haunted by kitsunequeen

[436w | General]

First thing’s first, Derek is a liar.

1) Stiles is absolutely not afraid.


2) He did not shriek. He may have gasped, like, once. 


3) Clinging to Derek’s arm is in no way an indication of fear. He just really loves his boyfriend, okay? Really really. And his arm is comfortable to hold on to. That is all.

Rescue my cat from me by Hepzheba

[897w | General]

Firefighter Derek has to retrieve a cat from a tree. He'd rather ogle the cat's owner, despite the ridiculous sweater said owner is wearing.

Halloween by MissDizzyD

[903w | Teen]

Stiles and Derek spend Halloween night watching horror films and dishing out candy.

Hallowe'en at Hale's! by lunaraindrop

[635w | General]

After months of not hearing from Derek, Stiles decides to throw a Halloween Party at Derek's loft. Could Stiles have ulterior motives besides dressing up and dancing?

Garbage Bag Ghosts by twisting_vine_x

[759w | General]

Slip of the Tongue: (definition) A minor mistake in speech.

French kiss: (definition) An open-mouth kiss usually involving tongue-to-tongue contact.

He didn't mean to say it.

For weeks, Steve had been coming to terms that his feelings for one Eddie Munson were...well, certainly not platonic with a capital P.

You can play off the itch to touch someone's hair as wanting to show your friend proper hair maintenance.

You can shrug off loving a laugh as being happy that you made your friend happy.

You can even tell yourself that your reaction to seeing that sliver of tummy as they play keep away with Robin is envy, and not the simmering boil of lust.

It gets a little harder to deny deep, life altering feelings when you have to physically stop yourself from kissing the daylights out of them.

So, yeah. Steve was falling for Eddie. And trying desperately hard to keep everything bottled up onside.

Which is why Steve said something he shouldn't have said.

Robin later called it a Freudian Slip.

It started with a day that Robin was freaking out about some summer class she was taking on French. He had already invited the Hellfire Club over to use his house, because the school was closed, and the Wheelers had a leak in their basement. Being a good friend, Steve had invited Robin over to help her study, despite not being the best student. Steve didn't know very much about French, except that he liked the fries and the kissing. Robin had said he was gross...and wanted fries.

That was how Steve ended up making a shit ton of fries and burgers for everyone.

The shrimps and Eddie were horsing around his living room, and while his parents were never there, *Steve* appreciated not having the furniture knocked over. Or stood on.

He had pointed at Dustin earlier and said, "If you knock over that chair, I'm knocking you out." while waving the Sunday paper. Of course, while Dustin toned it down, Steve wasn't particularly harsh. Mike called it his "Mom Sass."

Stupid Mike.

When he called down Lucas for throwing the throw pillow, he said, "Hey! No basketball in the house! Take it outside." Lucas got the message, and put the pillow back.

But Eddie. Oh, Eddie. Eddie was like a toddler on a sugar high. It was as exasperating as it was endearing. Steve lived for the moments that Eddie would play with the kids. But when Eddie stood on the coffee table, enough was enough.

The problem is, words that Steve was trying his hardest to keep locked away, decided to bubble out of his mouth. He wanted to say, "Munson, mark my words, if you don't stop, I'm going to kick you. Hard." But Steve's mind translated "kick" into "kiss". But with Robin and her French lessons, and the talk of kissing and the making of fried potatoes for a mass of people, what came out instead was,

"Munson, mark my words, if you don't stop, I'm going to French you. Hard."

Everyone stopped moving.

The kids looked on in shock. Robin dropped her fries.

Eddie though, Eddie shook his head like his brain was an Etch-o-Sketch, trying to make the words make sense. Piercing, beautiful brown eyes narrowed at him, as the corner of his mouth tipped up in a disbelieving smile.

"Did you just say you'll 'French me' if I don't stop?"

Now, this was the moment. Steve had seconds to figure out how he wanted this to play out. He could try to save face...or totally roll with it.

It was risky, but rolling with it might just make everything blow over.

So he doubled down and nodded, popping his hip.

"Hard, Munson. Frenching you so hard, I'll get to know your tonsils by first name. So get off my coffee table!"

"Eww, Steve! Not his tonsils!" Lucas cried.

Mike looked disgusted. "Yeah Eddie, that sounds like a solid threat. You don't want Steve's mouth anywhere near you."

Dustin just looked deadpan at Steve. "Steve, is *this* how you threaten people? No wonder you never win a fight."

Realizing that Steve was not backing down, Eddie's eyes widened, then mischievously twinkled.

"As in kiss me."

Steve crossed his arms, and began to sweat. This was not blowing over. Still, he stuck to it.

"Yeah. I said it, didn't I?"

"You're going to kiss me-"

"Hard, yeah.

"Hard, *yes*...if I don't stop what I am doing."

"Yeah? Why do you keep repeating me? Get off my table, man."

Eddie twirled a tantalizing curl around his finger.

"Oh I'm just making sure I understand correctly, big boy."

Robin, oddly silent for once, was looking on like witnessing a rain wreck.

Steve felt himself blush, but held firm.

Eddie stepped down with one foot, but kept the other on the table. Reaching out, trembling fingers cupped Steve's flushed cheek. With earnest eyes begging, Eddie lowered his voice.

"But what I want soft, hmm Steve? What do I have to do to get you to French me softly?"

Realizing that maybe his feeling were mutual after all, Steve finally ran his fingers through Eddie's beautiful hair.

"All you have to do is ask, Eddie. All you have to do is ask."

Having you first kiss with your new boyfriend witnessed by a gaggle of teenagers and your best friend might not be ideal, but Steve would take it.

Eddie said he had the purpose of renting The Dark Crystal when he walked into Family Video that day.

"Yeah, our favorite little flock are coming over later. Might as well make it a movie night, right?"

Steve, who knew they were all going over to Eddie's new trailer later because *he* would be the one taking them over, nodded sagely.

"That's a good idea. Creepy Muppets will definitely keep those rag tag idiots entertained for a while."

Depositing an armful of return tapes on the counter, Robin couldn't help but laugh.

"Oh! Steve! I heard that Tammy Thompson is planning to join a band!"

Eddie's nose crinkled. "Is it Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem? Because she sounds like a Muppet, and not even the cool, creepy kind."

Steve beemed at Eddie, happy, fond smile on his face. "Yes! That is exactly what I've been saying!"

The more they were around each other, the more Steve and Eddie found that they strangely had many things in common. Despite outward appearances, it became quickly apparent that the two guys were ridiculously compatible.

As friends, of course.

It fascinated the kids, especially Dustin, how in sinc they were. Like a well oiled machine. If they were not on the same wavelength, they were balancing each other out. More than once Dustin secretly pouted that Eddie would be the perfect boyfriend for Steve. You know, if Steve and Eddie liked guys. The one time he vented about it to Max, Eddie had overheard.

Oh, if Henderson only knew.

At this point, pining was an art to Eddie. To him, his growing friendship was worth a little heartache, if it meant he got to keep Steve.

Hey. Steve looked out for everyone else. Someone had to look out for him.

If he knew how Eddie felt...well, it might not go well.

A costumer had come in in the middle of their laughter. The two employees calmed it down to give the Family Video greeting. In fake, cheery unison.

Eddie laughed again when the customer was out of earshot. "Talk about creepy Muppets. You two are giving the Skeksis a run for their money."

Steve furrowed his brow. "Who?"

Robin rolled her eyes. "The creepy Muppets we have been talking about, dingus!"

Eddie, a glint in his eyes, leaned his forearms onto the counter, getting dangerously close to Steve's face.

"Stevie, have you actually seen The Dark Crystal?"

Steve, not moving away, only shrugged. "No? But, come on, the movie cover has creepy Muppets on it. Not that far a leap, Ed."

That glint danced as he shot an amused look briefly to Robin. "You're coming with the kids, right?"

Finally stepping back for a little space, Steve blinked. "Oh. You want me to stay? I was just doing the drop off."

Eddie tilted his head, eyes never leaving Steve's but calling over his shoulder. "Bucks, you and Big Boy are both welcome to come join our fiasco tonight. We can educate this poor boy on good movies."

"It would take a lot more than one night, Eddie. But sure, I'll go."

Steve moved from the counter and put his hands on his hips. "Hey, I know good movies! Just because I haven't seen some of the nerdy ones does not mean I don't know!"

Looking over, he held up one in triumph. Robin squawked and rolled her eyes.

"No! Not this again."

"Yes! This again! This is a good movie!"

Eddie reached for the cassette. "What movie even is this?" Yanking it out of Steve's hand, Eddie danced away and ducked down next to Robin. Reading it silently, Eddie looked up in disappointment at Steve.

"Fast Times at Ridgemont High? Really?"

Steve looked at Eddie in astonishment. Besides the debate on heavy metal vs pop, Steve and Eddie agreed on almost everything.

"Wait, you don't like Fast Times?"

Robin actually looked a little worried. Steve face looked like it was a little in pain.

Eddie bit his lip, but shook his head. "Sorry, Steve-o. Not really my thing."

Steve seemed to rally, and bounced on his feet, looking a bit like an excited Dustin. "But, like, come on. Everyone likes at least some parts of the movie."

"Oh my God, Steve! Shut. Up-" Robin tried to speak over when she realized where he was going with that.

Eddie crossed his arms. "Eh, I watched it once. Didn't really like it."

"What about at-"

"Steve, NO-"

"53 minutes and-"

"I SWEAR, IF YOU SAY-

" -5 seconds?"

Eddie twirled the ring in his index finger. "What's at 53 minutes and 5 seconds?"

Steve smiled and opened his mouth.

Robin beat him to it.

"DON'T. SAY. BOOBIES!"

Steve smiled.

"Boobies."

Robin threw a pack of red licorice at him.

Eddie...still did not look impressed. " 'Boobies' ? That's it?"

"That...that's it?! They're boobies!"

"Like, are they enchanted boobs?"

Both Steve and Robin were speechless.

Robin recovered first. " 'Enchanted Boobs' ?! Jesus Christ, Eddie!"

Steve literally shook off his stupor. "There's no magic in Fast Times, Eddie!"

The one customer they had quietly slinked out the doorway.

Noticing this, Eddie wiggled the cassette, only for Steve to step up and take him from him.

"Okay, so what makes that part so special?"

Steve was flummoxed. "The boobies is the special part! Anyone that likes boobies likes that part!"

And all at once, Eddie felt his stomach drop to the floor.

Anyone who likes boobies likes that part...but Eddie doesn't seem to see anything special about that part.

He knew he was silent for too long. And by the tiny gasp that Robon let out, he knew his secret was out.

He was out.

Sure, he could have left it as is. Made a joke, run away. Not let them know.

But, Eddie was trying to be braver. And, these were supposed to be his friends. Best friends, really, aside from Henderson. Shouldn't they know him for real?

Taking a risk, Eddie used a luck point to roll.

"Yeah...still not my thing, Steve."

Steve furrowed his brow.

"What's not your thing?"

Gathering ever piece of courage he had, Eddie whispered in Steve's ear.

"Boobies, Big Boy."

He stood back, trying to hide his nerves with a goofy smile.

Robin reached out.

"Oh, Eddie. Are you-?"

"A Friend of Dorothy? Just call my Scarecrow. Or Toto, I guess."

Steve, frozen, said distractedly, "Nah, you wouldn't Bless the Rains in Africa."

Shaking that off, Steve put a hand on Eddie's shoulder.

"You-you like guys?"

Eddie, nervous, replied, "Yeah."

He did not expect both Steve and Robin to manhandle him into a slightly awkward, but very warm hug.

Robin squeezed him tighter. "This is so big! Thank you for trusting us with this!"

The door chimed as another customer came in. That time, Robin was the only one to say the greeting, only after untangling herself. It took Steve a little longer to pull away (which Eddie didn't mind.)

When he did, though, his cheeks were red, and he was looking at Eddie like he knew an answer to a question Steve didn't think to ask.

Showing the customer the choices of children's movies, Robin reached out and squeezed Eddie's hand. "We'll talk later. But, I am so proud of you!" Looking over at Steve, she nodded, and smiled at Eddie. "Just, you know. If you're Scarecrow, I'm definitely Tinman." She walked off.

Eddie grinned. "I knew it!"

Seeing as it was only the two of them left, Eddie whistled and grabbed The Dark Crystal. "I better get going. Gotta set up crash space for the flock. And a place for us grown ups to sit."

As he walked out, he heard Steve curse at himself, before being followed out the door.

"Hey, Eddie! Wait!"

Eddie turned, movie in hand.

"You called, Sir Steven?"

Running fingers through his hair and scratching at the back of his neck, Steve asked, "Okay, so, no to boobies, right? Well, w-what do you like?"

"What do I like...?"

Steve smiled, but almost bitterly said, "Nerdy guys, right? You probably like really smart guys with perfect pecks. Or Metalheads! Do you like metalheads? Because you like the same music?"

Was...was Steve...jealous?

Holy shit.

Heart hammering, Eddie locked eyes with Steve.

"Stevie, Stevie, Stevie. I might be awesome, but loving another version of me would get so boring."

He sauntered closer, never taking his eyes away from that beautiful brown.

The words tumbled out. "What do you like, then?"

"I like hairy chests."

Steve actually looked down at himself.

"Eyes on me, Big Guy."

When he knew he had Steve's undivided attention, he spoke in a hushed whisper..

"I like hairy chests. I also really like dumb jocks that are a lot smarter than they are given credit for. I like guys with terrible tastes in movies and music, but God damn do they love their friends and their kids."

The longer Steve was silent, the more dread Eddie felt. Just as he was about to apologize, Steve leaned over and kissed his cheek.

"Please let me be reading this right. Because, God Munson, I want to be reading this right so bad."

Eddie, blushing, whispered to Steve.

"Uh...do you happen to like guys too?"

The Lie Becomes the Truth-A Steddie Fic (Part 3)

Steve felt the sputtered gasp across his lips.

At first, Steve didn’t register what was happening inches below is face. It had been so long since he allowed himself to cry. Crying is distracting, okay? It involves a lot of snot and blurry vision. Steve knew his strengths when came to his looks.

Crying? Na-da.

Steve was not a handsome crier.

Tom Cruise would probably have one manly tear roll down his face.

Not Steve, no.

There was no saving face we he cried. He blubbered like a baby. Forget Dustin cradling Eddie, *Steve* was hiccuping sobs and holding on to Eddie’s shoulders like he had a nightmare and Eddie was his teddy bear. This was all a nightmare. A living nightmare that kept getting worse.

What Steve didn’t realize was that…the proverbial sun was rising. The nightmare was ending. Steve’s teddy bear was trying to speak.

Rearing back, Steve roughly wiped at his face. It didn’t matter what fucking muck he smeared across his cheeks. Eddie was breathing.

Eddie was breathing! And talking!

“…uuurgf…hhhmg…”

Well, kinda.

At the sound, Nancy had stopped chest compressions.

She didn’t need to anymore. Eddie was waking up. The tears had yet to stop rolling.

“Oh-Oh my God! Eddie? Eddie! Can you hear me?”

Both Dustin and Robin’s head snapped up from Eddie’s lower body.

Robin scrambled to the other side of Eddie’s head, while Dustin yelled from Eddie’s patched up abdomen wound.

“He’s breathing?! Is Eddie breathing? Steve!”

But Steve couldn’t answer. He just stared down at Eddie.

Eddie who was alive! Whose hand was searching the around.

What Eddie could have been possibly looking on the Upside Down ground was beyond Steve. It looked like he was doing a drunk impression of Velma from Scooby Doo looking for her glasses. And not, you know, eyes closed and coming back from the dead.

His hand knocked into a dead demobat. Eddie froze before letting out a frightened whimper.

“-stin? D-da…dus..!”

Steve felt a lump in his throat.

Nerdy Velma he was not. This nerd was not looking for glasses. The self sacrifing asshole metal head was looking for Dustin. Almost died, and all he cared about was where the kid was.

Yeah, Steve was fucked. No going back from that moment on. Forget girls, forget possibly other guys. Eddie Munson was *it* for him. Nobody else would do.

Dustin gingerly crawled over until he was above Eddie, near the top of his head. Looking upside down at Eddie, Dustin batted Steve hands away to touch Eddie’s face.

Steve had not been aware that he had stopped holding Eddie’s shoulders. Whoops. He knew he had wandering hands, but he wasn’t trying for second base during a make out session. This was caressing a hurt friend’s face like some love sick sap. It was, frankly, a little embarassing. Steve was Eddie's friend, not his boyfriend. He had fucking *kissed* the guy, and he didn't even know if Eddie liked dudes!

Get your head in the game, Harrington!

“Eddie! Eddie, Eddie! It’s Dustin! I’m okay! I’m here!”

Eddie calmed down instantly, weakly touching the tip of his middle finger to the back of Dustin’s hand.

“Safe.”

Dustin hesitated, looking to Steve, then to Robin and Nancy.

“The bats are still dead. But we’re still in the Upside Down.”

Eddie was faintly shaking is head before he even finished. When he spoke again, it was like he was speaking from far away and with mouthful of marbles.

“N... J’sus ‘rist. Safe! No M’rdor. Go. T-nd -heep. F…find Sam-wis.”

Steve was not alone in his confusion this time. All four of them shot looks of silent communication. They got the gist of what he was saying, however…

Who the fuck was Samwis?

Robin was the first to talk.

“Eddie? Hey, it’s Robin! We’re going to get you out of here, okay buddy? Don’t worry! But, umm, did you just ask Dustin to find you a sandwich? I don’t think you should be eating right now.”

Steve knew that Eddie had not asked Dustin to find him a “sammich”. He might not have spent a lot of time with Eddie, but you only have to hear “Hey Steve, throw me a sandwich” to know how the man makes it a point to cheekily, and not cute in any way, put emphasis on the “a” and “d” in the word like some medieval jester guy. No, Eddie said that word with a capital “S”. He couldn’t exactly remember, but he knew that capital words were some type of important noun, while not capital words were…less important?

Jesus Christ, there was a reason he barely passed high school.

The point was that Steve sucked at grammar, but he aced knowing that Eddie wasn’t talking about food.

Point for him.

But who was Samwis? What was a Samwis?

If Eddie wanted a Samwis, Steve would find the fucking Samwis for him. No questions asked. Whatever Eddie wanted, Steve would make sure he had.

Thankfully, Dustin seemed to translate.

“Do you mean Samwise, Eddie? You want me to find Samwise Gamgee?”

While this talk was going on, Nancy and Robin were making sure the pieces of clothing keeping Eddie’s blood in his body were secure.

And Steve?

Steve just…sat there. Silent. Staring at Eddie breathing.

Eddie was breathing. Panting. In a ton of pain.

But yet to open his eyes.

“-Yah. ‘im. G’o. Fl-y ‘way…fooool…”

Dustin look up at Steve.

“He’s conscious, but something’s wrong.”

Robin spoke up from where she and Nancy were securing her belt around Eddie’s torso.

“What’s he saying?”

“He’s speaking in book quotes.”

Robin nodded. “He lost a lot of blood. He’s delirious.”

Nancy looked at the conscious adults in their group. “He’s as ready as he’s going to be to move. We’ve got to get him to a hospital.”

When Eddie heard her voice, his head tilted like a cocker spaniel with a flea in its ear. When he seemed to register what she said, he started to look frightened again.

All Steve wanted in the entire would was to gather Eddie up and wipe that look from his face.

But he still had not talked. He still could not move.

“No. B’d Rosie! Samwis! Ta-ke Merry nd Pip…Shire. Safe. L’ve me.”

Okay, that did it. Forget that Eddie was so fucking out of it that he was looking for some Sam-thing, and thought Nancy was a goddamn flower. Steve could take action if Eddie was still trying to be a self sacrificing hero.

That was *his* job, goddammit.

He shoved Dustin back as gently as his nerves would allow (He saw that shithead's ankle! Why were all the people he cared about wreckless idiots?! They were going to have words at the hospital. Serious words. After Steve hugged the living daylights out of him.), and slid his arms under Eddie’s back and knees.

“Okay, that’s enough of that! We’re *all* getting out of here, and right the fuck now. Nobody is being left behind, you asshole!”

Any fight Eddie had started to cook up melted out of his body. He went ragdoll in Steve’s arms. The only tells that he had not passed out were his continued breaths, and the smile that graced his face.

“Oh. ‘here you ar’e.”

Still not understanding what the fuck the guy was saying, Steve could not help but smile too. As he hefted Eddie’s living, breathing body into his achy arms, he felt Eddie sigh. For the first time since all this shit began, Eddie looked…content. Like he let go of all of his fear and self preservation he carried.

Even as the demobat wounds screamed at his own sides, he welcomed this brave, grown man curling up into his chest. Steve was no fucking liar. Eddie was alive, and he intended to keep him that way. If that meant he had to carry Eddie out of there, then he would. Nothing was going to stop him.

Well, except being injured and stuck in another demention. Yeah, that sucked. Good thing he wasn't alone.

Steve could be Eddie’s Shire, or whatever that nice place was in his book. He was so down for that.

As everyone else stood up, they all looked towards the trailer in the distance.

Link to Part 3

At some point, Steve was going to have to get used to embarrassing himself.

While Robin was always kind enough to remind him that he sucked when he struck out with the ladies, Steve was a jock.

He was strong.

He was handsome

.

He had good hand-eye coordination, a wiz with his nailbat, and could beat up a Russian asshole with a phone.

Not too shabby, if he did say so himself. (Which he *did*, thank you very much Robin and Dustin.)

From the movies they played in Family Video, Steve had seen many action heroes saving the day. They would get shot, stabbed, blown up even, and still save the day.

So. Eddie was not some dainty damsel, and Steve, while being a strong, handsome former jock, was no action hero from a movie. After taking a few steps, Steve nearly fell over.

Right. He was injured too. Shit.

After some rearranging, Steve ended up with a new Eddie backpack. Or as Dustin liked to call it, Eddie was riding “Yoda-Style”.

Steve kept to himself just how much he didn’t think Eddie looked like a Muppet.

(Steve would tell Robin later, much later, that it is possible to crush on a musician that doesn’t look like they were created by Jim Henson. She flipped him off. It was great.)

Something else Steve learned? His piggyback companion didn’t think of him as that safe Shire place.

He couldn’t feel upset about that, because he found out that he was something far, far greate than a place.

He, Steve, was the Samwis!

Actually, that was a bit confusing. Eddie had said, “Samwis”. Dustin said the character Eddie was asking for was named “Samwise”.

That wasn’t what Eddie was calling him.

A plus on Eddie being pressed up tight against his back, (besides the obvious), was that Eddie’s words were clearer. No more garbled half sounds. Being off the ground made the metal head also more of his chatty self.

Still delirious as fuck, but at least they could understand the words coming out of his mouth.

Even if they did make Steve blush. He was confused as shit, but well…

How was he supposed to react when these things were crooned in his ear?

“Oh Stevewise. My gardener. My paladin. My fluffy haired knight. You water my flowers, tend my hedges, fight off Shelob…carrying me outta Mordor.”

Dustin kept looking over, furrowed brow, as he limped between his Nancy and Robin crutches.

Steve knew that look.

The little shit was contemplating.

Gears were working overtime in Dustin’s head, trying to make a picture out these random puzzle pieces he thought Eddie was giving them.

To be honest, there were gears turning in Steve head, too. (It was easier to focus on that than the pain in his sides or how only a few minutes before Eddie was….how *Steve* was a liar.)

He knew what a knight was, easy. He knew his hair had incredible volume. But the rest of that? What the fuck? Were those from that book his likes? From the *Dorks and Disasters* game? Was he speaking in code?

And most importantly…how the hell did Eddie know he liked to garden?!

Eddie didn’t have much of a yard at the trailer park, but he had brought some flower pots over to Max’s to brighten the place. But how did Eddie know he grew them?

Something warm was filling is chest, like liquid sunshine.

If Eddie wanted him to be his gardener, he would be the best god damn gardener Eddie had ever seen. What little lawn he had would be trimmed and green. He would keep Eddie’s house full of flowers every week. He and his uncle would drown in fresh vegetables. Forget the farmer’s market. *Steve’s* their farmer’s market, baby.

It was when they entered the trailer that Eddie’s chatter took a despondent turn.

As Steve put his precious, heavy load on the couch, Eddie…sang.

Steve didn't pay very much attention in school. But he did remember something about ocean sirens using beautiful singing to hypnotizing sailors to drown themselves, or something like that.

Yeah. If Eddie was a siren, then Steve would be drowning.

It wasn’t some heavy metal ballad, like most might expect. No. It was all the words he has brushed the shell of Steve’s ear, plus more, put to song. Steve was pretty impressed. Eddie was some fucking musician, making a song on the spot with all that blood loss and being nearly unconscious. But unlike how happy the words made Steve before, these were…sad.

"Oh Stevewise. My gardener. My paladin. My fluffy haired knight.

You water my flowers, tend my hedges, fight off strange things in the night.

You carry me out of Mordor, Safe, Mount Doom a distant shore

But you'll go back to the Shire, marry Rosie. And I...I’ll go West with the Elves, forevemore"

Dustin’s head snapped towards Eddie. His genius gears stopped turning. There was an epiphany. One completely lost to Steve. Completely lost to Nancy too, it seemed.

But not to Robin.

Despite him knowing for a fact that Robin didn’t play D&D or read that book (he asked, okay?), she knew a thing to two about music. Where Dustin got some secret code in he words, Robin heard something n the notes.

Something that made her cry and cover he mouth.

Nancy had turned to her and ask what was going on, but she just shook her head.

“It isn’t my place to tell.”

Dustin turned to her, looking so sad and lost, before he limped over and gently hugged Eddie.

“Oh Eddie…that isn’t how the story has to end! Frodo doesn’t have to go into the West. We love you. I love you! Your family loves you! Stay with us.”

Wait a fucking second. Was Eddie talking about…dying?! Again?!

Not on Steve’s watch!

Frantic, Steve gripped Eddie face. His eyes were still closed, so Steve got in close.

“Listen here, Munson! Stay AWAY from any fucking lights at the end of tunnels, okay? No walking West, or any shit, okay? Plus, ah…”

Eddie had talked Elves, right?

“Plus, the Elves are dipshit asshole...”

What was something Eddie hated?

Steve’s eyes lit up.

He knew this!

He slapped his hands and snapped his fingers.

“JOCKS! The Elves are total Jocks!”

Robin, bless their shared brain cell, picked up what he was putting down. “Yeah! And not the nice, dumb kind! Jason Carver? Totally a zealot, child hurting, friends-of-Dorothy-hating Elf!”

Eddie wrinkled his nose. “Eww.”

Smiling, Dustin jumped back in. “The West is full of Jason Carver Elves! Don't go towards any lights! Stay in the Shire. Your uncle is in the Shire.”

“Wayne?”

Steve put some curls behind his ears.

“Yeah. Wayne’s waiting in-in the Shire. Why don’t we go say hello?”

While the three of them were talking Eddie out of his dark mood, Nancy had used the time to fashion a new rope out of towels from the bathroom, and even a makeshift seat out of Eddie’s guitar strap. Somehow, big brains Nancy made the rope twice as long, and developed a pulley system with a towel rack, a floor lamp, and a plastic wheel-thingie with wrapped black cable that must have been from Wayne Munson’s job.

Jesus, sometimes Steve wondered if that woman was a female McGyver. How did she end up with an idiot like him, again?

Going as carefully as possible, Nancy crawled through first. Dustin was next, put into the guitar strap and towel seat. Nancy repositioned the mattress. Robin helped Dustin up as he climbed with Steve pulling on the rope. Hands were going bloody and raw from the terrycloth, Steve grunted and smiled when Dustin made it to the other side.

It was time for Eddie.

Unlike Dustin, Eddie wasn’t able to sit upright. He needed to be wrapped tightly in a blanket, while in the seat, and secured with some of the cables before they could pulley him through.

Gingerly laying him on the floor, Eddie started speaking again.

“Shire Time?”

Checking the belt already around his body, Robin answered back.

“We need to make you an Eddie burrito, but yes! We’ll get you to the Shire, then the hobbit hospital for magical stiches and rabies shots. How does that sound?”

Steve lifted Eddie as best as he could, and placed him in on the blanket. Something was still troubling Eddie, Steve could tell. As he and Robin wrapped him up (with “helpful” instructions from both Dustin and Nancy, Jesus), asked him what was wrong.

“But what about Rosie?”

Steve remembered him calling Nancy a flower, but he started to think that maybe even that had to do with that book too. That song of Eddie’s had him-Sam-Stevewise-whoever the fuck he was marrying this Rosie.

And that? Yeah, no.

He couldn’t let Eddie think that.

After all, he was Eddie’s gardener. And secretly damn proud of it.

Man, Steve really needed to read more.

A scary thought crossed his mind.

What if Eddie was so out of it that he *wasn’t* his gardener? What if the Samwis guy was a gardener, and Eddie was just reliving his favorite book while his mind was checked out?

“Hey, Eddie?”

In his cocoon, Eddie’s head lulled towards the sound of Steve’s voice.

“Yeah?”

“Do you know who I am? Like, really?”

Robin looked at him, curious and concerned.

“Steve, he’s lost a lot of blood, maybe don’t-“

“Steeeeve Harrington.”

Steve smiled, while Robin looked, nervous? Huh?

“Okay, yes, you’re right! I’m Steve.”

“Stevewise, the Gardener.”

“Steve’s not-“

Steve interupted Robin.

“Yes, I do like to garden.”

Robin raised an eyebrow.

“You do?”

“Who do you think takes care of the plants at my house?”

“I don’t know, a gardener?”

“Yes, that would be me!”

“I meant a hired gardener! Your parents pay for scented toilet paper and fancy stinky cheeses! I didn’t know!”

“Any time, guys!” Dustin yelled from the ceiling hole.

“Tone, Merry!” Eddie spoke back.

Steve got close to Eddie’s face, sweeping his hair behind his neck.

“See, this is why I asked. You called him Mary. Do you know who that is?”

“That’s…Dustin.”

Thank God, Eddie was becoming more lucid.

The two of them hoisted Eddie up. Tying Eddie with the cable to the rope, Robin curiously asked, “And who am I?”

“Robin, the Fool of a Took, of course.”

“I don’t know how to take that.”

Nancy yelled this time. “I think I see an ambulance outside of the windows! Come on!”

An ambulance?! Why the fuck was an ambulance out there?

Steve decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Eddie needed medical attention, and fast.

Steve pointed up, even though Eddie was yet to open his eyes.

“And who was that?”

Something ugly and sad crossed Eddie’s face.

“Rosie.”

“And who is Rosie?”

The next words were not what he was expecting.

“Your wife.”

Not Nancy. Not your ex. Not “The girl I think you will marry.” No.

Your wife.

Robin and Dustin were silent. Nancy?

Mortified.

There was a time when Nancy appearing near dread at the idea of marrying Steve would have hurt him. Deeply. But that was a long time ago. Things changed. She would always be his first love.

But she was no longer going to be his last.

Locking eyes with her, Nancy’s shock and quiet panic melted into a surprised understanding.

Of course she was going to figure him out. If anyone was going to recognize a Steve in love and with a breaking heart, it would be Nancy Wheeler.

Nancy, doing her good friend Steve a solid squared her shoulders. As Steve pulled the rope, Nancy called up to a rising Eddie.

“Okay, let's get one thing straight. Stevewise isn't marrying Rosie. Or Violet, Petunia, ANY flower, okay? Nobody is marrying flowers, right Steve?”

Pulling harder, feeing the fibers in the cuts of his palms, he agreed.

“That’s right! Stevewise is not marrying Rosie. The only flowers he has are in his garden.”

Robin and Dustin were watching both he and Eddie closely.

Eddie? For obvious reasons.

But Steve? He knew it they were questioning why Steve and Nancy were making it official that they were not getting back together. He knew Dustin thought he was in love with Nancy. Robin too. She went as far as to tell Nancy that they were platonic with a capital P.

That was one of those important capital noun words.

And had he not had the nuggets talk with Nancy?

But now was not the time to tell his best friends that his ex just figured out that he liked guys, and he only wanted the one that nearly died on them.

With one final tug, Eddie Munson was through the portal.

Woo-hoo! Thank you so much for asking! 😊

Cactus: Something I am currently learning (about): Ever since I was a little girl, I have wanted to and have tried to learn sign language, particularly ASL. I thought it was cool, and I wanted to learn to talk to HoH/Deaf people. There was never any classes or opportunities inside school for me to learn (which still pisses me off), so I would check out library books every once in a while and try to learn that way. When I was older, I would look signs up on YouTube and mirror what I saw. This helped me more, to see signs in action.

When I first started to learn about education, I found out that teaching sign language in early childhood was such an amazing tool to give infants, toddlers, and nonverbal children.

In an ironic twist of fate, my mother gets more HoH every year. Her bosses at work have offered to pay for her to have hearing aids...but she is too vain. Because of this, I find myself talking with my hands and facial expressions more around her, and explaining to wait staff and retail workers that she has trouble hearing (you know, when she goes off on them because she thinks they said something they did not, or she is rude because she doesn't think they answered her questions, but that is another story). I feel like my mother would have had an easier time losing her hearing if learning sign language was seen as fundamental as learning English.

Because of these things, I have added ASL in little bite sized bits to my preschool curriculum. Things like learning the ABC's and a word or two a week like "turkey" and "pumpkin" around Halloween and Thanksgiving. The principal of the school *really* loved the idea. I even contacted the local university's Communications Disorders department for collaboration and advice.

TL;DR I'm learning ASL.

Jasmine: Oh dear. When I read this, a book or movie did not come to mind. My mind jumped automatically to the end of Season 4 and all of Season 5 of The Magicians. Because fuck you Sara Gamble, I don't need that shit. But, well, if you folks know me as well as I think you do, you could probably have guess that answers by how much I still scream that, ahem, *clears throat*

QUENTIN COLDWATER DESERVES BETTER

and

I REJECT YOUR CANON, Q IS NOT DEAD

So, instead, I will reach deeper and tell you about yet another show I stopped watching.

Grey's Anatomy.

Once upon a time, I used to watch that show. I found it clever and funny at times. I like clever and funny medical dramas. It is one of the reasons I like House MD. (Another is my undying love of anything Robert Sean Leonard, but I digress). My favorite character on GA was George O'Malley. Spoiler Alert, they killed off George. I stopped watching after that. I would hear from friends how the later seasons were so *gooood* because they would make them cry so much, and I was like, no. I'm depressed enough. I don't need a show to make cry. I need books/movies/tv to make me feel *hope* and *joy* and *wonder*. Sure, sadness will come, but I can't handle that being the focus.

(I know you are thinking of Eddie Munson right now, but I don't think he's dead either, so hah. He and Q are safe with me, thank you very much)