#rindecision

Why do you write Steddie?

It started when my partner asked me to. I’ve always loved writing, but I never got into fanfics until they asked me to write a specific type of story that led to the creation of The Devil of Hawkins. From there it was a slippery slope!

What’s your favorite trope to READ?

Due to ADHD and the corresponding comprehension issues, I rarely read. Not just fics, but anything really. Although, I do personally enjoy whatever the sneaking around trope is. The characters being intimate in places or situations where they shouldn’t be.

What’s your favorite trope to WRITE?

So far I’ve found that I enjoy FWB to Lovers with Steddie. Most of my fics tend to revolve around that.

What’s your favorite Steddie fic?

I’m currently enjoying ‘I Think I Could Have Been Someone’ by @madaboutmunson

Is there a trope you’re excited to explore in a future work but haven’t yet?

I’m new to fandoms so honestly I don’t really know a lot of tropes by name, but I have a long list of fics I want to write at some point. I have a ‘Through The Ages’ Steddie series in mind that I hope to do at some point. 

What is your writing process like?

Harrowing. It’s honestly pretty complex as I’m using writing fanfics as a means to improve as a writer in general so I can be more confident when I get around to my originals. But the short version is: Rough Draft -> Proof Read 1 -> Beta Proof -> Proof Read 2 -> Grammar Edit -> Text-To-Speech Edit -> Final Beta Proof.

Do you have any writing quirks?

Probably, lol. I try to keep my writing concise and leave little up to the imagination. The partner that requested I write fanfics has aphantasia (lack of imagination) and they read everything I write, so I want them to be able to enjoy it just as much as anyone else. 

Do you prefer posting when you’ve finished writing or on a schedule?

I’m kind of chaotic on this one. It depends on the fic to be honest. So far, I’ve found I prefer posting ongoing fics without a schedule that I just post a chapter on as soon as I’m done editing it, whenever that happens to be. Other than the ‘You Know Where to Find Me’ series, the only fics I’ve posted on a schedule have been event fics and it’s been a bit more stressful than I expected it to be.

Which fic are you most proud of?

That would have to be my ‘You Know Where to Find Me’ series. Particularly the first one: ‘Valentines ‘85’ 

How did you get the idea for You Know Where to Find Me — Live Aid?

I needed something powerful between ‘Independence Day’ and ‘First Day of School’ but couldn’t think of anything that would work. @stardust-walker helped me work out the details. That entry genuinely wouldn’t exist without their help. 

When writing Nectar, what was something you didn’t expect?

Managing to stay under the 20k word limit. 😅 

What inspired Give Me Fuel, Give me Fire?

A Twitter post about mechanic Steve in cut-off shorts.

What was your favorite part to write from From Hell and Back?

That’s a hard one. I don’t think I have a singular part that I liked the most, but I really enjoyed being able to explore the logistics and lore around Eddie being a shapeshifting demon. In and out of Steve’s bedroom.

How do/did you feel writing Give Me Fuel, Give me Fire?

I was surprised by the reception it got, and I can’t wait to get back to writing it as soon as I’m done with the Stranger Things Reverse Big Bang

What was the most difficult part of writing You Know Where to Find Me — Live Aid?

The time limit. I had 2 weeks to write and edit nearly 30k words. It made me hit burnout HARD, but I got it back pretty quickly.

Do you have a favorite scene and/or line from any of your fics?

I think that would have to be the first kiss in The Devil of Hawkins. It was also the first Steddie kiss I ever wrote. 🤍

“You aren’t stopping me, Harrington.” Eddie’s lips barely grazed over Steve’s as he spoke. “I know,” Steve squeaked. The feeling of Steve’s lips plucking his like a guitar pick was more than he could handle. He leaned forward, finalizing the kiss. They both let out a small groan. Eddie placed his other hand on the back of Steve’s neck, holding his head carefully, yet firmly. Eddie pulled away for a moment and looked at Steve; there was a look of longing on his face. An expression that Eddie was hoping for. He faintly smiled before pushing Steve’s lips to his own, plunging his tongue between them. He could feel Steve tense below him before relaxing into it.

Do you have any upcoming projects or fics you’d like to share/promote?

‘You Know Where to Find Me’ will be coming to a close in March, but there will be at least 5 more entries to it. I will also be posting my entry for the STRBB in March. I hope after those are done I can jump back into my ongoings.

Outside of these questions, Is there anything YOU would like to add?

I just want to say a HUGE thank you to everyone that’s read my work, and a platonic hug and kiss for those who have gone out of their way to leave comments or reblog them. It means the world to me 🤍🖤

Thank you to our author, @rindecision and our nominator, @skjachukson! See more of @rindecision's work featured on our page throughout the day!

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Steve's nerves were on high alert as he watched every person that walked into the parlor. He'd never really noticed, but not many guys his own age came to get ice cream. It was mainly girls, children, and parents.

It ended up being a few hours before a guy his own age walked in and he nearly dropped the tub of mint chip ice cream he was carrying when he walked out of the back to see Eddie of all fucking people walking into the shop.

He all but threw the ice cream into the display freezer and rushed to the back, his heart racing. He knew he'd said that he'd try to hit on the next guy that walked in, but he'd expected it to be someone he'd never met or barely knew. Not the person who caused all of this to begin with.

"Cold feet?" Robin teased, peeking in the swinging door.

"I can't," Steve stated, shaking his head. "Not him. Anyone but him."

Robin quirked her brow. "I'll be right with you," she called to Eddie as she joined Steve in the back. "I thought he was the one you were actually interested in?"

"That's the problem," he hissed. "How can I... What if... No... I can't. I just can't. I take it back. I can't do this whole liking guys thing."

Robin laughed. "You can't just stop being bisexual."

"Watch me," he muttered.

"No, I'm not, because that's stupid. Now go out there and hit on your first guy. If it's Eddie, he might even be interested back."

"Why does that make it so much worse?"

"It doesn't. Now go," she urged, pointing toward the door.

"Mm-mm," Steve grunted, shaking his head. "I'm not moving until he's gone."

"Oh my god, you're being a toddler," she groaned. "I'll drag you out there myself if I have to."

"Try it," Steve taunted. "I'm not budging."

Robin's face fell, and she rubbed her temples in frustration.

"I just don't get it," Steve mumbled to the door. "How can I like guys?"

"That's a question for you to answer, not me, but sometimes you're attracted to people you might not realize were even an option."

He lightly thumped his head on the door again.

Robin heaved a sigh and pursed her lips. "Think of it this way. You just doubled your chances of getting a mark on the 'you rule' side of the board."

Steve huffed a laugh. "I don't know if I actually want to pursue this new side."

"Up to you, man," she shrugged. "But we need to open soon and the new tub of vanilla is in the freezer you're trying to concuss yourself on."

Steve laughed in defeat and stepped away from the freezer.

As the day went on, he doubled his efforts on women, desperate to not think about the fact that he could be into men.

"I think you're scaring them away more than reeling them in," Robin teased as a group of girls scurried away without buying anything.

Steve groaned and collapsed to the ground behind the counter. Even he could see how strong he was coming on.

"Bugging you that bad, huh?"

Steve groaned again and hit the back of his head off the wall.

"I really don't think you're going to thump your head hard enough to turn you straight."

Steve let out a weak laugh and turned his eyes up to her. "What do you think I should do?"

Robin crossed her arms and sucked on her lip in thought. "It's not really my place, but I guess if I had to suggest anything, it'd be to lean into it. See what this new side has to offer. It might not be as scary as you think."

Steve heaved a sigh and slumped his shoulders. "Maybe you're right."

"I usually am."

The quip got another small laugh from Steve.

When she saw him trying to get up, she offered her hand and smiled when he took the help to get to his feet.

Steve sighed and smiled almost shyly at her. "Then the next guy to walk in, I'll turn my charms on for."

"Here comes one now," she said with a smirk.

Steve braced himself and turned to face Ted Wheeler holding Holly. "Maybe the next one," he cringed at Robin.

She laughed and made the order Steve took.

Why Jonathan was the next person on his mind, he couldn’t say. He sighed and rolled his eyes, deciding to just continue letting his mind wander wherever the fuck it decided to go. It lingered on the thought of Jonathan’s lips, specifically his smile. Why the hell was he suddenly so obsessed with Jonathan’s smile? Had he always been and just not known it? He did have a nice smile though, and it was a shame he rarely ever showed it. Nancy was about the only person that could coax a true smile out of him. Apparently, thinking about Jonathan bummed him out, too.

“Who’s next?” he grumbled to himself, running his hands through his hair. Billy. Fucking Billy was next. “Fuck it, why not?” he groaned loudly to his empty room. At least Billy was undeniably hot, and he’d inadvertently seen the whole package… the whole package. Steve had to face the fact that he could easily recall most of the details of his body as well. The way his necklace always stuck to his pecs was particularly enticing, and surprisingly satisfying to watch it pop free.

Now that he thought more about it, Billy stared at him a lot. He thought it was because he hated him, but maybe not. The eyes Billy gave him induced goosebumps that he equated to heebie-jeebies, but what if it was because he liked the look? His narrow-eyed gaze and the way he crudely licked his lips. His body was well built… and the way it would grind against him while they played against each oth- Shit! Steve groaned and covered his face. He was actually starting to get hard. “Fuck,” he sighed in annoyance. Then again, if he thought of an equally hot girl doing that, he’d get the same reaction, so it still might not count.

He needed something more solid. Something he could only experience with a man. Something with his dick… a blowjob! That was the first thing he could think of, anyway. Although he couldn’t be on the receiving end. Women can give blowjobs as well. No, he had to be the one sucking. That idea scared and somewhat thrilled him. He swallowed and thought of looking up at Billy from his knees. “Nope,” he cringed and cleared the creepy image. Something about Billy gazing down at him from that angle was too weird and threatening.

Who else was there for him to think about, though? His mouth suddenly went dry. Eddie… that’s who was left. The thought of looking up at Eddie’s face wasn’t nearly as scary. He could tell that Eddie put up a hard front, but was actually a fairly gentle person. His deer-like reaction in the parking lot was all the proof Steve needed to know he was right. Plus, it was easy to picture those large eyes of his with a caring expression. It was a little hard not to mix him up with his drag persona at first, but eventually, he was able to simply imagine Eddie as he’d seen him at the mall and after he cleaned up. Part of him regretted not talking to him before he left. Not that he knew what he’d say even if he did.

He forced his attention back to its original path, finding out if he actually wanted to sleep with men. Eddie was easy on the eyes, that’s for sure. His smile was infectious, too. Do I have a thing for smiles? He sighed and returned to trying to look at Eddie sexually. Instead of jumping straight into the idea of blowing him, Steve decided to take things a little slow. Just the thought of kissing him spiked his heart rate. His lips looked so plush and kissable. He bit his lip at the thought, trying not to be annoyed that his dick twitched. It did again when he thought about their tongues tangling.

Kissing had always been something that Steve enjoyed and was an easy way to get him going. Kissing a man couldn’t be too different from a woman, right? Great, now he was curious. He ran his tongue over the roof of his mouth for some form of sensation on it as he continued thinking about making out with Eddie. He wondered what’d it feel like to hold Eddie’s narrow waist. A soft groan escaped him at the memory of the dimples on his lower back. Those dimples killed him. There was just something so sexy about them. The thought of running his fingers over them while holding him in a kiss was enough to make his cock grow a touch more.

It was still difficult to accept that thinking about Eddie was making him hard, but the proof was almost staring back at him from under his briefs. He soldiered on and returned to the idea of making out with Eddie, but he took it a step further and undressed him. Other than his midriff and legs, Steve didn’t have any idea what Eddie’s body looked like. He didn’t seem like the sporty type, so chances are he wasn’t ripped, and he seemed rather thin, too. As he thought about taking Eddie’s clothes off, he gave him a generic slender body.

Next was the scary part, facing his dick. No! You’re not supposed to get excited at the fucking thought! He mentally scolded his own dick for twitching. He groaned and cringed, rubbing his hands on his face. Now that he had the image of him standing in front of a naked Eddie, he had to go further. He swallowed and closed his eyes tightly as he thought about kneeling in front of him. An electric sparkle danced over his skin when he met Eddie’s eyes staring down at him. He scanned down his flat chest until his eyes landed on his dick. What would his dick look like? He shook his head, trying not to think too hard about the details, and gave him a generic one. Fuuuck… He liked the idea of holding it and stroking the soft skin. In all honesty, why wouldn’t he like that idea? He has a dick and enjoys the feeling of jerking off, so why would holding another guy’s be all that different?

Putting it in his mouth, though, that was another story. He rubbed his tongue on the roof of his mouth as he tried to imagine what that would feel like. He’d handled his own dick plenty to know what textures to expect, but feeling them on his tongue was hard to imagine. A deep shame fell over him as he pressed his thumb past his lips, thinking about doing the same with Eddie’s dick. He ran it over his tongue and cringed when his body reacted. His heart raced, his breathing picked up, and there was no denying his dick was now at full mast. A thumb was far smaller than a dick, but it was the closest thing he could think of. He enjoyed the soft pressure of the pad of his thumb running over his tongue. Shit.

Maybe it was the fact that there was less blood in his brain, but he couldn’t come up with a reason to dispute this one. His free hand stroked over the thin cloth that held his erection flush to his body. When he started wishing that his thumb was actually Eddie’s dick, he had to accept that he was without a doubt interested in men sexually. He created a suction around his thumb as he took his dick out of his briefs and gave it a firm stroke.

“Damit,” he grumbled and removed his thumb from his mouth. He officially wanted Eddie. He’d felt this same way when thinking about women he wanted to sleep with, so there was no denying it. The fantasy continued, and he thought of Eddie staring up at him with his large doe eyes while seductively sucking his dick. Fuck, it was hot. He wondered what his hair would feel like as he ran his hand through his dark waves. He recalled doing the same with women, and how sometimes they liked him taking control. It made him wonder if Eddie would like him to be a little rough. Would he like his hair being grabbed, maybe pulled a little? Would he like being puppeteered? What face would he make if I pushed him all the way down?

Steve furthered the fantasy by imagining Eddie riding him, his slender body bouncing erotically on his dick with bright pink cheeks and shoulders. If only it was Eddie’s ass stroking him instead of his hand. He bet it would squeeze him like a goddamn vise and tightened his own grip to match the thought. A fun realization crossed Steve’s mind. He could imagine he was stroking Eddie’s dick instead of his without breaking the immersion of Eddie riding him. He bit his lip and picked up his pace, getting his hips into it. The only thing missing was knowing what he’d sound like. Eddie’s moans would probably be deeper than a woman’s, harsher, less elegant. He wanted to hear them so badly. With a soft groan, he came on his stomach, wishing that it was Eddie’s and not his. He relaxed his body as he coaxed the last of the cum from his dick.

Fuck… I’m bi.

He heaved a heavy sigh and ran his hands through his hair, cringing when he realized he still had cum on one of them. He sat up, annoyed, and went to take a shower.

---

Eddie peeled into his driveway and grabbed what he needed from his van, aka his guitar, before heading inside. Wayne was working, so the place was empty. He carefully hung his guitar on its stand and fell onto his bed. There was no way Steve was gazing at him, glaring sure, but not gazing. He couldn’t have been. If he was, that would mean Eddie had a shot with him, and that wasn’t allowed. There was no reality where Steve Harrington would date the town freak. Said town freak being a man only reduced the already zero odds.

Steve was not staring at him. Eddie was determined to believe that down to his very core. If he was convinced otherwise, he was likely to do something dumb. He always did something dumb, so it was inevitable that if he thought he had any chance with Steve, he would blow it in a second. So, it was better for him to just come to terms with him having no chance. That way, if he does have a chance, which he doesn’t, then he won’t blow it. Either way, he had no chance. None…

But what if he did? No! Eddie, you have absolutely no chance with Steve! He’s far too good for you and you know it! Plus, he’s straight, so that automatically rules you out! Eddie sighed and rolled onto his stomach, breathing the best he could through his messy blankets. They had a scent, a fairly strong one, but Eddie couldn’t place its source. He found it comforting, nonetheless.

The bottom line was that regardless of if he had a chance or not, which he didn't, everything relied on Steve making the first move, which he won't. Hence, he'll never have a chance even if he did, which he doesn't. This particular train of thought was giving Eddie a headache.