Yulecogs

Swimming Ground

Warning: mentions of su!cide

Steve hated his pool. Not swimming or lounging near water but the pool in his backyard in particular. He hated the reminders it held. The pool in the Harrington backyard held too much power over him.

He remembers when he was in the eighth grade and his parents decided to get the pool. He remembers how happy they were to be one of the only families in Hawkins with a new in ground pool that Steve could practice for the swim team in. They never could have imagined that just two weeks later, they’d find Steve floating in it. His mom looked out of the kitchen window to find her beautiful boy fully clothed, face down in the water. They didn’t love the pool so much after that.

They didn’t love their son too much after that either. To his parents, Steve had tried to take their precious boy away from them and they could never truly forgive him for being so selfish. They started taking more business trips and longer vacations away from home to forget about the son that wanted to die.

And Steve was left at home with the constant reminder that he failed.

He used the pool to make friends and to throw rambunctious parties but he never stepped foot in it. The first time he did since the eighth grade was with Nancy when he pushed her in. That was the night his pool took Barb. After that night, the kids thought his hesitation around his pool was because of guilt over losing Nancy’s best friend which he went with because it was so much easier to explain.

He’d throw them pool parties and play lifeguard but he would not touch the water.

Some nights, Robin would swing by to the Harrington house just to find Steve sitting at the pool’s edge. Close but never touching the water. She’d lure him inside to complain about girls or any other topic that helped distract her from the uneasy feeling she got when she saw him sitting there.

After their final bout with the Upside Down, Loch Nora was destroyed. Steve’s house was barely standing and his backyard was a chasm. The pool that had haunted him for years was gone but the thoughts that gave the pool such power remained. Steve didn’t know why he deserved to live more than Eddie and he wasn’t even sure he wanted to. As he thought about his fallen friend that could’ve been more, he yearned to feel the floating like he had in eighth grade. He wanted to feel his lungs burn for air and the fire in his chest when he finally breathed in.

But the pool was gone, he couldn’t do what he’d wanted to since he first tried and even though it was gone, the temptation remained. Instead of sinking into the chilly water, he slouched down next to the blazing chasm where his pool used to be. He felt the heat envelop his body and knew that it was the right decision. He was supposed to perish in the Upside Down as a martyr fighting for his friends. That didn’t work out though so now he had to pull the role of a coward and die a fiery, reasonless, self-imposed death alone.

He didn’t leave a note, didn’t think he needed to. His friends would care or they wouldn’t but nothing he said would make the situation better.

So, he closed his eyes and stepped into the void just as he’d done so long ago. There wasn’t peace or panic like there was the last time, just nothingness as he stepped into the crack in the earth.

Strangely, the afterlife wasn’t dark as he’d expected (but to be fair, he hadn’t thought about it much). Instead, it looked exactly like the Upside Down almost as if the chasm wasn’t a portal to hell but a gate to the alternate Hawkins.

When Steve sat up, still alive despite his efforts, it was face to face with Eddie. A bloody and scarred Eddie that looked a little pissed off but Eddie nonetheless.

“Well hello Harrington, what the fuck are you doing here?”

Goddammit, the swimming excuse wasn’t going to work this time.

eminem is trans masc to some, trans fem to others, and an enemy to all

Eminem is trans mascinem to some, trans feminem to others, and an eniminem to all

im gonna be sick

can i say somthing abt steve releasing and finding surprising success with a folks-y personal album that catches the attention of much more famous rockstar!eddie's team who, when people start to realize steve the breakout indy singer and the all but ignored, previously top-of-the-world eddie went to the same high school (at the same time, no less; 'remember? he got held back a couple times in senior year' the reddit threads say), arrange for the two to collab on a re-release/extended version of one of steve's songs?

the one about all the shit he went through without his parents being any wiser, not caring to check up on him after the first time (his now father in all but paper) chief hopper picked him up following one too many drinks at another one too many house parties (and not that steve wanted them to, not after his mother's scathing comments about 'the man he was supposed to be', and 'what are we going to do with you's ran out after the first time.).

the one about how hopper asked if he was a danger to himself and 'son, why do you do this to yourself?', realizing shortly after that the harringtons really didn't care about their son (the son in the drunk tank who kept promising 'she'll call me back, promise.').

the song that to the surprise of everyone, was the one of harrington's songs eddie related to the most. he has been 'young drunk and alone' in the backseat of hopper's cruiser many a time himself, and during one of the many times King Steve was caught too; eddie trying to loosen his cuffs beside the younger man while hopper carted them both across town, falling in love with the same man when he drifted asleep on eddie's shoulder along the way.

the song that he similarly connected to via his own absent parent that could give less of a shit about him if he did get picked up by hawkins' finest, whether on his own or as a result of one of al's hare-brained schemes, a father who similarly wouldn't pick up the phone if eddie needed him thank fuck he had wayne though.

the song that from what it sounds like, he and steve both tried hard to defend their parents for a while before they gave up..

so he agreed, mixed his signature fast-paced vocals into Steve's song (which steve gave him the reigns over, saying 'surprise me munson.'), and stays away via a littany of excuses the first time they were supposed to listen to the final track together.

he can't escape for long though, as his own manager and best friend traitor chrissy gives steve eddie's address and his doorbell rings soon after.

Robin and Steve both say “gay” or “that’s gay” in response to each other as inside joke. But they have to be really careful in front of other people, out of risk of either outing each other or coming off as an asshole. They slip up often though, because they are two halves of a whole idiot.

One time it happens in front of Eddie.

Steve’s trying to find a straw for his soda, insists it’s taste better that way. Robin has her feet up on Steve’s kitchen table and she snorts unthinkingly with a loud “that’s gay.”

Steve only hums in agreement.

They both forget Eddie standing right there a soda halfway to his lips until he lets a confused noise.

Steve and Robin both panic and scramble as Eddie laughs. He doesn’t point out this is the third time this week it’s happened. He figured out they were both queer ages ago.

Maybe he should up his flirting with Steve, clearly he hasn’t gotten the message.

Stop me if you hate the concept: short, fat, hairy lady gets isakai'd into a high fantasy, and instead of "oh look at all these ethereal elves woe for I am but a flawed mortal" routine she lands in Dwarf territory and is immediately revered as the most enchanting and desirable maid in all the land. This immediately becomes a zesty romantic drama. Thoughts

So I’ve been teaching 6th grade since January, and one thing about my female students which made me upset to realize is how many of them are obsessed with skincare. I've heard the girls in my class discussing the EYE CREAM they use. Like tf you mean eye cream? You're ELEVEN!!! I'm a decade older than you and have never even touched eye cream!! The most skincare a middle schooler needs is cleanser and moisturizer, maybe some acne cream. Who tf is selling you all this other stuff? Who tf told you you needed all this?

It hurts me to see. Their brains are too young for these types of insecurities 😭 no 11 year old girl should be obsessed with wrinkles, I wanna beat tf out of whatever tiktoker made them believe they needed skin that perfect

Do you know how fucking miserable it is to watch a group of 11 year old girls obsessively check their skin on pocket mirrors? And hear them talk about how they need new products to fix “imperfections” created by tiktok?? I just taught them last week what the OCEAN TIDES are. I helped one of them spell the word “conduction” yesterday. They just learned what the atmosphere is. Who the fuck is telling these literal children that they need eye cream??!! When I catch you!!!

You were the caretaker for the mythical beasts of the royal family. Yesterday they decided to replace you with some incompetent noble, before kicking you out of the castle. You then spent the night in a nearby forest. However today you were awakened by the beasts who chose to follow you.

I’m not good with people.

I never have been. I’ve tried, but I’ve never been good with people. I’m always saying the wrong thing, and usually I don’t know what the wrong thing was until a lot later, until I’m thinking about what I said. In the town I grew up in, I was known for being simple.

I don’t think I am, but I understand why they think that- I’m not good at making the words in my head match the words I say.

But I am good with animals. Always have been. Lots of people are, I’m not special, or anything. Mam taught me.

Animals speak their own language, and it’s a lot simpler to figure out. They’re not people, they don’t understand us. A lot of people who are bad at animals expect that. They think an animal should understand them perfectly. They think animals have human impulses, human urges, a human understanding of the world.

And they don’t.

it’s a beautiful sunny day and I’m at the ballpark with by bat. ‘it’s not that I didn’t enjoy the barbie movie as a casual watch, but something about the monologue dances along the same wavelength as the mcu girl power scene and taylor swift. that corporate feminist twang’ I say as I take my first swing

unformulated thoughts bc I’m running around the bases: presenting the shallowest version of the movement to appease its target audience while still remaining marketable. overhyped but uses its only “feminism” as a shield to hide from critique. unseasoned so more people will eat it.

“I'm a Pisces, y'know?” Robin babbles.

Chrissy turns to look at her. They're sitting in Steve's bimmer’s hood, waiting for him to get their snacks at the gas station. Nancy is sleeping in the front seat, and they can distantly hear Eddie's van coming closer every second, reaching them, metal blasting through the speakers, carrying the rest of the gang.

“Yeah?” she asks. Robin nods, still not looking back. Checking her nails. “What's that mean?”

“Uh. I saw the horoscope, from Nancy's magazine. The one you were reading earlier.” She glances at Chrissy, sideways, her lips quivering just a bit. “You're a cancer, right?”

“That I am.”

“Like Steve.”

“Like Steve,” she confirms. She might know where this is going. “This magazine's horoscope talked about, uh. Couples.”

“Yeah, that.” Robin looks at her, then. Finally. Her eyes are so pretty, Chrissy thinks. “Romantic ones.”

“Cancer and Pisces. It said-”

“Match made in heaven.” they say together.

Chrissy giggles. Yeah, she knows where this is going.

“You and Steve are a good pair.”

“NO, but!” Robin startles, going all read and her hands seem prepared to gesticulate all around. Chrissy loves it when she does that. Finds it charming. “Me and Steve, we could. Like. Never.” She fakes a gag. “Literally. Gives me the heebie-jeebies only thinking about it, honestly.”

There's a beat of silence. Chrissy hasn't looked away, and neither has Robin even though she's redder than a tomato. It makes her freckles pop. It's so cute, Chrissy thinks.

“So, you and me then?”

Robin purses her lips and for a second Chrissy's afraid she's got it wrong. But then there comes that huge, blinding smile of hers. Chrissy thinks she might be in love, or something.

“Yeah, exactly what I was thinking.”

i just heard the phrase “if you wouldn’t trust their advice, don’t trust their criticism” for the first time and i don’t think i’ve ever needed to hear anything more

What if Steve is a famous model and Eddie is a rockstar, both still pretty down to earth that they move around without bodyguards...

They bump into each other at a corner, and literally bump into each other - Steve somehow lost his contact lenses and he's half-blind without them, his agent Robin is traveling, he'd rather lose both of his eyes than to call his parents, and so he's trying to get to a pharmacy/optometrist/somewhere else just based on memory and touch.

Eddie is walking, not paying much attention and listening to music, when he's knocked back by a very apologetic squinting guy who might as well be very pretty, if he looked straight at Eddie - which is very much not possible, as Steve later explains, Eddie is a very blurry blob to him, although a very kind blob. Also a really nice sounding blob.

When Eddie collects his things and his heart off the streetwalk, he offers to walk Steve to the pharmacy. After asking if it's okay, he offers Steve his arm and leads him carefully to his destination. Steve is still mostly staring at the ground, trying to fight blurry nausea, so Eddie doesn't really know what he looks like, except that his hair is magnificent.

They reach the pharmacy, Steve is so thankful that he wants to invite Eddie for coffee, but before he can do that, Eddie receives an urgent call from his agent and needs to leave.

They both - not without a tinge sadness - think they won't see each other again.

Except the next day there's a wave of tabloid headlines: "CORRODED COFFIN'S EDDIE MUNSON FINALLY SETTLES DOWN?! THE ROCKSTAR SEEN WITH REDKEN'S MODEL STEVE HARRINGTON!" and there are pictures of Steve and Eddie, side by side, and it really looks like a romantic walk rather than what it was.

When Eddie's agent Chrissy calls, half-amused, half-concerned, Eddie stops her with a single sentence: "Can you get me his number?!"

Chrissy snorts in the phone. "Give me an hour."

It takes her 33 minutes in total, and she secures a date with Robin for herself as a bonus.

And as for Eddie? He opens his message with "Hey Steve, how come you never told me it was a date? I would have brought flowers!" and gets an immediate response of "You would have, huh? Then bring some today at seven, the pizzeria next to the pharmacy. I like sunflowers. See you there, Eddie. And this time, I mean really see you."

The "see you" jokes stay with them for the rest of their lives.

To all the people in the notes wondering how we got anywhere before GPS: we got lost a lot. Like a lot. If it was a new place we would pull out the maps, we all had local maps in the car and then these huge huge huge books of maps called atlases and we'd have one for every state we'd be driving through

And before a trip we would plot our whole entire route, and go back over it every night at the hotel, and we would write all the directions down on a little note and someone would be in charge of navigation and making sure we didn't miss any turns.

For local stuff all directions would be described in reference to other things. You still see this when older folks give directions. Do you ever get the "do you know where the ruby Tuesday is? No? How about the Buffalo wild wings? Yeah okay so from there go down til you see a Wendy's and turn left..." instead of them just telling u the address so u can plug it into ur GPS? That's why.

I have fond memories of getting helaciously lost in Kentucky because we had to go around a bad accident, and we didn't have a Kentucky map because we hadn't planned on going thru Kentucky and we stopped at a gas station to get a map but they didn't have any and my dad came back to the car swearing up and down about these goddamn Kentucky communists who didn't even sell maps in their gas stations,

honestly the funniest thing about this post is referring to kentuckians as communists.

i’m going to kdxjdhdjhddjjdhs

TWO??? Having a private jet at all is bad enough on its own but why the fuck does she need two of them???

Boss is asleep, cannot stop me from frogposting

First like and this has already found its intended audience

uh oh

Eddie’s live-streaming from the front porch where he’s sitting on their porch swing, playing guitar. So Eddie did not bring his followers into their neighborhood drama. Steve did.

You can see Steve pass in front of the camera a few times before you hear him loudly ask, “What?”

There’s a pause and then he’s like, “I can’t hear you!”

Eddie looks up and over towards the yard but he doesn’t stop playing. He doesn’t seem to have any interest in the conversation going on at all. His chat on the other hand are thrilled to be able to hear Dan say, “Got myself a ring camera. It records the porch and the driveway and sends the video to my phone if it detects movement. So if any vandalism happens…I’ll know.”

Steve: Okay…? And I have a gun

Eddie: *experiences twelve different flavors of ‘what now?’*

Dan: Is that a threat?

Steve: No. I thought we were both just stating facts about home security no one cares about.

Steve: You can go now. Bye.

Eddie, stopping Steve before he goes back inside: Babe, you don’t actually have a gun, right?

Steve:

Eddie: Stevie, you once almost took my head off with a baseball bat full of nails in your sleep. You did NOT buy a gun.

Steve:

Steve: Are you stupid? Why would buy a gun when I could borrow one from Nancy?

Steve: *goes inside*

Eddie:

Eddie: That didn’t answer my question, Steve!

Eddie, reading a question in the chat of his live-stream: Which member of the party was the mom friend? Oh, easy. It was Steve.

Steve: …uh, no. Wrong. I was not friends with any of you dorks.

Eddie: Then why were you always around?

Steve: I was a hostage.

Steve: If anyone was the mom friend, it was Nancy.

Eddie: No, Nancy is the friend you take with you if you’re trying to uncover a government conspiracy

Steve: Yeah, just like a mom. If the mom you’re talking about is Joyce Byers.