Not Sure If Prefer Established Relationship Or A Get Together Scenario But Picture

Not sure if prefer established relationship or a get together scenario but picture

Post-Vecna and rebuild - Robin is attending community college (I can’t send her away from Steve) and cuts back her hours at family video, Keith has been scouted to manage a new store, so by process of elimination - Steve now finds himself as Store Manager - with a surprisingly extra amount of spending money

Eddie meanwhile - healing up but cannot find a job because reputations don’t disappear overnight, so he’s still dealing but only household income is Wayne at the plant, and Eddie’s no longer in school so that cuts out one of his guaranteed square meals, so yeah things are tight

Cue Eddie losing a fair bit of weight, cue Steve absoluTELY mother henn-ing it up.

Starts making sure he always has snacks handy - anything calorie dense coz look at his poor boy! He’s wasting away!

Seriously - any excuse for to get a snack in Eddie’s hands- Eddie yawns and Steve’s like “ITS PROBABLY LOW BLOOD SUGAR”

Making sure Eddie meets him 12.30 sharp at family video for his lunch break and Steve taking him any diner or restaurant he’s either knows or has heard is good

(“of course we’re going out to lunch Eddie, it’s good for our recovering local economy!”)

using this as a friendly rouse to pay everything, - insists Eddie orders as much as he wants - and Steve insists he pays it all.

Inviting him over for hearty home cooked meals- always with seconds and desserts

Eddie’s miffed at first and not sure exactly how to bring up that Steve maybe sees him as a total charity case — but he’s got eyes and it becomes apparent that Eddie finishing his plate…is definitely doing things for Steve

So it becomes a game of pushing the envelope- Eddie truly tests the depths of Steve’s seemingly limitless on hand snacks, ordering OBSCENE amounts at lunch, asking for seconds and thirds of both dinner and dessert at Steve’s house

Does Steve eventually realise or does Eddie tell him out right (kink negotiation is key and Eddie’s got more experience in that realm than Steve) does Eddie keep going and try to get him to admit …who knows

Or is the first one to crack robin, having a coke-to-Jesus moment with her bestie at work, watching Steve fuss over his ballooning boyfriend, pushing food on him constantly, even/especially if Steve’s acting all belligerent about it, always asking when Eddie last ate, “nagging” and mothering a smiling fat Eddie like “you sit right there, don’t move I’ve got more snacks in the back” to him etc

Eventually Eddie has to leave, vue a kiss goodbye and a doe eyed lovestruck Steve, watching his boyfriend waddle out the door and pass the shop front window and out of sight…10 seconds of silence til Robin is like “question - wtf??”

Also didn’t know how to work this part into the story - but part of the caretaking overdrive is also caused by (obvi) trauma - and Steve’s need to protect his own, so just idk - boys been working out a lot - beefier and more muscly and hairy than ever before. Eddie’s definitely not the one oblivious to his own size like Steve seems to be but he’s also curious if Steve’d be able to maybe throw him around a bit even with all the new weight

There's so much here and i like it. What I love especially are scenarios where a third party character cops on to two oblivious idiots long before they do.

Like of course it starts off innocently with Eddie convalescing and Steve being natural mom friend, going to lunch with Eddie and Robin. Eddie finishes his lunch because he's, well, hungry, and Steve packs up his leftovers (he didn't really eat his lunch) and Robin's (without asking her) to give to Eddie to take home.

Eddie moves to a new trailer because his uncle's old place has too many hard memories, so what better justification for Steve to fill Eddie's pantries, fridge, freezer, with everything he could want and need and then some. Sure, some of it is pantry-stable junk like cereals, Kraft Mac, chips, pretzels, Stouffer's dinners in the freezer, everything Eddie likes. And once again Robin is conscripted to help shop, bring everything in, and put it away.

It's when they're all hanging out as the older kids and a considerably plumper and happier Eddie has his limbs tangled up with and half sitting on Harrington, and STEVE finally looks calm and happy and contented, and his hand is absentmindedly scratching at and rubbing (oblivious) Eddie's belly, finding any reason to be taking up the same space as his well fed boy, that Robin rolls her eyes and cops on.

She sticks around for a minute or two after Jonathan and Nancy and Eddie go (he kissed Steve deeply, grabbing the back of his head with a ring-heavy hand, and gives him a good grind telling him he'll be thinking about him before bed).

"So. You and Munson..."

"Uh, yeah, for a while now. You knew that." Steve's eyebrows are knit and he chuckles confusedly.

"No, come on. You know what I mean... you and Munson," she draws out his name using her hands to mime an exaggeratedly rounded curvy body.

"I have no idea what you're talking about!" He says going red and rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that. I say live and let live, but I think you should let him know how much you've been drooling over his fat ass. If you ask him nicely, I'm sure he'll give you a taste."

"Jesus, Robin! ... You think so?"