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[the_freak]

[Eddie would have preferred the theatrics of the drama room, but he did his best to set up an imposing angle for his message. ]

I’m thinking a lot of us could use a chance to blow off some steam, hmm? Lots of work to do around here, and weird ass monsters to fight, but not a whole lot in the way of recreation.

Back home I ran a group called Hellfire Club. Led us in some of the most epic D&D campaigns Hawkins Indiana ever saw. And I was thinking…I could offer my services as Dungeon Master here if people were interested.

Beggars can’t be choosers and I know we have a lot of people who’ve never played, so- lucky you- I’ve decided to open up admission to first timers. Little bonus- anyone who joins gets a Hellfire Mk2 shirt of their very own.

[He shifts to show off the new design he’s printed, a proud smirk on his face.]

I’ll be at the diner this week for people to sell me on their characters. If it’s your first go, I’ll have sheets prepared and can help you fill them out.

Comments

[the_freak]

"Seriously." Eddie doesn't look ashamed exactly, but does get a little bashful with Harrington looking at him like that.

"No-" he interrupts quickly, shaking his head, "No, I'm not- I've...I've been with people or whatever, just..."

[farrahfawcetts]

"Just...never a real relationship."

Steve nods, quiet a moment. He looks down at his character and starts just fiddling with the corner of it.

"I didn't have many before Nancy. Not real ones. I dated around. Slept around. It was fun...but then Nancy came into the picture and..." Steve shrugs. "And then she left the picture. And I was trying to find someone else that made me feel like that, but Hawkins kinda sucks, it turns out. I don't know that you've been missing out on any winners."

[the_freak]

"...You end up going after her again?" Eddie asks, remembering their talk in the woods. That was what love was supposed to look like. It doesn't occur to Eddie that maybe it's a different sort of love they share now than what he's thinking.

"Yeah, I kinda noticed," Eddie shares a grin with Steve, ducking his head, "I used to meet people in Indy sometimes. I'd drive out there for the weekend, get stupidly high and make some...not so safe choices, if I'm being totally honest. So maybe it's good I didn't really get many bites in Hawkins."

[farrahfawcetts]

Steve just shakes his head. "Her and Jonathan are having trouble but... Me and her? Our ship sunk." That's the saying, right? "We weren't right for each other. I mean, I'll always love her. I think she was the first girl I ever really did love. But we want different things out of life. And, honestly..."

'Bullshit'.

"I don't think she ever really loved me. So. Yeah, no."

He stops fiddling with the paper and looks back at Eddie with a frown. "Wait. Wait, what do you mean 'not so safe choices'? Are there little Munsons running around Indy?"

[the_freak]

Clearly, Eddie's not the person to try and lecture anyone else about love, and everything Steve says sounds reasonable enough, at least until he tries to say Wheeler never loved him. Admittedly, Eddie was a complete outsider to their relationship, but he's still damn sure Nancy loves him. Maybe they're not right for each other, but he knows what he saw on that boat.

He pales a little and laughs, shaking his head, "Christ, I hope not," he mutters, despite the chances of that being an absolute zero. At least any Munson's that are his. "Just uh...I dunno. Maybe not the safest people? Or the safest places?"

[farrahfawcetts]

Steve has no idea what Eddie could possibly mean by that. "Are you messing around with like...biker gang girls? What do you mean 'not the safest people'? And were you hooking up on train tracks? What are you talking about?"

Steve looks like he's a second away from Mom Mode with hands on hips and all. If only he wasn't sitting down.

"If you mean you weren't using condoms, that's fucking stupid and I hope you know that."

[the_freak]

Fuck. Eddie's backed himself into a bit of a corner without realizing, and he blinks as he tries to craft some kind of answer, cheeks hot as he nods. "...Something like that, yeah," he mumbles.

He does look properly ashamed there at least, and he sigh, "I know man. I know it was stupid." He wants to blame the drugs, but he knows he was just...impatient and dumb.

[farrahfawcetts]

Steve feels honestly sick to his stomach at the idea of Eddie out there and being so reckless. He's spent a week with the guy being dead and having him alive again has been incredible. To know however the risks he'd taken? Steve watches the news. It's one of the stupidest gambles to take.

Steve pokes him hard in the side.

"I am finding that magic Billy dude and I am having him check you out head to toe to make sure you haven't got like Super Herpes or worse." He pokes him again, face stern. "Brain could be rotting away with syphilis right now. Actually would explain some things."

[the_freak]

"Ow, hey," Eddie tries to swat him away with a pout.

"The doctor lady tested me for some stuff all ready," he mutters in his defense. More related to his tattoos than reckless sex acts, but still

[farrahfawcetts]

"Oh, good, so you know what you're gonna need to do when you get tested again."

Steve is not daunted and pokes Eddie again in the center of his chest. "That's gonna save time for all of us." He feints with one hand toward Eddie's shoulder and then jabs him back in the stomach with the other. It's something he would do with Dustin, honestly, but at a lack of any other ways to punish Eddie, this is as good as it's getting.

[the_freak]

He starts to roll his eyes and then winces as he poked, "Steeeve," Eddie whines, squirming and trying to dodge the next one, only to fall for the feint.

"Ow- fucking-"

He makes a grab for Steve's weapons of choice, wrestling for control of them until he realizes now he's just holding Steve's hands, letting them go with a playful shove to distract.

"I knooow, man. I know. I messed up. Don't go all Mom on me."

[farrahfawcetts]

"Don't think you're ever doing that again. I used all my replic-whatevers this month but next month it's like 100% condoms and a bat without nails to hit you with if you're ever stupid again."

He pauses and considers.

"Although, I guess there aren't a lot of girls around here. Have you noticed that? Like there's kids and stuff but mostly older dudes. Think the Agrii are like sexist or something?"

[the_freak]

"People are going to wonder what you're into spending all your rations on that," Eddie notes with a faint teasing smirk.

"Yeah, I uh...I noticed," he agrees, rubbing at the edge of his ring, "So nothing to worry about then, right? Apart from that obvious sexism?"

[farrahfawcetts]

"Unless you end up liking any of them, I guess? Or more people show up? I don't care, dude, no matter what you are going to do with whoever...you're doing it safe."

He grabs a lock of hair and gives it a much gentler tug than the pokes had been.

"I just got you back. I'm not losing you to crotch rot."

[the_freak]

"..." Eddie almost uses that as his opening to admit the truth he's been dancing around, lips parting, but he still can't find the words. He rolls his eyes instead and gives a bashful laugh.

"Yeah, right, that would be a pretty big step down from the whole hero shtick, huh?" he agrees, squinting at that tug to his hair.

[farrahfawcetts]

"It definitely would. And I would 100% put it all over the network and on your fucking grave. Eddie Munson, Metalhead and Freak. Died of Space Gonorrhea, leaving behind his two children: Steve Jr and Dustina'."

He smiles, finally, coming off the high horse of his outrage. No more pokes or yanks. Still, he probably doesn't need much of an excuse to get back to it.

"I'm also not raising those kids. I don't know what to do with that hair, dude. Someone else is gonna take 'em in."

[the_freak]

That gets a laugh, and of course, Eddie can't quite help himself.

"What you think I know what to do with it? I just wash it, man. Not hard. You gonna leave poor Steve Jr and Dustina to be raised by strangers??" He presses a hand to his chest in mock heartbreak. "Also, dude, the Jr. means he's totally half yours. Namesakes only get a Jr. from a parent."

[farrahfawcetts]

Steve laughs too, happy for some reason to let the frustration and fear from before go. "Just wash it. God, you're a heathen." But his hair is soft and it looks nice enough. Steve can't help but wonder if there isn't something maybe to it. Maybe he's been wasting his energy all this time with Faberge.

"It's an alien world," Steve says with a shrug. "Maybe he has a third dad? Although the story for how that whole thing happened isn't maybe one I want to think too much about."

[the_freak]

"What else I am supposed to do?? It's hair. You wash it. You run a towel through it, you go." Simple. Hell, they even had that 3 in 1 shampoo stuff. Nice and easy.

He smirks fondly as Steve doesn't even bother to protest. And hell, they basically co-parent Dustin as it is, they could be manage a couple of pretend kids all right. They weren't the worst team. "Sounds like some kind of weird comedy. 3 dudes trying to raise a kid."

[farrahfawcetts]

Steve looks completely horrified. "You're a monster. How is your hair so soft if you abuse the shit out of it? It's not fair."

At the idea of the dudes raising the child, Steve laughs and rolls his eyes again. "But you're dead, remember? Cosmic Chlamydia? No baby raising shenanigans for you. I'll just have to teach them about their dad and his undying love for Madonna."

[the_freak]

"Is it?" His eyes try to look at his curls and he gropes them curiously before reaching to Steve's to feel the difference.

"Whose the monster now, Harrington! Don't you fill their heads with those horrible lies. Fine, fine, I'll get checked out, I'll be safe. Can't have you telling our kids I'm the one into pop music."

[farrahfawcetts]

"That's just the start, Munson," Steve warns as he lets Eddie touch his hair. There is a warning look before that, though, as though to mentally threaten Eddie with death if the messes those locks up.

"I'll tell them about your love of football, how you never wore anything other than khakis, and your beloved hobby of accordion. Don't think I won't."

[the_freak]

It's so tempting to muss that forbidden hair, but still sore from those pokes, Eddie doesn't dare...for now, hand dropping after his exploration with those locks still pristine.

"Ugh. Are you blackmailing me into being a good person, Harrington?"

[farrahfawcetts]

"Imagine that..."

Steve gives Eddie a wide smirk.

"Alright, alright. Get tested and I'll stop being a pain in the ass. And if there are Munson children running around... Well. You know what's at risk."

[the_freak]

"Any Munson kiddos out there are not mine, scouts honor," Eddie swears, doing a poor imitation of the sign of the cross rather than a proper scouts honor.