steddie oneshots

Mistletoe

Art credit @cholvoq on insta

"Gross!" Erica says, when Max actually does kiss Lucas under the mistletoe. Lucas is frozen on the spot and Max is still glaring from everyone teasing them, but when she lets him go and walks back to the kitchen, they're both blushing. And smiling, Eddie's pretty sure.

"What is missile-toe?" El asks Will. His face goes red, but he explains anyway.

"Um, it's a plant that people hang from the ceiling, and when two people are standing under it, they have to kiss."

"Why?"

"I don't know. It's just... a thing."

"For Christmas?"

"Pizza rolls are ready!" Nancy calls from the kitchen. The kids immediately stop what they're doing. Eddie laughs before going to put on boots and tug his leather jacket over his sweater. Then he opens the front door and walks out onto the snow-covered front yard.

"Hey, dinner's ready!" Eddie calls up to Steve, who's standing on a big ladder against the house. Steve turns, hammer in hand and nails between his lips. Half the string of lit Christmas lights fall to the ground.

"Damnit," Steve mumbles through the nails.

"Uh, sorry man. Just letting you know."

"Yeah, thanks."

Eddie watches Steve carefully adjust the lights still left up and slowly start pulling the ones that fell. But then a nail falls, and so do the same lights. He swears again.

"Do you need some help?" Eddie asks. Steve sighs. "I know you said no before, but that was like an hour ago."

"It's seriously been an hour?" Steve asks. Eddie nods. Steve sighs again and climbs down the ladder.

"Don't bother. It was a dumb idea."

"Wait, no, don't quit!" Eddie protests. Steve raises an eyebrow. "I have to help you now. I won't take no for an answer." Eddie turns to climb the ladder himself, then pauses. "I mean, you can say no if you want, I don't usually—"

Steve laughs, surprising Eddie. "It's fine, Munson. You can help. I'm shit at this."

Eddie grins, then takes the hammer from Steve and starts climbing. "Only 'cause you were doing it the wrong way."

"Oh yeah, what's that?"

"You were putting up the nails and lights one at a time as you went," Eddie explains, reaching the top. And it takes him a minute, because holy shit, Steve's house is big. "You should put a bunch of nails in first and then hook the lights."

"Alright Christmas expert, show me."

"Gladly." Eddie gets to work putting in nails an even width apart, reaching across almost half the roof.

"Jesus, be careful!" Steve calls from the ground.

"I don't want to have to move the ladder a bunch of times!" Eddie calls back. He can't see far down in the dark, but he can practically feel Steve's eye roll.

After placing the nails, he grabs the strand of lights and carefully hooks them in, as straight as he can make them. After climbing down and surveying his work, he has to say—he's impressed with himself.

"Wow," Steve says, staring up at the lights. Eddie grins again. Steve looks away and clears his throat. "Um, they look great."

"Why thank you," Eddie says. "Wanna try the rest yourself?"

"Sure. Still might suck though."

"Eh. Still look pretty even if they aren't perfect." "Like you," Eddie wants to say. But of course, he doesn't. He can't.