Wayne Munson - Tumblr Posts
the first time wayne meets steve is actually far before the events of '86. in fact, it's in winter of '85.
he's on his way back from work when he pops a tire. he's pissed off, it's cold, still dark, and the beginnings of fucking snow are falling around him, and he doesn't have a spare. the nearest payphone is probably three miles walk, and he's just readying himself to make the journey when, miraculously, a pair of headlights turn onto the back road.
the car slows to a stop behind wayne's, and he's struck by how fucking nice it is. a brown bmw 733i, one he thinks he's seen around a couple times. when the driver steps out, he realises that, yes, he has seen this car. because the boy behind the wheel is the harrington boy, and wayne curses every god out there.
he expects some snark. a good attitude and for the kid to make him grovel for help or outright deny any assistance. instead, he approaches with these wide bambi eyes, the absolute picture of concern.
"are you alright, sir?" he asks, perfectly polite. wayne huffs.
"popped a tire, ain't got a spare." he doesn't- doesn't know why he's telling him. really doesn't. but something about the kid makes him falter, makes his steely exterior give way ever so slightly. the boy crouches down to the tire in question, frowning as he inspects it. then nods, grinning. he says nothing to wayne as he heads back to his car, and for moment he thinks the kid's gonna leave him in the dirt. but, instead, he pops the trunk and hauls out a spare, rolls it over to the car.
wayne only watches, fascinated, as he jogs back to retrieve a little set of tools. sits his ass by his tire and starts going at it. he's in a thin, short sleeved tshirt and jeans. he must be fucking freezing- wayne is, and he's got a thick coat, gloves and a hat on.
"what're you doin', boy?" he asks, unable to sound anything but bewildered. the kid blinks at him.
"changing your tire, sir?"
"i ain't got anything to pay you back with." wayne warns, wary. the kid shrugs, continues his task.
"that's okay, i wasn't going to ask you to." he pulls the popped tire off and lays it by his side. "it's just a good thing we have the same size, huh?" he grins, a little shy. wayne has never felt so thrown off in his life.
was this really james and cynthia harrington's boy? would someone of those people's blood really sit in the cold to change a strangers tire? expecting nothing in return? "where's your layers, kid? it's cold as ass out here, you'll catch a chill."
"oh, i gave it to my friend." seriously? seriously? "i'm alright sir, not to worry." he says this despite his red cheeks and reddening knuckles.
he finishes fitting the tire a second or two later, and once he's inspected it, gives wayne an endearingly dorky thumbs up. it reminds him of eddie in all the best ways. "all done, sir!" he collects up all his tools and threads an arm through the hole of the tire, balancing it on his shoulder. "i'll take this for you, i have to drive by the junkyard anyways." he doesn't. wayne knows the harrington's live in loch nora, and that's the opposite goddamn direction.
"you really a harrington?" he asks, not missing the confusion and maybe even slight disappointment he's met with. "just- no offence, son, but i always thought they were nothin' but bad." he deflates even more, if possible. "how did they raise such a kind boy?"
it's such a sudden change, how quickly he's smiling, bright enough to light the damn road if he wanted. it's all bashful and excited, it makes wayne wonder if he's never heard a good word about himself in his life, which seems insane.
"i still got a bit of an asshole gene," he jokes, a little dry, "but i'm trying to be better, you know?" he motions to the tire. "if you can help, why shouldn't you?"
wayne wants to squeeze him, but refrains. thanks him a couple times over and forces the boy to take his hat before he goes, (despite his complaints). harrington bids him farewell and a safe drive home, and he's driving off before either realise they never learnt each other's names.
(wayne finds his out later, though, when eddie meets him at the door, worried that he's late. only after he's walked his nephew through the story three times and sworn up and down, yes, it was true, and yes, it was definitely harrington. steve harrington.
when they meet again after '86, in eddie's hospital room, that boy from all that time ago holding his nephew's hand, he does give him that hug. thanks him, for both this time and the last.
steve wears the hat in winter of '86. it makes wayne smile.)
AGGGGHHHHHHHH 😭😭😭😭
You know he would kill to hold his nephew again, right? They both have such a big heart. And yeah, I still cling on hoping that Eddie would be back for ss5 because his ending was unacceptable, maybe this is just me tho.
OMGGGGG 😭😭😭😭
little!eddie and cg!wayne hurt/comfort?
PARENTAL NEGLECT AND ABUSE TRIGGER WARNING.
Wayne learned quickly that Eddie is nothing short of traumatized.
Ever since he adopted him when he was little, Eddie had his quirks. It was more than just not playing with the other kids or refusing to do his kindergarten homework; It was screaming at night. It was the bedwetting. It was the going mute when he heard anyone raise their voice.
Wayne quickly pieced together just how traumatized Eddie’s parents had left him. His mom passing when he was a baby followed by his convict dad dropping him off on Wayne’s doorstep did a number on the boy.
Not to mention; the abuse.
Eddie’s father would beat him senseless. He blamed Eddie for his mother’s death, and not the cancer. Unknowingly to his father, Eddie is autistic. So, whenever Eddie would stim or go nonverbal or do anything that exhibited symptoms, he would get beat.
By the time he came to Wayne, he was covered in bruises and cuts. He found him on that doorstep late at night. The boy was shaking- scared to death.
He was nonverbal for a week. Wayne had taken him to a hospital, just to get him checked out. Once there, a child psychologist realized they weren’t just dealing with a traumatized child- they were dealing with a traumatized autistic child.
But through trial, error, and unwavering support, Eddie eventually began recovering and growing closer to Wayne.
As the years went by, Wayne realized Eddie got bad at night. So, Wayne spent most of his nights off holding the boy, rubbing his back. Even though they were in poverty, Wayne always made sure Eddie had warm blankets and warm milk at night to help him sleep. For a long, long time Wayne and Eddie slept on the couch next to one another.
Things are different now. Eddie is older, more independent. But… he still had his nights.
Wayne sighs as he tries to push past his nephew. Eddie is determined his uncle isn’t going to work tonight. “Stay home! Please!”
“Son, I’ve got to go to work,” Wayne says calmly.
Eddie’s on the verge of tears. The moment Wayne sees Eddie’s lips trembling and those tears starting to form, he’s putting his work stuff back on the counter.
Content with himself, Eddie chews on his shirt until his uncle is back in his pajamas. Eddie points to the fridge excitedly. “Chocolate milk?”
“Too late for sugar. It’s gonna keep you up.” Wayne sits beside his nephew, and wraps them both up in a blanket. He had stopped by Eddie’s room for something important while he was changing clothes.
“Teddy!” Eddie smiles, and holds the bear to his chest. “Thank you, Uncle Wayne.” He grabs the remote from beside him and flicks through the channels until he lands on Tom and Jerry- one of his favorites.
Eddie falls asleep after about two more episodes. Wayne pats the boy’s back, hoping he would stay asleep through the night.
Wishful thinking.
Within minutes, Eddie is bolting upwards with a scream. Nightmare. “No, no, no! Help!” He gasps and looks around frantically, as if he didn’t recognize where he was. Wayne grabs him, and forces him to look at him. “Son, son! I’m right here, it’s me!”
“Uncle Wayne! Oh, God, it was terrible! He wouldn’t stop hitting me!”
Wayne’s brows furrow. Eddie hasn’t had a nightmare about his father in some time now. “He’ll never lay another hand on you, Eddie. I’m right here.”
Sucking on his thumb for comfort, Eddie curls up against Wayne’s chest. He follows his uncle’s breathing. He rubs his cheek against the comforting fabric of Wayne’s old sleep shirt. “Safe here,” he whispers.
“It will always be safe here.”
Wayne couldn’t be more relieved that he stayed home from work.
“What if Chrissy had lived and started hanging out with Eddie?” headcanons (feat. everyone’s favorite uncle, Wayne Munson) Part 1
-Chrissy is saved from getting Vecna’d by Eddie blasting the stereo to try to rouse her from her trance, and once he gets her calmed down enough to let go of him, they sit on his couch and share a joint to calm down
-Both open up about their respective problems (Eddie with school and Chrissy with her parents) and they each come to realize that the other isn’t at all as they expected them to be, and there’s something nice about that. Both secretly think they would like to hang out more in the future, but neither one says anything.
-Wayne Munson returns home from the plant at 10:30 to find his nephew curled up in the couch with a Hawkins High School cheerleader’s head on his shoulder. Both are fast asleep and breathing gently.
-He rouses Eddie, who immediately rouses the cheerleader, and Wayne watches them both scramble to get up and check the time
-Chrissy panics because she has to be home for her curfew in 15 minutes, but Eddie throws his Dio jacket on and says he can get her there in 10
-As she leaves, Chrissy stops and shakes hands with Wayne, with Eddie yelling over his shoulder, “Wayne, this is Chrissy, she’s uh—a friend”
-Wayne thinks he sees a slight blush spread over the girl’s cheeks when Eddie calls her his friend
-As Eddie moves to exit the trailer after Chrissy, Wayne says “Eddie”, and he freezes, knowing the “boy, what did I tell you about bringing girls round here?” lecture is coming
-But Wayne just hesitates, then says gently “she seems real nice” and Eddie swears he hears a hint of pride in his uncle’s voice
-Eddie stammers out a “Yeah. Yeah, she is.” and tries to keep the smile that’s twitching at the corners of his lips at bay
-“One more thing” Wayne says as Eddie turns to leave, and Eddie knows he’s getting the lecture now
-“Wear a condom, son, this trailer’s cramped enough with just the two of us.” Wayne says simply, and claps Eddie on the back as the latter stands in shock in the doorway
LINK TO PART 2
Steddie Drabble, TW: child abuse.
Initially, Wayne doesn’t care for Steve. Calls him “the Harrington boy” or “Richard’s son” with contempt, asks if “Richard’s son” is coming over for dinner again and Eddie just rolls his eyes and says “yes, Wayne, STEVE is coming over at 7.” Wayne doesn’t like him because…well, he’s not stupid to judge a book by its cover, he thinks.
But the fifth time Harrington comes over, he brings a bouquet of flowers, and Eddie, well, his cheeks are redder than the spaghetti sauce Wayne’s been stirring, so that’s something.
And then the sixth time Steve comes over, he brings Wayne a Garfield magnet. It’s small, “found it at the thrifty mart with Robin, I’m sorry it’s not brand new…” Steve mumbles, and Eddie is wide eyed and smiling, and Wayne LOVES Garfield. He puts it on the fridge, pats Steve on the back, says “um, thank you son.”
They fall into a pattern, the three of them. Steve comes over for dinner every Friday night after work. He dresses clean and is polite to Wayne, helps with the dishes, sometimes brings bread rolls or licorice or beer or jokes. Eddie starts setting the table. Wayne starts laughing at the jokes. After Steve leaves, Wayne knows Eddie smiles himself to sleep. It’s different, now.
And then the next time Steve is supposed to come over for dinner, he doesn’t show. Eddie had been making macaroni and cheese all evening, grating the cheese carefully as he bopped his head to some metal song, cheerful, and then it was 7 and then it was 8 and then Wayne thought “maybe call him, Ed.”
Nobody answers. When they call again, nobody answers. And Wayne has a bad feeling about it.
It isn’t until almost 11, dinner cold and Eddie pacing, about to radio someone named Robin when Steve’s car pulls up, they know the lights so well. They run outside to greet him and Eddie freezes when Steve starts falling out of the drivers seat, face dark and pained. Wayne jumps into action. Wayne catches Steve and hauls him into the trailer, his living room, and oh god, he’s covered in bruises like he was put through Eddie’s cheese grater, and oh god, Eddie’s broken out into tears behind him.
Steve’s left eye is swollen shut, and his face is purple and bloody. His lip is split and his hair is wild, his shirt is torn, and Wayne wonders what’s underneath the shirt as he gets the first aid kit, wonders how the hell he thought Steven was anything other than an angel.
Eddie gets a dish towel wet in the kitchen and cleans Steve’s face, quiet and crying, and Wayne sets the first aid kit down next to Eddie and makes some coffee. He thinks about talking, doesn’t. Touches the Garfield magnet for good luck. He feels like maybe Steve needs it.
Steve who is holding Eddie’s wrist as he cleans him up, wincing and crying from his good eye. Finally, after a silence that gives Wayne heartburn, Eddie sits back on his heels and says whisper quiet, “your dad?”
Steve gulps, blinks. “My uh, my dad. I was writing you uh, uh a love note.” Eddie looks over at Wayne. Wayne wipes his brow. “But uh, he found it, and your name’s not uh, Edith” Steve lets out a chuff, winces again. “So he asked what was going on, and I told him. I told him. And then he said I had one minute to take it back or he’d make me take it back.” Eddie lets out a small gasp, more like a howl, and sits completely on the floor. Wayne sits down at the table, cold mac and cheese looking like a sick joke. And he’s so mad. Wayne is so, so mad, seeing this young man who so obviously loves his pride and joy, shares in his pride and joy, who brings him apples to make apple pie, he growls out
“Don’t you worry about a thing, Steven, not one thing. You stay here long as you like, hell, don’t leave. We got you, boy.”
And that’s that. Steve crumples in on himself, and Eddie pulls him into a big hug, just holds him, rocks him, coos “a love note, huh, sweetheart? For me?” And Steve nods until he nods off.
The next morning, while Robin takes care of Steve, Wayne and Eddie break into Steve’s room, clear out everything he owns, and slash his dad’s tires. That was Wayne’s idea - the least he could do for a loved one.
Ayee it's my birthday! 🎉 I thought it'd be only fitting to draw something with a similar theme, so here's Wayne and Eddie celebrating little Ed's birthday.
I like to imagine younger Wayne got Eddie one of those amazing flower candles who spin around for his birthday cake (simple, store bought because Wayne isn't good at baking at all), which left Eddie in awe. Fast forward and it becomes somewhat their tradition as both remember the first year when Eddie joined his uncle.
The Munsons
You’re my boy Eddie… Of course I was worried about you.
My Stranger Things Art
the munsons own a garage and eddie works in it
What do you mean, this is not the ending? This is exactly what happened.
the munsons make sure steve doesn’t have to spend another holiday alone
It's funny because Steddies have a lot of takes on a lot of things and we experiment with a lot of different ideas, but none of us are willing to write Wayne Munson as anything but the best uncle in the universe.
munson and munson
Of course it’s got the little marshmallows in it Eddie. Uncle Wayne knows how to make hot cocoa ☕️
“Are you sure you don’t want a hand?” Eddie says as he watches Wayne at the sink. “I’m pretty sure it’s bad hosting etiquette to make your guests cook dinner and wash up after.”
“Family don’t count as guests.” Wayne fends Eddie off with a surprisingly sharp elbow when he tries to step in. “You’ve got more'n enough on your plate as it is. So how ‘bout you let me feel useful and help you out in peace?”
Grinning, Eddie holds his hands up in surrender. “Shit, if you insist, dude.” He grabs a dish towel and starts drying, ignoring the dangerous look Wayne levels at him for it. “I gotta say, though, it’s weird as shit you begging me not to wash the dishes.”
“It’s plenty weird you actually wanting to.”
They stand there together in Eddie’s cramped kitchen, a comforting echo of so many evenings back in their trailer, though this time instead of the radio it’s the sound of soft cries that fill the room. Eddie glances back towards the open door of the apartment’s tiny second bedroom, watches Steve rock their newborn son in his arms as he gently shushes him.
Wayne’s watching with a crinkly-eyed smile as well when Eddie finally manages to tear his gaze away – though it’s unlikely he has quite the same appreciation for the view as Eddie. “You want me to stick around,” he says, “let you two get some rest?”
“Nah, you go on home. You need all the beauty sleep you can get.”
“Laugh all you want, punk; this’ll be you before you know it.”
Eddie’s taking a step to follow Wayne out towards the apartment door when his eyes land on the document sitting on the kitchen counter. “Hey, Wayne?” he says. “Would you sign this for me?”
“What is it?”
“Adoption papers.”
Wayne pauses, his hand still outstretched to take the papers from Eddie, and he looks back up in surprise. “Don’t tell me you boys are taking on another one already.”
“Oh, Jesus Christ, no,” says Eddie. He can still hear Steve in the nursery, a hint of desperation in his voice as he tries valiantly to lull Sam to sleep. He shoots Eddie a pained look when Eddie glances over to him.
He doesn’t want to even think about having another kid until the sleepless nights and exhaustion have turned into nothing more than a hazy, rosy-coloured memory.
“No,” Eddie says to Wayne. “These are, uh – these are for me.”
Wayne takes the papers from Eddie’s hand – just as well, since he’s about five seconds from crumpling them beyond recognition with his anxious fidgeting – and gives them a long, close look. There’s some complicated expression on his face when he meets Eddie’s gaze again.
“You sure about this, son?” he says, voice barely more than a whisper.
Eddie nods.
“I mean, only if you want to, obviously,” he adds quickly. “It’s not a big deal or anything. I just thought–”
But before he can backtrack, play the whole thing off like some dumb joke and not something he’s been thinking about more and more over the past few months, Wayne’s pushing past him to head back into the kitchen. He snatches up a pen and signs his name right there next to Eddie’s.
The pen falls onto the counter with a decisive clatter.
Eddie just stands gaping in the doorway. He’s not sure he’s actually taken a breath since he broached the subject, so there’s a good chance he’s gonna pass the fuck out any second now.
Shit, maybe he already has.
“Nice to make it official,” says Wayne. His voice is unusually tight. He looks back at Eddie with a watery smile. “But I never needed no piece of paper to tell me what I already know.”
Eddie nods. He has to bite his bottom lip to keep it from wobbling. His eyes are misting up too much to make out Wayne’s expression, but he can hear him sniffing.
“You all right, Wayne?”
“Allergies playing up is all,” he says brusquely.
“Yeah.” Eddie scrubs at his cheeks with the back of his sleeve. “Mine too.”
He’s barrelling into Wayne then. Wayne’s already braced for impact, open arms ready to pull Eddie in close and hold him tight. Eddie buries his face in Wayne’s shirt, and the floodgates open.
They’re still clinging to each other when Steve finally steps back into the main room. He looks between them, both red faced and snotty and sobbing, with a smile.
“So that’s a yes, huh?” he says, once they eventually break apart.
eddie munson has one of those traditional style bicep "mom" heart tattoos except instead of mom it says "wayne"
Granpa Wayne❤️