#steddie fan fiction
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Steve walks through the door. It was Eddie's day off it meant that he didn't have to pick her up from daycare. It meant that they would both be waiting for him when he got home. Eddie was at the door when he walked in.
"Where's our kid? She ran off again, and now you have trouble finding her?" Steve grinned.
"I can find her easily now," Eddie said. "No trouble whatsoever."
"Okay, kind of scared to ask," Steve said, and that's when he heard a loud clanking sound. "Eddie. . .what's that?"
"Oh! That's our daughter. It sounds like she just entered the living room," Eddie said.
Steve stared at him. Eddie stared back.
"Eddie, did you attach a bell to our daughter?" Steve asked slowly.
"I might have," Eddie said.
"Seriously?!" Steve asked.
"She's deadly when she's silent! I had to put the cowbell on her!" He protested.
Steve was about to say something more when they heard the cowbell sound growing faster and closer. Their daughter appeared in the hallway, and she shrieked.
"Dada!" She screamed, and she ran towards him.
Steve laughed as he scooped her up, patting the cowbell on her back.
"Okay, that was pretty cute!" Steve said.
"Mooo!" She exclaimed.
Eddie laughed, kissing her cheek, and then moved to kiss Steve. She scowled and pushed his face away.
"Yucky," she said.
"Oh, I can kiss you, but I can't kiss Daddy?" Eddie laughed.
"No! Yucky!"
#stranger things#eddie munson#stranger things s4#joseph quinn#eddie stranger things#steve harrington#eddie munson lives#steddie#steve x eddie#steve harrington x eddie munson#steddie dads#steddie girl dads#steddie fan fiction#steddie ficlet
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If you prefer, this is also posted on AO3
After the almost end of the world, Steve decides he’s going to put the moves on Eddie Munson.
Robin may or may not laugh in his face when he announces it.
The thing is, despite Robin almost laughing him out of the building, the thing is Steve is still figuring out his sexuality. He knows he likes girls, he’s always liked girls, but then Robin pointed out that maybe he couldn’t figure out what he wanted because he wasn’t looking in the right place and Steve realized she was right . Sure, Robin had meant more of a ‘ stop going after girls who are traditionally pretty and from well off families and try going out with girls whose company you actually enjoy’ and not a ‘ hey, dudes are kinda hot, too, right? It was real weird how transfixed you seemed to be on Eddie Munsons lips while we were actively fighting demon monsters,’ but Steve has always been good at reading in between the lines. Or, more like inserting what he wants in the gaps of what people leave unsaid.
So, no, Robin did not tell Steve to open his eyes and realize that straight guys don’t exactly think about how another guys lips will look slick with spit, how they’ll feel under the pressure of his thumb, what the sweet satisfaction of them partying so readily under his will feel like, but she did tell him to broaden his horizons and honestly, they were basically the same thing.
Which is why Steve feels like she should be more supportive of his plans to woo Eddie Munson onto his couch—and maybe, if he’s feeling ambitious, eventually into his bed.
“Robin, come on . I’m serious!” Steve will never admit, even under Russian torture again, that he whines it. He’s coming to Robin as a sounding board, not so she can make fun of him. If he wants someone to make fun of his lack of prowess, he would go talk to Dustin.
Or, yeah on second thought no. He’s not actually sure his ego could take that much of a hit at the moment.
“Sorry, sorry,” she gasps, gripping the—newly rebuilt and polished—family video counter in front of her. “I just—Steve, that’s-that’s so ambitious . You literally just came out to me less than a week ago and you’re already talking about getting with a boy. And Eddie Munson at that.”
Steve scowls at her, crossing his arms over his chest in a way that he knows looks bitchy, but he can’t help it because—
“Don’t say his name like that. He literally almost died to save us all. He’s not fucking dirty .”
Robin immediately sobers, a guilty, but irritated look on her face. “That’s not how I meant it, Steve, and you know it. Don’t get bitchy at me just because you’re feeling sensitive about your feelings for a boy.”
And that’s the crux of it, isn’t it? Steve isn’t really angry at her for laughing—Robin makes fun of him at least 7 times a day, Steve would be more concerned if she didn’t make at least one joke about this—and he isn’t even mad at her for putting a weird emphasis on Eddie’s name. No, he’s all twisted up about his feelings and he’s never been good at expressing them, let alone talking about them. He’s feeling self conscious and his skin is prickling with embarrassment and the easiest thing to do is lash out about it.
“That’s not—“ Steve cuts himself off, looking away from Robin as his shoulders slump. “You’re right,” he mumbles. “Sorry. I just. I wanna fucking kiss him so bad , Rob, and that freaks me out a little.” Steve untucks one of his arms to scrub a hand over his face, leaving the other one tucked around his waist to protect his vulnerable bits.
“Hey,” Robin murmurs, closing the distance between them so she can settle her hands on his shoulders. “I get it. Do you think I acted like a sane person the first time I realized I wanna kiss girls? I think I cried for a week. Kerry the stuffed Koala had to go to therapy because of all of my crying. It was a serious time in the Buckley house.”
Steve smiles behind his hand. He loves her so much. She’s really his best friend. He’s so thankful for her.
“You still cry about kissing girls,” Steve says, rather than admitting any of that. She already knows she’s smart, Steve doesn’t need to add any more to her ego. It just gives her more brain to bully him with.
He drops the hand covering his face to look at her. “Only now it’s more of a,” Steve puts on a high pitched, whiny voice, “‘why do I have to go to work when I could be spending all day making out with my girlfriend.’” He brings both of his hands up to clasp in front of his chest, batting his eyelashes at her in a fake-coy way.
Robin shoves at him, catches him off guard and he goes stumbling backwards into the counter, laughing the whole way.
“Shut up , you absolute dickhead, ” she all but screeches, reaching out to give his chest another shove for good measure. “You literally have no room to talk considering you started this shift by announcing your intentions to, quite literally, crawl into Eddie’s lap and kiss him stupid . That’s almost verbatim what you said, Steve.”
Steve’s still chuckling as he rights his position a little, leaning back against the counter more comfortably. “Yeah, I did say that.” He sucks his bottom lip in between his teeth before he continues with, “I really, really wanna sit on his lap and kiss him until he can’t focus, Rob.”
Robin rolls her eyes, but it’s more fond than annoyed. Steve can tell—he’s been on the receiving end of about 90 percent of Robin’s eye rolls, he’s getting good at distinguishing the emotions behind each one.
“I still can’t believe you have a crush on Eddie Munson of all people. He’s so weird ,” She laughs, but Steve can tell that that, too, is fond. Robin and Eddie have a weird friendship. They geek out over obscure instruments and the nuance of tacky movies together. Steve doesn’t get it, but he enjoys watching how expressive both of them can be. He once watched Eddie climb onto a table while arguing with Robin about one of their movies. Robin followed him up shortly after, though, so Steve isn’t sure why she thinks the weird is limited to Eddie.
“Yeah,” Steve sighs, and he’s man enough to admit that it sounds dreamy . God, he’s pathetic over Eddie. It scares the shit out of him. “You know, the other day he gave me a rock. It wasn’t even, like, a cool rock. It was literally just a rock. When I asked him why he just shrugged and was like ‘I dunno, it made me think of you.’”
Robin’s grin grows. “Oh my God. What did you do with the rock?”
Steve shoots her a disgruntled look. “What do you think I did with the rock? I put in my pocket and then brought it home and set it on my nightstand. Eddie gave it to me, I wasn’t just going to throw it on the ground again. That’s rude.”
Robin absolutely cackles at this, there’s no other way to describe it. She’s awash in glee as she claps her hands together a few times. “ Jesus , Steve. You’ve got it so bad for this man.”
“God,” Steve mutters, running a hand over his face again. “That’s not even the worst part, Rob. He like. He grabs his utensils with his whole fist when he eats. It’s so weird, and it’s so messy . It makes fuck all sense. He doesn't even grab a pencil that way. Just his fucking eating utensils .
“And he walks so chaotic. He just randomly breaks into a sprint. Just starts fucking running out of nowhere. And he bounces. As if the random running wasn’t enough, he just fucking starts jumping. Sometimes he jumps at me, and it’s all I can do to actually catch him before he eats dirt. Or- or he’ll just. Spin. Just twirl in the middle of the sidewalk while still carrying on a conversation.” Steve slumps, his back getting slightly scraped against the counter as he sinks to his butt.
“The man has zero regard for personal space and he always makes way too intense of eye contact. Sometimes he’ll use one of his character voices in the middle of an otherwise totally normal conversation, and he’s always climbing on things. He’s loud and he’s weird and I wanna wrap my fingers around the collar of his shirt, shove him against a wall and then shove my tongue down his throat , jesus christ. ” Steve buries his face in his knees, his mind playing an endless loop of Eddie smiling with those stupid lips that are always cherry red and raw from his constant gnawing. Steve wants to bite them for him.
“Oh, my God, Steve.” Robing sinks down to sit across from him. “This is pathetic . I, like, knew you had a crush on Eddie but this is like. Dangerous territory. Like, the next step might be the L word level territory.”
Steve makes a small squeaking noise, his face still buried in his knees. Robin’s words hint at something that Steve is so not ready to admit to himself yet. She’s hitting way too close to something Steve has been avoiding actively and vehemently since he realized the attraction he feels for boys is decidedly not of the straight variety.
For a moment, neither of them say anything. Then, like the angel she so clearly is, Robin says, “So, wanna tell me about operation ‘crawl into Eddie’s lap and makeout with him?’”
Steve laughs, the tightness in his chest slowly easing. He lifts his head, and then spills his guts.
***
The plan starts simply. First, he needs to get Eddie alone . No annoying tagalongs to potentially interrupt.
It’s easier said than done. For two days straight, Steve asks Eddie to hang out and, somehow, one of the kids manages to weasel into their plans.
It’s driving Steve nuts.
He casually asks Eddie to watch a movie, give him a proper education like him and Robin are always going on about, and Dustin overhears and invites himself.
He asks Eddie to go for a walk, makes an excuse about it being gorgeous outside while he plots ways for the walk to end right outside his house, isn’t that neat, but Lucas and Max overhear and suddenly it’s a group affair.
He asks Eddie to get milkshakes, plans to lure him back to his house with the promise of complete control of Steve’s record player, but El overhears and asks if she can tag along and Steve just can’t look into her big, earnest eyes and tell her no. He’s not a monster.
So they get milkshakes with El, and it’s fun . Of course it’s fun, but Steve is getting desperate . It’s been a little over a week since he hatched his mad plan with Robin and he’s about to start climbing the walls with anticipation.
It doesn’t help that Eddie has a mother fucking oral fixation. At every opportunity he’s either putting stuff in his mouth or chewing on something. It’s fucking rude, is what it is. It’s like he doesn’t even realize Steve is suffering.
It all finally comes to a head a full week and four days after his conversation with Robin on the floor of Family Video. He’s stopping by Eddie’s house to grab something Dustin left behind because Dustin asked and he’s nice . It’s maybe also because it’s a great excuse to see Eddie, but Dustin sure as shit doesn’t need to know that that’s the sole reason Steve said he will.
Eddie is slightly bent over, riffling through his Dungeons and Dorks stuff, and Steve is trying so hard to pretend like he’s not entirely focusing on his ass and the line of exposed skin above his belt. If Eddie turns around right now, he’s busted for sure.
Eddie’s just mentioned some kind of dragon when he lets out a triumphant noise, his story coming to an abrupt halt as he spins on his heel to face Steve.
“Aha!” He exclaims, thrusting a notebook in Steve's direction.
Steve automatically reaches out to take it, his fingers brushing over the backs of Eddie’s in the switch over. Eddie bites his bottom lip at the contact, avoiding Steve’s gaze, and suddenly all Steve is thinking about is his mouth.
Steve debates with himself for a moment. This isn’t really how he planned to seduce his way into Eddie Munson’s lap, but he’s adaptable. If the years of almost apocalypses have taught Steve anything, it’s that sometimes you have to make do with what you have.
And what Steve has is an empty trailer save the two of them, and a couch less than ten feet away. He’s got the object of his affections standing in front of him, and Steve decides to adapt.
He wets his own lips, stepping towards Eddie. His hand is still holding Eddie’s hostage over the notebook.
“Thanks, Eddie,” Steve murmurs, ducking his head so he can look up through his lashes.
Steve watches Eddie’s breath catch, watches him stutter over his next sentence.
“Y-yeah,” he breathes out, his eyes flicking between Steve’s eyes and his mouth at a rapid speed. “Of c-course. I mean, it happens. Kids forget things. I’m sure Dustin just wanted to, like, go over the last session's notes for anything he missed.”
“Of course,” Steve agrees, taking another step into Eddie’s space. He’s aware that he’s primarily staring at Eddie’s lips, which is probably rude, but he can’t help it. They’re wet and shiny and Steve has been thinking about them an obsessive amount for the last week and a half.
“We’re, um, I-I mean they’re going against a red dragon,” Eddie continues. Steve’s aware of this. It’s what Eddie had been telling him when he’d found the notebook. “They’re very powerful, almost impossible to defeat.”
“Are they?” Steve’s only half following the conversation, but that’s not saying much. He has a hard time keeping up with the DnD talk on a regular day.
“Oh yeah,” Eddie says, and then he’s off. He starts spitting words so fast Steve wouldn’t be able to keep up even if he were paying complete attention.
“Eddie,” Steve says, but Eddie is still talking, still mumbling along about the red dragon.
“Eddie,” Steve tries again, but it’s like he’s shouting in an empty room. He knows Eddie knows he’s talking to him, can tell by how wide Eddie’s eyes are, how he’s not even trying to not slur his rapidfire words together. If Eddie was talking about dragons for the hell of it, he’d be gesticulating and probably climbing on things. As it were, he’s got his gaze fixed on Steve, eyes comically wide as his words rush together—barely getting one out before the next slew rush into it in a truly amusing word traffic jam.
Eddie’s nervous , and fuck if that doesn’t thrill Steve to his core. Steve takes the final step towards him to completely close the distance and—
Eddie takes a step back, his words stuttering along with Steve’s heart in his chest. He wasn’t expecting that, wasn’t expecting Eddie to back away from him so quickly. Steve has half a second to be hurt, to mentally kick himself because get a fucking clue , Harrington, before he catches Eddie’s eyes darting down to his lips, his tongue unconsciously swiping along his lower lip before his gaze skitters back up to Steve’s.
And, oh, yeah , Steve has him exactly where he wants him. Eddie isn’t stepping back because he doesn’t want Steve. No, he’s stepping back because he’s prey . Steve is stalking towards him with a single minded focus and Eddie is skittering backwards like a scared rabbit—bouncing back step by step as Steve approaches until his back collides with the wall. That, finally, seems to knock all their air out of Eddie. The dragon conversation dies on his lips as Steve finally—fucking finally —closes the remaining distance between them. He reaches out, cupping Eddie's cheek in one hand, his jaw in the other, all while pressing up against Eddie from hip to chest.
“ Eddie, ” Steve murmurs, his eyes hooding. This time, Steve feels Eddie’s breath catch, feels the way a tremor works its way through Eddie’s body. He’s staring up at Steve with wide, wild eyes. He looks like a deer caught in a trap—ready to break his leg trying to get away if he needs to.
Steve isn’t sure why that makes him feel a little wild, but it does.
He stretches his thumb out to swipe across Eddie's bottom lip—already bitten and red from Eddie’s nervous chewing. God , it drives Steve crazy . He has a half-hysterical thought about offering his own up for Eddie to chew on when he’s nervous. Eddie makes him crazy .
Steve licks at his own lips as he watches the way his thumb catches and drags and the swollen skin of Eddie’s bottom lip. Eddie’s trembling in earnest now, and Steve feels his pulse thundering in his ears. He wants to kiss Eddie so bad his fucking toes are curling with the anticipation.
He flicks his gaze up, away from Eddie’s lips up to his eyes and he has to fight back a groan. Eddie looks fucking wrecked and Steve hasn’t even kissed him yet. His eyes are wide and wild, his pupils blown and there’s a scarlet flush in his cheeks. He’s fucking panting against Steve’s face and he can’t take it any more. He really, really can’t. He has to kiss him—screw anticipation, screw driving Eddie past the brink. He needs and he needs now.
“ Eddie, ” Steve practically gasps . “Eddie, please.” Steve squeezes his eyes shut as his body unconsciously rocks forward, seeking even more of Eddie out. “Wanna kiss you so bad, please say I can, please—”
And before Steve can get another plea out, Eddie’s slamming his head forward with enough force to knock their teeth together in an uncomfortable clack ; enough force that their noses knock together in a painful way.
But Steve doesn't care . He doesn’t care because Eddie’s lips are on his and he feels like there’s liquid fire coursing through his veins. He feels lit up from the inside out as Eddie finally, finally touches him back. He fists a hand in the back of Steve’s shirt, the other winding through Steve’s hair and fuck it’s finally happening. After night upon night of imagining what kissing Eddie Munson would be like, Steve’s finally doing it.
And goddamn is he doing it. Eddie’s lips are slick against his, hot and encouraging . They slide together in a way that has Steve��s mind going blissfully blank, his only thoughts being hotwetyesmore.
He kisses him messy, lips moving together in a too fast pace that neither of them can keep track of; bruising force in the way their lips slide, spit sliping from their parted lips in a slow trickle that has Steve’s fingers curling against Eddie’s jaw.
He uses that hand to tilt Eddie’s head up slightly, angling it enough that Steve can get his bottom lip between his own and suck slightly. The first slid of Eddie’s lip between Steve’s own has him seeing fucking stars .
A punched out groan breaks free from Eddie’s throat and he rocks forward into Steve, seeking more . The hand in the middle of his back pulls and Steve is helpless to do anything but push Eddie more firmly into the wall. He knows it has to hurt, has to be restricting Eddie’s breathing with how tightly they’re pressed together, but he can’t take enough focus away from Eddie’s mouth to care . Plus, if Eddie minds that much he wouldn’t be pulling Steve closer .
Eddie breathes a wet gasp into Steve’s mouth when he takes his teeth to the lip still tucked between his own, and Steve can’t help but let out a gasp of his own. Eddie tastes fucking phenomenal. He can taste the lingering tobacco on his tongue, the salty tang of the popcorn he must have had earlier, and just the overwhelming taste of Eddie. Hot, sweet, fucking sublime. Steve‘s never been a particularly religious man, but he feels like he’s drinking heaven straight from Eddie’s mouth. With every gasp, every moan, every brush of Eddie’s tongue, he feels one step closer to absolution. It’s addicting .
God , he wants more. He wants Eddie’s hands all over him, on bare skin. He wants those deft musicians fingers to snake into his hair, tug a bit. He wants Eddie over him and under him and—
He stills suddenly, a thought occurring to him. The line that had triggered this whole thing—his announcement to Robin back in Family Video—and suddenly there’s a burning need in Steve’s gut. God, he needs to sit in Eddie’s lap right now. Needs to feel his strong thighs under him, needs Eddie’s hands on his ass and his tongue in his mouth.
“ Fuck, ” Steve bites out when he pulls back. Tearing his mouth away from Eddie’s is so much harder than it has any right to be.
Eddie’s staring at Steve with glassy eyes, his lips shiny and red and oh fuck even his chin is glistening with their spit. Steve wants to devour him.
“Go sit on the couch,” Steve says, and is pleasantly surprised that his voice only sounds a little rough, a little shaky.
“What?” Eddie croaks out, staring at Steve for a beat. Then, miracle of miracles, he does it. He stares at Steve the whole time, the glassy look getting a little clearer, and Steve thinks that simply will not do.
The minute Eddie is seated, Steve’s crawling his way into his lap. He wedges his knees into the crease at the back of the couch, shuffling as far forward as he can so their chests are pressing together, their clothed crotches aligning. Then, without giving Eddie a chance to adjust, he drops down, pressing the full weight of his ass into Eddie’s thighs and, by proximity, his dick.
“ Jesus Christ ,” Eddie swears, his hands shooting out to grab at Steve’s ass on instinct. Steve almost giggles . It’s exactly what he wants.
“You can just call me Steve,” he mutters, and before Eddie can reply, he’s sweeping in and claiming Eddie’s lips again. Eddie huffs against his mouth, but let’s Steve have the last word. Steve’s glad because he has plans .
Plans that start with Steve winding those thick curls around his fingers as he slides his lips against Eddie’s. Eddie pushes his head back into Steve’s hands like a cat, and it makes Steve smile into their kiss, which makes Eddie smile into the kiss. It’s like a domino effect—once Steve feels Eddie’s smile against his, he starts giggling like a schoolgirl. He can’t help it, this feels unreal in the best possible way.
Then Eddie’s off, giggling back into Steve’s mouth. They’re both just sitting there giggling at each other, eyes squinted and happy . God, Steve feels euphoric in this moment, perched in Eddie’s lap like it’s his throne, with Eddie’s hands on his ass.
Eddie pulls back after a moment, when their smiles are too wide to actually kiss. He brings a hand up to gently brush a strand of hair away from Steve’s eyes, tucking the long lock behind his ear before putting his hand back on Steve’s ass.
“You’re unbelievable, Steve Harrington,” Eddie whispers, eyes so full of affection that Steve feels his insides turn to mush. He squirms in Eddie’s laps, ducking his head to mouth at Eddie’s neck because if he stares into his eyes any longer he’s going to do something stupid . Stupid like admit that he’s pretty fucking sure he’s in love with Eddie, has been since he gave him that dumb rock for no decernable reason other than he wanted to, because he was thinking of Steve.
Steve tongues at the tendon in Eddie’s neck that’s stretched taunt, rubs his nose along his jaw and up to the hollow under his ear. Eddie laughs, tilting his head sideways to give Steve easier access.
“Oh, now you’re gonna be shy? After you practically pounced on me earli—”
Eddie’s words cut off in a choked groan as Steve bites, hard , at the tendon he was just showing attention to.
“ Steve, ” Eddie gasps, but Steve doesn’t let him do any other talking. No, he’s not going to let Eddie derail him again. So, he dives back for Eddie’s mouth, licking into it, not slowing down and not giving Eddie a chance to catch up. He smooths his tongue alongside Eddie’s, lets Eddie push back against it with his own for a millisecond, before he’s switching tactics—licking behind the top row of Eddie’s teeth, sliding his tongue over Eddie’s bottom lip.
Eddie squeezes his ass at the sudden onslaught, and Steve can’t help the small jerk his body gives at that. He grinds down, a gasp trapped in the humid air between them as sharp waves of pleasure shoot up his spine. He’s trapped in between Eddie’s lips and his hands and he feels like he’s high with it.
He’s enjoying himself so much.
He slides his tongue along Eddie’s again, enjoys the way it's slightly rough and gloriously slick against his own. Enjoys the way it makes his pulse thrum a little faster, his fingers grip a little tighter where they’re fisted in Eddie’s hair—the way it makes Eddie squeeze a little tighter, which makes Steve grind down a little harder.
Steve feels the evidence of Eddie’s interest, has been feeling it, and knows Eddie has to be aware of Steve’s own. And Steve’s fantasized about Eddie’s lips for so long that he’s tried to keep it to just that—tried to focus on the heady drag of lips on lips—but it’s hard to ignore the way Steve’s own hips are twisting down, seeking as much of Eddie as possible. Hard to ignore the way Eddie has his own feet planted on the floor, meeting Steve’s hips with firm thrusts of his own.
They’re sharing humid air and sharp gasps, their lips swollen and honestly sore . Steve’s lips ache in the best way he’s ever felt, and Steve doesn’t want to stop. Wants to sit right here on Eddie’s strong thighs, wants to feel Eddie’s teeth nipping at the too sensitive skin of his mouth, wants to kiss Eddie for the rest of his life .
They kiss and kiss and kiss, and Steve has never just kissed someone like this. He’s never kissed just to feel, kissed just for the pleasure of it with no expectations for what’s to follow. He feels intoxicated. He’s utterly, wholly blissed out on Eddie Munson’s mouth and he never wants it to end.
They kiss for so long that Steve has honestly started to lose feeling in his lips. It’s weird feeling them so sore, so numb. But they are, so he slowly, so slowly pulls back. Leaning down for a few lingering pecks as he puts a little distance between their mouths.
Eddie’s mouth is bright red, spit slick and so tempting. Steve watches with fascination as a single string of spit connects their lips, stretching until he’s put enough distance between them that it breaks.
Steve bites his lip on a moan, thinks that’s one of the hottest things he’s ever seen.
He meets Eddie’s gaze. His eyes are wild, pupils blown out. His hair is an absolute disaster from the way Steve’s been running his fingers through it, and his cheeks are flushed so prettily. Steve can’t resist sneaking one more kiss in, lingering around afterwards to rub their noses together.
“Hi,” Steve finally murmurs and fuck, is that his voice? Jesus, he sounds wrecked.
“Hi,” Eddie says back, his smile verging on loopy. “Did you know that some corvids can understand physics?”
Steve stares at him for a beat, a little stunned and a lot confused by the abrupt topic switch. Eddie stares back, a look on his face that Steve can only take for regret, his already pink face is turning positively crimson.
It’s dead quiet for a moment, then Steve bursts into laughter. His chest absolutely swells with affection, with, fuck it, love. God damn , he can’t deny it any longer. The love he feels for this boy sitting under him is overwhelming at the best of times, and it feels like it’s just bursting out of him at this moment. He’s coming apart at the seams with his feelings for Eddie, and he’s done trying to pretend that they’re anything but that.
“Oh my God, ” Eddie mutters, bringing his hands up to hide his face. It’s so endearing. Steve is endeared. “Sorry, fuck. I don’t know why I just said that.”
“Jesus Christ, dude.” Steve’s still grinning down at Eddie, moving his hands to clasp around Eddie’s wrists, trying to pry his hands away. He never wants to not be looking at Eddie. He’s so fucking weird and Steve likes him so much. “I like you so fucking much .”
Eddie lets Steve pull his hands away, and he…there’s no other word for it, Eddie just absolutely lights up. It’s like Steve’s staring directly at the sun. Eddie is beaming up at him, his smile so wide that his eyes are basically closed. He has laugh lines, and Steve is already obsessed with them, already thinking of ways to make Eddie smile this wide, this radiant all the time.
“Yeah?” Eddie asks.
“Oh, yeah,” Steve confirms. “Just ask Robin. I’ve been whining about it for weeks .”
Eddie laughs again, his grin not dimming in the slightest, and Steve just has to taste it—has to get his mouth around Eddie’s happiness. So, he swoops back in, feels Eddie’s laughter transfer to him via their connected mouths, feels a piece of himself that’s long been looking for a home finally slot into place.
#LOOK#i just think eddie is the type of person to say the most interesting facts at the worst possible time#and i think steve is kinda into that#idiot 4 idiot yknow?#anyway no idea where this came from#this fic struck me like a fever and would not leave until i purged it#so enjoy!#steddie#steddie fic rec#steve harrington/eddie munson#steve harrington/eddie munson fic#steddie fan fiction#my writing
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Finally/Beautiful Stranger (Steddie X You)
A/N: Part of this AU, you don't have to have read the others to understand but it helps!
Also, please feel free to donate or buy me a coffee. Anything helps but of course you don't have to. I will still love you :)
Warnings: Former Addicts Steddie X Fem Y/N, SMUT, slight spanking, dirty talk, very light DOM dynamics touched on, mentions of lose of virginity (as well as the pain that comes along with the first time), FLUFF, These three people love each other very much and all three are happier compared to previous chapters. The talk about their new lives and careers with pride <3.
ANGST, dark themes!! of addiction and recovering addicts explored. Not new for this series but again this one is much lighter than the others. They both discussing cravings and Eddie having a slip a few months prior. Steve works at a center with children of addicts and one boy has a similar situation to Y/N's accident so she helps him through that.
The boys mention regrets including being aggressive with the reader verbally and sometimes physically when they weren't sober so DOMESTIC ABUSE TRIGGER.
There are flashbacks of them as kids so mentions of Eddie and Steve dealing with their toxic dads.
I think that's it! As always go carefully in this AU and if you choose not to read that is ok. I will still love you!
Word Count: 8358
1974
You winced as you landed back first on to the gravel underneath where you had fallen from the jungle gym.
“Oh wow! Are you okay?!” A set of hands gripped your biceps as they helped you get to your feet. “You have some stuff on your dress. Let me…” The boy’s voice trailed off as you felt him dust off the nature that stuck to your outfit.
“Thank you.”, you mumbled as you turned to meet your hero, coming face to face with honey brown eyes and a comforting smile.
“You’re welcome. Are you alright? Do you need to go to the nurse or…?”
“No. I think I’m okay. My, uh, back broke my fall.” You grin when he laughs. “I’m Y/N.”
“Steve.”
“Harrington?”
“Um, yeah?”
“No! Don’t mean to sound mean. The girls in my class think you’re cute. They never shut up about you.”
The boy laughs harder and your grin grows at the sight of his scrunched nose.
“I have no idea why. I’m not that great.”
“I don’t know. I mean…I think you are.” Steve blushes at your answer and you reach out to grab his hand leading him towards the swing set.
The two of you talk casually about things normal children your age talk about like tv shows and music. Shouting suddenly grabs your attention causing you to slow to a stop as a boy runs around the corner and heads towards you both.
“FREAK! THIS ISN’T OVER!”
“Thomas Hagan!”, a teacher yells, blocking him with her body so he can’t follow.
The boy pauses as he leans against pole of the swings trying to catch his breath.
“Are you alright?” He jumped as your hand reached out to touch his arm as he held them up defensively. “Hey. Hey, it’s ok. We won’t hurt you. I’m Y/N and this is Steve.” His chocolate eyes scanned you both over before finally sighing in relief when he realized you weren’t a threat.
“What’s your name?”
“E-Eddie. Eddie Munson.”
“Oh! You’re the kid that just started here. I’m sorry, man. Welcome to hell.”, Steve joked causing an exasperated laugh to leave Eddie’s lips.
“Did Tommy do that to you?”, you ask as you gesture towards his black eye.
Shaking his head, he came over to sit on the swings beside you both.
You couldn’t explain it at the time, not even now, but as you sat there talking to them you felt comfortable. You felt like you had known them your entire life. Nothing in this moment could have prepared you for the future that was headed towards you all.
##########
1993
“Where up north are you, Stevie?”, Eddie asks as he takes a big bite of the burger in front of him.
“I’ve been up in Detroit for a few months now working at a youth clinic. There’s a lot of good kids there who just need some help.”
“I’m proud of you, dude. We’re supposed to head over there to record with this big time producer. What about you, princess? Where do you call home?”
“I don’t actually have a home right now. I’m a writer for a music magazine so I’ve been on the road mostly for the past 2 years listening to bands and staying in hotels.”, you giggle as a huge smile adorns your face. “Maybe soon I’ll get to write about you, Eddie.”
“Here’s hoping. We just got signed but the manager at the label says we ‘really have something’.”
“Of course you do. You guys were always amazing.”
“Pfft, yeah sure. Drugged out me could barely focus on the strings let alone create a melody.”
The table went silent as a heavy energy fell around the table.
“How have things been? Any cravings?”, Steve asks as he folds his arms to lean forward on his elbows.
“Oh, Harrington. I’m an addict. I always have cravings but choose to resist them.”
“Has it gotten any easier. To resist them, I mean.”, you inquire.
“Yes and no. I mean I used to snort blow 24/7 and now I don’t. I can go about my day and live my life but when something hard hits me or I’m having a bad day I have to physically talk myself out of not looking for a fix.”
“I can understand that. There were a few days where I sat outside of bar staring at the front door for hours before driving away.” His eyes flick towards you as he continues. “I still struggle with regret… regret that we…ruined your life.”
“You didn’t ruin my life. You definitely didn’t make it easy but… I should have left or cut ties beforehand. I just didn’t know how. I didn’t know how…to live without you two in my life.”
“Yeah. We get that to.”, Eddie sighed as a silence fell around the table.
It had been a long time since the three of you had been together without the vices getting in the way or taking control. You had no idea how to be around them when they were sober.
“Hey, uh, I have an idea if you two would be up for it.”, Steve grins as he tries to elevate the mood again. “Since the two of us will be in Detroit, why don’t you come with us, honey? Maybe the three of can hang out and spend some time together again. You’re even welcome to stay at my place. I don’t have a spare room but, Y/N, you can take my bed and the two of us can sleep in the living room or something.”
“Oh, Steve, I don’t want to impose—”
“No. No imposition whatsoever!”
“I can do that.”, Eddie confirms.
“Ok. I’m ok with that.”
They both heavily exhale as if they had been holding their breath waiting for your answer.
#########
1976
After getting into a fight with his father, Steve ran to your house knowing you’d make everything better. As soon as he showed up, you called Eddie who biked over as quickly as he could and after he arrived, you both listened intensely as the boy vented.
“Everything’s going to be ok, Steve. You know you’re welcome to stay here.”, you try and soothe the boy as you wrap your arms around his shoulder.
“Why am I never enough for that asshole?!”
“Because he’s just that; an asshole.”, Eddie quips making the other boy softly smile in his direction.
“I should just do whatever I want to since I can never make him happy.”
“That’s a good idea. Oh! I’ll be right back.”, the boy grins at you both before running up your stairs.
“Steve, you ARE amazing. I’m sorry he can’t see that but no matter you have us.” Grabbing his face, you kiss his cheek causing him to blush.
Music starts to play and you both look up to see Eddie coming down the stairs with your bulky radio in his hand. Placing it on the bottom step, he stagers around in place as he begins to lip sync the lyrics.
“I'll state my case, of which I'm certain
I've lived a life that´s full
I've traveled each and every highway
And more, much more than this
I did it my way.”
The guitar starts to play and Eddie pretends to strum as he jumps to the ground, continuing to sing as he dances around you both.
“Regrets, I’ve had a few
But then again, too few to mention
I did, what I had to do
And saw it through without exemption.”
Grabbing Steve’s hand, you do the same, dancing to the music as you three sing along.
“I planned each chartered course
Each careful step along the highway
And more, much more than this
I did it my way.”
Eddie spins you and you laugh as you watch wide smiles paint their faces. You loved them both so much and knew after everything they go through they deserved happy, peaceful moments like this. To you, they deserved the world.
***
The flight up to Detroit was uneventful but Steve did fill the time by telling you about some of the kids at the clinic he worked at while Eddie crashed beside him. His eyes lit up as he spoke, telling you about the turnaround a lot of them had made and how talented they all were.
“Amanda is such a smart girl. She’s 15 and she can draw these beautiful pictures. I’m working on seeing if I can book a gallery or something for her to show her work. Right now, she draws for her mother works two jobs to help take care of them because the dad is a junkie.”
“What kind of things does she draw?”
“She can do portraits and people. She drew me once as this like superhero. I have the picture on my fridge.”
“That’s amazing.”, you beam up at him as he smiles to himself. “Steve, I really am proud of you…of both of you.”
“Thank you. That means a lot to me.”, he softly grins as his gaze shifts towards his lap. “I’m very proud of you as well. I’m glad you found something that makes you happy. When we were growing up you had mentioned writing before.”
“Yeah. I never knew what I wanted to write about but one day a guy I was dating overheard me talking about grunge metal and offered me a job.”
“Hm. Are you two still together?”
“Uh, no. We only dated for a couple of months. I’m not with anyone right now. No time.”, you chuckle trying to lighten the mood again. “What about you? Any future Mrs. Harringtons?”
“No. No future Mrs. Harringtons. I kind of spent time focusing on me and now the kids.”
“You have to be careful with that. You don’t want to fill one addiction with a new one and miss life entirely. I’m guilty of that those first three years after I left.”
***
You and Eddie enter Steve’s apartment slowly as you take a look around. It was a bit smaller than what you were used to when it came to him but he made it his own. There were posters of bands he enjoyed along the walls with some shelves lined with books he had read. In the corner of his living room was a desk with a few papers and pictures clients had drawn him over the years. A frame caught your eye and you bent down to get a good look as you took in his sobriety coins.
“Yeah, I, uh, bought one of these little frame things because it felt disrespectful to just throw them somewhere.”
“That’s amazing, dude.”, Eddie praised as he threw down his bag. “I, uh, I had an incident a few months back. I’m on the blue 6 month one but…”
“What happened, Ed?”
“Oh, um, nothing we need to get into, sweetheart. I did the proper protocol with my sponsor and she helped get me back on track.”
Steve patted his back comfortingly, knowing how hard it was and is to remain sober. Gesturing you down his hallway, he led you towards his bedroom and you grinned at the simplicity.
“The bathroom is right in there and please both of you feel free to take anything from the kitchen. Me casa es su casa.”, he chuckles as he nervously runs his hands through his hair. “Sorry, that was cheesy.”
“Steve, you guys don’t have to try so hard. Just be yourselves.”
“That’s the thing isn’t it?”, Eddie sighs from his spot against the wall. “The three of us don’t exactly know who we are together anymore.”
You gently smile in his direction as you reach for his hand.
“We’re best friends. Always have been.”
######################
1980
“Eddie, why does that sound familiar?”, you grin from your spot on his bed where you had been listening to him strum his new guitar his uncle bought him at the pawn shop in town.
After his run in with the lady in town today, Rick offered him something from his secret stash. He was amazed at how fast it began working, numbing the anger he was feeling and pushing him to a blissful state he didn’t want to experience alone.
Grinning, he continues to move his fingers as his gentle voice fills your ears.
“Baby, if I think about you
I think about love
Darlin', if I live without you
I live without love.”
“They’ve been playing it on the radio nonstop.”, he chuckles, rolling his eyes.
“You sound amazing. I can’t wait to see you on that stage one day.”
“Pfft. Me? Al Munson’s trailer trash kid rocking it out on stage making millions of dollars and being successful?”
Fueled with frustration, you grip his chin and force him to look at you.
“Don’t ever let me hear you say anything like that again, Edward Munson. You are NOT trash and you’re nothing like your dad. You can be anything you want to be.”
“Yeah…tell that to people in this backwards town.”
“Fuck what these people think! I think you’re fantastic and so does Steve. You hung out with Rick today. I’m sure he thinks you’re an awesome friend.” Your eyes scan him over when all he does is nod. “Eddie, did something happen in town today? Did someone say something to you?”
His own beautiful, chocolate color hues stare past you for a moment before he blinks back into the moment and flashes you a big, tooth filled grin.
“No, sweetheart. I guess I’m just feeling a little low today. I’m sorry.”
Running his fingers over the strings, he plays the song with much more vigor than before.
“I would give you both night and day
Love satisfyin'
Feel like makin'
Feel like makin' love.”
“Mhmm. What do you know about makin’ love, Munson?”, you giggle allowing him to lighten the mood.
“Oh, baby. I’m going to be a rockstar, remember? I know everything.”, he winks.
***
You smile as you sit in the booth watching Corroded Coffin play their music. Eddie was in a completely different zone as his fingers ran across the strings of his guitar. This was his dream; this is what he always wanted but always felt was out of reach.
When he was in his drugged out haze you would watch him lazily try to play but stumble as his fingers trembled against the instrument. It killed you because you could always picture him on stage with a crowd full of people screaming his name. He just never believed it himself.
“That was good, baby.”
“That was fucking garbage, Y/N. I barely played anything that would count as a note.”
“That was fantastic guys. Eddie, your band undersold your talent!”, the producer compliments making the metalhead blush. “Ok, let’s take lunch and we’ll come back in about an hour. There’s a cafeteria on the first floor if you guys are interested. It’s on me.”
“You sounded amazing.”, you grin as you meet him in the hallway. “I told you that you were going to be a rockstar one day.”
“Ha! I’m not quite there yet but thank you, sweetheart.”
After getting your food, you both sit and talk about the last couple of years. Eddie told you about some jobs he worked at in Indiana not wanting to be too far from the guys so they could practice and work on things together for the band. He mentioned Wayne and how well he was doing especially after being promoted to a higher position at his work.
“He deserves it. Wayne always worked way too hard for almost no money and appreciation.”
“Tell me about it.”, he chuckles. “And of course, the first day he starts his new position, he gets a crush on one of the female employees underneath him!”
That makes you laugh hard and he relishes the sound as his eyes watch you light up. That feeling of regret washes over him and he averts his gaze to his plate as he shuffles some food around.
“So, um, any rockstar boyfriends out there touring the world?”
“No, no boyfriend. I focused on myself more than anything and honestly haven’t had time for a full-blown relationship.”, you reply. “What about you? Any new girlfriends?”
“Naw, sweetheart. I’ve kind of been doing the same thing more or less.”, he answers sullenly. “Quite frankly, I haven’t met anyone who would be willing to sneak backstage of a Metallica show and pretend to be the building manager to get her boyfriend an autograph.”
This time when you laugh, he cackles with you and embraces the warm feeling that follows.
“I told him it was for my kid.”, you blush. “God, hopefully I never have to write for them. I’ve been lucky so far but that will be an awkward exchange if they remember me!”
“Are you kidding, princess? You definitely leave an impression! Who could forget about you?” Eddie froze as he heavily exhaled and shook his head.
“Y/N, I’m sorry…”
“No, Ed, it’s ok…”
“You would think I’d have this down by now but…”
You nod before you rise to your feet and get on his side of the table to sit beside him.
Wrapping your arms around his neck, you lean your head on his shoulder as he reaches up to caress your arm.
#################
1980
Steve tenderly grins your way as he watches your eyes light up at the movie Kungfu you two had been watching. Well, you had been watching. He had been stuck in his own head after that ridiculous conversation with his dad.
“Son, you’re about to start high school which means it’s time to really buckle down and focus. No more fucking around. If you want to run my company one day you can’t keep being lazy.”
While he had been talking there was a woman in his office waiting for him to give her attention. Her dress seemed way too tight and it inched up her thighs as she sat on top of his desk. Steve would never understand why his father cheated on his mother. To him, these women weren’t nearly half as pretty as her nor anywhere close to being as loyal as she was.
His dad said he needed to ‘buckle down and focus’ but what he heard was ‘it’s time for you to start being like me’.
Steve hadn’t planned on coming over but he felt weird after drinking the bottle he found. He thought booze were supposed to make you happy but he found himself feeling incredibly lonely. When he showed up unannounced, you opened your front door and eagerly ushered him with no hesitation.
You always made them feel like they mattered.
“Steve? Are you alright?”
“Huh? Yeah, I’m ok. Just thinking.”
“Did you want to watch something else? I put this on because I know the cheesy effects make you laugh.”, you giggle as his smile grows.
“Naw, honey. This is fine. My dad was being…himself you know?”
“I know. You know you can always talk to me. I love you and I’m always here for you.”
Opening his arms wide, you fall into his embrace and he prays you don’t smell the liquor that lingers.
***
“Oh, wow. Look at you and you have your own shelf.”, you tease as Steve leads you into his office.
After leaving Eddie so Corroded Coffin could continue recording, you headed to the center the other boy worked at so he could give you the “grand tour” as he called it. You grinned at the drawings and pictures he had posted everywhere around him. Multiple books and files were strewn out all over the place on his desk but a particular photo caught your eye.
“Oh, um, yeah. I still keep that there as a reminder.”
Picking up the image of you three at the amusement park, you smile as you fall into the memory. They both seemed extremely content that day as if all their worries had disappeared. You thought about that day often to especially when you passed one on the tour bus you were riding in at the time.
“The kids ask me about you two constantly.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah. Do you want to meet them?”
When you nod, his grin stretches across his face as he giddily grabs your hand and guides you to a much larger room where some kids were already sitting around waiting.
“Mr. Harrington brought a date to group!”
“Look at Hugh Hefner over here!”
“’Bout time you settle down, old man!”
“Alright, alright. All of you settle down.”, Steve jokes as you laugh. “This is my friend from Hawkins I tell you guys about. This is Y/N.”
“You’re the girl he doesn’t shut up about.”, a young lady smiles.
“That would be Amanda.”
“I know you. He told me all about you on the ride up here. Your work is amazing.”
“Thank you!”, she beams.
Taking a seat beside Steve, you watch as he conducts the group session, introducing each kid and responding where appropriate. You couldn’t help but marvel at his change as he took control and seemed way more confident than he ever did back home.
There was no one he needed to impress or a “legacy” he needed to live up to. He could just be himself.
“Please, Katie. Trust me, your mom doesn’t fucking care. That’s why she drinks.”
“Derek.”, Steve warned. “That’s not how we talk to each other in here.”
Your eyes scanned over the boy across from you. He couldn’t be older than 17 but he seemed to carry years of anger and burden on his shoulders. His arms were folded tight around his chest; a barrier to protect him from anyone trying to get in. Emphasized by the oversized hoodie that he kept up over his head.
You knew this boy; you had been him.
“What? Am I wrong? If she cared she’d stop fucking binge drinking every night and actually spend time with her daughter.”
“Who in your family drinks? Mom or dad?”
All eyes turn to you after you pose your question.
“My dad. Why? Does it matter?”
“Yes, it does. I know how hard it is…to have someone you love choose substances over you. It fucking hurts.”
“Look, I don’t need another adult to patronize to me, okay?”
“She’s not. If anyone understands what you guys are going through it’s Y/N. Especially you, Derek. Remember how I told you guys about my accident and DUI? Y/N was…was in the car with me.” Steve stumbles over his words before quickly trying to regain control again.
“Hm. Did you rat him out? Is that why he’s clean now? Are you going to tell me I should be open and honest or some shit?”, the boy spat.
“No, I didn’t. I actually told the police I didn’t remember who was driving. Took a couple of weeks though because I needed surgery after metal from the car sliced through me. He never even came to the hospital.”
“Wow, Mr. Harrington. You were an asshole.”, a girl sighed.
“I was wasted and terrified. I couldn’t face what I did to someone I loved.”
Derek’s eyes were suddenly glassy as he adjusted his body in his seat.
“He does love you, honey.”, you coo towards the boy as his bottom lip quivers. “If it were as easy as putting the bottle or drug down they would. Some people can but for others it’s so much harder. Whether they heal or not is ultimately up to them but no matter what happens, Derek, none of it is your fault.”
The young man sighs as he breaks down and the girl beside him wraps her arms around him as he cries. A palm touches yours and you turn your head to see Steve’s soft eyes taking you in.
You see the never-ending apology within them as flashes of the old boy you knew before the booze pushed through before receding as he flashes you a gentle grin and lifts his hand.
################
1983
“Guys, really? Do we have to eat all this before going on the rollercoaster?”, you giggle as you watch Eddie pour more cheese over the nachos in front of you three.
“Yes, sweetheart, we do.”, he answers in a serious tone as his tongue pokes out of the corner of his mouth.
“And the cherry on top.”
Steve produces a cupcake from his side and places it in front of you as the metalhead pushes a candle through the top of the frosting. You smile as Steve cups his hands around it while Eddie pulls out his lighter and ignites the wick.
“Now make a wish and blow out your candle.”
Your gaze shifts between their happy faces as they wait for you to complete the task.
“I wish everyday could be like today.”
As you blow it out, both boys clap and cheer making you blush as Steve kisses your cheek.
“Happy birthday, beautiful.”
Eddie leans over to take hold of your jaw and peck your lips before sitting back down.
“Happy Birthday, princess. Now, you eat this while sire and I devour this here.”
“Why do I have to and she doesn’t?”
“Because it’s her birthday, Steven! No stop whining and say Ah!”
As the boy scowls he unhooks his jaw and Eddie shoves a chip into his mouth making you laugh as you lean against him.
“Oh my god, you two are ridiculous! I love you so much.”
***
You laugh hard at the joke Eddie had made as Steve struggles to keep soda inside his mouth while he cackles with you.
“I really missed you guys.”, the metalhead announces, his gaze shifting between you both. “I mean I’ve made a lot of new friends you know but I talk about the things we used to do like me doing Karaoke to make Steven laugh or you and I, Y/N, going to the horror movie marathon just outside of town.”
“I remember that. That was so much fun.”, you smile.
“One of the things I enjoy about my job is interacting with those kids. Most of them are sarcastic as fuck like you, Ed, or extremely kind like, Y/N. Thank you for what you did with Derek today by the way. He struggles to talk about his relationships with anyone let alone about his dad.”
“May I ask what happened? You mentioned our accident…”
“Um, yeah. It was kind of the same thing. His dad hit a car with him in it while drunk, ran from the scene, and Derek took the blame. His dad begged him to before he bolted…kid was only 15.”
“Jesus.”, Eddie sighed. “Sounds like my dad.”
“He seems like a good boy. He’ll be okay.” You flash him a comforting grin and he can’t help but smile back. “I, um, I feel like we keep ignoring the elephant in the room. I want you to know I am genuinely so proud of you both. Steve I never imagined you’d be as confident as you seem now. You always told me you thought you were worthless and I know that’s because of your asshole dad. I watched for years as you lived in his shadow but were still so terrified of becoming him… Those kids don’t have to experience that because they have you now.”
“Eddie, you were always afraid of people abandoning you and numbed yourself constantly. When you were numb you were so angry and heartbroken. When I saw you playing your guitar again with your band… you finally seemed at peace.”
Your voice cracked as a tear escaped your eye and you awkwardly laughed as you wiped it away.
“That’s all I ever wanted for you two.”
“6 months ago… when I relapsed… I was in such a low place. My apartment I was staying in got robbed, I had just been let go from a job I was at, and this girl I was dating said she didn’t want to see me anymore. She said I was loser and it fucking hurt like hell. I felt so alone and it was almost like a dream. I barely even remember where I bought the drugs or how I got back home but as soon as it hit my nose I regretted it.”
“Y/N, I saw your face and everything I wished I could take back. The fights, the names, the pain… The way we talked to you.” He cringed as memories flashed through his mind.
“I get that. Of course, my biggest regret is the accident but the one I think about the most is the first time we were intimate when we…I…” You looked at Steve with sincere confusion not thinking anything of that night. Then again compared to all the others you had after it was just a blip in a chaotic timeline. “Y/N, honey, you lost your virginity on my couch after threatening to leave us because of the jugs of liquor you found in my trash.”
“We should have done it right. I picture us taking you to dinner and you’d be wearing that red dress we loved.”
“Yeah, that one floofed out above your knees kind of like a tutu.”, Eddie chuckled. “With your hair up in a ponytail so we could so your face. You always wore make up but you never needed to. You were…are… so beautiful.”
“How are you two dressed?”, you murmur their way.
“Let’s see. I’d probably have my jeans and black shirt but I would have made sure it was clean with little to no cigarette smell.”, the metalhead jests causing you two to let out a little laugh.
“I’d have worn jeans to but a nice polo shirt I think to go with it and that expensive cologne my dad kept buying me.”, he smirked. “We’d take you to Enzos because you deserve a nice meal but of course you would complain about the prices even though we insist it’s no problem.”
“Some soft music would be playing and we’d ask you to dance.”
Steve rises to his feet and messes with his stereo till a slow 70s song flows through his speakers. Extending his hand to you, you take it as he pulls you to your feet and places one of his palms on your lower back as he holds the other in the air.
“Is this ok?”, he whispers under his breath, exhaling heavily in relief when you nod. “I would tell you about how I fell in love with you the first time I met you. You said all the girls in your class had a crush on me but I didn��t get it. I think I said something along of the lines ‘I’m not that great.’ And you said—”
“I don’t know. You seem pretty great to me.”
He tenderly smiles at your response before grabbing your hand to spin you and pass you to Eddie who was waiting with open arms.
“I would have probably made a joke about the music saying that dancing to Dio is way better.” He smiles when you giggle. “I’d tell you that the first time I saw you I thought you were way too good for me. I remember you asked about my black eye my dad had given me and it surprised me. Every other adult already assumed or were afraid to ask, staring at me constantly. But you actually fucking cared.”
“Then what would happen?”
Eddie passed you back to Steve and this time you wrapped your arms around his waist, pressing your head against his chest. You didn’t see it but he and the metalhead exchanged a glance filled with slight worry as he held you and leaned his cheek on top of your head.
“Y/N, honey—”
“You don’t have to answer. I can let you go, we can get ready for bed, and go back to being friends. We’ll always be at least that because I agree with Eddie. I miss you two so much but unlike the first time I left…I don’t feel bad about it.”
Pulling away from him, you back up a bit to address them both.
“I’m happier than I’ve ever been and you were right in the letter you left me. I had some more healing to do to. I needed to find out who I was without you and now that I figured that out…I want to see if…maybe…we can start over. I mean we’ve all grown so much and I’d like to get to know the two men in front of me.”
Their eyes continually scan over you, trying to understand and get a true read to make sure you’re alright.
“But like I said, you don’t have to. We can go back to laughing or go to sleep. If it makes you feel better, you taking my virginity that morning…I don’t remember it being a bad experience. Yeah it hurt but it was going to for me anyway and not just because I was virgin.”, you tease, smirking their way.
You were surprised when Eddie was the first to move, taking agonizingly slow steps till he was directly in front of you with his nose hovering just above your own. After blinking a couple of times, he pulled you into his embrace and you closed your eyes as you inhaled his signature smell while clinging your arms around him.
“I love you.”, you whisper. As if your words were a match, they ignited the metalhead’s passion as his hands tilted your head back and he kissed your lips. As if muscle memory was taking over, you clung to his neck as you jumped up into his arms and his hands promptly took hold of your thighs as your legs wrapped around him.
As he starts to carry you, his feet give out underneath him as he trips over something and you both tumble to the floor. He manages to keep himself from crushing you as his palms shoot out to catch himself on the hard wood.
“Fuck! Shit, I’m so sorry. I forgot for a moment this wasn’t my place.”, he chuckles shakily. “Are you alright?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”, you laugh.
“I feel like a fucking teenager. I’m actually…I don’t know…nervous.”
“Would it…make you feel better if I admitted I’m nervous to? It’s been a while for me and if I’m being honest I think I’ve only been with you guys sober that one time but that was after that intense session. We’ve never been together…like this.”
Wind moves your hair and you both turn to see Steve laying out one of his blankets with a couple of pillows on the floor.
“I wish I had lost my virginity to you.”, he admitted. “I was wasted and I’m ashamed to say I don’t even remember the girl’s name. I think you’re the only girl…woman… I’ve been with sober.”
“I was half awake.”, Eddie sighed. “Karla something in the back of my van. I barely remember it either.”
“Were you rough with the other girls like you were me?”, you asked.
“Sometimes but you were the only one that seemed to enjoy it.”
“Did you?”, the metalhead asked. “We never even asked what you liked in bed. Just kind of did our own thing…”
“I did and I didn’t. I hated when we did it after a fight. Kind of like that night we went to Steve’s house after spending time at The Hideout. Eddie said I wanted to fuck Andrew and Steve, you got mad at me because I defended you in front of your dad. You said I butted in and made things worse. You both said you were going to use me one last time before I abandoned you.”
“And I choked you too hard…”
“Sometimes if you both were angry enough the line would blur.”
Steve’s head hung knowing he was the culprit of most of your verbal sparring matches with him. He cringed every time he thought about the awful things he had said to you while drunk.
Scooting closer to him, your hand reached out to grab his chin lifting his face so you could see his eyes.
“I love you to.” The man sighed as your thumb caressed his bottom lip. “Show me the men you are now.”
When his lips connected with yours, you wanted to cry because for the first time in a long time you felt safe. Your tongues mingled together as his hips grinded down against yours eliciting a soft moan as you turned your head to find Eddie. Steve’s mouth continued to travel to your neck as he clung to you, your fingers threading through his hair as the metalhead leaned down to kiss the other side.
Kisses and stolen touches were exchanged as clothes were removed, you not wanting them to be too far for very long as their lips refamiliarized them with your body. Lifting your legs open wide over both their hips, you mewled as their fingers ran delicately up your thighs.
“This is what we should have done.”, Steve whispered in your ear. “We should have taken our time with you; made you feel more comfortable.”
“Made you feel good and help prepare you.”, Eddie added as he tenderly kissed your cheek and the side of your face.
When his thick fingers slide into your core, your eyes rolled as your head dipped back. Both your palms ran along cocks and the sound of their groans in your ears had you clenching tightly around his digits. When Steve joined his friend and massaged fast circles into your clit, you knew you wouldn’t last long.
“Fuck, please. Just like that.”
They each grinded against you, desperate for relief as the sound of your slick filled the room as they picked up their pace.
“That’s it, honey. Cum for us.”
“We got you, pretty girl.”
Your body trembled as you came, your lips searching for theirs as their fingers guided you through.
“Fuck, that was sexy.”, Steve panted against your lips as he maneuvered himself on top of you. “Wait, fuck, do I need…I may have some condoms somewhere…”
“No. It’s ok. I’m still on the pill.”
Softly grinning down at you, he places a peck on your lips before trailing kisses along your cheek and to your ear.
“We should have asked that first time. We didn’t even bother. We were so afraid you really were going to leave…”, he whispered. Reaching between your bodies, he gripped the base of his cock and gradually guided it into your core. “Oh my God, Y/N.”
Steve groans as your pussy stretches to accommodate his size and the memory of that evening smacks into you like a ton of bricks.
“Steve, you’re so big. It won’t fit—”
“It will, honey, I promise…”
“Just go slow and keep talking to me.”
“No, no, baby. You’re ok. Eddie, fuck, can you—”
“Are you ok, sweetheart?”
“Hurts.”
“Hey, are you alright? I’m not hurting you, am I?”
Tears start to fall from your eyes but as the man lifts himself up to pull out and comfort you, you wrap your arms around him to hold him to you.
“I’m ok. Don’t stop, please, and don’t stop talking to me. You feel so good… I just…I love you.”
His heart flutters at your admission every time he hears you say it. They both thought they had lost you forever and rightfully so but to know they have a chance… they weren’t going to waste it this time.
Steve slowly began pumping his hips, relishing the feeling of you clinging to him again.
“I love you to, baby. This is how I should have taken you that first time, nice, slow, and—fuck—so deep. Your pussy so fucking tight as it pulls me in. I can feel you everywhere, Y/N, you’re so warm and wet. You take my cock so well…such a good girl.”
Your eyes rolled as you clenched at the name. With anyone else you had been with you never allowed them to play rough or tell you things like how good of a girl you were or anything like that. It reminded you of them and truth be told you only really believed it when they said it. You didn’t want to push them but you wanted them to know it was ok to be a bit more passionate when it came to you.
“I’m your good girl?”, you whimper making him moan.
“Fuck, yeah, honey. You’re our good girl.”
“Then fuck me like a good girl deserves, Steve.” As his head falls between your neck and shoulder, your fingers cling to his hair as he thrusts his cock into you a bit harder than before. “That’s it. Just like that.”
Your eyes swiveled to look for Eddie, finding him beside you both stroking his length as he waited. The sight drove you wild as the other man moved at a faster rhythm, pounding into that sensitive spot inside you that had your jaw going slack.
“Please…please, Steve. I’m gonna cum.”
Reaching for your hands, he pinned them above your head as he held them in his own, intertwining his fingers with yours as he sucked little marks on to your neck.
The coil in your belly snapped as you repeatedly moaned his name, his lips hastily meeting yours to swallow your moans as he chased his high.
“Can I swallow your cum, baby? Please?”
He doesn’t respond as his eyes stare into your own but as his hips sputter he quickly pulls out of you and crawls up your body to push his dick into your awaiting mouth. His fingers tangle in your hair as you bob your head and he mewls as he spills his release down your throat.
As he backs away from you, you sit up and kiss his lips, his palms cupping your face as he holds you close to him. After caressing his cheek and silently assuring him you were alright, you shimmed your way to the metalhead and wrapped your arms around his neck as he adjusted himself till you were sitting on top of him straddling his waist.
“It was my first time with the woman I loved and I didn’t even get to see your face.”, Eddie murmured as his hands traveled down your sides to rest on your thighs. “I barely even checked in to make sure you were ok.”
As he spoke, you continued to look down at him as you dragged your pussy lips along his cock.
“I should have had you on top of me just like this so I could see you and you could see me. See that beautiful face scrunch right here when you slide me in.” He smiles when you giggle as he pokes your forehead. “Fuck, Y/N, I missed a lot of things but nothing more than your laugh, sweetheart.”
Your heart skipped a beat as you tilted down to kiss his lips and his palms clung to the base of your neck as you guided your hips down onto his length.
“I love you, Eddie.”
“Mmm—I love you to, pretty girl.” Subtly bouncing on top of him, you both mewled as his tip hit that soft spot repeatedly. “There you go, princess. Still so fucking tight.”
Your eyes searched his face as he licked his lips and arched his neck, the veins along his throat making you moan.
“Spank me.”, you plead as your nose grazes his. “I promise it’s ok.”
His eyes fully open, meeting your own as you place his hands on your behind. Gauging your reaction, he kneads your meaty flesh as he guides your movements.
“Fuck, baby. You look so sexy riding my dick. Make yourself cum. I want to feel your pussy squeezing me.”
Bouncing as hard as you can, your head falls on his shoulder as his palm spanks your ass and he feels your warm breath heat his skin.
“A-Again, Eddie. Just like that.”
Ring laced fingers take hold of the back of your neck as his other arm circles around your waist to hold you still as he plants his feet and thrusts up into you meeting your motions with a hard one of his own.
“Like that, Y/N? That the spot? I know, sweetheart, I got you.”
That wasn’t the first time he had ever said those words to you but this was the first time you ever believed him.
“Say it again.”
His head turned slightly to kiss your temple as he softly murmured his last sentence till you tumbled over the ledge and he spanked you again as he helped you ride your high. Leaning back on your knees, he followed you and you hugged his head to your chest as you rolled your hips till you felt him warm your insides.
His lips roamed your skin as he guided your sweaty bodies on your sides. A second set of welcomed kisses glided along your shoulder blade as you felt yourself slowly drift off into bliss.
###############
1982
“Fuck, why am I nervous? We’ve known her since like 4th grade.”, Steve hyped himself up as they sat outside your door in his car.
“Yeah, but this is different. We’ve never looked at her that way before and vice versa.”, Eddie sighed.
“I mean…I always thought she was beautiful. I just…what would a perfect girl like that want with an asshole like me?”
“Steve, you’re not a…well you’re a little bit of an asshole.”, the metalhead teases making his friend laugh. “I get it though. She’s perfect to me to and deserves more than some trailer trash felon’s kid.”
As his hands begin to shake, he reaches into his leather jacket for his pack of cigarettes.
“Are you alright?”
“I’m ok. I just haven’t had a hit all day and I’m jumpy. I wanted to be sober for our first date with her.”
Steve smiled at his friend as he flashes him his jacket pocket.
“Same. No flask or any alcohol.” Eddie nodded as he patted the man’s shoulder. “You’re not trailer trash, Munson. I hope you know that. You’ve been my best friend to and I’ve never once seen you that way. I love ya, man.”
“Aw. I love you to, Harrington.”, he replies in a high pitch sing song voice before glancing out the window. “Thank you. I don’t know where I’d be without you guys.”
Grinning, they both hop out of the car and knock on your door, their jaws dropping when you greet them in a beautiful blue dress they had never seen on you before.
“Wow, you two look handsome.”
“We don’t look half as good as you. Oh my god.”, Steve compliments making you blush.
Eddie extends his arm like he had seen so many times in movies, his smile widening when you loop your own through it and lean over to kiss his cheek.
#############
You woke up to the sound of beeping as your eyes opened in search of the noise. Steve groaned as he rolled over, blindly searching before holding up his watch, and pushing the button to silence it.
“Do you have to go to work?”, you whisper, smiling when he shakes his head and turns back onto his side reminding you of the little boy who used to do sleep overs with you in elementary school.
As you try to face him as well, you realize a tattooed arm is laying across your chest and glance over to see Eddie on his tummy with his messy hair blocking his face. Tenderly, you reach over to move it to the side, rousing him from sleep as he scrunches his nose and blinks before pulling you closer to him till his nose was pressed against your cheek.
The first time you met him his hair was extremely short and he had bruises everywhere. When he came to your house, you could tell he felt out of place but you extended your hand and allowed him to hold it if he felt uncomfortable. Those first couple of times he stayed over, you would wake up with the back of his palm near yours.
Fingers tracing your skin bring you back to the present as your eyes meet Steve’s and he smiles as he runs them up your arm and down your stomach. Your breathing hitches when you feel the tips along the scar on your stomach.
“Does it still hurt?”
“Sometimes…when it rains or snows… or when I dream about it…” His amber eyes scan your face as you continue. “Those are the two experiences I think about a lot still. You two screaming at each other before leaving me and finding Eddie ODed…”
The man’s thumb caressed your skin as he kissed your skin.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart.”
“I meant what I said before that night two years ago. I forgive you both. This past week just hearing and seeing how far you two have come… I loved you both so much but I never felt safe. Last night and right now… I feel like it’s finally safe for me to let go and trust you again. If you want that…if you want me…”
Eddie’s lips abruptly crash to your own before kissing your nose and up to your forehead.
“I love you so much, Y/N. I will always want you, baby. I promise you ARE safe with me. I got you.”
Steve lightly grips your chin, turning you to face him as he kisses your lips as well.
“I love you, honey, and you are all I’ve ever wanted. You’re safe with me to and you both are more than welcome to stay here or we can look for a bigger place. Whatever we have to do, I’m in.”
You held them both to you as the tears began to flow, thankful that your lives would no longer be trapped in memories but new beginnings with the two people you loved the most and loved you.
################
#steddie#toxic! steddie#steddie angst#steddie smut#steddie fanfiction#eddie munson#steve harrington#eddie munson smut#eddie fanfic#fan fiction#joe keery#joseph quinn#stranger things#eddie stranger things#steve harrington smut#steve harrington stranger things#steve harrington angst#eddie munson angst#eddie munson stranger things#toxic!Steve harrington#toxic!Eddie munson#steddie x you#steddie x y/n#steddie x reader#steddie fan fiction#toxic love#toxic relationship#Spotify#eddie munson fluff#halsey
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"Go to prom with me?" He says softly, contently holding Steve, their bodies tangled together on his bed. His voice almost sounds shy, uncharacteristically anxious to even be asking.
Steve, head on Eddie’s chest, as he traced invisible lines on his torso, stiffened slightly. God, he would love to go to Eddie’s prom as his date. His own prom, he brought some girl he never spoke to again after that night. He would love to go with someone he loves, like half the straight couples. But he knew they couldn't. Boys like them didn't get to go to school dances together in small town, Indiana. "Eds... we can't." He says sadly, like he knew he would be disappointing Eddie. He tries to lighten the mood. "Besides, didn't peg you as someone that would want to go to prom."
"Honestly..." Eddie sighs, "You're right. A few months ago, you wouldn't catch me dead at prom, other than to sit outside and make a few quick sales. Never had anyone I really wanted to dance the night away and shit, with. But now," Steve can hear a smile in Eddie's voice. "I have someone that I want to do things like that with, princess. You know, do all the cheesy things, flowers and corsages, dancing together under those stupid crepe paper decorations hanging from the ceiling, kissing you softly as we slow dance to a song I hate. " There is a l giddiness in Eddie's voice as he talks, wanting to go with Steve so badly. And the fact that Steve knows they could never really go together, kills him. Sure they could go with Nancy and Robin, and everyone could use each other as beards, but they still couldn't be open like other people.
Eddie seemed to sense the tension in Steve’s shoulders and could practically read his mind. "Don't worry, Stevie. I'm happy just being with you, I know we couldn't really go together. Wouldn't be safe, I'm not that naive. Just thinking out loud..." He squeezes Steve tighter, seemingly leaving the conversation there.
But Steve couldn't stop thinking about how excited Eddie got talking about going to something like prom. And he knew he couldn’t give Eddie that. But he was determined to figure something out that was better.
--
It was the Saturday night of prom. Steve was supposed to pick Eddie up for a movie. Eddie was waiting in the livingroom with Wayne. About 6:30, there is a pound on the door before it just flies open. Eddie assumes it's just Steve letting himself in. He is confused instead by the sight of Nancy, hair and makeup done, wearing a poofy light pink dress. She is carrying a garment bag with her.
"Nance? What are you..." He starts, completely unsure of what to make of what is happening.
"Come on, Eddie. Steve and Robin will be here soon and you don't even have your tux on." She says, not doing anything to alleviate the confusion. Nancy simply makes her way down the hall to Eddie’s room. Wayne smiles from his chair, obviously in on whatever is going on. When Eddie looks to him for clarification, he just shrugs his shoulders and goes back to his newspaper.
"Eddie! Come on!" Nancy yells from his room, prompting Eddie to run down the hall to meet her.
When he gets in there, she is already pulling out a fancy looking suit.. but he doesn’t hate it. It had black pants and a black shirt, but the bow tie was red and so was the velvet jacket. She can feel him staring so Nancy just says, "Don't laugh, Steve picked it out for you when he went to rent his tux too."
Eddie can't help but smile. Steve saw this and thought of him. "I wouldn't. I'm kind if into it. But... I still am confused on what's happening." He puts his hand on the back of his neck.
"It's prom night, Eddie. Steve and Robin are getting ready and then they are picking us up." She sounds exasperated, like it should be obvious.
"Okay, Wheeler, I get that. But in case you forgot, I'm dating a dude. Also, you're dating a girl. We can't really walk into Hawkins's gym with them on our arms, can we?" He says sarcastically.
Nancy shakes her head, trying to hide her amused smile. "Don't worry about it, okay? Just get ready." She hands him the suit before leaving to give him privacy before he can press anymore.
Eddie reluctantly listens to her, slipping on the tux that seems to fit him perfectly. He looks in the mirror, feeling a little out of his element but still liking it. He does decide to add a chain to his pants and ditches the bow tie when he can't get it tied. He doesn't really own dress shoes, so he opts for black boots instead. Finally he ties his hair up in a lose bun with few stray pieces framing his face. He doesn't know what Steve has planned but he wants to look good.
He makes his way to the front room to find, to his "horror, " that Wayne had dug out the old camera, aiming it at him when he walks in. "Come on, man. What are you doing?"
"You think I'm not going to take pictures of my kid going to prom?" Wayne shoots back. And Eddie can't argue with that, can't help but smile when Wayne snaps a picture.
He sits by Nancy on the couch, but it isn't long until there is knocking at the door. Wayne opens it to let Steve and Robin in. Robin looks beautiful in a little one sholder blue dress with a poof on the shoulder, hair teased, and make up done. She instantly makes her way to Nancy, smiling as she does.
But Eddie can't focus on them, not when Steve Harrington is standing in front of him, pulling him up from the couch. He is wearing a very traditional black and white tux, with a red bow tie. As usual, his hair is perfect. He has a rose boutonniere pinned to his jacket and is holding another in his hand. He is staring at Eddie with the biggest smile.
"You look beautiful, Eds..." He says softly like they were the only two in the room. The girls were too wrapped up in their own conversation to even care. Eddie feels his cheeks turning red. It does not matter they have been dating for two months, he still gets butterflies whenever Steve stares at him like that.
"Thanks, princess. So do you. You look really hot, actually." He smirks, wrapping his arms around Steve's waist, careful not to crush the boutonniere in Steve’s hands as he does.
Steve is blushing as he starts to pin the almost matching rose to Eddie’s jacket, except with one small difference. On the stem is a tiny black bat lapel pin. "Do you like it?"
"Yea, I love it, baby." Eddie smiles before leaning in, pressing a soft kiss to Steve's lips. As he pulls away, he says, "But can you tell me what is going on? Nancy wouldn't tell me anything."
"Good, she wasn't supposed to. " Steve just smiles before pulling away, lacing his fingers with Eddie’s before pulling to the door, obviously not answering either. Before they can leave, Wayne stops them. He makes all of them take a million pictures, all posing in those silly prom couple poses... and Eddie is beaming through each and every one.
When they finally leave, everyone refuses to tell Eddie what is going on. Steve had made them promise not to ruin the surprise until they got to where they were going.
What Eddie does not expect was to pull up at Steve's house or to see so many cars there. Before Eddie can get out, Steve is out and goes to the other side of the door, opening it for him, Nancy doing the same for Robin. Nobody mentions that it's Steve's house, leaving Eddie even more confused as they walk to the door.
Everything clicks when they step inside. Eddie can feel his mouth drop open. All the furniture from the open living room/dining room had been pushed away into another room, except for the table, where there were some pizza, chips and punch. The room was dark, but in the corner sat one of those plastic disco light balls flashing colors throughout the room. Hanging from the ceiling were crepe paper decorations. The stereo was play generic pop songs that Eddie "hates." On the wall read a poster Hawkins's "Gay" Prom '86
But that wasn't the most shocking part. The room was filled with at least 35 people. Jonathan(brown suit and his camera) and Argle(in a powder blue tux) were there , talking, as Jonathan pushed Argyle's hair behind his ear, standing way closer than they would in public. Corroded Coffin was there. Gareth and Jeff were there with their girlfriends, obviously preferring to be with their friends, than regular prom anyway. Plus, technically Gareth wasn't a senior. Jared brought his boyfriend, who, to Steve's surprise, was a swimmer that used to be on the team with him.
More than that, the kids were there since they were high schoolers now too. Dustin is dateless, so he is manning the fruit punch/DJing. Max, El, and Lucas are all dancing together, while Mike and Will awkwardly try to not look like huge doofuses dancing together. Eddie thinks it's cute to see.
The biggest surprise, though, were a few random people from school and their dates. Being queer in a small town, you tend to know the others. There was, of course, Vickie and some girl she was dancing with from Eddie’s first period math class. There were also a few random juniors, sophomores, and freshmen, all here being unapologetically queer.
Eddie didn't realize he had been staring until Steve grabbed his hand and stepped in front of him. "What so you think?" He says shyly.
"I...I...love it." Eddie stutters, still dumb founded. "How did you do this?"
"Just had the kids and Nancy and Robin reach out to anyone at school they knew were... you know. I figured there had to be other people who wanted to go to prom but couldn't, not really. Not with the people they want to." Steve smiles and Eddie swears he has fallen even more in love with Steve. Nancy and Robin have made their way to the "dance floor."
"You're amazing, sweetheart. Thank you. " Eddie's eyes are glowing as he leans in to give Steve a little kiss. No one around them bats an eye.
They spend the night dancing together and just enjoying themselves with the others. Steve "requests" I'd Die for You by Bon Jovi and sings it at Eddie as they dance. They all slow dance to "True Colors" by Cyndi Lauper (Robin's song to Nancy). Robin and Nancy "win" prom queens. It's honestly one of the best nights of Eddie’s life, and he is so grateful for Steve.
And the next year, they keep it going, opening up a secret queer prom for kids at the high school. It's a tradition. And now, in 2022, 36 years later, it doesn’t have to be a secret anymore. Hawkins's still has a queer prom, and the Hawkins's High guidance consoler and his rock star husband still chaperone it(grant it, in a much bigger venue than Steve's living room).
#stranger things fanfiction#steddie ficlet#steve harrington#eddie munson#nancy wheeler#ronance#jargyle#prom#fan fiction#steddie fan fiction#steddie#other ships if you squint#robin buckley
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steddie thanksgiving — 🦃
ok but steve would definitely be wearing an apron that says, “my boyfriends a rockstar” and fussing over every dish, huffing while he stirs the mashed potatoes, again, “did you invite wayne, eddie?”
“yes, stevie… he’s stopping for the wine, jus relax, baby”
he wipes the back of his hand across his brow, “i just want it to be perfect. can you please change out of your garfield slippers and put on what i laid out for you on the bed?”
eddie’s hugs steve from behind, pulling him into his chest and whispering into his ear, “you’re perfect, i love you.”
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Are You Experienced?
Rating: Mature
Words: 26K
Pairing: Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson
Warnings & Tags:
AO3 Link
Team 117 for @steddiebang 2023
Author: @madaboutmunson
Artist: @danadaria
Beta: @house-of-chant
Cheerleader : @atmilliways (unofficial but I am super grateful for your help so didn't want to miss you out!)
Summary:
Everyone knows Steve Harrington, a local rich kid jock, the previous king of Hawkins High School. He's got it all, money, a respectable family, and chicks love him. He's even spending the summer learning what it's like to be a real working man before taking on a role in his Dad's firm because its builds character and empathy. Or is he something else entirely?
Is Steve a down-on-his-luck guy, stuck in a job he dislikes because his dad is teaching him a lesson, repeatedly striking out with the ladies, that his co-worker is fond of reminding him about?
Under all the many layers and masks, he uses to survive the day-to-day, Steve has secrets. The main one is how passionately he loves music. How it moves him in ways nothing else does, and he's sure no one else could possibly feel the same, until his Mom gives him $50 to spend at the new record store.
Notes:
I sincerely hope you enjoy this story and the artwork for this fic. I really loved writing it, and I really loved the Steddie community I became part of because of this event. It has changed me forever. You're all so awesome.
Huge thanks to my artist who not only claimed my fic but also really understood our Steve's perspective in this. I can't believe how lucky I am to have @danadaria as part of my team!
Also huge thanks to @house-of-chant for beta-ing my fic you rule! Thank you so much
And also big shout out to @atmilliways who when I was getting nervous about my fic (it had been so long since I edited it (I completed my before claims lol)) gave it another read for me and restored my confidence in it! Thank you
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It's the beat that got him first, or so his mom is fond of reminding him as she teased him a little over the foam on her cappuccino. A fond nostalgic expression washes over her usual business-like aura that mostly filled these private but public meet-ups.
Away from his Dad, essentially. Away from his judgemental outlook, away from his snide comments and homophobic jabs. Here, his mother was more his mom; they'd been doing this since Steve had been forced to find a job, and honestly, it's been the best thing to come out of this shitty situation so far.
When he was a kid, they used to spend her days off together without him until he fucked that up for Steve too. The cheating. His wandering eyes, hands and dick meant his mom would leave and take him for everything he had, including Steve, but somehow he slimed his way back, citing addictions. He could change if his wife stood by him through his "sickness". The irony of reminding his mom of her wedding vows to make her stay after she'd found out about only the first of a long list of women he'd been banging was not lost on Steve. So now she had to follow his Dad everywhere, like his goddamn nanny. It was beneath her, she didn't have to do this, but she did. She'd be damned if she looked like she didn't try.
Steve often wonders if that is because even though he hurt her irreparably, repeatedly, that some small tiny part of her still loved that pathetic excuse for a husband. They both would be happier if they'd just left him, though they never say it out loud, only in silent shared glances over dinner or when he pisses one of them off, and they just have to take it. Because now he's built himself a better legal team, and she knows they're stuck. But Saturday was golf day, and that was no place for a wife, apparently. Steve loathed him.
His Mom always offers to buy him lunch. Steve always declines. Says he's already eaten. He hasn't. He just wants to prove he can do this. He can work. He can survive. Then maybe his Dad would lighten up, stop busting his balls about college, give him a shitty job at his place, and then Steve would be set for life. Come to heel, fitting the mold, nine to five grind and staying on the right side of his trust fund and future inheritance.
Despite his eagerness for an easy life, Steve is the kind of guy that loves a challenge. He loves to prove people wrong about him, but carefully, quietly, because if he fails as he has numerous times, at least the only person who knows he was trying so hard is himself. But he'd be lying out of his ass, if he didn't admit at least to himself that it would be much nicer to live the privileged, pampered life rather than getting his confidence shattered multiple times a day, dressed as a fucking sailor pin-up.
"You were so funny, Stevie. Crawling the wrong way. Not being able to work out how to turn yourself around. Constantly bumping into things. Until, of course, you found your muse," She chuckles, and it warms Steve's heart because this is also something that only happens at these meetings. She genuinely laughs, and her smile reaches her eyes, making them twinkle like a starry, starry night. Not like the laugh at home, not the carefully curated laugh, the one that's calculated to not be too loud or too long, lest it irritates his Dad somehow. Steve had one, too for him. "Such a little dancer," his mom adds, nostalgia swimming in her eyes of happier times.
That was true. His Mom, Dad and Nanny all said the same about him. His Mom and Nanny with joy, his Dad with disgust. It was also true that Steve had lost his footing literally and figuratively many times over his life so far, and some of those times, the only person able to pick him up and dust him off was himself. But he had a secret weapon. He had music.
Lots of people like music. Some love it.Steve believed there was part of him that was almost a direct connection to it. Like he had music in him. Like the right song at the right time could plug into him and change him forever. Like part of him was controlled by it. He wasn't just moved by it physically, but emotionally too. He could put on his headphones alone at night, press play, and be transported elsewhere. Places, feelings, past, present, future and in the skin of someone else. Until he is swept up in it like an inescapable hurricane. Until Steve Harrington didn't exist for those few minutes.
"Glad to know I amused you at one point," he jokes and gives her a charming smile. It's almost natural, but she takes it. Looks around quickly before stretching across the table and squeezing his hand, and he feels the familiar paper push inside as she takes her hand away back to her coffee cup.
"Have you been to the record store here yet?" She takes a sip of her drink and glances up at it, "Looks a lot more modern than the one in town."
Steve pulls his hands into his lap and unfurls his fingers to reveal a fifty-dollar bill. He rolls his eyes, "Come on, Mom. I don't need this," he whispers, "I'm fine. I'm still at home. I'm making my own money. It feels kinda good, you know?"
Her happy expression falls, "You look tired, my little star." Her eyes meet his over the rim of her coffee cup. He knows how tired he looks, he sees it in the mirror every morning, and it's not from work. He is struggling post-high school. Things aren't as easy anymore. "Why don't you try the new place out? It's not far from work, right?" He glances over at Sam Goody's from where they are seated and is tempted, but there are reasons he's been avoiding it. "You know you are never happier than when you get to add to your collection. Tell him you got a big tip or something if he bothers to ask you. Once I'm home, I'll put my rollers in before he gets back, and he'll think I had my hair done. So don't worry." Steve half smiles and guiltily casts his eyes to the table between them. This will be their last lunch for a while.
"Thanks. If everything goes ok, I'll check it out after my shift." And he will. Steve tries to stick to his word as best he can, at least endeavours to be better than his Dad at it anyway, which, honestly, takes little effort. He pushes the money into his jacket pocket as she gets up, and they part ways with a small fond wave. A hug would be too much out in the open, as if being dressed as a sailor wasn't eye-catching enough.
Steve returns to Scoops Ahoy Ice Cream Parlor and tags in so the girl he always seems to be on shift with can take her break. Her name's Robin. She's a little younger than him: Nancy's age. She's bossy, annoying, a complete nerd; she talks too much, she's in band, she takes drama; and she thinks she's some kind of revolutionary because she found a feminist zine one time. He gets the same feeling around her as when he's with the little group of dickheads that he always ends up babysitting. Dustin, Mike, Lucas, Will, Max, El. He'd never let on, but it's kinda nice. They can rib one another all day, laugh, and mutually complain about work. It's like a weird comradery.
But what Steve really likes about her isn't the things she gives away with her words. It's what he spots in her Walkman or what she hums when she's working in the back. Sure, Robin will tell you her favourites, Madonna, Bowie, Culture Club, and Cindy Lauper, but that, as with most people, is just the tip of the iceberg. She also likes Patti Smith, The Runaways and Marvin Gaye. Steve managed to sneak a peek at the names through the window of her Walkman. Sometimes, annoyingly, it will be an unlabelled mixtape, preventing Steve from unravelling the mystery of Robin further.
Steve's Robin assessment:
Non-traditional values
Likes people who go against the grain
Hopeless Romantic
"You're back early. You've got another fifteen minutes?" She frowns at him and wrinkles her nose, making her freckles misshapen.
"Oh yeah," Steve plays dumb, follows up with a shrug, and heads into the back to hang up his jacket, wash his hands and pick up his scooper. When he re-emerges, she's still leaning on the counter, frowning at him like he was the weirdest thing she'd ever seen. He gives her a charming smile back, "You can go early if you want?" Her frown turns into disgust as she pushes past him into the back.
"What is with you?!" She mutters as she passes.
"Ah, what is with me, Robin, is that I love the thrill of consumerism! Gonna beat my personal best today. You'll see!" He calls after her with a smile.
"I know you only need one phone number to do that, Steve, but I still think that's one too many out of your reach." She says in a sing-song tone with a laugh, and Steve rolls his eyes in annoyance.
"I'm talking about ice cream sales, birdbrain." He sasses back.
"Ohh, sticking to what we're good at, finally. I'm proud of you, Steve." She says, teasing him, as she walks back out, headphones on, giving him a salute goodbye.
There is a small influx of customers over the next hour, but nothing Steve can't handle, and by the time Robin returns, there isn't much to do except start shutting down.
"Well?" Robin inquires with a smirk.
"Almost," Steve replies with a smile, "but also…" he pulls a slip of paper from his hat with a number on. Robin grabs at it, and Steve pulls it out of her reach. "Ah-ah! Change the tally. I have a number." Steve points at the little whiteboard.
"Ok, fine!" She says with an adorable huff, picking up the marker pen, but as soon as Steve has relaxed, she snatches the slip of paper and reads over it, clasping her hand over her mouth, with a laugh, "Oh, Steve. Were they wearing a uniform or - or maybe carrying a net?"
"A what? No!" He says, frowning in annoyance, "This cute blonde chick with a perm. Linzie! That's it!" Steve says, clicking his fingers and pointing at the whiteboard impatiently.
Robin walks over to the board and puts a mark under the You Suck column.
"Hey!" Steve protests.
"This is the number for animal control," Robin says smugly, holding the paper between her fingers and handing it back to Steve, who snatches it and races for the phone, punching in the number whilst keeping a locked defiant stare with Robin.
The phone rings a few times. It feels like forever.
"Hawkins Animal Control. No bug too small, no bear too big." Steve rolls his eyes and slams down the handset, tossing the paper in the trash and leans glumly on the counter. He really does feel like he sucks right now.
"Come on, champ. Your frosty mistress still loves you! In scoopfuls," she says, laughing as she pats him on the shoulder and thrusts an ice cream tub at him. As he looks up from his self-pity, quicksand. Her eyes are bright, sparkling with harmless mischief. Even though her teasing could be a little cutting, there was no malice. He can tell by the way she warmly smiles at him. A wordless check-in to see if she'd gone too far.
"For now. Until some grizzly pirate steals her away, no doubt." Steve rolls his eyes as he starts piling up more tubs to take out back to wash.
"Or you." She says with a laugh. Steve shakes his head and contorts his face like she just told him the moon was made of sponge cake and returns out front to collect a few more.
"No chance, not with these reflexes!" He says, spinning his scooper in his hand. She rolls her eyes, but her smile widens as she launches a sauce bottle at him that he effortlessly catches before impact, pumps his eyebrows at her and repeats, "Not with these reflexes." The forced sneer of disgust appears on her face again, making him hide a laugh behind a tower of tubs he's picked up.
He really liked Robin. She was easy to be around.
Closing time comes around, and they nod their goodbyes, at the storefront, after locking up. Like clockwork, her headphones are back on as she walks towards the bike racks. He already knows she's listening to Raspberry Beret.
Steve shoves his hands into his jacket pockets and feels the crinkle of the fifty from his mom against his fingertips, and his eyes move to the record store. They were probably gonna be open for an hour or so longer. He turns to the store's glass front, has a final check over his appearance and ensures his uniform is buried deep in the depths of his backpack before taking a deep breath and walking over there.
It's not like he hated this place or anything. It just felt like a betrayal to the town store that was slowly but surely crumbling into non-existence. The other factor was that all the people who worked here were school kids, apart from the manager. Cheap labour, he guesses, but it means he can never fully relax here. Can never fully let the music ring through his ears so it can guide him to his next pocket-sized plastic box of hidden treasure. Most of them were younger than him, though, so intimidating them was easy enough, though with the weather warming up, they were slowly catching on to how far King Steve had fallen, working just across the way. He tells them it's character-building, an experiment. He only told Robin that it was, in fact, a punishment.
He stands outside for a moment. This place is so bright and garish. Neon lights ran all over it like some fake plastic poison spreading between what he loved most. He can already hear something blaring out of there and voices chattering loudly, contending with it. He puts on his headphones, carefully placing the band so it doesn't crease up his hair, and pushes play on his Walkman. His ears fill with Nina Simone, and he takes a much easier deep breath as he walks inside.
I wish I knew how it would feel to be free.
As the voice smoothly fills his ears like it had just broken through the dam of the day and swirls its way around his brain into what feels like every crease, he finally feels that special feeling. The tingle from under his cheekbone to his temples, and he can finally settle into himself a little more. Swaps tension for ease as his fingers dance over the music sections, flipping cassette cases or the large vinyl album artwork as he moves around the store.
That is until he starts to hear the repetition of something unfortunate, and it pulls him out of his oasis of calm back into his old, reliable, tensed body and mask. His name.
"Harrington!" The voice rings out, and as if to make a show of how annoying this all is, he slowly takes off his headphones and forcibly pushes stop on his walkman.
"Yes?" He says through almost gritted teeth as he turns to the origin of the sound and finds himself met with a set of hopeful brown eyes, a mass of waves and curls, and an awkward smile. Eddie "The Freak" Munson.
Steve's Eddie assessment:
Loud
Grating
Obnoxious
Non-conformist to the mainstream
Conformist to the Heavy Metal scene
"Good to see ya, man. How're things?" Eddie forces his smile wider, but it is strained.
Steve rolls his eyes with a sigh, "Let's get this over with, Munson. How can I help you?" His hands land on his hips, pushing back his jacket a little to emphasise the inconvenience, but Eddie seems unperturbed, curiously; his smile grows toothy and genuine.
"Well, that's quite an offer, but I was actually thinking about the other way around." Steve's eyes follow Eddie's ringed hand that comes into view and taps the name tag on his chest, "How can I help you, Harrington?" He drops his head to the side a little.
Steve forces out an unimpressed laugh of condescension, "I don't need any help. I'm good!" Eddie's customer service persona falters a little to worry.
"Come on, man. All these other twerps here are terrified of me or the younger ones, who aren't, get led away by their folks." As he gestures around the store, sets of eyes that Steve didn't realise were on them dart away. Eddie's eyebrows push together, "You know I wouldn't ask if I wasn’t desperate, dude. We're in the same boat here, you know? Please?"
Weirdly the endearing look on his face wins him over, but Steve will not advertise himself as an easy sell. He pushes back once more for good measure. "We are not in the same boat, not by a long shot!"
Eddie steps in closer, keeping his voice down, and mumbles out, "I know you're working over at Scoops, one of my band told me."
"Yeah, well, that's just an experiment. If I'm gonna manage people and run a company, I need to know what the average worker feels like. So like I said, it's very different," he scoffs with a laugh.
Then something unexpected happens. Eddie shifts his body and his stance. Straightens his wiry frame to his full height, no longer slouching for the promise of Steve's pity, but eye to eye for a second before he's slightly above him, maybe an inch or so. He squints a little, carefully searches each of Steve's eyes, looks him over, and puffs out his chest. All too familiar with this display of sizing up an opponent, Steve mirrors him. Show no sign of weakness.
"You know, Harrington. One of my first little tasks here was to take out the trash. I crushed up boxes and collected empty soda cans that my colleagues and customers enjoy leaving around the place, though the signs explicitly say not to. I even shredded the unsuccessful applications for the position I just filled." Eddie's lips are tighter. It's almost a threat. He's obviously seen Steve's resume in the pile. Probably laughed at it too. An ember of anger glows within Steve, but his outside remains cool. He'll wait and see what Eddie wants to do with his leverage. His stare bores intimidatingly down into Steve's eyes, "So, as far as I'm concerned, and anyone that brings it up to me is concerned, we can stay in very different boats, Steeeeve." He lengthens and forces his name through clenched teeth. "That is, as long as you help me out here."
They hold the shared stare for a few seconds. The surprise revelation must have made it to Steve's face because Eddie looks like he knows he's won. He shifts back into sales assistant mode, like shrugging a jacket back on, and his hands animate his words once more. "So, I can help you out in the store. I could even make sure that all my friends with the munchies know where to get the best ice cream in town if you need some help over there too? Some of them are a lot cuter than you'd expect. Whaddya say, buddy? Consider it a symbiotic relationship." His grin, reptilian.
Steve breathes like he knows he's going to regret this. Eddie Munson invading his precious music. "What do you feel you can help me with today?" His exasperation is palpable. Eddie claps his hands together with glee, and his accessories clink about as he, alternating leg, hops on the spot before his sly grin turns radiant, friendly almost. The rapid change is almost a little jarring but intriguing because with a switch that quick, one of these attitudes was pure showmanship, and to his credit, both were believable performances.
"Well, let's start with the basics. Are you looking for anything in particular today?" Eddie asks pleasantly. "Because whatever you're looking for, Goody got it" he laughs out the rehearsed store slogan. It seems like he is actually trying here, and Steve decides this doesn't need to be a totally painful experience. For himself, at least. He taps his chin thoughtfully.
"Hmmm, I guess I'm just looking for something new." Steve ponders, looking around, and he sees a glimmer in Eddie's eyes as they dart from Steve to a section further back in the store.
"Oh, well, if you want the freshest sounds around, you've come to not only the right store but also the right man. Metal is taking off in a big way right now, splintering off into little tasty genre morsels even someone as…well… straight-laced as yourself might enjoy." He looks him over, his eyes zig-zagging for clues. "Maybe nothing too heavy. A smorgasbord of speeds and sentiment for you to sample. Maybe er…Mötley Crüe? You heard of 'em?" Eddie has linked his arm and is currently parading Steve towards the back of the store. "Now try to overlook the title of the album. It's much less scary than it sounds. I think you're probably a Queen fan, right? Maybe some Bowie, Cheap Trick, or other seventies glam stuff? Well, you'll hear in many Crue melodies and riff structures that they are as much influenced by that as they were by punk rock. So I think you might like it. Besides, they are known for their hair, just like you." Eddie lays his charm on thick, well, what he thinks is charming anyway. Strictly speaking, it is a little hit and miss in Steve's book; although he lets Eddie finish his spiel, which is honestly more impressive than he would like to admit, Steve already had the album Shout At The Devil stashed away at home, and he did like some of it, but it didn't move him. But something about Eddie reeling off some of his favourites like that feels strange. Maybe that's why Eddie got the job here. Perhaps he’s a quick study when it comes to musical taste.
He attempts to assess Eddie for himself. Everything about his outside screams of high-speed punk and metal. But things like Dio, Iron Maiden and Sabbath definitely lean towards fantasy, history and myth. Imaginative, maybe, but that felt too soft. So he labels him creative, at least. The way he could talk at length about topics, and he's good with words. Maybe that's why he likes songs where the lyrics are a real story, tales of dragons and kings. There are the obvious things too. The way he dresses, his haircut, and his rings, but also something else. Being around him feels like when a guitar gets plugged into an amplifier. Eddie is big energy, wild maybe, something animalistic in how he doesn't hold back his expressions. Definitely something predatory in how he loomed over him, but that could have just been for show.
For Steve, there are levels to this. There is music you can’t bear to hear, the music you are indifferent to, the music you enjoy, music that evokes emotion, and then the stuff that sends lightning through your nervous system. It moves you, even if you don't want to be. If he was going to help Eddie out, the least he could get for himself was a tidbit of insider information about the guy at the same time.
So Steve stops them dead in their tracks before they reach the Metal section of the store and lies, "You know, I don't think my girlfriends are gonna enjoy that too much, Eddie. Maybe, yeah, maybe something a little softer. You know what girls like, right?" He sees Eddie jolt to a stop, his head shrinking back into his shoulders with a wince, and he releases his arm.
He turns to Steve, tossing his hair over his shoulder in a vain act of cockiness, that this time Steve sees right through. He waits to see what transpires. "Of course I do! I just thought you were shopping for you. You didn't say otherwise, duh!" Eddie states defensively, struts back into the middle of the store, and stops directly in front of the top 100 chart singles, blinking a few times, pretending to be in thought, but Steve sees the swallow of nerves. "So, uh, what's she into? So I can, you know, make a related recommendation."
Oh! This was an unexpected turn of events, and Steve can't resist tugging at the strand of Eddie's unravelling. "Oh, you know, typical girl stuff." Eddie nods at the hundreds of cassettes in front of him, his mouth a tight line, avoiding Steve's eyes. He had made an assumption about Eddie long ago, and as it turned out, he might actually be wrong. He’s a nerd, yes. Loud, sure, but he’s also a lead guitarist. They get girls, women even, throwing themselves at them, right? But Eddie seems very nervous about figuring out what girls like. He looks stumped. Steve doesn't know if that is due to inexperience with girls or chart music.
"Huh," Eddie coughs out, hand on his hip as he rounds on Steve, "Never thought you were a misogynist, Harrington."
"What?" Steve blinks in surprise.
"You think girls like a certain type of music. That's pretty sexist." The confident smile returns to his face as he feels he's found a way out of the awkward place Steve had happily placed him in. "Your genitalia or identity can't make you favour one beat over another, Harrington. Music is an even playing field. The industry itself, that's a different story." He sighs like he's some wise old sage and tuts at Steve.
This guy is slippery, but Steve could play this game, "Oh, of course. What I meant was music for romancing? Maybe a slow dance over a candle-lit dinner or a moonlight drive down to get acquainted near Lover’s Lake or Skull Rock. You know all about that, don't you, Eddie? You're a man of the world, right?" Steve leans into Eddie's space and grins happily at him. That's when Steve gets another win. Eddie blushes, not just a little either, a lot. Soft coral-pink patches hit just on and under his cheekbones. So much so that before Steve can comment on it, Eddie is kneeling on the floor, pretending to search through tapes, his hair draped down, hiding his face. If he was a betting man, he'd guess the inexperience was with girls. Now there was a new question. Was that a choice or not?
He stands up eventually and looks Steve directly in the eyes, and smirks, "Alright, then." He says quietly, "Wait here" Steve frowns a little in confusion but observes Eddie darting around the store until he returns with three cassettes. "Contemporary," he hands over a copy of Sade's Diamond Life, "smooth," he places a second cassette on top of Al Green's Let's Stay Together, and the last cassette on the pile, The Jimi Hendrix Experience's Are You Experienced? He shifts his weight to his other leg, looks down at the tapes and then back into Steve's eyes, speaking hushed and deliberately as if he were telling him a secret, "and some of the sexiest fucking guitar the sixties had to offer."
And in that one sentence, Steve is jolted, like someone just caught him off guard with a hand buzzer. The first two descriptions were statements, observations, but that last one…there was power to it. Not just his words but the delivery. Eddie meant that. An enthusiasm he immediately recognised matching his own when he thought about music or talked about it after a few beers, and he had to remember not to let his mask slip too far, but Eddie wasn't masking how this particular musical gem had impacted him. Steve quickly breaks eye contact and looks down at the tapes in his hand.
"You listened to all these?" Steve asks because Eddie had inadvertently prodded Steve's curiosity gremlin, which is clawing its way out of him. He needed to learn more now. Unknowingly Eddie had baited the water for Steve, he wanted to circle him until he got another tasty chunk, but he couldn't, not here and now.
Eddie brushes the question off, "I know my way around. Just trust me. And in the unlikely event I'm wrong, you can return them at my expense." Eddie waves his hand in front of them both toward the register. "Shall we?"
Steve nods, turning the tapes over in his hands. Maybe he could keep the conversation going differently. "What happened to your other business venture?" It's reasonably well known Eddie is the go-to guy for recreational substances for high schoolers, and Steve would guess that is relatively lucrative, so why on earth was he working here. Was he turning over a new leaf?
"Well, not that it's any of your business, Harrington, but I'm under advisement to press pause on that whilst some things get ironed out." He taps the registry keys with a smirk that indicates to Steve that perhaps it's the golf club and not the clothing crease-removing iron he's talking about. "If I'm not splashing around, other things can bob up to the surface, you know? Things that shouldn't be in Hawkins waters, at any rate." Eddie looks up at Steve and stretches his hand out toward him so he can give him the tapes.
He has occasionally wondered if the cops knew about Eddie, but as long as he kept things quiet and didn't venture into harder substance sales, they let it slide. An unspoken agreement of sorts.
"Found out about this place, and well, here we are," Eddie takes the money, bags the cassettes, and drops in the receipt and a flier. He smiles hugely at Steve. "I sincerely hope you have a great evening, and remember," he hands over his change and raises a finger in the air, "whatever you're looking for," and leans across the counter into Steve's space, "Goody got it!" He says with a bit of extra pout, and something about this outward confidence mixes with his potential inexperience and makes for a tantalizingly tempting cocktail of Steve's thoughts.
Steve pushes him back lightly, but Eddie laughs as he presses against Steve's hand before retreating. Shit. That probably looked weird. Nodding his thanks and goodbye, he leaves, and as he does, Eddie hops up onto the counter, calling after him loudly by cupping his hands around his mouth, "And if I'm right, which I know I am! Don't forget to tell your friends about the fantastic customer service you've received today!" Steve keeps his head down and walks out, awkwardly smiling at anyone who meets his eye.
Safely on the outside of the store in a dwindling-to-empty mall, Steve stops holding his breath. His insides, especially his brain, feel like they aren't sitting correctly. Like they are just out of place. He unclenches his fists to cool down his palms, which were busily overheating, particularly the one he'd pushed Eddie back with. He tries to shake whatever this is off himself and decides to try out one of the tapes. He looks at the three. He contemplates trying them in the order Eddie supplied them, but he knows in his core what he really wants. He wants to know why that last one made Eddie's eyes sparkle like that, why he chose those words, and why recalling the music on that tape for a few seconds completely changed Eddie's demeanor. He outright used the word sexy, but it wasn't that. Instead, Eddie made Jimi Hendrix, one of the most famous artists to ever have existed, sound like something secret or forbidden.
He rounds to the glass storefront and forces himself to calmly unwrap and change the tape in his Walkman when all he really wants to do is greedily rip open the packaging, tossing the old tape into the never, and be plunged straight into whatever sorcery this album contained. He puts his headphones back on and pushes play. A few seconds of silence as he paces towards the parking lot. He doesn't know why, but he glances back into the shop. The doorway frames a kid, probably around Dustin's age, engaging Eddie in conversation, holding up two tapes like he's trying to decide, and Eddie is talking animatedly, pointing at each in turn. The kid listens attentively. Steve smiles to himself.
Steve's Eddie assessment:
Loud
Grating
Obnoxious
Non-conformist to the mainstream
Conformist to the Heavy Metal scene
Likes talking about music
Might not be the awful person the town says he is.
Then, like he can sense someone observing him, Eddie looks up and smiles at Steve. Pointing to himself excitedly and then at the kid making her way to the registers and sends him a thumbs up. Steve sends a weak one back and continues his walk to the car. The guitar and beat of Purple Haze time his steps.
Steve adds to his Eddie assessment.
Nice smile.
****************************
"Wow! Your eyes look more sunken than my shipwrecked spirit when I walked through this door," Robin exclaims, her lip curled in disgust, but he notes, with a hint of concern, when she turns up to start her shift. Steve leaning back against the counter under the hatch, starts to reply but is interrupted by a waiting yawn beating his words to the punch, "Say no more Nosferatu!" She adds, heading into the back to hang up her jacket, helmet and backpack.
Steve lets his eyes lose focus and dissociates a little from the blue and white surrounding him. It's been quiet all morning. He didn't even know why they opened in the morning, it seemed like a waste of utilities, but it usually meant that there was nothing to do except prep and clean for the first few hours on a weekday. Which was nice because it meant Steve had the place to himself and could drown out the sea shanties and chipper hornpipe melodies with whatever music he was immersing himself into at that moment in time. Today that had been the same thing he'd been listening to all night like it was his required sustenance.
He thinks a little about last night, on the car ride home, and whilst he cooked dinner for one, he sampled the Sadé album, this was dripping in that eighties sophistication of romance, and her voice might have been one of the most beautiful things Steve has ever heard. Then whilst taking care of some chores, he listened to the Al Green album, again an excellent recommendation by Eddie, it moved through the phases of love effortlessly, and the voice again was sensational. Not because the music is better, it wasn't even a genre Steve preferred, but simply because of how Eddie changed when he spoke about it. Steve saves Are you experienced? for the end of the night, when there is nothing more to do than sleep.
Taking advantage of having the place all to himself was different these days. Years ago, he'd maybe throw a party and have people stay over, but recently he hadn't had it in him. Instead, he prepares the area as usual. Turns out all the lights, makes sure everywhere is locked up, rushes to his room, gets a box of randomly assorted candles, sets a few out, and lights them. Last of all, he dons the huge over-ear headphones he's plugged into his parent's hi-fi system as he lays back on the plush rug beside it and pushes play. The beat like his heart gently pounds as Steve Harrington unwittingly falls into Eddie Munson for the first time that evening.
Steve startles at the abruptness of the hatch opening behind him, "Look, I can't not ask. My conscience is wearing me down, even though, just so this is abundantly clear, I do not care to know about your private life, generally speaking," Robin says rapidly, like she's chucking her words at him, before sighing, "Is everything ok with you?" Her voice is more gentle, verging on caring.
"Yeah, everything's fine. Just couldn't sleep, that's all. Probably the change in weather," he answers.
"Oh well, I've cracked the case. That totally seems like the truth," she sarcastically says, shutting the hatch again, finally stepping out front, and standing directly in front of Steve, "I'm not gonna drag it out of you, but equally, I do not wanna work with the shadow of a person all day. So at the very least, if you don't wanna say what's eating you, go get a coffee and come back half-human before I get dragged down into the doldrums with you. It's contagious, you know, just like yawning!" She says and promptly has to cover her mouth to hold back a yawn, which also makes Steve yawn, "Ok, enough! Get out!" She says and points towards the store entrance. Steve obliges, pushing himself off the counter, slowly sloping off to the back to grab his jacket and leaving Robin with their obligatory salute as he heads over to the nearest caffeine purveyor.
As he walks, one side of his jacket weighs heavier than the other. The pocket that usually holds his on-demand solace, but today it contains a key that unlocked the door to impulse. When choosing his music for the day this morning, he reached for a mixtape that he'd made of some of his favorite chart hits, but as he opened the Walkman and saw the tape he'd been listening to all night, The one that he couldn't stop listening to, The one that snapped something free inside him, moments after he thought that maybe he and Eddie might have some common ground, He couldn't bring himself to switch them. He feels the temptation as his fingertips glance over the thin, metal band of the headphones to feel one of those moments all over again. He bites his lip, thinking about recalling one of those less-than-pure thoughts in the full view of all these people. They would have no idea. He looks around quickly like he is about to indulge in class-A contraband while waiting in line.
No one else knew about last night. How his brain had been scrambled irreversibly. How the goosebumps had sprung up in a sprint up his arms, face and thighs. His imagination had not just run away with him but kidnapped him and held him hostage for hours. An entire psychedelic montage of his own creation. Traveling through kaleidoscopes of color, space, time, scenarios until something unexpected showed up, and as hard as Steve tried to bat it away, it continually returned, splicing his mental music video with clips of someone who had no business being in his brain when he felt open and raw that way. But alone in the darkness, safely in the arms of music, Steve let the thoughts develop, curious to know what would happen if he let go, let it happen, where exactly would they take him. But now, in the harsh light of day, that shame is still branded on his very bones. The heat rises to his cheeks, and though impossible, he's sure that if he doesn't do something about it, people around him will be able to tell. Be able to tell he'd been thinking about someone that way, all alone in the dark.
Steve quickly shoves his hand in his other jacket pocket away from temptation, and his fingertips play with something safe, boring and familiar. Money. Cold hard cash. The easiest mask Steve has in his toolkit. The furthest thing from music he could reach for. Icy, unfeeling, devoid of soul.
He reaches the counter, and the barista smiles broadly at him. "Good morning, Steve. What can I get ya today?" He's taken aback, sure he's never formally introduced himself to this girl before, but he's glad of the smile. A little harmless, friendly flirting couldn't hurt. It might even take his mind off other things.
"Whatever you've got to keep my eyes open." He tilts his head softly, glancing down at the counter and back up to the girl. "Something sweet though, I could do with a little sugar too."
Her eyebrows flash, and she shifts her weight to lean a little on the counter towards him. "I think I know just the thing," she says with a subtle lick of her bottom lip, "I'll be right back, don't go anywhere sailor." Steve happily shakes his head in a no, and wishes Robin was here to see his success.
"Gina, huh? Thought your type was a lot more chaste, Steve," a gravelly voice to his left sends a slight shiver down his spine, and he wishes the ground would open up and swallow him whole right now, but instead, he turns to return a polite greeting.
"Good morning to you too, Eddie." He smiles and nods as standard, but his eyes, the traitorous things, linger a little too long, scanning the eyes of the man that had been the cause of him having to buy this coffee in the first place. Eddie looks him up and down in concern, but his expression changes to something mischievous, and he grins at the floor.
"My recommendations worked out for you and your girl, did they?" He nods in Gina's direction while finally looking at Steve again.
"Something like that." He replies, leaning heavily on the tattered edges of the truth, but quickly adds in a whisper, "It wasn't Gina, though."
Eddie's eyes widen, and he chokes a laugh out, and to Steve's pleasant surprise, it's almost a little dorky. That’s endearing. Damn it, he's smiling at him more now. Eddie bites his lip, still grinning, before pressing himself up against Steve's side with an elbow to the ribs, whispering in his ear, "Steve Harrington, you absolute hound!" Eddie laughs again, his usual deep chuckle. Gina snaps a glare at him from the coffee machine. Steve dies a little inside. "Double espresso for me, Genie baby," Eddie charmingly beams back at her whilst Steve does everything he can to keep himself together and not explode into a confetti cannon of embarrassment.
"Eddie! Get in line, like everyone else. How many times do I have to tell you?" She snips.
"Gina! My angel of energy! My friend here was just holding my place in line. Isn't that right, Steve?" Eddie turns to him and smiles, relaxed, his eyelids hooding his deep brown irises that Steve elects to quickly look away from.
"Yeah, that's right." He swallows, and keeps his eyes on Gina now.
"See!" Eddie says, raising his ringed hand to Steve's eyeline to gesture at him. Gina looks between the two of them, but her eyes eventually land on Steve, and her smile returns.
"Well, I have no idea why he's friends with the likes of you, Munson." She puts the two double espressos to go down on the counter, slamming the one nearest Eddie down much harder than the other, which she gently slides over to Steve leaning towards him, "but whatever Steve says…goes," she says, her eyes trailing over him slowly.
"Jesus Christ, Gina! You never heard of the thrill of the chase?" Eddie barks out a laugh, putting his money down on the counter.
"Who says I wanna do any running away?" She smirks, not taking her eyes off Steve.
"That's true. I mean, even walking a few steps ahead of your pursuer would break the habit of a lifetime, and we wouldn't want that now, would we?" Eddie teases as she glances down at the money on the counter.
"You're short, Eddie," she finally turns and bites back, making Eddie shrink a little. "Ten cents." The fun wipes from Eddie’s face as he frantically searches his pockets. Tiny coral-pink triangles start to bloom in the hollows of his cheeks.
"I got it, don't worry about it," Steve interjects quickly to try and get back to the safety of Scoops as soon as possible. He takes Gina's hand gently and puts the money in her upturned palm, grasping her attention again. She puts the money in the register and scribbles on her pad, ripping off a piece of paper.
"A gentleman too?" She says with an approving nod and fans herself, making Eddie roll his eyes. Then, she pushes the piece of paper into Steve's hand. "Pick me up at eight. Wear something nice," she says with a wink before waving around the customer behind them.
Steve gives them both a smile and a wave goodbye as he heads back to the ice cream parlor quickly, sipping his coffee as he goes, though honestly, he doesn't need it anymore. He is wide awake after all of that. Even though he's come out of it relatively unscathed. Eddie is none the wiser, and he's got a date.
Back in the safety of Scoops Ahoy, Steve spies Robin slouching over the counter, waiting on a queue of zero people. He does his best Travolta strut over.
"Wow, you sure that's just coffee in there?" Robin laughs. "It's like you've returned a new man."
Steve forcefully leans over the counter at her with gusto with a massive smile on his face. "I not only have a number but a date tonight at eight!!" He looks very smug.
Robin stretches her hand out towards him, and he hands her the slip of paper. Her eyes scan over it.
"Gina?" Robin says in surprise.
"How did you-" Steve starts to ask before he gets cut off again.
"So she did get fired from the department store! Now she has to serve sad sacks like you and Eddie Munson coffee, I see." Robin nods behind Steve. As he turns, Eddie, holding the small cup to his mouth, initially looking startled, is perfectly framed in one of the windows and gives a little wave back.
"I'll pay you back, dude! Promise!" Eddie shouts before breaking into a speed walk to the record store.
"You bought him a coffee?! Why would you do that?" Robin rolls her eyes like Steve has done the stupidest thing in the world.
"He was a couple of cents short. I don't even want it back, honestly." Steve protests as he takes back the paper from Robin, putting it in his jacket pocket.
"You clearly don't understand what you've done," Robin shouts after him as he goes into the back to reclaim the stupid hat and hang up his stuff.
"Then enlighten me! Please, I'm waiting with bated breath here," he sasses back, secretly smiling to himself, only for it to be wiped from his face quickly as the hatch opens abruptly.
"Ok, first of all, you don't understand the paying back thing because you've never been poor, Steve. So it's ten cents to you. It's shame on us, ok? Secondly, you've fed the neighborhood's stray cat by randomly buying Eddie that coffee! He'll keep coming round here now," Robin whines.
"Ok, first of all," he mimics her, "I didn't buy him anything. He put his own money down. I just gave the extra few cents. Why is it so bad if he comes around here, anyway? He doesn't seem so bad to me, Rob." Steve adjusts his hat in the mirror and shoots a finger gun at himself in acknowledgement that he hadn't been wearing the hat when he got Gina's number, so it must be the thing throwing off his game. He also realizes it's the first time he's shortened her name. He likes it.
"You want a satanic cult leader. In our ice cream shop, normally full of vulnerable kids?" Robin protests, and suddenly something dawns on Steve.
"And, since when do you care about our customers?" Steve asks, joining her out front, one hand on his hip and the other on the tiny coffee cup. He narrows his eyes at her, looking for tells. He finds none but calls her bluff. He feigns surprise and laughs, "Oh my god, is he your ex or something?! Is that why you don't want him hanging around here?"
Robin recoils violently. "Oh my god! No! He's not my type."
"Really?" Steve asks with genuine surprise. Eddie was a non-conformist. He was far from ugly. Both musicians, both took drama and liked accessories. But, maybe he was a bit too rough around the edges and loud for Robin, despite how feisty she could be herself.
"Yes! Really!" She protests again, but there is something else here. Robin doesn't make it a habit to judge anyone that isn't a real piece of work type asshole, and though Eddie could be overwhelming, in their short interaction yesterday, he'd seemed quite nice, and due to their mutual school activities, they must have crossed paths often, so she must have seen that side of him too. Unless, like Steve, Eddie had his own mask to survive high school, which made him generally unpleasant to most people, and only let a select few see his genuine parts.
Steve isn't sure that Robin is precisely lying, but she is definitely hiding something.
****************
Steve pulls up outside Gina's apartment complex at 19:50. He's early, but he absolutely does not want to be late. So he waits exactly where Gina had asked him, and parks up, then sits patiently on his freshly washed car hood.
As he had no idea where they were going yet, he'd opted for something smart casual. The relaxed fit navy blue blazer and slacks combo, and an oh-so-soft pastel blue sweater underneath, perfect for cuddling into if that opportunity arose. Robin and Eddie obviously had made their opinions known on Gina, but he was way too much of a gentleman to make any such assumptions, and people can change.
At 20:08, Gina totters down the steps from the complex in the shortest, lowest cut, tightest, dark purple leather look dress Steve thinks he's seen outside of a music video. She looks incredible. Her body is banging, her makeup is flawless, her permed hair is tossed over in a voluminous side parting, and Steve cannot believe his goddamn luck. Holy shit. She’s a knockout.
He springs into date mode, jogs over to the other side of the street and offers her the crook of his elbow to escort her to the car, "Hey Gina, You look incredible!" Steve greets her beaming proudly.
She pops a chewing gum between her cherry-red lips and says, "You don't look so bad yourself, handsome." At that morsel of praise, Steve's heart soars. He's got it right tonight.
As she takes his arm, and they walk over to the car, he opens the door for her and takes her hand to help her into her seat before he gets in himself, "So, where to?" He asks with a huge smile.
"Ah, well, I thought we'd go to Patty's house party. It's not too far from here. Unless you wanna go somewhere else?" She asks.
"Are you kidding me?" Steve says with a gentle laugh and juts a thumb to himself. "I got the wheels. We can go wherever you want tonight." He turns and smiles reassuringly at her. "Anywhere at all."
She giggles, and Steve has to do everything he can not to rev the engine at his success so far.
As Gina directs, they hit a reasonably long stretch of road, and it falls quiet in the car, "So… What kind of music do you like?" Steve tries, it was a comfort area, and it let him get a little insight at the same time.
"Oh, all the hits, as long as I can dance to it, you know?" Steve's eyes almost tear from the road to look at her fondly. She's a dancer just like him. He tries to not let his excitement get the better of him and pepper her with a million follow-up questions.
It falls quiet again.
"Is it, um, Patty's birthday or something?" He asks as she reapplies her lipstick again in the pull-down mirror.
"Nah, nothing like that. She's got the biggest free house. Plus, it's right around the corner from the liquor store. It's just here. Look. Take a right." She replies.
They make their way into the party. Steve grabs the bottle of wine from the back seat and quickly moves around to her door to open it and assist her before locking up and offering his arm again. It earns him another melodic giggle, "Such manners, Steve. Is this how you treat all your dates?" She asks playfully, and he knows she means no harm, but unfortunately, it's the first dent in Steve's confidence tonight. She already knew he’s on a losing streak regarding keeping a girlfriend. He tries to see the positive. At least she seemed to like him, and she didn't know he'd recently had trouble getting any dates. He supposes that could give him some kind of playboy status.
It has been a while since Steve had been to a house party like this. It’s rammed with people, primarily seniors but as with Gina, himself and Patty, a few recent graduates too. The girls squeal with delight, throwing their hands into the air as they greet one another, and Gina pulls him forward to be introduced, "Patty, this is Steve. Steve, this is Patty." Steve gives her a big smile and a nod.
"Looks like it's gonna be a killer party. Here, hope you don't mind," he says, passing Patty the wine bottle. She pulls an impressed face and looks over at Gina, raising her eyebrows. Patty's boyfriend gives him a nod.
The party is much more fun than Steve anticipates. Gina likes to dance. A lot. With a little more physical enthusiasm than Steve was used to, but my god, he is the envy of the room. She likes to show Steve off to her friends and kisses him so many times he loses count. She looked incredible at the start of the evening, but she might be the most beautiful creature to walk the planet with how adored she was makes Steve feel. Steve makes a mental note to introduce her to his Mom when she's back in town.
After a small succession of kisses on the swings in Patty's back garden, Gina excuses herself to use the bathroom, "I'll be right back, handsome. Wait here for me? Don't go running off with any other pretty girls, now." She sends him a dazzling smile and a wink, and the love-whipped puppy, previously known as Steve Harrington, nods obediently as she walks inside. Then flicks his eyes to the night sky with a happy sigh.
"Don't fancy the slide, instead, Harrington?" A voice grins from the darkness.
"Eddie? What are you doing here, man?" Steve says in happy surprise. He's still floating around on cloud nine. Eddie sits on the tree stump opposite Steve and lights up a cigarette. The awkward feelings around Eddie were almost all gone. Or at least buried. It was a one-off, just a mixture of unique circumstances. The shame was still in there somewhere, but Gina had eclipsed it all for tonight.
"Oh, you know, I was at the bar, and heard someone mention that one of my old friends was gonna show here, so I tagged along." He offers the pack over to Steve, who declines and pops a chewing gum in his mouth. Eddie gives him a knowing smile, and Steve grins back and pushes himself on the swing a little, trying to channel some of that excitable energy somewhere."Going that well, huh?" He asks, raising his eyebrow as he pockets the carton.
Steve is desperately trying to remain cool, calm and collected about everything, but he's elated his losing streak is over, and what a woman to end it with. "Honestly, it's going a lot better than I thought it was going to."
"Yeah?" Eddie asks leadingly.
"Yeah," Steve says simply with a sigh, and that's when Eddie's expression changes, his mouth parts a little, but before he can say anything, someone calls out for him.
Patty rushes over, swaying a little, throws her arms around Eddie's neck, and hugs him. Eddie's face is a picture of panic, and Steve hides his laugh behind his hand.
"What you got on you then?" Patty slurs, looking up at Eddie and batting her eyelashes, and suddenly Eddie looks relieved and pulls out a few small bags of weed from inside his leather jacket. Steve observes him with confusion. Eddie said he was on pause dealing-wise.
"Thirty bucks for this little trio," Eddie offers with a toothy smile.
"Thirty!! Come on, Eddie, seriously. I can get twice as much for less," she complains and tugs at his denim vest.
He leans in and says quietly, "Yes, that is true, but I'm right here, and they're not right?" Then he pulls the same face he did at Steve in the record store. He knows he's won.
"Well," she steps closer to him again, and Steve sees Eddie visibly tense as Patty runs her hand up his chest, "Maybe we can come to a different arrangement, Eddie?"
Eddie clears his throat, and his eyes dart to Steve. "Oh hey, Steve, fancy meeting you here." His words are a desperate plea for help, and mischief swirls in Steve. Of course, he could just excuse himself and leave them to it, but something keeps him there, and as Patty turns, he sends her a little wave.
"Yeah, just out for some fresh air," Steve offers, and Eddie relaxes immediately as Patty creates some distance between them. She looks at Steve wide-eyed.
"Oh, hi again, Steve. Having a good night?" She asks nervously.
"It's a really great party, Patty. I'm having the best time," He answers genuinely.
She relaxes and smiles hugely at him. "It was really nice of you to come. Thanks for the wine and for helping Gina out tonight."
Steve smiles back, but he's a little confused. How was he helping Gina out? But before Steve can frame a question, Patty jumps ahead a few steps and answers.
"You're putting on a real show out there. It looks amazing. Though, if I may suggest, you are actually way too nice for her, so you might want to ease off on that a little." Patty enthusiastically reviews their date as Steve's eyebrows raise, and he blinks slowly.
"Hey Patty, how about twenty, huh?" Eddie puts a hand on her shoulder and tries to turn her towards himself, offering her the baggies again. She shrugs him off but fishes the money out of her pocket, her eyes still on Steve.
"Ohhh no," Patty says, overtly pouting her lips to indicate sadness, "widdle Stevie, didn't know." Steve stands up. His heart is pounding.
"Hey, that's enough!" Eddie says sharply to Patty.
"Oh, shut up, Eddie. Everyone knows she turns up to these things with someone and always leaves with Frankie. They're like Kismet or Kermit or whatever." She waves her hands drunkenly in the air.
"Everyone?" Steve asks in a whisper, and his eyes move from Patty to Eddie, who is frowning deeply. Steve folds his arms, "No, you're wrong. You'll see," he says and takes off back into the party. He can hear Eddie faintly calling after him until he hits the wall of music and chatter of the house.
He looks around for Gina, moving swiftly between rooms, as the flurry of panic starts to set in deep in his chest. They can't be right. Then finally, he catches the sight of her perfectly coiffed hair and pins himself to the other side of the wall, so he can hear her talking without being spotted.
"Are you kidding me? He's not a patch on you, honey. Not nearly as manly as I like, you know? Just a good little boy. Not my big strong bad boy Frankie." He can hear the purr in her voice, and it's followed by a deep chuckle from someone else.
An invisible force punches Steve straight in the guts, forcing all the air from his lungs. The dents in the carapace of his confidence get a few new deep siblings as he dusts himself off and sets off to leave. He knows he should be mad. He should be angry. He should march in there and give them a piece of his mind, but he feels completely numb. What he does do, however, is stop by the kitchen, take back his wine and a random bottle of mad dog 20/20, and slump off to his car.
As he gets closer, he sees a silhouette of someone sitting on the hood of his car. The jingle of them getting off it abruptly and moving quickly towards him lets him know it's Eddie.
"Steve, man, I'm sorry. That fucking sucks. Are you ok?" Eddie tries to reach out and hold his shoulders, but Steve steps back out of reach. Sure, he's deflated, but he doesn't have the reason or the energy to be mad at Eddie.
"You've got nothing to apologize for. No one does. It's not anyone else's fault that I'm too dumb to know what, apparently, everyone else knows," he says a little glumly but finishes it with a half smile and shrug as he moves around him to get in his car, but Eddie, being the scrawny beanpole he is, slips in between Steve and the door.
"Hey, I get it. She got me too. Except, you know I wasn't as good about it as you are." Eddie is talking to him, but Steve is simply trying to unlock his door and ignores him."And you know I would have warned you explicitly if it wasn't you, you know?" That gets Steve's attention.
"What do you mean if it wasn't me?" He asks, turning to face Eddie, whose face is much closer to his than he'd realized, and it causes a mini jump in his pulse. Had Eddie wanted to see Steve made a fool of?
One corner of Eddie's mouth ticks up. "You're Steve Harrington. King of Hawkins. If Gina was gonna change her spots for anyone, I would have put money on it being you." Eddie says it sincerely, but it makes Steve feel worse.
"Ex-King of Hawkins," Steve says, shaking his head, trying to move around Eddie without pushing him away. He wants to leave, but he isn't mad at Eddie.
"And-and the way she was with you at the coffee place. I mean, I thought she was into you. Anyone would have thought that, man. Besides, she was probably totally into you, I mean, look at you, but this guy, this Frankie, they're, like, weirdly obsessed with one another, and then the next minute not speaking to one another," Eddie desperately explains, and Steve can tell he's trying hard to make him feel better about all this.
That's when Steve makes a new category of mistake. He looks up at Eddie's face. His sad eyes meet Eddie's big compassionate ones, glinting with yellow specks of the street light.
"It's weird, honestly," Eddie finishes gently, and Steve gives him an understanding smile back.
"Thanks, man. I get it. I'll be fine. It's just a big misunderstanding. I'll go home, get wasted, and pass out. Then, wake up, and start over. I've bounced back from worse," Steve assures and gives Eddie a playful thump on the shoulder. "You're alright, you know that?" Steve actually manages a small genuine smile as he allows himself to compliment Eddie.
"Do you want some company? I got treats!" Eddie says, holding up three little bags of weed at Steve.
"How many of those do you have on you?" Steve huffs out a little laugh, and Eddie's smile widens.
"Just these three," Eddie smirks, pocketing them again.
"No, you sold three to Patty," Steve corrects him. Eddie leans back against Steve's car door and makes a show of looking thoughtful for a moment before he clicks his fingers like he remembers something.
"Oh darn it. I must have accidentally given her my bags of oregano. Good job you're so astute, Harrington. Otherwise, dinner times next week would have been very interesting." Eddie smiles mischievously, and Steve erupts with a laugh.
"You didn't!" He says, scandalized.
"I wasn't going to until she poked fun at you. Totally uncalled for. Also might have relieved myself in an empty and dropped it in their vat of punch." Eddie shrugs like it's nothing and then blinks up at Steve. "Is that enough to gain entry to a much better afterparty?"
That thing that snapped free in Steve when he was lying on the rug, immersed in the music and thoughts inspired by Eddie, vibrates within him.
He shouldn't.
He really shouldn't invite anyone back to his house when he feels like this, especially when his intention is to drink himself into forgetting all about Gina.
He absolutely shouldn't let down his guard to someone he's really only got to know the last few days.
He definitely shouldn't specifically welcome the man that resurrected the most secret, sinful parts of Steve into his home, where they would be alone together.
Steve can't decide, so he lets fate decide. "You got any more recommendations on you?"
"Shit, yeah! A fucking van full!" Eddie says enthusiastically.
And with that, Steve ignores every warning sign his brain throws up at him.
"Alright then. Follow me."
************
Eddie's van tails Steve's BMW along the inky black roads of Hawkins, intermittently interrupted by street lights when venturing through a more built-up area.
He turns up the radio a little to try to quieten the confused knot of feelings in his stomach. There was no question he was still feeling shockwaves from recently being absolutely crushed this evening, but now the excitement of something else tickles at the inside of his stomach. Him, Eddie and Music. Some of his private salacious thoughts rush through his mind again.
Steve would be more alarmed by them if it weren't for a few things.
Firstly this is not the first time Steve has had impure thoughts about a man. It just wasn't something he was gonna advertise in small-town Hawkins. Especially as he is one hundred per cent not just into guys. He'd sneakily read about it in the library and vowed as soon as he had the means it was definitely the big city for him, a place where other people like him could live much freer lives.
Secondly, he had heard things about Eddie, and he is sure it was because they labeled him a devil worshiper or monster that the town also whispered about him being into the more, what some of the stuck-up people of Hawkins might consider the debauched side of life. He'd heard that when people threw homophobic slurs at him, he played up to them. Flirted with his persecutors to scare people more, but honestly, he had just added that to the massive pile of slanderous gossip about Eddie. Prior to yesterday, he had always assumed that by being in a band, Eddie got his fair share of women. But now he wasn't so sure. Maybe tonight, he'd find out.
Thirdly the only person Steve knew of that had ever assumed him to be anything but straight was his father. So if that rumor started, Steve is confident he could squash it reasonably quickly.
Fourth, and this was probably the cruelest of his thoughts. If he did accidentally say too much or give something away to Eddie tonight, who on earth would believe known degenerate Eddie over golden boy Steve?
Steve had fooled around with just one guy before, Tommy, and always, always, always when they were wasted or high. Tommy said it didn't count, and honestly, Steve didn't mind. He liked Tommy, well, when he wasn't being a complete asshole, but it was more an avenue of mutual exploration than a relationship.
Tommy was handsome, but he was two-dimensional. All their shared interests were superficial. Maybe it was because they had been friends for so long that there wasn't anything to peel back and get his teeth into. He was enough to quicken his pulse, but that had been more to do with the thrill of doing something so forbidden than the man himself. Tommy didn't move Steve.
But Eddie.
Eddie might.
With no other cars on the driveway, he waves Eddie forward up to the house once Steve parks up.
He grabs the bottles from his car and sees Eddie emerge with his little lunch box and his arms laden with tapes. Steve unlocks the front door into the dark house and heads inside, Eddie close behind.
"Your folks in bed?" Eddie whispers.
"No, they're out of town. Work, you know?" Steve puts the wine back in the kitchen wine rack and holds up the glass liquor bottle contained within, "Wanna get straight to it, or would you prefer some beers first?" Steve asks with a happy host smile. Eddie is still marveling at the house, his round eyes searching the darkness. Steve wonders what for.
"Just a beer, thank you," Eddie says slowly, entirely distracted by everything.
"The hi-fi is just through there in the den, or if you wanna smoke, we can sit by the pool?" Steve offers, seeing Eddie's arms still full of tapes.
"What time are your folks back?" Eddie calls back from further away now, as Steve hears the clatter of plastic cassette boxes and the jingle of Eddie's wallet chain as he returns. There must be something special in that, having your own noise, so people know it's you.
"I dunno, not until next week, though, I imagine," Steve says, offering Eddie one of the two beer cans.
Eddie's eyebrows knit. "Next week? Are you for real?"
"Yeah, once I got my license, they stopped getting a nanny in." Steve laughs.
"Was that a joke?" Eddie says, laughing too.
"I mean, I tried. Unfortunately, I'm no Steve Martin." Steve shrugs and smiles happily at Eddie as he stabs and shotguns his beer.
"Who are you, and what happened to sad Steve?" Eddie's eyes narrowly playfully. He wraps his arm around himself as he observes him and takes a sip of his own can.
"You want me to go get him? I'm sure he's around here somewhere…." Steve looks behind one of the drapes.
Eddie's head tilts with pure amusement, and that nice smile spreads across his face again as he observes Steve, "My god, funny too, huh?" There is something in the way his voice softly wraps around the words that sets a slight panic in Steve, almost reaching for the light switch to plunge them into the safety of bright light. Instead, his brain gives him a subject change.
"Shit, what about your friend at the party? Did you get a chance to speak to them?" Steve runs his hand through his hair, realizing he's probably ruined Eddie's night too.
He simply shrugs in reply, then changes the subject himself. "What's with all the candles in there? Did your power go out?" Eddie gestures back to the den. Steve closes his eyes, remembering he hadn't cleaned up in there yet, and then a real fear creeps over him, hoping that he hadn't left anything else incriminating in there.
Steve half-lies quickly. "Oh, ambience!"
Eddie points back at him. "Yeah, of course, your girl from last night. Setting the scene for seduction," Eddie says, pretending to swoon.
"Well, more for relaxing than romance in particular, but sometimes one can lead to another," Steve says, and he does let that hang in the air for a while to see if there is any reaction from Eddie. Sadly nothing to help him assess him further. Maybe it was too subtle. "Do you maybe wanna head out for a smoke?" Steve asks, turning to get himself another beer.
"Now that is much more my brand of relaxing," Eddie laughs, grabbing his lunchbox.
Steve catches up to him and puts a hand on his shoulder to stop him. "Wait, how about you pick out a tape? I'll grab the boom box."
Eddie's eyes move to Steve's hand on his shoulder first, then to his face, with a blink, "Yeah." Steve shakes Eddie's shoulder and gives it a good old sports pat before removing it entirely. He watches Eddie's face for any signs, and he's pretty sure the smile he gives him before he walks towards the treasure trove of tapes is one of disappointed realization. Or maybe Steve had all his hopes resting on that being the case. Hope is such poisoned manna. Maybe physicality wasn't the way to get Eddie to reveal a little more. Maybe Steve could try something else to find the answers to his questions. Something Eddie loves to do. Talk about himself.
Steve sets up the player between two loungers and turns on the pool lights. Ambience, he thinks, though honestly, the waning moon is setting the scene enough for him. He doesn’t wanna make it too obvious. He kicks up his feet on the lounger, sips at his beer, and waits. After a few minutes, he starts to get a little concerned, but as soon as he sits up, Eddie arrives with an entire box of tapes and an excitable smile.
"I, uh, couldn't decide what you might like, so I just brought them all out and found a box in the kitchen; hope you don't mind. Just easier to move 'em around," Eddie excuses and thunks down onto the lounger next to Steve’s. "So take your pick," he says, gesturing at the box and pulling a pre-rolled joint out of his pocket, which he lights up quickly.
This isn't really what Steve wants. He wants Eddie to show him around what Eddie likes. He wants to hear him gush over riffs and lyrics. Tell him how it feels when he plays them, and show him how his dexterous fingers leave no part of the fretboard untouched. But Steve recognises Eddie's apprehension and decides to play the game at least. He reaches into the box with one hand, sorting through the tapes, and with the other, without taking his eyes from the music collection, makes a come hither motion at the joint, which, pleasingly, Eddie acknowledges without protest, and Steve soon finds it slotted between his fingers as he pretends to peruse the album artwork and track listings.
He can feel Eddie's eyes on him, and out of the corner of his eye, he observes Eddie's hands on his thigh and knee and sometimes, when Steve picks up or hovers over a particular tape, his fingers tense, possibly with excitement Steve guesses. He takes a long drag on the shared substance.
To Steve's surprise, the selection of tapes is more varied than he thought. Sure, there is a lot of what he guesses from the names, titles, or artwork are metal, rock, and punk, but there is a chart hits compilation, some new wave electronic stuff, country and classical. Steve hands back the joint and takes a sharp intake of breath as he sits up.
"You know, Eddie. I'm a little overwhelmed by all the choices here."
"Ah, too many? Sorry. I just didn't know what you'd wanna listen to." Eddie nods apologetically, and something in the way he says it makes Steve wonder if too many or too much is his habit. Maybe he'd been hurt before by people telling him he was too much.
"Well, how about this? How about instead of this being about what I like," Steve looks up to him with a friendly smile, "you show me what you like. Maybe it'll be the same." He gives a little shrug and wonders if Eddie might pick up on any subtext.
"Doubt it," Eddie laughs with a quick glance up at Steve from the tapes.
"Oh, ye of little faith. I really liked the Hendrix one, best out of the three." Steve offers him a guiding thread to assist. He would continue about how he will probably play it to death, but as he looks over, Eddie's face reads excited already.
"Really?" He says, and the innocence of the question makes Steve feel like he's in middle school again. Making friends over sports or movies, but then suspicion rears its ugly little head, and Eddie folds his arms and leans forward. "Oh yeah? Tell me what you liked about it."
Steve doesn't want to give away too much of himself. "Foxey Lady is a fun track, and Fire." Eddie rolls his eyes a little and nods.
"You like Purple Haze too, I bet?" Eddie says a little condescendingly, and he's unsure if it's the beer and weed starting to mix on no food because he didn't know if he was going to dinner with Gina, but Steve feels a little insulted.
"Well, who the fuck doesn't like Purple Haze?" Steve fires back. "It's a great piece of music."
"Whoa-ho-ho, Harrington. Don't get your little panties in a twist. I was just guessing." Eddie chuckles, putting his hands up defensively, offering the olive branch of the joint back to Steve, who takes a pretty deep inhale from it and sends it right back, picking up his beer.
"No, you weren't. I mentioned some popular songs, and you immediately judged me, thinking that's all I listened to when that is not the case at all! Also, that's why they are popular, by the way, because they're great songs. So you could maybe get off your high horse about it." Steve complains and puts Eddie in his place. Or so he thinks.
Eddie's grin widens, and that sparkle in his eye returns, and now Steve can't work out if he's walked right into something or if Eddie is simply amused. His hand extends to him again, and Steve, though a little confused, accepts the smoke and takes another hit.
"I also really liked 'Manic Depression'," Steve adds much more gently, opening the door to his true feelings, a crack, "How it details in the words and melody his relationship with music, the emotion behind in 'The Wind Cries Mary', and that bluesy feel to 'Red House'. Those songs also easily transport you someplace else." Steve says, taking a glug from his can and, realizing it's empty, standing up to get another.
"Wait-wait-wait," Eddie says hurriedly, looking up at him. "Here, I picked this up on the way past too." He holds up the glass bottle that Steve selected from Patty's party. Steve takes it from him and sits back down, knocking back a swig and wincing at the taste and heat, but Eddie ignores it. He has other things to address. "What do you mean someplace else?" He leans forward over the tape box towards Steve, eyeing him like a scientist looks at their specimen.
"In your imagination, you know, the music takes you somewhere else." Steve shrugs, taking another swig as Eddie sips his beer.
"Where'd it take you?" Eddie asks, tilting his head, and though Steve's heart rate quickens at the thought of the truth, he sees an opportunity.
"You sure do ask a lot of questions. What if we trade? I'll answer yours, you answer mine? That seems fairer to me." Steve doesn't have to wait long for a reply, but he’s stalling to craft an answer that doesn't involve revealing more than he wants to.
"Yeah, sure," Eddie says, brushing it off. "So where did they take you, these songs?"
"Ah-ah-ah, Eddie. You gotta answer one first," Steve teases, and Eddie, denied an answer to his question, folds his arms. Steve adds to his assessment.
Adorable sulking face.
"Fine," Eddie pouts.
"So, the three tapes you gave me were great, exactly what I needed, and I thought, how does a guy get so knowledgeable about this kinda stuff, and then I remembered you were in a band, you play, er, bass, right? So I naturally assumed-" Steve lies. He wants to avoid coming across as knowing too much about Eddie.
"Lead guitar, actually. Sing a little too," Eddie interrupts proudly and waves Steve on to continue with his question.
"So I assumed that you must have girls throwing themselves at you? Right?" Steve asks with as innocent curiosity as he can muster.
"More girls throw themselves at me for drugs than music, but that could change. The stuff I play is becoming more popular," Eddie replies, and Steve tries to see what he can get out of a few quickfire questions.
"Oh, so you're inundated with women then?" Steve asks with a raise of his eyebrow.
"No," Eddie answers.
"Right, you must have a girlfriend…"
"No. Listen, are we here to discuss music or my love life?" Eddie defends, and Steve feels like he must have touched a nerve, so he tries some humor.
He mimics Eddie’s hand gestures and voice from earlier. "Whoa-ho-ho, Munson! Don't get your panties in a knot about it!" And that is enough to make Eddie laugh. "Jesus, I was just getting to know you. After all, you've had a front-row seat to my car crash love life tonight." Steve self-deprecates and laughs, but Eddie doesn't.
"I'm sorry, man. I wish I'd just said something in the coffee line, but I swear what I said earlier was absolutely true. If it had been anyone other than you, I wouldn't have thought they stood a chance and warned them," Eddie says with genuine regret.
Steve takes a swig out of the bottle and reassures him, "Not the first time I got my confidence destroyed at a house party. Maybe it won't be the last, but like I said, I bounce back well enough. Last time was a whole lot worse. Met her parents, told her I loved her and meant it, and thought she did too. Turns out she didn't." Steve glances up at Eddie, who looks sad for him. "Anyway, back to why we're here. Pick a damn tape, Eddie, would ya?" Steve laughs, trying to lift the mood, and holds out the liquor bottle to him, but Eddie declines.
"Can't get too wasted. Otherwise, getting home is gonna be more of a challenge." He smiles down into the tapes.
"You can stay over if you want. There's plenty of room." Steve offers, maybe too quickly. He takes another drink to style it out.
Eddie looks up and acts all shy. "Wow, Harrington! Take a guy to dinner first," he chuckles and grins at Steve, who nearly spits out his drink.
Composing himself a little, he replies, "If I order pizza, does that count as dinner?" Steve smirks.
Eddie flips his hair over his shoulder with a flick of his hand after pushing play on the tape deck, "It's a little less than I was expecting to be wined and dined by Steve Harrington, but, uh, it'll do." He says as he grabs the bottle from Steve and takes a sip, "Holy shit, urgh." He grimaces as the night air fills with chugging guitar riffs, and a voice fills the air that Steve has definitely never heard before.
Eddie happily gestures to the boom box with both hands. "This is the self-titled album by W.A.S.P.”
Steve chuckles, “I know how to spell Wasp!”
Eddie shakes his head, “No you say Wasp but they are actually W.A.S.P.” He beams at Steve and taps the metal pin on his vest, then takes a deep breath, ”anyway It contains such mind-shredding tracks as The Flame, Tormentor, The Torture Never Stops and Show no Mercy, which has one of the finest dick-twitching solos I've ever played." Steve sees Eddie literally shudder, and he's drawn in immediately. This is what he wanted, but before he can push for more information, Eddie is out of his seat pacing around the loungers. "Also the more famous, 'I Wanna Be Somebody', 'Hellion', even a spine chilling cover of 'Paint it Black' by The Stones. For the more romantic souls out there, 'L.O.V.E Machine', 'Sleeping in the fire' and 'Animal' which is more commonly known as," and he leans right down to Steve's ear, "‘I fuck like a beast’. Which is what you're listening to right now." With a laugh, he takes another swing from the bottle, shoving it back into Steve's chest, and walks back around to his lounger, props one foot on it, and starts air guitaring and headbanging along to the song. Steve grips the lounger beneath him for dear life. He swears right there he's gonna get them tickets to every fucking W.A.S.P show he can, and he'll definitely need to buy this album now. Tomorrow, first thing.
"You can play all these?" Steve says, trying not to sound too in awe. Eddie doesn't look up from his fingers on the imaginary fretboard, and honestly, Steve doesn't blame him.
"Pretty much. Better at my favorites or the ones we play in the band." Steve needs to see that, or maybe that would undo him completely. Maybe best not to. Steve imagines how he looks on stage, sweating under the lights, straining as he yells into the microphone. "So where did it take you?"
"What?" Steve asks, wholly lost in his thoughts.
"Maybe you should slow down there, champ. Are you alright? You look a little flushed." Eddie stops what he's doing and goes over to his little lunch box, retrieves a small candy bar, and sits next to Steve on the lounger, placing it in Steve's lap. "Lemme see." Eddie grasps Steve's jaw in one hand and examines him, his eyes comically wide as he analyzes him, making Steve giggle. Eddie rolls his eyes with a smile, and taps his face, snatches up the candy bar and tosses it back in his lunch pail. "You're good." He shrugs off his jackets and leans against the backrest of Steve’s lounger, a long leg on either side of the part where Steve is sitting, making their legs graze one another occasionally as he sparks up a cigarette, which he balances in the corner of his lips. "Hendrix, where did it take you?"
The sudden display of open confidence, the way he just splays his long limbs out like that. Like he owns the place, makes something squirm inside of Steve, and maybe he feels a little shy now, saying, "I dunno, maybe it's lame." Eddie frowns as he plucks the cigarette from his mouth.
"I'll let you know if it's lame." He says, blowing smoke rings in the air.
"Er. It's difficult to explain, but sorta like things I know from that era and sound, psychedelic colors, and then like imagining watching it live," Steve's mind takes him right back to last night, "and 'Hey Joe' was like being pulled into a landscape painting, 'Are you experienced?' and 'Stone Free' was like moving through outer space, you know? Maybe I'm talking shit, but that's where I went anyway," Steve finishes, avoiding Eddie's eyes a little, as when he says it aloud for the first time, it loses all its magic.
"You listen to all music like that? I mean, go places?" Eddie mutters the question softly, and Steve chances to look over, and Eddie's expression almost looks hopeful.
"No, it just kinda happens sometimes. Like a daydream almost, and then I get these like tingles-" Steve starts, but Eddie finishes.
"Along your neck and arms?" And now Steve can hear the excitement in his voice, so he turns to him and indicates along his cheekbones, arms and legs.
"Yeah, kinda," Steve replies, and it doesn't feel bad at all having Eddie's eyes move over him like that.
"Do you play an instrument?" Eddie asks, sitting forward towards Steve now, his eyes eager for answers. Steve doesn't want to get his hopes up too high, but Eddie has not ridiculed him. Hasn't made an awkward face or an excuse to leave. If anything, he wants more, and with that power shift again, Steve tries something else. He leans back on his elbows across the lounger, his arm resting a little on Eddie's leg, and stretches out his torso comfortably.
"Eddie," he smiles, "I gotta get some questions in, too, you know?"
"Oh yeah, shoot, dude," Eddie says matter-of-factly.
"Are you gonna bite my head off again if I ask about your love life?" Steve asks with a laugh.
"Fine, as long as you tell me why you're so interested because I'd much rather be talking about music, honestly." And with a reply like that, it's almost as if Steve already has his answer.
"Look, in the record store, you were selling me that Mötley Crüe album, happy as anything, and I knew you were in a band, so my brain just assumed you were like a chick magnet, just maybe not the ones from school, you know? But then you got all nervous when I asked you about music girls liked, and whilst there isn't anything wrong with that, it wasn't what I expected. So does that explain better?"
Eddie looks a little sheepish but then smiles and shrugs. "Sorry to burst your Eddie Munson bubble there, Harrington."
Steve gestures at himself. "It's overrated. Living proof right before your eyes. Music doesn't let you down like that, though, huh?" And that earns him a sweet smile, "So tell me to fuck off at any point, but I sort of can't believe it, honestly. So is it that you don't have a girlfriend right now, or like never have?"
"Define girlfriend," Eddie says, playing with his rings.
"A girl you've taken on a date," Steve says.
"Yeah, I've had a girlfriend or two then," Eddie says, but Steve doesn't detect any fun glimmers of nostalgia, but that squashed one Hawkins rumor about Eddie, he obviously liked girls.
"But…" Steve leads him a bit further.
"But that was literally it. We just went to the movies or the diner for milkshakes," Eddie says, a little disappointed.
"You ever taken Robin, the girl I work with, on a date?" Steve pries a little further.
"Not a date as such. We just used to hang around one another a lot for a while, and then, erm," Eddie looks thoughtfully into the sky, "then I guess I asked her something, probably too personal, and I'm definitely not telling you what it is, so don't ask, and she's kind of avoided me since." Eddie looks regretful, and Steve decides to give him a break.
"I don't play an instrument. I tried a bunch of different ones but could never get one to stick. Even tried singing, which I'm ok at, but you know, not opera or anything like that." Steve sighs and looks up to the night sky. "No matter how much I love music, I just don't have the talent to make or mimic it, apparently."
"Maybe you just had a shit, stuck-up teacher," Eddie says quickly, and that does bite of a lived experience. "When I was a kid before I moved here. I had this teacher; all he wanted to teach me was like campfire songs to do with god or nursery rhymes. I learned enough to find my way around the acoustic, but then, well, I couldn't go anymore, but honestly, by that point, I didn't want to. He sucked." Eddie raises his eyes to Steve, "But then I got here. Just my clothes and my guitar slung across my back and moved in with my Uncle. Now that guy taught me how to play. We figured out that I could actually, when not being bullied into some kumbaya shit, play by ear, and when I'd get stuck, Wayne would help me. He showed me all his anti-war favorites and even started off my savings for the guitar I have now. He got me a second-hand electric pretty quickly and amps. He's good like that. Finding the best bits of people and nurturing them. Probably regrets it a little now, though." Eddie laughs with so much fondness in his voice.
"I bet he doesn't. I bet he loves seeing how much you enjoy playing." Steve nods at the sky.
"If you wanted, I could help you learn guitar. Well, what I know anyway," Eddie says kindly, which makes Steve ignore the entire cosmos and focus on him.
"What, like what we're listening to now? Play like you?" Steve blurts out excitedly.
Eddie tries to hide his smile, "Well, anything you like, really, and I can't guarantee you'd be as good as me, but we'd try," he says as the repressed smile breaks out across his face, and Steve gives him a little playful shove, and this time Eddie returns it.
"Alright, you're on. I'll take a look at guitars tomorrow." Steve grins back.
"You can borrow one of mine if you like? It's no problem" Eddie shrugs like it's nothing, and Steve nervously swallows. God, he wants this. Wants Eddie. Wants someone who knows what he means when he explains how a song makes him feel. Who doesn't laugh at him or make a face and knows so much. Eddie feels like a drug that would be the multi gateway to everything he could possibly need. They sit silently for a minute or so, "The girlfriend thing. I, uh, well, I stopped trying because I'd get so nervous. The date would be fine, you know, I can talk the ears off of the corn harvest, but, uh, I'd just bottle it at the goodbye. I just built it up in my head too much, I think. I just wanted to get it right, and when presented with the opportunity, I thought I was gonna fuck it up, so I'd just hug them goodbye. Then they'd think I didn't like them, but I'm too much of a coward to admit I was scared, so I just stopped trying."
"Well, you're not a coward. Navigating girls can be terrifying, Eddie, and maybe," Steve turns on his side towards Eddie on the lounger, propping his head up on his hand, "maybe you just had a bunch of shit, stuck-up teachers."
"Yeah, well, if kissing lessons were something I could buy, Harrington, believe me, I would have already invested heavily a long time ago." Eddie laughs, playing with his rings again, and Steve's so happy that Eddie isn't looking at him right now because he is literally chewing on his bottom lip, desperately trying to find a way to gently prod the opportunity the universe just chucked into his lap. Come on, Steve.
"Well, if I'd known there was a market for that sort of thing, maybe I wouldn't have to be working slinging ice cream to attitude-filled kids loaded up on sugar." Steve laughs, looking down at and playing with the material threads of the lounger, and then glances up at Eddie subtly.
Steve's heart skips when he finds Eddie looking up at him from under his hair, frozen, mid-picking at his nails.
"How many first kisses do you think you've been?" Eddie asks, and Steve can hear the curious caution in every word.
Fighting his every urge, Steve breaks eye contact to look up, like he's pretending to remember them all. He doesn't actually know. "Oh tons, and you know it is exactly what you said. It's all just nerves. Most of them get much better once the first one's over. Probably the same as the first time you played on stage. I'm guessing here, but you probably still get a little nervous now, but not enough to stop you, right?" Eddie makes a thoughtful noise in response, and Steve hopes he's done enough leading, but all he really wants is a red or green light to let him know what to do next, but they're sort of stuck in a kind of limbo, and he can feel the tension in him, stretching, and any minute now it's just going to snap. "I think you'll find it easy once you get past the nerves, sure there are some dos and don'ts, but, it's mostly playing it by ear, reading the other person, and from what you've said, those things come easily to you, right?"
"Right." Eddie agrees, "How did you learn, or did it just happen organically, like when it's supposed to?" Steve almost feels a little sorry for him, and he could tell the truth here, that it had just naturally occurred sitting on the porch with his middle school girlfriend watching the sunset, or he could bend the truth a little, maybe making Eddie feel better and nudge at this situation simultaneously.
Steve readjusts his position. He sits up and straddles the lounger, mirroring Eddie, facing one another. "If I tell you, you are absolutely sworn to secrecy. Ok? Like to the grave!" Steve says as seriously as he can, and Eddie perks up. His eyes revert to an excited look as they scan Steve, hungry for secrets, with a couple of enthusiastic nods. "No, you gotta swear. I mean it! I'd never live it down." Steve lays it on thick as he looks Eddie right in the eyes.
He frowns slightly to show his earnestness, "I swear, man. I would never tell. Also, even if I wanted to, that would involve exposing myself too. Why was I talking about first kisses with Steve Harrington in the first place, right?"
"Yeah," Steve makes a show of relaxing a little, and Eddie shuffles forward a little, leaning into the secret. "So believe it or not, before my first kiss, I was much like yourself, nervous about it, and I was talking to my best friend about it, and they felt the same, so we kinda, uh, practiced with one another?"
Eddie deflates a little. "Oh, I see. Well, that's not so bad. Handy to have a willing girlfriend around to help out." Eddie forces an awkward laugh.
"It wasn't my girlfriend, Eddie. It was my best friend," Steve says, hammering down each word like the heaviest hints of all time.
"You know what I mean, a friend who's a girl," Eddie says, and Steve really doesn't want to have to spell it out, but it looks like he might have to. He adds to his Eddie assessment.
Intelligent but can't read between the lines.
"I've not had a girl best friend since kindergarten, Eddie." Steve tries again.
Eddie looks horrified. "You were kissing in kindergarten? Jesus! Way to make me feel even worse about all of…" and then he stalls, like his brain engine full on cuts out. His eyes move around the lounger in between them like he's solving the meaning of life, and suddenly his head lifts, and his eyes lock with Steve's, "Your first kiss wasn't with a girl? I-I mean…your friend…it was a boy. The one you practiced kissing with was a boy. A boy?" Steve can't hold back his laughter and just nods, putting a hand on either side of his own face like he's mortified.
"Please don't tell anyone, Eddie. I just wanted you to know, as much as it would appear, I'm pretty confident in that department now. I was just as nervous as you once." Steve smiles, and his heart is pounding hard. It was a risk. A big one, but if it meant either squashing this crush or the impossibility that maybe this could happen, he needed to take it.
"Right, ok," Eddie says, and it makes Steve a little concerned because he sounds a little panicked. Steve's heart sinks.
"Want another beer? I'm gonna go get one," Steve says, using his chipper customer service mask. He makes sure to smile big at Eddie like he isn't getting his heart crushed for the second time this evening, though this time is entirely his fault.
"Yeah, I could go for another beer," Eddie says without looking at Steve. Well, at least he didn't want to leave immediately. That was one good thing, Steve thinks as he walks as casually as possible to the fridge, ducks his head inside it, and curses.
"Shit!" He whispers and takes a deep breath before grabbing two cans. Then he hears a faint jingle.
"Is it much different?" Eddie's voice comes from the dark of the kitchen, and the rate at which Steve's head lifts makes him bang it on the refrigerator.
Steve rubs his head. "Jesus Christ, dude. Don't sneak up on me like that." He hands the can to Eddie and heads out to the pool again, but Eddie stops him, a gentle hand on his arm.
"Is there much difference between the two?" At first, Steve is confused, maybe from the jump scare or the bump to his head, but then he catches on.
"Erm…I dunno. It wasn't really a side-by-side comparison, and we were a lot younger then, but no, I don't remember anything being too different. Other than the person, but then you can kiss two girls, and they can be different too. Not everyone likes the same things, but like I say, you'll read that easy enough, or they'll let you know if they like or don't like something." It's dark in here, but he can still read the confusion on Eddie's face. "It would be kinda like you teaching guitar students to play the same song. They might all have different guitars. Some might have favored acoustic over electric, and some might embellish on parts, but it's still recognisable as the same song. Does that make sense?"
"Yeah, that does make sense." Eddie's voice is much more at ease, "And even though you kissed a guy, you still like girls, right?"
"I feel like I don't need to answer that, Eddie." Steve rolls his eyes and puts a hand on his hip, making Eddie laugh.
"Yeah, yeah, of course. Sorry. I forgot about earlier." Eddie chuckles.
"That's ok. If it wasn't for you, my night could have ended a lot worse, that's for sure." Steve says thankfully. "Your friend being in town was pretty lucky."
"Hmmm, yeah, that was lucky, wasn't it." Eddie's rings tap the side of his beer can as he sways from side to side a little, and soon, some things are coming together for Steve.
"There was no friend at the party, was there?" Steve says in realization, and Eddie smiles and shakes his head in a no. "You knew what was gonna happen because you found out that guy was gonna be there."
"I suspected. I didn't know. What I said earlier was true about Gina liking you. I also remember how shitty I felt when it happened to me, but when I got there, you looked like you were having a great time, so I went to leave but heard him in one of the other rooms, and I just suspected the worst." Eddie explains, and doesn't Steve's whole heart swell at such a level of sweetness and care. He barely knew him, but he still looked out for him.
"Thanks, man," Steve smiles fondly at him. Maybe other things were impossible dreams, but he feels sure he at least has a new friend, "You know what? I'm gonna take you up on your offer. How much do you charge for a lesson?"
"Well, I thought maybe," Eddie scratches the back of his head, "Maybe we could…I dunno…er…trade expertise?" He suggests. It's a good job Steve had spent most of his life learning to hide his emotions when he needed to, specifically for moments like this. His heart is thundering in his chest, his brain is scrambled with a million different types of static, and his hand wants to crush the can in his grip with sheer excitement. Two days ago, this wasn't even on his radar. Two days ago, this delectable taboo wasn't even on his menu. It was on a hidden secret menu only he knew about, and yet here it was, being presented on a silver platter, and it's taking every ounce of resolve he has not to grab hold of it and greedily consume it quickly before the invitation is revoked. Oh, and he knows he's been bad tonight, a little trick here and a little lie there, and maybe he does feel like a bit of a creep about it, but it's not enough to say no. He was jonesing for something he'd never even tasted, but every neuron and hormone in his body told him he wanted it. No. He needed it. He'd let future Steve live with the regret and consequences.
"Sure. That sounds good," he says pleasantly. "When shall I book you in?" He says with a friendly laugh.
"Uh, now?" Eddie says.
"Now?" Steve says, a little surprised.
"Yeah, once I get the first one done. I'm good, right? Just beginner's stage fright. Then I can grab the guitars out of the van, and I can return the favor," Eddie says like he's working through the facts in his head, and suddenly Steve's excitement is a little dampened. Eddie wanted it over with, and Steve guesses he expected it, but hearing it out loud from Eddie kinda stung a little, but that was fine, right? Or would a taste of honey be worse than none at all?
"Yeah. Cool. Um, where do you think you'd feel most comfortable? It's your nerves that are the issue, so what do you do to relax?" Steve asks, and Eddie laughs.
"Well, we've kind of already been doing that, but, uh, maybe not outside somewhere a bit more private. But, uh, this is my first time here, so I don't know where would be best." He looks around for a second. "What about where you set up last night?" Steve gives a one-shoulder shrug like his insides were not currently leapfrogging over one another to see who could get a chug of that sweet adrenaline first.
"Sure. I'll tidy up my crap, and why don't you bring your stuff in, so we can pick a song you can teach me afterwards?"
"Gotcha! See you in a sec, smoochy-poo," Eddie cackles, and Steve laughs too, out of excitement more than anything, but he's glad Eddie is making light of the situation. It's sneaky and underhanded, but it eases the guilt hearing him joke about it, even if this was going to mean something to Steve but nothing to Eddie.
Steve quickly tidies away his tapes and almost dies when he notices he'd left the bottle of lotion down here and quickly kicks it under a chair to worry about tomorrow. He turns off the light and decides it's too dark, but with the light on, it is too bright. He decides to light one candle, so a bit of light is cast around the room, but the main lights are all off. Then he tries to find the most casual standing pose he can, trying a few, realizes he's being stupid and then fluffs some cushions, just to put the energy somewhere.
The door opens soon enough, and Eddie barrels in, tape deck in one hand, box of tapes in the other, which also now contained his lunchbox, some fresh beers, and the partially emptied bottle of liquor. His silhouette stops dead in the doorway.
"Why's it so dark in here?" Eddie asks a little nervously.
"Well, I thought, if you couldn’t see me, you could maybe pretend I was someone you wanted to kiss, you know. Maybe that would help?" Steve says kindly. "I can put the lights on if you want. It doesn't bother me."
Eddie dumps the things in his arms, W.A.S.P still pouring out of the portable tape deck's speakers. "No, no. You're right. This is good. I trust you to be the expert here." As he turns and walks towards Steve, the light hits his face, and Steve can at least see and hear he's smiling a tiny bit.
"Ok, so, here is what I think, and if any of it feels like it's gonna make you or is making you feel uncomfortable, just say, ok? You're under no pressure here," Steve reassures him, and despite how much he wants this, he does mean that. "I thought we could do it standing, and I'll keep my hands by my sides, just in case you are worried about anything I told you earlier, and you can just go for it. No judgment, and I'll help you if you want me to, ok? Eddie's rules," Steve says kindly.
"Eddie's rules," he repeats and steps forward toward Steve, who is busy trying to be as still and least intimidating as he can, but he can see as Eddie approaches he's shaking, almost vibrating.
"Are you cold?" Steve asks, concerned.
"No, just nervous," Eddie says, his voice trembling.
Steve lifts his arms slowly from his sides to either side of Eddie's shoulders. "May I?" He says, and Eddie nods. Steve places his hands on Eddie's upper arms.
"Look at me, Eddie." And those big brown doe eyes sweep up to meet Steve's gaze. "You've nothing to worry about. You wanna not do it. That's fine. We can try another time or never speak of it again. If it's awful, you've lost nothing. I'm not someone you need to impress with this, and I'm not gonna tell a soul for obvious reasons. You're safe here." He rubs Eddie's arms gently. "And if you wanna crank the music up, move me somewhere else, change the lights, or anything at all, you can. Eddie's rules, remember?" And Steve knows this image of those sweet candle-lit eyes looking at him for reassurance might be etched into his brain forever. He removes his hands and puts them down by his sides. "Consider me like, I dunno, like a mannequin or something."
"Alright," Eddie says quietly. He's still shaking a little but not as much, and it is adorable, even if it is a million miles from the wild rock star Steve had pictured in his imagination. It is stunning, nonetheless. The candlelight was a mistake. He looks beautiful in it.
Eddie does turn the music up, and on his way back to Steve appears to be psyching himself up, pacing around and rolling his shoulders, like he'd seen plenty of times in locker rooms before a game, and he desperately wants to laugh, but doesn't want to shake Eddie's confidence. So he waits with the same patient, friendly smile on his face.
Eddie finally takes a few steps towards him. "Ok, I got this. It's just like mwah and done. Easy." Eddie speaks his inner monologue aloud whilst staring intensely at Steve's mouth before his eyes flick up to Steve's, who returns a kind nod. Eddie rubs his hands together. "Right, here goes nothing."
Eddie closes the gap, and just like that, Eddie Munson is kissing Steve Harrington. It is one of the most fantastic and agonizing things Steve has ever experienced. Eddie's mouth is so soft and pillowy. This close, Steve can absorb the full bouquet of his aromas. Alcohol, weed, tobacco, leather, pine, patchouli, musk, engine oil, a hint of gasoline, and it's so heady Steve wants to roll his eyes back into his skull and live here forever. He smells like high-speed rock ‘n’ roll, and Steve wants it bottled. And yet, at the same time, he's restricted. He can't reach out to pull Eddie closer. He can't deepen this kiss. He can't plunge his hands into his wild hair or explore under his shirt. He has to stay perfectly still for Eddie.
Steve unexpectedly adds 'Good Kisser' to his Eddie assessment.
This memory would always have to be Steve's secret album track. One hidden after minutes worth of silence right at the end of side B that wasn't even labeled on the album itself. Hidden away from prying eyes, only there for him when he felt like delving deeply enough, but he knows this is always going to be in his top ten. A mental polaroid, their mouths perfectly fitted together just like this.
Eddie tilts into it a little more, and Steve's every fiber is crying out to match his energy, but he promised he'd stay still, but he could be pliant. There is an extra wave of alcohol between them as Steve feels pressure from Eddie's tongue, teasing his mouth to part slightly. He obliges willingly but knows not to give too much. Eddie's doing the driving here. He tries to relax by forcing his focus on the music.
Magic runs through my fingers-
One touch you'll see
Steve feels Eddie's hand gently touch the side of his face as if instructed by the singer, but then he pulls it away quickly. Steve breaks the rules, puts Eddie's hand back on his face, and pats it. Trying to let him know it's ok, but Eddie pulls away entirely. However, he keeps the distance minimal. The smile on his face is enormous, and Steve mirrors it.
Steve wants to let out a sigh so full of longing it might launch a million love songs from bridge to chorus. A lonesome howl. Instead, he does what he's supposed to. He keeps the beat and holds that friendly smile like that didn't just happen. Like that kiss wouldn't be embossed onto his lips whenever he hears a singer croon about unrequited love. His hand forever pressed against the window pane of a place he's not on the list for.
"See, easy. You did it, man. First kiss. Check. Done." Steve draws a tick in the air with his hand, but Eddie isn't looking. He might not even be listening. Instead, his eyes are still trained on Steve's mouth.
"Say, could I get a redo on that? I noticed something, and I wanna try something else," Eddie says excitedly, and Steve can hardly believe his luck. Praise whatever powerful being is allowing this to happen right now.
"Sure thing. It's your time. Anything I can help with?" Steve asks, trying not to sound too eager to please.
"Can you, um, how can I put it….can you kiss me back this time, so I know what that feels like?" Eddie asks, the grin on his face unmoving. A Roy Orbison 'Have Mercy' rings through his brain. For Steve, it might as well be Christmas right now, it's not everything he wants, but it's something, and to be honest, the universe has let him get away with a lot this evening.
L.O…V.E.
Keeping his cool and calm facade up, he replies, "Yeah, sure, I can do that. It's your rules, man. Your hands are fine, too, by the way. Sorry if I scared you. I was trying to let you know it was ok." He smiles more gently, and Eddie nods before turning around quickly to turn the music up even louder.
Steve notices that Eddie isn't shaking anymore, and that sweet innocent look in his eyes appears to have disappeared entirely. It feels ridiculous to even think, but if he was going to label how Eddie looks right now, he'd use the word ravenous. The backdrop of the guitar screaming out of the speakers only makes Steve's pulse race faster. Even Eddie's posture is straighter. He’s standing a little taller. His eyes don't move from Steve's mouth until he's swaggered back to where he was, their noses an inch or so apart; his eyes flick up to Steve's, and he actually winks at him, but before Steve can process what all these changes mean or where they've come from, their mouths connect again, and he is literally manhandled.
Eddie's hands yank Steve's arms around him, leaning his back against them like he wants Steve to touch him. Meanwhile, Eddie's hands are taking a whistlestop tour of Steve. Pushing and feeling over his torso and arms as they make their way up to his neck and into his hair, Eddie eases Steve's mouth open with his own, tugging gently on his bottom lip.
The message center in Steve's brain is in two distinct factions right now: Team 'What the hell is happening?' and Team 'Hell yeah, let's fucking go!". Only then does he remember he should be doing something other than letting Eddie paw over him and try to engulf him entirely.
Steve kisses Eddie back, licks into his mouth with all the hunger he'd been restraining, and lets his hand smooth up Eddie's t-shirt. The feeling of his body through the fabric would be unforgettable. Steve's hands are the steady grounding bass groove to Eddie's hurried electrifying lead. He is in the throes of it now, so it's really not his fault that when he feels Eddie tug on his hair slightly, he instinctively roughly pulls Eddie closer, pressing them together. The force of which pushes a grunt from Eddie, making a bolt of lightning shoot straight into the pit of his stomach.
This is the Eddie he'd been fantasizing about, powerful, rough, brain-frazzling, just like the guitar riffs he'd been listening to that night. Who knew it was lying in wait behind one little kiss? Maybe Steve wasn't such an awful judge of character after all. He isn’t sure what is going to happen after this. Perhaps they'll be so embarrassed they'll never talk to one another again, but the lines have been crossed now. So as far as Steve is concerned, he is going to sprint into this tryst until Eddie close-lines him to the floor by simply telling him 'No' or 'Stop'.
The loud music in his ears, and the sweet melody Eddie is playing with his body, makes Steve flip the bird at the angel complaining on his shoulder as he moves one of his hands to grip Eddie's lithe waist, thumbing into the flesh with the safety barrier of the material between. The other moves all the way north to get lost in that wild mane between his fingers as he grips into it lightly, doesn't pull, just wants to feel around in there, and it is glorious. He feels Eddie's tongue retract from the wrestling match it had been having with his own, his lips smile against him before he tugs hard on Steve's hair, tipping his head backwards with force, making him emit a noise he hadn't ever heard himself produce before, inspired by a place somewhere between pleasure and pain.
Both panting for air, Steve, though in an awkward position, decides to make light of the situation. He doesn't want Eddie to stop and figures humor will let him know everything is still good. "Not bad for a second kiss, Munson."
"Careful, Harrington. You wouldn't want anyone to think you're having a good time here, innocently helping out your new buddy, right?" Eddie's sultry smile descends into a smirk as he licks a fat stripe from the base of Steve's throat all the way up to his chin, along his jawline until he's dragging his teeth over his ear, and now Steve's eyes do roll back into his skull, his eyelids flutter shut, as he feels his blood thunder south. Steve decides that the town is wrong, Eddie doesn't worship the devil. The level of temptation and amount of sinful thoughts surging through Steve right now might mean that he is in the hands of Apollyon himself. Relief sweeps over him as Eddie finally pushes him into a wall, glad for something to help keep him standing.
He worries about the potentially embarrassing firmness rapidly developing below his belt, and a good Steve, a wise Steve, would tell Eddie to ease up, but those Steves are out to lunch. The only Steve remaining is munching on popcorn, yelling more, more, more, and switching every sign to green. "Jesus Christ, Eddie," is all he manages breathlessly.
Eddie's hand is still firmly holding Steve's head back as his other hand caresses his face and starts to move achingly slowly down his neck and chest as Eddie rasps in his ear, "You know, Harrington, you really should learn to ask more open questions." He must see the look of confusion on Steve's face because he laughs deeply, and it vibrates through Steve's body, not helping his current predicament in any way.
Another tug on his hair, and the hand on his chest moves lower still. Eddie's fingers trace gently along the outlines of his muscles through his sweatshirt. It's only then Steve realizes his own hands have turned limp against Eddie. He forces his eyes to look to the side to finally meet Eddie's in the darkness, waiting for answers that aren't emerging. Steve dips the fingers of the hand on Eddie's waist, along the waistband of his jeans, and he runs them around it gently until he finds a belt loop to hook a finger into and pulls Eddie against him again. A gasp and groan swim into Steve's ear. At the same time, he feels Eddie's stiffness against his hip. Steve bites down so hard on his own lip he's sure it might draw blood. "What do you mean?" He manages when the ability to think and speak finally returns.
Eddie deeply chuckles again before slowly, rhythmically thrusting his hips against Steve, causing a harmony of noises from them both. "Mmm, we sound good together, don't we?" Eddie purrs as his eyes trail over his face. The rough denim shifts the fabric of his trousers over his leg. The outside has the firm pressure from Eddie, but it's when the material gently brushes up and down the inside of his thigh that is really causing a cerebral malfunction. Steve should stop him. This is too far, too telling, he's exposed what he is, letting him get away with it, but if he does, this might never happen again, and he wants this so badly. Everything about this guy is musical. His tempo and basal noises are like sinful arias that Steve wants on repeat, his fingertips moving over him, conducting Steve's body to do exactly whatever he wants. Eddie ceases his pelvic onslaught. "I have a confession," he mutters gently as his fingers move to the lines where Steve's abdomen meets his hips, making Steve's usually very comfortable slacks feel like his worst enemy. "You see, I kinda didn't lie, but I didn't tell you the whole truth either."
On instinct, Steve's fingers have been working away at freeing Eddie from his clothes. This is usually where a girl might bat his hand away, or if he was lucky, they'd help him out by removing it themselves. Eddie doesn't do that. He keeps his eyes on Steve and does nothing to stop or aid him. He simply allows it. With the freedom he's clearly been bestowed, Steve isn't sure why he doesn't immediately relieve Eddie of his clothes. Instead, it makes him untuck Eddie's band tee much more slowly than he actually wants to, like carefully unwrapping a gift. But as Eddie stops talking, he stops untucking. A smile ticks at the corner of Steve's mouth like he's playing a little game. Eddie pushes him lower slightly, so he can look down into his eyes as he tilts his head, raising an eyebrow. It's a spinning coin of who has the power here, and Steve didn't realize until right now how soul-stirring that could be.
"We were talking about girls, right?" Eddie continues, a subtle tremble appearing in his voice, and Steve teases some of the fabric free as he speaks, his finger accidentally ghosting over the skin underneath. Eddie's words cease. Steve stills his fingers and watches him crumble slightly. Eddie whines and bites his lip, nodding, before taking a deep breath. "And everything I said about girls was one hundred percent true. I'd never outright lie to you. It was just a simple twisting to just see if…." Steve continues around his waistband until he realizes Eddie is repeating himself, and he starts tucking the t-shirt back in and moves his hand away. "No-no-no," Eddie says much more quickly, dropping out of his deep sultry tone to something Steve is more used to hearing, and he pouts.
"That's cheating," Steve smiles up at him.
"Sorry, sorry," Eddie apologizes and takes Steve's hand, placing it back where it was. "Please."
"Then confess," he says sternly, making Eddie wet his lips with his tongue.
"I hadn't kissed a girl. I tried. I like girls. I dated a bunch." Eddie's storytelling trait leaves the building, as all he is left with are short sentences, his eyes looking for Steve's hand teasing the material until the shirt is entirely free. He swallows thickly before he speaks again, "And I did give up after I chickened out a few times. That was all true." Steve's hand slithers under the soft cotton fabric of Eddie's T-shirt, and as his fingertips touch Eddie's stomach, his head flies back, and Steve can see his Adam's apple bobbing away, as he unleashes a string of whispered curse words into the air; his chest heaves up and down, and his grip almost pulsing in Steve's hair. He stays perfectly still, waiting for Eddie to return from wherever his brain and Steve's touch just sent him. Lets his hand linger, hoping it weaves a white-hot print into his skin forever. Hopes the place is accidentally brushed over one day, and this moment swamps his brain like the sweetest refrain.
'Cos bad boys they do
After a few seconds, his head lowers again, looking intensely into Steve's eyes, and he can feel the smooth abdomen and rise and fall against his palm. Other than the subtle movements of their bodies, they are caught in a stalemate. Without breaking their shared lustful stare save for an occasional blink, Steve flexes his trembling fingers lightly so the tips of them brush featherlight against Eddie’s softer-than-expected skin, and Eddie’s eyelids flicker for a moment. “So if that was all true, what was the lie?” Steve asks softly as his fingers graze over small patches of his torso, making minute circles that he is unsure about dealing out. Steve had felt a sizable number of bodies before, but this one is hot as a volcano and potentially just as volatile with one incorrect shifting of the fault-riddled ground they’d made together tonight. He has no idea what is too far here. Steve feels he is walking a high wire of intimacy. One wrong move and it could all be over. It all comes flooding into his mind at once how very little he knows about Eddie. How potentially dangerous this could be. What if Steve crosses a line, and it sets him off? Steve’s heart pounds in his chest, unsure of how to proceed.
With his head still tilted back in Eddie's hand, he looks down his nose and gingerly reaches out for Eddie's hand, wraps his fingers cautiously around his wrist, and to his relief, he lets him take it. He places it on his wrist, partially obscured by the T-shirt it hides under. Steve meets his eyes again, and Eddie’s hand chases after Steve’s under his shirt. He looks down at Eddie’s chest, can make out the bumps of his knuckles through the cotton, and spreads his fingers slightly so they disappear, and Eddie’s digits fall into the spaces between his own. A slight glint of a smile twitches at the corner of Eddie’s mouth as he tightens his grip and moves Steve’s hand over his body with a gulp, watching Steve like a hawk, and for a moment, he thinks maybe Eddie is just as scared of him. He moves their hands slowly to his chest, and his eyes close as he licks his lips. His chest is rising and falling much more profoundly and hurriedly now. He smooths their loosely joined hands slowly down him to his side, over the ripple of his ribs under Steve's fingertips. Eddie observes Steve the whole time, and the tension is eating away at him, so he pushes. “You didn’t answer. What was the lie?” Steve asks again.
Eddie's hand leaves him, and his skin misses the red-hot heat of his palm already. It shoots out to the side of Steve's head against the wall, and Eddie slowly bends his elbow to lean his face back into Steve’s space. Steve tries his absolute best to stay calm, but his heart thunders in his chest, and his eyes flicker back down to Eddie’s mouth. He feels a deep ache—one more kiss. One more, and then he’ll stop.
Eddie’s smile grows to a wicked thing above him as he studies Steve’s face. "The lie? No, Steve. Not a lie, just not the whole truth. I’ve never kissed a girl, and I do like them. But I also like guys.” Steve’s eyes must betray him entirely with surprise because Eddie’s grin widens, ”And I kissed a whole bunch of them a whole lotta times," he manages before adding to that total by kissing Steve ferociously, clashing them together almost painfully and pulling away roughly, "and you can't really blame me when the hottest guy in the universe offered me a kiss for nothing. Out of the goodness of his precious, kind heart." Eddie’s eyes drop lower, and soon he’s gone from where Steve can see. The next thing he feels is his soft wet lips mouthing over Steve's throat. The quick switch to gentleness has him finally releasing his hair and cupping the back of his neck. "You forgive me, right, sweetheart?" He speaks it into his skin, and he’s right. He does, but he can’t currently articulate the words to do so. Steve is pleasantly surprised that Eddie duped him. That means that Eddie wanted him, too, right? Maybe not in the same way, but in some way. A smile breaks on Steve's face as he lets the wave of pleasure crash over him as frequently and as heavily as they like.
Make the grade.
He adds ‘Phenomenal Actor’ to his Eddie assessment list.
Steve laughs, making Eddie stop, but Steve doesn't have time to reassure him. The danger is gone, but it is no less exhilarating. He finally uses his strength to push off the wall and trade places. Eddie looks confused, maybe even a little scared, until he scans over Steve’s face centimeters from his own, smiling broadly, laughing in between pants for breath. As Steve pushes off him and removes his blazer and sweatshirt, Eddie no longer seems so worried.
"What did I do to deserve all this?" His eyes rake over every newly exposed inch of Steve, which feels like the most glorious thing in the world. Eddie wants him. It is looping over in his brain like a scratched record.
They're gonna drive me crazy yet.
"Well, let's see, you told the truth." Steve pushes his hardness into Eddie's thigh, and the relief from that tiny bit of contact is almost enough to make Steve collapse onto Eddie, but now he knows they had both been misleading one another a little, and he wants to play up to it.
"I did, I really did. I was so good for that, wasn't I?" Eddie agrees enthusiastically, his eyebrows pushing together as he looks from Steve's face to the friction between them as Eddie slides against him again, and Steve almost short circuits.
Prior to right now, Steve's general part in this kind of dynamic was mostly being grateful. Grateful for a girl, to let him touch her in any way. Even with Tommy, it was almost like a mutual science experiment, but Steve has found two new things he was into in the few short minutes of whatever this was developing between him and Eddie, so he pokes at one.
"But you also made me aware that someone as good at acting as you cannot be trusted." Steve rolls his hips away from Eddie, leaving him shaking his head quickly in a sort of panic, and watching Eddie crave him like this was sending undulating shockwaves throughout himself. Sure, he's been the subject of coy glances, big eyes full of affection, maybe something close to love, but to be desired so desperately is not something he is accustomed to. It prickles at his nerve endings until his whole body feels so sensitive, like the merest hint of a breeze against it could send him crashing back into Eddie for more.
"It wasn't all acting, I swear. I was nervous about kissing you, but for different reasons than I said," Eddie babbles. His fingers dig into Steve's forearms as he grasps for them. Make that three. Usually, when he was gripped this way, it was by the soft pads at the ends of dainty fingers, maybe even the light scratches of perfectly manicured fingernails. Eddie's fingers aren’t like that. The tips are covered mostly in calluses from playing the guitar, and the roughness of his palms is probably from working with his hands. Steve suspects it's perhaps his van. Immediately jealous that it might be from all the rough surfaces Eddie has pushed other guys up against. He shuts his eyes momentarily as the textures graze across his arms, and his brain takes him to a sweltering hot day, Eddie leaning into the engine of his van, sweat dripping from him, covered in streaks of engine oil or grease, and it is doing Steve no favors in his attempt to calm down. He listens to the music around them for a reprieve, but it doesn't come. The singer only urges him on. He wonders if Eddie selected this album intentionally. If it was part of his plan all along, to bewitch Steve with a wicked potion of himself and the suggestive lyrics in the air.
That smokin' powder keg you're riding on is hell-bound
Steve rushes him, throwing a forearm over his head and leaning his whole weight against it on the wall so he looms over Eddie, breathing hard but keeping a distance between their bodies, hoping to create a chasm between them that they’d fill with the desire behind their eyes. He carefully leans in and speaks his words into Eddie's slightly parted mouth. "Would you have forgiven me if our roles had been reversed? If I had tricked you tonight?" His eyes rise sleepily from Eddie's lips to his hooded eyes, and a shuddering breath escapes the man under him, and Steve's stomach flips.
"Yeah. Yes. A million times, yes. I'd forgive you." Eddie looks like he's in pain as his words drip with yearning. Steve smiles down at him, and he can see the wave of realization move gradually across Eddie's face, "You tricked me?" He says slowly in an unbelieving whisper. His big eyes look up at Steve so innocently for a moment that it makes him positively growl into Eddie's neck because this is fucking sensational. He knows at any point he could throw up his hands, and Eddie would take the reins, or he could continue to overpower him, dominate him like this. He honestly can’t read what Eddie prefers, but he also had no idea what he liked better, either. It all feels good, maybe a little too good.
At the altar of rock 'n' roll you'll kneel.
"It wasn't a trick, exactly. It was more a bending of the truth and then a little pushing my luck," Steve says quietly as he mouths down his neck, his tongue tasting the sharpness of cheap cologne that Steve wouldn't have replaced by anything more expensive. It is perfection. He latches on when he reaches the base of his throat, hoping to leave Eddie with a memory of this evening, a warning to anyone else that sees it, at least for a few days, making Eddie hiss a breath between his teeth. Increasing the pressure as the guitar desperately wails in the sweet syrupy air around them. At first, he thinks he might have been too rough and hurt him until Eddie's hands guide his head back for more. "You like that?" Steve asks for the first time.
"I'd like it better if the rest of you wasn't so far away," Eddie half-complains.
"Yeah, well, I'm not sure you deserve it after being so deceptive." Steve laughs, taking his throat between his teeth again and sucking down. He dares to glance up at Eddie's expression and regrets it immediately because he looks like absolute sin, his head thrown back against the wall, sweat sticking his hair to his face, his kiss-swollen mouth hanging open like it's desperately waiting for something obscene to fill it. Though he can't see them in the dim light, he bets those coral pink triangles of blush are adorning his face right now.
Hellion! The devil's Hellion child
"You're not really selling the whole telling you the truth thing, you know?" Eddie catches him staring up at him and grins until he's cut off by Steve bursting another bunch of his blood vessels to decorate his pretty neck. Then he's catching his breath, gasping, and sighing into the air above them as his eyes slide closed.
"Yeah, but imagine how much more you could have right now if you'd been good," Steve says as he releases and towers over him again, and Eddie lets him, despite them being roughly the same height. A mischievous grin spreads across Eddie’s face as his hips rut forward and grind against him again, almost taunting him. It feels so sinfully good. Steve almost whimpers but presses his lips together just in time. He looks at Eddie, who is already watching him, with a slightly arched eyebrow. As their eyes lock, he does it once more. His brow knits, and his mouth drops open a little. Steve recognises it as almost too much. A moan rolls out of him in the silence between songs, and Steve can't resist that open invitation to capture it. But the next song seeps into his ears, slower, gentler, and Steve lets the music puppet him. He reaches out to cup Eddie's jaw, thumbing at his cheek where he can feel those little patches of heat hiding in the darkness. The music slows his touch and breathing. He lets his eyes search Eddie's for the keys to unlock what he's holding back. Eddie releases a sigh.
Click.
Look, look in the candlelight.
Completely lost in the moment, he finally lets his mind take him and Eddie somewhere else entirely. Suspended in a dark nothingness, only one another's highlights revealed by the faintest light until flames burst from the floor to lick at their bodies. He claims Eddie's mouth with his own and tastes him again, consuming his sounds of pleasure like it was the ambrosia of the gods. He mentally adds to his Eddie assessment.
Exceedingly good at reading me.
As Steve draws back again, just to escape how good Eddie feels, before this ends too soon for his liking, Eddie says, "Come on, Steve. If I'd been really good and told no lies, neither of us would have much of anything right now." His hands move over Steve's body as smoothly as his voice fills his ears until they find their way around his waist, splay out against his back and pull him in closer again. "So maybe, don't think about it too much. Maybe call it even and don't think about anything at all." Eddie's hands move lower, grazing the small of his back, gliding into and over the dimples there, until his fingertips are playing with the back of his waistband, and he slightly dips them inside of it. He raises his eyes to Steve's and holds his gaze through his eyelashes, and Steve realizes he's silently asking for permission.
And cry out the name of which I yearn.
Eddie doesn't know, but this is the furthest he's ever gone with a guy. He and Tommy had a few make-out sessions. There had been some moments where other parts of their bodies had brushed against one another, but primarily accidental, not purposeful like this. Not urgent wanting like this. It was the hands above the belt rule that kept it safe, that kept it in a forgivable friendly experiment zone. Even if they'd ended up visibly aroused by anything, they'd laugh it off, slap one another on the back, and find a bathroom each, as far apart as possible. This is not like that. He desperately wants to cross that line, specifically with Eddie, but the icy fear is steadily creeping its way past Eddie's flaming hot hands and up his spine. If he stepped over that line, there were no excuses then. It's only when Eddie speaks again he realizes he's frozen. "Steve? Hey, you ok?" Eddie's fingertips immediately retreat to the outside of the waistband of Steve's slacks.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine, I'm good," Steve says confidently, even laughing for good measure, but inside, he is terrified. He surges forward to kiss Eddie again, who accepts, but Steve notices it's much more like their first one. Soft, slow, gentle. He feels the firm pressure of Eddie's arms surrounding him, and it's a sorely needed comfort to slow down the insanity that is going on within him right now. Eddie's eyes scan his face. "Is that as far as you got?" He asks, and there is that kindness in his voice again. He's changed back to the guy that cared enough to be there tonight for Steve, with absolutely no idea there was anything in it for him at all. Steve swallows nervously and nods, looking down to the floor, a little embarrassed that his fear had suddenly surpassed his enthusiasm. He doesn't understand why Eddie isn't upset right now, why he isn't pushing him away, calling him a cocktease, or something worse. Sure Steve had never in his life treated anyone like that, no matter where they paused or stopped proceedings, but from what the girls revealed to him as he'd hold them in his arms, reassuring them it didn't matter, it wasn't a big deal, most guys got pissed about it. He was an exception.
"Steve. It's ok." His arms tighten around him, and one hand starts rubbing a soothing circle on his back as he stands to his full height again. 'Look at me. Please"
Steve quickly glances at him and looks away just as rapidly. "Can you try to look at me for a bit longer, please? I know it's difficult on account of how hideous you find me." The smile in his tone is evident, and Steve dares to look again. "There you are," Eddie says with a huge smile, and Steve offers him a weak one back. "Remember earlier, we were talking about Eddie's rules?" He brings a hand to touch the side of Steve's face, carefully moving a few strands of hair away from his eyes. Steve can't bring himself to say anything. He looks down again and feels stupid. Eddie catches his chin on the crook of his index finger and tilts his head back up. "Well, number one on the list of Eddie's Rules is all parties have to be into what's happening at all times. Understand? Because if you're not into it, I'm not into it, ok? That's how it works for me. I'm not being a martyr here," he smiles and looks down where they are still pressed together. "When I know someone's having a good time with me because of me, that's my thing. That's what gets me off." Eddie pretends to be deep in thought as he looks back up. "Well, that and a hundred other things probably, but that's definitely my favorite and most important." He lets out a soft laugh that makes the tension boiling in Steve rest to a simmer.
Steve casts his eyes down to the collar of Eddie's t-shirt, rolls it between his fingers and sighs, "Sorry. I know it must seem like a weird line to have, considering everything else we’ve been doing. You must be disappointed," Steve says regretfully, and Eddie laughs so loudly, making Steve’s eyes snap to him in alarm.
"Are you fucking kidding me? Do you have any idea where I've been for the past I don't fucking know minutes? I'm day-slash-night walking in fantasy, Steve. You have no idea how many times I thought about this. How many different ways. I never. Hand on heart. Never thought it would happen. And believe me when I say I thought I had a fantastic imagination, being a storyteller, a musician, and a dreamer, but nothing I came up with was anywhere close to how amazing this is. Seriously." His hand cups Steve's jaw, and his thumb runs across his cheekbone. "So no, sweetheart, I'm not disappointed. I am a man, light years away from the town of disappointment, ok?"
Steve smiles but rolls his eyes with his patented half-smile. Eddie looks and sounds genuine, but he can't help but feel maybe he'd wanted or expected more.
"I know what you're thinking, Steve. I think I rammed my tongue so far down your throat I tasted your innermost thoughts, so I'll be one hundred percent honest with you. I would be lying if I said I didn't want more. But I always want more. It's who I am. I'm greedy for attention, affection and, right now, you. I am. I'll hold my hands up to that. But I am not disappointed. So you've got nothing to apologize for except being so damn delectable. And maybe don't even be sorry for that because-" Steve cuts him off with a kiss that sets off a box of exhibition-sized fireworks inside of Steve, an orchestral crescendo that runs in ripples over his skin. Fuck, he likes this guy so much more than he thought he did or could.
"You know, I can talk more if that's how you'll keep me quiet the rest of the night?" Eddie smiles as he blinks back into the present.
"You know I'm in one too?" Steve says quietly, brushing the sweat-dampened hair from Eddie's face.
"Huh? In one? One what?" Eddie looks completely bamboozled.
Steve chuckles, making Eddie's face light up. "I mean, I'm in a fantasy too."
"Fuck off!" Eddie exclaims so loudly in shock it makes Steve lean back. "You are not!" Steve nods, and Eddie's mouth is wide open in excited surprise as he gestures to himself. "Me? Really?"
"Yeah," Steve says softly, draping his arms around Eddie's neck.
"You have no idea the inner turmoil I'm in right now. Like, I know, I can't tell anyone about this, and I won't, but if I could, shit, the fucking urge to rub this in all their stupid faces is strong. Steve Harrington was fantasizing about lil' ol' me." He flutters his eyelashes. "Feed my ego, Steve. Tell me everything, please."
"Ah, no. That's private," Steve says, frowning a little.
"Ok, ok. At least tell me for how long?" Eddie asks, his arms around Steve, shaking him left to right with excitement, and Steve sighs.
"Since yesterday." And almost immediately, Eddie pouts his downturned lips as his shoulders sink.
"Damn, you don't mess around, do ya?" Eddie replies with a lot less excitement.
"Ok, so you definitely seem disappointed now," Steve remarks.
"Yeah, that's because I am." Eddie pouts again, and Steve is amusedly taken aback by his honesty. At least this reaction confirmed he was telling the truth moments ago.
"Why? Like, why be disappointed about this and not me ruining everything," Steve asks curiously.
"Ok, stop. You ruined nothing. This is different. I just learned you'd been thinking about me, and I guess I imagined it would have been for longer than a day, Steve. What? No pining? No finding out when I'm on shift so you can watch my fine ass walk by? No, Eddie daydreams out of the window. Just one day? How? How is that possible? What did I do yesterday that I didn't do any other of the days we've known one another? I look the same. I act the same. Is it? Is it because you think I'm turning over a new leaf with a legitimate job? Because you should know I'm not." Eddie lets the words leave him like rapid fire as he puzzles through the situation, "Is it name tags? ‘Cus I can get my hands on as many name tags as you want. Oh, wait, is it because I asked for your help? Like a good Samaritan kink or something because, again, my teachers will tell ya I need all the help I can get."
"It's because yesterday I knew, well, I hoped you were like me," Steve answers.
"Oh, the liking guys thing?" Eddie guesses, and Steve shakes his head in a no, and Eddie wrinkles up his nose adorably.
"Music. You talk out loud about music, the way I feel inside about music. In the record store, the way you described the Hendrix album felt different from when you were assessing the others, and earlier tonight, the way you talked about this one," Steve gestures to the air to indicate the music still playing, "and then you knew what I was talking about when I talked about those sensations. And I thought maybe you'd get me. And then I remembered you were in a band, and I thought how amazing that must feel, to play these things and feel like I feel when I only listen to them. Then I couldn't stop thinking about how you might look, getting totally lost in it." Steve takes a breath, realizing how amped up he is talking about this, staring intensely into Eddie's eyes. He's suddenly aware he's talking louder, excitedly, his hands around the back of Eddie's neck, twisting his fingers into Eddie's hair. "Sorry." He says with an awkward laugh and dials it down a few notches back to normal Steve levels.
Eddie says nothing, only gazes back at him, a soft, thoughtful look on his face, blinking a few times before he says, "Don't stop on my account." And right there in a dimly lit room, W.A.S.P still playing loudly in the background, half-dressed, his hair wildly disheveled, Steve Harrington falls for Eddie Munson.
Shit. This is bad. Fooling around, secret crushes and fantasies were one thing, but this? This is something else entirely. Dangerous even. But Steve knows. He emphatically knows the difference between something purely physical, something lustfully wanton, and this. This spins his head like a record, his stomach turns cartwheels, and his heart isn't pounding quickly like the hooves of galloping wild horses anymore. It's thudding. A resounding, steady thud. A bluesy John Lee Hooker boom, boom, boom, boom.
"Really?" Steve asks carefully.
"Do you know the level of nerd you have in your arms right now? I mean, I'm a pretty, foxy one at least, but yeah, really, Music was the first thing I remember being completely obsessed with." Eddie smiles. "I had no idea until we were by your pool that music wasn't anything but background noise to you or something to dance with girls to. All I knew about you was you liked sports, were rich, a little bit of a bitch, and so goddamn pretty. I would happily talk about and listen to you talk about music for hours."
Steve wants to ask, but he just stares. He doesn't want to scare Eddie away, but he wants to know if this is just tonight, some fun between friends, or if…if there could be a tomorrow, or next week, or month, or year, or fucking forever.
"Wanna share with the class?" Eddie says, with a sweet encouraging smile.
"Well, two things, one for you and one for me," Steve says. "Which first?"
"Oh, definitely you first, sweetheart," Eddie drawls, and Steve desperately tries to focus on his words and not any hidden meanings that his body is trying to convince him of right now.
"So, I was wondering, and it's absolutely fine if not, but do you maybe wanna hang out again tomorrow or another night this week?" Steve asks, using his confident mask.
"Like we have tonight?" Eddie asks slowly.
"Yeah, or just-" Steve tries to answer.
"Stop right there." Eddie presses a finger to Steve's still-speaking lips. " Yes! Absolutely yes, Steve. Yes. It's a yes. Big fat, yes. Thank you very much," Eddie answers firmly without hesitation, before a colossal grin breaks across his face, and then he suddenly looks puzzled. "Wait, that was for you? What in the world do you have for me?" But Steve has stalled now. He's still processing how eagerly Eddie agreed, and he's very aware of his own breathing and the pulse in his ears until he's snapped out of it by a ringed hand waving in his face.
"Earth to Steve. Helloooo?" Eddie tries, and Steve tries to remember what he was talking about before he started plotting out their future together.
"So, for you, yes, erm, ok, so kinda embarrassing, but I thought you might like to know that whilst I only fantasized about you for one day, it was…." Steve licks his lips and blinks like he can't believe he's going to say this out loud, but he wants Eddie not to be disappointed. He looks into Eddie's expectant eyes in the darkness. "It was, um…intense and um…vigorous." Steve sees his eyes go a new level of wide before he looks impressed with himself.
"Oh-ho-ho, really? Now that does make me feel a little better." Even in the low light, his huge toothy grin is beaming at Steve. "You know I can run out to the van any time you like, grab that guitar and happily give you your own private concert."
"You would?" Steve asks dreamily as he thinks about that image momentarily and slides closer to Eddie until their silhouettes merge into one against the wall.
"Oh yeah, with fucking bells on." Eddie grins, his eyes dropping to Steve's mouth again, then looking him up and down. "Is this you indicating you might wanna rewind and within the lines have a little more fun now?"
"Yeah," Steve breathes against his lips. "That ok?"
"That ok?" Eddie playfully mimics and laughs. "Yes, of course, gorgeous. Absolutely ok! Maybe, as I'm staying over anyway, we can do the same tomorrow too?" Eddie says, walking Steve backwards to the couch, his eyes lazily looking over Steve's face as he guides him to sit and lowers him down, cradling the back of his head gently to lie back. "Ok, like this?" He asks as he shuffles into his lap. Steve nods happily and wraps his arms around Eddie's waist.
"Who knows, maybe tomorrow won't be the same? Maybe a sweet, handsome, nerdy guy can help me get a little further tomorrow? Because with him, I'd really like to eventually. You know, do more," Steve says positively; though he can feel the heat rise up his face, he is smiling up at Eddie as he leans in close and presses a kiss to his lips before sitting back and taking off his t-shirt. Eddie pauses like he's allowing him the time to look over him. Steve makes a mental note of all the places he's going to explore later, all the ink buried in Eddie's skin he's going to get intimately acquainted with every minuscule detail of, maybe even leave his signature next to them, so Steve can be buried under Eddie's skin there right along with them.
"From what I know of that guy, he will be more than eager to assist, but he's also not in any kind of rush. He'll be beside himself that he got so fucking lucky to get his lips on the second hottest music nerd in town." And before Steve can laugh and reach up to playfully push him off, Eddie leans down against his hand to kiss him longingly, his untamed hair draping around them both like the softest black-out curtains against the outside world, their sounds intertwine harmoniously once more as they breathe one another in and out.
Symbiotic. Just like Eddie said.
Whilst their song sends Steve's imagination into the serenity of outer space, his fingertips of the hand wedged between them moves over Eddie's skin, across to the center of his chest, until they find what Steve's been after for so long.
A beat that wholeheartedly moves him.
#steddiebang23#steddie big bang#steddie big band 2023#steddie fic#steddie fan fiction#steddie fanfic#steddie fanfiction#steddie fan art#steddie fanart#steddie fluff#steddiebang23 masterposts
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i need more newsies content to consume im going insane
#aka multiple chapter fics#newsies#newsies the musical#newsies broadway#newsies fics#newsies fanfiction#steddie fan fiction#newsies fan fiction#fan fiction#newsies 1992#1992sies#92sies#livesies#ao3
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STWG daily prompt 07/10/23
Prompt: star
****
It starts in the hospital.
Eddie isn’t really there, at first, in and out of consciousness for the first week or so. But once he’s awake for long enough to hold a conversation he starts asking for the blinds in the room to be open. Always. The nurses keep closing them, but Steve’s been there a couple of times when Eddie’s woken at night to find the blinds closed. Saw how agitated he got. So Steve swings by later and later and makes sure they’re open. He does what he can.
When he comes home, back to a small two bedroom house that they all fought tooth and nail to get for the Munsons, Steve notices the curtains are always open. Living room, kitchen, doesn’t matter. Wayne Munson isn’t over the moon about it, he’s worried about intruders, about people coming for Eddie. The curtains won’t protect them, they all know it won’t put anyone off if they’re determined, but it makes Wayne feel better if they’re closed.
Problem is, it makes Eddie feel better if they’re open.
As he gets better, able to move around on his own, Eddie spends all his time on the porch. Everytime Steve rocks up, dropping a kid off, picking one up, Eddie is outside waiting.
“Does Eddie ever go inside?” he asks Dustin on the way home one night. Tries to frame it like the joke they both know it isn’t.
Dustin is silent for a long time, plays with the cuffs on his shirt. Steve knows he’s trying to make things better for Eddie, things have changed. Eddie has changed. But it’s taking it’s toll on Dustin.
“He doesn’t like the dark. He hasn’t really… hasn’t really said that. I’ve just noticed.”
Steve squints as he drives, thinking. “It’s dark outside, though. Like, darker, surely? He sits out there at night, right?”
Dustin nods. “I don’t know what to tell you, Steve. He likes it out there, just stares up at the sky for hours.”
When he’s well enough, Eddie moves to Cincinnati. He needs to get out of Indiana, he says, but it’s only a couple of hours from Wayne. Steve helps him move, not that he brings much with him. He has a little apartment on the edge of the city. Steve assumes it’s because the rent is cheaper, but he doesn’t ask.
The first thing Eddie does is take all the curtains down.
Steve thinks about Eddie a lot. Misses him more than he ever thought possible. They talk on the phone sometimes but Eddie always sounds distant. Lost.
Robin says she’s ready to try college. She put it off last year, just couldn’t face starting over somewhere, not then. She needed to be close to them, she said when Steve asked her why she didn’t leave. He gets it. Nancy left in the fall, as planned. Jonathan went to the community college a couple of towns over from Hawkins. But Robin needed the closeness. The feeling of safety, familiarity.
“What about Cincinnati?” he asks her.
They don’t move to the same neighbourhood as Eddie. Steve gets the impression that he still needs the space and doesn’t want to spook him, even though he sounds excited that they’re moving close by.
Eddie invites them over, they hug, Robin squeezes him tight, whispers something in his ear that Steve isn’t privy to. But while Eddie has his arms wrapped around Robin, Steve sees them. The tattoos that weren’t there before.
An interlocking sun and moon, surrounded by stars on the inside of his right arm. And a shooting star, a trail of smaller stars in its wake, wrapped around his arm like a vine, moving up under the sleeve of his t shirt.
Eddie and Robin break and he catches Steve looking at the tattoo. Eddie takes a deep breath.
“They weren’t there,” he say. “It-it makes me feel better, being able to see them. Makes this feel real.”
And Steve nods. Finally understands.
When they move in together a couple of years later, the first thing Steve does is go from room to room, removing all the curtains.
#stwgdailyprompt#eddie munson#steve harrington#robin buckley#steddie#steddie fan fiction#steddie fanfic#my writing#dreamy writes
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smoke signals (steddie x reader)
prompt was along the lines of ‘reader wants to go out with the girls, but the boys say no so she can get her sleep schedule back on track and she sneaks out anyway. definitely gets caught. everything is bad.’
This is a Mean!Eddie focus fic. Part of me isn’t sure how I feel about this one shot, but I think it’s because I’ve been reading and re-reading it for the past month. Steve does his best to hold back as this takes place AFTER Good Cop x Bad Cop.
warnings as follows: minors dni 18+, d/s lifestyle dynamics, use of sir in a sexual way, use of daddy in a sexual way, fingering (female receiving), oral (female and male receiving), spanking, branding/burning, back handing, slapping, hair pulling, degradation, humiliation, name calling
“You said yes, yesterday!”
“I know I did, but look, you’re practically falling asleep watching TV!”
You and Eddie had been arguing for ten minutes. You told Nancy and Robin you’d go out with them tonight, it’d been some time since all the girls had a night to themselves. While you didn’t necessarily have to, you asked the boys if it was okay just in case they had any plans. Maybe it was because Robin couldn’t stop talking about how excited she was for it at work, but Steve was quick to say yes. Eddie, on the other hand, stiffened when you asked. Normally he’s always saying yes to a good party and inviting himself, you were surprised at his resistance.
He had blamed his lack of enthusiasm on how late you’d been staying up and how early you’d been going into work. Ever since the promotion, you barely took time for yourself. You’d stroll in at eight at night after getting to the office at six in the morning for board meeting preps and taking down minutes, filling out payroll paperwork. The job was endless. Now that things were calming down a little, Eddie thought it would be better if you spent the weekend getting back on a regular sleep schedule. You’d probably be a little nicer after developing ‘the world’s worst fuckin’ attitude’, according to him.
“Going out and having a good time is a part of resting, Ed! I’m not gonna be up late doing work, I’m going out late to have fun,” you explained from your cozied up spot on the couch, “It’s different.”
“I don’t know, honey, maybe he’s right. You might just need a night in, you can go out tomorrow,” Steve said from his arm chair with a beer in hand, looking at the TV.
“You’ve gotta be kidding me! You said I deserved to enjoy myself after this week! Plus, Robin closes tomorrow,” you shrilled, now fully sitting up. Your fuse was getting shorter by the minute – now you were genuinely annoyed.
“See, look at all this attitude, sweet thing,” Eddie cooed, “You should just stay in and get some sleep.” That fucking voice. His little lilt where he made you feel small and stupid, it drove you crazy (in the bad way).
“You just want me to stay in so you can have sex tonight,” you accused under your breath, laying back down and turning on your side towards the TV.
Eddie shrugged, “So? Sue me. Scoot over.” He tapped your calf, waiting for you to pull your knees to your chest so he could sit down. You glared up at him with a bratty pout, your hands covered in a blanket under your chin.
“There’s another chair you can sit in on the other side of the room,” you huffed, casting your eyes over the the empty recliner in the corner.
“Hey,” Steve’s voice was stern as turned his head to look at you, “Is that how you act when you don’t get what you want?”
You rolled your eyes, moving your legs up just enough that Eddie could sit on the edge of the couch up against the arm. He tutted and crossed his arms, tossing a look over to Steve.
“You wanna be over my knee, instead?” he warned, starting to get up from the chair.
“No, no,” you squeaked out, pulling your legs all the way up to your chest while Eddie plopped down. Steve sat back in the recliner, bringing his eyes back to the TV.
“You’re not going out tonight,” he said, “Not with that attitude.”
“You don’t really get to say what I’m allowed and not allowed to do, Steve,” you said, sitting up and criss-crossing your legs under your blanket. Steve exhaled and shook his head, Eddie turned his head to you with knitted brows.
“That’s enough. C’mere,” Eddie growled, pulling you by the arm over his lap. He tossed the blanket covering you to the floor, tugging your sweatpants down to your thighs. Revving up his hand to come down hard on your ass.
“No, wait!” you whined, kicking your legs, squirming in his grasp, “No, please, I’ll stop. I won’t go, I’m sorry.”
His hand skitters over your skin, giving one cheek a firm grab before pulling your pants back up, “Go give Nancy and Robin a call and let them know you’re not coming, okay?”
You nodded, albeit a little glumly, and went upstairs to use the phone in the boys room.
“This is ‘cause you’re not spanking her enough anymore,” you heard Eddie say to Steve, “She’s all out of line now. You should’ve dealt with your shit before you went and ruined it for all of us.”
“Shut up, Munson,” Steve said, “Before I put you in line.”
“I wish you’d put me in line, Stevie,” Ed flirted back.
You rolled your eyes at their banter, getting to the top of the stairs and turning the corner into their room. You shut the door behind you and sat at the desk, picking up the phone – except you didn’t dial Nancy or Robin. You had no intentions of calling at all. You were going out tonight – fuck whatever they had to say.
—
You asked Nancy to drop you a few houses down so that the boys wouldn’t hear the car door shut, hiding under the guise of ‘They’re probably sleeping, I don’t wanna wake them up.’ Your heart raced while you approached the house, but at least all the lights were off. That had to mean your high school trick of hiding pillows under a blanket was enough to convince them that you’d fallen asleep on the couch in the second bedroom where the boys hung out. Right? Right?
You were a little wobbly on your feet from dancing and kareoke, but the two drinks you had wore off a while ago. You reeked of bar air and cigarettes, but a shower could fix that and since you do the laundry anyway the boys would be none the wiser. You slowly unlocked the door, the click of the lock sounding much louder than you anticipated.
You winced, tip-toeing into the dark hall way and shutting the door behind you. Sleepiness coated your body once you made it inside, sliding your shoes off next to Steve’s Nikes. Good, good, it was just take a shower, replace the pillows on the couch with yourself, go to bed. Done.
You hung your jacket on the coat rack and got up the first couple of steps upstairs, and then you heard it –
“You don’t wanna join us in the living room?” Eddie’s voice was dark and stern, coming from across the hall way. You could see him and Steve’s sillouhettes on the couch in the dark.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” you thought – but you hadn’t thought it, you said it outloud. Even worse, you whined it. Your blood ran cold. You heard Eddie get up, his steps slow and deliberate. You could have just run up the stairs and locked yourself in the bathroom but you couldn’t will yourself to move.
Eddie was behind you, his hand around your elbow. His voice was low and gravelly in your ear, “Such a dirty fucking mouth.”
“I’m sorry, sir,” your voice was breathless, you were already sweating, “I didn’t mean to say it out loud.”
“Shouldn’t think it either,” he said, “But it looks like thinking’s been a little hard for you these days. Sneaking out of the fuckin’ house? Are you stupid?”
“No, no, I just wanted to have fun,” you whined. He pulled on your arm to get you down the stairs, stopping to fish through your coat pocket on the way. He found what he was looking for quickly, nodding to himself.
“Of course,” he said, a pack of his Camels appearing out of your coat, “So fucking predictable.”
“I’m sorry,” your voice was just a choked rasp. You were desperate not to cry. You didn’t dare look at Steve who had turned the side table lamps on in the living room. Now sitting, man spread, on the right side of the couch, head perched on his finger tips on the arm of it. Eddie pulled you in, stopping at the entry way by the credenza, working quickly on your jeans.
“Hanging out at The Hideout tonight?” he asked, as he kept undressing you, “Think I wouldn’t find out?” You shook your head no, whimpering. He pulled his cuffs out of his back pocket and you huffed at the sight of them.
“I don’t–” the look he gave you shut you up before you even bothered protesting futher. You heard them click into place with your writsts behind you.
“You got a lot of nerve, kid,” he muttered, “You smell like a fucking bar floor. C’mon.”
He tossed the box of Camels on the side table, taking a seat on the couch in the center cushion. His legs spread wide. He supported your balance while you kneeled between his knees on the carpet. You hung your head, this was beyond your regular trouble. You swore, you snuck out, and even worse, you lied. Eddie hates a liar.
“I’m so disappointed in you, princess,” Steve’s voice was like honey, but the sentiment burned. Tears welled up in your eyes, “Smoking Ed’s cigarettes, too? You know that’s not good for you, baby.”
“M’sorry, Stevie, I’m sor–ow!” you yelped as Eddie’s hand gripped roughly at your chin. He rarely handled you like this, you could feel his anger buzzing off of him – he was wild. You looked up at him, hoping that if you rounded your eyes just enough he’d let you off a little easier.
“I’m tired, Eddie, please,” you whimpered, “Can we do this tomorrow? I wanna go to bed.”
“Oh, you’re tired now? Do you think you’d still be tired if you stayed home tonight?” he asked, his grip tightening on your cheeks, getting nose to nose with you.
“I was right, wasn’t I, baby? You needed a night in,” he asked, his voice falling into that mocking baby voice he loved to use to upset you. There was nothing more frustrating than being a grown woman, with a better job than both of them, being talked down to like that.
“Yes, sir,” you said, nodding as quickly as you could with his hand on your face.
“Need me to wake you up a little?” he asked, a darkness shining in his brown eyes. You braced yourself when the hand on your face dropped to your neck, his ringed hand winding up to deliver a sharp and biting back hand to your cheek. You yelped at the impact, but your back arched slightly, a little mewl leaving your lips.
Steve gave a stern look at Eddie, “Watch yourself, Munson.”
“She’s fine,” he said, letting his hand caress your face while you purred into it, tears stinging the corners of your eyes.
“Right? Knew you’d like that, filthy girl,” he smirked, the bright pink of your cheek rousing something in his chest, “You love getting hit, don’t you?”
You nodded, containing yourself with short, shallow breaths. Mean as he was like this, he hated seeing you too stressed out.
“Deep breaths, pretty girl,” he said against your temple, “Take a deep breath, you’re doing so good.”
“Can we take the cuffs off? They hurt,” you whined into his cheek.
“I know they hurt, princess. I’ve been meaning to get you some new ones,” he said, he couldn’t resist you when your voice got soft and small like that. He fished for the key in his back pocket, his tongue jutting out while he felt for it. Eddie leaned over you, your head resting on the cushion between his thighs, closing your eyes while his hands snaked over your forearms to unlock the cuffs.
You heard the faint click and immediate relief as he gingerly slipped them off you, rubbing his thumb gently over the reddened skin, “Sorry baby, we’ll get some leather cuffs soon.”
He loved soothing you in little ways between changes in punishment, soft little check ins without words. Leaving little kisses on your shoulder, brushing your hair out of your face, a wink or an eyebrow raise to check how you’re doing, a squeeze here and there to let you know that he’s still there with you – just playing with you. He always triple scanned your body language when he thought he might get particularly rough, he could spot your tells from a mile away. One off kilter whine in your breath and he’d know you had to take a break or stop altogether.
Steve didn’t miss a beat, getting up and sliding his belt off, getting on his knees behind you. His hands were gentle on your wrists, opting to wrap his belt around your forearms instead. It kept your arms farther back, but also wouldn’t aid in anymore irritation. You whined while he did it, thinking you were being given at least a tiny break from being restrained. When he was done he gathered your hair so it laid down your back neatly, out of your face and chest, his warm hands resting on your shoulders behind you, “That’s better, isn’t it, baby?"
“Yes, daddy,” you answered softly.
“What else do you say?” Eddie asked, tapping your reddening cheek.
“Thank you, daddy,” you whimpered at the contact on your face.
“You need another one?” he asked, “Think it’ll help you remember your manners?”
“One was enough, Ed,” Steve’s voice vibrated against your spine.
“Let her decide. Do you need another one, sweetheart?” Eddie cooed, not losing eye contact with you.
“Yes, sir,” you replied, knowing it would be painful but ultimately worth it. There was something so indulgent about Eddie taking control like this, hurting you just enough to bring you under. He hummed with a smile, pulling you in for a hungry kiss, pulling your lower lip between his teeth and letting it go. He brought the back of his ringed hand across your face again, the metal making harsh contact with your jaw. You couldn’t help but start crying at the sting, but you were throbbing between your knees.
“Ed,” Steve warned again, smoothing his hand over your cheek protectively, “She can’t handle that.”
“You sure?” he asked, reaching down between your legs, letting his fingers slide delicately into your slickness and coming back out to meet his lips.
“Looks like she’s handling it just fine. Aren’t you, tiger?” he said with a wink, tasting your wetness on his fingers.
“Yes sir, I can handle it,” you said, your voice small, craggled, and sleepy. You leaned into Steve’s hand, looking back at him, “I can handle it, daddy.”
You hear Steve let out a sharp exhale through his nose, letting his hands fall back on your shoulders. He squeezed them gently, leaving a kiss on the skin by his thumb. Eddie reached over to the side table where his Camel’s were, fishing one out and putting it between his lips to light it. He took a long drag, looking down the slope of his nose at you.
“Open, princess,” he said, letting the smoke blow out into your face with his words, “Tongue all the way out — that’s it, that’s my good girl.”
“Tilt her head back Stevie,” his dark eyes meeting Steve’s amber ones. You felt Steve’s hand reach to the nape of your neck, ensnaring into your hair and pulling you back a little. His other hand cupped just under your chin. You could feel his bicep against your chest, his chest against your back — you wanted to settle back into him, let him lull you to sleep.
“You wanna have a filthy mouth, huh?” Eddie asked, cigarette dangling between the corner of his lips. He put it between his fingers, leaning his elbows on his knees so his hands hung over your face.
“Let’s see how filthy we can get it,” he said, his voice low and gravely, “That sound good, baby?”
You nodded, keeping your mouth open, waiting for him to reach for his jeans. But he didn’t. Instead, he held the cigarette over your tongue and flicked the end, the ash falling delicately on your taste buds.
The acrid taste melted into your mouth, filling your nostrils, and making your eyes water. You instinctively swallowed the spit that collected in your mouth to wash away the ash. Eddie looked down at you like you were a science project, testing his limits. He waited for your tongue to come back out of your mouth to speak again.
“Did you think I was gonna let that mouth touch my dick, tonight?” he asked, a dark laugh falling with his words, “Is that what you thought I meant?”
“Yes master,” you said, Steve’s hands readjusting around you.
“You’re not gonna get that dirty mouth anywhere near this cock, do you understand?” he glowered, his nose almost touching yours. He watched your eyes pool with tears, and he was satisfied with that response.
“I understand, sir,” you cried.
“Get that tongue back out,” he said, back to his original posture. You obeyed immediately, watching him take another drag of his cigarette and blowing the smoke in your face, ashing in your mouth again. He did his best to avoid getting smoke in Steve’s eyes, running his hand through his hair in apology each time.
“It doesn’t taste good, huh?” he mocked while you sputtered, more spit that tasted like charcoal and burnt tobacco slid down your throat. Your esophagus burned.
“No, sir,” you responded, trying to find a way to charm him out of this. “But I deserve every punishment my master gives me,” you said breathily, a little gulp following suit. You looked up at him innocently through your lashes, leaning forward into Steve’s hold to get closer to Eddie’s knee.
“Don’t,” Steve said, pulling you back towards his chest and putting you back in position. You whined in his grasp, struggling against him.
“Aw, were you gonna try and seduce me out of this?” Eddie asked, his hand caressing your cheek, “That’s cute. Are you all done being my little ash tray?”
You nodded at him, his thumb sliding over your cheek bone, “No problem, baby. I should cut back anyway.”
He kept his eyes locked on yours while the cigarette in his fingers escaped your line of vision – but it wasn’t long before you knew where it was. The pain was a searing cold/hot, you could feel his fingertips against your skin while he pushed the embers into your thigh – branding you. The room was so quiet you could hear the sizzle of your skin where the cigarette met you. You gasped, a pained whine pouring out of your chest while the cool heat turned to a stinging burn before fading out.
“Ooh, that hurt, didn’t it?” he said, his voice still mocking and cold. He tossed the cigarette butt into the actual ash tray on the coffee table behind Steve. You nodded, blubbering in Steve’s arms, looking down at the pink circular shining burn on your thigh.
“Yes, sir, that hurt really bad,” you whispered, choking on the pain. Eddie tilted your head up gently to look at him, his demeanor a little softer but still dominant. He looked at you, your wet eyes, your pouty lips, the way your breath caught in your throat when he made eye contact with you. He couldn’t help but smile, his weak little woman, desperate to please him after such a big offense.
He left a gentle kiss on your cheek, “I’m sorry, princess. Why don’t I give you a little break? Daddy can help clean you up while I get things ready upstairs.”
“So we can go to bed?” your voice was so precious, he almost wanted to say yes.
“Oh, no, baby. You’re not done being punished,” he said it like it was obvious. You pouted while Steve stood you up and took off your restraints, pulling you into him while he brought you into the half bath attached to the living room. Steve’s hands were soft and gentle while he sat you down on the the toilet seat, going into the medicine cabinet and taking out the Neosporin to treat your burn. He wet a wash cloth with cool water, crouching down next to you to hold it on your thigh.
“You okay, princess? We can stop,” he said when you winced at the cloth on your skin. He pulled it away, putting a small dab of the treatment down and putting a band aid over the little burn. His hand smoothed over the mass of your thigh.
“I’m okay,” you assured, “I can take it.”
“That burn looked like it really hurt,” he said, kneeling between your knees, “Want me to kiss it better?”
“Please, daddy,” you said, your fingers snaking into his hair. He gave you a wink, spreading your legs apart, hooking your legs over his shoulders. His nose bumped your puffed lips before his tongue could slip between them, making you shiver. Your breath ragged by the time his tongue made its first stripe along your dripping slit, capturing your clit in its wake. Your back arched into his mouth instantly, the slickness of his tongue inside you was already getting you close to the edge.
“So close, already?” he asked, letting his fingers trail up and down between your folds, “You like how Ed’s been putting you in your place?”
“Yes, daddy,” you panted, squirming underneath his touch, “I don’t think you’re s’posed to be making me feel good.”
“Daddy can do what he wants,” he said, his eyes meeting yours while his middle finger started sliding into you slowly. Your mouth gaped open at the feeling, “Tell me how much you like that.”
“I like that so much,” you whispered breathily, your head falling back to the wall.
“You know what I meant, princess. Say it,” he said, sitting back on his heels while his ring finger met with his middle, his thumb searching for your clit. You blushed. Steve knew how embarrassed it made you to be asked to say what you liked out loud. He loved seeing you cover your face and mumble it out, only to ask you to say it louder. He was ‘just trying to get you to be more confident’ — you should always know to ask for exactly what you want.
“I like when you…unh, I like — mm! oh! — God,” you choked out while he curved his fingers up inside of you, his thumb slid quickly back and forth over your hood, massaging your clit without making it too sensitive.
“Say it, baby. Say it for daddy,” he said, getting breathless himself. His cock painfully hard in his boxer briefs, aching to be let out of his jeans.
“Oh, are we making her tell us what she likes?” Eddie said, appearing at the door frame. He looked at you with hungry eyes and a dimpled smirk, shirt discarded — now just in boxers hung low at his waist. You drooled instantly at the sight of him leaning on his arm against the frame, the flex of his bicep, the soft definition in his chest.
“Come on, sweet thing — you had such a dirty mouth earlier,” he said, slinking closer to you, his hand gently holding your throat, “Tell daddy how much you like his fingers inside you. You wouldn’t wanna hurt his feelings, would you?”
Your face burned with embarrassment but you didn’t want Steve to slow down anytime soon. If you could at least cum once before your next punishment upstairs, it might all be worth it.
“I love when Daddy has his fingers inside me,” you blurted out, your thighs clamping down on Steve’s wrist.
“Fingers inside where, baby?” Eddie coaxed, raising his brows slightly.
“I love when — ah! — when Daddy has his - has, shit!, has his fingers in my – mm – in my pussy,” you mewled, your hand reaching down to hold Steve’s wrist while his other hand wrenched your knees apart.
“Good girl,” Steve praised, feeling your walls pulse around his fingers, “Ooh yeah, fuck — fucking cum for me princess. Such a good girl.”
“‘I’m such a good girl,” you parroted back. The sentence sounded stupid falling out of your mouth, Eddie tutted at your fucked out voice.
“For who, baby?” Steve asked, standing up.
“’M such a good girl for- for daddy,” you sighed, planting your feet back on the floor gingerly. Eddie let go of your throat and both boys admired you for a moment — your naked frame with a film of sweat, sitting on the toilet seat cover. Steve smoothed your hair out of your face, pushing the tendrils sticking to your cheeks behind your ears. You got up slowly, both of them walking you to the stairs, Steve letting you follow after Eddie and him following close behind.
You got into the bedroom, still shaky from your orgasm, to see the bed made. On it, the roughest rope Eddie owned, the new leather strap the boys bought recently, and a handful of change.
“Come here, pretty girl,” Eddie whispered. He could see you fading, either from being tired or from finishing, or because your mind had gone somewhere else, somewhere he loved taking you. He pulled you close to him, his hands sliding from the top of your back to your waist, down to your ass. He gave your cheeks a soft squeeze and pressed a gentle kiss between your eyebrows, “Gonna tie you up, okay?”
“Yes, sir,” you said, looking up at him through heavy lids.
“You with me?” he asked.
“Yeah, Ed, I’m with you,” you mumbled. He turned you around, Steve holding your forearms together behind your back while Eddie wrapped the uncomfortable rope around you.
“What do you say when you’re all done?” Steve asked.
“Sabbath,” you said. You felt the pull of Eddie tightening the rope.
“What do you say when you’re all done?” Eddie repeated.
“Sabbath,” you said again.
“That’s my girl,” Steve said, giving you a little tap on the ass. Eddie guided you close to the wall, so just the tips of your toes were touching it, your nose almost brushing the wall paper.
He held a quarter in front of your face, the ridge touching your nose, “Let’s play a game, huh? Think you can hold this to the wall for five minutes?”
You huffed, “Probably not.”
His lips brushed your ear, his low gravely voice sliding from your eardrum to your chest, “Such a defeatist, princess. If you can, I’ll let you use that mouth on me.”
“What if I can’t?” your voice was sharp. Desperate to have them untie you and put you to bed. You were getting irritated, sleep was pulling at your eyelashes, begging you to shut your eyes.
“It’ll hurt,” he said, his little grin still glinting in the low light. He pressed his lips on your neck, just below your ear. Just how you like it. “You should get that strap ready for her, Stevie – I don’t think she’s gonna make the cut.”
“I don’t wanna play your stupid game, Ed,” you said, you could see Steve’s hands turn to fists at your tone.
“So you forfeit?” Eddie asked, a michevious look dacing over his features, “Don’t wanna try for the big prize?”
“Pfft. You call sucking your dick a prize?” you brat out, you just wanted to go to bed. Your normally aching desire to please them no longer over riding how tired you were. A tired that was tumbling quickly into deeply annoyed.
“‘S’cuse me?” Steve’s voice was gruff while he grabbed your face to look at him, “Why don’t you watch that mouth, hm?”
“No, no, Stevie,” Eddie said calmly, his voice lilted again, “That’s exactly the response she wants. Sometimes it’s better to just ignore her little attitude. She wouldn’t act out like this if she didn’t want attention. Isn’t that right, sweet thing?”
Steve let go of your face and shoved it roughly back towards the wall, a glimmer of his old self coming through. In any other case, that kind of handling would’ve sent you straight back to obedience. However, Eddie’s soft mocking coo was making you see red. You hated this voice.
“You just want a spanking, don’t you?” he mocked, “Yeah? Need to be punished?”
“I just want to go to bed,” you hissed.
“I know, baby, I know,” Ed cooed, tucking your hair behind your ear. He knew his tamber was getting under your skin, “You should’ve thought about that before you snuck out.”
“You know something? Watching you get all fussy is really doing it for me,” he said, pulling at the rope on your forearms. He walked you backward toward the end of the bed and helped you kneel down. You sat back on your heels and you saw Steve bite back the need to tell you to ‘get your ass up’ or ‘kneel at attention’.
Eddie sat at the edge of the bed, your head just an inch from his knee. He turned to you and put a hand to your cheek, “All this attitude you’re slinging is makin’ me need my dick sucked somethin’ awful, but since your mouth is still a fucking ashtray – I’m gonna have to use an outside source,” he explained. The warmth of his hand made your eyelids close, a soft hum leaving your lips as his let his thumb slide over your cheek.
The gentleness ended with a loud clap to the side of your face, “Wake the fuck up and watch.” You winced at Eddie’s words, they somehow hurt worse than the slap.
“Hey Stevie,” Ed’s voice was gentle now, “C’mere handsome.”
Steve didn’t have to think twice, he stood between Ed’s open legs, crouching down to pull him into a kiss. You immediately whined watching the way Steve kissed Eddie, hungry but delicate. Like he didn’t want to hurt him, like he was trying to impress him – and he was. It was unspoken how much power Eddie had over Steve when they were together, something you never aknowledged for your own sake.
Eddie gasped when Steve got to his neck who was leaving love bites and bruises where his record store customers wouldn’t see them. (Not that Eddie ever really cared.) Steve’s hand was expertly palming him over his boxers, Eddie’s hand over his, grinding in rhythm with the feeling. Eddie tossed a look over to you and tutted at how pathetic and needy you got so quickly, it was so hard for you not to be the center of their attention.
Eddie pulled his cock out of his boxers while Steve kept his lips focused on the tattoo on his chest. But at the sight of his dick in his hands, Steve moved quickly – getting down on his knees. He batted Ed’s hand away to replace it with his own, stroking him diligently while looking up at Eddie. Steve’s glassy amber eyes begging for his approval.
“Look at you, pretty boy, waiting for me to say it’s okay,” Eddie mused, running a hand through Steve’s hair, “Go ahead.”
Steve looked like a puppy who was just given a treat, immediately dipping his head down over Ed’s cock. His strong jaw flexing with every dip down his shaft. Unlike you, Steve could take Ed down to the hilt, gripping Ed’s hairy thighs with his strong hands – grunting while he did it.
“You could really learn a thing or two from him, sweetheart,” Eddie winked over at you. You pouted, wondering if every ‘You’re so pretty when you gag on my cock,’ was an offhand plea to learn how to take all of him without protest. Steve smiled while he came back up, wiping his mouth with one hand, the other working Eddie’s shaft closer to the base. He let his tongue slide over the tip, gathering precum and swallowing, keeping eye contact with Eddie the whole time. It was clear that eye contact was something Ed had trained him to do, you wondered how Ed punished him when Steve didn’t do what he was told.
“You feeling left out, princess?” Eddie asked, his hips bucking while Steve continued to go to work on him. You nodded, resting your chin on his knee.
“Can I have a turn?” you asked gently, your mouth pooling with drool as you watched Steve’s lips leave Eddie’s cock. Strings of saliva connecting the two.
“No baby, you forfeited, remember?” Eddie said, patting your head. His other hand gripping Steve’s hair, guiding him back to his cock. His voice back to mocking you, babying you, punishing you.
“But since you’ve been a good girl sitting there, I’ll let you suck on my fingers,” He slid his hand from the top of your head to resting the pads of his fingers over your lips. You whined behind a closed mouth, but Eddie didn’t care about your protests. He shoved his ringed fingers past your lips and teeth anyway, his middle finger reaching the back of your throat so that your mouth filled with spit.
“Oh fuck, Stevie, that’s it,” Eddie gasped out again, “Just like that, such a good boy for me.” He was fucking Steve’s mouth at this point, not that Steve noticed, he looked completely blissed out. His eyes fluttered closed, his cheeks flushed, sweat building in his gorgeous hairline. You did your best to match Steve’s pace on Eddie’s fingers, but with the rings in the way you were coming up short. Spit slid out of the corners of your mouth, he was unrelenting with his movements on purpose.
“Steve – oh fuck Stevie, baby, I’m gonna – M’so close,” Eddie hissed, “God, fuck oh god – Jesus, Steve.”
Ed came hard and nearly choked you with the spasms his hand had in your mouth. You watched Steve swallow neatly. Everything about Steve was so proper all the time, he was never sloppy – he wasn’t like you. Your heart ached thinking that maybe Eddie liked that better.
They came down, Eddie’s fingers still in your mouth. The way they looked at eachother, they might as well have forgotten you were there. You watched them give each other a few final kisses while their breath slowed.
“I’ll take good care of you later, okay sweet boy?” Eddie muttered, their lips still touching, “Make you fucking scream.” Steve smiled, eyes still closed.
“Not too loud though,” Steve mumbled with a little snicker.
“Oh you’re right,” Ed’s voice reanimated and he leaned back looking at you, “Wouldn’t wanna wake the baby.” Eddie took his fingers out of your mouth, drenched in your spit, and rubbed it all over your face. You could smell the ash on your breath still.
“Messy girl,” Eddie said, seeing tears start to pool in your eyes. He tucked himself back into his boxers and stood up with Steve, their attention back on you. For a moment, you wished it wasn’t.
Steve hoisted you by the hair to your feet, quick to re-establish dominance after such a show. His hands were rough with you while he put you on the bed, face down in your pillows, back perfectly arched with your ass in the air. Your arms ached from being tied up, but you knew they’d be numb soon - no use in complaining about it.
You heard Eddie pick up the leather strap from under you. You turned your face to the side do you could breathe.
“Didn’t think we’d forget, did you?” Eddie asked.
“No, sir,” you croaked out.
“Can’t deny Daddy his chance to shine,” Eddie laughed to himself. You heard a shuffle of hands – fuck – he was gonna let Steve do it.
“But I didn’t say he cou–” you started.
“Shh, shh, shh,” Steve hushed you, you felt his hand on your back, his face appearing soon after.
“Do you want Eddie to do it, or do you want me to do it?” he asked. You saw the strap in his hands, his forearms strong and unforgiving, his watch on his wrist that in some way oozed more authority. You could tell he wanted to, he’d been holding back all night, all week, ever since that night in November.
You took a deep breath and looked up at him with glassy eyes, “You can do it, Daddy.”
“That’s a good girl,” he said, clapping his hand down on your ass before he walked around the mattress. He didn’t warn you before he started, another notch in his tally – something he was supposed to do now.
The first spank made you cry out instantly, the strap left a stinging pain. Different from being belted, more weighted, more intention. Your chest was already heaving at the second one – your arms were numb, you were so so tired.
“Learning your lesson, baby?” Steve asked, the strap coming down hard again over your thighs.
“Yes daddy,” you cried, “I’m learning my lesson.”
“Not gonna sneak out anymore, huh?” Eddie asked.
“No sir – AH–Ow, ouch! – I won’t sneak out eh-ever ag-again,” your voice was back to whiny and pathetic. Just how Ed liked it.
Steve was back to business as usual, no waiting in between, just relentless smack after smack. He was taking his frustration out on you, his embarrassment of being watched while he serviced Ed, he needed you to know he was still in charge.
“Let up a little, Stevie, it’s too much,” you heard Ed say, but your mind was starting to slip. Just the jostle in your body while the strap came down on you, Steve’s ragged grunts while he did it, the way Eddie spoke to you. So so tired. Crying wasn’t just coming from the beating now, you wanted them to leave you alone.
“Too much? You fuckin’ branded her,” Steve argued back. The frustration he felt being called out again made every slap harder than the next. You were shaking in pain.
“Sabbath,” you choked out, “Sabbath, sabbath, sabbath.”
You heard the strap drop the the ground and Eddie picking up his switch blade off one of the dressers. Their hands immediately making contact with you. You could feel Eddie cutting through the rope to get you free quicker, your arms falling limply to your side.
“Baby, I’m so sorry – that was too much,” Eddie whispered, crawling on to the mattress and pulling you into his arms. He pressed your head into the crook of his neck, “We were playing for too long, huh?”
You nodded, half crying, half falling asleep in this position.
“I told you that was too much, Steve,” Eddie said, his voice vibrating and low against your own chest.
“I’m sorry,” Steve said, crawling up the other side of you, “Got too ahead of myself, angel.”
You felt the cool aloe gel on the backs of your thighs and your behind, Steve’s strong hands gently massaging it into your skin, “I’m sorry, princess.”
“It’s okay,” you mumbled into Eddie’s neck, “You’re trying your best.”
“I’ll deal with him later,” you heard Eddie say in your ear, the smile prominent in his tone, “You wanna go to bed, huh?”
You simply nodded.
“Lets clean you up a little first, and then I’ll put you to bed, okay?” Eddie asked.
Eddie helped you out of bed, your body heavy and weighted with sleep. Steve got up to follow you, but Eddie motioned him to the second bedroom.
“Said I’d deal with you later,” Eddie mumbled to him. Steve frowned and went into the other room, disappointed with himself for going overboard again. You could hear his little tantrum when he shut the door behind him.
“Okay, sweet thing,” Eddie breathed out while getting you in the bathroom. He took your face wash out from the shower and rinsed a face cloth he grabbed from under the sink.
“I won’t do that again, I can tell you didn’t like it,” Eddie said, gently wiping your face off.
“No, no it’s okay,” you said, “Just not after you put cigarettes in my mouth. Don’t do it after that, please.”
“Okay, I won’t,” he agreed with a soft smile, “Rinse, baby.”
You leaned over the sink gathering water in your hands, splashing it against your face. It felt good on your cheeks, still smarting from Eddie’s two back hands and slap from earlier. He passed you a hand towel to pat your face dry and when you looked up your tooth brush was already in his hands, prepped for use. He examined you while you brushed your teeth, sucking his teeth at the dark red marks on your face.
“I’ll take my rings off next time,” he noted to himself.
“You don’t have to,” you said, spitting and then reaching for the Listerine in the medicine cabinet. He took it from your hands to open it for you, pouring it out into the cup. He watch you swish, holding your hair back while you spit again into the sink.
“Why do you do that?” he asked, putting your face in his hands, “Why do you say ‘It’s okay’ and ‘You don’t have to’ when I can tell it’s too much and you’re only tolerating it? Why’d you let Steve use the strap when you knew you wanted me to do it?”
“I wanna be good,” you said, your eyes wide and glassy, “I don’t want you to be upset with me if it’s something you like.”
“It doesn’t matter if it’s something I like, or Steve likes,” he said, his eyes full of loving concern, “It matters that you like it. That you feel safe. We talked about this.”
“I don’t wanna disappoint you,” you whispered.
“Hey,” he said, kissing you soft and gentle, “You could never disappoint me.”
“What about Steve?” you asked, you could have sworn you saw his face fall for a second. He let a breath out of his nose.
“I’ll take care of Steve,” he said, “I’ll take care of everything.”
“That’s not your job,” you said.
He held you close to his chest, his lips capturing yours again, tongue brushing your lips. You let him take the lead, as always, his tongue dancing with yours. One hand fell to the middle of your back, he wanted to push you inside of him. He was desperate to make you feel his love through his kiss.
“I’m making it my job, fuck the record store,” he mumbled against your mouth, “Capiche?”
You giggled into another kiss, “Capiche.”
“Let’s get you to bed,” he said, “Sleepy girl.”
He hoisted you up, wrapping your legs around his torso while he walked you half way down the hallway into the bedroom. Eddie sat you on the bed, pulled out one of his t-shirts and a pair of your underwear from the dresser and slowly got to work getting you dressed.
“Arms up,” he said, gathering the fabric in his hands. You lazily put your hands up, muscles still aching from being tied behind your back. The cool softness of his shirt slipped cozily over you, reminding you of Eddie’s own softness. The love he offers always feeling like the cool side of the pillow. You slide your underwear on while he turns down the bed and crawl over under the covers.
“Hope you rest, cause I’m taking you to breakfast tomorrow,” Eddie said, tucking the covers up to your chin.
“Just us?” you asked, your voice is tired but excited. You see his cheeks flush red at the sound.
“Just us,” he said, leaving a kiss on your temple. He got up, you watched him through heavy lids walk to the door, looking back at you from the door frame.
“Probably gonna fuck you raw in the van, too,” he added before flicking the light off, “Night, sweet thing.”
You laughed through your nose, exhaustion taking over. You could hear the boys in the next room talking, something along the lines of ‘Get back on those knees, handsome.’ You settled onto your side, your muscles fully relaxing, sleep came easy — like Steve when he was really pent up.
You thought for a moment, just a breif moment, about how you’ll go about it differently when you sneak out again next time.
#steddie x you smut#steddie x reader#steddie x you#eddie munson fan fiction#THE STEDDIEVERSE#steddie fan fiction#steve harrington fan fiction#steve harrington x you#steve harrington x reader#eddie munson x reader#eddie munson x you#stranger things fan fiction#eddie munson fanfiction#steve harrington fanfiction
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Happy Friday! 💙🌼
Nico is a sweetheart and his fics are so fun and lovely. Definitely give them a read! 🥰 @bleedingoptimism
#friday fic recs#steddie fan fiction#steddie fanfic#steddie#my art#eddie munson#steve harrington#steddie fanart#steddie fanfiction
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Eddie had lost a lot of blood. He blinked rapidly at the man carrying him out of hell. This was straight out of a romance novel. Steve even looked like a goddamn prince. It wasn't fair. Wait. . .does this mean that Eddie's a princess?
"I'm not a princess," Eddie slurred.
"Okay," Steve said, looking at him strangely.
"If I'm alive because of you, ser Stevie, I'll tattoo your name on my chest," Eddie said, and then he promptly passed out.
He made good on his promise after he healed up. He tattooed Steve’s name right above his nipple. Of course, he neglected to tell anyone about it, and he didn't think about it when he spilled soda on his shirt while he was hanging out with Steve at his house.
"Oh fuck!"
"Hey, it's alright. Pop it off, I'll put it in the wash and you can wear one of my shirts," Steve said.
"Not a polo!" Eddie said as he whipped off his shirt, and he handed it to him. "What?"
Steve stared at Eddie's chest, his mouth open in a perfectly plump oval shape.
"You have my name tattooed on your chest," Steve pointed out, his cheeks red.
"Oh, yeah, that," Eddie said and winced when Steve reached a hand out.
He was surprised when Steve gently cupped his tit, brushing a thumb over the tattoo. His thumb was also brushing over his nipple, causing Eddie to suck in a breath. Eddie bit his lip, smiling at the touched look on Steve’s face. His perfect lips stretched into a smile. It wasn't Steve. Above the his nipple was the name Stevie.
"Why does it have a heart, Eddie?" Steve said, looking at him with a soft look.
"Because I - I - ," Eddie stuttered.
Steve was no longer rubbing the tattoo with his thumb. He was now pressing his thumb directly into his nipple now, putting pressure on it the longer Eddie didn't talk.
"Fuck! It's because I heart you, Steve," Eddie said, his face flushed.
"Now, was that so hard?" Steve asked, and Eddie cursed at him as Steve laughed. "I heart you too, Eddie."
Steve cupped the back of his neck and kissed him. Eddie kissed him back eagerly, and just as he did that, Steve broke the kiss.
"You know what this means, don't you?" Steve asked.
"That we're boyfriends?" Eddie asked.
"Well, yes, but this means that I need to get a tattoo now, too," Steve said.
Steve was true to his word and let Eddie watch as they tattooed his name on his chest. When they got back to Steve’s house, Eddie asked his burning question.
"So. . .why a crown above the I?" Eddie asked.
"Because. . .you're my princess," Steve said with an amused smirk.
"I was suffering from blood loss, Steven!" Eddie exclaimed. "I am NOT a princess!"
"You're certainly acting like one," Steve said. "A very pouty princess."
Eddie straddled his waist and pushed his shoulders back.
"Am I going to have to punish you, big boy?" Eddie asked.
"Oh yeah. . .princess," Steve laughed, and Eddie growled.
A few weeks later, they announced their relationship to the group at a pool party Steve threw. They walked around without their shirts, hoping someone would notice. Of course, it was Dustin who noticed first.
"Hey, did you guys get girlfriends with the same names as each other?" Dustin asked with a grin. "That's hilarious."
"Oh my God. How can you be so smart and so dumb at the same time?" Max asked.
"You know, getting your girlfriend's name tattooed on your chest is pretty permanent. You must be serious," Dustin said.
"Someone, please hit this idiot," Erica said. "Shake his marbles lose. Do something."
"Yeah, It's about as permanent as the bat bites I share with my girl," Eddie said, throwing his arm around Steve’s shoulder and leaning his head against Steve’s.
"Wow, your girlfriend was bitten by bats?" Dustin asked.
"Dustin!" Mike yelled. "Our dungeon master is fucking our babysitter!"
"Yes! I know that, Michael! I wasn't sure if they wanted us to know or not," Dustin snapped. "I was giving them an opportunity to say it themselves."
"I'm pretty sure they were saying it with their tits!" Mike yelled.
"Don't talk about their tits!"
Meanwhile, Steve and Eddie had relaxed into a couple of lawn chairs.
"Should we let them go on, or should we stop them?" Eddie asked.
"Well, I figured if we let them go, they'll tire themselves out, then we don't have to fight them later when we're getting them to go to sleep," Steve said.
"Sounds like a plan," Eddie laughed and clinked his beer with Steve’s. "We're great 'dads'."
They laughed as they watched their 'kids' bicker.
#stranger things#eddie munson#stranger things s4#joseph quinn#eddie stranger things#steve harrington#eddie munson lives#steddie#steve x eddie#steve harrington x eddie munson#steddie fan fiction#a little bit of a crack fic
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“And that doesn’t scare you?”
Steve gives a half hearted shrug, his hands still stuffed into the pockets of his jacket and his shoulders slowly starting to crawl towards his ears.
“I don’t know. Kind of, I guess?” Steve’s eyes finally kick up from the floor, meeting Eddie’s gaze with so much open vulnerability that Eddie feels his chest go tight.
“Mostly I just like being with you, man. You have this way of—“ Steve cuts himself off, shrugging again like he can’t help it. “I don’t know. Making all the bad shit disappear for a while? Or maybe not disappear, not really, but more like…you make the big stuff smaller. Like yeah, sure, the worlds fucked and we all have enough trauma to fill marinas fucking trench, but also I look at the way you light up when I reference your nerd game, or the way you put on a fucking show without even thinking about it when you can sense one of the kids needs a distraction, and it makes me feel…” he trails off again, eyes jumping around for a moment like he’s trying to find the right words, before they finally settle back on Eddie. “Whole. Hopeful. Safe. Like, sure, we’ve lost a lot to the upside down, but we haven’t lost everything. I mean, your terrible sense of humor is still intact, after all.” Steve finishes his small speech with a wry twist to his mouth, like he was going for a joke to lighten the mood and missed by a mile.
Eddie feels his chest burst with static, an overwhelming sense of something for this man in front of him. He should be offended—or at least play offended at Steve’s last few words, but he can’t find it in himself to pretend at this moment. There’s so much to unpack in everything Steve’s just said, least of all the fact that he called the Mariana trench marina—which Eddie finds so endearing. He’s aware Dustin finds the slip ups to be annoying at best, but, lord help him, Eddie thinks they’re cute. He thinks Steve is cute.
And here Steve is, standing in front of him and telling Eddie that he makes things less scary—that he makes all of Steve’s biggest problems feel so much less daunting just by existing. He’s standing in front of Eddie telling him that Eddie makes him feel fucking safe and cared for, and oh, fuck he’s so, so unbelievably in love with this boy that it makes him dizzy in this moment. Eddie extends a shaky hand to grip the back of the couch just so he doesn’t fall over.
He’s staring into Steve’s completely unguarded eyes and feeling like he might throw up with the affection and absolute fear he feels in this moment because—
Because it’s absolutely undeniable at this moment.
The sky is blue.
The sun rises in the east, sets in the west.
Eddie Munson is head over heels in love with Steve Harrington.
#sorry this little idea would just NOT leave me alone#what is the context??? no idea!#what were they doing before this started? you decide!#maybe I'll actually flesh this out eventually#lots to think about#steddie#steddie fic#steddie fan fiction#steve harrington/eddie munson#steve harrington/eddie munson fanfiction#my writing
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I've got a brain worm ... I've been thinking about reader having a stupid fight with Steddie, so she ends up going out with friends or by herself, but then something happens, she gets hurt and calls Steddie and they drop everything for her
Warnings: slight harassment from guys at a bar; Steddie saves the day
Word Count: 1047
“I swear to God! Sometimes they get so antsy about any little thing. Like it’s not my fault that my phone died while I was at work and I forgot my charger.”
“Yeah, I mean accidents happen.”
You nodded as you took a sip from your drink you had ordered from the bar. It really was an accident that you forgot your charger on the kitchen counter before leaving for work that morning and you could understand why Eddie and Steve would be frustrated about not being able to reach you but like your friend said it wasn’t like you did it intentionally.
“Y/N what if something happened to you or one of us?! You wouldn’t know or have any way to reach us.”
“Steve, Jesus Christ, I just forgot! I was in a hurry this morning because I was late and—”
“But you do it a lot, sweetheart, and it makes us nervous. We just want to make sure your safe.”
“A lot? Really, Ed?”
“Yes, baby, really. You forgot your entire phone the other day when you went out with your mom, you forgot to charge it last week and it died overnight making you late for work because the alarm didn’t go off. You can’t keep being so careless.”
“This is why we tell you to just get things ready the night before.”, Steve grumbles.
“I’m not a fucking child! And it’s not as a big a deal as you two are making this out to be!”
“Y/N, that guy is still gawking at us.” Your friend cringes as you look in that direction.
After your fight with the guys, you decided to go out and vent with your best friend hoping to let off some steam. As soon as you entered the bar, however, this guy and his own friend kept their eyes glued to you. At first you two tried to ignore it and when they sent you drinks, you sent them back.
You didn’t start getting worried until they began whispering amongst themselves and making lewd hand gestures like grabbing their crotches to adjust themselves. You knew you were tough and could defend yourself from anyone. Steve had bought you pepper spray to keep in your purse just to be safe but something about these men unnerved you.
They were bigger than you both not just in height but in size. Even if they weren’t physically strong if one of them got the upper hand, you both would be screwed. You didn’t even think twice when you pulled out your phone which was currently a 1%.
“Shit.”
“Eddie. Steve. I think I’m in trouble. Can you come pick us up at the hideout?”
As soon as you hit send your phone died.
“Shit!”, you hissed.
“Should we leave do you think?”
“Um, no. We don’t want to seem too panicked. Maybe, the bartender can walk us out. He knows Eddie and—”
“Hello ladies.”, one of the men that had been watching you slurred. “We just wanted to say you look very beautiful tonight.”
“Thank you. Our boyfriends say the same thing.”
“Oh, boyfriends huh? Where are they if I may ask? In the bathroom maybe.”, the other man snickered.
“That’s none of your business.”, you spat trying to sound as confident as possible. “Go away.”
“Naw, see, we’ve been watching you ladies and we know you’ve been watching us. We were thinking that we could take you to our place and we can…get to know each other.” His eyes racked across your body making you uncomfortable.
“This is the last time I’m saying this. Go…away…”
One of the men steps closer to you as you try to lean away.
“Or what?”, he challenges.
Suddenly, a ringed hand pushes at the man’s chest and Eddie promptly wraps his arm around your shoulder.
“Hey baby. Sorry we’re late. Who’s your new friend?”
The men’s wide eyes look over the metalhead before glancing at Steve who puts his own protective arm around your friend.
“They aren’t friends.”
“Oh? Then why are you here?”, he asks them.
“We, huh, we were…”
“Just leaving? Good idea.”, Steve growls.
They watch with intimidating eyes as the men grumble apologies and scurry back towards the other side of the bar.
“Steve Harrington, if you weren’t taken I would marry you right now.” Your best friend sighed in relief as she gave him a hug. “Can you walk me to my car?”
He nods and for good extra measure to sell the boyfriend bit, he takes her hand while Eddie holds yours and walks you both outside. As soon as she leaves, they give you their full attention.
“Phone died? While we were driving here, we kept trying to call but it went straight to voicemail.”
Eddie grunted in surprise as you tackled him and circled your arms around his torso.
“Thank you for coming. I’m so sorry.”
“Of course we came. Honey, even if we’re upset with each other we still love you. That’s why we get so frustrated about this. We just want to know you’re safe and that you can reach us.”
Releasing the metalhead from your vice like grip, you turn to squeeze Steve.
“I know. When my phone died after I sent you that text I was so scared it didn’t go through. I kept thinking how if something happened to me…I’m sorry, you guys. I promise I’ll do better when it comes to my phone and things like that. It shouldn’t have had to get this far for me to see your point of view.”
“No, no, sweetheart, we get it. I can see where it would come off as us being possessive or making this into a big thing but…maybe we could have explained it better instead of… I don’t know…”
“Condescending to me like a five-year-old?”
You giggle when he sticks out his tongue at you but nods at your answer.
“Come on, little one. Let’s go home so you can get things ready for tomorrow and we can get you ready for tonight.”, Steve grins as he opens the car door for you.
“What’s happening tonight?”
“Oh, so you thought you could get out of this without a spanking for not having your phone charged? Silly little girl.”
#steddie#steddie angst#steddie fluff#steddie fanfiction#eddie munson#steve harrington#fan fiction#stranger things#eddie fanfic#eddie munson fluff#eddie stranger things#steve fluff#steve fanfic#steddie ask#steddie fan fiction#steddie drabble#steddie x y/n#steddie x you#steddie x reader#protective!steddie
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[rated E]
Eddie is so in the zone playing his video game that he doesn’t pay much attention to Steve padding around the room, only vaguely registering the tape being switched out and a Television song starting to play. He smashes at the keys and hums along to the music quietly, not taking his eyes off the screen. That is until Steve is standing in front of him momentarily blocking his view, dropping to his knees before Eddie can protest.
Eddie stills immediately, eyes rapidly bouncing between the TV and Steve, who is quietly reaching out to undo Eddie's belt.
“What are you…”
“Shh…” Steve whispers, fingers working to unzip Eddie's jeans, tugging on the corners in a silent demand.
“I uh-“ Eddie freezes to watch Steve, fumbling with the controller when he leans in, breathe hot though Eddie’s boxers.
“I can’t really pause this level but if you just wait like- two minutes I can give you my full attention.” Eddie is rambling, eyes trained on Steve and fingers hitting buttons off of muscle memory.
“It’s okay,” Steve mumbles, patting Eddie's hip with another pull to the denim.
“Seriously like- two minutes. I promised Henderson I would have this level beat and-" Steve cuts him off (probably for the best).
“Keep playing.” His eyes raise slightly to meet Eddie’s, and then with a grimace, he tacks on, “and don't mention Henderson again.”
Fuck. Eddie lifts his hips off the bed, enough for Steve to tug his jeans and boxers down in one motion and let them pool around his ankles.
Eddie half-heartedly glances at the screen and tries his best to do what Steve asks, but just as he starts to get some semblance of focus back, Steve takes Eddie into his mouth.
It’s… fucking torture. Eddie almost drops the controller on Steve twice because he’s doing some shit with his tongue, making it impossible for Eddie to stay still.
He doesn’t think he’s ever done this and not had his hands buried in Steve’s hair. He’s usually in control, setting the pace because that's how Steve likes it, but the roles are reversed today, and Steve seems set on killing him.
“That’s- fuck, Steve.”
It's clear to Eddie now that Steve is putting on a show, which doesn’t seem fair considering he pulls off every time Eddie tries to just put the fucking controller down. He’s making obscene, overly enthusiastic noises, letting his spit drip down his fist, the slick sound loud even over the music.
Steve pulls off but keeps up the pace with his hand as he catches his breath.
“Did you beat it yet?”
Eddie looks down, see's Steve lips bright red and shiny, and immediately needs to look away.
“What- no. You actually expect me to be able to focus on this shit?” As if on queue, the telltale womp-womp of Mario walking straight off the cliff echoes around the room.
“You better if you wanna come.” And with that, he dives back in.
Eddie can only be so strong when Steve is suctioning his cheeks and picking of the pace of his hand, doing a twisting motion that has Eddie spiraling. He makes it about thirty more seconds before he’s cursing again.
“Gonna- Steve m’ gonna come I can't..”
Steve doesn't pull off, just looks up at Eddie through his lashes- and shit that's a sight of its own. He slows down to a torturing pace at Eddie’s words, shaking his head slightly, a silent wait.
With the sheer fucking nerd power of the part of Eddie that spends an embarrassing amount of time playing video games, he's able to concentrate enough to win, doesn’t even let the screen change before he's tossing the controller aside, winding his hands through Steve's hair as he shifts, raises his hips for more.
He’s on the edge and Steve can tell, moans around Eddie’s dick, let's the vibration be felt.
“Steve, Steve, shit-"
He sees fucking stars when he comes, has never been so keyed up from not being able to touch Steve in his life. He falls back against the sheets immediately, trying to remember how to fucking breathe as his heart pounds in his chest.
Steve stands with a smirk, wiping his chin off with the back of his hand.
“What… the fuck was that. Jesus Christ.”
Steve shrugs, “Just wanted to try something.” He turns to the TV then, surveys the screen.
“You’re kind of shit at this game.”
Stev cackled at Eddie's i'm going to kill you, and strides out of the room.
#rated e for exquisite bj#jk. kinda#wrote this in like 15 mins so ignore typos but uhh#i just couldnt stop thinkin about this ok#eddie is such a nerd LMFAO i stand by that. steve blows his mind fr fr#steddie fic#steve harrington#eddie munson#my writing#steddie fan fiction
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clingy boyfriend eddie—
From the beginning to the end of his shift, Eddie accompanied Steve in the deserted shop. Steve never voiced any complaints regarding Eddie's presence, evidently enjoying it.
Eddie had an undeniable attachment to Steve; however, he would vehemently deny it if Robin or Nancy or Steve himself brung it up. At first, he felt embarrassed by his constant desire to be close to or near his boyfriend. He found solace in holding his hand, cuddling him whenever he could, and sharing passionate neck kisses, for he felt that he needed it.
But truth is, Eddie couldn't help but be charmed by Steve, and he made it a routine to visit an hour after the start of Steve's shift with something for them both to snack on. It was a way to avoid returning to an empty trailer until Steve's shift was finished. Eddie enjoyed observing Steve as he went about serving customers. When they’ll leave he’ll resume the conversation he was having with his boyfriend from across the counter. Steve leaning in from across the counter as Eddie did the same, listening to him to talk like music to his ears.
If you went to Hawkins High, you’d believe Eddie ‘The Freak’ Munson was a mad man. An edgy, metal head who just couldn’t get the credits to leave the school. You’d avoid him at all cost, not knowing how much of a lovable and sweet teddy bear he was.
Eddie would sit on the glass counter reading the latest magazine, growing bored, and groaning like a child who’s been brought to work by their parents without a choice. He’s wiggle his legs and play with whatever drew his eye until Steve will loudly yell out his name and scold him. Steve always reminds Eddie he didn’t have to wait with him but he would always say he loved keeping him company.
Usually, if Steve’s feeling generous, most of the time, before he closes the shop he lets Eddie pick a movie for them to watch when they get to either of which’s homes.
The night would end with Eddie tangled up in Steve’s arms and legs. Eddie hardly paid attention the movie. His head would be tilting up, admiring his lover. Pecking the mole near his jawline, sniffing his scent of cologne that stuck throughout the hours, and drawing out his features.
Eddie tucking his face in Steve’s neck, their bodies heating up as his lips graze his neck. Whispering a soft, I love you, so soft, Steve‘a always surprise he doesn’t miss it. But how could he?
He presses a kiss into Eddie’s hair, then to his forehead, whispering the same thing back to him before wishing him a good night.
Steve, however, loved how clingy Eddie was. Co-dependency, blah, blah, blah, that wasn’t the case with them. Steve saw Eddie every day and never got bored. First person he sees when he wakes, last person he sees when he drifts off into sleep.
Steve never had a relationship like this before. He’s never had a girlfriend or boyfriend who’s clung to him or loved him as much as Eddie does. Sure, Nancy was great. But nothing can compare to how he feels when he’s with Eddie. He’s floating. Above everyone.
#steddie headcanon#steve x eddie#stranger things#steddie fluff#steddie au#steddie fan fiction#steddie fic#steddie#steve harrington x eddie munson#steve harrington#eddie munson#steddie fanfic#steddie oneshot#steve and eddie#first post#they’re so cute
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So in my fic “I Think I Could Have Been Someone” (Link in pinned post on my profile if you’re interested 😊) Steve is living as two people. One is the rockstarSteve I normally share with you, decadent, leather, rings, chains etc but he has his other side.
“He’s just like you. He’s all-American doting husband, one of the guys, hard working on music so your work day isn’t so bad, Steve Harrington.”
Well…whilst the cameras and lights are on him at least 😉
Original album cover Born In The USA by Bruce Springsteen
#steveharrington#Steve Harrington#Rockstar Steve Harrington#Steve Harrington Manip#Steve Harrington Edit#Steve Harrington Photo Edit#Steddie#steddie fanfic#steddie fan fiction#steddie fan fic#steddie fan art#steddie fanart#Steve Harrington fan art#steve harrington fanart
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