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candied-cae · 2 years

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The First "Like" and First "Love"

Chapter 1/1 - - - Read it on AO3

Word Count : 2,250

Summary: When the end of the world is over and everyone can feel alive and like themselves again, Steve and Eddie drift together to find something all their own.

... Aka, the first time Steve tells Eddie "I like you" and the first time Eddie tells Steve "I love you".

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It started with Steve and Eddie hanging out, as so much often did those days.

The two of them gravitated to each other after it was all over. Between matching scars and babysitting shifts, they found themselves having more in common than just surviving the Upside Down. Steve talked to Eddie, and Eddie talked to Steve. Whenever they did that, it was like they made their own little bubble. Just a little pocket of air in the world they shared. Of course, if the group was present, they’d quickly find something thrown at them for ignoring their kids and friends.

“Rude!” they’d call the two for not sharing the attention.

So they started to find those little pockets on their own sometimes. Late nights were spent in either's house. Sitting together after movie credits rolled, neither bothering to get up and change the tape or ask if someone needed to leave. They never seemed to want to head off anyway. So, as the night dragged on, they'd talk. Form those little bubbles of just themselves in between hits of weed and the kind of talkative that only comes when they were too tired to keep their mouths shut. Honesty spilling out unabashed under the cover of starlight.

Vulnerability and self-discovery went hand in hand on nights like those.

It was the end of one of those very nights when Steve suggested they get out of the house. It was nearing three in the morning, middle of June, so the sun wasn’t up yet, but it would be in a matter of time. And for some inexplicable reason, Steve just wanted to be outside for the sunrise.

“Where should we go?” Eddie asked, his voice starting to go rough after hours of after-joint conversations, which they couldn’t interrupt for something as silly as getting something to drink.

“Somewhere quiet.” Steve suggested, head lazily lolling on the couch,” Somewhere pretty.”

He was being vague and unhelpful; he knew he was. But almost every place he knew in Hawkins was either tainted with memories of fighting for his life or had absolutely no view to watch the sun. He had no clue where he wanted to take them. Steve just wanted to get Eddie there and be by his side when the world changed.

“I might know a spot like that,” Eddie answered anyway, a smile tugging at his cheek in the sneaky way he liked to wear it as he reached for his keys.

They climbed into Eddie’s van, and he took them away. Steve just closed his eyes and hung his head out of the rolled-down passenger window, letting the wind play with his hair as they made their way to… somewhere. They ended up arriving at this hill off the highway on the edge of town. Eddie parked them off the shoulder and waved Steve to follow him as they went over the mound, settling on the other side that faced east. The grassy pile completely separated them from the road and pointed them right at the sight to come. The sky was already brightening, becoming that baby blue it does when the sun has almost breached the horizon.

It was quiet. It was pretty. It was perfect.

It overlooked this little glade that was bustling with colorful wildflowers and weeds. All sorts of beauty just sitting in this bypassed patch in Smalltown, Indiana. And it was just theirs. There was no other sound, no other distraction. No one else was up, or if they were, they weren’t driving on the highway yet. It was like the whole world had faded into the background, and it was just the two of them. Together. Waiting.

They waited in comfortable silence, laid down but propped up against their arms as the sky started gleaming with yellow. ‘The Golden Hour’ Steve recalls this moment is supposed to be. Or at least, that’s what people like Jonathan called it. Something about the way the light reflected or the angles or the color or something about it was just supposed to make for the best pictures for portraits. Makes people look that much nicer, he supposed.

He’s never thought much of it himself. Dawn, for him, always meant things like driving to early morning swim practices or the end of all-nighters spent defeating monsters or coming off of ragers. But when he looks to his left and sees Eddie. Sees the way the sun is lighting him up against the breathtaking backdrop… he gets it.

And suddenly, it's all he can do. Just look at Eddie. There wasn't any other option his mind could conjure. And he felt this pull he’d been feeling before. This tug to get closer. This need to be more. To be more than Eddie’s friend, a feeling he barely diagnosed himself and knows could overtake him.

But it's all he can think about.

“Golden Hour,” he let the words absentmindedly slip from his lips as he gazed upon the other man's profile.

Eddie heard the mumble without catching the words, so he followed the sound to look back over at Steve.

And Steve almost felt bad. He almost had the decency to be embarrassed to be caught staring. He almost regretted letting the words out to expose him.

But now Eddie’s looking at him and not the sun. Now he got to see those deep brown eyes looking back at him while Eddie’s face was glazed with that magical morning glow. And he can’t bring himself to be anything but happy his thoughtless mutter brought Eddie’s attention to him.

"What's up? I got something on my face?" Eddie asked him, rubbing a hand across his cheeks and chin.

"I like you."

Steve said it quickly, like ripping off a bandaid. Like he couldn't stand another minute not saying it. Because he really couldn’t.

"Like, I really like you.” They’ve just been lounging on a hill for the last hour, but even so, he said it breathless and urgent with veins pumping with adrenaline,” And it doesn’t make any sense, because, look at us. There's no reason we should've even talked long enough to get to know each other. But we did. And now we spend time together like we're the only people in the world. And when we aren't alone, you know and care about all the people I can’t imagine living without. And you’re so fun and exciting, while also finding ways to be warm and kind. And you know what I’ve been through, my past, and I know yours. And you challenge me to be a better person without making me feel guilty for taking so long to figure it out. And you do all these incredible things like they just make sense, like they are all that makes sense to you. And now, I can't stop myself from thinking, every time we're together, how much better it'd be if I could pull you in and-"

Eddie ended his runaway words with his hands, one on Steve's cheek, the other at the base of his neck.

It was everything he’d ever wanted to hear from Steve. His own longing returned. And it wasn’t just a passing interest, it was a real confession. Dripping with praise and adorn and meaning in every word. It meant something to Steve. Eddie meant something to Steve.

"Shut up and kiss me already," Eddie said, voice near begging as they looked at just each other, sunrise forgotten.

And before Eddie could wish for anything more, Steve was quick to comply with the request as they bathed in sunlight and summer air and shared their first kiss.

Then they were dating. They’d been dating for a while, announcements to their friends and begrudging support while they all grappled with how annoying the two would be about it. It was fun being annoying as boyfriends. It was fun doing anything as boyfriends.

Now, it’s important to note that Eddie’s never figured himself impulsive.

Not really.

He enjoyed the methodical planning and thought he could put into something before presenting it to someone's bated attention. The work and time invested to make something truly spectacular… it was intoxicating to make all the effort worth it. He loved practicing a kind of faux-impulsivity too. Like slipping on an outfit that said he was some wild thing, one who lived his life at the behest of passion without reason. To curate the story. The one that said he was a freak, just like everyone expected him to be. But it was all carefully, strategically planned.

There was just so much beauty in the attention spent to do something right.

So much power in the intention put in so it was perfect before it was seen.

Even when it came to Steve, he loved the planning part of being a boyfriend. Spent his alone time brainstorming date ideas, writing love notes and songs, preparing surprises, and practicing flirtatious lines. All of it. Plotting something to sweep Steve off his feet was half the fun of doing it.

All this to say that he always figured he'd do something big and dramatic the first time he said 'I love you'. Grand gestures, the size of plot points in love-sick movies kind of dramatic. Like maybe he'd say it at a holiday party or on an anniversary to make it public and showy on a special occasion, or he could fill a house they shared with roses and candlelight and whatever romantic idols he deemed worthy in a few years to make it private and intimate. He figured it'd be something like that.

Because, well, he always figured he'd need a few years to feel ready to say it.

He could wax on about how handsome Steve is, how dedicated, how kind, selfless, caring, strong, and just about every other good word there was. He could do those things, spend days regaling to Steve how amazing he finds him, how enraptured he is. And yet, he never figured it’d be easy to say ‘I love you’. He’d never said it before, aside from Wayne when Eddie felt particularly softhearted. But that was a different kind of love, he knew. Eddie never had someone right enough to say this kind of love to. So, surely he’d need a lot of time to build to it, to really understand something so new, to declare it was love.

But, in opposition to everything he figured about himself... one night, Eddie was just bursting with the need to say it.

They sat slumped together under a shared blanket. Steve was all spread out on the couch where Eddie laid mostly beside him but a little on top of him, held in his arms while he rested his head on Steve's (sadly covered) chest. His ear was planted right over Steve's heart, hearing the slow thumping that told Eddie how comfortable they both were. No fears between them. But Eddie's pulse started to pace, and it had nothing to do with the movie on the screen.

"Steve," Eddie called for him as he lifted his head.

His boyfriend looked back at him, patiently waiting for the rest of what he had to say while a woman on the tv screen started crying those pretty movie star tears over something Eddie didn’t bother to pick up.

In the space between the words, Eddie's brain reminded him that they'd only been together a few months. That it’s still too soon to say such a thing. That he doesn’t want to scare Steve off because he’s just feeling too much. But then his heart reminded him how he felt, and he couldn't bring himself to care less about how little time they’ve shared so far.

"I love you.” He said,” I know it's a lot and we haven't even-"

"Really?" Steve asked him, his hands clutched around Eddie tighter now, eyes wide and... scared.

Eddie just nodded his head," Yeah."

"Say it again."

"What?"

"Please."

But Steve’s voice didn't sound commanding. It was begging. His eyes grew misty and such a sight threatened to break Eddie's heart.

"I love you." He repeated, taking Steve's hand in his own and lifting it to his lips to press a kiss into his knuckles.

And Steve cried.

He curled up into Eddie and cried tears full of both joy and fear. He remembered the days long past when Nancy said she loved him and the days that followed when she said it was all a lie. Steve had been afraid for a long time that no one would love him. Or that maybe no one could.

And then Eddie goes and says it.

Like it’s nothing. Like it’s meant to be and makes sense. Like it’s easy.

And even though Steve’s scared, even though he is crying all over this milestone in their relationship, Eddie’s there. With his arms around Steve now, fingers running through his hair and saying nothing. Just letting Steve feel all the things he needs to feel without judgment. And Steve stopped worrying that it could be another lie.

When Steve ran out of tears, he pulled back. Looked up at Eddie with puffy eyes and pink cheeks. And he sighed a deep, feeling everything kind of sigh. Then he reached up to grab Eddie’s face, and just before he planted a kiss on his lips, Steve whispered back,” I love you, too.”

And it was the truth.

They loved each other.

What a beautiful thing to share.

#This is just Fluff #Tooth-rotting fluff #My other one shot was to sad and my slowburn is going to take a MINUTE to get this cute #So I wrote this to get some sweetness out of my system #Anyway - this is how I imagine them getting together and falling in love #Steve is the one 'brave enough' to risk their friendship to say 'I like you'#But after being burned so much he's too scared to be the one to say love.#and while Eddie was too nervous to take the step and begin their relationship...#He ends up being the one who needs to tell Steve 'I love you'#Which makes Steve feel safe enough to say it back... ❤️#Anyway I think I'm going to so write a Ronance confession set next between chaps for the slowburn...#Steve Harrington #Eddie Munson #Steddie #Steveddie #Steve x Eddie #Stranger Things #Stranger Things 4 #Stranger Things 4 spoilers #stranger things fanfiction #ST4 fanfic #Steddie Fanfic

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