Chapter Text
The plan was simple. Nancy and Robin went to pick up the car from the Wheelers' house, then they would stop by a drugstore to get everything they needed and come back to take them to the Harrington’s mansion. Steve's parents were the only ones who weren't home, and apparently that was a normal thing. They wouldn't be back until next month, which would give them enough time to decide how to convince an entire town that Eddie wasn't a serial killer. Besides, who would suspect that the murderous freak would be hidding with the son of one of the richest and most important families in town? Steve Harrington has much better taste than that.
It seemed simple, if it weren't for two small problems. The first was that Eddie couldn't see how to prove his innocence. Jason saw his own friend floating and practically being torn in half right in front of him and yet he continues to not only blame the metalhead, but he could convince the entire town that he was right. The bastard had money, and Eddie was a nobody. How to compete with it?
The second problem was… he was going to be with Steve, the two of them, alone. Eddie wasn't proud to admit it, but since he's seen the other boy fighting the Demobats in the Upside Down, he's gone from just a pretty face to the newest object of his desires. Harrington was obviously straight, too straight, and Eddie was more than used to keeping his crushes as a secret. But he never had to basically live with one of them.
Eddie sighed and looked to his side. He and Steve were still in his bed, but the other boy ended up sleeping, lying next to him, snoring softly.
"You're gonna be the death of me, Harrington" Eddie whispered, fiddling with his rings. He always did that when he was anxious.
"Did you call me?" Dustin asked, standing in the bedroom doorway, looking like he just ran from the couch to the bedroom in less than one second, which probably was the truth. He had insisted on staying with Eddie and Steve, and Eddie felt a little guilty for doing this to the younger boy. It couldn't have been easy for him to have to see one of his best friends running towards what could have been his own death without being able to do anything. One more thing for the “Eddie Munson’s fuck ups” list.
Before Eddie could answer, the two girls returned. They told them that the whole city was going to a shelter at school, because with the events of the whole Vectna thing, the residents were told that it was an earthquake. Eddie laughed and remembered all the other times weird things had happened in Hawkins and he was one of the idiots to believe what the authorities said, no matter how absurd they were. He will miss being this naive.
The ride to Steve's house was silent, the roads were all empty and the only noise inside the car was Dustin repeatedly trying to get in touch with the other kids on the walkie talkie. He was sitting in the back of the car, between Eddie and Steve.
“Max, Lucas, Erica, anyone. Over” Dustin tried again.
“Dude” Steve took the walkie talkie out of Dustin's hand “Enough of this. You’re giving me a headache.”
Nancy stopped the car and looked back. “They must be in the shelter with the rest of the city. After we drop the boys off at Steve's, we can go look for them, okay?”
Dustin crossed his arms and leaned his head back against the seat. He mumbled an “I guess…” and fell silent.
Eddie understood his concern. He leaned back from the car window, where he'd been leaning over since they'd started driving. “Hey, could you guys see if my uncle is in there too? And if you find him, can you tell him that I'm alive… and not a murderer and stuff?”
“Of course, my dude” Robin replied. Dustin patted Eddie's leg and smiled at him comfortingly. He could have sworn he saw Steve staring at him, but when he turned to the other man, he was looking out the street.
They arrived at the Harrington mansion soon after, and Eddie was impressed. He grew up living in trailers, never in his life he imagined walking into a place like this. Nancy led the way, asking Robin to get a bucket and clean rags, and pushing the two injured boys up to Steve's room. As they entered, the other boy was already removing his shirt, revealing the bloody fabric that was being used as a bandage. Eddie had seen Steve shirtless before, but it was while they were risking their lives in the Upside Down, not in the privacy of his bedroom. He blushed and cleared his throat, pointing to the bathroom. “Do you have a bathroom inside the room? How rich are you, Harrington?”
He always used sarcasm to push unsolicited feelings away, but when he looked at Steve and saw him facing him, shirtless, hands on his hips and a raised eyebrow, Eddie knew it wouldn't be easy this time.
Nancy entered the bedroom and went straight to the bathroom, the bag they had brought from the drugstore in her hand. Steve entered shortly after, but stuck his head out the door when he saw Eddie still standing in the middle of the room. "You’re gonna stay there?"
Eddie took a deep breath and walked into the bathroom. It was huge, almost the size of his whole bedroom. Steve was already sitting on the edge of the bathtub - he had a bathtub - with Nancy closely watching his injuries. Robin arrived soon after with a bucket full of rags inside. Eddie immediately felt better that he wasn't alone anymore with just the two of them in what felt like a very intimate moment.
"They don't look infected," Nancy said, and picked up one of the rags, dipped it in the sink and handed it to Steve. “Clean up. Eddie, your turn.” She turned to the metalhead.
Eddie sat on the floor, with Robin helping him, and removed his shirt.
“Hey cool tattoos” Robin commented, and looked at Steve “Don’t you think they’re cool Steve?”
Eddie was confused, and saw that Steve, who was definitely staring, turned away and said quietly a “sure".
“Thanks?” Eddie thanked him, not understanding anything. What just happened?
Eddie ended up not realizing that Nancy was already looking at his injuries, when he felt a sharp pain as she touched the nastiest of them all. Nancy sat on the floor in front of Eddie, grabbed the needle and suture thread and alcohol from the bag, and approached him again.
“Wow, wow, Wheeler, where are you going with that?” Eddie asked, leaning more against the wall to try to get away.
"I'll have to suture the wound." She responded, the same way she would say she was going to the mall to buy clothes.
“Have you done this before?” Robin asked.
“I've sewn some of Mike's coats, shouldn't be much different.” Nancy shrugged.
Eddie put his hand on his face and groaned "oh god". He really had no other choice, but that wasn't going to make the experience any less traumatic.
Steve got up suddenly and said "Nance, wait a second" and went to his room, returning moments later with a bottle of vodka, handing it to Eddie. He immediately opened the bottle and took several sips at once, setting the rest on the floor beside him and looking at the other boy. “I love you, man”
Steve rolled his eyes “Whatever, now bite this” he handed over an old t-shirt, which Eddie put between his teeth, pressed hard and closed his eyes.
Nancy started suturing and Eddie used all the energy he had left to keep from passing out. Robin left the bathroom saying "I can't do it", but Steve immediately went to Eddie's side, taking her place.
"Hey Munson." Steve spoke, gently removing Eddie's hair that was getting stuck to his face with the sweat. “Hey, focus on me. You’re doing great, it’s almost done.”
Steve kept his hand in his hair, stroking his head as he watched Nancy work. Eddie opened his eyes and turned to Steve, at the same time Steve looked back at him again. Neither of them turned away, Steve's hand still in his hair. Eddie started to relax, lost in the other boy's gaze, until Nancy broke their focus "I think I'm done"
Steve immediately took his hand away, and stood up, leaving the bathroom quickly. Eddie took the shirt out of his mouth and put his hand over his face again. This day was getting more and more confusing, but he wasn't in a position to deal with it right now.
Nancy finished putting on the new bandage and looked at Eddie as she packed the bag. "Are you okay?"
Eddie sighed. “Do you mean physically, or” he gestured around “everything?”
"Both, I guess" she smiled.
Eddie leaned his head against the wall behind him, fiddling with his rings. He was definitely not well, but somehow, being with all of them made him hopeful. He was too tired to be pessimistic, he needed to hold on to what little hope he could to keep from going crazy. “I'll be okay.” He replied simply. That seemed to be enough for Nancy, who smiled and said, “We'll fix this, Eddie, believe me. If there's one thing Eleven taught us, it's that friends don't lie."
Before Eddie could ask what she was talking about, they heard Dustin calling out to them. Nancy helped him up, and when they got back to Steve's room, they saw the younger boy standing in the doorway, looking scared.
“Guys, I managed to talk to Erica. She and Lucas are with Max at the hospital, we have to go there now!” Dustin spoke nervously.
Eddie was also immediately nervous. Max is a good girl, she didn't deserve to have to go through this. Everything was wrong in this, everything. He saw Steve getting up from his bed, where he and Robin were sitting, when the girl pushed him lightly. “Not you, dindus. You and Eddie stay here, you guys need to rest.”
"She's right" Nancy agreed "You two stay here, we'll keep you updated."
Nancy gave the pain medicine and antibiotics to the two of them, and went after Robin and Dustin. Eddie and Steve were alone. Eddie stood by the bed, not knowing what to do. He heard Steve shift in the bed, and turned to see him lying on his back, hands over his face. “Fuck. Fuuuuck. I shouldn't have let her do that."
Eddie didn't know what to say. He understood the guilt Steve was feeling, they were the adults, it should never have been put on her back. But it was already done, there was no point in regretting it. Eddie remembered something that always helped him relax, and he went to get his coat from the bathroom. He felt Steve's eyes on him, watching his movements in silence.
The metalhead came back into the room clutching his coat, took a joint out of one of his pockets, and sat down next to Steve. He took out his lighter and popped the joint into his mouth, looking at Steve hoping he would agree. The other boy sat down beside him and nodded, removing the joint from Eddie's lips as he lit it and swallowing hard. Eddie once again turned red thanks to Steve Harrington.
As they passed the joint to each other, Eddie thought several times if he should talk about what happened in the bathroom. But, before he could say anything, Steve finally broke the silence.
"Why did you do that?"
Eddie looked at him, confused. “You're going to have to be a little more specific, Harrington. I've done a lot of things in the last few days.”
“Decided that you would take on the Demobats alone, played the hero, almost traumatized Dustin forever.”
Oh, they were going to talk about it. Eddie took another drag before answering.
“I just thought I didn't want to run away anymore. I didn't think about the consequences, I didn't think about anything other than buying time to help you. You know, do something useful in my life for the first time.”
Steve looked at him like he wanted to say something, but Eddie continued. “I've been running my whole life. I ran away from my problems, my responsibilities, everything. I just didn't want to run away anymore." Eddie looked at Steve and smirked “I wasn't trying to be a hero, I know that's your role. To be a hero and be with Princess Wheeler at the end of the story.”
Eddie felt Steve tense beside him. He crossed his arms, careful not to touch his wounds or Eddie's, and said, “Me and Nancy… I told her everything that was stuck in my head before we faced Vecna. She heard me but didn't say anything. No even a single word."
“Harrington…”
"No, it 's alright. In fact, I shouldn't even have said anything. I guess in the end you and I don't know how to control our impulses do we?" Steve laughed, and pushed Eddie's shoulder with his.
Eddie couldn't lie that he was relieved by this, even though he knew it was wrong. And it's not like he has a chance with Steve now or that he's ever going to do anything about it, but still, good to know. He patted Steve’s lag and said “I’m sorry, man. Really.”
Steve smiled wearily. “Well, now I'm saving all my lovin' for someone who's loving me.”
Wait a minute, did he.. “Did you just quote Gloria Gaynor?”
Steve turned completely red "Well, apparently you know her too to know that" he defended himself.
"Yeah, but I'm..." Eddie caught himself before he said he was gay. Not that he had a problem with it, but he didn't know if Steve had a problem with it and he wasn't ready to ruin whatever they were doing right now.
“You're what?” Steve asked, still red.
“....eclectic”
"Oh..."
They continued in silence for a while longer, until Eddie got up carefully. “Where is the guest room? I'm tired, I'll try to get some sleep"
Steve pointed to the bedroom across from his and they said their “good nights” before Eddie left the room, walked into the other one and immediately went to bed. He really was exhausted, and the meds he'd taken for his injuries were taking effect, so he was finally pain free. The problem is that every time Eddie closed his eyes, he remembered the Upside Down world, the hundreds of Demobats attacking him, him feeling his body slowly losing strength. Not a funny feeling at all.
After a few hours of trying to sleep, Eddie decided to head to the kitchen to get some water, or more vodka, whichever he found first. He ended up finding Steve, who apparently had the same idea and was sitting on the couch in the living room.
"Can't you sleep either?" Eddie asked, making Steve jump in fright.
“Are you trying to kill me? And no, I can’t,” he replied, hand on his chest. Eddie saw that he had put on an old basketball team jersey. “Do you want to borrow a shirt?” Steve asked.
"As long as it's not a polo shirt," Eddie replied, smirking.
“Fuck you, I'll be right back”
Steve went to his room, and Eddie sat on the couch, where Steve was, and saw that there were several movie tapes on the couch. Steve was probably picking out something to see and trying to sleep. His eyes lit up when they saw the Star Wars tape, and he showed it to Steve as soon as he heard him enter the room again.
"Oh no, Dustin's made me watch this enough times that I don’t need to watch it again for the rest of my life," Steve said, and threw a shirt at Eddie. Luckily it was a plain gray T-shirt, so Eddie put it on and held the tape again.
“But Stevie, it's Star Wars. It’s my comfort movie, I need it.” He finished talking and pouted.
Steve rolled his eyes, took the tape, put it on the player, and sat down next to Eddie, who grabbed a pillow and settled himself on the couch, finally feeling a little bit of happiness that day. The fact that hours later he woke up with Steve sleeping on his shoulder, an arm thrown across his chest, let him know that maybe things were finally going to start being okay.