Chapter Text
They fucked up along the way, Nancy just can’t seem to pinpoint where. Were they talking about party plans too loud? Does mentioning Steve Harrington still have the same effect it did before he graduated? Is he seriously still the Great Gatsby of Hawkins? No, no. That can’t be right. How the hell did this party happen?
Nancy stands high on the staircase in search of bangs that are too short, but Robin is nowhere to be found in the crowd. She’s left to run into the trenches alone and head to the front door to lock it but gets sidetracked when she spots two meatheads tossing a lamp around. She catches it from falling on the floor and hides it in one of the kitchen cabinets.
More people pile in. The house gets hotter. The music gets louder. No one can hear her demanding they get off the table. Nancy just wants to go home and fall asleep. Oh, sleep. It’s such a foreign concept these days.
She shakes herself awake. No time for moping, there's a problem to solve. Blondie is making it hard because she’s singing so loud Nancy can barely hear herself think.
A bulb lights above her head. That’s the ticket! She needs to shut everything off. No music. No lights. Create a blackout so everyone’s bound to hear when she dramatically announces that cops are coming. Everyone will scatter and the house will hopefully be empty by the time Steve arrives.
Nancy finds that the breaker panel in the basement needs a key, so she searches every cabinet and drawer but comes up empty. Upstairs, she spots a closet in the hallway where a storage box sits on the shelf above the coat rack. She steals a few books from Steve’s room and stacks them on top of each other to stand on. A look inside the box shows nothing but sewing supplies.
CLICK! The closet door shuts behind her and she stands in complete darkness. It doesn’t budge when she pushes; something leans against it. With an ear to the door, she hears the sloppy sounds of lips smacking against each other.
“Hellooo!! There’s someone in here!!” Nancy yells as her knuckles bang against the door.
The couple do not listen and they continue to makeout unbothered, and when they start moaning Nancy jumps backwards. She’s about ready to rip out her hair.
Five minutes pass but it feels like ten. The couple still barricades the door.
Fifteen minutes pass and Nancy decides to curl up in the corner with her chin resting on her knees. Coats hang over her and she grabs one to drape over her head to muffle the noise, leaving only her mary jane shoes visible to anyone who walks in. It’s actually quite comfortable.
Thirty minutes pass and Nancy drifts out of consciousness.
An hour passes and she dreams about celebrating the Fourth of July. There are fireworks in the sky, and she finds that she prefers the sight when she doesn’t have the end of the world to worry about.
As with any accidental nap, Nancy wakes up confused and groggy. Her neck is stiff and as she stands, an orchestra of cracking bones follows. The closet is opened just a crack, allowing warm light to spill in.
She escapes, hurries towards the bathroom to freshen up, and when she barges in she finds empty red solo cups covering the counters. The perp stands in front of the mirror, carrying a cup of her own while her other hand holds scissors up to her already way too short bangs.
“DON’T DO IT!” Nancy blurts without thinking.
Robin whips her head around and only now does Nancy see eyeliner dripping down her cheeks.
“Oh my God, what happened to you?” Nancy gasps.
“What happened to you?” Robin throws back. “You disappeared into thin air!”
“I was trapped inside a closet. Hand me that.” She steals the scissors from Robin. “Have you been crying?”
“No, my face is just sweaty,” Robin sniffles.
“Oh, Robin…” Nancy soaks a towel with water and wipes away her friend's makeup. “Do you wanna talk about it?”
“There’s nothing to talk about.”
Nancy makes a face.
“Fine,” Robin grumbles. “I… just had my first real kiss.”
“Oh?”
“But I don’t think sh– he was really into it. ‘Cause after he kissed me, he apologized and ran away. I think he regrets it. It’s my bangs, I need to fix them–” Robin reaches for the scissors.
Nancy holds it high despite Robin being taller. “It’s not your bangs and cutting it, even more, is not gonna fix it. And who says he regrets it? Maybe the guy is just shy.”
“Vic…tor is not shy at all! He talks as much as me. Maybe even more!”
Even more? Nancy squints, and her skepticism is justified because Robin rambles on without space to breathe: “Oh God, he regrets it, I know it. He’s never gonna look at me the same way again. He might not even look at me at all! My first kiss was with someone who regrets it. Do you know how embarrassing that is? I think I’m gonna throw up. Or maybe cry some more. Or both. Or—”
Nancy stands on her toes and plants a kiss on Robin’s cheek. A pink lipstick stain remains.
“There. Now your second kiss is with someone who definitely doesn't regret it,” says Nancy. A beat. “Robin?”
Robin seems stuck in time. Her mouth hangs open and her entire face is beet red. There were probably better ways to cheer her up, but impulsive choices get things done quicker.
Nancy rubs her shoulder. “Do you need water–”
Robin lets out a high-pitched giggle that doesn’t end.
“Yeah, okay, I’ll go get you some water. Lock the door and stay here.” Nancy takes the scissors with her as she travels downstairs.
In the living room, people cheer and holler like they’re watching the Super Bowl and not a regular game of beer pong. Some watch with such intensity it wouldn’t be a surprise if they cried at the results of the game.
Nancy overhears a conversation between a theatre kid and a band kid:
“Holy shit, they might actually win this! I don’t think anyone has ever beaten him before.”
“Dude, we’re watching history being made.”
“Oh God. The final shot. Here it comes!”
The room goes silent. Everyone leans in in anticipation. The ball gets tossed and— the crowd erupts like a volcano. Beer spills everywhere as hands are tossed into the air, and Nancy has to back away from the splash zone. She watches from the kitchen as the champions stand on the table victorious, flipping off their opponents.
“You fucking—“ Burp. “You fucking cheated, asshole!” Yells sore loser number one.
“Yeah, you probably, like, put water in your cups or something!” Accuses sore loser number two.
Everyone boos the losers and starts pushing them toward the exit.
“Cover yourself up, slut! And go home!” Yells someone in the crowd.
“I AM HOME!” Sore Loser Number Two yells back. He does button his shirt up, though.
As the losers are pushed out, Nancy catches a glimpse of the two most infamous heads of hair she knows. One defies gravity with the help of about fifteen different hair products while the other flows down his shoulders like a waterfall.
Steve and Eddie fall onto the front steps as the door shuts in their face.
It might’ve given her neck pain but Nancy wishes she were still sleeping in the closet.
“Damn, you dated that guy?”
Nancy flinches at the sudden appearance of the boy beside her. A little boy. A child, in her eyes. He looks so out of place, casually holding a beer and leaning against the kitchen island like he’s a regular at the local Hawkin’s bar.
Nancy snatches his beer. “Mike, what are you doing here?! Isn’t it your bedtime?!”
“I’m fifteen!” He grabs the bottle back.
“You’re annoying is what you are. Go home,” Nancy demands.
“Wait, can we even do that? It’s illegal to ride our bikes if we’ve been drinking, right?” Dustin says. He appears on Nancy’s left side, the opposite of Mike. He holds a beer of his own but it looks barely touched.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea either way. You might end up in a ditch,” says Lucas. He shuts the fridge and joins the others with a canned cocktail.
Nancy pinches the bridge of her nose. “Who else is here? Just so I’m not blindsided by El doing a keg stand in the backyard or something.”
“It’s just us. We saw fireworks and wanted to get a better view,” says Mike.
“Plus, Steve owes us a few drinks for the emotional damage he caused me earlier,” says Dustin.
“You’re not even drinking yours. I’ve seen you take one sip in the last hour,” Mike points out.
Dustin waves him off. “Relaaax, I’m pacing myself, alright? I’m savouring each sip of this sweet nectar.”
“You hate it,” Lucas says flatly.
“God, it’s terrible!” Dustin blurts. “People enjoy this shit?! It tastes like dirt!”
“You guys can’t be here. I’m dropping you off somewhere.” Nancy hooks her arms with Mike and Dustin’s and drags them out the door. Lucas nonchalantly follows behind, going wherever the night takes him.
“Ugh, come on, Nancy! You’re overreacting! We’re supposed to be rebelling! This is what teenagers do!” Mike argues.
“Rebel somewhere else. I’m already dealing with a lot here.” Nancy opens the back seat door and the boys reluctantly file in.
A line of parked cars crowds the road leading up to the party. Nancy recognizes Steve’s car in between two pickup trucks in the distance. It looks unoccupied at the moment.
The ride to the Wheeler household consists of the boys arguing about something nerdy (anything D&D related remains lost on Nancy). She glances over to the rearview mirror to see her brother slouching in the middle seat, barely able to move his lanky legs and arms. It’s a ways away from being in a car seat, yet Nancy remembers helping him buckle up like it was yesterday. When did he get so tall? Somewhere between saving the world probably. She must have been too busy to notice.
Upon arrival, the kids leave the car and as Mike passes Nancy’s window she stops him to say, “you do know about mom’s hidden wine stash, right? In the garage?”
“I don’t know, that depends,“ Mike eyes narrow, “is this a trap?”
Nancy rolls her eyes. “There’s beer hidden in the bottom of the pile. Don’t steal more than one bottle for yourself and have something to eat. Got it?”
“Got it.”
“Also…” She hesitates. She’s feeling sentimental but doesn’t know what to say. Stop growing so quickly? You’ll always be my little brother? Ugh. That all sounds so wrong.
She decides to reach out the window and pinch his cheeks hard. They’re not as soft as they used to be but his reaction is all the same:
“UGH, YOU’RE SO ANNOYING!” Mike rips her fingers off and stomps inside. It won’t be the last time he’ll need a ride home from an overrated party.
It’s a twenty-minute trip back to the party and Nancy’s thankful for some alone time, even if brief. She turns up the radio as it plays Heaven is a Place on Earth.
Up ahead, she sees Steve’s parked car again and two shadowy figures now occupy it. Music escapes her car as she rolls down her window and drives towards them. With her headlights shining the way, she’s able to see Steve and Eddie standing close to each other. Perhaps it’s the radio’s doing or her missing Jonathan or the unregretful kiss she had left on Robin, but Nancy feels that she has intruded on something intimate. Something she’s not supposed to see. Something that is meant to be a secret.
“They were sharing a pizza,” Nancy reveals. She looks much more put together than her hungover friends that sit across from her, and up until this point, they have been listening to her story closely.
“...That’s it?” Robin says with a mouthful of the breakfast burrito Nancy had brought. Despite having gotten it from Steve’s favourite diner, his bagel remains untouched.
“Yup. That’s it. Sorry, I don’t know why I built it up so much,” Nancy says, though, it’s a clear lie. At least to Steve. Her tell? The brief glance she gives. It happens in a millisecond but he catches it. She’s keeping a secret from him. Or rather, he’s keeping a secret for him.
See, It’s hard to forget anything about Eddie Munson. No memory is a blur when it involves a gorgeous set of chocolate brown eyes, long hair made to be whipped around and a collection of gnarly tattoos tragically hidden under clothing.
Steve shouldn’t be so curious but he can’t stop looking at the bats inked along Eddie’s forearm revealed by his rolled-up sleeve. He wonders if he regrets it– if the bats bring too many bad memories, but he decides not to bring that up now. Not when they already feel down.
After being kicked out of his own house, Steve’s inebriated self somehow remembered he had left the food he initially got for the small get-together in his car. He and Eddie sit on the hood, sharing pizza that had gotten cold over the unattended hours. It’s what they deserve for their embarrassing performance. They only managed four points.
“No, no, no. Get it right. It was FIVE. You shot two in and I got three,” Eddie claims, waving his pizza crust between Steve and himself.
“Get out of here,” Steve scoffs. “If it really was five, then it would’ve been me who made the extra shot. You aim like you’re trying to hit the other team.”
“And I was,” Eddie reveals, a mischievous smirk growing. “I got one of them in the eye, that should definitely count for something.”
“That was actually pretty impressive,” Steve admits, and something in his chest flutters when seeing Eddie swing his legs up and down, delighted by the compliment he received.
Whatever they drank has really gotten to Steve because Eddie looks heavenly tonight. His eyes shine like the fireflies that dance around them, and the moonlight softens his features and outlines a halo around his wild hair. How can anyone mistake him for the devil when he looks this angelic? Steve’s sober enough to not ask that out loud.
They’re left with full stomachs as they lay on their backs, staring up at the star-filled sky. A romantic sight if Steve wasn’t sluggish from the junk food and copious amounts of alcohol. He’s close to falling asleep until Eddie pipes up, voice sounding just as tired as Steve feels.
“Shit, man. I feel really bad that I lost your money. Could I do you any favours? Like, clean your pool for a year or something? I know that won’t bring back your money but, I don’t know. I fucked up.”
“You don’t owe me anything,” Steve insists. “I gave you the money. It was yours to lose.”
“Wow. Cool. That makes me feel so much better,” Eddie murmurs.
“Do you need a job? Like, a legal one? Because Family Video is always looking for new hires. I can recommend you,” Steve offers.
“Ugh, I’m not wearing that stupid ugly vest,” Eddie rejects, instantly. “Uniforms are for sheep, and I’m no sheep. I eat sheep for breakfast. I’m a goddamn dragon. RAAAAH!” In one quick motion, he sits upright with his tongue out and claws ready to attack.
He searches for Steve's reaction but he doesn’t get one. Steve sits back up with him, stoic.
“I’m worried about you,” he confesses.
Eddie cringes. “Why?”
“‘Cause you’re my friend and I don’t want you to get in any more trouble than you already have,” Steve answers.
Eddie doesn’t look convinced. Hearing the word ‘friend’ seems to throw him off, and its times like these Steve recognizes that his reputation precedes him. It will always be a barrier between a king like himself and a freak like Eddie.
“I— I know it’s probably hard to believe, but I really do care about you,” Steve assures in the midst of silence. “We all thought you died, man. I don’t want to see that again.”
“Oh.” Eddie’s gaze drops to his lap. He nervously fidgets with his rings. “That’s sweet of you, Harrington, but you really don’t have to worry,” he says quietly. “I’ve lived my entire life teetering on the edge of death. That’s what happens when you have a dad who likes to wave his gun around and a mom you never really knew. I was born into danger and I’ve learned to love the thrill. To thrive on it. But I’m not an idiot; when the thrill turns into fear I know it's just best just to run away. It’s how I’ve been taught to survive.”
“You didn’t run away in the Upside Down,” Steve mentions, “were you not scared then?”
“You kidding me, man? I was shitting bricks,” Eddie snorts. “That was the day I found out there’s an exception when it’s not just my life on the line. Ugh. That kid turned me into a Care Bear. Dustin’s loud mouth is as big as his heart.”
Steve chuckles, knowing this all too well. “You know, he rolled up to me today, looking to get wasted. I wouldn’t give him what he wanted so he tried finding you instead.”
Eddie rolls his eyes fondly. “Of course he did. I don’t think I would have given him anything, though. Beer probably would have been harmless but, I don’t know. I’ve been in this whole drug dealing business long enough to see the very dark side. It’s terrifying, man.”
“More reason to work with me and Buckley.”
Eddie leans back, a distant look in his eyes as he thinks to himself for a while.
“I’ll tell you what,” he says, eventually. “If I ever end up reforming or whatever, maybe I'll consider taking you up on that offer. How does that sound?” He brings out his hand to shake and waits.
“Like a lie,” Steve says. He takes Eddie’s hands anyway, curious about his secure grip and how his rings feel against his skin.
The faraway giggles from someone familiar bring their attention straight ahead where they see a tall jock open his car door for the raven-haired girl from earlier. She pecks him on the cheek before seating herself inside.
Eddie sucks his teeth and pats Steve’s shoulders. “Ah, man. That sucks to see. Sorry for keeping you away from your girl.”
“I’d rather be with you,” Steve finds himself saying. He shakes his head. “I mean like, I like talking to you. You’re good company. If anything, Hawkin’s is a small town. I’ll probably bump into her again.”
“Oh, come on. I bet if you go over to her now, she’ll forget that guy,” Eddie nudges him with his elbow. “You’re the King Steve. You sweep girls off their feet with just a glance.”
“Well, that was in high school. I’m a bit rusty,” is Steve’s excuse.
“Then practise with me.”
“What?”
“You heard me.” Eddie makes a show of flipping his hair back and twirling it around his finger. “Pretend I’m a cute girl. Hit me with that Harrington charm.”
Steve scoffs, “I don’t need practice.”
“Your fail streak tells me otherwise,” says Eddie. “I’ve seen the chart that Robin made. It’s honestly impressive how she can even keep track of all your attempts.”
“Christ. I really need to burn that thing,” Steve murmurs.
“No, dude, you gotta study that thing front to back and finally score a win,” Eddie encourages, treating Steve’s dating life like it's a life-or-death situation. “You know what I noticed? Your stats are pretty high when it comes to girls with shorter hair. Like Nancy’s. Once you figure out why my luscious locks are resistant to your signature moves, you’re pretty much unstoppable.”
Steve grimaces. Bait hangs right in front of him and anyone would be dumb to take it unless they’re looking to be embarrassed. Steve’s not anyone. He’s the former king of Hawkin’s High and the self-proclaimed poster boy for Flirting 101. And when he takes the bait he does it with finesse. He does it without Eddie knowing and continues their conversation casually.
“How long did it take you to grow out your hair anyway?”
Eddie pauses to think. “I dunno. A year or two. Why?”
Steve shrugs. “You look good with it. It suits you.”
“Oh yeah?” Eddie unconsciously starts combing his fingers through the tangles. “You think so?”
“Yeah, there’s not enough guys who pull it off like you do.”
“I- I mean, It’s not that special. A lot of metalheads have this cut, just look at Iron Maiden.”
“Well,” Steve says making his voice husky the way he knows girls love, “you’re the only metalhead I know, so I guess that makes you special to me.” He carefully reaches over and tucks Eddie's hair under his ear.
It works as Eddie huffs out a short and nervous laugh. He looks away and fiddles with his rings again. “I guess so,” is all he manages.
Steve scans him extra slowly. He hops off the car to stand in front of Eddie, where he ducks his head to get a peak under those bangs.
“I bet you get complimented on your eyes just as much as your hair,” Steve smirks. “They’re just as bold. I’ve been getting lost in them all night.”
Eddie bats his lashes cartoonishly. “Be careful, It’s a trap. You might end up in the Twilight Zone,” he warns. Though veiled as a joke, it’s clear he’s deflecting from falling for Steve’s spell.
Steve persists. “Nothing about you is a trap. That’s one of the things I really admire about you. You don’t hide your authentic self. You’re the most genuine person I know.”
“Sounds like the alcohol is talking,” he deflects again.
“Sounds like you like it,” Steve teases.
Eddie hair curtains his face as he bows his head, pretending to get distracted by the dirt on his shoes. Steve suspects he just wants to hide.
It’s safe to say he has proven Eddie wrong, but oddly enough, he doesn’t want to stop flirting with Eddie. It’s just too much fun. It’s exhilarating in the same way it was when he was talking to the raven-haired girl. Maybe even more.
He finds himself taking a step closer, right in between Eddie’s legs, and he tells himself that he just wants to secure a win. To really drive his point that his stats don’t matter. That’s why he rests his hands on Eddie’s knees and his thumb gently strokes him. That’s why his stomach swoops when he catches Eddie trying to bite down a grin.
His head still bows and that just won’t do. So Steve carefully takes Eddie’s chin under his thumb and slowly lifts.
“There you are,” Steve purrs.
There’s no hiding the gorgeous splash of pink across Eddie’s cheeks and those eyes as deep as the skies above and the oceans below. The sight sets a fire in Steve’s chest. His heart hammers against his chest like it’s trying to break out. EddieEddieEddie, is all his inebriated brain can provide right now. Everything else is background noise.
“I like seeing you like this. It’s cute,” Steve finally allows himself to say out loud. It’s worth it because Eddie glows even brighter.
“You… think I’m cute?”
“Adorable.” Steve sways even closer, the smell of pine and smoke getting stronger.
Here they are again, inches apart, eyes flickering down. Eddie’s lips are right there. Red and soft. Steve’s curiosity never faded; he still wonders what they taste like. Nothing is stopping him from knowing. Not even himself. The roller coaster drops without warning.
His lips crash against Eddie’s. He pushes to deepen the kiss right away, formalities from the Steve Harrington courting handbook long forgotten, and he tastes beer and pizza and nicotine and Eddie and he just wants more, more, more. His impatience makes for a sloppy kiss made even more desperate when he hears a soft whimper coming from the other party who kisses him back just as hungry.
But with that sound also comes the realization that— wait a minute, holy shit, what is he doing?!
Steve pulls back, hands up like he’s surrendering. His eyes keep closed, fearing reality, and a strained laugh escapes him. “Jesus. Shit. Sorry. I don’t— I don’t know why I did that. I um…”
Shit, shit, shit. This is so bad. He can’t even come up with an excuse to run away. His mind still screams EddieEddieEddie! He has no choice but to open his eyes and face the damage.
Cheeks a brilliant pink, lips wet, pupils blown out and hair a bit messier; Eddie leans back on his elbows, having been flustered to the point of exhaustion and he simply can not hold himself upright any longer. Who’s to blame but Steve who finds his legs go limp from the sight of his own doing.
“Got too caught up in the role, huh?” Eddie jokes breathily.
“Yeah,” Steve croaks. “Sorry. That was super weird. I— I shouldn’t have done that. I’m drunker than I thought.”
There’s something very new and dangerous about the way Eddie eyes him up and down. Steve fears it’s lust.
He sits back up and reaches to adjust Steve’s collar which had gone askew. “I appreciate the commitment, though. Really had me believe I was the girl of your dreams.”
“Right,” is all Steve manages.
They stare at each other. Waiting. And wait. And waiting. And Eddie hops off the car, landing toe to toe with Steve.
“You know, I’m pretty drunk too,” says Eddie, carefully observing Steve as he hooks his finger onto his belt. He tugs, testing Steve, seeing if he’d come closer.
Steve does and it gets a wicked grin out of Eddie, all prior diffidence having vanished. As he throws his arm over Steve’s shoulder, It feels only natural for Steve to rest his hands on the other man's waist.
“Now we both have an excuse,” Eddie murmurs before leaning in.
And, oh God, Steve’s legs nearly give out just then because Eddie is kissing him. He’s kissing Eddie. This is happening again and there’s no stopping now.
Steve tries to keep a steady pace this time, but Eddie does something incredible with his tongue and desperation gets the best of both of them again. Their hands wander and grasp for fabric, and their lips move against each other like they have been starving for this moment the entire night. Maybe they have. Maybe they’re too stubborn to admit it out loud so they pretend they’re doing this because they’ve had too much to drink. Steve doesn't want to think about that right now. He doesn’t want to think at all because kissing Eddie feels incredible.
“Your car,” Eddie mumbles between kisses, “has space inside, yeah?”
Steve swallows hard. This is absolutely not what he pictured when he hoped to get lucky tonight.
He continues kissing Eddie with his hands blindly searching for his car keys in his pockets. It’s a lot harder than anticipated because his mind goes completely blank when Eddie’s teeth gently drag against his bottom lip as he moves away to kiss down his neck. There, he leaves a mark too difficult to hide without a high collar. That’s a later problem. Right now, Steve gets lost in a complete state of bliss. He’s convinced he has died and gone up to–
–HEAVEN IS A PLACE ON EARTH! THEY SAY IN HEAVEN, LOVE COMES FIRST. OHH, HEAVEN IS A PLACE ON EARTH!
Music escapes out of a rolled-down window. Blinding headlights shine against the boys like they’re centre stage in a theatre play. They push away from each other; Steve hastily adjusts his suddenly-too-snug jeans and Eddie tucks down his shirt which had been riding up.
Is it worse that they’ve been caught by a person they know rather than a stranger? And not just any person. It’s Steve’s ex-girlfriend, wide-eyed like she was the one caught in headlights.
Her gaze meets Steve who does little to hide the fear written on his face, and hers quickly shifts to something unreadable. Casually, she greets them and offers them a ride back to the party despite it being just a five-minute walk. They agree anyway and keep their mouths shut in the back seat with only Nancy to fill the silence with an explanation of where she has been. She doesn’t mention anything about what she saw Steve and Eddie doing.
Turns out, Nancy has a solution to ending the party— all she needs is a key, which Steve knows is in the safe hidden under his parents’ bed. He leads her there with Eddie trailing far behind, though he makes no effort to climb the stairs. It has nothing to do with how he can’t seem to make eye contact with the ex-couple, he claims he’s just ‘too tired’.
Behind the master bedroom’s closed doors, Nancy abruptly states, “I didn’t see anything.”
“See what?” Steve mumbles. He keeps his eyes down on the contents of the safe and pretends to look for the only silver key in a sea of gold and brown.
“Exactly. There was nothing for me to see. Just don’t worry about me saying anything is my point,” she tells him gently.
Steve stays quiet and naive and just hands her the key.
It’s lights out by 2 AM. In a now pitch black and musicless house party, everyone scatters in a panic as Nancy yells, “OH SHIT, THE COPS ARE COMING! RUN!”
Young and stupid soon-to-be-college kids rush for the exit, knocking a few picture frames and vases along the way. Only a few remain for the trio to kick out physically; Nancy deals with the swimming team skinny dipping in the pool while Steve and Eddie drag out a couple playing seven minutes of heaven in Steve’s bedroom closet.
With the couple gone, Steve and Eddie collapse on the bed completely exhausted. They stare up at the popcorn ceiling, listening to Nancy’s steps as she climbs up the stairs and heads for the washroom where Robin has apparently fallen asleep. From gathering the bits and pieces of murmured conversation, Robin has cut her bangs yet again and she’s too lazy to get out of the bathtub.
Steve's eyes become heavy until something warm and ticklish introduces itself to the crook of his neck. It’s not unwelcome. It quickly turns into pleasure as Eddie rolls on top of him to get a better angle. As he bends for a lazy kiss, he undoes the top buttons of Steve’s shirt so he can run his nails through his chest hair, a place he was once too afraid to even look at.
“Still wanna play?” Eddie murmurs against his mouth.
And now Steve’s wide awake again and his immediate answer is yes. He follows Eddie’s lead because, for the first time in a while, he has no idea what to do. He finds the first course of action is not dissimilar from his usual ventures – which is to hurriedly rip each other’s clothes off, or at least try to because Steve’s belt is wrapped way tighter than it should be and undoing the rest of his top is a tiresome process. Eddie experiences the same struggle as his shirt gets stuck on his head. He tries to play it off as he drawls, “you like what you see, big boy?” in a sexy but muffled voice. And, other than the shirt stuck over his head, Steve does in fact like what he sees– tattoos and scars and stitches and no bra with a clamp too stubborn to budge.
They’re both finally in their boxers but the battle he had with his shirt seems to have taken all the energy Eddie had left. The kisses he leaves on Steve’s shoulders are sluggish and detached, and Steve is inclined to feel the same. Then the kisses suddenly stop coming. Eddie becomes heavier on top of Steve. Snoring from both men fills the room.
A distinct smell of sweat, alcohol and weed assaults his nostrils. Half-empty solo cups stack against every flat surface around the room and, wait, wasn’t there a lamp on that side table and books on that bookshelf?
But perhaps most notable is the empty space beside him.
Another night in the books and on to the next. Eddie gathers his clothes and puts them on as he tip-toes his way downstairs, dodging the spilt beer on the steps. Not far away are Steve, Robin and Nancy arguing about something in the kitchen:
“Are you lying to me? I feel like you’re lying to me,” Robin says.
“I was shitfaced out of my mind. Of course I don’t remember anything past the beer pong game,” Steve held firmly.
“And you’re sure you didn’t see anything else, Nancy?” Robin asks.
“There was nothing for me to see,” Nancy maintains.
“Listen, Robin, just give me time. I might remember later, I just need to think things through,” sighs Steve.
Eddie makes sure to be extra cautious as he passes by the kitchen, but the crunch of a solo cup beneath his feet ruins that plan. The three whip their heads around. He waves with a toothy grin before continuing his way towards the exit like he is just a passerby on the street just trying to get by.
Steve tells him to wait up. Eddie reluctantly stops himself from heading out. They talk by the door alone.
“Hey,” Steve greets.
“Hi,” Eddie greets back.
A beat.
“I didn’t wanna interrupt anything—“
“Where are you heading off to—“
Their questions clash and they go quiet.
“...Sorry,” Steve shakes his head and rubs the back of his neck. “You go first.”
“Nah, it was nothing. You go ahead,” Eddie insists.
“Uh.” Steve clears his throat. “Do you remember anything from last night?”
Putting the former king of Hawkin’s High in a headlock, giving him clothes to wear, getting spat on, getting a strip tease after receiving wound treatment from the stripper himself, gaining a thousand dollars, losing said thousand dollars, losing twice as hard at a game of beer bong, and having an impromptu dinner date that ended with a drunk makeout session is all hard to forget.
“It’s all forgotten,” Eddie says easily. “Don’t worry. If anyone asks, I’ll say we were both drunk.”
“Right.” Steve folds his arms and glances away. He looks nervous and confused. Maybe even a bit guilty.
“...Do you remember last night?” Eddie asks, taking a slow step closer. Steve stays put. His eyes drag down. Eddie waits for an answer. He doesn't get one.
“Well,” he twists his rings, “if you ever decide to remember, I’ll be around.” Quickly, he takes a chance and leans in to peck him on the cheek. Eddie’s face goes hot and he’s delighted to find Steve’s turn bright red.
Eddie hurries out the door to hide his own rosy cheeks. He heads into his van and the sounds of AC/DC blasting on the radio fades down the road until the vehicle becomes nothing but a speck in the distance. Then Eddie is gone, leaving Steve with a night to forget.
...And many, many more to come.