Chapter Text
“Robin! Does this look okay?” Steve slides around the corner into the kitchen looking halfway to a panic attack, his hands pressing down the light blue pearl snaps on his shirt.
“Wow. Going all out, busting out the fancy shirt and everything. You must be looking to get some!” She waggles her eyebrows as she laughs, turning back to the counter and the spread that she’s almost done unboxing.
“Okay, yeah, but does it look good?”
“Yeah, you look great. The food looks great. The cabin is spotless, you’ve been freaking out for like 3 hours now, I don’t know how you’re even still standing, I know you didn’t sleep last night. Take a deep breath, it’s just brunch with Eddie.”
“Exactly! It’s brunch with Eddie. Who I am now officially dating by the way…”
“I did hear that rumor. Although one could argue you’ve been dating for months” Robin waves the spatula around dramatically as she talks, bits of hash brown scattering across the counter.
Without even really thinking Steve is grabbing paper towels and cleaning up behind Robin who he can hear muffling a laugh, but he’s choosing to ignore it. For now. “That’s not the point. This is our first real date, everything else doesn’t count. This is like, I don’t know, the official start.”
“So we’re ignoring that you’ve been living together for awhile and you nursed him back to health. Got it.”
“I think we can all agree that it was a disaster. I need this to go well to make up for it.”
“Steve” Robin isn’t even attempting to hide her laughter now. “I love you. I do. And I love Eddie too, but you’re both idiots. Pull yourself together. I promise whatever happens at brunch it’s going to be good, but if you continue to freak the fuck out you’re going to miss it.”
//
The clock above the counter says 10:00. Eddie is supposed to be back to the cabin by 10:30, Steve was super clear about that in his text, and yet here Eddie stands, in the middle of the gas station convenience store on the verge of running back to Wayne’s and burying himself under the covers indefinitely because what the hell was he thinking when he guaranteed butterfly goo. I mean he knows what he was thinking originally and he’s fairly certain that is still on the table as an option, but he can’t very well walk into the cabin, say he brought the good stuff and whip his dick out. I mean maybe he can, Eddie thinks Steve might get a laugh out of that, but then again look at the disaster that was “fancy a roll in the hay?”. Eddie can’t risk it. So now he needs a reasonable replacement for, well, his dick. Something that might lead to actual dick, or dicks. Something funny and charming that won’t make Steve regret every decision he’s ever made when it comes to Eddie.
Eddie’s eyes hit on the back shelf and there’s an answer there, he’s not sure it’s a good one, but once he’s had the thought he can’t let it go. It’s an obscure reference for sure, but one Steve will definitely get. As Eddie carried the box up to the register he let out a tiny laugh as he thought back to High School when they had a health teacher who was so uncomfortable with teaching anything about sex that he would come up with these elaborate and barely connected lessons, and one involved a twinkie. Well, two twinkies really, one wrapped and one unwrapped. He passed them around the classroom, everyone had to touch the twinkie, and when it got to the end he would ask the last person if they would eat the twinkie. The wrapped one was a no-brainer, just take the wrapper off and it was still good, no germs, but the idea was that you shouldn’t want to eat the unwrapped one because it had everyone’s germs on it. Like a dick with no condom that everyone had touched. Except Eddie was the last chair and when that unwrapped twinkie got to him he just shoved it in his mouth and smiled big with cream dripping out the side of his mouth. The class went nuts, the teacher was furious, and Eddie had been sent to the office, but not before he had the chance to crack a few jokes about how delicious the twinkie was and how he had a little bit of everyone in him now. He had gotten detention, but it was worth it. It was a story that came up literally every time someone talked about high school health, or twinkies, and as far as Eddie was concerned twinkie cream was about as close to butterfly goo as he was going to get without actually offering himself up for dessert.
He just hoped Steve appreciated the joke as much as Eddie was enjoying making it.
//
Steve can see Eddie sitting in his truck through the window of the living room. He’s been out there for a solid 5 minutes now, and Steve can tell he’s doing… something, even if he’s not sure what. Robin had taken off about 10 minutes earlier, brunch sitting on warming plates in the kitchen, everything prepped and ready to go for Steve and Eddie to make breakfast burritos. Not particularly romantic, but still, it’s something they can do together. Their original date was supposed to include a romantic steak dinner and Steve had even gotten flowers and candles for the table, but that didn’t really translate to 10:30 in the morning, so instead he had opted for breakfast burritos, hashbrowns and a picnic on the back hill. It was a super short walk, maybe 20 yards, but from the top the view was down into the back 40 acres and it was one of Steve's favorite views in the world. It’s not like Steve and Eddie had never eaten up there before, in fact there’d been more than one time that Eddie had found Steve up there alone, after his father had said some stupid shit and Steve had needed some time to think. Plenty of times when Eddie had unceremoniously flopped down beside Steve in the grass and cracked jokes until Steve couldn’t help but let a smile leak through, the memory of his fathers words slipping out between the seams, the pain they had inflicted somehow made less when Eddie was there. It was exactly the right place for their first real date, if only Eddie would get out of the truck and come inside.
//
Eddie caps the sharpie and admires his handy work, one eye on the clock. 10:29. Perfect. He slides the package back into the paper bag and folds the top down so that Steve won’t catch a glimpse of what’s inside until after they’re done eating. He grabs the marker and draws a little butterfly on the front and then adds a little heart, cringing as he looks at it while tossing the marker into the passenger seat. It’s too sweet, or maybe not sweet enough. Honestly Eddie has no idea what he’s doing, but the clock is reading 10:30 so it’s kind of now or never. He couldn’t bail now even if he wanted to, he knows Steve has been staring a hole in the side of his truck since he pulled up, so he grabs the door and heads inside, paper bag swinging by his side.
Steve’s got the door open before he even clears the stairs. “Hey, hi.” Steve looks… nervous, and hot, and the combo is almost too much for Eddie to handle.
“Hey, you got dressed up?” Eddie slows his step as he looks down at his own torn jeans and faded gray shirt. “I didn’t realize it was that kind of brunch.”
“Yeah. But just, I just wanted to, uh, look nice. For you. But it’s not like a fancy brunch. It’s a picnic!” There’s a questioning sort of look in Steve’s eyes when he says it, like he’s hoping he’s made the right choice and that Eddie isn’t going to bolt immediately.
“I brought dessert!” Eddie blurts out, swinging the nondescript paper bag out like a kid at show and tell. “Butterfly goo, ya know?” Eddie winks as he says it, delighted at the flush that he sees racing up Steve’s neck and across his cheeks, giving Eddie the little boost of confidence he needs. “No touching now though sweetheart, but if you’re real good I’ll let you unwrap it yourself.”
“Fuck” Eddie’s not entirely sure Steve meant to say it out loud, but he did, and Eddie’s doesn’t even attempt to contain the laugh that sneaks out.
“Yeah. Fuck.” Eddie leans in, tipping his hat back and presses a quick kiss to Steve’s lips, not missing the way that Steve sways forward when he pulls back. “You look great sweetheart. Let’s go eat.”
//
Steve can’t help the way his eyes drag over Eddie as he follows him to the kitchen. He might not have dressed up necessarily, but the way his jeans fit is almost indecent and it’s taking an almost superhuman strength of will to not press him up against the wall and skip brunch altogether. That’s not what today was for though, at least not yet, right now he had to make sure they were giving themselves a proper restart of their relationship, a proper first date. Then he’d press Eddie into the wall, or the ground, or the bed, or wherever and show Eddie how good he could be.
Steve’s eyes tracked the paper bag when Eddie set it on the counter. “Not yet sweetheart.” Eddie smirked as he watched Steve’s look at the bag.
“Not even a hint?”
“I mean, you already know, right? Butterfly goo? I never break a promise, but you have to be patient and then you can have it. It will be worth it.” Eddie is hearing himself talk, but his brain is screaming at him to shut up. It definitely sounds like he’s offering a very happy ending to this meal, which he is if he’s being honest with himself, but he doesn’t have a smooth bone in his body, and he has no idea if Steve is buying his nonsense right now or not, but it’s like his mouth is moving 100x faster than his brain.
Steve can feel himself flush again and he turns quickly to the food on the counter. “Yeah, good, patient, got it. So,” He glances back at Eddie and reaches his hand out to pull him over. “We’ve got everything to make breakfast burritos and there’s some hashbrowns and stuff, and I’ve got coffee or juice, and there’s obviously soda in the fridge.”
Eddie wraps his arms around Steve’s waist and rests his chin on Steve’s shoulder, looking at the spread in front of him. Steve relaxes into his hold. “You’re rambling sweetheart, I’ve lived here for months, I know what drinks we have in the fridge, you can just enjoy the moment too you know. Let’s just make some food and get to eating, this looks way too good to waste and I’m starving.”
Steve turns his head just enough to let his lips brush lightly across Eddie’s cheek, letting himself enjoy it, like Eddie said to, before turning back to the food and making himself a plate.
//
Brunch is… well, it’s brunch. It’s something Eddie and Steve have done a million times over a dozen or so years. They slip easily into it, sitting side by side at the top of the hill, backs pressed against the rocks, plates balanced on knees, stealing food off of each other's plates and sips from each other's cups, talking about everything and nothing for more than an hour. It’s nothing new, but it’s everything new at the same time. Quick kisses to hands, or cheeks, or lips when one of them says something impossibly cute. Hands resting on each other’s thighs instead of in the empty space between them. There’s a weird, nervous thread that runs through the morning, a small wave of anxiousness where they tip over that level of comfort they’ve always had and it slides into something more, or the promise of something more and then one of them breaks, retreating to the safety of the already known, not quite ready to venture out yet.
“So.” Steve has Eddie’s hand wrapped in his, the empty plates discarded to the side, the food long been finished.
“So.” Eddie repeats back, his free hand drumming on his knee.
“This is so dumb.” Steve says almost to himself, turning slightly so he’s looking at Eddie square on. “I can’t stop thinking about the paper bag. Can we do dessert now?”
Eddie chokes on air and he can feel his face heat up. “Shit. yeah. I mean,” Eddie takes a deep breath and tries to calm himself down “yes. Let’s do that. Dessert.”
They grab their plates and head back down to the cabin, hands tangled together, bumping shoulders as they walk, twin smiles cutting across their faces as they steal glances at each other.
//
They’re barely through the door when Steve has his hands tangled into Eddie’s hair, his hat flipping to the ground immediately forgotten and their lips pressed together. It’s a tangle of limbs as they stumble down the hallway. Steve stalls near his bedroom door, pulling back for a breath and smiling at Eddie with a dazed look on his face as Eddie keeps backing towards the kitchen. For a second they just stare at each other.
“Dessert?” Eddie whispers, tugging on Steve’s hand and nodding towards the kitchen where the bag is still sitting on the counter.
“Yeah. yeah. Wanna bring it to the bedroom? Or do you want me to unwrap it in the kitchen? Christen the space with a little butterfly goo.” Steve’s laughing as he says it, like he can’t believe this joke has carried on this long, but completely unwilling to let it go.
“Jesus Steve, it’s not going to be that messy.” They’re drifting down the hallway, stopping for more kisses and pulling at each other’s clothes.
“Oh I don’t know babe, I can think of plenty of ways it might get pretty messy. If we try hard enough.” Eddie’s eyes nearly bug out of his head as his brain supplies some of those ways in rapid fire succession. Steve on his knees maybe, Eddie’s hands tangled in his hair. Steve chest down on the island, legs spread pretty and waiting.
“Shit. Just, open it up.” Eddie slaps the bag into Steve’s hands and backs up to the other counter, tugging a piece of hair across his mouth nervously. Eddie tries hard, but he knows he doesn’t have an ounce of swagger in his whole body, no game if you will… that’s Steve’s arena. Eddie’s move was to go for the joke and hope it landed.
Steve locked his eyes on Eddie’s and hopped up on the island, shaking the bag next to his ear like he was a kid at Christmas trying to guess his presents. “Hmmmm… heavier than anticipated, wrapped in plastic for sure. No smell though, so no hint there.”
“Oh my god, just open it.”
“Gimme a kiss first.” Steve opens his legs wider and Eddie feels like he is moving through mud as he steps in between them, tipping his face up to Steve’s.
Eddie squeezes Steve’s thighs with his hands, feels the muscles tighten underneath his fingers and for a second thinks about throwing the bag across the room and just jumping right to taking Steve’s pants off and getting his mouth all over him. Steve breaks the kiss and shakes the bag again, Eddie stepping back far enough for Steve to peek inside, his eyes going from confusion, to recognition, to delight in a split second.
“OMG. 10th grade health. You absolute nerd.” Steve doubles over in laughter as he dumps out the contents of the bag, a dozen individually wrapped twinkies with little butterflies sharpied all over the wrappers. “I can’t believe you remembered that. No wait, of course you remembered that, you pissed off Mr. What’s his name and got detention for ruining his lesson. Brilliant. Jesus. Butterfly goo.” He unwraps a twinkie and shoves the whole thing in his mouth in one bite, smiling around the crumbs and cupping Eddie’s face in his hands while he chews.
And Eddie just stares. Nothing about Steve housing a twinkie should be hot or sexy, in fact, it should be kind of the opposite, but Eddie is watching Steve and all he can think is that he must be the luckiest person in the world, to get to have this.
Steve finishes the twinkie and snags a soda off the counter to wash it down, Eddie still trapped between his thighs watching his every move. “Okay. Well, brunch was a success. Dessert? Perfection, obviously. You’re perfect, you know that? So…”
“So…” Eddie echos back, his brain taking a second to click back into gear.
“Yeah, you know what? Fuck it” Steve is off the counter in a split-second and on Eddie, his lips capturing Eddie’s and all Eddie can think as the air is punched from his lungs is that Steve tastes so sweet. Eddie stumbles backwards and Steve slows their progress, his hands coming gently to Eddie’s sides, steadying him and he pulls him close, bodies flush as the kiss deepens.
“Bedroom Steve, now.” Eddie gasps directly into Steve’s mouth, and Steve lets out a noise that’s halfway a whine and halfway a growl and Eddie can’t be bothered to wonder which one it is, all he knows is that he wants to hear it every day for the rest of his life.
“Bedroom. Got it.” Steve’s hands slide over Eddie’s ass and wrap easily around his thighs, lifting Eddie clean off the ground and Eddie locks his legs in without hesitating, letting his head fall to the crook of Steve’s neck, lips finding a home tracing along the moles that dot Steve’s neck. The walk is a short one and Eddie finds himself being set more gently than expected on the bed and Steve is staring at him like he’s the only thing in the world that matters.
“Hey, sweetheart, I’m going to need you to take about 100% more of those clothes off, like immediately.” Eddie’s voice almost comes out sounding somewhat confident, but the reality is that even though he’s seen Steve almost naked before, they’ve never been super shy about getting changed in front of each other or shucking off clothes before taking a swim at the pond, but this time is different, this time it means something and there’s a strange mix of excitement and nervousness twisting in his stomach. The smile that Steve gives him settles the nervous half almost entirely as he slides his plaid shirt off and pulls his t-shirt off over his head, Eddie’s eyes following the rise of the hem as it reveals the wide plane plain of Steve’s abs and chest and Eddie wants to bury himself in the hair there.
“Eyes are up here, babe” Steve laughs as he tosses his shirt to the side and reaches for his belt buckle.
“Literally do not care, Steve. Love your eyes, but I get to see those all the time.” The laugh that punches out of Steve has Eddie glancing up to his face to see the absolute adoration that Steve is leveling at him before snapping his eyes firmly back to where Steve has his hands hooked in the waistband of his pants and boxers.
“Wow. Okay, I guess we know what you’re here for.” Steve is still laughing as he slides his pants to the ground, toeing off his socks along the way and Eddie goes cross eyed as he tries to take everything in. With permission to really look it’s all he can do to run his eyes over every inch of revealed skin. Those thighs he’d been thinking about are covered in hair and moles and Steve is palming himself as he stares down at Eddie and it’s all Eddie can do just to breathe.
The strangled sound that comes out of Eddie’s mouth might be Steve’s name and he’s reaching out with both hands and dragging Steve forward into the space between his legs and kissing up Steve’s thigh before he even knows he’s doing it.
“Shit, Eddie” Steve’s hand is back in Eddie’s hair and Eddie let’s himself just breath for a second, taking in the feel of Steve’s fingers pulling through his curls, the brush of Steve’s hair on his lips as he lets himself suck a mark into his hip, the smell of Steve’s body wash on his skin. “Eddie, please”
Eddie leans back and looks up at Steve. “Can I?”
“Yeah, Jesus, yeah. Just… yeah” Steve laughs as he brushes Eddies hair back from his face, fisting it tightly behind his head, holding it out of the way as Eddie leans in kissing the space where Steve’s hip dips towards where he knows Steve really wants him, tries to draw it out just a little, even though he knows he’s actively teasing himself too because there is nothing more that he wants in this moment then to slide his lips around Steve and make him fall apart. He wants to take him apart piece by piece and put him back together again. “Eddie…”
To Steve it feels like forever, watching Eddie lean over, his neck exposed as he tilts his head to trail kisses on his legs, feeling his hands drag slowly to his hips. He feels like he is going to combust if Eddie doesn’t get him off soon, and he can’t help the way his fingers are tightening in Eddie’s hair, trying to direct him where he wants him most. Eddie gives in finally, Steve letting out a strangled moan as Eddie takes him into his mouth, dipping forward all the way, his nose burying into Steve’s hair and swallowing around him in one smooth motion. Eddie’s fingers dig into his hips holding Steve in place for a moment before dragging himself back, letting his tongue drag along the underside of his dick before pulling all the way off and looking up at Steve, his eyes glistening as he lets one hand drift over to replace his mouth, watching Steve’s face intently as he continues to work him over, sliding Steve back into his mouth, and it's all too much for Steve too quickly. He knew he wouldn’t last long before the day even started, but he didn’t think it would be this fast, he wants it to last, but he can’t bring himself to stop Eddie. As for Eddie, he’s lost in the moment and not thinking as he presses forward, hand working Steve over as he rests his head on Steve’s thigh and takes a few deep breaths, before going to slide off the side of bed, leg protesting as he goes. For all that Steve is lost in the moment he doesn’t miss the small grimace on Eddie’s face as he shifts his weight to the side and leans back in.
“Eds, baby, hey stop for a second” Steve is out of breath and barely hanging on, but he can tell Eddie is in pain and with a sharp pang he realizes that Eddie is shifting onto his bad leg and it can’t feel good. Steve detangles his hands from Eddie’s hair and slides down to his own knees in front of Eddie, wiping the tears from his face “good tears or bad tears” he whispers, his eyes flicking back and forth between Eddie’s.
“Fuck sweetheart good tears. So good. I just wanted to…” a frustrated sigh escapes Eddie as he glances down to where Steve is still hard and leaking onto Eddie’s jeans. “My leg is starting to hurt though.”
“That’s okay baby. Let’s just… we don’t have to do it like this. Come on, up.” Steve slides his hands under Eddie’s arms and helps him up easily, letting him stand and stretch his leg for a minute, watching as his muscles start to relax as the blood flows back into his legs, before pulling him down onto the mattress, dragging him in closer until they are on their sides face to face.
“Sorry” Eddie mumbles as he tips his head forward into the cradle of Steve’s arm, hiding his face from Steve. “I kind of hate how this is happening right now.”
“Hey, nothing to be sorry for, and there’s nothing wrong with how it’s happening. We just have to think a little bit about how we can both be comfortable, because if you’re hurting, then you’re not enjoying it, and we should both be loving every second of it. You’re so good baby, and I want you to feel good too.”
Eddie lets himself relax a little more when he feels Steve press his lips to his temple, he melts further into Steve’s when he feels his hand smooth down his side and start massaging into his hip, right where the muscles are tightest. “That feels good” he mumbles into Steve’s neck, letting his lips linger there, tasting Steve as he continues to work out the knots in his leg.
“Nothing has to stop Eddie, we can finish this after you’re feeling ready. Let’s just stretch your hip out and then we get back to it, ‘kay?”
“And they say romance is dead”
Steve is trying not to laugh at the entire situation, because he knows Eddie is frustrated, but honestly, Steve is 100% fine. He’ll help Eddie get more comfortable and then take care of the rest. “Alright babe, let’s get your jeans off and get this part out of the way.”
With way more care than necessary Steve slips Eddie’s jeans off trying to ignore the obvious bulge that is straining at the gray boxer briefs that Eddie has on. “Alright, we’ll just do those stretches that Lucas gave you…”
“Please do not bring up Lucas right now sweetheart. Just, help me stretch”
“Okay, okay, no Lucas in the bedroom” Eddie’s pained growl catches Steve’s attention as he’s scrounging on the floor for his boxers.
“Nope. Absolutely not Steve. Do not put those back on.” Steve freezes with his boxers dangling from his hands.
“But, I’m going to, you know, help you stretch.” Steve gestures vaguely up and down Eddie’s body, his brain clearly struggling to catch up.
“I’m pretty sure you can do that naked. Come on big boy, get up here and stretch my leg out so I can get back to getting you off.”
“Got it. Okay. yeah.” The boxers are dropped unceremoniously back to the floor as Steve turns to Eddie who is staring right back at him with a smirk on his face.
Steve shakes his head and drags his eyes away from Eddie’s face as he climbs onto the bed, one hand slowly sliding from Eddie’s ankle up to his knee, letting his lips trail across the skin on Eddie’s leg.
“That’s not. Fuck. That’s not stretching Steve.” Eddie’s head sinks back into the pillow and he lets out a low groan as Steve cups the back of his leg and presses Eddie’s hip open, the stretch causing Eddie to tense up under Steve. “Okay, it’s stretching. Shit. Yeah. it’s stretching”
“Told you. Just relax. I got this.” Eddie can’t help but throw his arm over his eyes and bite down on his bottom lip as Steve continues to work at his bad leg, the sting of the stretch dulling out into something more bearable.
Steve continues to ease Eddie’s hip and leg in a circle, feeling the muscles loosen one by one as he lets his hands smooth the way up Eddie’s leg. It’s almost meditative, the repetitive motion relaxing him almost as much as it seems to be relaxing Eddie. Relaxing, until it’s not, because the more Eddie’s hip gives underneath Steve’s ministrations the lower Steve drops over Eddie and suddenly this stretch is a lot more about getting their dicks to rub against each other then it is about making sure Eddie’s leg feels okay.
“How’s that feel, baby?” As if Steve actually has to ask. As if he hasn’t been watching the wet spot seep through Eddie’s boxers for the last few minutes. As if he hasn’t been cataloging every noise Eddie is making through the shield of his arm which is still thrown haphazardly over his face.
“Uggghuanjust, yeah, good, feels good.” Eddie’s voice is muffled and rough from behind his arm and Steve can’t help but smile.
“Need more?” Steve lets Eddie’s leg drop to the side as he slides all the way up Eddie’s body, using one hand to move Eddie’s arm away from his face, watching as Eddie’s eyes focus on Steve, now inches away from his face, shit eating grin splitting his face.
Eddie would love to play coy here, to tease and drag this out as long as possible, watch Steve fall apart underneath him, but as much as he would like that, he is also acutely aware that he is already on the edge and a cool breeze might put an abrupt end to this entire endeavor.
“Sweetheart, you know I do” Eddie is quick with his movements, hooking his good leg tight around Steve’s thigh and knocking him off balance, pulling him down so he is flush with Eddie from top to bottom, the only thing stopping them from smashing faces is Eddie ducking his head to the side to find Steve’s neck before Steve even has a chance to respond.
“Shit. yeah.” Steve is groaning into Eddie’s hair and neither one of them has a lick of control as they find each other’s lips and their hands make tracks across each other’s bodies, trying to map out every last inch that they can find.
“Steve, I need more” Eddie’s voice is wrecked, his lips kiss swollen and his hair splayed out around his head from where Steve’s hand had been tangled in the curls.
“What do you need?” Steve lets himself fall to Eddie’s side, rolling Eddie with him so that they are face to face, a hair's breadth away from each other, Steve’s hand cupping Eddie’s jaw, his thumb trailing a lazy path across his cheek.
“Can I? I mean, I want to…” Eddie’s eye’s close and he takes a slow breath before opening them again and Steve can almost see the way the words settle into Eddie before he has a chance to say them. “God, Steve, I want to fuck you so badly, but I don’t think my leg is going to let me kneel or balance for that long, so I mean, you’ve got to like, you know, I mean it’s not like I can’t, but I don’t know. Ya know?”
Steve tries desperately to school his face, but it’s a lost cause, and he’s never been good at hiding his thoughts anyways, so he knows Eddie can see every last thing written across his features. He for sure knows that Eddie is misreading it by the way he ducks his head and presses his forehead to Steve’s chest and lets out a muffled groan while mumbling. “God, that was awful.”
“No, baby, come here.” Steve uses his hand to guide Eddie’s face back up until they are looking at each other again. “Eddie, let me take care of you, let me do this, I promise that it's okay.”
“I don’t want you to always have to take care of me Steve. Not that I don’t love that you do, but you deserve someone who will take care of you too, I want to take care of you and so far I’ve given you half a blow job and now I’m basically asking you to do all the work so I can fuck you. Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Because you are an idiot. You’re my idiot and I wouldn’t trade you for the world. Babe, I wouldn't change a single thing. Besides, you’ve got some work to do too.” Eddie tracks Steve’s movements as he leans away and off the edge of the bed, his hand rummaging through the side drawer before he’s rolling back over, his hand pressing into Eddie’s chest, a bottle of lube trapped between them.
Eddie’s breath feels like it’s trapped in his chest, right where Steve’s hand is resting. Eddie lets his hand cover Steve’s, slipping the bottle from underneath his fingers. “Yeah, I can do that. Let me take care of you for a little bit.”
“How do you want me?” and isn’t that a loaded question. On your knees, bent over the porch railing, face down on the couch, on a blanket in the hayloft, Eddie wants Steve in every room in every position for the rest of their lives. That’s what Eddie thinks as he looks at Steve’s face, as he lets it sink in for a moment that this is real life and Steve is his.
“Just like this, stay right here.” Eddie delights in watching as Steve settles into his spot as Eddie slides a little lower down Steve’s body, his head pressing a trail of kisses across Steve’s collarbone and down his chest, lips finding a home barely grazing one nipple and he lifts Steve leg over his side so that he can slide his arm down his thigh, featherlight touches leaving a wake of goosebumps behind them.
“Right there” Eddie mumbles again and Steve hears the click of the bottle cap and he can’t help the way his body tenses up in anticipation, and Eddie hesitates. “You okay sweetheart?”
Steve glances down and his body lets go of the tension as he stares at Eddie, who is smiling up at him as his finger slowly traces small circles before pressing in. “Fuck Eddie. Yes. I’m okay, so good.” Steve’s hands find Eddie’s hair and Eddie’s lips find Steve’s nipple and with every slow drag of his fingers Steve finds himself creeping closer and closer to the edge. He’s trapped against Eddie and his hips are moving without Steve consciously thinking about it and by the time Eddie is 3 fingers in Steve is pretty sure he’s going cum with his dick pressed against Eddie’s chest and as hot as that might be, he really wants to come with Eddie buried inside him.
“Eddie, I’m ready, please, I want you, I’m so close, I want you, Eddie, baby, please” Steve is aware he is rambling, but Eddie goes willingly when Steve presses him onto his back, sliding his boxers off between then and then rolling with him and straddling his hips, hands sliding up Eddie’s stomach and across his chest, fingers sliding across the faint scars that criss cross his body, before coming to rest next his head, his face dipping down to steal a kiss. “You ready?”
“Jesus, so ready Steve.” Eddie lets his hands pull Steve into another kiss before reaching between them to grab the base of his dick, letting the tip slide against Steve for a moment and then Steve is letting himself lower down, his thighs shaking under the effort to take it slow. “You’re not going to break me Steve, please.”
Eddie hands are gripping Steve’s hips as he moves, pressing up to meet him on every roll, his eyes fixed on Steve, watching the way he can see each noise being punched out of his chest, reveling in the knowledge that he is doing that.That Steve, his Steve, is losing control above him and that he gets to have that for the rest of his life. For always.
“Eddie, I’m so close. Touch me, please.” Steve’s hand is grabbing for Eddie’s, dragging it from his hip to circle around his dick, hanging heavy between them, precum dripping onto Eddie’s stomach with every press of Eddie’s hips into Steve. For a moment all Eddie can do is stare, letting his hand loop loosely around Steve, his thumb running along the bottom as his hips rise off the bed, watching as Steve’s abs contract as his thumb tracks over the tip, swiping the precum off and bringing it to his mouth, licking a stripe up his palm, before returning his hand to Steve. Steve’s groan makes Eddie want to do this every day, every morning, every night, he just wants to make Steve feel like this as much as possible.
“More. Eddie more.” Eddie is at a loss for a moment, glancing down to his hand which he feels like he is gripping tight with, but it’s his bad hand, and he knows he can’t feel what it’s doing correctly.
“Hang on.” Eddie is pulling away, his plan to switch hands cut short when Steve’s hand grips his wrist and holds it in place.
“No, just, together” Steve hips are making aborted movements over his and Eddie has never felt anything so all encompassing in his entire life. He’s close and Steve‘s movements, however small, are so overwhelming, and he knows he has maybe 2 or 3 more seconds before he loses this battle and is spilling inside Steve.
“Okay, yeah, together” Steve’s hand moves from his wrist and wraps around his hands, pressing his fingers tighter, the slide of their hands together creating the perfect amount of pressure and Eddie can feel Steve tensing around him, pushing Eddie over the edge, his other hand gripping tight into Steve’s hip, leaving marks behind as he’s pushing him down even as Eddie is pressing up, muscles twitching as he tries to hold himself together because he doesn’t want to miss Steve falling apart above him. Then Steve is tipping forward, his lips catching the side of Eddie’s mouth as he comes in between them, fingers still laced together as they breathe.
For several minutes that’s all there is, soft touches and shared air. Eddie has a fleeting thought that they should shower, but it’s overshadowed by the need to just stay close, to nestle into Steve’s neck and make a home there. Together.
//
Fourth of July
Sunrise is their favorite time of day. The early morning chores are done, but the chaos of the day hasn’t yet come to call, for the 15-20 minutes it takes for the sun to make its full appearance Steve and Eddie are able to take a moment and just be. It doesn’t matter where they are, or what needs to get done, at sunrise they find each other, a thermos of coffee between them as they wait for the world to wake up.
This morning the pause is short lived, there is simply too much to get done, but they make time anyways.
“Hery baby, you headed to Wayne’s after this?” Steve slides up next to Eddie, who is throwing tack in the flatbed unceremoniously “You know there’s a whole tack rack in the trailer right?”
“Yeah sweetheart, I know, that one seems to be all full of someone else’s tack.” Eddie presses a quick kiss to Steve’s temple before taking the thermos from his hands and taking a quick sip.
“I don’t have that much stuff.” Steve huffs as he throws the door open and looks at the tack area. “Oh…”
“Yeah, oh. Who knew I’d be bedding down with a rodeo princess when I took up with you.” Eddie is joking, but the truth is Steve has a remarkable amount of tack for someone who is only doing two things today. He could use the same saddle for everything like Eddie does, but nope, Steve has his parade saddle all oiled up and ready to go, and then he has his rodeo saddle, plus an extra saddle in case something goes wrong, plus 2 sets of everything else too, and don’t even try counting how many ropes are looped into the tack area. Robin’s tack is on its own rack, which leaves no room for Eddie’s stuff, which is fine, he’s always just tossed in the flatbed anyways, but he’s for sure going to give Steve shit about it probably for the rest of their lives.
“Come on, Princess, let's catch sunrise before I head out.” Eddie catches Steve’s eye and lets his gaze track the blush that creeps up Steve’s neck from under the collar of his coat. “Oh, you like that name, don't ya?”
Steve looks like he’s about to deny it before he tears his gaze away from Eddie and out towards where the sun is lifting over the mountains, “Maybe a little”
“We’re going to revisit that later princess, right now I’ve got to get down to the rodeo grounds to help Wayne. I’ll see you there.” With a quick kiss Eddie is off and Steve lets himself watch the rest of the sunrise, thinking the whole time about how this last year has changed his whole life for the better.
//
Eddie lets himself gaze around the rodeo grounds as the last of the kids climb on their horses and get in line between him and Wayne.
“Looking for your boy?” Wayne is, as usual, the marshall of the Fourth of July parade, he and Eddie falling in line behind a few others, like the actual Mayor, their little rodeo riders jostling for places as the parade gets ready to start up.
“I won’t be able to see him from here, I’ll catch him at the turn though, got something planned.” Eddie turns his smile on Wayne, eyebrows waggling suggestively as he laughs.
“Oh, for the love of god boy, hasn’t Steve been through enough, you got to embarrass him every year? I don’t know why he puts up with it.” Wayne grumbles by default, and Eddie loves it because he knows for sure that Wayne only means about 10% of what comes out of his mouth.
“First of all Wayne, I am delightful. Secondly, imagine the outrage if I didn’t serenade Steve, it’s a tradition at this point and I can’t let my adoring public down.”
“Your adoring public. Your adoring public. You are something else kid.You’re lucky that boy loves your crazy ass.” Wayne is smirking as he says it, looking ahead as the parade begins to move forward.
“I am. And he does.” Eddie says with a laugh next to him, giving the kids behind him a stern look that settles them down as they go. “Pretty sure it’s a forever sort of thing Wayne”
“God willing and the creek don’t rise kid.” Eddie cuts his eyes to Wayne and watches the smile that ghosts across his face and knows that’s about as good a confirmation as he’s ever going to get that Wayne thinks it’s a forever sort of thing too.
//
The parade goes off without a hitch. The Harrington Ranch contingent having grown by more than a few hands this year after Nancy created an internship program that partnered with several colleges across the mountain states. For a lot of them it was their first parade and Steve couldn’t help but smile at how excited they all were to ride in one of the bigger Fourth of July Parades in the country.
“Get ready folks, show’s about to start” Robin calls out from the front as they turn into the town square and she catches sight of Eddie and Wayne from where the rodeo crew was riding.
“What do you mean ‘show time’?” someone in the crowd asks.
“You’ll see.” Robin cackles as she watches Eddie leave his place and ride clean across the center of town, talking to people the whole way.
“Scuse’ me. Pardon me. Got a man to see about a horse. Rather, a horse to see about a man. I gotta go see a man.” Eddie is magnetic like this, the crowd parting in front of him, laughing at his antics as he points out Steve, asking a few people if they thought he was cute.
“Hey Eddie, what ya gonna sing this year?” One of the old timer’s who sits in front of the saloon yells out.
Eddie twists in his saddle and yells across the crowd “Wayne! You hear that? My adoring public wants to know what song I’m gonna sing. And you doubted me.”
“For god sake boy, just get to singing will ya?” Wayne plays right into it, disgruntled uncle fully over his nephew's shit, except everyone who knows them, knows it couldn’t be further from the truth.
“Right to it then,” Eddie says, dramatically pulling a speaker from Jackson’s saddle bag and hooking it with a bungee to the saddle horn. “I need my hands for this performance. Who's ready for a song?”
Eddie looks around the crowd and waves to a few locals as the first few chords burst out of the speaker, and Eddie turns his eyes to Steve as he belts out the first line from Jackson’s back. “You don't know what you do to me, you changed around the scenery, and now everything is new to me, but it looks just right, yeah it looks just right”
Eddie takes in how Steve’s head drops forward when he recognizes the song, 99.9% Sure by Brian McComas, one that Eddie had been singing around the house for weeks. “I should have known!” Steve says with a laugh as he settles in to watch Eddie.
Eddie sings for a hot second on Jackson’s back and then he slides off and starts walking around, Jackson trailing behind him like a personal speaker, Eddie isn’t even holding the reins anymore, he’s working the crowd, cracking jokes as he sings along, occasionally looking back to Steve to make sure he was still with him.
“Alright guys, now's the moment!” Eddie calls out with a laugh before the last chorus kicks in and suddenly Steve finds himself alone at the front of the crowd, Robin off his shoulder, a smile splitting her face as she watches, the Harrington Ranch crew fanning out into a half circle behind him, the parade slowing to a halt around them. Even Wayne at the head of the line has pulled to a stop to watch.
“Robs?” Steve lets his eyes zip back and forth between Eddie and Robin for a half second before zeroing back in on Eddie who has reached his side, one hand sliding up his leg to grip his calf.
“Hey baby. One more chorus.” Steve locks eyes with Eddie and gives an almost imperceptible nod as he watches Eddie take a few steps back and pick the song back up.
“Oh, I never been here before,
I've never been loved like this,
Never been tumblin', stumblin' over the words that get tangled inside of me
I’ve never been moved this way,
Nobody’s ever made me say,
I’m ninety-nine point nine percent sure I’ve never been here before,
I’ve never been loved like this.”
The song ends and for a second it’s like no one breathes, not the crowd, not Eddie and not Steve. It’s like Steve’s whole world is narrowed down to a half circle of riders and Eddie in front of him, slowly sinking down onto one knee in the street.
“I’m 100% sure on this one, Steve. 100% sure about you. About us. Marry me?” Steve is off his horse before he even realizes he’s thinking about it, pulling Eddie up off the ground and knocking his hat backwards off his head before tangling a hand in his hair and pulling him in for a kiss that says everything he’s ever wanted to say to Eddie. The “yes” that bubbles out of his mouth as he leans into the mic that Eddie has sweeps over the crowd, probably too loud, but it doesn’t matter. And then he’s whispering a quiet “yes.” into Eddie’s mouth as the crowd erupts into cheers.
For a minute they just stand there, staring at each other and smiling, just letting the moment sit. “I love you baby” Steve finally says, letting Eddie slide the simple gold band he had been holding onto his finger.
“Love you too, sweetheart.” Eddie can’t stop smiling, even when Jackson knocks into him from his side, demanding his attention too.
“Alright boys. You love each other. And I love you both. Can we get on with this parade? We got a rodeo to get to.” As much as he tries to remain gruff, Wayne is smiling ear to ear from the other side of the road where Eddie had left him.
“We love you too Wayne!” Steve calls and he doesn't miss the way Wayne’s smile grows by just a hair before he turns back to Eddie. “Alright baby, get back over there. I’ll see you at the end.”
“See you in a bit, sweetheart.” With another quick kiss Eddie is back up on Jackson and picking his way back through the crowd, shaking some hands and blushing as people offer congratulations as he goes by.
“So Steve, marriage huh?” Robin says as Steve takes his place back next to her. “About time you two got your shit together.”
“Yeah” Steve says around a smile as the parade starts back up. “How long have you known?”
“That you two idiots were endgame? Bout’ the first time I saw you two smiling at each other a decade ago. I knew you’d get there eventually.” Robin stifles a laugh as Steve lets out a noise of indignation.
“You have not known for that long.”
“You’re right, but I still kinda think it was always there. I mean look at that nerd, you were destined to fall hard for him.” Steve follows Robin’s gaze and watches as Eddie and Wayne gripe at each other about something or other before Wayne gives him a playful shove and points back towards Steve. Eddie turns and when he finds Steve’s eye it’s like everything inside Steve settles, every piece of the puzzle slotting into place. Robin’s right: this is destiny, or something like it. And Steve knows with 100% certainty that he and Eddie are going to take care of each other for the rest of forever.