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steve and eddie have been dating for a little while. after vecna was defeated, steve realized that he didn’t have any time to waste; so he finally confessed to eddie.
and it’s been going great. they really like each other and they take any opportunity they can to be around each other. whether its smoking in eddie’s trailer, going to the movies, or anything else.
what confuses steve, though, is why eddie never wears short sleeves.
steve seriously cannot recall one time he’s seen eddie without a long sleeved shirt or a jacket on; even when they went to school together.
and if steve’s being honest, it kind of freaks him out. but he figures that eddie might just get cold easily or that he just feels more comfortable in long sleeves. which is obviously fine.
so, when steve visits eddie’s trailer a little earlier than planned, he’s expecting eddie to be in long sleeves. but he isn’t.
—
steve opens the door and navigates his way through the trailer. as he makes his way to eddie’s room he hears faint snoring and smiles.
he opens the door and eddie is there. sleeping as expected. but he’s shirtless.
and while steve knew a shirtless eddie munson would be a sight to witness. he didn’t expect it to be in this manor.
as he gets closer to eddie, he notices cuts on his arms. the battle with vecna was fairly recent, but any cuts like these should’ve healed already. so he knows it isn’t from that.
steve looks around the room and notices bloodied razor blades on his dresser. and his heart drops.
as tears well in his eyes, steve walks over to eddie’s bed and lightly shakes him awake.
eddie wakes with a start but calms down once he realizes it’s steve. and then he’s immediately anxious again when he notices the tears in steves eyes.
“baby…what..what’s wrong?” eddie asks, still trying to shake the last of exhaustion off of him.
steve looks down at eddie’s arms. eddie’s eyes follow his gaze.
eddie immediately crossed his arms and looks away. he feels his breathing start to pick up as he squeezes his eyes shut, in fear of crying.
steve sits down on the bed and looks at eddie. he doesn’t understand. he doesn’t understand at all.
steve opens his mouth a few times, but he finds he doesn’t know the right words. he tries to get eddie to look at him, but he fails.
eddie takes a deep breath and lets out a shaky exhale.
“i—it’s really not—“ eddie stops speaking as he feels tears in his eyes. he takes another deep breath and closes his eyes.
“i—i’ve been having a hard time. i just didn’t know what else to do. weed doesn’t work like it used to. and coke won’t help shit. it’s the only thing i know how to do. to—to fix the way i feel.” eddie opens his eyes to steve’s and continues.
“i used to do this to myself in middle school. but then i started smoking. and— and that helped me. but after chrissy, patrick, vecna and with the entire fucking town hating me even though they know now i didn’t kill either of them. i just…i didn’t know what to do. i’m sorry, steve. i’m so fucking sorry. i just couldn’t do it. i just couldn’t take it—“ eddie breaks off as he starts to cry.
steve pulls eddie into his lap and lets him cry. he pets his hair and rocks back and forth as he tries to calm him.
steve cries not only with him, but for him. for this boy who has been treated so unfairly by almost everyone he’s grown up with. this boy who’s been outcasted since he was a child. this boy who was disowned by his parents. this boy who’s been hunted by teenagers and adults alike.
eddie pulls away from steve and looks into his eyes.
“i’m so fucking sorry, steve, i’m so sorry. please don’t leave. please, i will do anything, just don’t leave— just don’t.” eddie trembles as he pleads with steve and looks him into his eyes.
steve frames eddie face with his hands and pulls their foreheads together.
“i’m not going anywhere, e. i am not going anywhere. i don’t wanna be anywhere else but here with you, even now. i’m going to help you and we’re gonna get through this. but you have to let me help you. you have to talk to me.” steve says, staring directly into eddie’s eyes as he speaks.
eddie nods as he lets out another sob, this time of relief. he has no clue what he would do if steve wasn’t in his life.
“i’m not…okay. and—and i think i need help. i think i need to see someone.” he speaks as he pulls away from steve to see his reaction.
but there is none. steve simply nods and pulls eddie in for a kiss.
the kiss is chaste but eddie can still tell what he means to steve through it.
“i love you. and i’m not going anywhere. ever.” steve says, as he pulls eddie in once again.
eddie munson may not be okay right now, but with steve harrington in his life, he may be okay soon.