Chapter Text
Eddie Munson did not expect much out of this job.
He’s freshly sixteen, broke, and lonely. He mostly got the job to get out of his house. There’s only so much someone can do in a trailer.
A record store seemed like the obvious choice for him. His newly acquired guitar had been one of two things on his mind as of late. He couldn’t imagine working anywhere else, despite the fact he had absolutely no experience in anything else. In Eddie’s mind, this was exactly where he was meant to be.
Eddie’s music taste, while eccentric, did not limit his ability to recommend albums to all sorts of customers. He called it his gift; his way of guessing the kind of music someone likes based on the very little he may know about them. Even when people he has never met before comes in, Eddie manages to surprise them with his knowledge.
However, in a town like Hawkins, it is now nearly impossible for somone he doesn’t know to come in. More often than not, it’s people from his class, or old ladies looking for Elvis presses. His classmates music tastes are painfully boring, which he knows without guessing because it’s all anyone talks about now that they’re in high school. Well, music, and making out.
He supposes he should put parties into the mix of things his classmates talk about, but to be honest, a party is basically just music and making out. Eddie doesn’t know, because he doesn’t go to parties. Freaks don’t usually get invites, especially not freaks who have barely started puberty. The only people in his class who get invites are the girls who’s boobs have grown and the boys who joined the sports teams.
Boys like Steve Harrington.
Eddie wasn’t going to pretend he didn’t see what everyone else saw in him. You’d need to be blind to not consider him attractive, and while Eddie’s attraction to men was his deepest darkest secret, he wouldn’t lie if anyone asked if he had a little crush on Steve.
It wouldn’t matter either way, because Steve Harrington, up and coming ladies man, would never look in his direction, ever.
No one looks in his direction. The only attention he gets is at work from disapproving old people who sneer at his hair, and bullies at school.
The bell on the door rings, pulling Eddie from his thoughts. Thoughts about Steve, who he swore he would stop thinking about.
Steve, who just walked through the door.
Eddie shoots up, having been hunched over the counter. Steve is alone for once. It seems almost unnatural. While Steve isn’t as popular as some of the juniors or seniors, he almost always has someone with him. Almost.
He walks in, his steps confident even though he has nothing to prove. To anyone else it might seem like he knows exactly where he’s going, what he’s doing, what he’s buying, but Eddie can tell by the way his eyes linger as he walks that Steve doesn’t know why he’s here. Usually Eddie would be approaching him with his fake, cheery voice he uses only with customers, but there’s a twist in his stomach and his feet feel like they’ve sunk below the yellowed tiles of the floor, holding him so firmly in place he couldn’t move if he wanted to.
Steve turns his way, making eye contact, and Eddie gulps.
“You work here, right?”
Eddie blinks. Steve was more dumb than he thought. He looks in his eyes, then down towards the badge hanging on his vest, the ugly blue one he’s forced to wear with the company logo printed on the other side.
“Nope. Not quite sure how I ended up back here. One second, browsing albums, the next forced into this uniform.”
Steve laughs. It’s heavenly, and covers Eddie head to toe in warmth. Eddie would give anything to hear that laugh for the rest of his life. Fuck, Eddie swore to stop thinking about that.
“Sorry, sorry. Obviously you work here. Your name’s Eddie, yeah? Eddie Munson? We have math together.”
“Steve Harrington recognizes little old me?” Eddie pretends to swoon, putting his hand on his forehead and dipping back. “I feel faint. What is this life I live?”
Eddie also pretends to not feel the butterflies in his stomach.
“Yeah, you’re real funny. Hard not to notice you, because uhm-” Steve cuts himself off with a cough. “You’re… cool. Yeah.”
There’s a beat of silence. It’s not quite awkward, but it’s not comfortable either. Eddie starts laughing, at Steve or himself, he’s not sure. Steve begins awkwardly laughing too.
“Cool? You think I’m cool?”
Steve grins. “Well yeah! Look at you. You stand out. That’s more than a lot of people can say.”
Eddie’s heart is fluttering. “You stand out too, ya know. Mr. Ladies Man.”
Steve’s smile falters, only for a second, but enough for Eddie to notice. He coughs, and decides to change the topic.
“What’re you looking for today, Harrington? For some reason, I don’t think you came here to chat.” A small part of Eddie wishes that was the case. Maybe a big part of Eddie.
“Just looking. Trying to broaden my horizons, ya know?”
Eddie smiles, and nods. “Do you want some recommendations?”
Steve smiles back, big and full again. “Lead the way.”
Eddie isn’t entirely sure what kind of music Steve would like. He would ask, but that would go against everything he believes in. He decides to guess until he’s on the right path.He lead Steve to the back of the store, where they kept the store use stereo. While Eddie couldn’t pluck whatever he wanted off the shelf, there was a pretty sizeable collection that people could listen to sitting next to the stereo. He figures Steve is into the more pop music than the rock he preferred. Eddie chooses an ABBA album, and he pops it into the stereo. As Good As New starts playing.
Steve nods along to the music, but Eddie can tell he’s not super into. Whatever, it’s more girly music anyway.
“Not into it?” he asks.
Steve shrugs. “I think my mom likes ABBA more than I ever have.”
Eddie moves on, switching the ABBA cassette out for a Fleetwood Mac. He has to wind through a few songs before he hits The Chain . It has a good beat and heavier lyrics if you pay attention. As the song continues, he can tell Steve is into it. That’s all he needs to make his decision.
He grabs Steve’s hand without thinking, ignoring the flush in his face when he does. “Come. I know the perfect album.”
Steve grips his hand tighter, much to Eddie’s surprise. He drags him over to the ‘R’ section, and kneels down to find the album he’s looking for. It’s new, and seems right up Steve’s alley.
“Have you listened to much REO Speedwagon?” Eddie asks, receiving a shake of a head in return. “You’ll like this one. I promise.” He pulls out their newest album Hi Infidelity .
He likes the interpretations that can go with the songs, even if he doesn’t particularly enjoy that kind of music. He also likes the fact that Don’t Let Him Go reminds him of Steve.
“Is there a store guarantee?” Steve jokes.
Eddie laughs lightly. “An Eddie guarantee. If you don’t like it, I’ll find you something you do.”
“I’ll like it,” Steve promises. “You picked it out so it must be good.”
Steve blushes at that, so softly that Eddie thinks he’s imagined it. They walk to the counter, and Eddie rings him up, adding his staff discount slyly. Steve pays him, dropping the bills in his hand. When Eddie hands him his change, their fingers touch briefly, and it’s almost more intimate than when they had held hands earlier.
“Enjoy the music, Steve. Think of me,” Eddie says with a wink.
“I’ll see you around, yeah?”
“Yeah.”
Eddie smiles, and he can feel the heat of his cheeks as Steve walks away. How can it be that such a small moment shared can create such a reaction in Eddie? Eddie would never even be able to indulge in his crush.
All he knows is, he is royally fucked.