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After everything ended for good this time according to Dustin, because apparently this kind of thing happened regularly, Eddie evaluated the situation—or situations—because he wasn't just recovering from what happened in the weird, creepy not-Hawkins—no, he was officially a town pariah—not that he wasn't one before for obvious reasons—but before spring break, Eddie was able to leave his Uncle's trailer in one piece and head to school—he was able to meet up with his bandmates for practice without (very many) weird glances and hushed whispers among the people he'd considered acquaintances, and while he was definitely an outcast before, running from the law because he'd been accused of sacrificing children and worshiping the devil wasn't exactly a one-way ticket to popularity.
Somehow, a doctor in a bloodied lab coat and the once-dead chief of police—Jim Hopper—were able to pull some strings and the murder charges were swept under the rug without a second thought. Unfortunately, the same kindness hadn't extended among the towns people—Jason and his cronies were still pissed even if his name had been cleared and obviously he couldn't go back to school after everything—not that he cared about graduating anyways. School made him feel stupid. And hey. He had some of those friends his Uncle was telling him about now. He and Robin had known each other before the world almost ended. Eddie would never admit this but he secretly respected the band kids, even if their hats were annoyingly stupid. Steve Harrington, though ? Eddie had hated him.
Steve had been perfect with his stupid hair and stupid polo shirts and even stupider all-white Nikes that got replaced the second they started creasing. Eddie hated him because when Steve failed a test, he was allowed to retake it until he passed. When Steve didn't understand something, lessons would be paused until he did. That same kindness had never been extended to someone like Eddie. Why was Steve special ? What was Eddie doing wrong ? While Steve graduated because Nancy Wheeler wrote every single one of his essays for him, Eddie Munson, the burnt out stoner had been forced to repeat. He'd failed the next year and if he hadn't dropped out, he was sure he would've failed again. Whatever. He didn't care. He and Steve were friends now. Life was good—except it wasn't.
Nobody had mentioned the nightmares or the panic attacks or how he was supposed to be dealing with this—how he woke up and swore he could see the vines cascading up his walls, or the way Chrissy's mutilated body clung to his ceiling. But the worst of it? It was when he woke up because he couldn't stop dreaming of Steve Harrington—the guy he swore he'd hated until he didn't—when they'd had that talk in the upside down about all-too-perfect Nancy Wheeler. Eddie wasn't stupid—he saw the way he stared at her—at the unresolved feelings and tension and everything Eddie would never experience. He was Nancy Wheeler's polar opposite and he didn't know why that bothered him.
Robin had been the person he'd confided in after everything ended—after the portals had closed and the monsters he'd read about when he was a kid had been destroyed was when he began to feel out of place—back when they'd found him in the boathouse, Robin had mentioned how this hadn't even been their first time doing this. While he was failing math class, these people—these kids—were fighting interdimensional demons. Eddie wasn't sure where his place was in all of this—where he belonged. As he watched everyone reunite, he felt himself slowly fade into the background. What was he supposed to say when he was confident he'd burst into tears if he opened his mouth. He quickly shoved his still-shaking hands into his jean pockets as Buckley approached him. He silently prayed she'd walk away.
"Not exactly sure where I fit in either." Robin supplied, stopping when she was leaning next to him. They were a safe distance from the crowd next to his beat-up van.
"Yeah." Eddie muttered lamely. He didn't feel confident he could talk. Robin looked at him knowingly but his eyes were on Steve. It was weird how articulate she was.
"Wheeler. He and Wheeler are platonic with a Capital P." Was all she said. "Trust me." Was that a smile on her face? Band kids were weird.
"That's- that's-" Eddie tried to argue but he really didn't feel like he could. He was exhausted.
"I know. Here," Robin reached for his backpack, pulling out the walkie talkie he'd stowed in his front pouch. She started messing with the nobs. "We've had this channel since Starcourt. It's me, Steve and Wheeler. Byers was there as well before the move. We leave it on at night just incase." If the far away look in her eyes indicated anything, the others were also having nightmares—not that he suspected any different. What they had been through—what everyone had just gone through—were there even words to describe it? Otherworldly. That's what he settled with.
"Why are you doing this for me?" Eddie asked, voice barely above a whisper. He felt fragile all of a sudden, like anything could break him.
"You're a part of this now. We tend to stick together. Y'know, saving the world and everything brings people closer together." She joked, nudging his shoulder. They stood in relatively comfortable silence as the sun slowly lowered behind the trees. Eddie was confident he wasn't getting any sleep tonight—or ever again really—so he found he didn't mind spending time with everyone, even if he didn't exactly say anything. His eyes were still on Steve though, and when he finally met Eddie's, he offered him a soft smile and a small wave.
Yeah. Eddie was fucked.
Eddie awoke suddenly, sweat-slicken skin stuck to his sheets, gasping—gasping because he had been back in the Upside Down—the smell of bile and the cold, muggy air flat against his skin had been so, so real. It took him a few seconds to adjust his eyes, his light already having been on—dimly—since he refused to sleep with it off, before he mindlessly stood up and walked over to his cluttered desk, grabbing his walkie talkie. Eddie hoped and prayed to whatever higher power was out there that Wheeler or Robin answered—he couldn't face the humiliation of Steve Harrington talking him through an anxiety attack. No way.
"Hey- uh. I didn't actually plan for this to happen but is anybody there? Having a really tough night. Over." Eddie whispered the last part even though he was by himself.
As he waited, and waited, and waited—Eddie checked the clock on his bedside table. It read 3:53. Nobody was going to be awake. He was going to have to learn to calm his Upside Down-oriented panic attacks by himself. This was stupid—why was he even invited to this dumb channel if everyone hated-
"Munson. It's me. Do you copy? I'm here. Over." Steve fucking Harrington. If Eddie wasn't totally panicking right now, he'd probably shut his Walkman off and drive away from Hawkins, never to be seen from again.
"Yeah, I copy Harrington." Were they even on a first name basis?
"Sorry for not answering right away. I was busy." Eddie wasn't about to pry into something that wasn't his business, besides, Steve had finished his sentence with the sort of finality in his voice that probably meant he wasn't up for talking about it. The usual cockiness in Eddie's voice was gone, something solemn and anxiety-riddled taking it's place.
"It's okay, Harrington. Just- having a hard time tonight. Can't seem to stay asleep. Over." Eddie positioned himself so he was able to talk to Steve on his stomach and look out the window. Just incase.
"You don't have to explain anything to me, man. Unless you want to? Will that make you feel better? Sorry I shouldn't have assumed-"
"Harrington. It's fine," This was dangerous territory. "Sure, I'll talk about it. I keep having these fucked up dreams where we're back in The Upside Down. It's like- it's like I'm really there, though. Like I'm standing in Wheeler's weirdly frozen-in-time bedroom. I can feel the vines in between my fingers. I can feel the rush of cool air against my skin—and I start to panic. Then I'm awake." It was oddly silent after he'd finished his small tangent, the only sound on either end being Eddie's record player playing softly. Laying in silence also wasn't an option, even if he had to periodically get up throughout the night to change records out—it wasn't like he was sleeping.
"Yeah," Steve paused, but Eddie heard him moving around—probably repositioning himself as well. "I remember the first few weeks after my first run-in with that damn monster—the nightmares don't go away. I remember missing entire weeks of school—not that it mattered anyways," Steve tried to laugh but it sounded strained. Clearly a hard topic to discuss. "I wish I could say it gets better but I'd honestly be lying. I mean, that's why we created this frequency. Who else is going to understand what it's like dreaming about extra terrestrial monsters and portals to hell." And Steve was right. What they had been through—what they were going through—was a unique experience. Eddie had never imagined himself in a situation like this—the monsters? Sure. His life was already pretty fucking crazy. No, he meant talking to Steve Harrington early in the morning about anything and everything. Good things like that didn't happen to people like Eddie Munson. They just didn't.
"Munson? You there?" A whisper on Steve's end. Probably making sure he didn't wake Eddie up. How endearing. Shit. He'd forgotten to answer.
"Here and present, my lord." Steve laughed, which was so fucking contagious. Eddie's cheeks reddened in the darkness of his room.
"Enough with the titles and shit. I thought you hated high school." Eddie swore he could hear the smile in Steve fucking Harrington's voice. God. Eddie was going to die right here in his bed at five in the goddamn morning. Death by Steve Harrington.
"Yeah. I did. Still do, but titles like that stick." And he was right. When Steve wasn't a three-time swim team captain and Hawkins High's basketball champion, he was fighting interdimensional demons while fucking babysitting. He was so, so cool and annoyingly endearing even when he wasn't trying to be. It was cute.
"How about just Steve for a change? Could that title stick, Munson?" God, if Eddie weren't laying down already, he was sure he'd pass out. Steve had no idea what he was doing to him. Or maybe he did.
"Only if you call me Eddie, just Steve." It was hard to resist. Eddie found that he quite liked making Steve laugh. Even if he couldn't see it, the sound was enough to send him over the edge and so much more.
"Very funny," If Steve was trying to be serious, the giggle—the giggle—that followed completely gave him away. "I like talking to you, Eddie. You're not what I expected." Suddenly, the energy changed into something a little more serious but Eddie found that he didn't mind at all.
"I like talking to you, too, Steve." The silence that followed wasn't awkward at all and Eddie knew Steve was still wide awake even if he couldn't physically see him.
"Hey, Eddie, I was thinking-" Though Steve was rudely interrupted by a third party. Fuck. Eddie had almost forgotten they weren't exactly alone.
"Hey guys, did you see that really fucking cool full moon?" Robin began, not waiting for their answer as she continued rambling excitedly. Eddie could get used to this.
The second time Eddie Munson couldn't sleep was actually while he was at Steve Harrington's house. Yeah. He knew how that sounded but he wasn't exactly a lucky person. Eddie was in the guest room without a light on and even though it was probably silly, for some reason, he felt guilty leaving it on. Because of how he'd grown up, Eddie was used to turning off appliances that weren't needed and, well, even though Steve was better off than him, Eddie wasn't the one paying the bills so he chose to lie in the pitch black. Why was he here in the first place, you may ask? A small graduation party for Nancy and Robin without the children because alcoholic beverages and questionable movies would be present—okay. It was because nobody wanted to drive everybody home at midnight again. A small victory, yet Eddie almost wished he was in his own room with his shitty nearly-broken fan and enough of a record collection to last him until morning even though he couldn't stand being in the trailer anymore. After everything, even the smallest things set him off. Robin had assured him she had been the very same way and he'd actually had a very personal conversation with Wheeler about trauma and when it was time to see somebody. Therapy was a bit of a taboo though, he had to admit.
Yeah. Pizza and drinks were fun but so was his own bedroom. Spontaneously, Eddie decided to go sit in the bathroom so he'd have an excuse to turn some lights on. Creeping out of the guest room, he quietly tip-toed through the hall carefully as to not wake up the others but he noticed Steve's light on under the door. A quick glance at his watch indicated it was well past four in the morning. Why was Steve still awake? Eddie decided to knock quietly, Robin and Nancy sleeping peacefully still on the forefront of his mind. Thankfully, he wasn't waiting very long.
"You okay?" Was all Steve said, but he moved away from the opening and ushered Eddie inside, closing the door. So much had been spoken without a single word—a mutual understanding. Eddie smiled to himself.
"So this is the infamous lady cave? King Steve's throne—no wait, that's the basketball court." Eddie was talking a mile a minute as he looked around Steve's room. It was so much bigger than his, not that he cared.
"I thought we'd agreed just Steve was fine." He pressed, though there wasn't any malice in the way he spoke—the way he spoke to Eddie and only Eddie. Nancy had called it his 'Eddie Voice' earlier that night.
"Yeah, yeah. Old habit or whatever." It was then that Eddie found Steve's record collection he kept stowed in the corner of his room, a towel messily placed on top of it.
"Were you hiding these from me, Stevie?" Feigning shock, Eddie pulled out the bin, the same small smile stuck on his face. Things with Steve were easy—easier than they were with the others—and he liked the others a lot. He didn't know how or why but it just made sense.
"No- Look- Stop going through my things," But it was no use. Eddie was already digging through everything excitedly. Steve smiled fondly, in no hurry to stop the other. "See anything you like?" Eddie heard Steve ask. Honestly, most of them used to belong to his parents. Steve liked music because it filled the otherwise silent, too-big house on days his parents weren't home—which was more often than not these days.
"I didn't peg you as a Bowie enjoyer, Stevie. You've got a little backbone after all." If Eddie had blinked, he would've missed the glint of happiness in Steve's dark brown eyes as he stared up at him. Eddie wanted Steve to look at him like that all of the time. Wait, what?
"Don't get too excited. Most of these belong to my parents. We can listen to whatever you want though. Sorry if you were expecting some big assortment in like, alphabetical order." Eddie had expected Steve to laugh with him (Steve had told a joke, after all) but he didn't. He smiled fondly, his cheeks reddening slightly. Had Eddie done that?
"Sure, sure. Whatever." And that was it. Wordlessly, Eddie watched the record he'd chosen spin slowly, humming silently. "I couldn't sleep again because the lights were off and I know that's a really stupid reason not to go to bed but. I don't know why I'm telling you this." The moment had been so nice and Eddie had to go and ruin it. He was never good at keeping his fucking mouth shut.
"Hey, hey, Eddie. When I told you I was here for you, I meant it. That wasn't just a one time thing. If you need to sleep with the lights on, do it. Please. Whatever makes you the most comfortable." And this was why Eddie Munson hated Steve fucking Harrington—he was so sincere in everything that he did for the people around him. How he cared for everyone. How he never stopped until his friends were okay. He'd sacrifice his own wellbeing for the people he was close with. It was why Eddie Munson couldn't hate Steve Harrington even if he tried. And boy did he.
"Thanks." Was all he could choke out. Everything was too much.
"Look I'm really-" And of course Eddie was cursed. Both Nancy and Robin chose that exact moment to come bursting into Steve's room, holding hands and giggling. Eddie glanced up at Steve to make sure he hadn't completely lost it.
"We heard you both talking. Who's up for another movie?" Nancy asked. Eddie hadn't seen her this happy since high school. A smile was nice on her.
As everyone gathered their things to head downstairs, Eddie noticed Steve's eyes linger on him a little longer than necessary. Get it together, Munson. Get it together.
Things were a little easier after Eddie's encounter at Steve's house—not sleeping wise, but he felt a lot more comfortable around his new friends. Robin, for one, had amazing taste in movies and that was usually what they did when they hung out together. Sure, the drive-in theater was a little ways outside of Hawkins but neither minded the long drives filled with music and laughter. He and Wheeler weren't as close, but he enjoyed her company nonetheless. Nowadays, Robin and Wheeler were sort of a package deal—not that Eddie cared. He was happy for his friends.
Then there was Steve Harrington who was a bit harder to figure out—every time Eddie thought he was getting somewhere, making progress, something would happen that set them back. The most recent occasion being Sinclair's birthday party. Steve had gotten weird after learning Eddie would be there which was already suspicious enough since they'd literally saved the world together but whatever. Whatever. Sure, Steve was being awkward and weird, making Eddie anxious in the process, but it didn't matter. Eddie could live with this. He could.
He couldn't. It felt like Steve was mad at him—he wouldn't look Eddie in the eyes, for crying out loud. Whatever progress had happened at the graduation party had been floundered somehow. Eddie couldn't help but feel like he'd done something wrong which was hilarious since they rarely talked during group hangouts. Tonight Eddie would've swapped these completely uninvited thoughts with the Upside Down nightmares—this was worse, so, so much worse. His clock read ten thirty on the dot. Since it was Friday, family video was probably still open. Robin had told him to swing by if he was having trouble sleeping, which, okay, he totally was so he threw on a pair of shoes and headed into town.
Upon his arrival, though, Robin wasn't inside at all. No. Steve was, though. Of course. Eddie couldn't believe his luck.
"Welcome to family video- Oh. Hey Eddie." Steve murmured behind the counter, stiffening slightly. Yeah. He was totally pissed at Eddie.
"Hi Steve. Uh." Well. This was awkward. Why was it so awkward? He kind of hoped a portal opened up and swallowed him whole.
"You here for anything in particular?" Right. Steve was still technically at work—Eddie was just a customer.
"Well, Robin said she'd be working the night shift and told me to swing by if I was, y'know." Eddie threw his hands up in the air. No. Steve wouldn't know. God. Why was he being so weird right now. It was just Steve. Steve's probably pissed at you, though. He shook his head. He'd deal with that later.
"Oh," Did he seem disappointed? "Well, Robin asked me to cover her shift since she's out on a date with someone. I know. Shocking," Despite the tension (that seemingly came from nowhere) Eddie found himself smiling. "Feel free to look around, though. We close in about," Steve checked his wrist watch. "Ten minutes so you should probably get a move on."
Fuck it.
"Steve? Are you, uh, mad at me?" Eddie pursed his lips. He hadn't expected to have this conversation with Steve. Sure, it would be nice to know the answer but he didn't know what he'd do if Steve actually was.
"What? No? Why would you think that." To his credit, Steve actually looked shocked that Eddie had come to that assumption—like Eddie was the weird one who was reading too much into things—and okay, he probably was, but still.
"Lately you've just been really distant. Like right now. You won't even look me in the eyes. Please don't lie, Steve. It's okay. Please tell me what I did so I can fix it." Eddie whispered. Whatever this thing was—the early morning talks and silently listening to music together—was fragile. So very fragile. Eddie didn't realize he'd needed to savor it.
"Eddie. I swear I'm not mad at you. Look at me," And Eddie did, meeting Steve's dark brown eyes from across the room. Time seemed to stop. "I would never, ever be mad at you. You know that, right? It takes a lot for me to get pissed at somebody." And Steve really did seem sincere. Eddie sighed. Why were these things so fucking hard.
"Sorry. I don't know. I guess I was looking too hard. I just get worried. You, Wheeler, and Robin are all I have—besides the kids." A lot was on the line right now. Eddie stepped a little closer to the counter, almost daring Steve to do the same.
"Yeah. I get what you mean. Like I said during the party, I'm here whenever you need me. Whether that's getting high and watching one of your stupid horror movies or talking about your favorite things in the middle of the night when we both know we should be asleep." Steve had a weird look on his face. Something Eddie couldn't place. He leaned a little closer.
Suddenly, the bell rang, letting them know someone had walked into the store. It was Wheeler.
"Hey Steve. Eddie," She waved at them each, "I know the store closes super soon but I was wondering if I could rent a movie? I've got someone waiting in the car for me." Her smile was sincere but Eddie wasn't focused on that. He was focused on Steve who still hadn't moved from his spot behind the counter, staring at Eddie with those dark brown eyes. Finally, Steve seemed to remember what he was doing and smiled at Nancy, following her to the romance section.
Eddie could only sigh.
So Eddie definitely, one hundred percent, without a doubt had a crush on Steve Harrington. Look. The conclusion was hard to make but it did explain a few—a lot—of things like how his cheeks reddened when Steve glanced at him—fucking glanced. Or how he'd do anything to get Steve to smile at him the way he used to smile at Nancy back when they were still in school. Eddie wouldn't say he was the jealous type—okay, maybe he was sometimes—but he really had no reason to be right now. Steve and him were on good terms—great terms even—after the talk they'd had at Family Video and Eddie couldn't be happier. He looked forward to their late night Walkman talks and spending time with Steve and Robin—mostly Steve—at work during the day.
Even though Robin had told him Steve and Nancy were platonic with a capital P, he still felt like he was missing something when all four of them spent time together—much like the tension he and Steve had had at Family Video, Nancy and Steve were walking around something and it was driving Eddie fucking crazy.
It all came to head while they were at Eddie's trailer in the middle of June because it was too unbearably hot to go anywhere else—not that Hawkins had anything to do at all. Robin and Nancy were sprawled out on the small couch Eddie had in his living room while he and Steve were sitting across from each other on the floor. Steve was absentmindedly playing with a loose thread on Eddie's carpet while Eddie stared up at his ceiling, the crack glaring back at him tauntingly.
"How are we always the only ones awake?" Steve asked, staring at Eddie—though he was upside down because of the position Eddie was in. How ironic.
"Unlucky, maybe." Eddie chimed, eyes meeting Steve's. He was sure he looked so stupid right now. His hair was everywhere and he probably looked as tired as he felt.
"Maybe," Steve agreed, and Eddie thought he'd leave it at that. But he didn't. Instead, Steve shifted until he was sitting right behind Eddie, his smile unbelievably wide. Eddie was a goner.
"Hi." Was all Eddie could say, and even that had come out as a whisper. Steve was so, so close. Eddie could feel the warmth radiating off of him.
"Hi," Steve replied, his smile growing impossibly wide. Eddie found that he'd do anything to make Steve smile like that—smile like that at him. Suddenly, Steve was playing with Eddie's hair. Playing with it. It was too much. "Is this okay?" Steve asked, eyes wide like he'd made a mistake.
"It's- It's fine." Was all Eddie could say. The moment was so soft and fragile—he'd do anything to stay in it forever. With Steve.
"Nancy told me she was seeing someone else." Which. Okay. Eddie didn't see that coming but he guessed it made sense? She deserved to be happy.
"Not sure what I'm supposed to say, Stevie, I'll be honest." Eddie tried for some humor but it ended up coming out stunted.
"No, no this is a good thing. Definitely a good thing. Besides. I think I have my eye on someone else." Remember when Eddie said he wasn't a jealous person? Yeah. Forget he ever said that.
"What- What are they like? The person you like." Eddie tried, his voice barely above a whisper. He needed to stop getting his hopes up.
"Well, for starters, they're a little older than me. They're funny, and caring, and even if they tease me for my music taste, I find that I don't exactly mind. They're interesting and they have the prettiest eyes I think I've ever seen—they light up when I make them laugh and I think I'd do just about anything to make them smile." As Steve went on about his crush, Eddie continued staring at him in the same position he'd been all evening. He couldn't move. He couldn't get his hopes up. He just couldn't.
"Eddie? Did you fall asleep down there?" Steve asked, even though he could see Eddie's eyes—the same ones that lit up when Steve said something stupid. He tucked a strand of hair behind his ear and sat up.
"Steve," But the moment was cut short.
"You two. Be quiet or go into the next room." Nancy snapped.
"Babe, what's wrong?" Robin asked from her spot on the couch.
"Nothing, go back to sleep, Rob." And the snoring that followed seconds later told Eddie everything he'd needed to know.
After Nancy and Robin had come out to the group, they'd been spending less time with everybody, still very clearly in the honeymoon stage of their relationship. Eddie was happy for them. What? He was. Dating, especially for people like them, was scary and if Robin and Nancy were happy, who was he to stop them? It was no secret Eddie was gay. He'd trusted the group enough to tell them during one of their first meetups after the Upside Down and everyone was very accepting. Robin had been next, but Eddie had learned she'd confided in Steve during the Starcourt fiasco—the one he hadn't been a part of. Next was Wheeler. She'd mentioned bisexuality and how she wanted to research more about it outside of Hawkins. Eddie was still certain Steve was straight though—especially after their talk in Eddie's trailer. He'd probably been describing some girl who frequented Family Video. She'd sounded perfect—after all, she wasn't Eddie.
He quickly pushed the negative thoughts to the back of his mind because this was the first time he and Steve were alone with the kids since before everything happened—before they all got impossibly closer. They were sat in little Wheeler's basement watching some bad R rated movie he'd rented for them the other day when Steve came barreling down the stairs with snacks and drinks for everyone.
"Pizza's on the way. Mrs. Wheeler said there'd be a thirty minute wait." Steve's words were met with a loud chorus of groans, mainly from the kids. He wasn't that hungry himself. "Hey. Quit your whining." Steve said, pushing Dustin off the beanbag chair he'd been sitting on before he went upstairs. Max and Sinclair were sitting together on the couch, deeply enthralled in a conversation that obviously had nothing to do with the movie, El and Will were reading a comic on the floor with clearly-forgotten-about drinks that sat beside them and Dustin and Mike were arguing with Steve about something.
"Look, I'm just saying Lord of the Rings is a lot cooler—more world building and magic." Dustin argued, staring at Steve like he knew what the hell they were talking about.
"But Star Wars has The Force and Jedi. I bet El agrees with me." Mike stated, pointing toward the girl on the floor. She looked at them both wide eyed, clearly confused.
"Look; who gives a shit about either, okay? This is pointless." Steve tried, hands flailing in the air as he desperately tried to ease the argument. "A little help here?" Steve looked back at Eddie, head tilted toward the kids.
"Alright, fine," He stood up, stretching. "How about this; they're both clearly different methods of storytelling and while I think Lord of the Rings has better worldbuilding, how can we compare two masterpieces." He smiled in finality. "Now, where were we." Without another word, he walked toward the couch and grabbed the remote from Sinclair's armrest and turned the TV volume up. Steve gave him a thankful look. Eddie shrugged. It wasn't like he didn't deal with this everyday.
After the pizza had been dug into and the movie ended, the kids slowly dozed off but Eddie didn't—he couldn't. He wasn't dreaming about Wheeler's creepy house anymore. He was there. He tried to fall asleep—he really did. Eddie hated being the only one awake. It sucked. Suddenly, everything was too hot so he sat up and silently walked outside for a smoke. The air was cooler and he didn't feel as dizzy outside which was better than being in the basement. Speaking of, the door behind him opened and closed quickly, causing him to jump from the sudden noise. It was Steve. He tried not to get too excited.
"Christ you scared me." He mumbled, the cigarette resting lazily in between his lips. He inhaled slowly, blowing the smoke in Steve's face with a smile.
"God that's gross." Steve laughed though, his tone endearing as ever. Fuck him.
"You love it." Eddie quipped right back. He could do this all day with Steve.
"Maybe." Steve agreed. The silence that usually followed was never awkward and Eddie basked in it. He'd never been able to do this with anybody else. It was nice.
"You doing okay?" Steve asked suddenly, an unreadable expression on his face.
"Other than the fact that I can't sleep because Wheeler's cursed house reminds me of everything, I'm doing fucking fantastic." The sarcasm dripped from Eddie's voice as he took a drag, exhaling softly. Steve nodded.
"I remember how I felt about Byers' house after everything. A lot happened there—is it selfish that I'm glad you weren't there?" No, Eddie wanted to say. No it wasn't. Eddie wished Steve hadn't been there either. Maybe they'd actually be able to sleep.
"I'm not gonna lie and act like what I witnessed wasn't morbid—because it was, but you and the others have seen so much. So much. And it makes me feel like I shouldn't be taking things so hard because you guys can still laugh and smile and have fun. I can't though, Steve. I can't. My hands start shaking when I'm in my room alone. When I'm in public and someone looks at me funny, I forget how to breathe." Eddie couldn't look Steve in the eye. He just couldn't.
"Eddie. Look at me." Steve, and fuck him for everything, softly caressed Eddie's cheek until they were looking at each other. Steve's eyes were wide and his pupils were blown out—he looked so fucking kissable. Calm down, Munson. "Remember what I said the first time we talked on our walkies together?" Steve asked. His voice was so soft and quiet. "That I'd be lying if I said things would get better? Yeah. I was telling the truth but if you surround yourself around everyone and talk about what you're feeling, we can help. The nightmares don't go away—I wish I could stop them for the both of us, but if there's anything you do gain from all of this, it's friends. Those little shits are barely sophomores and they've already been through hell and back—four times." Eddie reached up to his face and placed his hand over Steve's. Time seemed to stop around them.
"Eddie, I need-" A crash from inside the basement snapped them both back to reality. Hurriedly, they rushed inside to see what had happened. The kids were hiding in their sleeping bags trying to conceal their laughter. Badly, may Eddie add.
"Anybody want to explain what the hell that was?" Steve demanded, his hands on his hips. Eddie was still a little dazed from their interaction outside. Sue him.
"Nothing!" That was Max but her serious tone dissolved into laughter.
"I'll figure it out tomorrow." Steve mumbled to himself, heading to his sleeping bag. Eddie did the same.
Steve fucking Harrington was going to be the death of him. This was the end.
Eddie had never imagined he'd be alone at Steve Harrington's house. Sure, they'd spent time by themselves before in Steve's room but this was different. No interruptions. Finally. Steve had invited Eddie over because his parents had gotten a 'super cool' new stereo that played throughout his house. Steve and music? How could Eddie say no? Steve had called earlier that morning telling him what to bring and whatnot and for the first time ever, Eddie Munson was nervous. He could admit he was an anxious person—especially after everything—but these nerves were different. After their interrupted moment in Wheeler's backyard, Steve and Eddie had grown even closer—if that was possible.
He'd heard all of the cliches before; butterflies in your stomach, sweaty palms, antsy etc. Were butterflies just anxiety? Because that was how he was feeling. What if Steve kissed him. Get it together, Munson, he reminded himself. Sure, what had happened in Wheeler's backyard was pretty damn conspicuous, but Eddie needed an even clearer sign before he made a move. He couldn't risk fucking up his friendship with Steve—he just couldn't. Going back to what they'd had before their first Walkman call wasn't an option. It just wasn't. Okay. Operation impress Steve Harrington was a go. Eddie threw on a Megadeth tee and his combat boots and shot out of his trailer. He was ready.
Upon his arrival, he'd half expected another car to be sitting in the driveway because he wasn't the luckiest person—he might've mentioned that once or twice—but it was just Steve's BMW looking fresh off the market. Eddie sighed fondly, completely forgetting about how nervous he'd been when he saw Steve open the door excitedly, signaling for him to come inside.
"Welcome to my humble abode—you've been here already so you know where everything is." The smile on Steve's face was so, so pretty. Steve was pretty but Eddie already knew that.
"Thanks for inviting me over, Stevie." Was all Eddie could say. He set his bag down by the door and kicked his shoes off—he wasn't rude, okay—and headed into the stereo room. It was weird to say that. Who had a fucking stereo room. Steve Harrington did, Eddie's mind supplied happily.
"So what were you thinking we'd play? I have that small box of mixtapes upstairs but I think there might be some more in the garage." Steve stated, walking into the room behind Eddie—he had to admit the setup was beautiful.
"I don't know if I trust what your parents listen to, no offense," Eddie smiled sheepishly but Steve didn't look offended in the slightest. "I brought some of my own if that's okay with you, Stevie?" Eddie knelt down to inspect the stereo closely. Steve took this as a sign to move even closer—Eddie's breath hitched.
"Yeah, that's totally fine. Why don't you go get your mixtapes and we can start listening." Steve smiled, settling into one of the big armchairs his parents had setup in the room. Eddie nodded absentmindedly and walked back into the foyer for his backup. He decided he'd just bring it into the room. That was easier than picking just one.
"So," Eddie started as he made his way back into the stereo room, kneeling down to get a few mixtapes out of his bag. "I have a few in here I think you'd like—a lot of them are metal oriented because that's what I like to listen to and I know it's not your thing but you should give it a try." Eddie smiled up at Steve, the fondness back in his eyes.
"We can listen to whatever you want, Eds." The nickname slipped off of Steve's tongue easily and Eddie found that he didn't exactly mind in the slightest—in fact, it made his smile grow even more.
"Alright. We'll start off easy. How about Metallica?" He placed the mixtape inside the stereo and messed around a bit with the volume—he didn't want it to be too loud. For Whom the Bell Tolls was the first song he'd added—this had been created during his first senior year when he'd just started getting into metal music—his hair had barely touched his shoulders and he hadn't had any tattoos yet. Steve? Well, Steve was already perfect.
"What d'ya think, Stevie?" Eddie teased. He knew it wasn't Steve's favorite just by looking at him—which was okay since metal was intense. "I think I have some Bowie in here somewhere-" Eddie started digging through his bag. With a singular 'Aha!' Eddie replaced the mixtapes and smiled over at Steve, who in turn looked at him strangely—the same way he'd been staring at Eddie the night at the video store. Hm.
"Stevie, is everything okay?" Eddie asked. He had to be sure he wasn't going crazy—Steve couldn't possibly like him back. There was no way.
"Can I be really honest Eddie?" Eddie nodded. It was all he could do. His heart was in his fucking throat. "Can I kiss you?" Everything in the room stopped, including Eddie. Had he heard him right? There was no way King Steve had asked him, Eddie Munson, for a kiss. Good things just didn't happen to him.
"What?" He asked dumbly. He had to be sure. He had to.
"Can I- Can I kiss you." Steve asked again, a little more hesitantly like he'd regretted asking at all but that was enough for Eddie.
He surged forward, pulling Steve by his stupid polo toward him until their lips connected—it was everything Eddie had imagined and more. It was messy, and desperate, and their teeth kept colliding but it was also hopeful and exciting and he could feel Steve smiling into the kiss, his hands in Eddie's hair. Eddie nipped Steve's bottom lip, only pulling back when he'd run out of air. They both starred at each other, pupils blown wide, lips swollen from kissing, gasping but their smiles were what gave them away.
"Holy shit," Steve breathed out, running a hand through his hair. He was as giddy as Eddie felt.
"Yeah. Holy shit." Eddie deadpanned, but he was smiling all the same. Holy shit.
"Can I take you on a date, Eddie Munson?" Steve asked, still completely starstruck.
"You can do whatever you want with me, Steve Harrington." And they kissed and kissed some more.
Later that evening when The Smiths were playing quietly on the stereo, Eddie thought about how he might've actually been the luckiest person on the planet—sure, he'd had to fight monsters and nearly died a handful of times, but he was also laying in Steve Harrington's arms, lips raw from kissing him till they could barely keep their eyes open. And yeah; Maybe he wasn't exactly like Nancy Wheeler but Eddie found he didn't mind in the slightest.