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“I like Eddie.”
Dustin stops mid-sentence and turns to look at Steve, who is clutching the steering wheel like a lifeline. “That’s… good? I mean, I’m glad you guys get-”
“Dude, no, I like Eddie.” Steve finally tears his eyes off the road and raises his eyebrows significantly.
That seems to do the trick, breaking down the last of Dustin’s confusion. “ Oh. Oh. Shit. Uh, since when is that a thing? Like, you and guys?”
Steve drums his fingers restlessly on the wheel. “Since Eddie? Just… I don’t think… maybe not guys? Like, in general? Or maybe. Shit, I don’t know!” Voice dropping to barely above a whisper, he sighs, “I just like him.”
“Maybe that’s still a good thing?”
Steve looks up sharply. He seems almost hopeful while still looking like he might bolt out of his own car at any moment. “Yeah?”
Dustin visibly gets himself together and then nods, resolute. “Yeah. Okay, if anybody asks, I totally didn’t tell you, but when Will was visiting, I kinda heard him and Eddie talking, so, uh… you’re barking up the right tree. Uh, with the dude thing. Eddie likes dudes.”
“I got that, Henderson.” Somehow the news makes Steve look more worried instead of less. “Well, fuck. Okay. Eddie likes dudes, and I like Eddie.”
“So…” Dustin swirled his fingers together, willing Steve to put the pieces together and make the final leap.
“So I could, like… ask him out?”
“Yup,” Dustin pops the p for emphasis and earns himself a dirty look from Steve. “How about we get me home first though, okay? I love you guys. I do. But I do not want to be there for… yeah, no, not gonna do that.”
“You’re a shit wingman.”
Dustin shrugs, unbothered. “I’m awesome at many things. This is not my specialty, man. I’ve already got myself a beautiful lady, and now you’ve gotta go out and get yourself one. Well, not a lady, and not that Eddie is- y’know, get yourself somebody.”
The pronouncement shakes off some of the annoyance, and Steve snorts, smiling. “Yeah, true, you caught a good one. Home it is.” By the time he drops Dustin off, Steve is buzzing with nervous energy. He has no idea what to do. Dropping by Eddie’s house for no reason and asking him out feels ridiculous. At the same time, he’s pretty sure that if he doesn’t ask soon, he’ll explode. Telling Dustin was the final step. Steve worried for weeks about how to say something and whether Dustin would be bothered, and now he’s free. Unfortunately being free means there’s nothing between him and Eddie. Which also means there is nothing between him and utter humiliation and heartbreak.
Which is how Steve finds himself standing outside Eddie’s trailer. His uncle’s car is gone, which means he should be alone. Hopefully. Steve knocks firmly and waits. He’s pretty sure he can hear his own heartbeat, and he can definitely feel the adrenaline coursing through him. It’s not just traumatic memories from being inside the trailer while they all fought for their lives. In fact, that has decidedly little to do with Steve’s racing heart.
The door opens after a long pause to reveal Eddie in low-slung gray sweatpants and a Metallica t-shirt. His hair hangs around his face, curls looking like a wild halo. “Harington?” Despite looking confused, Eddie steps aside readily and holds the door open. “C’mon in, man. What’s up?” He seems half worried that he’s about to find out the world is ending again.
“Nothing bad,” Steve hurriedly explains, though that only makes Eddie look more confused. “I, uh…” Steve shoves his hands into his back pockets and rocks back on his heels slightly. “See, I’ve been thinking a lot lately. Since we all got back and saved the world and whatever the fuck.”
Eddie makes a non-committal sound of agreement and flops down onto the couch. When Steve doesn’t settle down with him, he shrugs and urges, “So, uh, what about?”
Steve considers giving up the whole thing right then and there. He knows he can say that he’s been thinking about life or mortality or listening to more heavy metal. Instead he swallows the voice screaming loudly at him that he’s going to ruin everything and says, “About you.”
Looking as though the confession cleared up exactly nothing for him, Eddie nods slowly. “About me?”
“About the fact that I really like you. Maybe I like you as more than a friend.” Steve isn’t sure exactly what he’s saying, so he tries to let the momentum carry him through. “I’ve been thinking maybe I’m a little bit gay? Not, like, totally, but,” he fishes for what Robin called it and happily finishes, “bisexual. And I like you. Uh, like I said.”
Eddie blinks owlishly back at him and then barks out a laugh. He covers his face with his hands. “Jesus, Harrington, you had me there for a minute. Fuck, man.” Ring clad fingers run back through Eddie’s hair, and he shakes his head. “You got me.”
“Got you? What?” It’s Steve’s turn to feel totally lost.
“You’re the straightest dude I know, and you are fucking with me,” Eddie answers. He looks amused, but there’s something tight around his eyes. The smile doesn’t quite reach them. Eddie’s face isn’t lit up with joy the way it usually is when he finds something funny. “More’s the pity, you dig chicks, my friend.”
“You don’t get to decide that! Besides, it is definitely not straight to think you have the most gorgeous mouth I have ever seen.” He hates the idea that Eddie thinks he was making fun of him even if Steve knows there was a time when something that cruel could absolutely have been laid at his doorstep. Steve watches Eddie’s face shift from cynicism and amusement to something more sober. Suddenly Eddie’s face is all dark, watchful eyes. Steve squares his shoulders and meets Eddie’s gaze intently. “I think you’re beautiful. Maybe the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen. You make me laugh. You take care of the kids. You’re a good dude, and I’d like to know you better.”
After a long pause during which Steve is scared to breathe, Eddie reaches out and grabs his hand, jerking him down onto the couch. Steve goes willingly and falls to the cushions next to Eddie. “So you’re not fucking with me?”
“I am not fucking with you,” Steve answers solemnly. “I should have said something sooner. Or better? I just… had to get it out. It felt…” He searches for a way to describe and finally finishes miserably, “It felt like lying not telling you. Doesn’t mean I expect anything. I want things, but if we’re just friends, that’s okay too. I don’t want to lose that.”
Once again it’s Eddie who reaches out, his fingers clutching at the front of Steve’s shirt. “Okay.”
“Okay?” Steve must look as lost as he feels because he watches Eddie’s face break into a blinding grin.
“Okay,” Eddie echoes, nodding and then leaning in a little closer. “If it’s okay with you, I kinda wanna kiss you.”
Steve blinks, smiles, screams internally, then nods. “Yeah, okay. Very okay.” He meets Eddie halfway, their heads tilting, lips slotting together. It’s awkward for all of half a second, and then Steve relaxes. He knows how to kiss. He reminds himself firmly that this is not new territory, and his body seems to believe him.
Tentative hands rise to rest on his shoulders. Steve gladly ups the ante by framing Eddie’s face with his hands. He feels the unfamiliar - but not unpleasant - pinpricks of growing stubble against his palms. One of Eddie’s curls is trapped beneath his hand too, and it’s as soft as Steve imagined. “Very okay,” he affirms as their lips part. He’s grinning like an idiot, and Eddie’s grinning right back.
“Not so bad yourself, Harrington.”
“Y’know, you could maybe call me Steve when we’re making out.”
Eddie blushes a little, and Steve’s pretty sure it’s the cutest thing he’s ever seen. “I dunno, sounds kinda intimate. Should probably just call you ‘dude’ until we have a couple dates under our belt.”
Though Steve rolls his eyes, he answers, “Fine. Sure. Call me whatever you want, Munson , but I’m taking that as an explicit promise that you’re giving me at least a few dates to impress you.”
“Aw, sweetheart,” Eddie leans in closer and kisses Steve on the cheek as loudly as possible, “you’ve already impressed me.”