Archive of Our Own

1 - Max and Lucas

It was the hottest day this week, threatening to be the hottest summer on record in Hawkins, and Steve was at his breaking point. For the past seven hours of his eight-hour shift, he and Robin had been stuck working in the Family Video with our air conditioning. The AC unit broke on Monday, and the earliest a technician could get to them was Friday. It was Wednesday, and Steve felt like he was going to melt through the counter. They had five fans around the store to try and keep it cool, but all it really did was move the hot air around.

“I’m going to quit!” Robin announced from the floor.

She had laid down behind the counter a few minutes ago, absolutely convinced that the floor was cooler than standing. Steve hummed, keeping his back to her as he leaned on the counter, watching the front door. He highly doubted anyone would come in today, but from this spot, two fans were hitting him, and it felt better than anywhere else.

“No, I’m seriously going to do it this time. This place isn’t worth it. We’re going to die of heat stroke for a VHS tape of. . .” Robin pulled a tape out of a bin next to her, “Jaws. I’m not dying here for Jaws, Steve!”

“What about for Jaws 2?” He deadpanned.

Steve felt something hit his back. Robin must have thrown the case, but Steve couldn’t find it in himself to care and stayed put. Instead, he closed his eyes and listened to the fan's soft humming. It was almost peaceful.

Hearing someone come through the door broke him out of his peace. He opened his eyes only to see Eddie. Steve couldn’t help but smile as the man had brought three water bottles for them. When he got to the counter, Steve could see Eddie was sweating just as much as they were, and his long hair was damp with sweat or water; Steve couldn’t tell.

“Hello, beautiful people,” Eddie said, placing the waters on the counter.

“I’m dying!” Robin announced, finally emerging from the floor.

“Shit, you look it too,” Eddie tossed her a water bottle.

“What’s up?” Steve asked. It was unusual for Eddie to stop by while he was working. Now that Eddie was working at Dale’s record shop, he couldn’t stop by and see Steve whenever he wanted.

“Are you free tonight? I have a great way to beat the heat,” Eddie looked like he was hiding something, but nothing in his face gave any clue as to what.

“Yeah, I’m free. Whatcha have planned?”

“It’s a surprise; you’ll see soon enough.”

That night Steve found himself walking hand-in-hand with Eddie through the woods over by Reefer Rick’s cabin. Steve didn’t know the area well, but he had to assume that Eddie’s plan to cool them down involved getting into the lake. Just as Steve was getting used to stepping where Eddie had just stepped, Eddie turned off the flashlight.

“I can’t see where I’m going. Turn the light back on,” Steve complained, pulling at the back of Eddie’s shirt. As much as he wanted to get to the lake and cool down, walking in the woods in the pitch black was going to get them hurt.

“Your eyes will adjust eventually. Trust me; you’ll thank me when you have to jump.”

“What the fuck do you mean by jump?”

“You’ll see soon enough,” Steve could practically hear the smile and Eddie‘s voice. If Steve broke his ankle doing dumb shit like this, Eddie was never going to hear the end of it.

“Thiiiis is it!” Eddie announced and started stripping down to his underwear.

Steve still couldn’t see shit; his eyes hadn’t fully adjusted yet. He started stripping with Eddie. Once his pants were off, Eddie started running and then disappeared off the edge.

“Eddie!” Without thinking, Steve ran and jumped in after Eddie. The drop was short, and the water below was surprisingly deep. Steve swam up, breaking the surface. He flipped his wet hair out of his face and frantically looked for Eddie.

Eddie’s silhouette was just a few feet away, floating on his back. Steve swam to get closer and, when he could reach Eddie, wrapped his arms around Eddie’s waist. Eddie twisted to put an arm around Steve.

“I didn’t know the water was this deep, so close to shore.”

“Shit, Herrington! And you jumped in after me?” Eddie pulled him closer and guided Steve’s legs around his waist. Eddie leisurely continued kicking to keep them afloat.

“I figured there were easier ways to kill me if you really wanted.”

“I’m pretty sure this is exactly what people mean when they ask you if your friend jumped off a bridge, would you?” Steve playfully smacked his chest.

“Good thing it wasn’t a bridge then,” Steve smiled.

“The fuck am I suppose to do with you, Harrington?” In the soft moonlight, Steve could tell Eddie was smiling too.

“I can think of a few things,” Steve leaned down and playfully bit Eddie’s bottom lip. Eddie took the bait, and the next thing he knew, Eddie’s hands and mouth were everywhere they could get a hold of. Steve pulled away first and put his hands on Eddie’s shoulders for balance.

“Shit! Is this safe? How are you holding me up like this?”

Eddie huffed a laugh, “I might not be swim team captain, but I learned to swim when I was like five, and I don’t know water physics, but you’re not exactly heavy in the water. Trust me; there’s nowhere safer than right here,” Eddie leaned up and locked their lips together. Steve eventually relaxed in his hold.

Once they were both breathless, Steve pulled back to look at Eddie. He was perfect like this. His hair was soaking wet and was already curling around his temples. His face was flush, and he was looking at Steve like Steve was something special. Steve loved him. Fuck, Steve had never felt like this before, and he had to tell him.

“Eddie, I-“ a sharp snap came from the woods, and Steve cut himself off, “What was that?” Eddie didn’t have a chance to respond before the another muffled sound came from the shoreline. This time it was closer.

Steve untangled himself, “Wait here.”

Eddie gestured to the shore, “It’s all you, man.”

Steve swam until the water was waist deep and called out, “Who’s there?” No one responded, but he saw a light through the trees coming closer. He tried again this time louder, “Hey, who’s there?” When no one responded again, he picked up an algae-covered rock from beneath his feet.

The light finally broke through the trees, and despite being briefly blinded, he got a good look at the person holding the flashlight.

“Jesus!” He dropped the rock, “Max?”

“Steve?” Max asked. She and Lucas finally made it to the shoreline.

“What were you going to do with that rock?” Lucas asked.

“Lucas? What are you kids doing here?” Steve asked.

“We came out all this way to do our taxes. What do you think we came to do?” Max’s voice was dripping with sarcasm.

“Can we not skip over why you were trying to kill us with a rock? And we’re not kids,” Lucas added.

“Lucas, I thought you said you found this place?” Max turned to face and started blinding him with the flashlight, going full interrogation mode.

“I did!” He yelled and then, a bit quieter, “Well, I did after Eddie told the group about it. . .”

“Ugh,” Max scoffed and was probably rolling her eyes.

“He didn’t tell us where it was exactly! I really did have to find it from his description,” Lucas explained.

“You’re ridiculous,” she turned back to face Steve, “Eddie’s here?”

“Hey, Max,” Eddie called from his hiding spot in the deep water.

Max gave a half-hearted wave, “Hey, Eddie.”

Eddie swam up to where Steve was standing and wrapped his arms around Steve to pick him up, “Enjoy the spot, kids.”

“What?” Steve asked, flailing in Eddie’s hold. He tried to turn his head to face Eddie. Steve had been in the middle of telling Eddie he loved him, and it would have been perfect if the kids hadn’t ruined their moment. Steve went to stop him, but Eddie already had them halfway to shore before he set Steve down.

“Have fun tonight,” Eddie singsonged, “don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” Max flipped them off, “it’s not much, but you should definitely not do it.” They were already walking past the kids to find where they had dropped their clothes.

“Be safe tonight,” Steve warned.

“Okay, mom,” the two yelled at him.

Eddie laughed; he still thought it was hilarious the kids had taken to calling Steve mom. Eddie lowered his voice so Max and Lucas couldn’t hear him, “does that make me a dad of six?”

“Who says you’re the father?” Steve teased back and pushed Eddie’s face away. Eddie laughed again, “and you miscounted. There’s seven of them now.”

Eddie pulled him close anyway and pressed their lips together, “hardest working mother of seven, I know.”

“Damn right,” Steve kissed his cheek before pushing Eddie forward again, “I still can’t believe you gave up the nicest spot on the lake on the hottest night of the year for them.”

“The kids were too cute to let down, besides. . .” Eddie dipped his hand beneath Steve’s waistband. Steve gasped as Eddie’s knuckles grazed his skin and pulled the band to make Steve stumble forward into Eddie. Eddie leaned in close to whisper the rest in Steve’s ear, “I can think of a few better things we can do,” Steve didn’t have to see Eddie’s face to know he was smiling. Steve could tell Eddie he loved him another night.

2 - Dustin

Steve and Eddie rarely got dinner out alone, but tonight there was hardly anyone in the diner, and they were feeling brave. They sat in a booth in the back to be left alone and eat their burgers in peace. Eddie started telling Steve the plot of a ‘classic’ horror movie that Steve had never seen. Steve was most paying attention as he picked at Eddie’s fries.

“Everyone’s seen, Alien. I’m pretty sure Arctic Explorers found the time to see Alien.”

“I don’t know what to tell you,” Steve threw his hands up and shrugged, “I just don’t like horror movies and never went out of my way to watch them.”

“This is so much more than a horror movie, Steve. How is it that you work at a movie store and have never seen any movies?”

“Hey! That’s not true. I watch all the movies you and Robin tell me to watch-“

“So you’ll watch Alien?”

“No,” Eddie’s face fell, “the title gives it away! There’s a ship, and there’s an alien on that ship. What else is there?”

“The suspense! You care about their failures, their victories! You empathize with them as you wait for them all to die!”

“Great,” Steve rolled his eye but couldn’t help but smile at Eddie’s passion, “so they all die?”

“Not all of them! Just. . .” Eddie waved his hands around, “you know most of them don’t make it- that’s not the point, though! The point is, Alien is a modern classic that twists what we think of monster movies.”

“Fine,” Steve conceded, “I’ll watch your monster movie.”

“The best monster movie,” Eddie corrected, “and you really don’t have to. I don’t want to make you-“

“You’re not making me do anything. If you like it that much, I’m sure I’ll like at least one part of it.”

“There is a cute cat.”

“I’m sold, then.”

Steve stole another handful of Eddie’s fries. Eddie couldn’t care as he grinned ear to ear, feeling like he won. Steve really loved this nerd.

“Eddie, there’s something I’ve been meaning to say-“ Steve started but was cut off.

“Eddie?” Steve turned around toward the voice only to be treated by Henderson’s lopsided grin. As much as he loved seeing the kid, the middle of his date with Eddie was not the time. And especially not when he was about to tell Eddie he loved him.

“Henderson!” Eddie jumped out of the booth and practically tackled the teen in a hug. Dustin had been Eddie’s ride-or-die who always believed Eddie was innocent. Dustin believed him even when the whole town was yelling, ‘he’s a satanist-murderer.’ Dustin was the only one who never wavered.

“Hey, kiddo,” Steve waved from the booth. Eddie sat back down, and much to Steve’s disappointment Dustin sat down with him. So much for their date night. Steve sat back in his spot and accepted his fate. Eddie and Dustin started talking a mile a minute about something Steve didn’t understand. Something about Elves?

“Does this have to do with that book you like about the gnomes?” Steve asked, genuinely confused. Both Eddie and Dustin were staring at him blankly.

“You mean the hobbit?” Eddie asked. His tone was slightly teasing, but Steve knew Eddie was impressed that he remembered him talking about the book at all.

“Yes? The one with dragons,” Steve clarified.

“Um, kind of. We’re talking about our next main campaign and Dustin’s new character. He’s going to be a bard.”

“I thought he was going to be an elf?” Steve was so confused. He really had been trying to follow what they were saying earlier.

“He is,” Eddie started to explain, “he’s going to be a half-elf bard this go around.”

“Oh!” Dustin shouted, “I forgot I made you a character sheet too!” Dustin started rummaging around in his bag, looking for the character he had made Steve. “You are now, Smaug, the defender!” He yelled, placing the character sheet in front of Steve. Steve was touched Henderson made him anything at all. He just didn’t understand a single box on the page.

“Smog? How come it’s not my name at the top?”

“It’s Smaug,” Dustin corrected, “and that’s the whole point! It’s not supposed to be you.”

“Okay, well, can he at least be named Steve too?” Steve started reading over the sheet.

“I don’t see why not,” Eddie agreed.

Dustin groaned, and Steve read more into what his character had and could do. He wasn’t sure what was considered high or low, but his highest skill was in strength, and his lowest was intelligence, “Barbarian? Huh, I would’ve thought you’d make me an ogre or something. Oh, no, wait, am I thinking of Orcs and Ogres are in the hobbit books?” Dustin looked at him like he was an idiot.

“There are so many things wrong with that. First, Barbarian is your class, not your race. Second, only the first book is called The Hobbit. Third, both orcs and ogres are in dungeons and dragons. And lastly, Tolkien never wrote about ogres!” Dustin crossed his arms, “Eddie, what have you been teaching him?”

Eddie put his hands up in self-defense, “I haven’t taught him anything. Anything he’s picked up has been of his own volition,” Eddie winked at Steve, “besides, you’re wrong; ogres are in the Hobbit.”

“They absolutely are not,” Dustin argued.

“Au contraire, my friend. They are mentioned exactly once.”

“Bullshit! When?”

“When Bilbo is solving Gollum’s riddles, he thinks about all the giants and ogres he’s ever heard of.”

“What page?”

“Henderson, I’m not an encyclopedia. I have no idea. Reread the damn book if you don’t know it.”

Eddie and Dustin went back and forth like that the rest of their dinner. Somewhere along the way, Eddie put his hand under the table and laced Steve’s hand in his own. Even though Steve couldn’t really participate in whatever Dustin was geeking out about, Eddie made him feel like he was there, like he was important.

Eddie took pity on Steve and tried to change the topic, “Henderson, I need you to settle a bet. Have you ever seen Alien?”

“Of course, everyone‘s seen Alien before.”

Steve couldn’t believe it. They had to be fucking with him, “bullshit! There’s no way you were in elementary school when it came out. There’s no way your mom let you see that.”

“Steve, you are literally employed by an establishment that rents out older movies for this exact reason.”

“Okay, smartass.”

Eddie changed the topic again, this time successfully distracting Dustin. Steve really did love this nerd and couldn’t wait until he had a chance to tell him. Besides, maybe saying, ‘I love you,’ over burgers wasn’t the best idea anyway. He’d get another chance soon enough.

3 - Robin

Growing up, every few weeks, Steve’s parents would go out to dinner, and he would be home left alone. Steve used to hate being left home alone, but now that he and Eddie were together, it was the greatest blessing Steve could have asked for. Right now, with Eddie pinned beneath him, Steve couldn’t be anything else but grateful.

Steve pulled away to get a better look at Eddie. His hair was a mess, and his face was flushed a deep red as he panted, trying to breathe again. Eddie was beautiful like this, and Steve loved him.

“Eddie, there’s something I need to tell you,” Once again, he thought over exactly how he was going to say it. Steve was struggling to string the words together.

The front door bell pulled Steve out of his thoughts. No one should be coming over, and they still had at least another hour until his parents came home. Even if they were coming back soon, his parents wouldn’t be rigging the front door. Steve pulled away to see who it was, but From his spot on the couch, he couldn’t tell.

“You expecting anyone else tonight, big boy? Got another boyfriend I need to know about?”

“No one should be here for another hour, and no! Why would you think that? And who else in this town would I be with?”

The bell rang twice in a row.

“Wait, you really can’t tell who else in Hawkins is gay?”

The bell rang again.

“What? No. You can?” The bell chimed. “Hold on,” Steve got up to see who it was. Steve tried to fix his shirt on his way to the door. Looking through the peephole, he saw Robin about to press the bell. Steve ripped the door open as the bell chimed for the sixth time that night.

“Steve! I know I should have called, but I just had the worst fight with my mom, and I couldn’t be there anymore,” Steve noticed the tears streaming down her cheeks, “I- I’m never getting out of here because I’ll never be good enough- I’ll never be happy here, and I’m all alone-“

“Steve?” Eddie called out. He had gotten up to see who was at the door when Steve didn’t come back immediately.

“Oh, shit! You were on a date. I’m so sorry, I should have called. You’re on a date, and I just ruined your date. I’m going to go. You should enjoy your date. I’m so sorry,” Robin turned to leave. Steve pulled her into his house by pulling her into a hug.

“I should go,” Robin stifled a sob against his chest.

“This is more important,” Steve told her, “You’re okay,” Steve cradled her face against his chest. “you’ll be okay.”

Steve looked to Eddie, who was already gathering his things to leave, “Feel better, Robin,” Eddie patter her back as he passed through the door. Steve mouthed, ‘I’m sorry,’ as he passed.

“I’m sorry I ruined your date,” Robin told Eddie through her tears. Eddie saluted her as he stepped off the front stairs.

Steven moved them further inside to close the door. Robin looked miserable, and any lingering traces of desire had gone right out the window with Eddie. Right now, he had to focus on Robin. He got her to move to the couch and waited until she calmed down to ask, “What happened?”

“I just- I don’t know what I’m doing. Everything doesn’t seem real anymore after Vecna and Russians.”

“I get that feeling too sometimes. Like nothing we’re doing matters in the long run?”

“Yeah. Well, in the middle of that, my mom brought up applying for school again, and I don’t want to go to college anymore. I don’t even know what I’d study if I got in. Plus, she’s been pushing this super religious school with a convent on the campus. I can’t live with nuns, Steve! They’ll tear me apart. They’ll take one look at me and know my Dad baptized me at home with a water bottle. I’ll just burst into flames as soon as I get there. Then she brought up me getting married-“

“To who?”

“Who do you think, Steve? She’s completely delusional and thinks we’re together and kept pushing for me to get married already. Which made me think about how I’ll never be able to get married. I’m never going to be able to have a wedding, and I’m going to die in Hawkins all alone because I’ll never be able to leave here-“

“Robin, that’s not true.”

“No, it is, Steve. I’m not good enough to get into school anywhere else, and even if I was, I don’t think I even want to go. I don’t know what I’m doing with my life yet. And things with my mom just escalated, and I ended up saying some really horrible things. I feel terrible, but I’m not ready to go back yet,” Robin finished her rant by placing her hands in her face and screaming into the couch.

“And you don’t have to. Stay as long as you need and don’t go to school if you don’t want to,” Steve pulled a hand away from her face and gave it a reassuring squeeze, “I’ll support your decision no matter what.”

Robin squeezed his hand back, “Thanks, Steve,” she gave a small smile, “I’m sorry I ruined your date,” Robin sniffled and rubbed her face.

Steve sighed, “No, don’t be. I think I already ruined it.”

“That can’t be true. You and Eddie are like sickeningly cute. What happened?”

“I keep trying to tell him I love him, and I keep fucking it all up. I’ve tried three times now, and the first two times, I was actually interrupted, and I figured it was just bad luck, but this time it was me. I was the reason I couldn’t say it. I don’t even know why I can’t. It just got stuck in my throat, and I couldn’t force it out. I was grateful for the out, to be honest.”

Robin smiled a real smile, “I’m glad. I’ll try to schedule all my mental breakdowns around you from now on” Steve laughed and pulled her in close. He would have other chances, “but seriously, don’t force yourself to say something you don’t mean.”

“I know, I know. I’m not. I really do love him. I’m just- this is all so new, and I’ve never said that to anyone and meant it before.”

“Fuck.”

“Yeah.” Steve would tell Eddie eventually; he just had to plan it all out first. Then he would be able to say it.

4 - El and Mike

Steve remembered the exact moment Eddie told him he got a job. It was early summer, and Steve was working at the Family Video with Robin as always. Eddie had come rushing in, bouncing on his heels to tell Steve that Dale had given him a chance to work at the record store. Eddie was a model employee; he was never late, and he spent every free second he had organizing the whole shop. Some nights he would get so caught up in cleaning up that he forgot he was supposed to meet Steve. On nights like these, Steve would always go looking for him in the store; today was one of those nights.

Steve walked to the record store front and saw all the lights were still on. Eddie was probably six crates deep into reordering the chaos boxes and lost track of time. Steve checked the door, found it unlocked, and let himself in.

“Be with you in a minute,” Eddie called from his spot on the floor. Steve found Eddie exactly where he thought he’d be, surrounded by stacks of albums, and he emptied a new box.

“I sure hope not. It’s an hour and a half past close,” Steve laughed and sat down next to Eddie.

“Shit! What time is it?” Eddie sat back to get a look at the clock. It was thirty minutes past when they were supposed to meet at the family video. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry! I just lost track of what I was doing and forgot about the time.”

“I know,” Steve pressed a kiss to the corner of Eddie’s mouth, “I won’t hold it against you, I promise. Here let me help you finish this box.”

“Thanks, Steve. Have I ever told you how perfect you are?”

“Not today, but I think it’s come up once or twice,” Steve smiled as Eddie kissed his cheek, “you could stand to tell me more.”

“Be right back; I’m going to lock the door and turn the sign off before anyone else lets themselves in,” Eddie said, jumping up. Steve started to pull more records out of the box. Half of the albums he had never heard of before.

Eddie was back before Steve could mess up his progress too bad. “Need a hand there, love?”

“Probably? I’ve never heard of any of these bands. How do you know all of these?”

Eddie shrugged as he sat back down, “I don’t know. Somehow music just itches my brain the right way, you know? Like I don’t always have to know, but I know, you know?”

“Not really? I’m not quite sure that was even English.”

“Yeah, I don’t really know how to explain it,” Eddie kissed Steve again, “thank you for helping me.”

Steve smiled, and they got to work. Eddie organized the albums into piles, and Steve would run them to the correct section of the reorganized store. Dale’s shop had never been this put together in years. Once they put the last pile away, they sat back down on the floor with the now empty box.

“How do you get used to this?” Eddie asked suddenly.

“Used to what?” Steve turned to face Eddie.

“Winning?”

“I don’t understand?”

“You know, like- I guess I’m just not used to things working out? Like, my whole life, things have always gone to shit, and I just- I don’t know, I just started to expect that. You know? Now that everything is good and I’m- I’m happy . . . I guess I’m just waiting for things to go to shit again?”

“Eddie?” Steve’s heart broke.

“Things are just going too well- like I graduated, I technically haven’t been arrested yet- well, at least not for anything that I've done. I’ve got the best job in the world, I’ve got you- I’ve never had so many good things at once. I don’t know; I guess I’m just waiting for that classic Munson curse to fuck it up- for me to be a fuck up again-“

“Eddie! You’re not a fuck up.”

“No, Steve, I really am. You just haven’t been around long enough to see it yet- well, I guess you have already seen it a bit. Unless you remember the day you spoke to me for the first time differently, I remember being wanted for murder. That doesn’t usually doesn’t happen to non-fuck ups. I really thought this was going to be my year- that my life was finally going the right way- like my life was a record, and I put up with all of the terrible shit on side A, and now I just get to enjoy side B- but, maybe I was crazy for ever thinking I could have this-“

“Eddie!” Steve pulled him into his arms.

“It’s okay, Steve.”

“No, it’s not! You’re allowed to be happy- to have nice things. You’re not a curse. You are the best thing to come out of the Upside Down nonsense. This is your side B, and maybe there’s going to be a shitty song or two, but you’re not dealing with it alone anymore.”

“Thanks, Steve.”

Steve pushed Eddie’s hair out of his face and pressed kisses along his forehead. This was it; Steve finally had another perfect chance to say, ‘I love you’ again.

“Eddie, I-“ he still couldn’t say it, “I-“ why couldn’t he say it? Eddie’s face started to fall, and he worriedly looked to Steve’s face for answers. Shit! Steve was fucking this up again; he had to say something. Just then the store door clicked open and gave him an out, “Didn’t you lock the door?”

“I did,” Eddie pulled out of his arms and moved to see the door, “Dale? Is that you?”

Steve stood up too, only to see Mike and El coming in the front door.

“Mike?”

“Sorry we came in unannounced I was trying to show El-“ Steve cut off Mike’s lame excuse.

“So you broke into a store,” Steve’s mom mode had fully activated, and these kids were in so much trouble.

“All the lights were still on. We figured Eddie was still here. It’s not like we were going to steal anything. We were going to put everything back! El hasn’t ever heard the Beatles before, so we thought-“

“That is not a reason to commit a crime! What are you thinking? Do you not understand what would happen if you had gotten caught? Especially for El?” Steve put his hands on his hips.

“We’re sorry,” Mike huffed.

“I’m sorry,” El’s voice was so quiet and small. It reminded Steve of when he first met the super-powered teen. Steve could already feel his resolve crumbling at her sad face. Eddie swooped in and saved him.

“Well,” Eddie clapped his hands to get their attention, “since they’re already here, we might as well. . .” Eddie trilled off and pulled El over toward a turntable. After getting hired, it only took a week for Eddie to fix the broken one in the store. Her face lit up as he showed her how to work the record player.

Steve turned back to Mike, “This doesn’t mean I’m not telling your sister!” Mike rolled his eyes, and they both walked over to where Eddie was telling El everything he knew about each Beatles album.

Steve really did love Eddie. He just couldn’t figure out how to say it. It was like there was a mental block in his head that stopped him from saying the words, and it seemed like Eddie was catching on. It must have been the location again. Next time he would plan everything out.

5 - Will

Eddie knew there was something wrong with Steve. He had to, or why else would he be acting so strange lately. Steve replayed their conversation from the store in his head for a whole week, trying to figure out what he could have said to make it better. He knew he had royally fucked up with Eddie but wasn’t sure he knew what exactly he did, let alone how to fix it. Eddie had been going out of his way to avoid him, or at least it felt like it. Steve would get out of work an hour after Eddie but find that the record store was closed on time, and Eddie was nowhere to be found. Steve tried calling the trailer, but Eddie’s uncle didn’t have an answering machine, so there wasn’t much use in trying.

To hell with planning the perfect moment; the next time he saw Eddie, he was just going to blurt it out. That had to have been the issue, right? Eddie probably thought Steve was trying to say something terrible, and that’s why his face fell when Steve still couldn’t say it after all this time. Steve’s not sure what the issue was, but Eddie had stopped saying he loved him, and that hurt the most. Eddie would end every call, every date, every hookup with ‘I love you’ on his lips. Now that he wasn’t, it felt like Steve was missing a part of Eddie. Everything would go back to normal if Steve could just say it back.

After some haggling and calling in his favors with Robin, he got her to agree to take his afternoon shift so he could go see Eddie. It was Thursday, so Eddie was off work, and Steve guessed he’d be at home. Pulling up to Eddie’s trailer Steve thanked whatever god was out there that Eddie’s uncle wasn’t home.

Steve hopped out as soon as his car rolled to a stop and let himself into the trailer. He should have known it was a bad idea not to knock. As soon as he was through the threshold, he heard crying.

“Steve?” Eddie twisted from where he was sitting at the foot of his head to look down the hallway. Eddie didn’t look like he was crying. So who was?

“I should go?” Steve heard what sounded like Will through tears.

Will rushed to leave, but Steve was stuck in place, blocking the exit. His brain was still trying to piece together what had happened. Once Will got close enough, Steve wrapped him in a hug, “what happened?”

“It’s nothing,” Will was trying to brush him off.

“It’s not nothing,” Steve insisted and gently pushed Will back to Eddie’s room. Will let himself be coddled as Steve gently pushed him in bed to relax. “You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to. If you tell me to leave, I’ll go.” Steve really should have been saying that to Eddie, but he wanted Will to have that option.

“No, it’s okay. I want you here,” Will gave him a half-hearted smile and Steve smiled back. Of all his kids, Will has always been the quietest and the one he worried about the most. Even before the whole supernatural shit show, that was their life, now the kid never voiced his problems and certainly wouldn’t tell Steve them anyway. Part of Steve was glad Will finally felt comfortable enough to confide in him.

“I’m here,” Steve reassured.

“So. . .” Will started and stopped. He looked to Eddie for help. Eddie nodded to go on and Will looked at Steve’s feet, avoiding meeting his eyes, “I have this. . . Crush. They’re someone I’ve known for a while, but they don’t know I feel this way. Whenever I work up the courage to say something, the fear of losing them holds me down. I love them- I’d do anything for them- and- and I guess that’s why it hurts so much. Knowing they’ll never love me back. And I just know as soon as I say how I feel, they’ll hate me forever,” Steve took his hand, “There’s no point in telling them anyway; they’re already happy in a relationship,” Will looked to Eddie again, “I want them to be happy- I really do! I just- I just want my friend back.”

Steve didn’t know what to say. When it came to love, he was pretty clueless. Getting a date was easy; keeping a real relationship was fucking hard. Steve’s still not sure how he fell ass-backward into his relationship with Eddie nor how Eddie’s still wanted him. But he could be a shoulder to cry on for Will, or at least, he could try. Will was currently pulling his legs to his chest and looking away at the ground as if it would swallow him whole. Steve looked to Eddie for help.

“Hey, Will?” Eddie tapped the kid with his foot, “Do you want to start your first character session?” Eddie was giving an easy out.

“Yeah,” Steve agreed, “Henderson made me a character . . . we could play together?” Steve just wanted to make Will smile again.

Eddie went to get his notes and dice. Will and Steve took turns using Eddie’s spare dice as both Will, and Eddie tried to explain the checks Steve had to do. After a few hours of playing Will was smiling and laughing again. His character Will the wise had met Steve the barbarian after Steve’s town was burned to the ground. Now they were fucking around in a cave solving statue puzzles and fighting giant rats.

As Eddie started cleaning up, Steve looked at Will and asked, “you need a ride home?”

“Yeah, let me just grab my bike.”

Steve turned to Eddie once he heard the trailer door slap closed, “Sorry for just busting in here.”

“It’s okay, Steve,” Eddie smiled and pulled Steve in close by his belt loops, “I forgive you. I think your the distraction he needed.”

Steve wanted desperately just to tell Eddie he loved him, but this didn’t feel like the right time. It also didn’t help that Eddie was kissing up his neck and around his chin so all rational thought was swiftly leaving his body.

“Steve?” It was Will calling from outside. Steve pulled away first.

“Coming,” he called back. “See you later?” Steve kissed him one last time.

“Yeah, I’ll see you later, Steve,” Eddie kissed his nose one last time. Eddie still wasn’t saying ‘I love you’ to him.

Steve got back in his car and watched as Will waved goodbye. “Thanks, Eddie,” Will called out and got in the car with Steve.

The ride to the Byer’s new place was quiet. Will staring out the window, looking anywhere but Steve. Steve broke the silence first, “Sorry, if I was bad at playing your game. I just don’t get all of that . . . stuff,” Steve waved his hand around at the word ‘stuff.’

Will laughed it off, “I didn’t exactly expect you to,” Will was still smiling, looking out the window, “why do you do it?”

“Do what?”

“Play with us, hang out with us, if you don’t like any of it?”

“Well, first off, you’re wrong; I do like you and being around you. As for all the nerd stuff, it’s because it’s important to Eddie, so it’s important to me. I don’t get it, but I don’t have to get it. I just have to support it.”

“Yeah, but like, why do you?”

“Hmm, probably because I love him.”

Steve almost slammed on his breaks as the word’s left his mouth. Pulling off to the shoulder, he snapped his body to look at Will. Will looked just as panicked back at him. They stared wide-eyed at each other for a few seconds before Steve broke the silence.

“You can’t tell him!” Will jumped at Steve’s outburst.

“I won’t,” he promised.

“I haven’t told him yet,” Steve explained, he starting to drive again.

“Okay,” Will was curling in on himself again.

“It’s not you!” Steve rushed out, “I’m not yelling because I’m mad at you,” Steve clarified. “I’m just an idiot, and I don’t really know how to say what I’m feeling or what’s on my mind- it just gets stuck, you know?”

Will was smiling again, “I get that. I still can’t even tell Mike I’m gay,” this time, Will was the one to tense at his own slip up.

Steve waited for a beat and then promised, “I won’t tell a soul.”

Will finally relaxed into his seat, “Thanks, Steve.”

+1

Steve knew he was just overthinking everything. All his issues with Eddie would be solved if he could just tell the man he loved him. Steve didn’t know what his hang-up was. Even now, as Eddie was holding his hand guiding him through the woods, he couldn’t just say it. Seriously, what the hell was his problem? Eddie had already said it first; it’s not like he would reject him. And Steve had known for a long time that it was true, but to say it out loud was something else entirely. Then his dumbass told Will and Robin already. There shouldn’t have been a single thing stopping him, and yet here he was, confession on the tip of his tongue and unable to say a damn thing.

Eddie suddenly jerked to a stop and turned to face him, “close your eyes.”

“What? Why?”

“Just close your eyes,” Eddie pressed a quick kiss to his cheek, “please, for me?”

Steve sighed and did as asked. Once Eddie was sure his eyes were closed. He dropped his hand and pulled away. Steve listened as Eddie fumbled and swore in the dark, trying to get whatever surprise he had hidden in the woods.

“Can I open my eyes-“ Steve tried to ask, but Eddie cut him off.

“No! Keep them closed!” Eddie yelled

Steve listened as Eddie messed with what sounded like a motor failing to start. What the hell was Eddie doing?

“Eddie? What-“

“Eyes closed!”

The motor started to trill on, and Eddie cheered. Light burst against his eyelids. Steve flinched back and blinked until his brain could comprehend what he was seeing. They were at skull rock, but the rock was covered with two white sheets that looked like they had been sewn together. There was a movie projector in front of him and a yellow rubber raft in front of it with a guitar speaker set up on a milk crate. The raft had been filled with pillows and blankets, and Christmas lights had been strung through the trees. It was beautiful.

Eddie popped up from where he was messing with the generator powering it all, “Surprise!”

Steve was stunned, “How the fuck did you do all of this?” Eddie was back in Steve’s space, looping his arms around Steve’s waist.

“The kids help. Well, it was mostly El, but the others carried what they could. They all felt bad about ruining a few of our dates and were more than willing to help out.”

“You guilt tripped them all into pitching in?”

“Oh yeah, absolutely,” Steve leaned down and pressed a kiss to Eddie’s lips.

“Welcome to parenthood,” Steve teased.

Eddie smiled against Steve’s lips, “hmm, when do they start listening to me with out being guilted into it?”

“Oh, that’s never going to happen,” they both laughed, and Eddie ushered him to the raft.

“Get comfy; I’m not sure how long the generator will last with the amount of gas we have.”

Steve stepped in the raft and was surprised by how soft and nice it was. Eddie started to pull something from his bag and turned his back to Steve.

“What’re you doing?” Steve asked, leaning slightly out of the raft to see what Eddie was doing.

“Uh, smoking? Are you mad?” Eddie turned to face him holding a small glass pipe.

“No. Uh, could I- Could you show me how to smoke?”

“Wait? Really?”

“I don’t have-“ Eddie cut him off.

“No! I just meant, I’m surprised you’d want to- and I never want you to feel like you have to, but I’d never stop you from trying it. ‘Think that’d make me a hypocrite. Here,” Eddie packed the bowl and pressed it to Steve’s lips. “Okay, you’re going to take the lighter, and when you’re ready, light the bowl and breathe in. I’ll hold this and let air in when you’re breathing,” Eddie placed a lighter in his hands. “You ready?”

“Yeah,” Steve did what Eddie said and breathed in as much of the smoke as he could.

“Shit, Steve, you good? Honey, don’t keep it in; breathe out.”

Steve released the breath he was holding, “I thought I was supposed to hold it in?”

“Never, seriously, don’t do that again. It just makes you light-headed and not any more high. Anyway, how you feeling, baby? You took a pretty big hit.”

“I feel okay, I think?” Steve tried to think if he felt any different.

“Okay, well just sit there a bit, you’ll start feeling it soon. I’m going to torch the rest of this and start the movie,” Eddie kissed his forehead quick and burned what was left in the bowl before messing with the projector.

The projector had clearly seen better days, but sure enough a movie started to play on their makeshift scree. Eddie jumped in the raft next to him, and Steve cuddled close, pushing their legs together.

“Where the hell did you get a drive-in movie projector?” Steve asked, rubbing his finger pads together. He didn’t feel too different, but everything he touched felt much more intense and weird.

“Oh, so that may be the only crime we committed. Robin helped me barrow it and the movie from the American Legion. They don’t exactly know we took it, so we’ll have to bring it back before their next movie night fundraiser.”

Steve knew that should have stressed him out, but he just didn’t have it in himself to care anymore. Not with how good everything felt against his skin and how soft Eddie felt against him. Steve leaned more into his heat and tried to watch the movie.

“So, what movie did you steal?”

Steve could feel Eddie’s amusement radiating off him, “Alien.”

“Hmm,” Steve tried to sound exasperated, but he was far more concerned with the way Eddie’s collar bones felt against his fingertips. From the little Steve had caught, it looked like Sigourney Weaver’s character was trying to fix some pipes on the spaceship. Steve thought she was supposed to be a doctor? Or maybe in the military?

Focusing on the movie was a lost cause. Everything felt so strange and new that concentrating on anything other than how things felt against his skin was an impossible task. Somewhere along the way, Steve’s hands made their way into Eddie’s hair and started to play with each curl. Everything felt good right now, but Eddie’s hair felt the best.

“I love you,” Steve said, completely lost in playing with Eddie’s hair. He could feel Eddie’s lips curl against his neck in a smile. It wasn’t the reaction Steve was expecting. Not that he wanted Eddie to make a big deal out of it- shit! The drugs. Eddie didn’t believe him because he thought Steve was too high, and this was only the drugs talking. Steve panicked and pushed Eddie away to look him in the eyes, “No, Eddie, I really do. Please, you have to believe me. I love you so much and-“

“Steve! I know,” Eddie pushed Steve’s hair back, “I know, love. It’s okay. I know,” Eddie placed a comforting kiss on his cheek.

“Then why did you stop saying it to me?”

“Oh baby,” Eddie cupped Steve’s face in both hands, “it’s not what you think. I just didn’t want you to feel pressured to say it back. I’m sorry,” Eddie pulled Steve in close, “I love you,” Steve felt Eddie’s exhale against his lips and met him halfway. Steve tried to deepen the kiss and licked Eddie’s lower lip. Eddie bit him back.

“Ah,” Steve cried out, but Eddie was already pushing his tongue in, deepening the kiss. Eddie pulled back first. Steve placed a hand on Eddie’s cheek and looked him in the eyes, “I love you, Eddie Munson.”

Eddie couldn’t help but smile every time the words left Steve’s mouth, “I love you too, Steve Harrington,” Eddie was still smiling like an idiot as he leaned in to kiss Steve.

“Wait!” Eddie pulled back again, “what time is it? I have to write this down,” Eddie started rummaging through his pockets.

“Why do you need the time?” Steve looked at his watch anyway, “it’s 11:38.”

“Good, so it’s still Friday,” Eddie was pulling out a piece of paper and a pencil.

“What are you writing?” Steve leaned over to see what Eddie wrote, only to be met with a scrap of paper full of dates from the last few months.

“I’ve been writing down the dates of all our firsts. This was our first kiss,” Eddie pointed to the top of the list, “but this was our first real kiss,” Eddie pointed to the date under it. “This was our first date. This was the first time I told you I loved you. This was our first time,” Steve felt his blush creep up his neck and face. “This was our first long car trip. And now,” Eddie wrote todays date at the bottom of the list, “the first time you told me you loved me.”

“Why don’t you label any of the dates?”

“Well I guess, because I just know them all. And the day I forget which one is which we’ll be so old together it won’t matter anymore.”

Steve leaned in and pressed a sweet kiss to Eddie’s lips, “I love you so much.”