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Damien Darkshadow waves his long dark fingers in the direction of his party. His Darkness now masks the path ahead, protecting them from the view of the night watch. One by one the group sneaks down the alley and around the corner. Their smooth getaway is almost at hand. Bringing up the rear, Richard Watergate, ever the protector, attempts to stealth. Unfortunately, his heavy plate armor snags on some boxes he cannot see in the Darkness and sends them toppling.
*****
“Steve, what the fuck, man!” Eddie clasped his face in his hands.
“I told you, you have to soak those things in moonlight. They are bad news,” Robin snapped Steve’s dice from in front of him. Steve just looked at them both defensively.
“Hey, I have exactly one set of dice, and you two gave them to me. It’s your fault.”
“It’s no one’s fault. The Darkness took away your disadvantage, but hey, sometimes you just roll a nat one. It’s okay, Steve. We’ll see what happens with that next time!”
The Hawkins Community College TTRPG Club President and current Dungeon Master smiled encouragingly at Steve and started packing her supplies. The rest of the group sighed heavily and started putting away their things. Eddie still was not quite used to being a player only, but he was getting used to it. Robin elbowed Steve hard in the ribs and shook his dice in her fist.
“I’m still burning some sage over these before next session. Five nat ones in four hours is some sort of sign.”
“If I’m that bad at the game, why do you both make me come?”
“Because it just wouldn’t be as fun without your drama, Harrington,” Eddie smiled and ruffled Steve’s hair. Steve batted his hands away and straightened the strands with a faux-annoyed look. Eddie liked messing with Steve’s perfect hair at ever opportunity.
“Okay, as much as it pains me to flatter you, Eddie speaks the truth. You’re not really that bad, you just have shit luck. And it means a lot that you’ve made time for this. This is what, your fourth session? I think we can call you a regular now.”
“Golly, don’t say that so loud, Robin, people will think I’m one of you nerds,” Steve said sarcastically, a smile hanging on his lips. Eddie slung an arm around both Steve and Robin’s shoulders.
“A bunch of freaks, the lot of us, but at least we’re having fun. Hey, wanna come over to my place? My uncle is away at that management conference, so it’s empty.”
“I can’t, my mom said I have to start paying rent if my laundry isn’t done by tomorrow morning.”
“Lame, how about you, Harrington?”
“I can come over. It looks like we have enough experience we might level next session. You could help me look through the spells I’ll get? It was helpful when you walked me through how the different ones might be useful.”
“Oh, yeah, and you’ll get your subclass, too. There’s a lot of options so it would be good to look them over.”
“Okay, thanks, Munson.”
“Well, you boys have fun. Vickie gets out of class in twenty so I’ll just hitch a ride home with her.”
“Don’t get too crazy, you two.”
Robin elbowed Steve once again.
“Shut up!”
Eddie grinned but stayed out of the aggressive teasing. Robin eventually ceased the onslaught and left with a wave. Steve rubbed at his side dramatically as if in great pain until she was out of sight. He huffed a laugh.
“I guess I’ll follow you there? I parked over in C lot,” Steve fished his keys out of his pocket and started walking that way.
“I parked on the street near there. I’ll walk with you. Have you been to our new place yet?”
“No, I was out of town at my aunt’s when you invited the crew over. I still need to get you a housewarming present.”
“Nah, not necessary. I just couldn’t remember if you’d been over. It’s still weird, not being in the trailer park.”
“I guess almost dying in a parallel hell dimension has some perks,” Steve’s joking tone fell flat at the end of the sentence. Eddie stiffened slightly beside him before shrinking with a great sigh. He rubbed a hand through his hair.
“Guess so. At least the school counselor is free, or I’d have paid for the house in therapy bills by now.”
“Hey, you’re going, that’s what counts. I need to get in there more. It’s hard to find time.”
“Please do, it would be most unbefitting for Eddie the Freak to be more well-adjusted than King Steve.”
“Knock it off,” Steve shoved Eddie with his shoulder. Eddie smiled and put his hands up placatingly.
“Abuse not, this peasant. Your chariot sir, we have arrived.”
Steve huffed a laugh and went to unlock his car. He paused. Eddie could not read the strange look on his face.
“Hey, do you have class tomorrow? I have a Friday morning.”
“I have class at 10:30, why?”
“Could I just ride with you and stay over? If you wouldn’t mind it, and getting to campus early tomorrow for my 9am.”
Eddie struggled to put the words into some semblance of an order in his head that did not equate to Steve asking to spend the night, and he failed. Finally, he masked his confusion with a grin and gestured grandly to the large van parked further down the street outside the lot.
“Of course, my liege. Let me be thy chauffeur this fine evening.”
“Only if you want, Eddie. I don’t want to—um—impose or anything.”
“No, no, it’s good. Like I said my uncle’s out of town, so it’s not like you’d bother him or anything. We even have a guest room now. A guest room, Steve.”
“Living the life of domestic bliss, I get it,” Steve smiled, and Eddie smiled back.
Eddie was not joking. After everything that happened with that Vecna creep, the Upside Down, the earthquake… the government owed Eddie a lot, and they paid it. Clearing his name, buying and prepaying taxes on a house, and a college education seemed like the least they could do. His uncle even got surprisingly promoted to a higher salaried managerial position at the plant, day shift. Though Eddie liked to think that was because his uncle busted his ass at that job and the higher ups finally realized it.
Eddie got behind the wheel of his van and watched as Steve walked up the street with a duffel he fetched from his car. Eddie gave Steve a curious look when he climbed into the passenger seat. Steve noticed.
“I, uh, was going to ask Robin if I could stay over tonight, before I heard she had that thing with her mom. Didn’t want to test my luck.”
“Is there any particular reason you need somewhere to stay on a Thursday night?”
Steve looked down and got sheepish. Eddie gave him space for the moment as he pulled away from the curb and off into the fading light of a Hawkins fall evening. Eventually Steve spoke up.
“I had another fight with my parents. This one was… one of the worst in a while. It got better when I signed up for classes, but they have still been on my case for just… no reason, man. They don’t like the classes I’m taking, or they think I’m not working enough hours, or I should be working more hours, but for my dad, I should be dating again, just all that stuff. I drew the line at the dating thing, because that is just messed up. I’m almost twenty, I do not need my parents commenting on my romantic life, or lack thereof. I think they just… I think they just want me gone. And since they don’t want to through me out, they are trying to find every way to make me miserable enough to leave.”
Eddie let that all sink in before responding.
“That… that sucks. Can you move out?”
“I think so. I have savings and I’m still working, so I could probably make an apartment work. I’d need roommates, but it wouldn’t be the worst. I’ve been looking at places in the paper.”
Eddie did not let that sink in for very long at all before responding.
“Well, like I said, we have a guest room now, courtesy of our dear nation. I’m sure Uncle Wayne wouldn’t mind you camping out until you find somewhere. You shouldn’t have to crowdsurf around when we have the space.”
Steve looked up at Eddie’s profile. Eddie met his glance out of the corner of his eye. Steve seemed moved by the offer, but Eddie could tell a denial was on the tip of his tongue.
“Hey, don’t say no. Wayne gets back this Sunday. Stay with me until then, and then I’ll ask him and you can hear his answer yourself. I’m sure it would be fine, but you know, if it would make you feel better. If you don’t want to stay, then I’ll just give him a call. It’s hard because I don’t really know when he will be at the motel, but I can try tonight to see.”
‘That’s not necessary, fine. I’ll stay through the weekend, you don’t have to twist my arm,” Steve smiled. It was a small thing, just barely a tilt. “Thanks, Eds. This really is a load off my back for a few days. I’ll give it some thought before I let you or your uncle talk me into staying longer. If I did say yes, it would only be for a few weeks tops while I look for a place and the roommates.”
“Sure, sure, I’m not planning to take you captive. Just trying to… to be a friend,” Eddie felt the weird way that last bit came out.
“Why do you say it like that?” Steve asked, all genuine curiosity. Eddie had to think about it before settling on an answer.
“It’s just that I never imagined I would call ‘King Steve,’ my friend. I know you hate that name, but that was what you were. You were the year below me and still your grand reputation preceded you. If we were in the same grade, you would have bullied me.”
“I’m sorry. I was an asshole.”
"Was?”
“Hey, I’m considerably reformed.”
“Sure…” Eddie dragged out, laughing. Steve rolled his eyes and settled his head against the far window. Eddie could see the reflection of Steve’s face when he looked over at the glass.
“I am sorry, though. I had the popularity, I could have stuck up for people. For you, even if you were in the grade above me. The older guys on the team listened to me. It really shouldn’t have taken a near-apocalypse for me to turn my life around.”
“But you did change, and that’s what counts. You’re an okay guy in my book, Harrington. For what it's worth.”
“It’s worth a lot. Thanks.”
Eddie smiled to himself as he pulled onto his street. Just a few houses down on a picturesque cul-de-sac stood casa de Munson. A perfect little cookie-cutter in a rebuilt subdivision post-earthquake. Eddie had to fight the urge to torch the whole neighborhood on anti-establishment principle, but hey, he needed a place to sleep. He pulled into the driveway and cut the engine. Steve did not shift from his position, so Eddie leaned back and enjoyed the quiet as the sun dipped below the horizon.
“I guess I’m not the first unlikely friend, right? You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. Just tell me to shut up. But we’ve never talked about… about Chrissy. Were you and her…”
Eddie sighed.
“No, it’s fine. We weren’t actually that close, but she was nice. Nice to me. I think… I think we could have been friends. I don’t know if there was anything more than that. I don’t really get the whole dating and romance thing, but, um, yeah. We actually had our first meaningful conversation that day. When she came to buy drugs because of… because of the thing. But it was just… there was a sizzle, you know? I knew I liked her, and she liked me, and we could have been friends. I guess that’s what I keep coming back to. Like… we weren’t close at all, but when she… when she died… I lost what we could have been. Yeah, I grieved her. I mean, I watched what happened to her, it was awful. But I also… I mourned how I could have known her. Could have cared about her,” Eddie choked a bit on his words, tears prickled at the corners of his eyes. “And that feels kind of stupid, right? Because I don’t feel like I should be this sad about it. Like… her parents lost their kid. Hell, Jason lost his girlfriend, and they seemed to actually have something. Maybe not something that would have lasted, but more than what I had. But it’s just the weight of not ever having that, of the beginning of that just… just ending so suddenly. It fucking hurt. It still hurts.”
Eddie felt a hand on his shoulder, and he leaned into it. Steve squeezed. Eddie sniffed and wiped away the tears on the hem of his shirt.
“I didn’t mean to… to dig into it. Sorry,” Steve said, sincere. Eddie waved the concern away.
“It’s okay. I’ll be okay. I’m working through it. Let’s go get settled in and get into some D&D stuff. The fantasy always takes my mind off this stuff.”
“Okay, Eddie. Lead the way.” Steve gave a reassuring smile, and Eddie returned it. Weakly, but he returned it. He got out of the car with a final wipe on his shirt and made his way up the short path to the front door.
The house was quaint in the way all mass-produced homes are designed to be. A den, a dining room, a modest kitchen with an island and breakfast nook. A bathroom under the stairs which led to the upstairs bedrooms. A master suite with bathroom, presumably for the husband and wife of the family, and two bedrooms with a jack and jill bathroom, presumably for the 2.5 children. Eddie insisted Uncle Wayne take the master against his uncle’s protests. Eddie shared the bathroom with the “guest room,” which he and his uncle both presumed would remain empty. They had Eddie’s old bed frame and mattress in there as well as a few of Eddie’s less-used instruments and music supplies, Uncle Wayne’s keyboard, and several boxes and bins of miscellaneous odds and ends still unpacked after the move.
Steve looked at the bed like a man who had not slept in one in a while, and Eddie immediately knew he had to do whatever he could to get Steve to stay at least until he got a place of his own. Eddie went to the boxes and opened up the one Wayne helpfully labeled “extra bed stuff and towels and shit” to get some sheets. He threw the sheets, pillowcases, and towel at Steve as Steve tried to deflect the cotton-y onslaught.
Once the bed was set up and Steve seemed settled, they both went downstairs to the kitchen table with Eddie’s D&D books to sort out Steve’s character. They stayed up way too late talking about Dungeons & Dragons, nothing, and everything.
*****
“My oath, my pledge, is one of devotion, of fealty, to you all. To this party. To my friends. May my sword and my shield be yours. I, Richard Watergate, of the Hawkenville Watergates, will remain loyal forevermore.”
A slow clap echoes through the night as the campfire crackles. Richard makes an annoyed face and looks over to where he knows Damien is hiding in the shadows. Damien emerges as though born anew from the shadows. His dark gray, almost black, horns catch the glint of the firelight. His tail flicks, and his nails click as he taps them together.
“Beautiful, Richard, darling. We love this for you, don’t we, team?”
“Damien, give it a rest. This is Rich’s big moment.”
“Yevelda, I would have thought you’d find such a display uncouth as well.”
“It’s fine, Vel. Damien rains on parades. It’s what he does.”
“I’m not going to sit here and listen to it. You too measure dicks if you want. I’m going to be out on watch. If you die, I’ll kill you.”
Richard watches Yevelda march off into the dense forest around them. She stoops to grab her rapier as she went by her bedroll. Well, she really was leaving them alone. The others all scatter as well. Damien comes and settles in next to Richard by the fire. His pointed teeth seemed whiter in the low light. Stood out more against the gray of his lips.
“Why do you keep giving me shit? I’m trying to be a member of this party. I’m trying to help you. Hell, I like you, Damien. When you’re not an asshole, you’re a passable person. But you just won’t let me win.”
Damien pins Richard down with laser focus. With an intensity that takes Richard’s breath from his lungs.
“You try too hard, Dick. You try too hard, and then you mess up because you are all in your own head. It’s not just the botched escape yesterday. You’ve been forming a pattern. Nothing drives me up the wall more than a holier-than-thou that can’t actually live up to all the talk he learned in church.”
Richard bristles and looks right back at Damien.
“And you are not as mean as you constantly try to be. Like I said, when you’re not actively trying to be an asshole, you’re a decent person. You don’t let people in. You’re all like, ‘oh, I’m a tiefling, evil is in my blood’ blah blah bullshit. And I think I’ve found the perfect way to get under your skin, Darkshadow. For real, not just in the way you say as a part of this whole ‘brooding sorcerer’ schtick.”
“And how is that? I’m dreadfully curious.”
“I… I am going to believe in you, Damien. I am not going to stop believing in the better person I know you are. I know you wouldn’t still be with this crew if you didn’t care at all about the good we are doing. So I am going to believe in you, and you are going to one day believe in yourself. And then you’ll thank me.”
“Fat chance. Take your hubris and choke on it.”
“I’ll take your hubris and choke on it!”
*****
The table burst out into raucous laughter. Robin was crying, tears streaming from her eyes onto Steve’s shirt where she had buried her face in his shoulder.
“That wasn’t- I didn’t mean- guys please!”
Eddie coughed through his choking laughs.
“Harrington, you’re gonna kill me. Please don’t make such a horrific turn of phrase next time I’m drinking water, you’ll kill me.”
Steve blushed a deep red. He crossed his arms and pouted as Eddie quickly narrated Damien getting fed up and storming away. The DM got things moving again, but Eddie’s eyes caught on Steve’s still-embarrassed expression. He had gotten really into the scene, matching Eddie’s intensity in his own way. It was really nice seeing Steve get so into things. Oath of Devotion paladin was definitely the right choice for him. Eddie could not stop looking at the way Steve’s cheeks steadily faded from red to pink to normal once again.
“Damien, we need a perception check from you,” the DM prompted for the second time.
“Oh, shit, sorry. Uh… four. I guess Damien was lost in thought, too, my bad.”
Robin gave Eddie a funny look, but the session continued on. The session ended with Robin’s Yevelda Bludhrvst getting into a bind when epically failed to seduce a hot-headed inn owner and got the group chased out of one of the better joints in town.
“Robin, you don’t have to try to seduce every NPC with boobs and legs,” Steve lamented as they left the club room.
“Hey, it’s not me, is Yevelda, and she has to shoot her shot when she gets the opportunity. She is traveling with a bunch of gross dudes all the time.”
Eddie shrugged fair enough, and Steve rolled his eyes again. He stopped suddenly and checked his pockets.
“Damn, I think I left my keys. Let me run back and grab them.”
Steve left Eddie and Robin at the steps of the student recreation center. Robin slumped down to sit, and Eddie joined her.
“How is the cohabitation thing going?”
“Great, actually. Uncle Wayne likes Steve. Was more than fine with him staying. I think he’s just glad I have friends now. Steve is looking for a place, but we’ll be fine for as long as he needs to stay.”
“Yeah. Do y’all talk about D&D a lot? It seems like Steve is getting super into the roleplay these past couple of sessions.”
“Some, yeah, but I think that’s mostly him getting comfortable. We know each other better now, too, so we can roleplay off each other better. Before it was mostly Richard and Yevelda, now its Richard and Damien, too.”
“Of course, the inherent homoeroticism of two charisma classes in a one-on-one.”
“What?”
“Really, Eddie?”
“I mean, I’m not playing Damien as having… a crush or anything.”
“Mmhmm.”
“Really! Is that how it’s coming across?”
“You boys are so dense. Yes. You can cut that sexual tension with a knife. You called Richard darling , Eddie. How is that not gay as fuck?”
Eddie felt his cheeks get warm and ducked his head. He tugged at the ends of his hair to avoid looking at Robin’s dubious expression.
“Eddie, it’s fine to play a gay character. I hope you know it doesn’t mean anything about you, right? I don’t give a shit about what you do in real life, be happy, whatever. Don’t think I’m trying to say things I’m not.”
“No, I didn’t take it that way. I was just kinda embarrassed because I didn’t even think of things coming off that way. Now that you’ve pointed it out, I can’t unsee it.”
Robin shrugged and leaned against Eddie’s shoulder as they waited for Steve. Eddie mulled over the characters’ interactions and had to admit there was maybe a bit of subtext there, but he really did not mean for there to be.
Eddie was a freak, at least according to most of Hawkins. Well… he used to be. He does not really know what the government ended up telling everyone, but it seemed almost everyone had moved on from thinking he was responsible for Chrissy’s death. Apparently Nancy Wheeler actually talked to Chrissy’s parents, and they formally reached out to Eddie at the start of the year to perform a cover of Chrissy’s favorite song at the memorial being unveiled at the school. After that, people treated Eddie differently. No one was warm and fuzzy toward him, he would never be a small-town insider, but there was… something different. He felt more accepted than he ever had been. He tried to not let it get to him. He did not need the approval of these two-faced fuckers, but it was hard to not revel in the feeling of not being judged prematurely.
He used to thrive under the negative attention. Loved getting under the skin of the prim and proper folks around him. But being suspected of murder and going through a lot of trauma really changes one’s perspective on being an outcast. Eddie imagines one day he might be able to settle down in Hawkins. Start a family. Work his way into being someone the town actually respects rather than tolerates.
This is all to say that Eddie has been having a bit of an identity crisis since the start of the school year, and Robin’s comments do not help at all. Because Eddie suspects part of the reason people have softened around him and Chrissy is the very rumor Steve indirectly asked about the week before. People suspect he had a crush on her. Or they were secretly seeing each other. It was an easier story to believe than she was with Eddie at his trailer to buy drugs. And even if that was not true, the rumor came with a positive side effect for Eddie’s social reputation.
Part of the bullying, the ostracization, Eddie experienced in school was being labeled a freak, but more than a freak. He was labeled a f*g. Eddie had rolled with it, spitting back flirty propositions at his bullies just to see them squirm. But Eddie was not actually gay. Of course not. That would just be the icing on the cake of his unfortunate collection of anti-social personality traits. What got Eddie through a lot of his bullying was knowing that his bullies could not actually label him. Could not actually make Eddie into the freak they said he was. He played the part. Acted the persona, but deep down, he knew they were only saying the lies they wanted to tell about him.
So yeah. Eddie was not gay. He was not a freak. And if he kept his shit together, his life in Hawkins might one day be more than tolerable. It might be… nice. Eddie scoffed at himself. There was no way.
Eddie shifted his mind back around to Damien and applied a bit of his skill in cognitive dissonance. Sure, maybe Damien was flirty. Maybe Damien was gay. Who cares? He was not Damien. Damien’s behavior did not reflect on him. Why was Eddie so nervous about his fictional character being perceived strangely. Of course he wouldn’t be. He’s not real.
Eddie decided to see where this Damien Darkshadow has a thing for Richard Watergate thing goes. It was an intriguing roleplay trait. He’s sure it would lead to some fun moments with Steve. It would be fun. And fictional. So it was safe. Of course. Not real.
*****
“Dick, you need to go! You have to get the door open!” Damien yells out as he maintains his focus on the bolt of energy coming from his hands. The crackle of dark light sizzles the air and makes every nerve ending across his body spark in its own right. He is holding the beast at bay with the electric current, but he will not be able to hold it forever. They have maybe half a minute before his strength fails him.
“I’m not leaving anyone behind! I’m not leaving you behind!” Richard cries out. He is inching closer to Damien one step at a time. The energy of the witch bolt pulses, and Richard has to struggle against it with every step.
“Richard!” desperation fills Damien’s voice. “I need to go! Help everyone get out!”
Richard makes it those few final steps to Damien. He reaches his hands for Damien’s face and turns it toward him slightly. He leans in, and tilts Damien’s head so that he can lay a gentle kiss onto Damien’s forehead. The power of a spell washes over Damien. He feels protected. Safe. Sanctuary. Richard holds Damien’s eyes.
“The moment the spell fails, run. It’s okay to run. No self-sacrificing bullshit. Promise me.”
Damien nods numbly, barely keeping his concentration on his spell. Richard gives him a determined look and turns to sprint to where the party, lead by Yevelda, is attempting to open the ancient door. Damien feels the tingle of Richard’s spell across every fiery nerve ending.
Damien’s spell ends. He runs.
*****
“That was intense,” Steve leaned back in his seat and swipes a line of sweat from his brow. Eddie feels the same, but his eyes are locked on the miniatures on the table in front of them. He cannot get that intense look Steve gave him out of his head. He tries to separate things. Richard Watergate is not Steve. Steve was not looking at you like that. Richard was looking at Damien like that. It was really fucking with Eddie’s head.
“Good job on that Sanctuary spell, Steve. That saved Eddie’s ass.”
“Thanks, it's new with this level for me. Eddie explained it to me, and it sounded like it would help.”
“Yeah, definitely. Worked like a charm,” Eddie snapped back to himself. He gave Steve a smile and a wink.
“Hey, Steve, Eddie, can you hold back a minute,” the DM gestured for them to stay at the table. They nodded, and the rest of the group got up and left with curious expressions. Robin grabbed her things and gave the pair an overly enthusiastic thumbs up before exiting. The DM looked at both of them.
“I’m not trying to single y’all out or make anything awkward, I just noticed some… let’s call it tension between your characters. I wanted to know if you intend for it to maybe be something romantic, and if so, wanted to make sure you both were good with that. Some lines and veils around that sort of thing.”
Eddie glanced at Steve, so seemed sheepish. Eddie was uncharacteristically nervous, as he had been a lot recently. Maybe enough to make it not so uncharacteristic anymore.
“I think Rich has a crush. It doesn’t have to go anywhere if it makes you uncomfortable, Eddie.”
A millisecond brain short circuit later, Eddie responded, “Oh, no, it’s fine. Damien kind of has a crush, too. I wouldn’t mind it becoming something.”
The DM looked between the pair for a moment.
“Okay, if you’re both okay with it, I’m okay with it. Just if any sexy times happen, we’ll do a fade to black. Maybe a constitution saving throw and an ability check of choice to make it fun. Sound fair to both of you? I probably should have gone over this in session zero, I’m sorry I didn’t think about it.”
“You’re good, it’s fine. I like that plan,” Steve gave a reassuring smile. The group talked just a bit longer about specific boundaries and expectations before Eddie and Steve left side by side.
“I didn’t really think Rich had a crush on Damien,” Eddie commented. He looked over to see Steve still grinning.
“Yeah, I didn’t either, but I dunno. None of the other characters get under his skin the way Damien does. I tried to figure out why that was. It had to be more than the teasing and persona, you know. I think Rich is attracted to the guy beneath all that.”
“An ‘I can fix you’ type?” Eddie joked. Steve responded in all seriousness.
“Not at all. More like, ‘I see the better person beneath your bullshit and I will tolerate the bullshit because I know who you really are when the going gets rough’ kind of thing. He doesn’t want to change Damien, just be there for him while he works through his shit.”
Eddie nods. It made sense.
“I think Damien sees that. And he’s scared to act on it, but he sees it and appreciates it.”
“I’m glad. The guy needs a break. He’s so sad all the time. A real brooder.”
“I mean, that’s what being an abandoned orphan living on the streets will do to you.”
“Such a cliche backstory.”
“Hey! Your character is literally named Richard Watergate and was described as looking exactly like you.”
“But I have no background in this game. Robin told me brooding loner types for shadow and rogue type classes are super cliche. You’ve played this game how long?”
“I’m a forever DM. Everyone got to work through their shit with broody characters years ago, but I’m just now getting my shot, Harrington. Don’t take this from me,” Eddie clasped his hands in front of him in a begging gesture, and Steve rolled his eyes and threw his hands up in surrender.
“Fine, fine. I’ll leave it alone.”
Eddie thanked Steve with a low bow as they climbed into his van. Steve settled in quickly, and Eddie was surprised by how used to this routine he had gotten. He and Steve carpooled to school most days, except Tuesdays, when Steve had to go to work right as he got out of class. They would eat dinner with Wayne when he got home in the evening, do their homework and chat in the living room, then go to bed. Over the past few days, they had cleared out the rest of the boxes from the guest room since they finally had a reason to get them unpacked, and Steve was thoroughly settled in.
“You have a gig tomorrow night, right?” Steve asked. Eddie nodded.
“Yeah, about an hour away. We’re playing this garage party with a few other bands. Supposed to be a rager.”
“Mind if I tag along?”
“Not at all. Want me to invite Robin?”
“She has a date. I didn’t really want to be sitting at your house alone, as much as your uncle is great. A little awkward.”
“I got you. No worries. We’ll head out when you get off work. I’ll stop by here after picking up everyone’s equipment.”
“Thanks, man. It will be fun.”
“Steve Harrington, at the garage band scene. Wild.”
“Hey, I’m full of surprises.”
And he was. Eddie would never forget that party. Steve headbanged with the best of them, right in the front. He seemed to be having the time of his life. He looked up at Eddie as he played and Eddie nearly lost focus on the riff. They met eyes, and a familiar intensity lit Eddie’s nerve endings on fire.
It's okay to run.
Easier said than done.
*****
Damien sits beside the fireplace, the tanker of mead growing warm in his hand. The light of the fire casts one side of his face in shadow. Yevelda was already upstairs with her latest conquest. The rest of the party were off doing who knows what. All that was left in the tavern was Damien… and his least favorite paladin.
“Hey, Damien, do you want to talk about what happened?”
“No.”
“I think we should.”
“I think you should leave me alone.”
“Damien…”
“No, shut up. My demon dad locked us in a pit and left us for dead with his pet demon octopus thing. Big whoop.”
Richard sighs and sits in the chair opposite Damien. He leans forward and rests his elbows on his knees as he looks at the flames in front of him.
“It’s okay to be disappointed. I know you thought your dad might be glad to meet you. I’m sorry that it didn’t work out that way. You still have your mom, right? I haven’t met her, but from what you’ve said, she seems to love you a lot.”
“Yeah, but it’s not the same, Dick. My dad… he doesn’t want me. It sucks.”
“Well, he’s an asshole. He’s missing out on a great son.”
Damien looks up at Richard.
“You really think so?”
“I’ve said it from the start. I believe in you, Damien. You’re… you’re really special to me. To everyone.”
Richard cleared his throat and sat back a bit, the warm light masking a blush. Damien smiles a small smile to himself. Richard notices. The air around them is thick. Damien surveisl the situation.
“Well, I’m tired. A day of emotional turmoil and all that. I think I’ll head up to bed. Man, I have never been more glad that we got separate rooms.”
“I’m supposed to be rooming with you, though? That’s what Yevelda said at least.”
“I mean… yeah.” Damien creases eyebrows together. He had meant for it to be… well… an invitation of sorts. But it seems Richard is not getting the message.
“Okay. Well, you go on ahead. I’m going to think here for a while. Sleep well.”
“Alright…” Damien shakes his head and rolls his eyes. He walks up the stairs to the room he should be sharing with Richard if the guy could take a hint.
*****
“Okay, that was the worst time you could have possibly rolled low on an insight check,” Robin was nearly horizontal slumped out of her chair, her hands pulled her face down until Eddie worried she would rip the skin clean off. “You know you can just have Richard understand it, right?”
“I don’t think he would get it first time at least. He is oblivious to that stuff. Damien is gonna have to work harder if he wants all of this,” Steve gestured to himself, and Eddie snorted and looked away with a laugh.
“Don’t provoke the full weight of my flirting, Steve. You won’t survive.”
“Bring it, Munson,” Steve laughed right back. Robin almost impossibly melted more into a puddle on the floor.
“I’m leaving to go on a date with my beautiful girlfriend. Good bye,” Robin punctuated the “good bye” with a pointed wave and a slam of the club room door. The DM ushered Steve and Eddie out into the hall with an eye roll of her own.
The giggles died down as they walked to Eddie’s van.
“I think it’s Robin who won’t survive our shenanigans. Did you see her?” Steve kicked them both into laughter once again.
“If nothing else, at least we have that,” Eddie replied.
“Yeah, I wasn’t trying to curb your style or anything. Just thought Richard wouldn’t necessarily pick up on it. Rolled a seven, so there you go.”
“No no makes sense, man. No worries. I just got to turn up the charm next session.”
“I’d love to see that. Eddie Munson, ladies man.”
Eddie slapped Steve’s arm, “Hey, don’t say it like it’s hard to believe. I got charms.”
“Oh, I know,” Steve raised his eyebrows and gave Eddie a look, and Eddie felt his chest constrict for a moment.
“But I guess… technically it’s guys man, in this case…” Eddie said it tentatively, just testing out the way it felt to say something like that. Steve did not bat an eye.
“Yeah, sure, man. Or both. Anyone would be lucky to have that Munson charm turned on them.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, man. Of course. You’re a catch!” Steve clapped a hand onto Eddie’s shoulder while Eddie gave him an incredulous look. Steve gave him a face that seemed to say “did I stutter,” and Eddie could tell he was being sincere. It was just a bit hard to believe.
“I dunno, dude. The town freak with limited prospects is not really dating material.”
“What? You’re a musician, you care about people, you have great hair—I mean, not as good as me—but still, nice hair,” Steve tugged on Eddie’s hair. Eddie felt his cheeks heat up. Steve’s hand lingers near Eddie’s shoulder. He gave a small pat before pulling his hand away. Eddie… was having a crisis.
“Um, thanks, Steve. I appreciate it.”
“No problem, Eds. Let’s get home.”
Eddie’s crisis… worsens. Steve just called his house home. This is fine. Entirely fine. Perfect. Wonderful. FINE. He needed to defect the conversation, could not let the silence linger.
“So, um, hey, I heard you talking with your parents on the phone last night. Not like… listening in or whatever, but yeah. How did that go. Didn’t get a chance to ask earlier.”
Steve’s smile fell off his face. He sighed.
“More of the same. They definitely don’t like me living with you, which honestly makes me even more mad. I just wish they would be fine with me being happy, you know?”
“Yeah, I feel that. That’s kinda how it was with my dad before he got arrested. He wanted me to be one of the Munson boys, always getting into trouble. I’m lucky my uncle didn’t put up with his brother’s bullshit.”
“I feel bad complaining about my parents… You definitely had it more rough.”
“Hey, don’t compare. We all got our shit, Harrington. It affects us no matter what it is.”
“Your therapist say that?”
“Mmhmm, maybe I should start charging you.”
“I’ve been trying to pay you rent for a week.”
“Caught me,” Eddie threw up his hands. “And still no, by the way. Wayne agrees.”
Steve rolled his eyes. They finally approached Eddie’s van and climbed in. When Eddie saw Steve’s face again he seemed lost in thought.
“You mentioned before that your dad taught you to hotwire. Who taught you how to play guitar?”
Eddie smiled at the memory.
“My uncle. Well, he wasn’t ever as good as it as he was on the keyboard, but he knew enough and knew about music and all that. He got me started, bought my first acoustic, then I taught myself from there. I just copied songs until I got them right.”
"That’s cool, dude. My parents didn’t really teach me anything. My dad would toss a ball around with me when I was younger, but that was about it. Probably why I don’t have any interesting hobbies.”
“Oh, yes, Harrington, you are a fantastical bore,” Eddie leaned into Steve’s personal space and looked up at him from nearly in Steve’s lap. Steve shoved him off not too roughly.
“Watch the road! Geez, you’ll be the death of me, Munson.”
Eddie just laughed. A thought occurred to him.
“Want me to give you some guitar lessons? I still have an acoustic you can use to learn. You can stick with it if you’re not metal enough for electric.”
“That actually sounds super cool. I’d be down to learn a bit. I’ll probably be hopeless. I don’t think I have a musical bone in my body, but I can try.”
“And that’s what counts. Wanna start tonight?”
“Sure. I finished my homework at the library earlier, so I’m free.”
“Great.”
Eddie beamed. His stomach fluttered with excitement at the thought of teaching Steve guitar. Steve holding Eddie’s guitar in his hands. Placing his fingers on the strings, forming the beautiful shapes of chords and song and music. Eddie reaching over and adjusting Steve’s wrist when he predictably presses it against the guitar’s neck.
Eddie shook his head slightly and managed to hold himself together through the drive home and most of the dinner with his uncle. Toward the end of the meal, Steve brought up the pending lesson.
“Yeah, Eddie’s gonna teach me some guitar after we take care of these dishes. He said you taught him, Mr. Munson?”
Uncle Wayne smiled a bit and nodded, “Yeah, I could tell that kid had metal in his soul. Practically begged me for piano lessons from the time he could talk, but it never seemed as much his thing. So I gave him my old guitar when he was what, ten?”
Eddie nodded, “Yeah, I was in fourth grade. Brought it to show and tell and everything.”
“It was cool of you to do that. Obviously, it worked out super well. Eddie is a great player,” Steve stood and started gathering everyone’s plates.
“Why don’t I wash up tonight so you boys can get to the lesson?”
Steve looked personally affronted, “But you cooked?”
“And I can choose to do the dishes if I want. Now git. I don’t want it going too late.”
“Ah,” Eddie chimed in. “He knows how bad it’s gonna be in the beginning and doesn’t want you disturbing his beauty sleep.”
“You got it,” Wayne clapped Steve on the back good-heartedly and took the dishware from him. Steve feigned an offended expression before chuckling to himself.
“Okay, Eds, let’s go get this thing done.”
“Hold your horses. Find musical craftsmanship is a journey, not a destination. You won’t be ‘done’ tonight,” Eddie put on his best professorial look, and Steve rolled his eyes.
“Of course, how dare I misspeak. Lead on, master,” Steve gestured for Eddie to go ahead of him up the stairs. Eddie passed him with a hair ruffle that Steve, strangely, did not immediately correct. Eddie went to his room and got his acoustic guitar from its stand and brought it into what he considered to be Steve’s room. He gestured for Steve to sit on the stool he’d been using as a desk chair since they were a bit lacking on furniture.
“Prop your foot up on that rung of the stool there, then rest the guitar on your lower leg. There you go. It’s important to have good posture when you’re starting.”
“Huh, I always thought the foot thing was just to look cool.”
“Nope, you can do the stuff that is just for looking cool later. Maybe after you master a few barre chords.”
Steve made a confused face, and Eddie just grinned. That flutter returned to his stomach, but he sat himself down on the bed a safe distance away. Steve gave the strings an experimental strum, and they sang. Eddie hummed appreciatively.
“Okay, I’m going to teach you the easiest chord in the world, at least for me. Those lines on the neck are the frets, and those mark the places where you put your fingers, but not right on top of them, a little above them. Go ahead and take your ring finger and place it on the second string from the top if you’re looking down, move it to right above the second fret from the top. Good. Now your middle finger goes right below it on the third string from the top. Press down, but not enough to hurt. Now give her a strum.”
Steve strummed, and it was clear he wasn’t putting quite enough pressure from the way the strings whined. Eddie motioned for him to press a little harder and go again. After a couple more tries, a clear, mellow chord rang out.
“That’s it! That’s an E minor. Minor chords sound a bit sadder, major ones a bit happier. I’ll write out a chart of what the different strings are, and where to put your fingers for some basic chords. I just wanted you to get a feel for this first.”
Steve beamed. He strummed an E minor a few more times.
“This isn’t so bad. I thought I would suck too much to do even this.”
“Well, you’re a good student, so there you go.”
“Thank you, sensei,” Steve joked. His eyes crinkled at the corners when he laughed. His wrist slipped and pressed against the neck of the guitar. Eddie really should tell him to fix that. His wrist would start hurting if he kept it like that too long.
Eddie reached out and wrapped his fingers around Steve’s wrist. He pulled gently, and Steve straightened it into a better pose. Eddie looked up. Steve’s face was much too close and twisted into an expression Eddie did not want to understand. Eddie looked down again and pulled away.
“Better. You have to make sure your arm stays straight. It’s easier on the wrist, and it makes making the chord shapes easier.”
Eddie rattled off his explanation too quickly, the words all jumbling together into a single breathless run on. Steve cleared his thought, and Eddie’s head shot up to see his reassuring smile.
“Thanks. Why don’t you show me a couple more?”
Eddie fought the hammering in his chest and smiled. He did just that, walking Steve through an A minor and a C major. Steve had a real tough time with that one, but that was to be expected. Eddie refrained from touching Steve again to correct, but he managed to talk him through when he got his own guitar to show Steve the shape on. They rounded out the mini-lesson with a G major.
“All of these are super common. Almost everyone uses them. There are a few other common ones I’ll make sure to go over. But you can practice with those for now. I’ll grab the stand and you can keep the guitar in here.”
Steve smiled very wide, and Eddie saw stars for a minute.
“This is the best. Really, I don’t know how to thank you enough. First giving me a place to crash rent free, then guitar lessons… I’m going to start thinking you like my company, Munson.”
“In your dreams, Harrington,” Eddie managed to joke back. Steve just shrugged and laid the guitar on his bed for the time being. Eddie got up to make room. Steve stood very close to him for a long moment. He turned, and Eddie went stiff as he felt Steve’s arms close around his shoulders. He barely brought his own up to reciprocate the hug before Steve pulled away, his hands lingering on Eddie’s arms.
“Really, thanks. All this… it means a lot. I really feel like myself around you, in a way I didn’t before, when I was living with my parents. Even when I was hanging out with Robin. You’re something else, Eddie Munson.”
The way Steve looked at him. The way he smiled, just the upward tilt of one side of his lips. The way he grounded Eddie with his hands around Eddie’s arms. For one insane moment, Eddie thought Steve Harrington was going to kiss him.
But the moment passed, and Steve coughed a bit and turned away. Eddie made an awkward gesture toward his room and ran to grab the guitar stand. Steve accepted it at the doorway with a quiet “good night, Eds,” and Eddie squeaked out a good night in reply. He shut the door to their shared bathroom harder than he meant to and flung himself onto his messy bed fully clothed. He felt his hands shaking at his sides and fought the bile rising in his throat.
His mind lingered on that moment after the hug. On how he didn’t say anything. Do anything. How he didn’t know what he would have done if Steve had actually kissed him. Eddie knew he could not be gay. He just couldn’t. Not another nail in the coffin. But the energy he’d been getting from Steve… was Steve? No, that was ridiculous. Ladies man King Steve Harrington was not into dudes, let alone dudes like Eddie.
Eddie felt his heart drop into his stomach at the thought. Oh god, he probably was gay. It would explain so much. There were girls interested in him at parties he’d been to with the band. He could have gotten laid, or even dated someone. While he struggled to believe Steve when he said Eddie was a catch, he could not deny that there had been interested parties before. But he never acted on those opportunities. Never even thought about it really.
For just a short moment, Eddie allowed himself the chance to think about it. Think about what he could have done if Steve had leaned in. He could have leaned in too, kissed him back. Mess up that perfect Harrington hair even more than before by digging his fingers into it. Kissing Steve would be comforting, Eddie decided. Like coming home. All smooth angles and warmth. He’d be bad at it, but Steve would not hold his inexperience against him. He’d kiss Eddie like he’d kiss anyone else, and it would be so, so wonderful.
Eddie bolted upright as he realized the effect his little thought experiment had on him. The panic rose in his throat, and he couldn’t even go take a cold shower because that would bring him closer to Steve, Steve who knew Eddie preferred to shower in the morning before Steve did because Steve always used what was left of the hot water. Eddie stood up and made his way downstairs, trying to walk off the anxious energy suffusing his every step.
He froze when he saw Uncle Wayne in the kitchen, clearly mid-preparation of his daily work lunch for the next day. His uncle quirked an eyebrow at Eddie’s panicked expression.
“I was just…” Eddie trailed off. Wayne finished wrapping his sandwich and set it aside. He turned and leaned against the counter casually while Eddie remained in the kitchen doorway.
“You look more panicked than the second time you flunked out of senior year. What did I tell you then?”
Eddie remembered. Wayne had told him to breathe it out. That he would stay there for Eddie until he was ready to talk about whatever bothered him so much. Eddie focused on breathing in and out, counting the breaths like the counselor had taught him. Wayne kept a neutral expression on his face, just patiently waiting.
Finally Eddie went and sunk into a kitchen chair. Wayne sat in the space next to him and gave Eddie’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze and slight shake. Eddie leaned into it.
“Sorry, that was probably a lot. You were about to go to bed, right? I’ll be fine. Gotta get that beauty sleep, remember?”
“Boy, I’m not a fool. I’m not leaving you in this. You don’t have to tell me, but I’m not going to bed until you are.”
Eddie sighed and leaned back in his chair. He felt ridiculous. His reactions were so… so big for what it seemed. He was gay. That was fine. Even if Steve wasn’t, he wouldn’t have a problem with it. He was good to Robin. But the thought of Eddie being gay and Steve not being just… it sent another wave of anxiety through Eddie. Wayne squeezed Eddie’s shoulder again.
“Eddie, I’m going to ask you something, and I want you to know that whatever you answer, or if you don’t answer, I’m not gonna make any presumptions about you or any judgments, okay? I’m only want you to say what you’re comfortable saying, okay?”
Eddie nodded numbly. He looked over at his uncle. Uncle Wayne looked away for a second, trying to find the words. Eddie swallowed. Eventually, Wayne looked back.
“Steve is a nice guy. You two get along super well. I know you’ve been friends with your bandmates and D&D kids, but you and Steve seem to have something special. Best friends. Which is great. But it’s been three weeks, and I haven’t seen that boy look for a place to rent once. That’s fine, by the way, he seems good for you. Very good for you. He makes you happy, and you seem to make him happy. You’ve been spending nearly every moment here together. Time away from here, too. I’m not blind, Eddie. And I love you, so I pay attention,” Wayne shifted a bit in his seat. “I hope you know I love you, and you know that I’m only asking to give you a chance to answer without having to say it outright. Because I know that can be hard. But… do you like Steve? As more than a friend?”
Eddie swore his teeth would shatter if he clenched them together any tighter. Tears prickled at the sides of his eyes. He just nodded. He didn’t know what else to do. Wayne’s face softened even more, and he pulled Eddie into a deep hug. Eddie let the tears flow out harder now. His uncle held him through it.
“I know it’s hard. It’s very hard to say. Especially with the way the world looks at the Munsons, even with the house and the better job and all that. People always want to assume the worst of us, and with the way the world sees it, that is just another bad thing about us.”
Eddie pulled away and looked up at Wayne. His uncle’s eyes were watery as he looked at his nephew. Eddie’s face must have asked the question.
“Yeah, Eddie. Me, too. Me, too. It’s one of the reasons your father and I… never got along. He knew. Didn’t take it the best, as you might expect. I wanted to move away from Hawkins for so long. I felt like I could never get away. But then your dad had you. And your mom passed. And… I felt like I needed to be here for you. Hawkins isn’t the best for dating when you’re like us. When you’re…” even Wayne struggled for a moment, “when you’re gay. So I just… haven’t. But you’re lucky, Eddie. You and Steve. There’s something there. Please don’t let what others think make you too scared to act on it. You’ve never let them get you down before.”
Eddie weeped again. Wayne pulled him in close once more. Eddie’s mind was reeling, but his uncle kept him grounded. The tears dried with time, and the bone-deep weariness post-cry settled over Eddie. He yawned.
“Do you think you can sleep? If not, we can watch something. Listen to some music. Just sit. What do you want to do?”
Eddie looked up at his uncle and felt like the luckiest person in the world. He smiled weakly.
“I think I can go to bed. Thank you, Wayne. Thank you for telling me.”
Wayne returned the smile warmly, “Of course. Thank you for coming to me. For letting me ask. I love you, Eddie.”
“I love you, too,” Eddie gave his uncle a final squeeze before heading back upstairs. He had a lot to think about. His uncle just laid a bombshell in his lap, but for some reason, the ticking of the timer was comforting. It felt like the good sort of explosion. The kind that makes way for something new to be built.
Wayne seemed to think there was really something between Eddie and Steve, so Eddie was not crazy. There was a chance. But like hell he was going to try anything first. He wanted to wait things out. See what happened. He wasn’t running, but he couldn’t quite make himself move forward.
At least not in the real world.
*****
Bloody, bruised, very nearly broken, the party staggers into the local inn, drawing the wary attention of many patrons just trying to have an evening meal. Yevelda orders ale all around, and Damien downs his in a single chug. Richard nurses his for just a bit longer, but even he is trying to drown out the horrible day they all had. Almost getting eaten by a pack of undead gnoll will do that to a party.
Yevelda tosses the group several keys and drags herself upstairs alone to sleep off her injuries. One by one, everyone trickles upstairs. Richard eventually slings one of Damien’s arms around his shoulders and helps carry him up the stairs to the room they are to share. Damien grumbles the whole way, and a recently healed cut along his side starts oozing as he jostles his way up the stairs with Richard.
The pair make it to their room and collapse onto their respective beds. Damien groans as he sits up to peel off his shirt and inspect the damage to his side. A gnoll claw had cleaved straight to his ribs, but fortunately Yevelda stopped hacking at a zombie long enough to use a bit of her magic on it. Damien almost jumped when he felt Richard’s hands over his side, feeling over the wound. The slight flinch still made him suck in a pained gasp through his teeth. Richard looked apologetic.
“Here, you need this,” he said, as his palm glows brilliant white over the red wound. The corners knit together more firmly, the bleeding ceases. Damien actually feels a bit better, less like he would drop unconscious when the slightest wind blew. He watches Richard’s face as he works on the wound. Richard pullsaway once the healing is done, but not too far.
“You should have used that on yourself, Dick. You look like shit,” Damien quips. Genuine concern betrays him on the edges of his voice.
“Thanks, Damien,” Richard replies sarcastically. He is too tired for the tone to land. He got beaten heavily as well, though he did manage to weather it better than Damien did. “But you almost died. You definitely were the one who needed it. Can’t have you dying on me.”
Damien does not miss the way Richard forgets to append the “dying on us” to his statement.
“What would you have done if I had died? If I die in the future?”
“You won’t.”
“But if I do.”
“I said you won’t.”
“Rich-”
“No, you won’t. I know what we do is dangerous, but I’m here to look out for you. We weather this together. I may not always be as perfect as you are, but I hold my own. And you look out for me, too. That’s how this works.”
“How what works?”
“Caring about each other,” the words fall from Richard’s lips without him thinking. Damien feels his heart flutter, his cheeks grow warm. Richard looks away.
“As mucha s it pains me to say this, I do care about you, Dick. Against all odds, I like you,” Damien says with a wry smile. Richard beams back at him.
“I told you I wouldn’t stop believing in you. I knew you cared.”
Damien swallows his uncharacteristic nerves, “I said I did more than care. I like you. I might just love you, Richard.”
Richard stares back with a slightly stunned expression. Damien tries to avoid having his stomach hit the floor. Finally, Richard speaks.
“If I didn’t think moving any more would break every bone in my body, I’d kiss you right now.”
Damien huffs a laugh, part amused, part relieved, part elated. Richard laughs as well, though he coughs and clutches at his side painfully. Damien’s brow creases with worry, but Richard waves off his concern.
“I’ll be right as rain in the morning.”
“Would the kiss still be available then?” Damien lets all his hope color the tone of his voice.
“Of course. We’ll rehearse in our dreams.”
*****
“Fucking finally!” Robin cheered. Several other club members joined in her celebration while Steve and Eddie blushed uncontrollably. The DM gave them a little golf clap before shooing everyone out of the club room as usual. Robin walked out with Eddie and Steve.
“‘We’ll rehearse in our dreams,’ god, Steve, you’re such a sap. What a line.”
Steve flushed anew and ducked his head a bit, “Hey, it seemed like the right thing to say.”
“I’ll say,” Eddie chimed. Steve looked over sharply at Eddie, and Eddie nearly choked on the intensity. He coughed and looked down at his watch.
“Geez, we went an hour over. That combat took forever.”
Robin looked at her watch, “Shit, you’re right. I have to run over to the band hall. I’m sure Vickie has been waiting forever. See you two Saturday at the Wheelers’?”
“Yeah, see you then,” Steve waved Robin off before turning toward Eddie’s van in their usual routine. The sun had set by this point, most people gone, and a comfortably-oppressive sort of quiet settled over their surroundings.
“That was a great session,” Steve remarked. Eddie nodded.
“Yeah, I really did think Damien was a goner. I didn’t even know Robin knew Cure Wounds.”
“Me, neither,” Steve laughed. “She’s always up there doing the damage.”
“Yeah, but hey, not complaining today.”
“Damien dying would have sucked. I don’t actually know what Richard would have done. We’ve been building up to this big romantic thing, you know? It would have been so tragic.”
Eddie hummed. They fell into silence. They stayed silent as they climbed into the van and began the drive back to their shared home.
“That was a great line,” Eddie heard himself say. He wanted to slap himself, but he played it cool.
Steve glanced over at him before staring pointedly out the window, “I’d been trying to think of the right thing to say for a while. It’s really hard, it turns out. But in that moment, it came to me. I guess sometimes you just have to feel it and go with it, huh?”
Eddie swallowed, “Sure. Yeah. True.”
It was a fight to stay looking at the road. Eddie willed the distance between them and the house to close faster than possible. The minutes stretched on, and blessedly, the lone porch lights of the Munson house appeared in front of them. When Eddie pulled into the driveway, Steve hopped out quickly. Eddie took a stabling breath before he opened his door. He turned to close and lock it, but when he turned back around, Steve was right there in his space. Steve crowded him against the van door.
“I don’t- I don’t know how to say it, Eddie. I’ve been thinking about the right thing to say outside of game, too. These last few weeks… they’ve been great. I really like spending time with you. And… I like you. I really do. Like a crazy amount. And I don’t know how to do this with a guy, so this is it. Me telling you I like you. Is that… is that okay?”
Steve suddenly looked so much more self-conscious. He shrunk back a little, gave Eddie enough space to get around him if Eddie wanted. Eddie just… stared, as he struggled to form words. Finally he managed.
“Yeah. That’s fine. More than fine. Great. Yep. It is totally fine that you, Steve Harrington, like me, Eddie Munson. Samesies.”
“Same-sies? Really, Eddie?”
“What do you want from me, Steve? You’re the one with experience in this area. You’ve done this before.”
Steve got a soft look on his face. A smile so small it seemed meant for just Eddie and no one else in the world crossed his face.
“Eddie, you- you don’t know how special you are. I definitely have never done this before. The Munson experience is one hundred percent unique.”
“Huh,” was all Eddie managed as Steve crowded in closer again. Eddie leaned against the van, and Steve reached past Eddie’s vest and jacket to rest his hands on Eddie’s sides, right over his ribs, but above his shirt. Almost like he was trying to heal a wound there.
“Is it cool if I, uh, kiss you?” Steve’s stutter betrayed his nerves. Eddie laughed, more of a breathy gasp.
“Totally, man,” he managed before Steve swooped in.
Kissing Steve Harrington was indeed comforting. Comforting like ice cream after a bad day. Like the metal musicians that always seemed to understand what Eddie was feeling. Kissing Steve was also just this side of gross, but Eddie didn’t mind. What’s a little spit between friends. Boyfriends? Eddie really was losing his mind.
Steve pulled away after what felt like a long time. Eddie sighed as their lips disconnected, and Steve pulled Eddie into a deep hug. A bubbly mirth filled Eddie’s lungs, and he chuckled. Steve joined in. They laughed and kissed again and laughed and eventually walked into their house hand in hand. Steve froze slightly when they saw Wayne in the den.
“It’s fine, Steve. Wayne knows I’m… I’m gay. It’s all good.”
Wayne turned to them and beamed at Eddie. Steve awkwardly waved his free hand, and Wayne gave him a kind smile as well. He stood and walked over to them.
“Well, I’m happy to see you two got your heads on straight. I left dinner in the oven for you. Why don’t you go fix you both some plates, Eddie. I just want to say something really quick to Steve here.”
Eddie hesitantly dropped Steve’s hand and went to the kitchen. Steve came in before Eddie even got the plates out. His face was the reddest Eddie had ever seen it, but Steve refused to say more. They ate their dinner with their hands linked over the table. Steve liked to trace idle-minded patterns with his thumb, and Eddie was quickly becoming addicted to the sensation. Every now and then, they would meet each other’s eyes and just grin at each other, bubbles of laughter escaping.
After eating, they went upstairs to Eddie’s room. They sat together and talked for just a few minutes before falling back onto the bedding and resuming their kiss from earlier. That’s what it felt like to Eddie. Like kissing Steve was only ever on pause. Living between one connection of lips to the next.
Eddie had his fingers dug deep into Steve’s hair, just like he’d fantasized. Steve tugged on Eddie’s strands, but his hands wandered further. They traced down Eddie’s arms, free of his layers. Steve’s hands found their way to the hem of Eddie’s shirt, and Eddie gasped when he felt cold fingers barely ghost over his skin. He pulled away reluctantly and moved to get off the bed.
“Let me just… close the door…” he said breathlessly. Steve caught his wrist. Steve’s face was beet red again.
“Um, we can’t, uh, right now. That’s actually what your uncle mentioned. Well he said he was happy for us and that he liked me, but um… he also said no doors closed until he, uh, had proof, proof that we uh…” Steve struggled. “Proof we had proper protective measures should we-uh-”
“Okay, I get it, Steve,” Eddie clasped his hands to his face to hide his own blush. Steve pried those hands away and kissed the tip of Eddie’s nose. Eddie laughed at that.
“At least he… cares? Approves?” Steve tried.
“Steve, please stop,” Eddie shoved him lightly. Steve shoved back, and Eddie fell with it back onto the covers. Steve moved up next to him and laid down on his back. Steve grabbed one of Eddie’s hands and held it with both of his over Steve’s stomach. He played with Eddie’s fingers, just looking up at the popcorn ceiling. Eddie thought there would never be a better moment in his life than that moment.
“Robin’s gonna flip,” Steve said, and he quickly followed up, “If it’s okay to tell her?”
“Yeah, that’s fine,” Eddie replied. He knew she would be cool with them being together, of course, and she could be discreet when she really wanted to.
“And we have to tell Dustin. The kid will be heartbroken if he ever knows we kept this from him.”
“If we tell Dustin, we might as well tell everyone. The kid cannot keep a secret from the crew.”
“Yeah… What do you think about that?”
Eddie thought about it for a long minute, “I’m actually okay with that. They won’t spread it around. And they won’t care. But we probably can’t, you know-”
“Be open in public? Yeah. I don’t think Hawkins is ready for that scandal.”
Eddie looked over at Steve, “And are you okay with that? I’ve accepted that this place is never gonna give someone with the Munson name the benefit of the doubt, but you’re in a different spot.”
“I’ve been heading this way for a while, Eddie. I don’t need to be the popular kid anymore. I have the people I care about. The people that matter. And that’s enough.”
Eddie smiled. He took the initiative this time and leaned over to plant a short, sweet kiss on Steve’s lips. When he pulled away, Steve’s face took his breath away.
“I could get used to this, Munson. When I first met you, I never would have imagined us here. But I am sure glad we got here.”
“Me, too, Steve. Cheers to our new adventure.”
“Cheers.”
They sealed the new beginning with another kiss.
*****
Richard wakes Damien with a gentle kiss on the forehead. Damien smiles as he opens his eyes to the sight of Richard there in front of him. He pulls Richard down next to him and kisses him senseless, but Richard gives as good as he gets. Eventually they do have to rejoin the party downstairs, but Yevelda quickly notices their rumpled appearances. She offers up a cup and a toast.
“To the paladin and the sorcerer, finally getting their shit together.”