Archive of Our Own ^beta

As Steve was checking the expiration dates on the candy in the front of Family Video, he had a keen, wary eye on the little numbers counting down on the digital face of his watch. Almost time for lunch.  Time to see Eddie. 

Eddie had finagled a job working at the arcade that the kids loved so much - which was, quite conveniently, for their little affair, located in the same strip mall-ish square that the Family Video was located in. It also meant that Steve’s coveted employee discount was no longer enough to pull the most sway with the kids. Eddie’s job was officially cooler. 

Eddie was altogether cooler than Steve in the kids’ eyes, which, to be honest, he was both baffled by and understood completely. As someone who technically thought Eddie was so cool that he gave him head, Steve couldn’t deny the metalhead’s appeal. He just didn’t think metal, and, like, magical fantasy roleplay was actually all that cool in itself. 

12:43. Two more minutes until his lunch break, where he could sneak off to Palace Arcade for his lunch, a sad affair consisting of a limp peanut butter and jelly sandwich and apple. He could probably sneak out now. 

Steve glanced around. Robin wasn’t going to be on her break until half an hour after Steve. Keith was nowhere to be found in the front of the store. Steve dropped the expired Mike & Ikes back on the shelf, the jarring sound of the rattling candies awakening Robin from her fitful slumber, propped up against her fist behind the counter. He would have to remember to grab that box to chuck out after he returned from lunch. 

Robin had snorted and started, blearily rubbing her eyes in response to her rude wake up call. “Off to go see your loverboy?” She stretched a bit, getting the kinks out of her back. Keith should really take the stool for them to sit on out from behind the counter. It was way too easy to sleep in. Either that, or get them a more comfortable chair and embrace the naps. 

“Do not,” Steve said, but otherwise ignoring her as he scooped up his sack lunch and Diet Coke,  “call him that. We’re just hanging out. I can’t take my break in this store, it would make me crazy.” Last second, Steve stopped and grabbed a box of Sour Patch Kids that was expiring the next day. 

“Right,” Robin stretched out the ‘i’, expressing her disbelief. “You can’t stand to be here with this amazing, beautiful woman of a best friend that you have, for your meager forty-five minute lunch break. I see.”

“Ew,” Steve called over his shoulder as he pushed out into the chilly, damp, overcast weather beyond the door of Family Video. “Do not call yourself that, either.”

__

At Palace Arcade, Steve entered to little fanfare. The arcade was technically open, but it was a weekday, and hardly any kids were there. Eddie’s manager, some greasy, beer-bellied, middle aged guy, was nowhere to be seen, probably starting up the till in the back like he usually did. 

Steve walked in, the dim lighting a harsh contrast for his eyes to adjust to, as always. Steve wandered the maze of games for a minute, following the sound of one of the machines running. 

Eddie was standing at a machine. Obviously having used his key to turn it on and play a bit before his shift officially started. He hissed out a curse as he messed up. 

“Hey,” Steve mumbled, pulling one of the wooden stools by another game over, and taking a seat by Eddie, nearly behind him. Eddie cursed again, jumping, as Steve had startled him. 

“Jesus, Steve, give me a fucking heart attack, why don’t you,” Eddie said, turning to face the other. Steve laughed. “Coming right up, hoss.” He saluted.

Eddie grinned a bit and leaned in, looking around quickly before he placed his hand on Steve’s cheek, rubbing his thumb a little bit over the cheekbone. There was no one around, but obviously they didn’t want to be caught in the middle of something undeniable. 

“How’s work so far?” Eddie asked. “Same as always. I brought you something,” Steve said, shaking the box enticingly. “These mothers were about to go bad; I saved them the fate of going to waste.” Eddie pumped his fists excitedly. 

“Yes,” he hissed, “my beautiful sour children!” He tore into the box, already distracted by the promise of sugar. He popped a few candies in his mouth as Steve opened up and started on his sandwich. 

“What’s up with this game,” Steve asked with a mouthful of peanut butter. “Is there something wrong with it?” He gestured to the booth they were sitting in front of.

“What? Oh, no, not really. Dustin loves this game,” Eddie said casually. He started it up again. “I kinda want to beat it, just to stick it to the kid. Ego check.” Steve nodded his head. Ego checks for Dustin are always the right move.

“This looks like a kid’s movie more than a video game,” Steve observed, sipping his coke. The animations were all hand drawn and not pixels at all, like the other games. 

“Yeah, it’s animated like a movie,” Eddie said, pressing buttons with rapt attention and reflexes, “but trust me,” he grinned, “this isn’t really for kids.”

“Wow,” Steve said, exaggerating his tone, “I’m sure this is like, a super mature video game, deep themes, adult concepts.” Steve conspicuously eyed the doofy looking illustration of a dragon on the side of the machine. 

Eddie made a pshaw scoffing noise. “Not in that way, ignoramus. There’s a princess at the end who’s very… pleased when you rescue her.” Eddie waggled his eyebrows at Steve, who laughed at his ridiculous face. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“Just watch, Hair.”

Steve watched. The game really didn’t impress him beyond how nice the animation was. The sequences kept repeating themselves. It didn’t look like there was actually that much actual skill involved in the gameplay, just that it required really fast and tactful button pressing. But that was pretty unfair, seeing as that’s literally what video games are. Steve didn’t play many of them. 

Steve made his opinions known, fully aware that Eddie would be pissed off by them. He wound up being correct, as Eddie hissed curses at him for his distracting comments, and shushed him. “Ruining my focus with his bad opinions,” mumbled Eddie.

Steve found his eyes wandering around the arcade, distracted already. He observed how cave-like the dank atmosphere of the large room was. There was a a labyrinth of greasy looking arcade game consoles that led all the way to the back where they were sitting. A lot of the screens on the machines had sticky looking fingerprints, the room depressing in the morose light of the bad weather. 

Eddie made a quiet ‘aha!’, and directed the other back to the screen. Steve stood up and propped his arm on the top of the machine, to get a better look at the screen, sort of framing Eddie. The overcast sky made some glare on the screen. 

“Okay, so now we’re in the dragon’s lair -”

Steve laughed. “That’s the name of the game!”

“Yes,” Eddie said, a bit slowly, as if in disbelief over Steve’s obvious observation. “Well. This is the lair, and that’s the princess. You should appreciate her, seeing as you love boobies,” he nodded his head towards the screen, and a scantily clad pinup princess was on the screen. Steve laughed incredulously. “Well. I can’t deny her charm, I guess. I prefer real girls. And, uh. Others.” Eddie chuckled a bit at the ex-jock’s awkwardness, looking at him briefly. 

The animated character was talking in a breathy voice, squirming around in her prison. Steve rolled his eyes, shifting his stance and huffing, watching her dialogue. “This is so silly, Eddie. You’re lucky Robin isn’t here to see this, she would throw a shitfit about you encouraging Dustin to play this.” Steve changed his position, leaning against the side of the machine and facing Eddie fully now, crossing his arms. Eddie ignored him, focused on the game again. Steve started imitating the princess. 

“Oh, Eddie!” he simpered, pouting a bit and goofily collapsing against the side of the machine. Eddie broke his gaze away from the screen, and Steve continued, pleased. 

“What will I do without your help! I need you to save me, slay the dragon and release me,” Steve said, high pitched. He turned, his back flat against the side of the vinyl arcade shell, throwing an arm onto his forehead, as if coming down with the vapors, “my hero!” Steve met Eddie’s eyes again, fluttering his lashes. 

Eddie just kept staring at Steve, and then cursed loudly, flicking his stare back to the game screen. Game over. 

“Fuck, Steve!” Eddie said, looking incredibly frustrated. And distracted. And red. He wouldn’t meet Steve’s eye. 

Steve stopped for a second, shocked to see Eddie so flustered. It occurred to him - 

“Eddie,” Steve said, slowly, starting to smile a little bit. He leaned in closer, his voice low. Steve decided to tease even more, giddy at his newfound apparent power in their dynamics of seduction. He got into Eddie’s space, nothing too serious, but putting himself sort of in between Eddie and the screen. Steve lowered his lashes a little bit, and reached out, playing with one of the pins on the older man’s jacket, and looked up coquettishly. 

“Eddie,” Steve started again, “does me being a damsel in distress get you hot?”

“No!” Eddie said, way too quickly to not be a lie. Steve started grinning, this time even smugger. 

“Eddie!” Steve said, laughing. “Eddie, this is amazing - it makes so much sense. You love that whole, knights and orcs and fantasy thing, of course you would like this.” Steve was like a pig in shit with it. 

Eddie was keeping his eyes off of Steve, looking anywhere but his eyes, a scowl on his face, red all over. “No,” he started, “I do not have a thing for that. I have like, very cool and hardcore,” Eddie flicked his eyes around a few times, continuing at a lower volume, “sexual hangups.” His scowl was twisting into a little bit of a smile. He flicked his eyes up to Steve who was still casually leaning back against the front of the machine, blocking Eddie’s view. 

“Oh yeah? Like what? You like, like, handcuffs and spit? Name calling? Cool guy stuff?” Steve asked, equally low, making Eddie smirk. “Yes,” the metalhead replied, happy that Steve was on the right page.

“Oh, I see! So, for example,” Steve said, getting up and standing behind Eddie, who promptly started the game again, trying to act unaffected. Steve ducked his head right beside Eddie’s, and said into his ear, “me saying, ‘Eddie the brave, please, protect me from the invading orc armies! They have defeated my father, the reigning lord,’” Eddie stiffened up, his spine straight, and he almost missed a cue on the game at Steve’s breathy line. “‘You’re the only one who can stop them from ravaging me, and if you do,’” Steve switched sides, finishing in Eddie’s other ear, “‘you can ravage me, take me on the throne.’” Steve sighed, leaning his chin on Eddie’s shoulder, sliding his hand into Eddie’s denim vest pocket. Eddie got a game over. 

“So that,” Steve said, walking to lean against the machine again, pleased as punch at Eddie’s cranky, horny face, “would not affect you?”

“It,” Eddie said, mad as all hell that Steve had  figured this out, somehow, “would not.”

Steve started giggling, reaching over and taking a bite out of his apple, leaning back again casually. This was awesome, shoe on the other foot, so to speak. Eddie was the one always flustering him, getting him all hot and bothered with the brand new realm of gay sex. He was constantly teasing Steve with introducing him to, as he said, cool guy sexual experiences, taunting him with the promise of handcuffs, calling him petnames, and so on. 

“Munson!” was called out from the other side of the room, Eddie’s shitty manager startling them. Eddie rolled his eyes and turned to Mr. Wagner, giving him a smile and nod, “I’m making the rounds already, Mr. Wagner, no worries! Just sitting down for a second, my shift hasn’t started yet.” Eddie leaned over and grabbed the Windex and rag he was supposed to be cleaning the machines with, waggling them at Wagner. He just gave the young man a dirty look, and grunted, closing the push door into his office as he went back into the small room. Eddie made a mocking grunt back, and then oinked like a pig, rolling his eyes. Steve tittered. 

“Okay, well, I guess that’s my cue.” Steve pushed off from the machine, gathering his lunch garbage up to throw away. “I’ll see you tonight, yeah?” Steve asked, giving a little smile to Eddie. Eddie grabbed his thumb, rubbing a few circles on Steve’s knuckle, his skin warm, their version of a goodbye kiss, so to speak. 

“Yeah, see you there, Hair. I’ll grab us a pizza.”

Steve nodded and turned to leave, tossing out a “Is there anything more, like, healthy you might wanna try? Think about it, man, we have pizza all the time.”

“Yeah and what’s wrong with that?!” Eddie called back, incredulous, as Steve laughingly left through the door. 

__

Steve pulled up to Eddie’s at nine that night, grabbing the six pack he had picked up from the corner store on the way to the trailer park. They never carded him there, happy to make a sale. So many places didn’t give a fuck about the federal drinking age change, they would still sell to teens, especially out here, nearer to the county line, rather than the city limits. He was twenty, for fuck’s sake. No ‘teen’ about it. 

He exited the car, also leaning over and grabbing the tape that he had rented for the evening. Eddie had made a list of movies that they should watch, because he knew Steve had seen none of them. There was a list on a piece of ripped out composition book paper, written in blue pen. They had marked out a lot of them, but there was still plenty to go. Steve had scanned it, and was very pleased to see that the night's title was still unwatched, and better yet, available for the evening. He grinned evilly to himself as he walked up to the door of Eddie’s trailer, knocking perkily.  

Eddie opened the door, blinking back at him and smiling, obviously just finished with his first round of smoking for the evening. He was still wearing jeans, but he had socks and a tee on, as well as a sloppy ponytail. Steve smiled back at him, pushing back the urge to jump up and kiss the guy, and tug on his hair. 

“Welcome home, dahling,” Eddie said in a thirties mid-Atlantic accent. Steve rushed in, dropping his six pack on the counter, kicking the door shut behind him, grabbing Eddie’s face and giving him a nice deep kiss. Eddie laughed into it, and breathed deep, the exhale from his nose brushing Steve’s face. 

They parted, and Steve sighed, running a hand  through his own hair. Eddie giggled, and ran his own hand through Steve’s hair. He looked over to the couch, excited to sit and smoke and drink with Eddie for the evening. Maybe more. The couch looked inviting, as per usual, and Eddie had some random metal album playing low in the background. Steve could see the other’s white sneakers kicked off on the rug of the living room, sitting next to a tray with Eddie’s paraphernalia on it, and his Warlock beside that. The whole trailer had a warm glow to it, the soft yellow of mismatched lamps far more inviting than the cold overheads that Steve’s dad had paid so much money for. 

“Hello, dear,” Steve said, finally finishing the little skit Eddie had greeted him with. He spotted a pizza on the counter, and touched the box, still plenty warm. Thank god. He opened it up, surprised to see green peppers on the pie. 

“See?” Eddie said, tidying up for the movie and grabbing them a couple of beers, “healthy.”

Steve laughed. “Hardly,” he said, grabbing the box and dropping it on the coffee table in front of the tired couch. 

“Okay, well, I’ll just eat it all then,” Eddie said, both of them fully aware that he could and would eat a whole pizza. Steve just rolled his eyes. “What’s the selection tonight, movie boy?” Eddie asked. 

Steve smirked at him, and pushed the tape against Eddie’s chest, the plastic making a smack sound. Eddie looked down and grabbed it from the other’s hand, and read the title on the plain case. 

Eddie groaned. “Give it up, Harrington! I do not have a fantasy boner.”

“You so do,” Steve smiled, “now shut up and play me Lord of The Rings.”

“It’s not even that good!” Eddie groused as he nevertheless inserted the tape into the player. “The animation is creepy, hardly Bakshi’s best work. I just put it on there for the novelty of it, and to try and get you to understand the plot of the books. Fuck.”

They started watching.

–

After packing Eddie’s one-hitter a couple of times, he and Steve were happily eating pizza, mellowed out on food, beer, and weed. They were hardly watching the movie at an hour in, not really interested anymore. It was really boring, even to Eddie at a certain point. They were discussing the day, what happened at work, what was up with the kids. 

“I really don’t have a thing for medieval/fantasy dirty talk, Steve,” Eddie said out of nowhere during a lull, looking a bit shell shocked at himself for saying it. “You just threw me off my game.” Obvious lie. 

Steve smiled, not smugly, but sweetly this time. “Eds,” he started, leaning into the other’s space, curling some of Eddie’s long hair around his finger, draping his arm around Eddie’s shoulder, and hitching a leg up for a more comfortable seat on the couch. “You really do, it’s okay.”

“I don’t!” 

“You do, brave rogue,” Steve said, smirking at Eddie flushing. “That’s okay. It’s like. Not that weird. There’s gotta be a reason there’s hot chicks all over this stuff anyway. Like, other guys find it hot as well. It makes sense that you would get so bothered after all this time of not really having any sexy princes, instead of princesses.”

“Well,” Eddie said, mumbling, looking at Steve finally, their faces very close. “I guess you might be a little bit right. I never really cared about that. But, uh, there was never a hot guy, to like, save. Uh.”

“I’m a lot right,” Steve said, pecking Eddie on the lips. “I can be your elvish maiden, willing to repay you with sex for saving her from a dark warlock,” Eddie sucked in a breath, his eyes wide. “But, like,” Steve said into his mouth, finally climbing into Eddie’s lap, “a guy version.” 

“Where did you learn those words,” Eddie said, in a reverent voice. 

“Dustin gave me a book once, about your game,” Steve said, sultry. He was slowly rolling his hips now, luxuriating in the feeling of being the one holding all the sexy chips. “He, for some reason, really thought he could get me into it. I’m glad he gave it to me, it’s like a goldmine for roleplay. I looked at it before I came over tonight.”

Eddie was looking up at him with wide eyes. His expression looked blown away to have Steve in his lap, his hands preciously gripping Steve’s lithe hips. “Of course it is,” he said, almost distractedly, “the whole point of the game is roleplay.” 

Steve rolled his eyes, and started undoing Eddie’s belt, causing a yelping puppy sound from Eddie. “Hush, my knight,” Steve said, feeling a little goofy, but plenty happy to endure it in order to make Eddie make sounds like that. Eddie gripped him a little harder. 

“I must repay you for your brave heart. You can have me, take all of me. My betrothed was slain in the battle,” Steve started murmuring into Eddie’s ear, breathy like before, but not whiny and silly like Princess Daphne, more low and sexual. “I never loved him, anyways. I knew he could not love me, not like you can now. You’re much more worthy of my heart, my body, you have defeated the armies that have overrun my kingdom, and are now entitled,” Steve pulled back and kissed Eddie deeply, and pulled back, “to all therein. Everything, including my bed.”

Eddie stood up abruptly, taking Steve with him. He had his hands gripped under Steve’s legs, hitching them around his waist, Steve’s head bopping up along with the movement. Steve made the yelp, this time. Eddie placed him on his feet, meeting his eyes, and said, “Gladly, my prince,” and bent down, grabbing Steve around his middle, tossing him like a sack of potatoes over his shoulder. This made Steve belt out a laugh, unable to contain it, the scenario too goofy. 

Eddie started walking to his room, and swatted Steve on the ass, making the other gasp and promptly stop laughing. “I will tolerate no such insolence from my conquests,” Eddie growled, “in my new reign.” 

Steve blushed a bit. He might have underestimated how much this would affect him. 

__

So, that was their new thing. It was silly, doing knights and orcs and elves in bed, but Steve found that he actually was equally turned on by it. 

This dynamic change also brought a change in terms of Eddie’s DM sessions. Steve had started staying for them a while ago, wanting to take the time to visit with the kids when he wasn’t at work, but now, he was nearly involved. Because of his research, he was actually starting to understand the games, and he would sit by Eddie, watching the story unfold at the table. 

“Mike,” Steve said, a few weeks later, and the table turned to look at him. “You really should roll a perception check at this point, man.” Mike looked at him like he had grown two heads. Hydra, his brain whispered treacherously at him, like a hydra. 

“What’s it to you, Harrington?” the kid asked, defensive.

Steve raised his hands in defeat, giving up trying to interject. The game continued, and later on, as Eddie turned and grinned at Steve, he revealed a twist in the plot that would have no doubt been caught by Steve’s suggestion. Steve sent a stifled smile back. Dustin eyed them suspiciously. 

“Why’s Steve understanding the game these days, Munson?”

“That’s Dungeon Master Supreme to you, Henderson, and Steve is allowed to get into D&D if he wants to, twerp.”

Dustin just narrowed his eyes more. 

After the game, the kids were all packed up in the car, ready to go. Steve watched as Eddie finished putting everything away, and plopped into his throne at the head of the table. Steve approached, perching on the other’s lap. Eddie looked up at him, hooking his arms around Steve’s waist as the former prom king draped himself on the chair. 

“Let’s head out, get those kids home. I got some ideas from today, anyway,” Steve said. Eddie grinned at him, like a fox. Steve kissed him chastely, and said “I would give you some right here, but I’m worried about giving you a pavlovian response to sitting in this chair,” and then promptly got up heading towards the door. Steve looked back, and Eddie just stared at him, his mouth dropped open a bit, and hands white knuckling the arms of the chair. 

“Come, my liege,” Steve beckoned. 

Eddie jumped up, trailing after Steve to the door.