Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"You should dump him," Eddie said before taking a drag from the joint between his fingers. 

"You always say that," Chrissy whined with a little pout. She took the joint from him and took her own drag. 

"And I will keep saying it until you dump him and move on with life. We both know you can do so much better." 

Chrissy rolled her eyes. "Yeah? Like who? You?" 

Eddie laughed, partially from the weed and partially from the ridiculousness of that last statement. "You're not my type, babe." 

"I know, babe." She smiled. "What's with the new nickname? I kinda really like it." 

"I don't know. I'm high." He plucked the joint from her fingers and inhaled. He blew a smoke ring up at the ceiling. "You want anything to eat? I saw you didn't eat lunch." 

She gave him a look. "It's not what you think. I was helping a friend with her project and didn't have time to eat." 

"So if I make popcorn, you'll eat some? Or maybe if I happened to have cupcakes, you'll have one of those?" 

"Popcorn sounds great. Thank you." He handed the joint to her and got up. Grabbed a bag of microwave popcorn. Put it in the microwave. Took it out when it was finished and put it in a bowl. Sat back down next to Chrissy, who was slumped on the couch and frowning at the ceiling. 

"Jason's just… He's so different now. In freshman year, he was a sweetheart. Now he's…" 

"A massive dickwad?" Eddie supplied. 

"I was gonna say self-centered, but that works too." She sighed. "I love him, but… I feel like I can't tell him anything. I don't talk to him about half the stuff I tell you." 

"I get that. I don't tell any of my other friends stuff I tell you. There's only three people in this world that I've told I'm gay, and you're one of them." 

Chrissy's perfectly plucked eyebrows drew together. "The other two are… Wayne and… who else?" 

"Gareth from my band. He walked in on me with a guy, unfortunately for him. He knows to knock now, at least." 

Chrissy snorted. "Right." She put the joint out, then hugged him. "I'm glad we're close enough that you told me. I'm glad you trust me." 

"Well, you know, helping someone battle an eating disorder really strengthens bonds." 

She rolled her eyes. "Our friendship is more than that." 

"I know. But I also know you haven't eaten any of the popcorn I made. Offending the chef, really." 

She giggled and grabbed a handful of popcorn, shoving it in her mouth. "Happy?" she says, muffled by the mouthful of popcorn. 

He slung an arm around her shoulders. "Very." 

~

"I'm gonna do it," Chrissy said, standing confidently and staring across the gym at Jason, who was talking to his friends. She didn't move an inch. 

Eddie stood from where he was sitting on the bleachers. "Go do it, then." 

"It's coming. Just wait a minute." 

"Right." Eddie picked up her cheerleader pom poms from her duffel bag. He waved them around. "D-U-M-P H-I-M! What does that spell? Dump him!" 

Chrissy giggled. "I'm going to!" She exhaled steadily, squaring her shoulders with resolve. "Here we go." 

"Best of luck to you, babe." 

"Thanks, babe." She walked towards Jason with purpose. Eddie watched, feeling proud. 

Don't get him wrong; he'd never purposefully scheme to get his friend out of a relationship they were happy in. Chrissy and Jason were an exception. Chrissy was not happy with Jason, and Jason did not treat her nearly as well as he should. They'd be much better off without each other. 

Eddie sat back down on the bleachers, kicking his feet up on the row in front of him. He took out his songwriting journal and busied himself to make it seem like he hadn't been hanging around Chrissy. Their friendship was kept on the down-low, due to the nature of high school cliques. Chrissy didn't need to be dragged down with him in the dark pit of high school bullying. He could take it. She couldn't. 

~

Eddie met Chrissy by his van in the school parking lot. She stopped next to him, leaning against the side of the van. "He dumped me first." 

"What? Why?" 

Chrissy was silent for a moment, hugging herself. "Because of you." 

Eddie frowned. "What?" 

"He said he didn't want to date a girl who was friends with… I shouldn't say it." 

"Say it," Eddie demanded, a little more forcefully than he probably should have. 

"Freaky queer trailer trash." 

"Asshole," he muttered. "Him, not you. As long as you don't mind being friends with freaky queer trailer trash."

She gave him a look. "Eddie, I helped you quit your crack addiction. If that doesn't prove my friendship, I don't know what does. Because I had to deal with your withdrawal symptoms and that wasn't fun." 

"Right." He hugged her. "Well, congrats on your breakup and thank you for everything you've done for me." 

She snorted. "Thanks. And you're welcome, I'd do it all again in a heartbeat." 

"What do you say we rent some terrible movies and get a pizza?" 

"Only if it's at your place, I can't stand to be around my mom right now." 

"Anything you want, Chris." They got into the van, and Eddie started it up. "To Family Video!" 

~

Steve flashed a grin at the girl, the same grin that used to be the final touch to scoring dates. "So? What do you say?" 

She smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, Steve, but no. I have plans." She waved and walked out the door quickly. 

Robin sighed. "Another strike out. Your record's really taking hits." 

Steve groaned. "I know. It's getting bad, man." 

Robin chuckled. "Maybe it's time you start playing for the other team." 

Steve laughed. "Yeah, right."

The bell on the door jingled, and two people walked in. One was a man Steve vaguely recognized from school, but couldn't put a name to. He had long hair and was wearing a denim jacket that was covered in band patches. He was with a small woman who was wearing a white sundress, her hair pulled up into a ponytail with a blue scrunchie. 

The man rested his arms on the counter as Steve recited his greeting, "Welcome to Family Video, how can I help you?" 

The man grinned. "We'd like to see your finest rom-coms, my good sir." 

The woman giggled at the posh voice the man used. "Sure thing," Steve said. He came out from behind the counter and led them to the romantic comedy section. "Here you are. Let me know if you need anything else." 

Steve returned to the counter, not intentionally eavesdropping on the customers but overhearing due to the man's loud voice. 

"Whatever you want, babe, it's on me," he said.

"It is most certainly not on you, Eddie. I won't let you waste what little money you have on stupid movies to cheer me up." 

Eddie grinned mischievously. "Who said I was gonna pay for it?" 

The woman smacked his chest. "Eddie!"

"Fine, I won't steal anything." 

Eventually, the pair returned to the counter with three movies: Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles , and Fright Night . Steve rang them up. "Let me guess, Fright Night is your choice?" he asked, giving a pointed look at Eddie. 

"Maybe," Eddie said with a smile. 

"Right. Can I get a name for the system?" 

"Chrissy Cunningham," the woman said. 

Steve typed it in, along with the movies they were renting. "You can return those anytime within the next seven days. There's a late fee for every day after that. Enjoy the movies." 

"Thanks, Harrington," Eddie said, turning to leave. 

"Wait," Steve said, stopping them both. How did Eddie know his name? Wait… Dustin. "Are you Eddie Munson?" 

Eddie turned back and leaned on the counter again. "Indeed I am. Can't say I'm surprised you didn't recognize me. You really should, given how often you drop Dustin off at Hellfire." 

Steve felt heat rush to his cheeks. "Sorry, man, I just… I guess I never paid that much attention to it." He rubbed his neck. "Well, uh… I guess I'll see around." 

"See you around, man." He flicked his head, and the motion pushed the hair out of his face. Steve was so distracted by the movement that he barely registered the pair leaving. 

Robin gave him a look. "You realize he just stole a bag of an M&Ms and a Sugar Daddy while you were distracted by his good looks?" 

"I was not distracted! And you could have said something about him stealing!" 

"It was more fun watching you. Are you sure you don't want to play for the other team?" 

"It doesn't matter, 'cause he has a girlfriend. You just saw them together. And I don't like guys!" 

Robin raised her hands in surrender. "Fine. All fair points." 

They dropped the topic after that, but Steve couldn't get Eddie Munson and his girlfriend out of his head for the rest of his shift. Dustin had never mentioned a girlfriend. Especially not a popular type like Chrissy Cunningham. Steve found himself looking forward to when they returned the movies. 

~

Eddie and Chrissy were practically cuddled on the couch in the trailer, watching their first movie and eating pizza. Half pineapple for Eddie, half mushroom for Chrissy. Wayne was eating a slice of mushroom as he got ready for work. 

"I'll be back a little after breakfast. Chrissy, you're welcome to stay as long as you like. Just make sure your mother knows so I don't get another angry phone call about you being kidnapped by my nephew." Wayne gathered the rest of his things and nodded at them both. "Enjoy your movies." 

"We will. Thank you for letting me stay, Mr. Munson," Chrissy said with a polite smile. 

"Yes, thank you, Wayne. See you tomorrow!" Eddie said.

Wayne left, and the two of them were alone. 

"I can't believe Steve didn't recognize me. I mean, I can believe it 'cause he's always been kind of self-centered, but Dustin made it seem like he'd changed." 

Chrissy shrugged. "Maybe he has, but he has other things going on?" She smiled. "Maybe you two should be friends. For Dustin." 

Eddie laughed. "Yeah, right. King Steve and Eddie the Freak. Destined to be best friends, clearly." 

"Hey, you and I are friends. You never know what could happen. Besides, Dustin would love it if you two were at least friendly with each other and not total strangers." 

Eddie smirked. "When did you become Dustin's friend?" 

"I didn't, because you refuse to introduce me to him! Or any of your other friends, for that matter. I think it's about time we got some mutual friends, and maybe Steve is a good option for that." 

"All right, all right. When we return the movies, I'll broach the subject with him. Happy?" 

Chrissy smiled and leaned against him. "Very."

Chapter Text

Eddie was leaning on the counter of Family Video, pressed shoulder to shoulder with Chrissy, who was copying his pose. His black-painted fingers were tapping against the edge of the counter. Steve was behind it, restocking candy. Robin was helping a customer. 

Eddie was in the midst of explaining an idea for a song he was writing. Chrissy kept chiming in with positive feedback, and Steve just listened intently. He wasn't too keen on music, particularly not Eddie's genres. 

Eddie and Chrissy had been coming to the store pretty often since their first visit, as Eddie and Steve developed some kind of friendship. Eddie definitely lived up to the hype Dustin had created for him, if not exceeded it. Steve found himself excited to see Eddie everytime he walked in. A small pang of disappointment always followed this excitement, when Chrissy inevitably walked in with Eddie. Steve wasn't sure why he felt that way, and he didn't care to examine it too much. 

Robin eventually finished with the customer and joined the group. "What's up, guys?" 

"Same old, same old," Eddie said. "Henderson actually sent me along with an invitation. He wants us all to bond, so he's having a stupid little game night in the Wheelers' basement. No D&D, just Monopoly and Clue and stuff like that." 

"Am I invited?" Chrissy asked, turning toward Eddie. 

Eddie turned his head towards her, putting their faces only an inch or two apart. "Do you want to be?" 

Chrissy smiled. "Yes! I've been dying to meet this kid." Steve half expected them to kiss right then and there, but they didn't. 

"I'm in. When?" Steve asked. 

"Friday night. You're in charge of pizza, we'll handle snacks and sodas." Eddie grinned and looked at Robin. "What about you, Buckley?" 

She shrugged. "Sure. Which of the kids are going to be there?" 

"Henderson, Wheeler, Byers and Jane. Sinclair has a date with Max. Nancy will be out with Jonathan." Eddie's grin turned mischievous. "And maybe afterwards, the 'adults' can come to my place for a good high?" 

Steve and Robin smiled at each other. "Sounds great," they chorused. 

Eddie chuckled, sounding slightly evil, and pushed himself off the counter. "See you Friday, then. I'll have my best stuff ready." He began to walk away. 

"Munson," Steve said firmly. "Put the candy back." 

Eddie turned, smiling without even a hint of guilt, and took the M&Ms out of his pocket. He put them in Steve's outstretched hand, lingering a little longer than necessary. "Fine, Harrington. Not letting me get away with it this time, I see. I'll have to be sneakier." 

"Or you could just stop trying to steal," Chrissy pointed out. Steve nodded. 

"Where's the fun in that?" Eddie hooked his arm around Chrissy's shoulders. "Now, I believe you have cheer practice to get to, babe." 

"I do. See you both on Friday!" Chrissy waved cheerfully, and the two of them left the store. 

Steve couldn't wait for Friday.

~

Steve and Robin were the last ones there, having had to close up for Family Video. In the basement, people were spread out around the sofa and chairs and floor. Eddie had his arm around Chrissy on the couch. Mike and Jane sat close together on the floor. Will sat in one of the chairs. Dustin was setting up Clue. 

"Hey, losers," was Steve's greeting to everyone. "We brought pizza." 

"You can put it on the table over there," Mike said, gesturing to a table in the corner with some soda and chips on it. Steve put the boxes of pizza down, then took the free chair next to Eddie and Chrissy. 

"We're gonna play Clue first, but a couple people have to pair up since there are eight of us and only six characters," Dustin said. "And I call Colonel Mustard." 

"Jane and I will be Mrs. White," Mike said. 

"Eddie and I will be Miss Scarlet," Chrissy said. 

Eddie grinned. "Nice choice, Miss Scarlet's badass." 

Robin chose Mrs. Peacock, Will chose Professor Plum, and Steve ended up with Mr. Green. Dustin dealt the cards, and the game commenced. 

Throughout the game, Jane and Mike exchanged whispered conversations and Will kept glancing at them sadly. Steve couldn't help but relate; he felt similarly about the giggly whispers Eddie and Chrissy were exchanging. 

Robin moved her piece to the center. "I have a guess. It was Miss Scarlet, in the Conservatory, with the candlestick!" 

They all held their breath as Robin checked the center cards to confirm her guess. She pumped her fist and put the cards down. "I was right!"

Eddie tossed his arm over his face dramatically, leaning into Chrissy. "Our secret's been revealed! We're the killers!" Chrissy giggled. 

Steve felt an odd pang in his chest. Was it… jealousy? Maybe he was jealous of Eddie and Chrissy's relationship. After all, he'd never been in a healthy, truly loving relationship. It must be that he just envied their love. Maybe Will envied Mike and Jane's love too. 

~

Eddie was lying on the couch alone. They'd been playing Monopoly for a while, and Eddie and Will had gone bankrupt. So now they sat on the other side of the basement, taking a break. Eddie was having a lot of fun with the group, but he did need a minute to recharge his social battery. Plus, it would be good for Chrissy to bond with the others without him there. 

Steve moved his piece and groaned. "How much do I owe you, Chris?" 

She smiled and checked her property card. "800 dollars, please." Steve forked over the money. 

Mike went next, landing on one of the railroads, which were all owned by Jane. "Aw, man. Can I have a discount? A special boyfriend discount?" 

Jane smiled. "Sure. 100 instead of 200." 

Mike grinned and kissed her on the cheek. Ah, young love. 

Will sighed. Eddie glanced over at him. "What's up?" 

He shrugged. "I don't know. It's… It's nothing." 

"Ah, come on, it's something. You can trust me." 

"I just… I feel like ever since Mike started dating Jane, he's been hanging out with me way less. And that's really selfish of me, but… I feel left out." He shrugged again and started picking at a loose thread on his pants. 

"That's normal. Jealousy is just a part of life. Nothing to feel too bad about." 

"Yeah, I guess I am kind of jealous…" 

Eddie glanced over at the group, completely engrossed in the game. "You like Jane?" 

Will blushed a little. "No. I mean, I like her as a friend. But not like that." 

"You like Mike?" Eddie asked quietly. Will looked over at him, wide-eyed. Eddie smiled reassuringly. "It's okay. I get it." He tried to convey his meaning through that as much as he could. Will seemed to get it, because he relaxed and nodded. Eddie turned his attention back to the game as Steve groaned loudly. 

"Oh, come on!" 

Dustin cackled maniacally. "Boardwalk with a hotel is 2000 dollars! Pay up, Harrington." 

Steve glared at him and handed over the money. Eddie smiled softly. Steve was so cute with his angry little pout. 

Will looked over at him. "You like Steve?" 

Eddie whipped his head towards the younger boy. He was incredibly perceptive. "Damn. They don't call you Will the Wise for nothing." Will smiled, clearly proud of himself. 

Truth be told, Eddie had grown to like Steve. He was intriguing. He had seemed like such a douche, but here he was playing games with a bunch of kids and actually being a cool guy. 

Eddie sighed. Of course he'd develop a crush on the most notoriously heterosexual guy in town. He sure knew how to pick 'em. 

~

Later, when the kids had all settled in their sleeping bags in the basement, the big kids left the Wheelers' house. Now, they were scattered around the living room in Eddie's trailer, all high off their asses. 

Steve was lying on the ground with Robin, both giggling about something. He couldn't remember what. Eddie was lying on the couch with his head in Chrissy's lap. She was playing with his hair while he talked about some D&D thing. 

"And I'm gonna bring Vecna back from the dead and really scare 'em good. But I think Will is catching onto it. That kid is creepily perceptive." 

"Yeah…" Chrissy said airily, like she wasn't really paying attention. 

Eddie frowned at her. "Are you even listening?" 

Chrissy smiled guiltily. "No. Sorry, babe." 

Eddie actually giggled. Steve had never heard a sound like that come out of another man. The worst part was, he really enjoyed hearing it. "Sorry for rambling." 

"I wish I could stop rambling," Robin said, staring at the ceiling. "I always talk way too much in front of people that I like and I end up digging myself into a hole that I can't escape and then I'm fucked over and I don't know what to do because my mouth is going faster than my brain and then Vickie wants nothing to do with me." 

They all paused, processing Robin's word-vomit. "Vickie from school?" Chrissy asked. "Why doesn't she want anything to do with you?" 

Robin's mouth opened as she remembered the present company. "Uh… I talk too much." 

"You really do," Steve agreed. He decided to change the subject before anyone asked more questions about Robin and Vickie. "I think we really need to get Henderson's ego in check. He was way too cocky about having hotels on Boardwalk and Park Place tonight." 

"I know. It's his tone, right?" Eddie mused, reaching up to flick some hair out of Chrissy's face. 

"It is. He always sounds so arrogant," Robin said.

"I thought he seemed all right," Chrissy said. 

"You've known him for like four hours, Chris," Eddie pointed out. He looked at the clock on the wall. "It's almost midnight. You guys can stay over, I won't make you drive high." 

"Thanks," the three of them chorused. 

An hour later, the four of them were piled on Eddie's bed. Chrissy was asleep and cuddled into Eddie's side. Robin was asleep horizontally at the foot of the bed. Steve was lying next to Eddie. They were both awake. "So… how'd you and Chrissy meet?" Steve asked, whispering so he didn't wake the girls. 

"She was looking for drugs, believe it or not. Had some… real life stuff she wanted to get her mind off of. I eventually realized the drugs were making it worse for her, and I helped her get some better help. And here we are." He let out a single breath of laughter. "I love her. She… She accepts me for the freak that I am." 

"Yeah, I get that. That's kinda how I feel about Robin. I don't think anyone really understood me until she came along." 

"I can only hope Chrissy feels the same way about me. I like to think I understand her. I probably get her a lot more than any of her jock friends do." He turned to look at Steve. "Thanks for letting her hang out with our weird little group. She really needs new people that actually support her. I'm glad she fits so well with everyone, is what I'm saying." 

"No problem. I'm glad you both fit in too, I was in need of new friends that aren't fourteen." Steve chuckled, passing it off as a joke. It wasn't really a joke. 

Eddie chuckled too. "Yeah, you do need more friends your age." He smiled at Steve. "Glad to be your friend, Harrington." 

"Glad to be your friend too, Munson." 

A small part of him that he ignored wished they could be more than that.

Chapter Text

Steve sat in a chair behind the counter at Family Video, leaning back so he was propped on two legs of the chair. Robin was rewinding tapes nearby. 

"I think Vickie likes girls," Robin said. 

"Gee, really?" 

Robin gave him a look. "Really. She said, and I quote, 'Oh, I love Molly Ringwald. I watch every movie she's in. I really admire her.' So she has a crush on Molly Ringwald, right?" 

"Yeah, and she likes girls. Ask her out already." 

"It's not that easy." 

"I know." 

The bell on the door rang. Steve looked up to see Eddie Munson, alone for the first time ever. He was wearing a plain gray shirt with a black button-down over it, unbuttoned completely to show off the dangly necklaces he wore. He had on black ripped jeans and chunky combat boots. His ring-adorned fingers were painted black. Steve lost balance and literally fell out of his chair onto the ground. 

"Fuck!" 

Robin laughed hysterically at him. Eddie grinned at him, leaning over the counter to look at him on the ground. "Am I really hot enough to make King Steve fall off his chair?" 

Steve glared at him and got up. "First of all, I hate that nickname. Second, I just lost balance, it has nothing to do with you, Munson." 

Except it had everything to do with him. Eddie Munson had been occupying Steve's every thought. His amazing hair, his black painted nails, his rings, his everything . And of course, his girlfriend. Steve didn't like thinking about her as much. 

"Well, as fun to hang around as you are, Harrington, I did come here for a movie. You got Labyrinth ? Chrissy's practically in love with Bowie and we've both been dying to see it." 

"Let me check." Steve glanced at the records, then checked the shelf to make sure it was correct. He handed the VHS to Eddie. "You're in luck. I do expect you to pay for it, though. I know you're thinking of stealing it without Chrissy to tell you off." 

Eddie grinned. "You know me so well. What do I owe ya?" 

"One fifty." 

Eddie handed him a crumpled bill and a couple quarters. "By the way… Chrissy is hosting a party Saturday night. Celebrating her birthday, finally eighteen. So we're having a small fire and s'mores and shit like that in Chrissy's backyard. You're both invited, as our only mutual friends. And you can each have a plus one, if you want." 

"That sounds fun." Steve looked at Robin. "What do you say?" 

Robin grinned. "We'll be there." 

"Great." Eddie flashed a grin at Steve. "I should go. Try not to fall out of anymore chairs because of handsome men, Harrington." 

"It wasn't because of you!" Steve said defensively, but Eddie was already out the door. He turned to Robin. "It wasn't because of him." 

"I think we all know it was, Steve," Robin said with a smile. "Which is totally fine." 

Yeah, right. Because Steve Harrington liking men was totally fine and not at all something to panic about.

~

Eddie knocked on the Cunninghams' fancy front door, rings clinking against the wood. Mrs. Cunningham opened it. She scowled at him. "Edmund. Still haven't cut your hair, I see. It's indecent of you to let it grow so long." 

"Guess I'm just not a decent person, huh, Helen?" One of Eddie's greatest pleasures in life was being a dick to Helen Cunningham. She deserved it after how much of a bitch she was to Chrissy. 

"I guess not. And yet I permit you to be around my daughter." She frowned. "And it's your fault she's getting chubby again." 

Eddie smiled, trying to mask his anger. "Right. Your size two daughter is chubby because she eats normal portions of food again… Will you let me in now, or are we gonna argue in the foyer all night?" 

Mrs. Cunningham sighed and stepped away. Eddie made his way up to Chrissy's room. She was finishing her makeup. "Hey, Chris. Happy birthday." 

She looked over at him and smiled. "Hi, Eddie. Nice outfit." 

Eddie did a little spin. He had picked this outfit with Steve in mind, hoping to get some sort of reaction out of him. A long sleeved Deep Purple shirt, sleeves rolled up, several necklaces and ripped jeans. He had his hair tied into a low ponytail. "Thank you. Love the makeup." He sat on the edge of her bed. "Do you happen to have an extra kohl pencil? Mine got eaten by the neighbor's dog." 

"Yeah, here you go." She handed him a fairly new kohl pencil. He smiled and moved to share the vanity mirror with her. He started to apply the eyeliner as she put on lipgloss. 

When she finished, she stood and walked over to her closet, where her outfit for the night was hanging. She talked as she changed. "So, are you gonna make a move on Steve tonight?" 

Eddie blinked, checking the one side of eyeliner he'd finished. "No. I'm, like, ninety percent sure Steve is straight. And I told him he could bring a plus one, so he's probably gonna have a date." 

Chrissy made a noise of disapproval, but didn't voice her thoughts. Eddie finished his eyeliner and she finished getting dressed. They appraised each other. "Fabulous. That look is perfect on you," Eddie said. 

Chrissy beamed. She had on a jumpsuit type of garment, with short sleeves attached to pants. It had a simple but colorful pattern, accentuated with a bright colored belt. Her hair was up with a similarly colored scrunchie. "And you look handsome as ever." She offered her arm to him. "Shall we?" 

He took her arm. "We shall." 

They went downstairs to the foyer to wait for the others to show up. Mrs. Cunningham approached them. She looked at Chrissy with a distaste, but didn't comment on her outfit or body for once. Then she looked at Eddie, then back to Chrissy. "You really want to be around this fag? He wears makeup, for Christ's sake." 

Chrissy glared at her mother. Eddie plastered a grin on his face. "Oh, you got me, I'm a flaming queer! And I wear makeup, how scandalous!" He gasped, putting a hand over his heart. Mrs. Cunningham frowned and walked away. Eddie laughed. Chrissy shook her head. 

~

Steve rang the doorbell, the rest of the group behind him. Robin had brought Vickie as her plus one. Steve had brought Nancy and Jonathan, not knowing who else to choose and wanting to extend some sort of olive branch to his ex so they could maybe become friends.

Chrissy opened the door, and they all chorused happy birthday. She smiled sweetly. "Hi! Come on in, we're in the backyard."

They all followed her through the house to the yard. The lawn was all perfectly manicured grass. A circle of adirondack chairs surrounded a stone fire pit. Eddie was crouched by the pit, starting the fire. "Why are we letting the pyromaniac start the fire?" Robin asked as they walked over. 

"Because pyromaniacs make the best fire," Eddie said. "And don't worry, I won't burn Chrissy's house down or set anyone on fire." 

"I'll believe it when I see it," Steve said, taking a seat in one of the chairs. Everyone else sat as well, leaving the only empty seat between Steve and Chrissy. Once Eddie was satisfied with the fire, he stood up. Steve almost did a double take. Eddie looked downright gorgeous with the eyeliner and hair up and necklaces. "Are you wearing eyeliner?" 

Eddie smiled and sat in the empty seat. "Indeed I am, Stevie." He stretched his legs out, slumping in his seat a bit. 

"It, uh… It looks good. It suits you," Steve stammered out. What was wrong with him? 

Nancy gave him a weird look before turning to Chrissy. "Thanks for having us over. I know we're not, like, close or anything." 

Chrissy smiled. "That's fine. Any friend of Steve and Robin's is a friend of mine. And none of my other friends could make it. Besides, it's better to have more people here so my mom doesn't bully Eddie relentlessly all night." 

Eddie laughed. "It's not bullying. It's a hostile back and forth where she calls me names and I make her feel bad with cutting sarcasm. She hates me, I hate her." Chrissy rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. 

"Well, who wants s'mores?" Chrissy asked, pointing to a tray of marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers. 

They all got sticks and marshmallows and they were soon roasting them over the fire. Eddie stuck his marshmallow directly into the flame, letting the food ignite. He pulled it out and watched it burn for a moment before blowing out the fire. The marshmallow was now black and charred. "Perfect," he said with a grin. 

"Perfect? You just ruined a good marshmallow," Steve said, taking his lightly browned marshmallow away from the flame. 

"Watch." Eddie peeled the charred crust off, revealing a soft, gooey center. He stuck both the charred piece and the gooeyness into his mouth. "Perfect." 

"Huh." Steve couldn't help but think that the marshmallow was a good metaphor for Eddie. Dark and charred on the outside, but sweet and soft on the inside. Wow. Steve had it bad for this guy. 

He'd decided, in the past few days, that he liked men and women. He'd panicked at first, then he remembered that bisexuality was a thing and if Bowie could do it so could he. So, the first thing he did with his newfound bisexuality was develop a crush on a guy who had a girlfriend. He didn't label Eddie as straight in his mind because he didn't want to assume, and Eddie… Well, he was Eddie. Not exactly the first guy that comes to mind when you think of heterosexuality. 

Eddie shoved a stick with a new blackened marshmallow on it in Steve's face. "Try it." 

"No." 

Eddie poked the marshmallow against his mouth. "Come on, try it. You're gonna like it." 

Steve rolled his eyes and took the marshmallow off the stick. He popped it in his mouth. "The burnt part is gross, but you are right about the inside." 

Eddie grinned. "I'm always right." He hip-bumped Chrissy. "Right, Chris?" 

She pursed her lips momentarily. "I'm not gonna answer for the sake of our relationship."

Eddie pouted cutely. "I'm right a lot of the time, though. And I'm right about how you're gonna love the birthday present I got you."

"I told you not to get me a present!" she protested, but she was smiling. 

"And I ignored you, because you deserve a whole bunch of presents." 

Eddie went over to a small table near the side of the house. He handed a small gift-wrapped box to Chrissy. She put down her marshmallow stick and opened it. Her mouth dropped open. "Eddie!" She revealed a small ring, nearly identical to one Eddie was wearing. It had a small purple stone in the center. She put it on and hugged him tightly. "Now we match!" 

Eddie laughed. "Yeah, that's the point." 

"We all got you a present too," Nancy said. "Well, Jonathan, Vickie and I did. Steve and Robin got you something else." 

"Our gift is free movies for the next week," Robin said. "That doesn't extend to Eddie." Eddie frowned.

Jonathan handed Chrissy a small bag. "Aw, you guys didn't have to do that." Inside was an enamel pin of cheer pom poms. "This is so sweet! Thank you guys!" She hugged each of them in turn. She laughed, eyes glossy. "I can't believe how sweet you all are. You barely know me, but you all came for my birthday." 

Eddie hugged her tightly from behind, resting his head on top of hers. The moment was so sweet and loving, and it served as a painful reminder to Steve that he had no chance. But instead of being bitter and jealous, he chose to be happy for Chrissy and the fact that she was gaining some better friends.

Chapter Text

Steve was driving Robin home from Chrissy's party. They'd spent the rest of the party playing games and eating s'mores and getting to know each other better. Steve had spent half that time staring at Eddie. 

"I'm bisexual and I hate it," Steve said. 

Robin looked at him. "What? Why do you hate it?" 

"Because I like someone who's never gonna like me back." 

She nodded. "Been there. But you'll get over it and find someone who does like you back. Boy or girl. I have faith that you will find the one someday, as much as I tease you about getting no babes."

"I think you're right. I think it's time I start playing for the other team for a little while." 

"Hell yeah." 

~

Steve was restocking the horror section while Eddie sat on the nearby counter and talked about D&D. Steve was only half paying attention. D&D went over his head. Robin was behind the counter, re-labeling old movies. 

The bell on the door jingled and Steve turned to greet the customer, his usual spiel on the tip of his tongue. Instead of reciting it as usual, he said, "What do you want?" because the customers were just Dustin and Will. 

"That is no way to treat a customer, Harrington," Eddie reprimanded him with a smile. 

Steve rolled his eyes and walked over to the counter. "We're just bored 'cause Mike and Jane are on a double date with Max and Lucas," Dustin explained. 

"You guys need to get girlfriends so you stop bothering me," Steve said. 

"Or boyfriends, we don't judge," Eddie said. He glanced at Steve. "Well, I can't speak for Harrington, but I don't judge." 

"I can speak for Steve and I can say neither of us judge," Robin chimed in. 

Will blushed pink, which Dustin didn't notice. "That's very cool of you, but I don't care. And I have a girlfriend! She just doesn't live here. Anyway, can you do something with us?" 

"In case you didn't notice, I'm working." Steve gestured to his vest. 

"Eddie?" Dustin asked. 

"I'm also working." 

"You don't work here," Will said. 

"My job is annoying Harrington," Eddie said with a grin. 

Robin stood up. "How about this: Let Steve finish this hour of his shift, then I'll cover closing and you guys can all be annoying somewhere else." 

Dustin checked his watch, seeing the fifteen minutes left in the hour. He exchanged a glance with Will, who shrugged. "Fine. We'll go pretend to browse until you're done, Steve." 

They set off to the comedy section. Eddie hopped off the counter. "So, where are we taking them?" 

"You're coming?" Steve asked. 

"What else would I do? Go home?" Eddie shook his head as if that was completely ridiculous. "Let's take them out for ice cream!" 

"And do you have money for that?" 

"No, but you and Dustin do." 

Steve sighed. There was no way he was getting out of this.

~

Eddie sat at a table with Will outside the ice cream place. It was a nice day, early spring. Dustin and Steve were in line, getting the ice cream. "So, how are you doing? With Mike and all." 

Will shrugged. "I'm fine. The Mike situation is… not great. None of them even know I'm… gay." He said the last word quietly, like he was afraid to make it real. Eddie remembered years ago, when he was the exact same way. Afraid to make it real. 

"In my humble opinion, I think you deserve way better than Mike. I love the kid, great D&D player, but he's kind of a dick. And obviously, that won't make your feelings go away, but that's just my two cents. One day, you'll find someone who really likes you and treats you well." 

"That would be way more comforting if it wasn't coming from you. Considering who you like right now." 

Eddie grinned. He really liked this kid. "Fair. But I have had people in the past that worked out. Not all your crushes will be straight. Hopefully." 

"Yeah. Hopefully." 

Steve and Dustin walked over to them, ice creams in hand. Dustin sat down next to Will, handing him his sundae. Steve sat next to Eddie, handing over his shake. "Thank you, Sir Harrington." 

"Yeah, thanks Steve," Will said politely. 

"You're welcome." Steve looked at Dustin. "See, they have manners. You need those." 

Dustin stuck his tongue out before saying, "Thank you, Steve." 

"You're welcome." He took a bite of his ice cream. "So, you gonna visit Suzie over break?" 

Dustin shrugged. "Probably not. I can't drive, and she can't really leave. But it's fine, 'cause I have plans." 

"What are those?" Steve asked. 

Dustin slipped his arm around Will's shoulders. "I'm gonna get Will a girlfriend." 

Will blushed. "Yeah, uh… I don't like girls, Dustin." 

Dustin stared at him blankly. "What?" 

Will gave him a pointed look. "I like boys." 

"Nice. I love men," Eddie said. 

Dustin shifted his attention to Eddie. "You like guys too?" 

"Don't we all," Steve said. He looked a little shocked that he'd said that, but stuck to it. Eddie's stomach fluttered. 

Dustin's jaw dropped. " Steve? Steve Harrington likes guys?" 

"You don't have to scream it. And I still like women, for what it's worth." 

He nodded. "Just to be clear, I still love you all. I just did not expect this. But I feel so special being let in on this knowledge. And I amend my plan: I'm gonna get Will a boyfriend." 

"Good luck, fair knights, on your noble quest for love," Eddie said. 

"Yeah, good luck. Not to be discouraging, but since I found out I liked dudes, I've been unsuccessful getting any," Steve said. 

"To be fair, you weren't getting any ladies either," Eddie reminded him. 

"Shut up, Munson. I'm getting my charm back, or whatever." 

"I'm sure you are, Stevie." 

~

"I think he's, like, the stupidest man alive," Eddie said, dumping pasta into the boiling water. 

"Who is?" Wayne asked as he walked in from his bedroom. It was late afternoon, and he would be leaving for work in about two hours. He was having dinner with Eddie and Chrissy before then, which they were currently cooking. 

"The boy he likes," Chrissy said as she stirred the sauce in the pot. 

"We basically came out to each other, so we've established that he likes men and I like men. I've been flirting with him practically since we met. And he's not the kind of guy to just ignore that." 

"Maybe he just doesn't like you," Wayne said. 

Chrissy giggled and Eddie groaned. "I think that's worse than if he was straight." 

"I think you need a more direct approach," Chrissy said. "Blatantly ask him out and see if he says yes. He's only been with girls so far, so maybe he just doesn't know what guy flirting is like." 

"You could make a nice gesture too," Wayne supplied. "Maybe learn a song he likes on that guitar of yours." 

"You both have such great ideas," Eddie said. He gave Chrissy a puppy-eyed look. "Will you come with me to the video store for moral support?" 

She smiled. "Sure. I needed to rent a movie for cheer night, anyway." 

Eddie hugged her. "Thank you, babe."

"You're welcome, babe."

Wayne shook his head. "Keep talking like that and people will start to think you're dating." 

Eddie and Chrissy chuckled at the idea. Who would be stupid enough to think they were dating? 

~

Steve was reading a comic book behind the counter at Family Video. Wednesday afternoon was slow, with no one around at the moment. Robin had her eyes glued to the TV, where she'd put on Better Off Dead solely for the purpose of staring at Diane Franklin. 

"She's gorgeous," Robin mumbled. 

"She really is," Steve said, glancing up at the screen. 

The bell on the door jingled, and Steve looked up. Eddie bounced in, followed by Chrissy, who had a bubbly smile on her face. "Welcome to Family Video, how may I help you?" 

Eddie rested his arms on the top of the counter. "I'm not here for movies, I'm afraid." 

"I am," Chrissy said. "I know where to go, though, I don't need help." She put her hand on Eddie's forearm gently, then skipped off to the rom-coms. 

Steve got up from his chair and leaned against the counter, close to Eddie. 

"I have a proposition for you, Harrington," Eddie said with a grin. "My uncle is going away on some old man golf trip with his friends this weekend. Would you like to come over? I can make dinner, we can get high, watch a movie. What do you say?" 

Steve paused. It sounded a lot like Eddie was asking him on a date. Everything about it seemed normal, Steve had been over to Eddie's to get high and watch movies before, but then he threw in the part about making dinner. Not ordering takeout, making dinner. Cooking. That felt like a date thing. Was it a date? 

Then Chrissy skipped over with a few tapes and Robin got up to ring her up while Steve was occupied with Eddie. Right. It couldn't be a date, because Eddie had a girlfriend. 

So they were just hanging out. They'd never really hung out just the two of them. Steve wasn't doing anything this weekend. "Yeah, sure. What night?" 

Eddie beamed. "Saturday?" 

"Sounds good." 

Eddie put his hand over Steve's on the counter, rubbing his thumb over the back of his hand. "Great. See you Saturday." 

Chrissy came over. "Ready to go, babe?" 

Eddie took his hand away from Steve's, and Steve immediately missed the warmth. "Ready." He held the door open for her as they left. Eddie Munson, keeping chivalry alive and well. 

Steve sat back down, baffled by the whole interaction. Robin returned her attention to the movie, not having noticed what went down between Steve and Eddie. 

He chewed his lip and went back to his comic book. If Eddie was anyone else, Steve would be certain he was being asked out and flirted with. But it was Eddie. Who, yes, did like men, but had a girlfriend. Maybe they had some weird open relationship thing. 

Whatever it was, Steve hoped he would find out on Saturday.

Chapter Text

Eddie was sitting on the couch, rolling a joint in preparation for the night. He still had the Labyrinth tape, so they could watch that. And he had the ingredients for dinner, which would be personal pizzas. 

Steve knocked on the door and Eddie got up to let him in. "Come on in, Harrington. Hope you like pizza." 

"Who doesn't?" 

They went to the kitchen, where Eddie had put out store-bought pizza dough, sauce, cheese, and a few different options for toppings. "Just pick your toppings and I'll do the rest," Eddie said with a grin. 

Steve smirked. "What, are you turning into a housewife, Munson? I can make a pizza." 

Eddie gasped, putting a hand over his heart. "Just trying to be a good host. You are welcome to make your own pizza if you want." 

Steve smiled fully. "Great. Let's do it." 

They stretched out the dough and put on the sauce and cheese. Eddie arranged sliced black olives to look like a pentagram on his pizza. Steve made a pepperoni smiley face. "Cute," Eddie said, looking at the pizza, then pointedly at Steve. He swore Steve blushed a little. 

They put the pizzas in the oven and set a timer. Eddie sat on the couch. Steve sat next to him, but kept a decent amount of distance between them, which Eddie found odd. So he scooted closer to Steve, putting them nearly hip-to-hip. "You seen Labyrinth ?" 

"Nope." 

"Good. Chrissy and I watched it, it was excellent. I think you're gonna like it. The fantasy stuff might be a little over your head, though." 

Steve scoffed. "I can handle it." 

Eddie leaned a little closer, grinning. "Oh, I'm sure you can." 

~

They were partway through the movie, their pizzas eaten. They were passing the joint back and forth. Eddie was starting to feel the calming buzz of the high. On screen, Bowie was singing and throwing the baby in the air. "Bowie's crotch bulge is one of the best parts of the movie." 

Steve chuckled. "I think many would disagree with you." 

"Do you?" 

Steve paused for a moment, considering. "No."

Eddie inhaled from the joint and blew out a smoke ring. Steve looked faintly impressed. He handed the joint back. "You know… I was just as shocked as Henderson to find out you liked guys." 

Steve snorted. "Me too. I only just figured it out like a week ago. But everything just makes more sense, y'know? All those times I couldn't really put words to my feelings towards other boys. Awkward moments in the locker room. Watching Friday the 13th a hundred times over just for Johnny Depp." 

Eddie chuckled. "Fair. He's fucking adorable in that crop top." He stared at the ceiling for a moment. "I should start wearing crop tops." 

Steve looked him up and down quickly, face turning red. "Yeah, you should." 

He made a mental note to cut up some of his old shirts later. He took one last hit from the joint, then put it out. After a few minutes, Steve said, "This movie's kinda boring. No offense." 

"None taken." Eddie smiled. "Wanna listen to music in my room?" 

"Sure." They walked down the hall to Eddie's room, and Eddie began flipping through his cassettes. 

"You don't like metal, do you?" he asked, already knowing the answer. 

"I don't know. I haven't really tried it out." 

Eddie hummed, then plucked a cassette from the box. "Don't worry, I won't force you to go through Holy Diver or anything. Chrissy's made a few tapes for when she hangs out. Don't get me wrong, that girl can headbang like no one else I've ever met, but she's not a metalhead like me." He popped the cassette in, and the music started. 

"Oh, I know this song," Steve said. " Come a Little Bit Closer . Jay and The Americans." 

"I'm impressed you know the band too. They're not exactly popular." 

"I love this song. It's just a coincidence, I guess." 

The chorus began, and Eddie started singing along and dancing exaggeratedly. " Come a little bit closer, you're my kind of man, so big and so strong," he hugged himself, shimmying his shoulders as Steve laughed, " come a little bit closer, I'm all alone, and the night is so long…" He danced over to Steve, taking him by the hands and making him join the dance. Steve laughed, not in a mocking way, but like he was genuinely enjoying himself. It made Eddie light up inside. 

Eddie moved a little closer. He raised a hand, putting his fingers on Steve's jawline. Steve stopped laughing, just looking at Eddie with a soft smile on his face. Eddie leaned in and kissed Steve gently. Steve kissed him back for a half second, then pulled away, separating himself from Eddie. Panic flared in his stomach. 

"Fuck, did I read that wrong?" Eddie asked. "I'm so sorry if you don't, like, like me or-" 

"What? No, I like you. But you have a girlfriend, man! Why are you kissing me?" Steve looked incredibly alarmed. 

Eddie stared at him, mouth open. "Girlfriend… Who?" 

"Chrissy! Did you forget your own girlfriend?" 

Chrissy. Steve thought Chrissy was Eddie's girlfriend. Keep talking like that and people will start to think you're dating. 

Eddie burst out laughing. All the panic had dissipated from his body. This was the funniest thing he'd ever experienced. "Steve, I'm gay! Like, super, one hundred percent gay. I have never thought about Chrissy that way ever." 

"What? But you… You call each other 'babe' and you're always, like, joined at the hip and acting all lovey-dovey…" 

Eddie wiped a tear from his eye. "We have a really close friendship. We've known each other for ages. We're very comfortable with each other." 

"Clearly." 

Eddie slipped his arms around Steve's waist. "Now that we've cleared that up… Wanna try again?" 

Steve blushed. "Yeah. Yes. Yeah." Eddie smiled and closed the distance between them. This kiss was firmer, deeper. Steve slipped his hands into Eddie's hair. Eddie hummed happily into the kiss. "Really glad you don't have a girlfriend," Steve muttered after they parted. 

Eddie put his forehead on Steve's shoulder, giggling. "I have a Dungeons and Dragons club and I'm on my third try of senior year. Not exactly a chick magnet." 

Steve lifted Eddie's head up, cupping his face with his hands and forcing him to look at him. "No, man, you're so cool. You're hair is fucking amazing, you have the coolest fashion sense, you're funny and smart and interesting. You're incredible." 

His face was hot, and he knew he must be blushing bright red. "You're biased 'cause you like me." 

"I'm not! You really are one of the coolest people I've ever known. Maybe the coolest. You should be a chick magnet." 

"Well, I'm glad I'm not, because I don't want chicks. I like dumb jock men, apparently." He tapped his finger against the tip of Steve's nose. 

"I'm not that dumb!" 

"You thought I, a very gay man, was dating Chrissy Cunningham, the most feminine of women." 

"In my defense, you two act like a couple." 

"All right, fair. But, like, I literally said I liked men in front of you-" 

"I thought you were bi, like me. I never thought you were straight, though." 

"Well, you have that in your favor." Eddie hooked his fingers in Steve's belt loops. "What would you say to taking Chrissy's place? Wanna be my boyfriend?" 

Steve smiled. "Yeah, I'd really like that." He kissed Eddie deeply, fingers burrowing into his hair again. "Would you mind if we kept it, like, quiet for a bit? I'm still kinda figuring myself out." 

Eddie smiled reassuringly. "Of course. Take all the time you need." 

~

Steve woke up in Eddie's bed, with Eddie's arms around him. He'd stayed over due to being high and not wanting to leave Eddie just yet. 

He looked around the room, since he hadn't had the chance to take everything in last night. Posters were plastered over all the walls; Dio, Alice Cooper, a movie poster for Star Wars featuring Mark Hamill. An open bag of black licorice sat on the table next to Eddie's bed, a mug full of jewelry beside it. There were Polaroids above Eddie's vast stereo system (which included a cassette player and record player). There were pictures of him with his band, him and Chrissy, him and Hellfire. Steve was suddenly hit with the burning desire for a picture of him to be added to that wall. 

Eddie stirred next to him. He looked at Steve blearily. "Morning, Stevie." His voice was hoarse and low. 

"Morning, Eds. I, uh… I like all your posters." 

Eddie rubbed his eyes and sat up slightly. "Oh, yeah." He chuckled. "Celebrity crushes over the years, I guess. Alice Cooper was the gay awakening." 

"You were mine," Steve said without thinking. He felt heat rush to his cheeks. Eddie just smiled softly and kissed the side of his face. 

"I'm gonna brag about that forever, I hope you know. I turned the Steve Harrington queer." 

Steve laughed. "You didn't turn me anything. You just… made me think about some things I didn't let myself think before." He glanced around the room again. "What's with the licorice?" He nodded to the bag on the bedside table. 

"I just fucking love it. Good late night snack." He got up out of bed and stretched, raising his arms high above his head, making his shirt ride up a little. Steve's eyes roamed over his body. He was only wearing boxers and a Judas Priest t-shirt. Many of his tattoos were visible, from the clean-cut bats on his forearm to the shaky stick-and-pokes on his legs. Steve wanted to commit every one of those tattoos to memory. His chest warmed when he remembered he would be able to. 

"You like bacon?" Eddie asked. 

"Of course." 

Eddie grinned and walked out to the kitchen, Steve close behind him. 

~

Steve walked into Family Video with a grin on his face. Robin was just punching in, already over at the counter. "What are you so happy about?" 

"I'm back, baby. It's finally time for another point in the 'You Rule' column." 

Robin smiled. "Oh yeah? What happened?" 

Steve punched in and sat behind the counter with Robin. "Eddie and I made out, and I slept over, in his bed. Then he made me breakfast. He's surprisingly a really good cook." 

Robin gaped at him. "Eddie? But I thought he and Chrissy were-" 

"Dating? Me too. But then he kissed me and I panicked about it 'cause I'm not about to let him cheat on someone as sweet as Chrissy, and he explained that he was gay and they were just friends." 

Robin pouted suddenly. "Why isn't our friendship that close and loving?" 

"Do you want it to be?" 

She shrugged. "Kind of?" She thought about it more. "Nah, nevermind. I like what we have." 

"Me too." 

"Anyway, Eddie ? You like Eddie?" 

Steve blushed a little. "Yeah, I really like him. He likes me too. But, uh, don't tell anyone, okay? We're keeping it quiet. 'Cause I'm still figuring myself out and all." 

Robin got up and hugged him tightly. "Of course. It's not like I have anyone to tell, anyway." 

He snorted. "I thought you had tons of band friends?" 

"Shut up." She smiled brightly. "I'm really happy for you." 

"Thanks." He grinned. He was really happy too.

Chapter Text

Eddie parked his van at Family Video, ready to make Steve Harrington the most flustered he'd ever been. He could do things like that now, since he and Steve were together. So, here he was at Family Video at 10 A.M. on a Tuesday, wearing a crop top and black jeans. 

It had been a few weeks since they'd gotten together. No one except Robin knew, and Eddie was fine with that. It was nice to keep it to themselves for a while and just enjoy it. He'd never been in a serious relationship, so it was cool to keep it between them. And Robin. 

He walked into Family Video, confident as ever. Robin was the only one at the counter. She looked up at him and whistled. He held his arms out, accepting the appreciation. "When Steve melts into the carpet, you're scraping him up." 

"Of course. And where is he?" 

"Bathroom."

Steve came around the corner then, his eyes landing squarely on Eddie. He turned a delicious shade of red as he walked over to them. "Nice, uh… shirt." 

Eddie grinned. "Thank you. I took your advice." 

"Advice?" 

"That I should wear crop tops." 

Steve hummed and crossed the distance between them, grazing his fingertips over Eddie's exposed stomach. Eddie's stomach fluttered at the gentle contact. Robin cleared her throat, causing them both to look over guiltily. 

"Hate to break up whatever this is, but this is a public store and I don't want you two to get hate crimed or something." 

Steve nodded and removed his hands. Eddie smiled at him. "Wanna come over after your shift?" 

"Yeah. I just have the morning, so I'm done around noon." He looked around the store, then quickly kissed Eddie. “Are you getting a movie or are you just here to make me flustered?” 

Eddie laughed. “Just here to make you flustered, sadly. And I have a feeling I can do a much better job of it when we’re alone. So I’ll see you later, Stevie.” 

“See you.” 

Eddie turned to go, yelling goodbye to Robin over his shoulder. He couldn’t wait for Steve to get off his shift. 

~

As soon as Seve entered the trailer, his hands were on Eddie's exposed stomach, pulling him close. Eddie giggled as Steve's hands roamed over him. "Getting to the point, I see." 

"I was thinking about you the whole time I was at work," Steve muttered, pressing hot kisses to Eddie's neck and jaw. "It was torture. I swear Robin plotted my murder at least twenty times." 

"Mhm… And what exactly were you thinking about?" 

"Kissing you." He kissed Eddie deeply. "Kissing your stomach." His fingers dragged over his ribs. "Leaving a few marks that may be visible when you wear this shirt." His fingers skimmed over the bottom hem of the shirt. 

Eddie made a small noise in the back of his throat and clasped his hands behind Steve's neck. "What are you waiting for, then? Aren't you gonna pick me up and take me to my room like some stupid romance novel?"

Steve laughed and picked Eddie up. Eddie's eyebrows rose. He hadn't expected him to actually do it. But Steve did, indeed, carry him to his room and drop him on the bed. He closed the door, then straddled Eddie's legs so he was face-level with Eddie's stomach. "God, I was so right about the crop tops," he murmured. He began kissing the exposed skin. 

"Fuck, yeah, you were," Eddie said as he wove his fingers into Steve's hair. 

~

Chrissy went into Eddie's trailer. There was no one in the living room or kitchen. She heard soft noises coming from his room. He was probably practicing guitar or something. No, it was never this quiet when he did that. 

She got closer and pressed her ear against the door. She heard something that sounded like a whine, then a chuckle. She knocked on the door. "Eddie? I need to talk to you." 

She heard him say, "Shit," and then there was a rustling and the sound of a body falling off a bed. He opened the door just a crack and poked his head out. "What's up, Chrissy?" 

"What are you doing in there?" 

Eddie flushed red. "I, um… I currently have a guest over." 

"And what are you doing?" 

"Well… It's the kind of guest where I am currently not wearing that many clothes." 

Chrissy gasped. "Oh! I am so, so sorry. I just… Something happened with Jason, but I can come back later when you're done-" 

"Jason? No, no, stay. I'll get dressed. And talk to my… guest. To see what he wants to do." 

Chrissy smiled. "Is it Steve?" 

Eddie blushed even more. "Go sit down in the living room. I'll be right out." 

Chrissy giggled and went to sit down on the couch. 

~

Eddie closed the door and looked at Steve, who was lying on the bed shirtless. "Who was that?" 

"Chrissy." Eddie straddled Steve's lap and rubbed his hands over his bare chest and shoulders. "She, uh… It's kind of serious, and I do have to help her out right now. Sorry to cut this short." He kissed Steve softly. "You can stay, if you want. Chrissy's cool with this kind of stuff. She won't tell anyone. Or I can sneak you out the window." 

Steve chuckled. "I'll stay." He kissed Eddie again, then lifted him off his lap. They both got dressed, Steve groaning when Eddie put on a normal shirt instead of his crop top. 

Eddie laughed. “I need some modesty for the conversation I’m about to have with Chrissy. I can't leave your hickeys on full display. Sorry to deprive you of my fantastic midriff.” 

“Whatever. I can see it again some other time, I’m sure.” The two of them walked out of Eddie’s room and down the hall, where Chrissy was sitting on the couch and bouncing her leg. 

She gasped with a smile. "It is Steve! I was right!" She looked at Eddie. "Were you the one making the weird whining sound?" 

Eddie laughed as Steve flushed bright red. “No way.” 

Chrissy’s eyes widened. “That was Steve?” 

Steve groaned and sat in the armchair next to the couch. “Screw both of you.” 

“What? I think it’s cute,” Eddie said, walking to the kitchen. “You guys want anything to drink? Any snacks? I have Fanta.” 

“Fanta sounds good,” Steve said. 

“Yeah, it does,” Chrissy agreed. Eddie nodded and got three Fantas, passing them around before sitting on the couch next to Chrissy. 

“So. What happened with Jason?” Eddie asked. 

Chrissy took a slow sip of her soda before explaining. “He’s been practically stalking me ever since we broke up. Which doesn’t make sense because he broke up with me . But I guess he expected me to choose him over you. Anyway, he cornered me after school and asked me why I was hanging out with freaks now. He saw us all at the diner the other day. He said I should watch my step.” 

Eddie furrowed his brows and wrapped his arm around Chrissy. “I told you he was a dickwad. I’m sorry.” 

She frowned at him. “What do you think he means by ‘watch your step’? You don’t think he’s gonna, like, hurt me or anything, do you?” 

Steve chimed in, “I know guys like Jason. I used to be surrounded by guys like that. He’s all talk. And he won’t hurt you, because it’s kind of a rule that you don’t take your anger out on girls. But… He may do something to people you hang out with. Like Eddie.” 

Chrissy shot him a worried look, but Eddie snorted. “Jason Carver wouldn’t deign to speak to Eddie the Freak Munson. I’m quite below his social level.” 

“That doesn’t guarantee anything,” Steve said. He got this slightly disturbed look on his face, like he was recalling a terrible memory. Eddie would ask him about it later. 

“Eddie, I don’t want Jason to hurt you. I don’t want you to get in trouble because of me.” Chrissy’s eyes were watery, and her voice trembled. 

He rubbed her shoulders. “I know I’m not that good a fighter, but I can hold my own. I’m gonna be fine, okay? And if I’m not, it is not your fault. It’s never your fault. Only Jason’s.” 

Chrissy’s eyebrows pinched together. “Okay, but don’t hurt him too bad either. He could really make things hard for you if you get on his bad side.” 

They were all silent for a moment. Then Steve grabbed Eddie’s hand. “If you get into trouble, you can always call me, okay? And I’ll be right over to help. Even if I’m at work.” He glanced at Chrissy. “You too.” 

Eddie smiled and kissed Steve’s hand. “Such a brave knight, pledging his service to the bard and the princess.” His smile softened, as well as his voice. “Thank you.” 

Chrissy stood up and hugged Steve. “Thank you.” 

Steve hugged her back. “No problem. I’m sorry you have to deal with that dick Jason Carver.” 

Chrissy sat back down next to Eddie. “He wasn’t always a dick. He used to be really sweet. But he changed, and not for the better.” 

“Yeah. I was lucky enough to have Nancy break my heart and wake me up. Not everyone can be forced to change for the better,” Steve said, looking down at the ground. 

Chrissy wiped her eyes and smiled. “I think that’s enough of that. Now, I’m dying to know how you two got together!” 

Eddie grinned and looked at Steve. “Can I tell her?” 

He turned red. “Yeah, I guess.” 

“You already know that I asked him out and he said yes. You were there. The night came for the date, and Steve came over. We made pizza, then watched half of Labyrinth . We were high and we got bored, so then we went to my room to listen to music. I played your mixtape-”

“It’s a really good mix, by the way,” Steve added. 

“-and we were dancing to the first song together. I was flirting very obviously, and Steve seemed to be responding, so I kissed him. And then he pushed me away!” 

Chrissy gasped. “Why?” 

Eddie braced his hands on her shoulders. “Because he thought you were my girlfriend. And he didn’t want me to cheat on you.” She burst out laughing, curling into Eddie’s arms. Steve rolled his eyes, but chuckled along with her. “So I cleared everything up for him and we made out for the rest of the mixtape. He stayed the night, and here we are.” 

“Oh my God! That’s hilarious.” Chrissy smiled at Steve. “I love Eddie, but not like that. Sorry we sent out the wrong signal.” 

“It’s fine, it all worked out in the end,” Steve said with a shrug. “Robin thought you guys were dating too.” Chrissy and Eddie broke out laughing again. They held onto each other, both very much in the other’s space. Steve put out a hand in their direction. “See? You guys are acting like a couple now! Friends don’t sit that close together.” 

“We do,” Chrissy said with a shrug. 

Eddie stood up. “Sorry we have an intimate friendship, Stevie.” He sat himself down on Steve’s lap, kicking his legs over the side of the arm chair. “Is this better?” He reveled in the way Steve choked up, his face turning pink as he wrapped his head around having Eddie in his lap. 

“Uh… Ye- Yeah. Yeah.” 

Chrissy smiled brightly. “I’m so happy for you guys!” 

“Thanks, babe,” Eddie said with a smile. 

“Still with the babe thing?” Steve asked. 

“You got a problem with it, loverboy?” 

Steve turned an even darker pink. “Loverboy?” He shook his head. “I mean, no, I don’t have a problem with it.”

Eddie grinned and kissed Steve on the cheek.

Chapter Text

The light in Robin’s basement was dim, just barely illuminating the smoke swirling from the joint in Steve’s hand. He was sitting on the couch, with Eddie sprawled across his lap. Chrissy and Robin were poring over a magazine together on the floor. Steve handed the joint to Eddie, who took the last hit and pinched it out. 

“She is so pretty,” Robin said, staring at a spread of Debbie Harry in concert. Some article about Blondie was next to the picture, but Steve had a feeling Robin couldn’t care less about that. 

“She is,” Chrissy agreed. “She has nice eyes.” 

Eddie giggled and tapped the side of Steve’s face. “You have nice eyes, Stevie.” 

“So do you, Eds. Your eyes are so pretty.” Steve traced a finger over Eddie’s eyebrow, staring at his eyes. Eddie stared back at him with the same intense focus. 

Robin made a gagging noise. “I didn’t invite you here to flirt and be gross. I invited you here to get high and have fun.” 

“You should’ve brought Vickie if you didn’t want to suffer through our flirting,” Eddie said, not taking his eyes away from Steve. “God, you’re so fucking pretty,” he muttered. 

Robin rubbed her arm. “Actually, uh… It’s not gonna work out with Vickie. She told me she has a crush on another girl. Apparently she thought I was a lesbian too and wanted to be friends so she could get advice from another queer person. So, no romantic options there. But it’s fine. I don’t really feel that way about her anymore. I kind of maybe like someone else now.” 

“Who?” Steve asked, finally tearing his gaze away from Eddie and making said boy pout. 

Robin flushed bright red. “Just some girl. I’m not even really sure about it yet.” 

Chrissy smiled and patted Robin’s shoulder. “I hope she likes you.” 

“Me too,” Robin said quietly. Then her eyes lit up. “Oh my God! I totally forgot, I have something for Eddie!” Eddie looked over at the mention of his name. Robin got up and retrieved a small box from the other side of the room. “I was cleaning out my closet, and I found this box. It rightfully belongs to you now.”

Eddie sat up, removing himself from Steve, and furrowed his brows. “It belongs to me? I don’t remember-” He opened the box, and his jaw dropped. “Oh… my… God.” He took out a Polaroid, a smile spreading on his face. He grinned up at Robin. “I love you, Rob.” 

She smiled back and sat down. “I know.” 

Chrissy leaned over and looked at the Polaroid, then into the box. She gasped. “Aw!” 

“What is it?” Steve asked. 

Eddie handed him the picture. It was Steve, dressed in the Scoops Ahoy uniform. He and Robin had done a photoshoot on their last day before they quit. “Oh my God, Robin. This is a betrayal of my trust!” 

“No, no, no, this is good friendship,” Eddie said. He had another picture in his hand. “You are so cute!” He looked up suddenly, face deadly serious. “Do you still have this uniform?” 

“Uh… Maybe? Why?” 

Eddie’s gaze darkened. “There are some things I’d like to do to you while you’re wearing it.” 

Steve’s face heated up. “Oh.” He looked at Robin. “I take it back, this is not a betrayal of my trust. You are an amazing wingwoman.” 

Robin rolled her eyes. “Okay, this was not my intention. I underestimated Eddie’s freakiness. I thought he’d just find them funny, not… sexy.” 

“It’s taking every ounce of my willpower not to push Steve down on this couch right now,” Eddie said, biting his lip and staring at Steve hungrily. “I’ve never wanted to fuck him more.” 

“Too much information, babe,” Chrissy said, patting his knee. 

“Way too much,” Robin said with a pronounced shiver. 

“Sorry,” Eddie said. He put the pictures back in the box. “These are coming home with me.” He sat himself back in Steve’s lap. “And so are you.” 

Steve cleared his throat, flustered by the whole thing. He made a mental note to try and find the Scoops uniform when he got home. 

Robin and Chrissy returned their attention to the magazine. Steve noticed that Chrissy was paying rapt attention to everything Robin said and did, but he didn’t say anything about it. 

~

Steve was clicking through the logs on the computer, looking at random peoples’ rental histories. No one was in the store. Not one customer. And Robin had gone home early because she had food poisoning. So he was alone and bored for the next few hours. 

The bell on the door jingled, and his saving grace walked in. Steve did a double take when he saw Eddie. He was wearing his usual dark jeans and metal band shirt, but he had Chrissy’s white and green cheerleader sweater on. Chrissy was beside him, practically swimming in his leather jacket. Eddie pushed himself up on the counter. “What’s up, loverboy?” 

“Just finding out the town’s dirty movie rental secrets. Did you know your bandmate Gareth has checked out Snow White on seven different occasions?” 

Eddie chuckled. “Seven times? Jesus, Gareth.” 

Steve got up from the seat next to the computer and stood closer to Eddie. “So, what’s with the clothing swap?” 

“I’m in crisis and the big leather jacket is comforting,” Chrissy said, hugging herself. 

“And I look cute in her sweater, so I put it on,” Eddie said with a grin. 

“You do look cute.” Steve looked at Chrissy. “What’s the crisis about?” 

She chewed her lip for a moment, then said, “I think I might like girls? But I don’t know. Eddie hasn’t really been helpful, and you’re one of the only other gay people I know.” 

“What about Robin? She’s probably better with the gay girl stuff.” 

Chrissy blushed pink. “Well… She’s kind of the reason I’m even thinking about it.” 

“Ah.” 

Eddie looked at his watch. “I hate to do a drop and run, but I do need to get to band practice.” He hopped off the counter and faced Steve. “I know you’re not any kind of authority on queer stuff, but maybe you can help her out? I don’t know. I kind of always knew I was gay, so I’m not much help with this kind of thing.” 

Steve nodded. “I’ll do my best.” 

“Thank you.” Eddie kissed Steve quickly on the lips. Then he hugged Chrissy tightly, lifting her off the ground. “I love you, Chris. Best of luck.” His eyes lit up as he put her down. “How about you two come to mine for dinner tonight? Wayne will be home. You can update me on your progress and we can have fun.” 

Chrissy smiled. “That sounds great. See you later.” 

“See you.” Eddie waved goodbye as he walked out the door. 

Steve and Chrissy stood in silence for a second, then Steve patted the chair behind the counter. “Come on over, Chris.” 

She smiled and went behind the counter, sitting down in the chair. Steve sat across from her. “So, have you ever seen Fast Times at Ridgemont High ?” 

~

Steve and Chrissy were still sitting together behind the counter. Luckily, today had been pretty slow. As in 'not one customer' slow. 

Fast Times was paused, at just the right time. Chrissy quirked an eyebrow at him. "This is your gay test?"

"No, this is my attraction to women test. People who pause Fast Times at 53 minutes like boobies, and therefore they like people with boobies, which is mostly women."

Chrissy frowned. "I don't think this test works super well. 'Cause, like, I've never really been into people's bodies, if that makes sense? I'm attracted to people's personalities. I've never seen a stranger and thought, 'Oh, I want to have sex with them!' I have to have some kind of deeper connection before I start thinking about that stuff." 

Steve took Fast Times out of the VHS player, not wanting someone to walk in and see it paused. "Okay. I can't say I've ever felt that way personally, but I can see where you're coming from. Maybe… Maybe that makes sense for you not being straight. Like, you don't get attracted to people's bodies, so who says you're just attracted to guys? If you like people for their personality, that probably applies to all genders. I don't know if that's, like, an official thing or if it has a label or anything." 

Chrissy stared thoughtfully at the ground for a moment. "Yeah. Y'know, that sounds… That sounds right." 

They sat in silence for a moment. Then Steve smiled. "Did we do it? That was way faster than I thought it would be." 

"I think we did." She held up her hand for a high five. Steve slapped it. "Power duo!" 

"Hell yeah! You, uh, you don't have to answer, but do you want to label… this?" He gestured vaguely. 

"Um… I don't know. I think I might use bisexual as a simpler explanation, y'know, if I come out to people. But I don't really think I fit that totally? I don't know." 

Steve nodded. "Yeah. We can be sort-of bisexual buddies, I guess." She laughed. "So… Robin, huh?" 

She blushed lightly. "Yeah. I just… I think she's really sweet and I like listening to her talk about stuff and she's super pretty." 

"Mhm. Well, she's my best friend and if you two get together, don't hurt her or we're gonna have problems. And all that." 

"I've actually been meaning to talk to you about that. I just haven't had a chance because we're never alone together." She looked at him, deadly serious. "If you even think about hurting Eddie, no one will ever find your body. That man has helped me through my absolute darkest times, and I will not stand for him getting hurt by you." She smiled suddenly. "Got it?" 

Steve stared at her, eyes wide and mouth open. "Got it. Yes." He took a deep breath. "You're secretly really scary." Chrissy nodded, an innocent smile on her face. Steve suddenly understood her and Eddie's friendship on a much deeper level. "Am I gonna get a similar talk from Wayne tonight?" 

"Probably not as severe as what I just said. Honestly, I think he'll just be happy you're there. He's been wanting Eddie to find someone. So as long as you're nice and polite and he likes you, you'll be fine. But trust me, Wayne will be right by my side if we have to knock some sense into you." 

Steve nodded. "Cool. Cool." 

He nearly shouted when Eddie leapt over the counter and practically attacked him. "Hello again, loverboy." 

"Hi. Did you just leap over that counter?" 

"Mhm." 

"I'm actually impressed. Robin's been trying to do that for months." 

Eddie grinned, separating from Steve and sitting on the counter. "Speaking of Robin… How's it going with the sexuality crisis?" 

"Good!" Chrissy said. "I'm bisexual, but only kind of." 

Eddie raised an eyebrow. "Huh?" 

"I like people's personalities, not their bodies, and I like all people, not just men, so… yeah." 

"Ah. That's cool. That makes sense for you." He grinned at her. "I love you. Welcome to queerness."

Chrissy giggled. "Thanks. Just never let Jason find out." She shook the thought away. "Anyway, why are you back so early?" 

"Well, I got to band practice and everyone immediately questioned why I was wearing your sweater 'cause I forgot to take it off. They all thought we were dating. I set the record straight. We played a few songs, then Gareth's mom kicked us out 'cause she had a migraine. So, here I am. Still wearing your very comfortable sweater." 

"Very cute," Steve said, smiling at him. "I'm nervous about dinner. It's been a really long time since I've, like, met a girlfriend's parents. And you're not a girl, so I can't use some of my usual lines. I just really don't want to fuck it up." 

"It would be really, really hard for you to fuck it up." He patted the top of Steve's head. "You're gonna do great, Stevie."

Chapter Text

Steve was glad that he drove there with Eddie and Chrissy. He couldn't imagine showing up alone. Eddie unlocked the door and led them inside. "Wayne, I'm home! And I brought some dinner guests!" 

Wayne came out of his room to greet them. He hugged Eddie and Chrissy, then shook Steve's hand. "And who is this?" Wayne asked. 

“This is Steve,” Eddie said. He slipped his hands into Steve’s, intertwining their fingers. “He’s my boyfriend.”

Wayne smiled. Steve took that as a signal to raise their joined hands and kiss the back of Eddie’s hand. Eddie did the same, but instead of a kiss he dragged his tongue across the back of Steve’s hand. Steve gave him a weird look while Chrissy started giggling. Wayne shook his head and said to Eddie, “You’re weird, boy.” 

"I know," Eddie said with a grin. 

Wayne turned back to Steve. "So, you're the stupid one." 

Steve raised his eyebrows. "Am I? Who said that?" 

"I did, but there was context to that! I don't think you're stupid. I just-"

Steve cut him off, "It's fine. I'm a little stupid, I get it." 

Eddie gave him a look and shook his head. 

~

"So, uh, Steve," Wayne started, a forkful of pulled pork in his hand, "don't take this the wrong way, but the town rumor mill had me under the impression you were a bit of a harlot." Eddie snorted at the use of the word 'harlot.' "And that you were only into women. So I'd like to know how you ended up with my Eddie." 

Steve nodded. "Fair. Yeah, I used to be… a different person. Much less myself. But then I got my heart broken by a girl and it made me think about how I was living my life. Then I made some new friends that really helped me figure out who I was. So, uh, I'm bisexual and I am no longer a harlot, because I care very much about your nephew." Eddie smiled, thinking he was incredibly lucky to have a guy like Steve. 

Wayne nodded curtly. "Good to hear. If only Jason would follow that example." He shot a sympathetic look at Chrissy. 

"I wish," Chrissy said. "But I'm over him. I like someone else now." 

"Who?" Wayne asked. "If you don't mind me asking."

Chrissy blushed lightly. "Robin Buckley. She's Steve's best friend." 

Wayne smiled softly. "That's nice." He placed a hand towards her on the table. "And if you ever need anything, you're always welcome here. I know your mother's not the most accepting of these things, so if she ever found out and you needed a place to go, we're here for you." 

Chrissy nodded. "Thank you." 

Steve started bouncing his leg. Eddie put a hand on his knee. "You too, Stevie. I don't know what your parents are like, but I'll extend the offer anyway. Not everyone is lucky enough to have Wayne." He shot a grin at his uncle. 

"Yeah. Thanks." 

~

Steve stared at Eddie's ceiling. Eddie was lying partially on top of him, head on his chest and curled into his side. Chrissy was fast asleep on the other side of the bed. 

“What are your parents like?” Eddie asked quietly. 

“They’re never really around. Business trips. My dad has high expectations for me and my mom… I think she wants me to be happy, but she wants me to be happy with a wife and kids in a suburban neighborhood.” He tapped his fingers on Eddie’s shoulder. “I wish I could tell them about you. But they wouldn’t take it well.” 

“That’s all right. I’m not really a parent’s first choice for their kid to date. Honestly, I’m kind of a parent’s nightmare.” 

Steve chuckled. They laid there in silence, then he asked, “How’d you come out to Wayne?”

“It’s a great story, actually. He caught me making out with Roger Mooney in my freshman year. I was panicking, and after Roger left he sat me down to talk about it. I thought he was gonna kick me out. But he said, ‘Eddie, it’s okay. You’re not the only one bringing guys into this trailer.’ I was so confused for a second, but then he gave me this look and it clicked.” 

“…It’s not clicking for me.” 

“Wayne likes guys too. So, of course, he’s really good about this stuff.” Eddie looked up at him, but didn’t move from his chest. “I mean it when I say you’re always welcome here. Y’know, if the big house gets lonely or you just wanna annoy me or your mom finds out I’m not a nice Christian girl.” 

Steve kissed the top of his head. “Thanks. I will take you up on that.” 

“Good.” Eddie kissed his jaw, then rested his head on Steve’s chest again. They fell asleep cuddled together. 

~

Steve took Eddie and Chrissy out for breakfast. They got the food to go, then he drove to Sunset Point, a decent lookout point and makeout spot. Not that any of them would be making out this morning. No one else was around, leaving the three of them to enjoy a picnic breakfast on the grass. 

“So, like, are you gonna ask her out?” Steve asked, taking a forkful of Eddie’s eggs, which earned him an annoyed look. 

“Um, maybe? Probably. I should. Do you think she likes me too? She said she liked another girl,” Chrissy said, poking her fork around her French toast. 

“I think she does. She hasn’t outright told me, but I can put two and two together.” 

Chrissy took a tiny bite of her food. “Still, I’m so nervous.” 

Eddie took a forkful of Steve’s hashbrowns, which Steve didn’t mind. “What if we made it a double date? To take the pressure off you. And if Rob’s not interested- which I think she is- you can play it off as a movie night. We’ll go to the drive-in.” 

“I love the drive-in,” Steve said. Last time he and Eddie went to the drive-in, they parked in the very back row and got each other off in the back of Eddie’s van. 

Eddie grinned at him, likely remembering the same night. “It’ll be great. They’re showing Grease .” 

Chrissy nodded, smiling. “Okay. Yeah. I’ll ask her tomorrow, during her shift.” She took a larger bite of her French toast. “So, Eddie, what are we doing for your birthday next week?” 

Eddie shrugged. “Getting high off our asses and dicking around?” 

“We do that every year. We have friends now. You have a boyfriend now. Let’s do something different.” 

“How about you all come to mine and we get high off our asses and play stupid party games?” Steve offered. “Then you can stay the night.” 

Eddie smiled. “Sure. You better have a good birthday present for me, loverboy." 

"Oh, you're gonna love it. Trust me." 

"Not to one-up you, but there's no way it's as good as what I got him," Chrissy said with a mischievous smile. 

Steve returned the smile. "We'll just have to wait and see, then." 

~

Steve walked into Family Video and quickly looked around before asking Robin, "It's Chrissy, right?" 

She looked up from her basket of returned tapes. "What?" 

"The girl you like. It's Chrissy." 

Robin felt her face flush. "How'd you- yeah." 

Steve grinned. "Great. At some point during your shift, she's going to come in and ask you out. It's gonna be a double date, with me and Eds." 

"Why would you tell me that? Now you've ruined the surprise!" 

"I don't trust your ability to guess when people are asking you out on dates. I also don't really trust Chrissy to make it clear that it's a date." 

"But now I'm gonna be anxious the whole shift! Fuck!" 

"It's gonna be fine. Trust me." 

Robin did, indeed, spend her shift feeling anxious. Towards the end, when it was slower in business, Chrissy finally walked in, Eddie a few steps behind. He waved at Steve and made his way over to the sci-fi section. Steve followed him, muttering some excuse about restocking and leaving Robin to her own awkward devices. 

"Hi, Robin." 

"Hey, Chrissy! You, uh, looking for a movie?" 

"No, actually. I was wondering if you wanted to go to the drive-in with me this Friday. They're showing Grease ."

Robin smiled. "Yeah. Yeah, I'd love to. I don't have a car. Or a driver's license." 

"Neither do I." 

Before Robin could anxiety spiral about their date being ruined by her inability to drive, Steve called out, "Eddie and I can drive!" 

"Great!" Chrissy said. She smiled softly at Robin. "It's a date, then. A double date." 

Robin giggled nervously. "Can't wait."

Chapter Text

Dio was turned up to top volume in Eddie's van as he drove to Steve's house. He was picking Steve up first, then Chrissy since she lived on the next street over. Robin was the last stop, since she lived closest to the drive-in. 

He pulled into the driveway and turned off his car. He went up the walkway and knocked on the door. 

He froze when the person who answered was not Steve. It was a middle-aged man with a thick mustache and well-pressed clothes on. Fuck. He must have been Steve's dad. "Who are you?" the man asked. 

"Eddie. Munson." 

"And why are you at my house, Eddie Munson?" 

"To pick up Steve."

"How do you know Steve?"

A few answers went through Eddie's head, none of which he could say out loud. Answers like 'I'm fucking your son' and 'He's my boyfriend' and 'I turned him gay.' What actually came out of his mouth was, "He's… I'm his… friend." 

Steve's dad narrowed his eyes at him. "I don't believe my son would be friends with someone like you." 

"Someone like me?" Eddie repeated, incredulous.

Steve came down the stairs then, his eyes widening when he saw his dad. "Oh my God, Dad."

His dad turned to him. "Who is this? Steve, I thought I raised you better than to hang out with people like him." 

Steve gave his dad a look. "Well, I guess you didn't do a good enough job. He's my-" Steve seemed to go through a quick internal debate before settling on, "-friend. He's a good friend of mine, and we're going to see a movie. So bye. I'll be home late." 

"People like me," Eddie muttered as they walked away. He caught Steve's dad eyeing his van distastefully as Steve got in the passenger's seat. Eddie got in the driver's seat. 

"Drive," Steve said quickly. "Come on, let's go." 

Eddie pulled out of the driveway. They sat in silence for a moment, then Steve said, "So, you met my dad." 

"Mm. Yeah. That did happen."

"I'm so sorry." Steve rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands. "He's a dick. I should've warned you he'd be home, but I thought I'd be able to get the door when you came, and-" 

"Stevie, it's fine. I didn't expect him to like me."

"Still, he didn't have to say those shitty things to you." 

Eddie took one hand off the wheel to lace his fingers through Steve's. "Listen, as far as I'm concerned, you're the only Harrington whose opinion I care about. Not your dad or your mom or anyone else who leaves you alone in that big empty house for days on end. Got it?" 

"Yeah, I got it." He smiled softly. "In my opinion, I don't think I could've chosen anyone better to be my boyfriend." Eddie could feel himself blushing, but he didn't care. He just raised their joined hands to his lips and kissed Steve's knuckles. 

~

The van was parked in the back, for privacy. Eddie and Steve were tangled up together in the backseat, sharing Skittles. Robin and Chrissy sat up front, a bag of popcorn between them. Steve was rooting for them to have a romantic hand brushing moment.

"Danny Zuko is lame as fuck," Eddie muttered near Steve's ear. 

"Yeah? I think he kinda reminds me of you," Steve muttered back. 

Eddie gave him a look that nearly made him shiver. "Fuck off. You know that makes you Sandy." 

Steve thought about it for a minute. "Sure. I could pull off the skirts. And the leather pants at the end of the movie."

The look in Eddie's eyes changed. "Would you really wear a skirt?" Steve shrugged, and Eddie hummed, looking back towards the movie screen. "Much to think about."

Steve snorted and started carding his fingers through Eddie's hair absentmindedly. He watched as both Robin and Chrissy reached for the popcorn, and their hands brushed. He smiled triumphantly. The two girls apologized to each other and grabbed their popcorn. After, they laced their hands together. 

About a third of the way into the movie, Eddie scooted a bit closer and put his hand on Steve's thigh. "See, I'm not like Danny Zuko, because we're on a date at the drive-in and I haven't tried to molest you. Points for me." 

"But what if it wasn't molesting me? What if I gave my consent to having my boob grabbed?" 

Eddie chuckled. "Do I have consent?" 

"Absolutely." 

And that was all Eddie needed to gently push Steve down in the back and press their mouths together. Steve knew they wouldn't do much more than making out because their friends were there, but that didn't mean he couldn't indulge a little. So his hands wound up on Eddie's ass as said man attacked his neck with kisses and bites. 

Their half of the double date was going spectacularly, as far as Steve was concerned. 

~

Robin fought to hide the grimace that was working its way onto her face. She didn't want Chrissy to think it was because of her. Really, it was because of Steve and Eddie. Specifically, Steve whimpering quite loudly and Eddie telling him to shut up in a tone of voice Robin never wanted to hear again. She didn't want to know what they were doing back there, she only wished they would stop doing it. God, she wished she had a car and knew how to drive. 

"This is weird, right? Not us, but them," Chrissy asked quietly. 

"Yeah, super weird. And kinda gross." 

Chrissy got a mischievous smile on her face. "Well… What if they weren't the only ones kissing?" 

Robin's eyebrows rose and she felt her face heat up. "Oh. Okay." 

Chrissy's hand came up to her jaw, and she drew Robin in for a soft, sweet kiss. Robin had never kissed anyone before, and she never wanted to stop kissing Chrissy. Her lips were so soft and slightly sticky from her lip gloss. Her small fingers threaded into Robin's hair, making Robin realize she had no idea what to do with her own hands. She put one on Chrissy's hip, and brought the other up to caress her cheek. 

They split apart when Eddie hissed, "Stevie, shut the fuck up. I told you to be quiet because our friends are in the car with us." 

"I know, I know, I'm sorry," Steve whispered back. 

"You two are fucking disgusting," Robin said, face burning. 

"Sorry," Steve said. 

"You are welcome to sit outside," Eddie said. "I have lawn chairs." 

Steve looked around the back of the van. "You do? Where?" 

Eddie gestured to two folded lawn chairs leaning against the side of the van. Robin and Chrissy shared a look, then both got out of the van. "We'll take the chairs." 

Robin opened the back doors to see Eddie still straddling Steve. She rolled her eyes and grabbed the chairs, not bothering to close the doors. She and Chrissy set the chairs up in front of the car and returned their focus to the movie.

~

Steve had very few thoughts in his mind other than the fact that Eddie's tongue was more in Steve's mouth than Eddie's own. His hands were on Eddie's ass, and Eddie had one hand on Steve's throat and the other in his hair. Eddie rolled his hips down, drawing a whimper from Steve. 

"Holy shit, Steve?" 

The all too familiar voice made Steve and Eddie spring apart like they were on fire. They might as well have been, with how hot Steve's face felt. Because standing at the foot of the van, framed by the open back doors, was none other than Nancy and Jonathan. They each had sodas in hand, likely just coming back from the snack stand. Nancy's face was pink, her jaw practically on the floor. Jonathan just stood wide-eyed behind her. 

A million thoughts went through Steve's head. She was gonna say something awful, he would never be invited to the Wheelers' house again, she was going to end their friendship right here and now-

"Hey, Nance," Steve forced himself to say, but his voice came out high-pitched.

"Yeah, hey, Nance," Eddie repeated, but his voice was low and hoarse and Steve was incredibly jealous that Eddie was able to maintain some kind of dignity in this situation. Steve, on the other hand, was all high-pitched and currently pinned down under another man. He separated himself fully from Eddie, but that didn't help because he was wearing tight jeans that did nothing to hide his current situation.

"Steve, are you-"

Steve said, "Bisexual? Yeah." at the exact same time that Nancy finished her question, "-a bottom?" 

Jonathan blushed at that, hissing, "Nancy!" 

Eddie chuckled. "That he is, Nance." 

"I'm gonna kill you," Steve said to Eddie, before turning to Nancy. "What the fuck?" 

Nancy's face was the brightest shade of red he'd ever seen. "Sorry, I just… We're both a little high and I didn't even think about it and the words were out of my mouth and I kind of knew you were bisexual because of how much you liked All The Right Moves when we were dating and I'm gonna stop talking now." She cringed at her own word-vomit. 

Jonathan scratched his neck. "I think what she means to say is that we're happy for you and we're cool with it. We won't tell anyone, either." 

"Thanks," Steve said. 

"You guys wanna come to my birthday party next week?" Eddie asked with an innocent grin. "We're gonna get high and play stupid party games. Or drunk, if that's your preference." 

Nancy nodded. "Yeah, sure. Where?" 

"My house. Friday night," Steve said. 

Jonathan nodded. "Okay, well, we're gonna go. Get back to the movie." 

"Yeah. You might, um, want to close the doors," Nancy said. 

"Yes. Yeah. Thank you," Steve said. "Bye." The couple walked away, and Steve closed the van doors before burying his face in his hands. "That was the worst thing that's ever happened to me." 

Eddie snorted. "Drama queen. That could have gone so much worse and you know it." 

"Yeah, I know. But still, it was so goddamn awkward ." 

"We'll move on from the awkwardness. Just be happy your friends are cool with you getting railed by the town freak." 

Steve shoved him, but laughed. "Shut up." 

Eddie grinned devilishly. "Make me." 

And Steve did make him, pushing Eddie down on the seats and pressing their mouths together again.

Chapter Text

Everyone was gathered in Steve's kitchen for Eddie's party. There was a cake in the fridge that Eddie didn't know about yet, which they would have later. Before that, they all had to get inebriated. 

"Pick your poison," Eddie said, gesturing to the joints he'd rolled for the occasion and the alcohol Steve had gathered from around the house. "No one's doing this night sober." He picked up a joint for himself. 

Steve poured himself a drink. He poured one for Nancy too when she extended her cup. Jonathan and Chrissy opted to take joints. Robin got herself a beer. 

Those who had chosen alcohol waited for the stoners to light up. They all raised their cups or joints as Eddie said, "Cheers, m'dears." They all took their first sip or hit together. 

And so the night began. 

~

They were sprawled in a sort of circle around Steve's living room. Steve and Eddie were partially on top of each other, Jonathan was mostly in Nancy's lap, and Robin was seated between Chrissy's legs. 

"Steve, truth or dare?" Nancy asked. 

"Dare." 

"Take one of Eddie's rings off without using your hands." 

Eddie extended a hand to him. Steve stared at it for a moment, thinking about his course of action. Then he lowered his mouth, took the ring between his teeth, and pulled it off Eddie's finger. Eddie was blushing ever so slightly as he turned his hand palm-up and Steve released the ring from his mouth, dropping it into his hand. "Easy," he said to Nancy. He looked at Robin. "Truth or dare, Rob?" 

"Dare." 

"Do the time warp. From-" 

"Rocky Horror, yeah, I know." She got up. "Fuck, how does it go…" 

Eddie started singing the song, " It's just a jump to the left, and then a step to the right…" 

Robin followed along as Eddie sang the steps. She did it through once, then sat back down. "Okay, that's enough. Eddie, truth or dare?" 

He inhaled slowly from his second joint of the night. "Let's change it up a bit. Truth." 

Robin looked around the room, thinking. "Oh! Describe a sexual fantasy you have." 

Eddie grinned evilly. "You're absolutely going to regret asking that." 

"How bad could it be?" she asked. Chrissy and Steve both gave her a look that said You have no idea.  

Eddie tossed his head back momentarily. "Let's see, which one should I do… There's the Alice Cooper one, but you guys won't like that. There's a snake involved." He looked at Steve. "How about the one about Stevie here?"

Steve felt his face heat up. "You don't-" 

"Do it," Robin said. 

That was all Eddie needed. He launched into a very detailed and explicit tale of his fantasy of tying Steve up and fucking him until he was begging for release. By the end, Steve's face must have been a deeper red than a fire engine. Eddie continued on smoking as if nothing had happened. Robin had a look on her face that clearly said she was filled with regret. "Remember, Buckley, you asked for it." 

Nancy shuddered. "Well, now that Robin has forced us all to be scarred by that mental image… Eddie, it's your turn to ask a question." 

"Mm. Jonathan, truth or dare?" 

"Truth. Don't ask me anything sexual, please." 

"Fair. Um… Oh! First celebrity crush?" 

"Audrey Hepburn." He turned to Nancy. "Truth or dare?" 

"Dare." 

"Let Steve and Robin mix you the grossest drink they can come up with." 

Steve exchanged an excited look with Robin, and they went to the kitchen together. They poured a concoction of alcohol and whatever other beverages Steve had in the fridge. Robin handed it to Nancy, who gingerly took a sip. She made a face. "Why is it so sour?" 

"There's like two whole lemons in there," Steve said. 

"Ugh." She managed to down the rest of it. Then she squared her shoulders. "Chrissy, truth or dare?" 

"Truth." 

"What's the most embarrassing thing you've seen Eddie do?" 

"It is my birthday, I think I should be exempt from humiliation-" Eddie protested, but Chrissy was already grinning evilly. 

"The first year we knew each other, we both got invited to a Halloween party. I knew the host, and the host had told me it was not a costume party. So I wore a black dress. And then Eddie showed up fully dressed as Norman Bates from Psycho , when he's wearing the dress. Not one other person was wearing a costume. I felt so bad for him." 

Eddie hid his face in his hands. "That was the worst Halloween ever." 

"Aw, come on, I stole that candy from the party and we did shots at your trailer after. Besides, you looked great in the dress," Chrissy said genuinely. 

"Thank you, but no, I didn't."

Chrissy rolled her eyes fondly. "Robin, truth or dare?" 

~

Everyone had cake on their plates as Eddie opened his presents. Robin had gotten him a new patch for his denim vest, Nancy had gotten him a few blank cassettes so he could make mixes, and Jonathan had gotten him a Sex Pistols vinyl. Apparently, at some point unknown to Steve, the two had discovered their music tastes somewhat overlapped and now they bonded over that. 

Eddie went for Chrissy's present next. He read silently through the card she got him, then opened the envelope inside. His jaw dropped. "No fucking way. How did you get these?" 

Chrissy smiled. "It pays to have a father who travels sometimes. And who's rich." 

"What is it?" Robin asked. 

Eddie held up the two slips of paper. "Black Sabbath tickets! I've never actually seen them in concert, this is so fucking cool!" He got up and hugged Chrissy tightly. "We are gonna have so much fun."

Steve laughed. "Damn, I think you were right, Chris. Your present is better than mine." 

"Told ya." 

"Well, let's see about that." Eddie separated from Chrissy and picked up Steve's present. He read the card silently, which Steve had written earlier. It told Eddie that this was only part one of the gift, and the second part would come once everyone else had gone to bed in the guest rooms. 

He opened the small gift and grinned. "Sick! New dice." He gave Steve a knowing look. "Did Henderson show you where to buy these?" 

"He absolutely did. I picked the color though, and that's what really matters." 

The dice were D&D dice, and they were marbled red and black with gold numbers. Steve knew Eddie collected dice, so the gift was perfect. And the gift later was even better.

Eddie got up and sat himself on Steve's lap, then kissed his cheek. "Thank you, loverboy." 

Robin snorted at the pet name. Steve flipped her off. She rolled her eyes and said, "I don't know about you guys, but I'm tired as fuck. I think it's time for bed." 

"Yeah, that sounds great," Chrissy agreed. Nancy and Jonathan muttered their own agreements. 

Steve showed them to the two guest rooms. Robin and Chrissy took one while Jonathan and Nancy took the other. Steve took Eddie's hand and led him to his bedroom. He sat him on the bed and said, "Wait here and I'll be right back with part two of your gift." 

"All right." 

~

Eddie sat patiently on Steve's bed, awaiting the second part of his present. He had no idea what it would be, but he was guessing it was something sexual since it was being given to him alone. 

"You ready?" Steve called from the ensuite bathroom. 

"Ready!" Eddie called back. 

The door opened and Steve walked out. Eddie's eyes lit up and he let out a low whistle. Steve posed, putting his hands on his hips. "Ahoy, sailor," Eddie said. 

Steve was fully decked out in the Scoops Ahoy uniform, hat and all. He was even wearing those tall white socks. He crossed the room and straddled Eddie's lap on the bed. "Happy birthday, babe." 

Eddie's hands were on Steve, roaming everywhere he could reach. "I think you were wrong." 

"How so?" 

"This is better than Chrissy's present." 

Steve threaded his fingers in Eddie's hair. "Mm… Obviously, we can do whatever you want, but… I was thinking maybe we could make that fantasy of yours real." 

Eddie exhaled sharply. "Fuck. Yes, please." He flipped them so that he was on top of Steve on the bed. "You ready, sailor?" 

"Ready." 

~

The next morning, everyone gathered in Steve's kitchen again for breakfast. Eddie sat on the counter, looking very smug about the scattered hickeys on Steve's neck, visible above the collar of his shirt. 

Robin frowned at him. "Gross. Gross . I'm slutshaming you, Steve." 

Steve gave her a look. "You have no right to slutshame me after the things I have heard from your mouth about Chrissy-" 

"Shut up!" Robin cut him off, blushing. 

Chrissy looked at her curiously. "What are you saying about me? Or, should I say, what fantasies are you having about me?" 

"I'll, uh… I'll tell you later. I think we all heard enough sex stuff last night." 

Eddie shrugged. "I don't mind." 

"Neither do I," Steve said unhelpfully. He looked at Nancy and Jonathan. "You guys?" 

"Don't make me a part of this," Jonathan said.

Nancy shook her head. "I don't care. I was scarred already, and there's no way Robin's fantasy is anything like Eddie's." 

"All of you are dead to me except Jonathan. Today has shown that he is my only true friend." She put her hands on her hips indignantly. "Fine. Fine. I fantasize about her sitting on my face while she's wearing a skirt. Are we all happy now?" 

"That was bland as hell," Eddie said. Then he shrugged. "But you're a virgin, so…" 

Robin glared at him. "Fuck off, you little vampire." She turned and started walking away. "I'm leaving. I'll see you at work tomorrow, Steve."

Chrissy followed her out the door. Steve rolled his eyes. "She's so dramatic." 

Nancy checked her watch. "We should get going too. See you two around." She and Jonathan waved goodbye and headed out, leaving just Steve and Eddie. 

Steve slotted himself between Eddie's knees, looking up at him. "Well, how was your birthday?" 

"Fantastic, Stevie. Best one I've had in years." He kissed Steve sweetly. "Thanks for making it so special."

"You're very welcome."

Chapter Text

Eddie stood with his arms crossed in Steve's backyard as Robin and Chrissy made out. "Your best friend is making out with my prom date," he complained to Steve. 

"Your prom date is dating my best friend, so yeah." Steve kissed Eddie deeply. "Do you feel better now?" 

Eddie smiled and blushed a little. "Yeah." 

"You look very handsome." He really did. He had on a dark black suit, a purple dress shirt and a black tie. His hair was up in a bun, his bangs still loose around his face. His boutonniere had white and purple flowers that matched Chrissy's corsage. She had on a similarly purple dress that flattered her curves. Officially, she and Eddie were going to the prom together with Robin tagging along solo. Really, Chrissy and Robin were going together and Eddie was tagging along.

"Still, I can't believe I'm gonna be third wheeling all night." 

Steve scoffed. "Are you kidding? I'm so jealous you guys get to go to prom. I loved prom last year." 

"Careful, Stevie, your high school popularity is showing."

"Sorry." He shouted to the girls, "Ladies! Quit making out for a second so I can get some pictures!" 

They separated and both checked their makeup before posing for a few pictures with Eddie. They took a few of all three of them, then a couple of Eddie holding Chrissy bridal-style, then some cute couple photos of Chrissy and Robin, then some of Eddie and Steve in various silly poses. 

"All right, you guys need to go," Steve said eventually. They all piled into Steve's car, Eddie in the front and the girls in the back. Eddie turned the radio to some heavy metal song Steve didn't recognize. He felt like he should know it, but he didn't. 

He parked at the school, where a crowd of teens were gathered outside. Steve squeezed Eddie's hand. "See you later. Have fun." 

"We will." Eddie leaned close as the girls got out of the car. "I'm gonna go do this stupid prom thing, and then I'm gonna come back to your place and give you the best orgasm of your life." 

Steve smirked, even though he felt his face heating up. "Big words, Munson. We'll see if you live up to them." 

"Oh, I will, loverboy." He squeezed Steve's hand again. "See you later." 

~

As soon as Eddie walked into the gym with Chrissy on his arm, he felt eyes on him. Of course people were staring. Eddie the Freak Munson was at the prom with Princess Chrissy Cunningham. He couldn't let the staring bother him, because then it would bother Chrissy. So he bowed dramatically and extended a hand to her. "May I have this dance, madame?" 

"You may, sir." The two of them went out to the dance floor. Some crappy Hall and Oates song was playing, but Eddie didn't care. He glanced over to make sure Robin was okay, and she was standing to the side with some band friends, including Vickie. 

Eddie put on a show of twirling Chrissy around and showing off their close friendship through acting very comfortable with her. She smiled and went along with it. 

They kept this up for a few more songs, genuinely enjoying the dance. Robin seemed to be enjoying herself as well, still with her band friends. Everyone seemed to have gotten over Eddie and Chrissy being there together. 

"I'm gonna go outside for a smoke," Eddie said. Chrissy nodded. Eddie made his way out of the gym and over to the back of the school. He took a pack of cigarettes and a lighter out of his suit pocket. He didn't even get to light the cigarette before Jason walked over, Chrissy's arm in his grasp. 

"Jason, let go of me," she protested. 

Jason practically threw her towards Eddie, who managed to catch her and steady her. "The hell, man?" Eddie asked. 

"I'm putting an end to this," Jason said. "I don't know how, but you have corrupted Chrissy. You're making her a different person. You're ruining her. She never would have hung out with freaks like you when I knew her. But somehow you've hypnotized her into thinking you're her friend. You probably just want her for some sick serial killer plot of yours." 

Eddie glared at him. "You have no idea what the fuck you're talking about." 

"Oh, but I do. Clearly you're doing something sketchy because the Chrissy I knew wouldn't have shacked up with some freaky fag like you." 

"Jason!" Chrissy exclaimed. 

"Well, that's where you're wrong, Carver. We're not 'shacking up.' We're just friends. We have a genuine, healthy friendship, something you wouldn't understand." 

Jason turned on Chrissy. "And since when are you friends with queers?" 

"Since always, you moron," Chrissy said. "I've been friends with Eddie for years and he has done so much more for me than you ever did. He is a better man than you'll ever be." 

Jason raised his hand, and the next few moments seemed to happen in slow motion. His hand came down, Chrissy brought her arms up to shield herself, Eddie jumped in front of her and Jason's hand made contact with Eddie's chest. 

Jason glared at him. "Get out of my way, freak." 

"No. I will not let you hit my best friend. Actually-" Eddie shoved Jason. "I won't let you treat her the way you have been these past few months." 

"You really want to get in a fight with me, Munson?" 

"Yeah, I fucking do." Eddie did want to fight, but he was smart enough that he wasn't going to throw the first punch. So, he let Jason wind up and knock him in the jaw. Eddie was pretty sure his lip was split. 

"Eddie!" Chrissy cried out. 

"I'm fine!" Eddie choked out. Then he pulled back and punched Jason in the face. He had the advantage of wearing chunky rings, so his punches cut more. This one left a shallow cut on Jason's cheekbone. 

"You're gonna pay for that." Jason tackled him to the ground, the back of his head hitting the pavement hard. 

Eddie clawed at Jason's face. It was a dirty move, but Eddie didn't care. Jason punched him again. Eddie flipped them over so he was on top of Jason. He thanked whatever god might be out there that his boyfriend was decently heavy, otherwise he never would've had the strength to overpower Jason. He punched Jason again, then again before he could recover. "Leave me and Chrissy the fuck alone!" 

He punched him again, but Jason moved his head and Eddie's fist smashed into the pavement. "Fuck!" Jason flipped them over again, this time pinning Eddie down so he couldn't move. 

"Listen here, freak. You may have some moves, but you're no match for me. And soon enough, Chrissy is gonna realize you're just some loser queer that's wasting her time. So maybe you should leave her the fuck alone." His fist drew back and he hit Eddie again. 

Eddie didn't know how much time had passed or how many times Jason hit him before he heard a loud thunk and Jason fell off of him and onto the ground. He looked up to see Robin, wide-eyed and clutching a large rock. She must have used it to knock Jason out. 

"Hey, Rob, nice save!" Eddie said, voice thin and high-pitched. And then he passed out. 

~

Steve was sitting on the couch at home, leafing through a magazine. He had MTV on, and the music video for Billy Ocean's Caribbean Queen was playing. 

The phone rang, and Steve got up to get it. "Harrington residence-" 

Robin's panicked voice cut him off, " Steve, you have to come to the high school right now! Eddie got in a fight with Jason and he's really hurt- " 

"Be right there." Steve hung up and grabbed his keys, then ran to his car. He drove as fast as he could without getting pulled over. He parked at the high school. Luckily, Robin was out in the parking lot waiting for him. "Where's Eddie?" 

Robin led him to the back of the school. Eddie was on the ground, his head in Chrissy's lap. Chrissy was stroking the side of his face, crying. Jason was sprawled on the ground a few feet away. Steve knelt beside Eddie. "Eddie, oh my God…" 

"You should see the other guy," Eddie managed to say, smiling and showing the blood in his mouth. He turned his head to spit some blood on the pavement. 

Steve glanced over at Jason, who actually did look worse than Eddie. He guessed that was from Eddie's rings. "Come on, we gotta go." He picked Eddie up and carried him to his car. He laid him down in the backseat with Chrissy. Robin sat up front. 

Steve drove back to his house. He helped Eddie into the house. He started for the bathroom, and Chrissy started following him. Steve waved her away. "I got it. You stay with Robin." 

Chrissy nodded, and Robin hugged her from behind. Steve led Eddie to the bathroom, gently sitting him on the closed toilet seat lid. Eddie slowly took his tie and suit jacket off, then unbuttoned the first couple buttons of his shirt while Steve got out the first aid kit. 

Steve put his hand under Eddie's chin, tilting his face up to assess his injuries. He had a split lip, a bruise near his eye, and blood trickling from his nose. "Hands," Steve murmured. Eddie offered his hands. One seemed fine, the other was bloody and raw. Steve carefully removed his rings and set them on the side of the sink. "Anything else hurt?" 

"My head kills and my left ear is ringing." 

Steve nodded. He got a cup of water and aspirin, handing them to Eddie. Once Eddie got the pills down, Steve took a damp washcloth and started cleaning Eddie's wounds. He gently scrubbed his knuckles, then dabbed his lip even more gently. He cleared the blood from his nose, then rinsed the washcloth. He wrapped some bandages around Eddie's hand. There wasn't much he could do for the lip and bruise. 

"Why would you get in a fight with Jason Carver? You know he's stronger than you." 

"I thought I'd be able to overpower him. I can overpower you." 

Steve gave him a look. "I let you overpower me because I like it. I could very easily stop you." 

Eddie gave him a disbelieving look, but it faded into curiosity. "No shit?" 

Steve nodded. "Yeah. I was an athlete, man. And you've never been the fighting type, so what gives?" 

Eddie ran a hand through his disheveled hair, which was no longer tied up. "He… He was saying these awful things, most of which I'm used to. But then he started saying things about Chrissy. And he tried to hit Chrissy. And my resolve kinda just snapped."

Anger flared in Steve's stomach at the idea that anyone would want to hurt Chrissy. He could see where Eddie was coming from. "You're an idiot." 

Eddie smiled, mouth still slightly tinged red. "I know. But you love it." 

Steve stared at him for a moment. They hadn't said those words to each other yet. But it was true. Steve loved Eddie. More than he'd ever loved anyone, he thought. Why not tell him? "Yeah, I do." 

Eddie tilted his head. "Wait- Do you mean-" 

"I love you, Eddie." 

Eddie grinned, but quickly stopped. "Fuck, it hurts to smile. Shit." He looked up at Steve. "I love you too. Want a bloody, split-lip kiss?" 

He chuckled and kissed Eddie softly. He tasted coppery, which was gross, but Steve didn't care because he was in love. Eddie pulled away with a grimace. "Sorry, my lip really hurts. Now I'm really pissed off about fighting Jason 'cause I want to fuck you but I can't even kiss you. And my left ear is still fucking ringing." 

"Well, you shouldn't have gotten into a fight, moron." 

"Yeah, yeah, you're right. Now fuck off, Chrissy's probably freaking out." Eddie patted his shoulder as he pushed past him. "Love you." 

Steve shook his head and followed Eddie out of the bathroom. 

In the living room, Robin was rubbing Chrissy's shoulders and Chrissy was bouncing her leg anxiously. Eddie practically fell down on the loveseat, splaying out. "Eddie, are you okay?" 

Eddie gave her a weak thumbs up with his bandaged hand. "I'm fine."

"I'm not really worried about your injuries, I know you'll be fine. I'm more worried about what he said to you," Chrissy said. 

"What did he say?" Steve asked. 

"You know, the usual. I'm a freak, a fag, a queer. I bewitched Chrissy into being my friend and one day she'll realize I'm a loser. I don't give a shit what he thinks, he's fucking insane. Besides, I've heard it all before." 

Steve frowned. He hated hearing about the terrible things people said to Eddie. "None of those people know what they're talking about. They don't know you. If they knew you, they wouldn't be saying those terrible things to you." 

"They'd still be calling me a queer. But thank you, love, I get your point." 

Robin raised an eyebrow at that, but didn't comment on it. Instead, she said, "I think all in all this was a pretty good prom. Eddie got the shit kicked out of him, Chrissy cried, and I knocked someone out with a rock. Super cool and normal." 

"More exciting than my senior prom," Steve said. "I just made out with Patty Lin." 

"I don't know, that sounds pretty exciting," Eddie teased. 

"Shut up, moron." 

"You love me." 

"Yeah, yeah."

Chapter Text

Steve, Robin, Chrissy and Eddie all arrived at the Wheelers’ house together. Steve rang the doorbell and put his hands on his hips. 

Mike answered, eyes going straight to Eddie. “What the fuck happened to your face?” 

“Watch your language,” Eddie said. He stepped inside, ruffling Mike’s hair as he passed. “I’ll tell you in a minute, I don’t wanna tell the story like five times.” 

The five of them went down to the basement, where everyone else was gathered. They all looked at Eddie, with his bruised eye and healing lip and red knuckles. “What happened to you?” Dustin asked. 

“He got in a fight like a moron,” Steve said, going to sit on the couch next to Nancy and Jonathan. 

“I was defending Chrissy’s honor,” Eddie said. “I kicked Jason Carver’s ass.” 

Robin snorted. “I had to intervene and knock him out with a rock. You weren’t doing the ass kicking.” 

“I was before you came!” 

“It’s true, he got some really good hits in,” Chrissy said. She sat on the ground, and Robin sat next to her. 

“Why’d you fight him?” Max asked.

Eddie shrugged nonchalantly. “He called me a fag and said I bewitched Chrissy into being my friend. You know, same old same old.” 

They all gave him the same look Steve had given him when he’d heard what happened. Like they couldn’t believe Eddie had to hear these things and that he was so careless about it. 

“Well, you shouldn’t listen to Jason,” Mike said. “‘Cause obviously none of those things are true.” 

Eddie snorted. “Man, I’m gay as hell. It’s a little true.” 

Mike glanced between him and Chris. “What? I thought you were dating Chrissy.” 

“Why does everyone think that? Steve thought it, Robin thought it, my band, Jason- Jesus Christ.” Eddie threw his hands up in exasperation. 

“You do kinda act like a couple,” Lucas said. 

Dustin shook his head. "He acts the same way with Steve and those two aren't dating." 

Steve and Eddie exchanged a look, having a silent conversation. Eddie shrugged, trying to convey that he didn't mind telling the kids as long as Steve was okay with it. Steve seemed to get the message, because he said, "Dustin, man, Eddie and I are together."

Dustin, Mike, Lucas and Will all asked, "What?" 

"Yeah, we've been dating for a few months," Eddie said, crossing the room and sitting on the ground between Steve's legs. 

"Did you guys know about this?" Mike asked the other older teenagers. 

"Yep," Robin said. "I was the first person they told, 'cause Steve loves talking to me about his romantic pursuits." 

"I knew. Being Eddie's girlfriend and all," Chrissy said with a laugh. 

"We knew, but we found out by accident," Nancy said, gesturing to herself and Jonathan. "We caught them making out at the drive-in." 

"I knew too," Max said. "My trailer is close to Eddie's, and Steve's car is parked there overnight a lot. I kinda put the pieces together. And I saw you making out through the window." 

Dustin gasped and looked at Steve. "Are you gonna join Hellfire now?" 

Eddie looked up at Steve excitedly. Ever since they started dating, he'd wanted Steve to join a campaign, but he didn't want to push. Steve frowned at Dustin, but when he saw the look on Eddie's face, he seemed to crumble. "I'm not joining the club, but… Maybe I'll play, like, one match. Only if Eddie is the DM." 

"Absolutely," Eddie said. "And it's a campaign, not a match. Although, we should start you out with a one-shot. We can make you a character later. I'll start writing soon. This is gonna be so fucking cool-" 

"Oh boy. What am I getting myself into?" Steve muttered. 

"You're gonna love it, I promise," Eddie said.

"Can I join?" Chrissy asked. "I keep wanting to play because you get so excited about it."

"The more the merrier," Eddie said with a grin. He couldn't wait for this game. He got to play with his club, his boyfriend and his best friend. Fucking heaven. 

"Anyway, can we get to the games now?" Will asked. 

"Yeah," Mike said, already dealing out cards for Uno. 

~

"Why do we always end up hanging out here? You all have real houses we could be at instead of squishing together in this little trailer," Eddie complained. He was in the kitchen, making popcorn. Steve, Robin and Chrissy were sprawled out on the couch, Robin and Chrissy cuddled together. 

"It's all an elaborate ruse to hang out with Wayne more," Robin said, smiling at Wayne, who was leaning against the kitchen counter and drinking coffee. He smiled back at her. 

"Yes, we all love Wayne. But seriously," Eddie said. 

"Well, we can't hang out at my house," Chrissy said. "My mom is there. And you all end up getting mad when you come over." 

"Because we have to listen to your bitchy mom abuse you. It's angering," Eddie said. Robin and Steve nodded in agreement.

"We can hang out at my house, but… I hate being there and try to avoid it as much as I can," Steve said. 

Eddie frowned. "Oh, honey." Steve smiled at him as if he hadn't just said the most pathetic sounding thing that had ever come out of his mouth.

"And my mom is homophobic," Robin said. "So you can see why we choose the tiny trailer with the accepting uncle." 

"And I am glad to have you all here," Wayne said. 

There was a knock on the door. Eddie raised an eyebrow at his friends. "Did someone invite the kids?" 

They all shook their heads. Wayne set down his coffee cup and answered the door. Eddie looked over his shoulder and saw Jason. His eyes widened. "Do I know you?" Wayne asked. 

"I'm Jason Carver. I'm looking for Eddie. Is he here?" 

Wayne didn't take his eyes off Jason. "Ah, so you're the reason my boy's got a black eye and bruised knuckles." He crossed his arms. "Listen, son. If I hear you tried to hurt Eddie or Chrissy again, I'm gonna make sure you never get the chance to lay a finger on either one of them ever again. I know what you're like. So quit the obsession with my boy and his friend who broke your heart, because neither of them want anything to do with you." 

Jason frowned, looking a little spooked. "As if I'm scared of some freak's old uncle." 

Chrissy got up off the couch and stormed over to the door. Wayne stepped aside to let her talk. She put her hands on her hips as Jason recovered from the shock of seeing her there. "Listen to me, Jason. I don't love you. I don't like you. I don't want to be with you. No one made me feel that way. Eddie is not some freak that you get to blame for me not liking you. Eddie is a wonderful person that you could never even imagine being like. And you don't get to come here looking for him, picking a fight, and calling his uncle names. You're a privileged little asshole, and you don't get to blame good people for your faults. So get the hell out of my life, because I have found much better people to spend my time with." 

Jason stood in the door, gaping. Wayne stepped forward again. "You heard her. Get the hell off my property before I chase you off." 

That was the final threat needed. Jason turned around and booked it out of the trailer park. Wayne shut the door and returned to his coffee. 

"That was fucking awesome!" Eddie exclaimed. 

"Seriously. I was prepared to lay him out, but you guys handled it way better," Steve said. 

Chrissy hugged Wayne. "Thank you for doing that. I hope it works, because he's been basically stalking me since we broke up." 

"I think we got the message across nice and clear," Wayne said, patting her back. 

"You see why we hang out here? Wayne is the coolest," Robin said. 

"Yes, you've proven your point." He joined the hug with Chrissy and Wayne. "Love you, Wayne."

"Love you too, kid." 

~

Eddie sat on top of the counter at Family Video, helping Steve roll a character for D&D. So far, he had a Human Barbarian with high charisma. He had named the character Edmund Harrison, partially after his boyfriend and partially after his movie star crush Harrison Ford. 

The bell jingled, and Robin walked in. She clocked in and joined them behind the counter. Eddie gasped, causing Steve to look up at Robin. That's when he noticed the purple hickey on her neck. He gasped as well. "Oh my God!" 

Robin blushed. "Shut up. Both of you." 

Eddie tilted his head, getting a better look at the mark. "Who knew Chrissy had it in her?"

"I did," Robin muttered. 

"What is she like in bed? 'Cause I can't figure it out for the life of me," Eddie said. 

"Is this something you think about often? What other people are like in bed?" Steve asked. 

"Yeah, kinda. Like, I pegged you as submissive the third time we hung out. I'm good at guessing these things." He frowned. "But I'm not good at guessing Chrissy. We never talked about sex when she was with Jason 'cause ew , and she hasn't really said anything about Robin, so…" 

Robin was still bright red. "Well, like, she kind of… I don't know, takes care of me? Like, she's super gentle and sweet and she's always saying super sweet things while we're doing stuff, and her hands are always so soft and, like, I've never really understood people who say 'making love' but now I do." 

"Yeah, I never understood that either. But I get it now," Steve said. 

"You do?" Eddie asked. He pulled a face. "When have I ever made love to you?" 

"There's a very clear difference between fucking and making love. Fucking is usually what we do. Making love is that night we were together a couple days after prom." 

Eddie raised his eyebrows, blushing a little. "Oh. Yeah." 

Robin stuck her tongue out at them. "Gross."

"Fuck off, you're the one coming into work with a hickey," Steve said. 

"As if you haven't come in here with your neck chewed up by Eddie before." 

Eddie grinned. Steve rolled his eyes. They all looked up as the bell jingled, and Chrissy came into the store. "Hi, guys!" she said cheerfully. 

"Congratulations, Chris," Eddie said. "Beautiful hickey work." 

Chrissy smiled. "Thank you." 

Robin's blush returned tenfold. She smiled at Chrissy. "Hi." 

Chrissy slipped her hand over Robin's on top of the counter. "Hi." 

"Tch. And they say we're annoying," Eddie muttered to Steve. Steve grinned and pressed a quick kiss to Eddie's jaw, making his ears turn red. He didn't mind being annoying at all if it meant he got to make Eddie blush like that.

Chapter Text

Eddie poked Steve's cheek. "Steve. Stevie. My love. My light. My darling. Wake up." 

Steve groaned and opened his eyes blearily. "What?" 

"Today's the day," he sang. "I'm graduating." 

Steve smiled, rubbing his eyes. "You finally made it." He kissed Eddie tenderly. "I'm proud of you." 

He snorted. "What, for finally finishing senior year three years late?" 

"Yes. I know how hard you worked and I'm damn proud of you for finally doing it. So shut up and let me be a supportive boyfriend." 

“All right.” He got out of bed, stretching. Steve watched him, happy he got to wake up with Eddie most mornings. 

Steve knew he would never get tired of looking at Eddie. Last night, he’d slept in just sweatpants. As he stretched, Steve admired his bare torso, from the acne scars on his back and shoulders to the various tattoos on his arms and chest and ribs. Steve loved his tattoos. His favorite was on Eddie's upper arm, above the bats, depicting the tarot card of the Devil.

“You want coffee?” Eddie asked. 

“Yeah.” Steve got up and followed Eddie into the kitchen. Eddie made coffee, putting a gross amount of sugar into his own and leaving Steve's black. They sat in the living room together. 

Steve looked around at the trailer. Every inch of it was Eddie and Wayne. Wayne had his hats and mugs on the walls. Eddie's cassettes and weird knick-knacks were strewn around the kitchen counter. It was so lived-in and personal, so unlike Steve's pristinely decorated empty house. He wondered what an apartment or trailer might look like if he and Eddie lived together. 

Eddie nudged him. "Whatcha thinking about, love?" 

"What if we moved in together? I mean, I gotta save up some money, but one day." 

Eddie smiled. "I'd really like that." He leaned into Steve. "Imagine that. The Harrington-Munson residence. I'm picturing a tiny apartment with weird furniture." 

Steve snorted. "Yeah, same." 

"Oh, what would our room look like? How are we gonna decorate? Whose sheets are we going to use?" 

A thrill went through Steve's chest at the phrase 'our room.' "Mine, obviously. No offense, but your sheets are kinda gross." 

"Fair." Eddie kept musing about their future home and how they would decorate it. Steve just smiled, incredibly in love with this wonderful boy. 

~

"You all better be cheering for me," Eddie said, looking in the rear view mirror at the kids. "If I see you're not cheering, I'll kill your character in our next campaign." 

"Of course we're gonna cheer for you," Dustin said. "We will be the loudest people in the crowd." 

"You better be," Eddie said with a grin. He looked at Steve in the driver's seat. "I'm expecting the most from you, Stevie." 

"Is my love not enough?" Steve asked, parking in the high school lot. 

"It's plenty, I just want to be cheered on." Eddie got out of the car. He squeezed Steve's hand and ruffled the kids' hair, then took off to where the other graduates were gathering. Steve led the kids to their seats in the bleachers. 

"So, what did you get Eddie as a graduation present?" Lucas asked. 

"I made him a cassette," Steve replied. 

"That's sweet," Will said. 

"I'm glad Eddie's graduating and all, but all I want to find out is who he's passing Hellfire down to," Mike said. 

"Do you know?" Dustin asked Steve. 

Steve shrugged, a small smile on his face. "Maybe. Maybe not." 

"You definitely know," Dustin said. 

"And I'm not telling you," Steve said. "Now, shut up, the thing's starting." 

The principal gave a speech, then Nancy gave one as Valedictorian. Then the graduates lined up, and names were called. They clapped politely for most of the graduates. They cheered a little obnoxiously for Robin, Jonathan and Chrissy. A little while after, Eddie was called. He stuck true to his word, flipping off the principal and running back to his seat. Steve and the kids got a few weird looks from the people around them at how loud they cheered and clapped for Eddie. Eddie grinned up at them from the field. 

A while after that, Nancy was finally called up and they cheered obnoxiously again. A finishing speech was given about how the graduates would go on to accomplish great things, and the ceremony was over. They all met up in the parking lot. 

Eddie launched himself into Steve's arms once he saw him. Steve hugged him back, laughing. "Congratulations, love," he said quietly, so that only Eddie could hear. 

They parted, and Eddie moved on to hug Chrissy with a similar ferocity, lifting her up off the ground and spinning her around. Steve hugged Robin, congratulating her as well. He handed her the flowers he'd gotten her, which she accepted with a bright smile. She took one of the carnations out of the bouquet and handed it to Chrissy, who blushed and smiled. 

"Are we all ready for the after-party?" Nancy asked. 

"Absolutely," Eddie said. 

~

Eddie was lying with his head in Steve's lap and his legs up on Chrissy's lap on the Wheelers' basement couch. Robin, Jane and Max were sitting on the floor, gossiping about something. The younger boys were throwing popcorn into each other's mouths. Nancy and Jonathan were cuddled up off to the side, probably whispering sweet nothings to each other that Eddie didn't want to hear. 

"You think it's time?" Eddie asked. 

"For what?" Chrissy asked. 

"To tell them who I chose." 

"Yeah, it's time. They wouldn't stop bugging me about it," Steve said. "I didn't tell them." 

Eddie grinned. "Thank you for keeping the secret safe, Stevie." He stood up with a flourish, drawing everyone's attention. "The time has come, my friends. Gather 'round, my dearest members of Hellfire." 

The boys quickly flocked to Eddie. "Who is it?" Dustin asked eagerly. 

"Hold on. Let a man give his speech." He clasped his hands behind his back. "After six years of being a dungeon master, I have finally graduated high school. And while I'm over the fucking moon about that, it does mean I cannot longer host Hellfire club for your party. So, I must choose a successor. Someone who embodies the spirit I have created for Hellfire, who believes in its values. Someone who will maintain the club as I have for six years. And that someone is…" 

Steve did a drumroll on his thighs. Eddie took out the pouch that held his usual set of dice, the ones he used for nearly every Hellfire match. "Will the Wise," he finally announced, handing the pouch of dice to Will. 

Will smiled brightly. "Really? Thank you!" 

Eddie grinned back at him. "There's no one I'd rather have take my place. No offense to the rest of you all." 

"No, we get it," Mike said. 

"Yeah, Will's the best fit," Dustin said. 

"I was kind of hoping it would be Will," Lucas said. "He's the best at DM-ing, out of the four of us." 

Will beamed at them all. "I'm so excited. Our first campaign is gonna be epic ." 

"I don't doubt it, Byers." Eddie ruffled Will's hair and sat back down next to Steve, draping his arm over his shoulders. 

The other boys went back to the popcorn, but Will leaned in and said quietly, "Thanks. It really means a lot to me." 

Eddie's smile softened. "Of course. You have big shoes to fill, but I know you can do it." 

Steve rolled his eyes. "You're gonna blow Eddie out of the water." 

Eddie turned on him, gaping. "My own boyfriend, speaking bad of me? You've never even played D&D!" 

"No, but I can tell Will's gonna be amazing." 

"Thanks, Steve." Will turned and rejoined his friends. 

"I definitely made the right choice," Eddie said. 

"Absolutely," Steve agreed. 

~

The sun had set long ago, leaving Eddie's trailer in darkness. The living room was illuminated by the kitchen light, showing the smoke swirling from the nearly burnt out joint in Chrissy's hand. She took the last hit, then snuffed it out in the ashtray. She leaned into Robin. "So, guys, what are our plans for the summer before Robbie and I go to college?" 

"I don't know. This?" Eddie said. 

"This," Steve confirmed. "I was thinking maybe a road trip. The four of us, Nance and Jon. We could go to Lake Michigan. Or Indianapolis." 

"That sounds fun," Robin said. "What are you guys thinking of doing when we're at college?"

"We're gonna move in together. Get an apartment or something," Eddie said. He loved the idea of living with Steve. Waking up next to him every morning, making meals together, making their apartment a safe and accepting place for the kids, like the trailer was for them. "Shit. I should get a job." 

"Do you know what you want to do?" Steve asked. "It's fine if you don't. I still have no idea and I've been out of high school for a year." 

"You mean you don't want to work at Family Video for the rest of your life?" Eddie teased. "I was thinking I'd open a game store. Or, like, a hybrid game store and record store. It would be super fun and it would promote individualism." 

Steve smiled at him. "That sounds awesome." He rested his head on Eddie's shoulder. "Maybe I'll be, like, a gym teacher or something." 

"I can see that," Robin said. "Coach Harrington. It's got a nice ring to it." 

"What are you guys thinking of doing?" Steve asked. 

"I think I'm gonna go into psychology, actually," Chrissy said. "I want to be a therapist." 

"You've done a great amateur job of being my therapist," Eddie said. 

"And I have no idea what I want," Robin said. "I'm gonna try a bunch of stuff out and go from there." 

"You and Steve are made for each other," Eddie said. "As friends, of course. Not that I should have to specify that." 

"The same way you and Chrissy are made for each other," Steve said. "Platonic soulmates." 

"In me and Steve's case, two halves of a whole idiot," Robin said. 

"And in me and Eddie's case, close enough to be mistaken as a couple," Chrissy said. She giggled suddenly. "Can I confess something that never leaves this trailer?" 

"Of course," Steve said. 

Chrissy blushed pink. "When Eddie and I were first becoming friends, before he told me he was gay, I had a teeny little crush on him." 

Eddie laughed. "I'm irresistible. If only I liked women. We'd be a real power couple." He kissed the side of Steve's head. "Not as good as us, though." 

Steve turned to kiss him fully. The girls let that go on for a minute, then Robin fake-gagged and said, "I think it's time for bed." 

"Yeah, that sounds good," Steve agreed. The four of them changed into their pajamas, Eddie and Steve making out a little more while the girls changed. Then they all piled into Eddie's bed. It definitely was not made to fit four fully grown people, but none of them minded the close contact. It helped that Eddie was mostly on top of Steve and that Robin and Chrissy were close enough to blend together into one person.

"Night, guys," Eddie said. 

"Night," they chorused back. 

Steve pecked Eddie's lips. "I love you." 

Eddie smiled and snuggled into Steve's chest. "I love you too."