Work Text:
June, 1988
Eddie sighs as he parks his van at the curb in front of the house, killing the engine and immediately feeling his muscles loosen a bit. The lights are on in the living room and dining room, and the porch light bathes their dark blue front door in a warm glow. Just like every other time he gets home, he takes a moment to happily remind himself that Steve, Robin, and Nancy are all waiting for him inside, safe and sound.
Growing up, he was accustomed to coming home to an empty trailer, cold and dark inside because his uncle Wayne was working another double. From the age of 11, Eddie would come home from school and watch cartoons until dinnertime. He would microwave himself a TV dinner, something cheap and full of trans fat that never quite filled his stomach. Wayne would arrive home from work around 8:00, always apologizing for leaving Eddie home alone for so long. Eddie would smile and assure his uncle that it was okay, that he didn’t mind being home alone, that he was old enough to handle it. Wayne would ruffle his hair affectionately, chat with Eddie for the twenty or so minutes that it took him to eat his own dinner, and retire to bed by 9:00.
And Eddie was fine with that. He had to be fine with it. It's not like he was really given a choice when life dealt him both the Shitty Parents Card and the Gay In A Small Town Card.
But secretly, in a tiny part of Eddie's mind that he used to only ever allow himself to access when he felt like feeling sorry for himself, he had longed to be a little less lonely. He was an only child with two absent parents, and it's not like his social life was thriving as a closeted gay guy who liked metal and a tabletop role-playing game.
He started making friends when Corroded Coffin and Hellfire came into his life around eighth grade, but he longed for a romantic relationship just like everybody else. He used to wonder what it must be like to have a big house and a partner that loved him, waiting to greet him at the front door when he got home. He wanted to come home to a warm home that always had a light on and a person to talk to. He always assumed he would never actually get anything close to that, at least not while living in Hawkins.
He can't help the smile that stretches across his face now. He lives with the love of his life and his two platonic soulmates (Steve and Robin had coined the phrase, but Eddie and Nancy had stolen it as soon as they overheard them using it). As a weird, freakish gay kid in Hawkins, Indiana, he had never allowed himself to dream of being with a man. The thought of ever being able to love a man, to be loved by a man in return - it felt so, so impossible and so, so dangerous to wish for.
Then Eddie met Steve. Then Eddie liked Steve. Then Eddie had a crush on Steve. Then, like a slap in the face, Eddie realized one day that he was in love with Steve Harrington. And lucky for him, Steve Harrington loved him back.
And now. Now Eddie had Steve, and Robin, and Nancy. And with their combined savings, the four of them had pooled together the money to buy a mid-sized home in the suburbs between Loch Nora and Starcourt Mall. They had four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a fireplace in the living room, and a little vegetable garden in the backyard. None of the ceiling fans worked and the dining room was a little small, but the windows are well-insulated and there's more than enough room for all the kids to visit at the same time. And best of all, there's almost always someone home to greet Eddie at the door.
To the outside world, they could be four platonic roommates, living together while in college, or maybe two heterosexual couples. The realtor, a chipper blonde woman wearing a red blazer with massive shoulder pads, had even commented on how cute Eddie and Robin looked together on the day they got the keys, and Steve and Nancy had gone red in the face trying to hold in their laughter.
No one - besides the people that mattered - knew that Steve was dating Eddie, and that Robin was dating Nancy. It was the perfect way for them to live together as queer couples in their regressive small town. It felt too good to be true, like the perfect ruse to fool the straights, and the four of them had once gotten incredibly, ridiculously stoned and cried together about how lucky they all were to be alive and safe and together.
Before they bought the house with the girls, Eddie and Steve had spent the first few months of their relationship spending nights at Steve's house, perpetually empty of his neglectful parents. Eddie remembers thinking that those days had felt like they were playing house, doing little chores together in a house that wasn't actually theirs, floating in the domesticity of it all. That floaty feeling had increased tenfold when they became real-life, mortgage-having, grown-up homeowners; now, their commitment to each other felt even more permanent.
Eddie locks the van and walks up their short gravel driveway, passing Steve’s BMW, Nancy’s station wagon, and Robin's bike. Out of habit, he stops to make sure both of their cars are locked and that all of their windows are rolled up. In Nancy’s passenger seat he spots the mixtape he had made for her and Robin for their last anniversary, two small female symbols drawn in black Sharpie on the front. The mix was full of romantic love songs - including "Heaven" by Warrant, "High I Go Again" by Whitesnake, and "Love Bites" by Def Leppard - that he knew they probably banged to, but as a gay man he really had no interest in thinking about lesbian sex. He was just happy that they enjoyed the gift.
He hops up the steps to their front door and makes his way inside. The sight that greets him is one of his favorites. Robin and Nancy are on their couch together, snuggled under a large pink quilt. Nancy’s head is tipped backwards on Robin’s shoulder as Robin strokes the other woman’s hair. Steve is on the other couch, a soft smile already on his face when he turns his head away from the television to make eye contact with Eddie. The lamps scattered throughout their living room cast a warm, inviting glow. The entire lower floor is visible from the front door, and Eddie can see that the lights are still on in the kitchen and dining room as well.
“Hi, Eddie!” the two girls say in unison, completely unfazed by the fact that they had once again said the same thing at the same time. They turn their heads away from the television for a second to smile at him in greeting, Nancy scrunching her nose in that way she only does when she's tired.
“Hi, love,” Steve says next, patting the cushion next to him with one hand. He's wearing one of Eddie’s t-shirts, something old enough that the collar is stretched loose and a bit of Steve's chest hair is exposed, and a pair of flannel pajama pants. He looks so unbelievably soft that Eddie’s heart literally skips a beat. Eddie tosses his keys into the bowl that they keep by the front door, toeing off his shoes as well.
“Hey, guys,” Eddie says brightly, walking behind his and Steve’s couch to bend down and press a kiss to the top of Steve’s head, wrapping his arms around Steve's front in the process. He slips one hand below the collar of his shirt to lightly stroke at the hair there. “Hey, handsome. Let me go change out of these clothes and I’ll join you.” Steve nods happily, pressing a kiss to each of Eddie's hands before snuggling back down into his spot on the sofa and turning his gaze back to the television. Eddie notes that Cagney & Lacey is playing on the screen, some rerun where Cagney is dressed up as a nun.
“Your plate’s in the microwave, Eddie!” Nancy calls after his retreating back.
“You're a goddess!” Eddie yells back. The house smells like the pasta that Steve had made for dinner that night and he swears his stomach growls in anticipation.
Eddie continues through the living room to the stairs that lead up to their bedrooms on the second floor. His and Steve’s bedroom was upstairs and to the left, Robin and Nancy’s to the right. The other two bedrooms, one on each side of the steps, were guest bedrooms that the four of them used for a variety of purposes. Eddie sometimes used one of the spare rooms to practice guitar, and Nancy had set up a desk in one room to have a quiet place to study. Eddie still felt unbelievably lucky to have a home with spare rooms - rooms that are essentially used just to store things, as opposed to cramming his belongings into every square inch of an overflowing two-room trailer.
Stepping into his and Steve's bedroom, he pulls off his Corroded Coffin t-shirt and black jeans to change into a pair of sweatpants and one of Steve’s old t-shirts. He tosses the dirty clothes into the hamper in their bathroom, taking a moment to splash some cold water on his face and check his hair in the mirror. His curls have never looked better since Steve thrusted his way into Eddie's haircare routine.
After drying his hands, he bounds back down the steps to the kitchen. He opens the microwave and grins before slamming the door shut and turning it on - Nancy had saved him a huge scoop of pasta, that angelic little nerd. He makes a mental note to repay her somehow. He knows it isn't necessary, that friendships weren’t a 100% tit-for-tat thing, but he liked showing his thanks through acts of service and gifts. Karmic balance, or whatever.
A minute has passed since Eddie had started the microwave, and it beeps obnoxiously for a split second before he rips open the door and silences it. The pasta is literally steaming - their microwave has always run a little hot, but none of them are even sure how that’s scientifically possible - and he grabs a fork and a napkin, along with the plate, and makes his way back to the living room to flop down next to his boyfriend. He settles the plate on his right thigh and digs in, grinning down at Steve when the younger man immediately snuggles into Eddie’s right side. Eddie’s arm is squished a little awkwardly, making it sort of difficult to get the fork up to his mouth, but he wouldn’t dream of ever asking Steve to stop touching him.
Eddie loves that Steve is comfortable doing this in front of Robin and Nancy, even though it had been a little awkward for the first two weeks in the house. Eddie loves that they don't have to hide anything here, that he can accept and reciprocate Steve's love almost whenever he wants (the foursome had made a pact not to have sex in any of the common areas, but Eddie and Steve had already happily christened every flat surface in their bedroom and bathroom).
He loves that Steve has a safe space to explore and express his sexuality and gender expression, too. The sparkly black nail polish - it was red last week, black this week in honor of Eddie's Corroded Coffin show on Friday night - on his toenails speaks volumes to how far Steve has come since Eddie had first learned of the womanizer that was King Steve in grade school.
“How was work today, baby?” Steve murmurs quietly. The lamp to Steve’s right casts a warm, cozy glow on his face. Eddie gazes adoringly at the stubble that adorns the lower half of his boyfriend’s face, loving how he always has a little bit of five o’clock shadow by this time every day. Steve’s eyes are big and warm and Eddie feels right at home. He can't help but lean in and press a few kisses to Steve's cheeks, making Steve scrunch up his nose adorably.
“It was alright,” Eddie replies. “I’m just glad to be home. My arm fucking hurts.”
Eddie had spent the evening tattooing a massive back piece on a guy named Tony that he had once sold weed to. Eddie had secured an apprenticeship at a nearby tattoo shop soon after the Vecna incident and had quickly fallen in love with tattooing. He was good at drawing, and he was able to get some really good practice by tattooing his own arms and legs. People seemed to like his flash sheets, and he was always booked at least a month out. He tattooed a lot of skulls, a lot of upside-down crosses on metalheads and bikers, but the pay was good and he chose his own hours.
Tony had gotten a smaller bicep tattoo from Eddie a few months prior and had loved it, so he commissioned Eddie to design a tattoo for his back as well. The tattoo covered the entirety of Tony’s back, and the guy stood at about 5’11” so there was a lot of surface area to cover. Tony’s appointment had started at 4:00 PM and it was after 10:00 PM by the time Eddie got home from work. Even after a 6-hour session in the chair, the tattoo was only about a quarter of the way done. He knew the pay would be worth it for a tattoo that requires this many sessions, but right now Eddie’s right hand was so cramped that he regretted ever learning how to draw at all.
“Poor baby,” Steve coos. “I’ll give you a nice massage later to make it all better.” He smiles mischievously and Robin and Nancy make matching sounds of disgust from across the room, but there are huge grins on their faces when Eddie looks over.
“Don’t be jealous that I’m getting massaged later and you aren’t!” Eddie says to the girls, shoveling a huge bite of pasta into his mouth through his smile. Robin rolls her eyes playfully and resumes stroking Nancy’s hair. Nancy's eyes are blinking sleepily, probably tired from her closing shift at the bookstore today.
The episode is over by the time Eddie finishes eating, and the four of them all lazily stand to tidy up the living room before heading to bed. Robin and Steve are opening at Family Video in the morning and Nancy mentioned going to the library tomorrow to research something for work, so the three of them will be up and out the door relatively early. Eddie doesn’t have to go into work until noon, but he plans to spend the morning trying to replace the faucet in Robin and Nancy’s bathroom. They had known that the house would be a bit of a fixer-upper when they bought it, but Eddie was all too happy to act as the house handyman whenever something randomly broke. He had completed so many home improvement projects at this point that the employees at the local hardware store were starting to act a little less disgusted every time he walked through the door.
Not only that, but he knows that Steve will be unreasonably delighted with Eddie for fixing the girls’ faucet. Steve always thinks Eddie is so sweet and so manly when he does things for the kids or for Robin and Nancy, and Steve usually shows Eddie exactly how sweet he thinks he is with something involving his mouth. So, yeah. He’d fix the faucet even if there wasn’t the guarantee of a blowjob afterwards, but it’s definitely a good incentive to get the job done quickly.
Eddie thinks about what he’ll make Steve for breakfast in the morning as he brushes his teeth next to the man himself, feeling warm and happy and fulfilled. Steve spits his toothpaste into the sink first, rinsing his mouth with a handful of water from the faucet. He kisses Eddie on the cheek as he floats past him to their bed, ready to settle in for their nightly pillow talk session. Eddie quickly spits out his own toothpaste and wipes his mouth off with the blue hand towel hanging on the wall.
Flicking out the bathroom lights, Eddie pauses in the doorway to soak in the sight before him. Their bedroom door is closed, curtains drawn and windows locked. Steve is propped up against their headboard, two pillows behind his back and the blanket covering his legs. His hands are resting in his lap, lightly twiddling his thumbs as he waits for Eddie to join him. He’s looking directly into Eddie’s eyes, smiling and blushing even though there’s nothing that he needs to be blushing about.
Sometimes, so Steve has told Eddie, looking at Eddie just makes him feel so light and floaty that he can’t help but blush. It embarrasses the younger man, makes him feel like a little kid with a schoolyard crush, but Eddie doesn’t even have it in him to tease him about something so sweet and romantic. Eddie would be a fool to make fun of the Steve Harrington for liking to look at him.
“Come on, Eddie,” Steve finally whines. Eddie realizes he’s been standing there staring for an awkward length of time, but he can’t help it. His boyfriend is so beautiful, so handsome, so sexy, so a thousand other adjectives that Eddie can’t think of right now.
Eddie crawls up the bed to Steve and straddles his hips, gripping his cheeks in his hands and kissing him senseless. Steve immediately melts into the kiss, hands coming up to wrap around Eddie’s wrists. When Eddie finally pulls away, he rests his forehead on Steve’s and pecks his nose. They rehash their days, Steve laying on Eddie's chest and tracing random patterns onto his skin with his fingertips. Eventually, he scoots up to press their mouths together in a tender kiss, tangling his right hand into Eddie's hair as his left arm slots underneath Eddie's pillow.
“Love you,” Eddie whispers.
"Love you more,” Steve whispers back. He rubs their noses together gently and places one last peck on Eddie's lips before rolling around to be the little spoon. Eddie tugs his body as close as he can, slotting them together from head to toe like two puzzle pieces. He curls his left arm around Steve's body, splaying a hand on his stomach.
Eddie can’t wait to replace that faucet tomorrow.