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Steve watched the frown appear on the other boy's face, his lips parted ever so slightly, freckles accentuated in the early morning sun. Tommy was always beautiful in Steve's eyes.
But here he was. Climbing out of his lover's bed to flee home. He'd lost count of how many times it'd happened by now.
It started off as it always did, beer, weed, and homoerotic tension.
Carol had left because Nancy had a "girl emergency". Steve had already figured out what was going on between those two but Tommy never did.
So it was just Steve and Tommy. Two childhood best friends with enough alcohol to make a horse black out.
All that Steve could recall from that night was smoking a joint before downing at least 2 cans of beer.
Now he was here with a freckled brunet resting his head on Steve's chest, frowning in his sleep as Steve struggled to get him off without waking him, head throbbing.
"Sixth time this month..." Steve sighed to himself. He and Tommy had a lot of periods of this. They'd grow closer, and closer, until Steve cut contact for a week or so. Then they'd get back in touch, hangout again, grow closer- and so the cycle would repeat.
It was always Steve trying to end the cycle. But he never did it right. No matter how many fist fights, no matter how many arguments, no matter how many times he ran away, Tommy would always keep it going.
Steve never understood why for a long time.
Eventually, he managed to get the other male off of him. He hesitated though. He looked at Tommy again.
"Completely out." Steve thought. "I have some time."
Part of him wanted to spend that time cozying up again to Tommy, frolic in his happy little dream world where he could run his fingers through Tommy's hair as gently or as roughly as he wanted, where he could kiss all of Tommy's freckles with no fear of judgement, a world where Steve didn't run.
But instead, he went and stared out of the window. The resplendent sun only made his head pulse with excruciating pain more but it was better than staring longingly at what he couldn't have. He leant on the windowsill, placed his head in his hands and massaged his temples in a weak effort to ease the pain.
He didn't know how long he stayed there, looking over the front garden. He watched Mrs Hagan do her gardening outside, no clue that her son was getting spicy with Steve Harrington just last night. He watched Mr Hagan exit the house, kissing his wife on the cheek before heading to work.
Steve sighed at the thought of such a, on the surface at least, happy relationship. Nancy had stopped greeting him with such joy about two months before. The only one who ever showed such happiness upon seeing him was, Steve muttered, "Tommy."
That's when he heard a voice behind him.
"Steve?"
He'd waited for too long. Tommy was awake.
He started approaching Steve. "Steve- what're you still doing here? You're usually gone by n-"
Steve pushed past him, making his way to the door. He tried to ignore the hope in Tommy's tone, the excitement Tommy felt about just the chance that Steve wanted to stay.
He tried even harder to ignore the look of utter heartbreak in Tommy's eyes as he reached the back garden gate.
"Steve- wait-" There was panic in Tommy's voice. They both knew Steve was going to distance himself for at least a week yet again.
Steve hesitated. He ignored his doubts and turned back to face Tommy.
He watched Tommy as his mind raced from panic, to surprise, to determination.
And then the now sober Tommy Hagan leaned in and kissed Steve Harrington.
There was a moment of silence. Steve didn't return the kiss. He looked at Tommy with cold, emotionless eyes, hiding any feelings completely.
Tommy waited for a reaction.
All Steve did was open the garden gate, and walk away.
~~~~~~~~~
"That's right, Stevie Boy, run away, RUN AWAY, just like you always do."
~~~~~~~~~