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Eddie has always drawn the short end of the stick in life. Recently however, life has been a proverbial kick in the nuts. First he gets accused of murdering three people, forcing him into hiding. Second, a group of teenagers that look like literal grown men start hunting him for sport. Then, he is forced to follow his highschool bully, Steve Harrington, along with Nancy Wheeler and literal children, into an alternate dimension to stop whoever was actually killing those kids to clear his name. And while fighting a few demonic bats in said dimension, realizes he still has a massive crush on said highschool bully. Oh, and not to mention the very same bats nearly killing him, like heart stopping and everything. If it wasn’t for Steve, he would be rotting on the ground of the aforementioned “Upside Down” as the kids called it.
Eddie is indeed lucky to be alive. He went into cardiac arrest, his heart literally stopping in his chest, by the time they made it back to the normal Hawkins. He started drifting away, feeling death consume him, when some girl with a buzzcut told him it wasn’t time, and suddenly he was in a hospital bed, surrounded by the kids and Steve. Alive and well, uh actually I don’t know about well. The intense trauma to Eddie’s brain from his heart literally stopping and restarting, left behind a few things. He had to wear a heart monitor to ensure there was no worrisome activity. Not only that but the damage to his brain caused him to develop POTS, or Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, which basically means his heart goes berserk for no reason causing him to get light-headed easily, and occasionally faint. So yeah, life has been shit for Eddie “The Freak” Munson.
That is until he got closer to Steve Harrington. Him and Steve got really close, like really close, shared trauma tends to do that, not to mention literal matching scars. Mama Bear Steve was the first to volunteer to take care of Eddie, since Wayne had a fulltime job and the hospital said he should have someone with him at all times if possible. So when Steve didn’t have work He was with Eddie.
After a few weeks of spending every second together, Eddie’s crush had only gotten worse at this point, Steve started acting kinda weird toward Eddie. Like distancing himself more, and seeming almost scared to touch Eddie. One of the downsides of Eddie’s condition is that he would get dizzy super easily and sometimes would faint randomly. Steve got so used to the signs that he could tell what was happening before Eddie, and would catch him as he went down, Eddie waking up in Steve’s arms. But for some reason, recently Steve has just been setting Eddie on the couch and moving as far away as possible by the time Eddie woke up.
This was one of those moments, but this time Eddie felt it coming on. He barely got a word out before he was out, falling to the floor. Steve ofcourse, running over to catch him and laying him on the couch before stepping back. When Eddie’s eyes fluttered open a few minutes later, Steve was just staring from across the room.
“You good?” Steve asked, trying to sound casual.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” Eddie blinked a few times, readjusting to the light, “You know I’m not contagious, right?”
“What do you mean?” Steve questioned, brows furrowing.
“You are literally as far as you could possibly be from me without leaving the room.” Eddie scoffed, “Do I smell bad or something?”
Steve laughed at the question, “No.”
“Then what is it?” Eddie asked, sitting up. You’re killing me Harrington.
The silence was so loud, you could hear the gears turning in Steve’s head, trying to put the words together.
“Stop thinking, that isn’t your strong suit.” Eddie muttered, trying to wrench a laugh from the taller boy who was still across the room.
“Fuck off.” Steve snickered.
“Out with it.” Eddie stood, walking toward Steve, “If I did something you can just-”
“You didn’t do anything.” Steve interrupted, “It’s me I-”
“What?” Eddie questioned after Steve stopped himself.
“I l-like you.” Steve mumbled, “And I don’t wanna make you uncomfortable so I have been-”
“Wait- What?” Eddie was shocked. King Steve Harrington liked Eddie Munson? He’s still asleep, there is no way this is happening. Eddie pinched himself in the arm. Nothing. This is real .
“What was that?” Steve questioned, rubbing the red mark on Eddie’s arm and pulling away, realizing the contact.
“This is real.” Eddie said, under his breath.
“What?” Steve furrowed his brows again, unable to hear. And before either had a chance to speak again, Eddie, without thinking, threw himself into Steve, pushing him into the wall.
“Eds what ar-” Eddie interrupts Steve by slamming their lips together. Steve gasping and Eddie muffling it with his lips.
Steve couldn’t believe what was happening, he was sure Eddie would hate him if he knew about his little crush, well more than little, more like massive. Like he couldn’t go a moment without thinking about Eddie. About how his mouth curls when he smiles, or how his dark curls fell in front of his face just right. How his eyes lit up when he was talking about something he loved. How much he wanted to run his thumb over his rosy lips, how much he wanted to kiss them. He couldn’t go a moment without picturing his pale face, without worrying about him. Like what if he fell while Steve was at work and hit his head? That is all Steve thought about all the time. He was finally doing at least one of the things he thinks about, and jesus did he enjoy it.
Eddie ran his hands up Steve’s chest to stabilize himself, starting to feel lightheaded from his heart racing.
Steve noticed this and pulled away, “Slow down Eds.” Steve whispered, “I don't wanna be the reason you have a heart attack.” He placed a hand over Eddie’s heart and another on the small of his back, supporting him.
Eddie laughed and tried to slow his breathing, Steve breathing with him. They stared at each other in silence until Eddie calmed down.
“Feel better?” Steve asked.
“Much better.” Eddie huffed.
Steve picked Eddie up and carried him to the couch on the other side of the room, sitting with Eddie still in his arms. Eddie was sat perfectly in the boy's lap, his dark hair falling perfectly on his shoulders, framing his face. His cheeks colored with a dusky rose tint. Steve couldn’t help but notice every detail of the beautiful boy before him. The way his lips were relaxed but just barely parted to show his front teeth. The way his chest rises and falls in what seems like slow motion. The way his dark eyes moved up and down Steve’s figure, surveying him, god , it left a pit in Steve’s stomach. A good pit. Eddie’s dark lashes fluttered for a moment, like he was struggling to keep his eyes open. When they finally closed, Eddie’s muscles relaxed completely and he began falling backwards, away from Steve and towards the floor. It took a moment for Steve to snap out of his Eddie induced trance and catch him.
“Jesus, close one.” Steve muttered to himself, pulling Eddie towards him and laying him on his chest. They sat like this, Steve rubbing the older boy’s back and the top of his head. After a few more moments though, Eddie’s eyes cracked open.
“What happened?” Eddie mumbled, rubbing his eyes.
“Too much, too fast.” Steve answered, still rubbing circles on Eddie’s back.
“How did yo-” Eddie was interrupted by Steve.
“Know?” Steve added, “I could practically hear your heart in your chest dude.”
Eddie looked anywhere but Steve’s eyes. Embarrassed by his transparency.
“Oh and your heart monitor was going crazy sooo.” Steve laughed, earning a punch in the shoulder.
“Damn thing, giving me away.” Eddie scoffed. Steve brushed the hair out of Eddie’s face resting his hand on the boy's cheek and pulling him in. He kissed the dark-haired boy softly, so as to not cause another spell. When Eddie tried to speed up Steve pulled away.
“Eds, slow.” Steve whispered, “You have to be able to breathe.”
“Well how could I possibly when you take my breath away.” Eddie joked.
“Real smooth.” Steve laughed, pulling Eddie into a hug, “How about we call it a night, and come back to this tomorrow, when you're not so wound up.”
“I guess.” Eddie pouted, popping his bottom lip out and everything.
“Oh, stop it.” Steve scoffed. “Come here.”
Steve pulled Eddie against his chest and pulled the blanket on the couch up over them. He started rubbing patterns on Eddie’s back, trying to usher him to sleep. It didn’t take long, Eddie is a sucker for cuddles. Steve could feel his heart slow to match his pace.
“Goodnight Eds.” Steve whispered, mainly to himself.
And soon Steve was falling into a soft, warm, slumber.
When Wayne got home from work he found the boys cuddled up on the couch together, trying to be quiet so as to not wake them.
“I knew it.” Wayne whispered to himself, smiling sweetly.
“Sleep well , lovebirds .”