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Eddie had always been a “freak”. Always too loud and too weird and too queer; the list went on. Steve had been a surprise for the ages, especially seeing as the jock had been an (albeit unwilling) participant in the homophobic bullying Eddie had endured while in high school. Though he sometimes lamented his normie boyfriend, Eddie hadn’t really wanted Steve to endure the ostracization of being a true blue freak. Of course, that desire did not stop his idiot boyfriend from throwing himself in between himself and their shared gaggle of teens and the horrific beast of the night that had cornered them one fateful evening.
It went like this:
Eddie had planned an exciting one-shot D&D session for the party and Will, who was temporarily in town from California. It was his first time meeting the famed “Will the Wise” and he’d been genuinely excited to pick the kid’s brain. He hadn’t disappointed. Steve was kind enough to host the session in his parents’ big, empty house, going so far as to bring the entire group into town for ice cream after. They were walking back to Steve’s car when Dustin started complaining about how badly he had to piss, which in turn led to the group taking a brief detour a short way into the woods behind the shopping center so the kid could take a leak.
They’d just begun to make the trek back to the empty parking lot when they heard the rustling of something large moving through the brush. All conversation ceased as everyone’s eyes turned to the source of the noise. Steve had looked at them over his shoulder, holding a finger to his lips to signal that the group should be silent as they all began shuffling backward as quietly as they could. It was for naught, however, as the creature exploded from the darkness a moment later to sink its claws into Steve’s shoulder. The party’s screams of horror were overshadowed by the agonized noise that came from Steve. Eddie was halfway to him when Steve’s turned his head towards them to scream, “Get them out, Eddie! Get them away!”
Steve was right, Eddie knew, but the thought of leaving his love behind was unbearable. “Steve,” his voice cracked hard with emotion, in a way it hadn’t since he’d first started taking his shots.
The beast looked over at the cowering group and roared, though it remained where it was looming over Steve’s bloody and broken form. It was enough to spur Eddie into action once more. With tears in his eyes, he turned, pushing at the kids' backs and rousing them from their shock and horror enough to get them to start running. It was pure luck that Eddie had Steve’s keys, which had been tucked into his jacket pocket. Eddie, who often found himself cold indoors, had hardly started shivering before Steve was passing him his jacket and pressing a kiss to his temple. Eddie choked on another sob as he remembered the moment, knowing he’d never experience Steve’s simple, sweet gestures again.
Eddie raced to the nearby police station, sending the kids inside to get help before tearing off back to the shopping center. He parked the car haphazardly before rushing back to the woods, clutching the bat Steve had accidentally left in his car from when he’d been helping Lucas practice before baseball tryouts only a week before. Eddie was shaking as he tried to silently approach the scene, but he found such caution to be unnecessary as Steve’s limp, lifeless body was lying right where they’d left him. An agonized cry tore its way from his throat, the voice near inhuman at the horror of seeing his favorite person torn to shreds. He was falling to his knees next to Steve a moment later. He could already feel the warm stickiness of Steve’s blood seeping through his jeans.
“Stevie, Stevie…” Eddie cried out again when he noticed the horrific bite on his boyfriend’s neck. “Oh, Stevie, oh, baby …” He paid no mind to the blood smearing as he cradled Steve’s cheek. Tears fell onto his boyfriend’s lifeless form. Eddie could not tear his eyes from the gore, frozen in shock at so sudden a loss. Which was why he noticed immediately when the wounds began to stitch themselves up, skin zippering closed before his eyes like magic until he could simply wipe the blood from unblemished skin. Eddie was so absorbed by the sight before him that it took a long moment before he noticed that he was being watched. He jumped when he finally met Steve’s gaze.
“Fuck, Steve!” He said, thrilled for only a moment before he realized that Steve’s eyes were… Wrong. They were bright, bright gold, nearly reflective even in the dark. “Woah.”
Steve groaned, the sound evolving into a growl as his body suddenly spasmed. Eddie jumped back a little in shock before scooting in closer as Steve began convulsing in earnest. Steve growled again. “Get back, go!” His eyes squeezed shut as a shudder wracked through him.
Eddie watched with wide eyes as Steve’s body began to change in front of his eyes; hair sprouting, jaw elongating and sporting long, sharp fangs, and claws bursting from his fingers. “Not leaving you again,” Eddie whispered, though he couldn’t deny the way his heart raced in fear. Steve kept writhing, crying out as his bones began to snap and shift. Eddie had already been crying, but he sobbed at the sound of his boyfriend in such awful pain. His hands hovered close, not touching, not wanting to make things worse. Finally, after what felt like an age but was probably closer to a minute or so, Steve’s body settled into this new form.
He was massive, taller than his usual height by what had to be a whole head and shoulders. His face was humanoid enough, though with the addition of a changed mouth to accommodate his new set of teeth. His torso, hairier but still relatively human-like, was padded with new musculature, so much so that his shirt was torn almost entirely to shreds and hung off of his body. His legs, while certainly having similarly grown, had only ripped his pants near the waistline and at his calves, while his shoes had practically exploded away to reveal large, clawed feet; or paws? Eddie gaped up at the new form his boyfriend had taken, familiar enough with the fantasy and supernatural genres of pop culture to recognize a werewolf when he saw one. He shook a little, but the wolf before him didn’t seem particularly violent, at least not toward him. He raised a shaking hand up to Steve’s head, not unlike approaching a stray animal and looking to form a bond of trust. “S-Stevie, sweetheart? It’s, uh… It’s me. It’s Eddie.”
Steve just grunted, the sound distinctly inhuman, before grabbing at Eddie’s head with a surprising gentleness in tugging his boyfriend in close. Steve shoved his nose into the space behind Eddie’s ear and inhaled like a man who’d been starved of oxygen. Eddie was still scared, sure, but he let it happen, figuring this had something to do with Steve recognizing his scent. He raised a hand to gently brush his fingers through Steve’s hair, as large and recognizable as ever, before pulling him closer to himself. “I'm alright, Stevie.” His lip trembled. “You’re okay, aren’t you?” He wasn’t confident that Steve could answer like this, but the wolf huffed as if to respond in the affirmative. “Okay. Okay, that’s good.” He looked up into the wolf’s golden eyes, which were fixed on his face with startling intensity. “ Fuck, this is insane.” He said, mostly to himself. Even so, Steve huffed again as if agreeing, which made Eddie chuckle, a little hysterically. The quiet moment was ended abruptly at the sound of sirens, and Eddie suddenly remembered that he’s asked the kids to call in the cavalry, as it were. “Shit. Steve, sweetheart, the cops are almost here.”
Steve looked toward the noise and the flashing lights of several cop cars, already growling. He set Eddie upright again before tucking him behind himself. Eddie watched with wide eyes as his claws elongated even further. He placed a gentle hand on Steve’s forearm, careful not to startle him. “No, Steve. We don’t want this to turn into a fight, huh? You have to get out of here.” Steve’s head whirled to face Eddie, a growl already building in his chest. “I know, I know,” Eddie said, hoping to placate the beast his boyfriend had become, “please let me handle this one, at least until we get a better idea of what’s going on, huh?” Steve chuffed, still staring down at Eddie. “Please, Stevie. My turn to protect you.” The wolf hesitated for a moment longer before seeming to make up his mind. His head tilted up, releasing an eardrum-shattering howl, before he was off, bounding into the dark woods.
Eddie, who had clapped his hands over his ears, watched him until the darkness swallowed him in his entirety. It wasn’t a moment too soon, as cops were already rushing towards him with flashlights, screaming at him to put his hands up where they could see them. Eddie complied, turning to face them and putting on a brave face, even shaken and pale and covered in Steve’s blood.
So, suddenly the hierarchy of freakiness had changed in their relationship. Eddie had only just managed to get the cops to back off, claiming that Steve had been attacked by something in the woods and ran off to distract it while Eddie saved the rest of the kids. It was convincing enough since Steve’s torn and bloodied clothing was scattered all over the place. They’d immediately rallied the rest of the force as well as Hawkins’ animal control team to begin to search for the wild animal and probably for Steve’s body. Even as he was placed in the back of a cop car to be taken to the station for more questioning, Eddie knew they wouldn’t find either. There were only so many times they needed to hear the story, which was consistent between Eddie and the rest of the kids, before they allowed all of them to go home. Eddie wished so badly that he could tell the sobbing teens that Steve was fine, if a little furry, but that was certainly a conversation that would have to happen another time. Instead, he’d simply comforted them as best he could, slipping easily into the role of shell-shocked lover putting on a brave face for the others. As soon as he was free from the station, he raced back to Steve’s house.
It wasn’t too much longer until sunrise, about three hours or so, all of which Eddie spent sitting on a pool chair in Steve’s backyard, staring into the tree line and hoping with everything he had that Steve would be able to make his way back home. He remained in his own clothing, but kept Steve’s jacket on as well, hoping the combination of their scents would be enough to get his boyfriend back where he needed to be. As the sun began to creep over the horizon, Eddie found a knot of anxiety forming deep in his gut. For all he knew, all werewolf folklore could be way off, and Steve really would be dead come morning. Or perhaps he’d be stuck in his wolf form forever, forced to run and run and hide while Eddie was left alone once more. Just as he began to lose hope, Eddie heard a rustle from the trees. He didn’t think twice about running towards the sound, making it to the tree line just as Steve’s naked human form emerged. The other boy was covered in dirt and grime, and he stumbled as he walked. Eddie made it to him just as his knees gave out, catching his boyfriend with a grunt and hugging him as hard as he dared, tears streaming from his eyes in pure relief.
“Oh, Steve, Stevie,” he mumbled, pressing kisses to his dirty, sweaty hair, “You made it, sweetheart, you’re home.” His words were just as much to reassure himself as they were to comfort Steve, who could only chuckle weakly in response as he returned the hug, albeit weakly.
“Eddie…” His voice was hoarse, and he sounded exhausted.
Eddie kissed his temple before mumbling, “You must be so tired, c’mon.” He tugged him along gently, arm around his shoulders. He switched his grip so Steve could sling an arm over Eddie’s shoulder instead. While they were roughly the same height, Steve was stockier than Eddie, which made it slow going with Eddie trying to support most of the other boy’s weight. They finally made it inside, with Eddie steering Steve toward the downstairs guest bathroom.
Steve grumbled a little at that, the sound reverberating in his chest like it did when he was far wolfier. “Wanna go to bed.” He whined, tucking his nose into the junction between Eddie’s shoulder and neck.
Eddie hummed at that, directing Steve to sit on the closed toilet seat and dropping another kiss onto the top of his head. “I know, baby. But you’re really dirty and gross and you’re going to feel much better if we get you clean.” He turned to start running the water, opting for its hottest setting. He smiled to himself when he felt Steve’s hand grab onto his belt, the weight of his arm tugging his pants down slightly. “Needy thing, aren’t you?”
Steve whined again. “‘M so tired,” he said, voice a whisper, “hurts.” It was rare for Steve to admit when he wasn’t at 100%, so his words made Eddie turn to look at him with concern. Steve’s head was tilted down, chin to his chest, but he could hear soft sniffling and see wetness gathering on his eyelashes.
“Oh, baby.” Eddie crouched in front of his boyfriend and placed his hands on his cheeks, framing his face so he could tilt it up toward him. Steve let him, meeting the other’s gaze even as his tears began to make tracks through the grime on his face. His lip was trembling, even, something Eddie had never seen on the other before. “I know, honey. You’re hurting and scared. I’m scared too, yeah? But we’re going to get you clean and get you to bed and tomorrow we’re gonna figure out a plan, okay? It’s going to be fine.”
Steve blinked at him with wide, watery eyes. “ We are?” He asked, looking nervous to hear the answer.
“Of course, Stevie,” Eddie said, pulling him in to press a quick kiss to his lips. “You’re stuck with me, sweetheart.”
Steve huffed out a harsh laugh at that. “I think you’ve got that backward, Eds,” he said, averting his eyes for the first time, “You’re talking about taking the monster’s side, you realize that?”
Eddie shook his head, rising and stripping out of his clothes quickly and holding out a hand toward Steve. “You’re no monster, Steve. You tried to protect me, even.”
Steve looked back up at Eddie’s face, the grim determination set there, and grabbed the other’s hand, allowing Eddie to help him rise and steadying him when he was on his feet. Eddie helped him step over the edge of the tub and made sure that Steve was balanced against the wall of the shower before getting in behind him. He grabbed Steve’s arm and walked him a small step forward until he was under the hot spray of the water. Only then did Eddie speak again.
“Steve,” he said, voice quiet as he began to rinse the mud and such from his boyfriend’s hair, “You have to know how much I love you. This is… Crazy. Insane, even. I don’t know that I would’ve believed any of it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes.” He paused, grabbing the other’s chin and turning Steve’s face towards his own. “I would do anything for you, sweetheart. I mean, I thought I’d lost you.” His words caught in his throat, his eyes falling shut as he remembered the agonizing 20 minutes or so when he thought he’d lost one of the best things to ever happen to him. He felt Steve’s hand go to his cheek, holding him gently. Eddie opened his eyes, realizing for the first time that he was crying. Steve caught Eddie’s tears with his thumb, smoothing them away. Eddie took another shaky breath in before speaking again. “I’m so fucking happy you’re alive. I don’t care what happens next, or what we have to do to keep you that way. At this point, I’m just grateful to get to hold you in my arms.” He punctuated his point by doing just that.
Steve returned the embrace. “I love you too, Eddie.” He mumbled. “Thank you. For saving the kids, even though I know you didn’t want to leave me. And for dragging me in here, and helping me get clean, and for… loving me, still.”
“Loving you is the easy part, Stevie.”
And that was definitely the truth. Even as the boys finished their shower, even as Eddie helped a waning Steve into warm clothes and into the guest bedroom on the ground floor, even as they wrapped themselves securely in each other’s embrace, they knew that it was only going to be harder from here. They didn’t really know anything about what had happened to Steve, if it would be a recurring event or if this was some strange one-off. Worse still, they didn’t know how his symptoms would bleed into other facets of his day-to-day state. And then there was the fact that the cops were searching for the body of someone who was very much alive, and the kids thought their favorite babysitter had been mauled to death. These were all running through Eddie’s mind, even as Steve dropped almost immediately to sleep.
Still, he couldn’t help the relief that was so palpable that he felt like his body was sinking into the soft mattress beneath him. None of that other stuff mattered, really. So long as Steve was alive, well, they’d figure it out. That thought was enough to calm Eddie until his exhaustion could pull him under into a deep, dreamless sleep.