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Eddie hated the snow.
No that was a lie, he hated the way people acted when it snowed.
Panic and chaos and an inability to use the brains that they were born with.
The radio had reported several pile ups on the roads around Hawkins and despite the news telling people that they shouldn't leave the house, people seemed determined to carry on regardless.
He watched as the snow pooled at the end of the drive, golf ball sized nuggets falling down past the street lights in a constant drift.
Sure it looked nice, everything coated in a soft powder of white, the world dulled to a muffled stillness. But Eddie couldn’t help but think it looked like the regurgitated partials of the upside down.
He was trying his damndest not to think about it.
The twinkling lights that decked the halls of the other houses in the street looked innocent enough, but the party ducked away from the rainbow glow that illuminated the neat and tidy lawns blanketed in undisturbed white.
To anyone who hadn't been in the upside down it was peaceful and serenity laden, to the people who had, the erie void was unsettling, it made him jumpy, the silence holding unknowable monsters, the type he himself had slowly become before the others had dragged him back, freed him from the grasp of damnation.
So yeah Eddie wasn't the biggest fan of the snow, no matter how many crude( and one damn right pornographic) snowmen he and the kids had constructed out on his front lawn. Aches wracked his body where the skin was thin from grafts and stitches, his hands throbbed where the bones never quite regained their warmth, but he would do it a million times over as long as he got to see his kids being kids, big balled snowmen and all.
Eddie's house had become an unofficial stopping place for the whole group.
A tree stood partly decorated in the corner where the kids had been called home before they had managed to get all the baubles on, Christmas Eve calling them back to their own families, and as much as he had complained about them causing nothing but trouble, he already missed them.
The house was too quiet without Wayne, who despite not having to work the night shift anymore had picked it up regardless, saying that ‘them what had young un’s should be at home on christmas.’ Eddie had wanted to complain that he should be home too, but it would just have fallen on deaf ears, being stubborn ran in the family after all.
So now he had a tree and a handful of presents wrapped beneath it, ready for the hour or so that he and Wayne would get to share on 'the big day', that was if he could get back from the plant in the snow.
The tree was probably the last one on the lot, scraggly and already dropping needles all over the rug. The front was laden but the back was naked and bare; they had all jostled for prime position at the front of the tree. Homemade decorations and leftover Halloween trinkets, plastic bats and anatomically incorrect skellingtons dotted the branches. It leaned worryingly away from the wall, threatening to topple at any moment.
Eddie loved it.
He was just scooping sabbath ( the small black three legged cat that the gremlins had saved from the remnants of what used to be the arcade, full name ser sabbath of black first of his name, ruler of the charred remains … but that was a mouth full and only uttered when he inevitably did a toxic shit in someone's shoes by the door ) out of a death pounce on the low hanging ornaments, when the phone rang.
Sabbath swatted at his face, angry at the restraint when tree murder was afoot. But upon realising that the restraining power of his human was too much, he returned to his second favourite pastime. Sucking on Eddie's hair. Purring away and slurping loudly in one ear as Eddie swung the receiver up to his other.
"I don't want to hear about how I should be rotting in hell." He said instead of hello.
"Been there and done that already,and you didn't even send me a postcard" Steve's voice crackled down the line. Eddie couldn't help but smile. It was the Harrington charm, he wasn't immune to its hypnotic ways, in fact he was becoming less immune by the day.
“Was kind of a little busy raising an army of the dead sweetcheeks, didn't have time for a wish you were here.” he knew steve would be able to hear his grin down the line but he didn’t care, he had managed to play off his burgeoning infatuation on the other man as ‘just being Eddie’ enough times that it would be strange and worrying if he didn’t flirt at this point.
"Good job I got bored and crashed the party then, I would have hated not to see your summer home, although I expected hell to be a bit warmer " Steve joked back down the line, Eddie could hear the sound of the bell above the door to the bakery but Steve didn’t seem to want to acknowledge that right now, Eddie couldn’t help but wonder who was stupid enough to go and buy baked goods on Christmas eve in a snowstorm. “Couldn’t have picked Florida or something for the summer?”
"Have to maintain this healthy pallor somehow…” Eddie winced a little as Sabbath bit down on his ear,
"Couldn’t possibly let you get a tan.Don't want you to look like a day walker…"
"Oh Stevie, talk nerdy to me, you know how to turn a man on …"
Eddie could almost feel the chuckle down the line. Warm and sweet and one of his most favourite sounds.
"As fun as this is ,I'm in the middle of stopping my first born from climbing and destroying a 100% legal Christmas tree."
"Why is Dustin in the tree?"
"No…That would be your first born daddy Harrington."
"Really? I thought we had joint custody or at least a timeshare on that one…"
"I've got my hands full with…" at that point sabbath decided to scream at the top of his lungs.
" I did wonder what the sucking sound was, and was worried I was interrupting something."
"Oh Steve, chance would be a fine thing … speaking of fine things? Did this call have a reason or…"
" Oh shit …yeah I need you to come save me."
" Does the damsel need saving from distress?"
"I need you to give me a ride-"
"Promises promises…" Eddie could almost hear the eye roll from the other end of the phone . But Steve continued on regardless.
"- I can't get the car out of the lot and I sent Robin home hours ago…"
"-What the lady wagon isn't performing? Dunno why you're still driving that pretentious thing about."
"A free car is a free car…"
"Yet nobody else seemed to pick the prettiest car in the lot." Eddie huffed but there was no passion behind it, he had already locked the cat in the bedroom and was reaching for his keys.
" You know you are the manager, you could have closed up early right?" He didn't wait for the answer before hanging up the phone and pulling on his coat.
*****
When Eddie pulled into the parking lot of the cafe he had never been happier that Wayne had insisted on him fitting snow tires.
The roads were lined with abandoned cars, people deciding the walk would be safer than the icy conditions, even Eddie's truck, designed to withstand the worst that Hawkins could throw at it, struggled to hold tight to the road.
Eddie had slowly driven past Hopper at the bottom of the hill that led up to loc Nora, he had hazard cones and had blocked off the road, failed attempts to climb the hill gathered behind the warning barriers and Hopper looked so red and angry thay Eddie had been surprised the snow around him hadn't melt. Eddie had sounded the horn and the lawman greeted him with a wave of the hand as he pulled his scarf tighter around his neck.
Joyce waved at him happily from the passenger seat of the cruiser, hands bundled round something hot and steaming in a cup from the bakery.
Eddie beeped his horn again as he pulled to a stop in the staff parking space next to what he assumed must be the heap of snow that was once Steve's beloved car.
Steve stood next to the door, helping old Mrs Fitzwarren with the door as she cradled a drink in one hand and what looked like enough baked goods to feed a small army in the other.
The older lady wobbled a little on the snow and Eddie was quick to jump from the car and race to catch her, saving the bag of pastries and the woman from a slippery end.
To her other side Steve had darted forward grabbing the drink before it flew all over her fluffy white coat.
"Hey now Mrs F, can't have you breaking a leg, can I give you a lift home?" Eddie swore the woman must be pushing ninety yet she was out in this atrocious weather and Eddie couldn't quite understand why. She smiled at Eddie, a big bright thing that stretched all the way to her eyes.
"Oh Edward, that's very sweet of you, but I wouldn't like to keep you from your young man." She patted him on the arm adjusting her grip and Eddie felt her wobble again.
"Not taking no for an answer Mrs .Fitzwarren, let me just lock up and get you home" Steve caught Eddie's eye over the top of the shorter woman's head. He was trying to hide it behind the fall of his bangs but Eddie could see the flush on the other man's cheeks, he knew better than to hope it was from anything but the cold. Steve handed the drink over to Eddie and he manoeuvred his hold on the bag of sweet treats. When Steve was sure Eddie had the old lady firmly secured, he turned his attention back to the bakery, Eddie kept half an eye on him as he settled Mrs Fitzwarren into his passenger seat and secured her in with a smile ( making sure to knock his radio to something a little more senior appropriate, and cringing a little when wham filled the car as he starred the engine)
Steve was soon bundling himself into the back of the truck, four to-go cups in a carrier and what looked like all the leftovers from that day's bakes in a large brown bag.
Steve might be 'the hair' but Eddie was rather enamoured with the whole package. And right now with his crowning glory tucked tightly under a woolly bobble hat and skin bitten by the cold, Eddie couldn't help but stall as he let his eyes linger on the moles on his cheek, the dry skin on his lips as he pulled it between his teeth smiling sheepishly back at Eddie in the dull light of the safety light.
"Still living on the corner of elm, Mrs F?" Eddie snapped his head forward again, fiddling with the wipers to clear some of the relentless snow. He had to stop staring at Steve like this, it was becoming a habit, and it was just going to end up with him getting hurt.
Steve was his friend, to use the habit he had gained from the man himself Friend with a capital F.
He had long ago stopped thinking that this flirting was anything more than a little fun,but if one of the oldest residents of Hawkins thought that Steve was 'his boy' maybe it had become too much of a thing and he should start pulling it back a little.
He had been called a fag and a freak his entire life, he didn't want Steve to go through that just because Eddie was too stupid and let his mouth run faster than his brain sometimes.
They pulled up outside a little one story house at the end of Elm and Eddie helped the old woman to the door, turning down ten dollars in favour for a kiss on the cheek and a promise that she would call if she needed absolutely anything at all.
“Are you sure there isn’t anything else you need?”
"No Steven made sure that I wouldn’t go hungry” she shook the bag in her hand,” go on, It’s Christmas eve, you and your young man don't need to be fussing over an old woman like me."
"Not my man,Mrs F."
"Does he know that ?" she said sagely waving over his shoulder towards the truck, Eddie didn’t dare turn to look, he knew Steve had moved over to the front seat, even with the snow muffling the sound, the clunk of his passenger door was unmistakable. “Take it from an old crone, do what makes you happy, you’re a long time dead.”
"Sounds like sage advice, from a wise woman, Merry Christmas" He waited until she closed the door before heading back to the truck,turning his collar up even more to the bleaching snow.
Steve was fiddling with the radio when he got in. The four cups steamed up the windscreen where he had placed them on the dash. Now they were alone Eddie took the chance to really look at the other man, all flushed cheeks and cosy Christmas sweaters.
It was hopeless, he was hopeless, he was stupidly smitten with this human embodiment of a carebear and he wasn't sure when or how it had happened.
Steve Harrington was a hundred percent not his type, he was preppy and pretty and he was soft with the occasional hard edges…and Eddie was completely gone.
"What?" Steve asked looking up at him from below his stupidly long eyelashes, the glasses he now wore only emphasised them, he defied anyone not to look at Steve Harrington and not fall a little bit in love with him. Hell, half of Hawkins worshipped him still if the amount of home delivery's Eddie had helped with this week was an indication. A scared up face and a permanent limp had done nothing to make him less endearing.
"Just wondering what wham did to offend you ?"
"I work in retail Ed's, do you know how many times I've had to listen to that damn song today alone?"
Eddie rolled his eyes but didn't miss the way Steve lent back into his arm as he used Steve's headrest to steady himself as he looked round to reverse. Eddie told himself it wasn't selfish when he slid his hand back on to Steve's headrest as they headed back towards loc Nora.
*****
"Thanks for the drinks, but the answer's still no."
" Come on Hop, this thing can go off road, it can make it up a little hill …" Eddie should have known this was going to happen, it wasn’t like he hadn’t seen this on the way through to collect Steve, but it didn’t look like Hopper was budging on this, not even an inch. Behind him sipping at the steaming cup of coco that Steve had just handed her, Joyce looked poised to back up her partner if need be. Hopper was a pussycat compared to Joyce in full momma bear mode, it even put Steve to shame.
"And the last thing I want is Wayne and Claudia coming after me because their two favourite boys are down in the morgue." she didn’t look like she was going to back down, fixing Eddie with almost as stern a look as she would one of her own kids.
"Holy Satan's armpit” Eddie threw his hands up in the air in defeat “and I thought I was the dramatic one…" Steve laughed at that, he didn't seem too put out by this turn of events.
"I'll just crash at yours, not like I don't have things at yours already." Steve shrugged, Eddie tried his hardest to ignore the way Hopper's eyebrows almost disappeared into his hairline. "And anyway, it's Christmas eve, I was planning on spending it at yours anyway, now it's just a sleepover."
Eddie knew when he was beat, he wasn't going to win this fight, and plus if Steve was at his he would feel less guilty about him in that big house all on his own. The smile on Steve’s face was worth admitting defeat.
“Who knew, between the two of you, it almost makes a fully functioning adult…” Hopper winced as Joyce dug him in the ribs with her elbow, leaning past him as Eddie started to wind up the window.
“You boys are both still coming for dinner tomorrow?”
“Like we would miss out on your potato’s moma J.” Steve said it with such love that Eddie was sure even Hopper wouldn’t be able to make fun of him. “Four pm on the dot and I made a pudding, Robin took it with her when she left today.”
Joyce’s face lit up, and Eddie knew that even if they had to walk the two of them would. The end of the world ( again) wouldn’t stop them from family dinner at the Hopper- Byers house.
“We will be over as soon as we've seen Wayne, he’s on nights.” Steve nudged Eddie to start winding up the window again as the snow picked up.
“Well tell him I’ll make him a plate.” Joyce yelled over the flurry of snow as she retreated to the warmth of Hopper's patrol car. The man himself nodded before following in her wake, nobody was getting anywhere if they didn’t leave soon.
*****
The truck was quiet as they made their way towards Eddie's place. Steve hadn’t turned the music back on, staring at the snow falling ahead of them almost lost in thought. He wanted to ask what was wrong, but he knew sometimes Steve could get caught up in his own thoughts like this, and it was best to let him come back to you on his own terms.
Eddie instead concentrated on getting them home in one bit. But even as he turned his attention to the dangerous roads his mind was wandering itself.
He was starting to think that he was missing something, everyone seemed to be referring to them as a unit, Eddie and Steve, Steve and Eddie. Was it just because more and more the two of them were spending all their free time together?
But even Steve had referred to them as a WE.
Steve, who wanted to spend Christmas eve with him, wanted to be there when Wayne got home so that he could wish him all the best.
They were going to go to a family dinner together, and he would bet his Warlock on him and Steve being sat next to each other around the extended table tomorrow. At what point in the last three years had they become so intricately wrapped up in eachother?
Thankfully his street came into view before he could over think himself too much.
“What exactly is going on between the two snowmen at the back there?” Steve asked as they reached the house.
Careful not to plough the truck into the snow that was built up at the end of the drive he parked up.
“Well you see… when one snowman loves another snowman-” Steves gloved hand came up to slap itself across his face. He mumbled the rest of his explanation into the warm wool as Steve rolled his eyes so hard that his glasses almost slid down his nose.
“I can’t believe you built a snowman orgy in your yard…”
“I didn’t. mini Wheler and Byers did, encouraged by the rest of your nuggets, they are too wise for their age, and they're starting to give me grey hairs.”
“Should I be concerned about them? Do we need to give them the talk?”
“They have had every talk I could think of wanting for myself, they want to make us grand pops, that’s on them.” Steves face went through a series of emotions and Eddie wondered how he ever used to find this man difficult to read. He wore his heart on his sleeve, once you got past his defences at least.
"Come on big boy, let's get you in and out of this cold," he grinned, offering up his arm for Steve to grab as they manoeuvred the slippery, compacted snow.
"Are you planning on warming me up?"
"Does that line ever actually work ? " Eddie asked, pushing the door open and shaking the snow off his boots.
"First time I used it. I'll have to let you know.”
He was clearly avoiding looking at Eddie, but what he said? It was loaded with something that bordered on honesty. That was another thing, sometimes flirting, it was so raw and open,it felt so real…
Eddie was about to say something back when Steve let out a happy yelp.
It was almost adorable the way he dashed over to the christmas tree as soon as he saw it, boots and coat thrown to the side with almost childlike enthusiasm.
Steve was still avoiding eye contact as Eddie joined him accepting his own drink as he passed. His name was written on the side, the I in his name topped with a heart rather than a dot.
A god damn heart. What the hell was Eddie supposed to do but melt a little more inside.
Steve was looking at the baubles, smiling at the ones the kids had made, their names written in puffy paint and decorated in varying levels of skill ( Will) and effort ( Mike). He was currently spinning a red bauble with both their names on, it kept catching in the light of the static bulbs that El had tried her hardest not to put on with her powers, but that still looked a little too uniform for Eddie to not think that she had cheated just a little.
When Steve let go the tree wobbled a little, toppling a little further towards them. Steve dutifully started moving the ornaments so the entire thing wasn't front heavey.
"Did sabbath do that to the tree or…" Steve began, but on hearing his name, Sabbath started scratching and yelling at the bedroom door.
“Did you lock my son in your room , you monster?”
Eddie couldn't help but smile, between Steve trying to move the ornaments on the tree so that they weren't all crowded around the front, and the absolute blissful happiness on his face. What else was he supposed to do?
“The tree would have been on the floor if I had left him, someone needed saving, remember?”
"My hero." Steve pretended to swoon, his hat hair just added to the full effect.
The smile hit him like a freight train at high velocity. Was that the way Steve always looked at him? Had he never noticed it before now? Steve wore the same hopelessly devoted face that Hopper did when he smiled at Joyce, and he had it directed at him.
At a loss for how to calm his racing heart, Eddie released the cat, the creature ran straight to Steve and climbed his leg, perching himself in his favourite spot on Steve's left shoulder. He could hear the purr from across the room. Steve thankfully broke eye contact and turned his attention to the tiny warrior that was digging its claws into his ugly holiday sweater.
And didn't that make the perfect Christmas picture. The man he loves frames in the low lights cast from a chaotic Christmas tree, decorated by the people he loved most in the world.
All that was missing was the star.
But that was easily fixed.
Grabbing the last ornament he joined Steve again by the tree. This time however the other man was too caught up playing with the cat to acknowledge the paper star Eddie was wielding in his direction.
"Traitor."
"Me or the cat?"
"Jury's out on that one." He swapped out the coco for the star, popping the cups on the side table, smiling as Steve turned the glittery monstrosity over in his hands.
"You murder a fairy for all this glitter ? "
"Me? No … El and Erica however? I'm claiming plausible deniability. They did however want to leave it for you to do."
"I know I shouldn't have favourites…"
"I don't think you're supposed to be terrified of your favourite child."
"Really because I think a fear of Erica is more of a survival instinct at this point."
"Shut up and put your bloody star on my bloody tree Harrington"
"Is that what the kids are calling it these days?" Steve grinned but was already reaching for the top of the tree, sabbath sensing his chance made a jump for it, it was like slow motion the tree the cat and the two humans upending on the floor in a jumble of Christmas tat and tinsel.
Steve lay with his head pressed into Eddie's neck where he had grabbed on as they tumbled trying to catch the tree, Eddie had automatically reached to cradle the other man's head as he fell to the ground not wanting him to get another stupid concussion.
Steve was pinned under him; he was laughing uncontrollably, his chest vibrating where it pressed tightly against Eddie's own.
"OK there sweetheart?" He was pressed so close to Steve that he felt the way his heart raced at the endearment. It gave Eddie a little more boldness. "Baby? You didn't bang your head again or anything did-"
He didn't get a chance to finish his question, Steve, displaying all that strength that he now hid under layers of softness rolled him over so he had the higher ground, he only had a second to appreciate this new development before Steve surged forward, capturing his lips with his own.
Steve's nose was still cold, that was what he noticed first, not the taste of the hot chocolate or the feeling of Steve's lips against his own, it was the realisation that Steve was cold. It confused his brain, Steve was bright colours and warm sunny days, cinnamon swirls and coffee, warm hugs and dazzling smiles, Eddie's brain was confused. And it must have been enough to show because Steve made to pull away when Eddie didn't immediately kiss him back.
"I don't think so princess…" Eddie finally got to twist his hands into Steve's hair the way he wanted to, pleased when the other man gave him a content sigh as he pulled him down and joined their lips together.
He took it slow, wanting to learn this strange new addition to their relationship, because that was what they were, Steve and Eddie,Eddie and Steve. A couple that weren't , but always had been.
Steve deepened the kiss,pressing Eddie harder into the floor, hands exploring wherever he could; he had just brought his hand up to cup Eddie's face when he let out a small yelp.
Sabbath had won his battle with his string of Christmas lights. He dragged the still lit ornaments and sat proudly on the arch of Steve's shoulders, claws digging in as he showed off his prize.
"Our child is a menace" Steve grinned down at him
"He gets it from you"
"I am not a menace, I am adorable hes nothing like me ."
"I dunno, sharp claws destructive nature, bit of a bitch,all quite attractive attributes," Steve silenced him with another kiss, the movement making sabbath yell around his mouthful of cable . "As much as I love you both, we should probably stop the cat chewing on electricity. I've seen national lampoon's , I'm not explaining that one to the kids"
It took Eddie a moment to realise why Steve was grinning at him like a man possessed, and another moment for Eddie to retract the cat's claws from Steve's back so he could sit them both up and inspect the damage.
He had really just come out and said it hu? He avoided looking at Steve as he righted the tree.
He had only just gotten the nerve to kiss him and he was already blurting out love confessions? Who was he and what had he done with the real Eddie?
They worked in silence. He started picking up the ornaments and Steve busied himself putting the lights back on the tree, the entire time sabbath circled their feet waiting for another chance to defeat the deadly lights.
As Eddie passed Steve the star again the other man moved closer. Placing the star on top of the tree he swung back down resting his arms around Eddie's neck.
" Just so we're on the same page… I love you too Eddie."
The kiss was gentil this time, not frantic like the previous one, Eddie broke it after a few moments just so he could check to make sure that Steve was actually real.
Then the fairy lights( and all the other lights too ) blinked out of existence.
" you know I'm starting to think the arcade fire wasn't an accident"
They both looked down at sabbath who had somehow managed to chew clear through the wire, he didn't even look remorseful.
But Eddie was finding it hard to care. What was some lights when his life was so full of love.