Work Text:
July 1995
The interviewer, Katie, looked all too happy with the things she had written down on her page. “Next question, is ofcourse, about your new smash hit ‘Keep Riding Me’ that’s sweeping every underground club as we speak.”
The guys looked between each other, sharing secret smiles and nods, Gareth sitting in the middle, a hand from each of his bandmates touching him somewhere, in some fashion.
“It’s obvious you’re all very close, and supportive of the Gay rights movement. Is this a personal experience?” They all noticed how her stare stayed pointed at Eddie.
Everyone had always assumed Eddie’s sexuality, it’s not like he’d hid any part of Steve Harrington, the disowned heir of Harrington Industries, or their relationship. The one thing Eddie didn’t do was take questions on their personal lives.
Katie had been vetted and prepped by Corroded Coffin’s manager Ms. Robin Buckley, about how this would be the first interview delving into personal lives and matters. They knew she was out for the story and for once, they were ready to give it.
“I think all of our music is based on personal experience in different ways, that’s what makes our music stand out.” He raised a brow. “But yes, this song is definitely based off of personal experience. Just not mine.”
“Oh.” Katie blushed, realizing she wasn’t getting the story she expected. She shifted a few papers around in her lap, finding the paper robin had given her, the lyrics and at the bottom, the credits spelled it out.
Lyricist: Gareth Emerson
Gareth could see when she put two and two together, she lifted her head, her scarlet blush prominent on her pale skin.
He decided to put her out of her misery.
“It started as a joke. A little dirty song for my fiancé’s birthday. I got the guys in to put the music together. We actually made a little home music video in my back yard. I was so nervous. After his party, and the family went home, we uh, we put it up in the big screen and showed it to just our close little after party.” Gareth smiled softly. “Will got a huge kick out of it. He loved it and asked when we were dropping it.”
Eddie, Jeff and Kevin joined him in giggling about it.
“Will’s best friend Mike looked at me and told me I had to be brain dead to not release it. So, here we are.”
“Will, that name sounds familiar.” Katie wondered aloud.
“It should.” Eddie smiled proudly. “Will Hopper, our artist. He’s done all of our official designs.”
“How did you meet Will?” Katie asked, seeming genuinely interested in his story now. “Was he a fan?”
“Oh god.” Gareth groaned as he saw Eddie’s eyes sparkle with a glint of mischief.
“They were high school sweethearts, actually.” Eddie beamed proudly. “Gareth pined after Will for half a year! I swear, he saw Will behind the barrel of a shot gun and damn near died. That was it. Will owned his heart.”
Gareth rolled his eyes affectionately. Eddie loved this story and Will had already given Eddie permission, well, more of a challenge to ‘do his worst.’
Eddie went on to tell the ‘epic tale of love and fate’ AKA the “great Hawkins earthquake ‘86” FBI edition with Eddie’s embellishments. The freaks helping the town that hated them, Will accidentally pointing the double barrel at Gareth in freight.
Meanwhile, Gareth thought back to that fateful day in early April. Following Wayne, Jeff and Kevin out of the woods to the site of the ‘freaky shit’, the Creel house. They tried to stay out of sight, coming from behind the dilapidated house, they could see the group spread out beyond the broken house, a red, creepy humanoid like thing who they would later find out, was Henry Creel or Vecna- as they referred to him in that form. They caught the eyes of Steve Harrington, the one that called Wayne the previous night, giving him instructions on what to do and who to bring with him. After they started the fire, the house quickly went up in flames. They watched as Will’s sister used her hands to bring the monster to its knees and signaling everyone with a weapon to fire. Gunshots rang out, the little girl dropped to her knees and let out her own scream, then, silence.
Gareth was the first one to break out into a run, running straight to Steve, intent on asking what the fuck was happening, but he didn’t quite make it that far. He didn’t think of the gravity of the situation he was entering, or the stress these kids were under.
Will was on the edge of the group, Gareth got maybe 25 feet from Steve, 10 from Will when he blinked and there was Will, now in his way, barrel up and finger on the trigger.
“Whoa!” Gareth stopped so hard he nearly fell backward. “Sorry, uh, Steve?”
“State your business!” Will shouted, earning everyone's attention.
Shouting started, the Hellfire kids all talking over each other to get Will to lower the gun, but Will’s eyes were still trained on the 16-year-old in front of him.
“Will! Will, I called him here. Who do you think started the fire kid?” Steve moved to get around Will, between the barrel and Gareth. He was quick to grab the barrel, moving it and telling Will to get his finger off the trigger and let the damn thing go.
Will turned his eyes from Gareth to Steve before blinking a few times and relinquishing the gun to Steve.
“Well, now that’s out of the way.” Steve turned to Gareth. “Gotta be more careful, man.”
Gareth nodded, noticing everyone going back to what they were doing, checking over each other, checking in on each other’s mental states. “Sorry, my bad.”
“Sorry.” Will’s shoulder’s slumped, his voice sounding so small.
Gareth was quick to shake his head. “No, no, that was on me. I uh, I wasn’t thinking. I’m sorry.”
Will bit his lip, “I’m Will.”
“Will the Wise.” Gareth smiled softly. “I’m Gareth.”
“Gareth the Great.” Will nodded. “Mike’s told me about you. Says you’re one hell of a Barbarian.”
Gareth nodded dumbly. His brain went offline hearing the pretty boy say his nickname.
Few weeks later, when Eddie got released from the hospital, Gareth drunkenly admitted his thoughts of how hot the whole interaction was. Gareth never lived that down.
Gareth checked back into the interview, just as Eddie was wrapping up the story.
“So I, as the surrogate big brother to Gareth, decided to lock them in a closet until Gareth finally asked him out. Steve was not happy when he figured out what I did, the man always tells me I need to meddle less, but they’ve been an unstoppable duo ever since, so really, all I did was help!”
Gareth rolled his eyes affectionately. He didn’t mind but he’d never tell Eddie that.
Katie turned back to Gareth. “So you and Will have been together since ‘86?”
Gareth grinned widely. “Christmas Eve will be 9 years.”
Katie smiled softly. “Well I tell you, this interview is going to break a large portion of your female audience’s heart. Gareth has quite the following himself.”
The band exchanged sheepish smiles as Gareth blushed.
“We like to think our fans would be supportive of our brother living his life, like a lot of them are with me.” Eddie shrugged. “Besides, Jeff is still available! Kevin however, has a long-term girlfriend.”
The interview ended shortly after that. Gareth couldn’t wait to get back to the hotel.
He sat in the back of the SUV, next to Eddie and Steve, who’d arrived with the car, as Eddie told Steve all about what he’d said when Gareth was zoned out.
“Hey, you okay Gare?” Steve asked quietly.
Gareth nodded, eyes not leaving his fingers.
“It’s big, right? Coming out to the world.” Steve whispered.
Gareth nodded again, finally looking to the side, seeing both Eddie and Steve smiling at him.
“You did good, kid.” Eddie grinned, the way he does when he's proud.
“We’re all so proud of you.” Gareth felt a lump form in his throat, thinking of the night he’d come out to his parents, June ‘87.
The night he ended up on Steve’s doorstep with nothing but the clothes on his back.
Steve and Eddie swore to him that night, he’d never have to spend another moment alone and both boys made good on that promise, always being there when he needed them. They gave him a room, bought him a fancy new drum set and everything he could possibly need, before promptly kicking his ass until he finally graduated Hawkins High.
He had a new family now, but he still wondered how his little sister was doing, if she was as ashamed of him as their parents were.
“I love him, that’s all that really matters, right?”
Steve nodded, slipping his arm around Gareth’s shoulder and bringing him in for a snug side hug. “Yeah, that’s all that really matters.”
“Hey baby.” Will smiled up from his sketch pad as Gareth tossed his jacket toward the chair by the door. “How’d it go?”
Gareth ignored the question momentarily, needing to get his lips on the other man’s. He kissed Will with the same passion they’d always shared, every moment between them was electrifying, whether it was sneaking kisses in ‘86 or sharing morning breath in ‘95.
“That good ay?” Will chuckled, still a bit breathless when Gareth pulled back.
“Eddie took the reins.” Gareth rolled his eyes lovely. “Thank God. I was so nervous. She was nice about it though, Robin vetted her well.”
“I’m glad.” Will beamed at him.
Gareth nodded. “Thank you.”
“For?”
“Pointing that shot gun at me in ‘86.”
“What?” Will let out a laugh, the loud, boisterous one Gareth lived to pull from him. “Why?”
“That was the moment I fell in love with you.”
Fin.