Chapter Text
For as long as Steve can remember, his bat was there. Always crawling around his arms and legs making him giggle at the ticklish feeling, nuzzling up around his neck during the night or when he was scared. Always loving him. His sweet shadow, his soulmate. He couldn't imagine a life without him nor the boy he represents.
And he knows his soulmate is a boy. An older boy, since he's had his bat since birth, and he can just tell it was a boy. His bat is so shy and sweet, a little cuddle bug most of the time and totally dramatic all the other time.
His bat is protective and possessive as well, especially around other boys his age. Jonathan was still terrified of getting closer for longer than a side hug after his bat gave the biggest and meanest hiss/growl when Jonathan leaned against him when they were trying to calm down after fighting literal monsters for the 1st.
Steve was so ridiculously smitten by the action, a dopey smile on his face as he reassured his Bat that he didn't want Jonathan, that he was just a friend and Nancy's soulmate anyway. Which sent his Bat into more hissing because Nancy was his ex girlfriend, was someone he thought he could love because he was starting to lose hope about finding his Bat boy.
But then Jonathan's brother went missing and while they were helping to look for him (because Steve loved his best friend and is happy she's happy, so he'll help her soulmate.) Nancy's childhood friend was somehow found dead in his pool. Steve felt so guilty for it, and he knows Nancy did too, because they had plans for a movie night but got caught up in finding little Will Byers.
Then the monsters of their nightmares became reality and Steve was never so happy that his father made him play baseball through his school years than he was when he took the nail bat to the demogorgan to protect his friends and little Dustin Henderson. Dustin who quickly became the little brother he never knew he wanted or needed before.
Then just when Steve thought it was calming down, that he could focus on finding his Bat boy, his happiness, and finishing his junior year of high school, him and his new work friend get tortured by Russians. The only thing that kept them from actually killing Steve was a Russian belief about bat soulmarks, whatever it was he was grateful his bat saved him once more. He confessed he belief that his soulmate was a boy to Robin, only after teasing her for crushing on Tammy Thompson and her Muppet singing.
He found a sister in Robin, a twin who was on the same wavelength as him and knew parts of him that no one ever got. Knew why he was so against his fellow jocks and how they harassed the "freaks" and outcasts, how all he could think of is his soulmate. How given their soul animal was a misunderstood animal that they must be misunderstood as well. So he couldn't hurt or belittle them, couldn't stay by as they were bullied. It might have lost him friends but were they even his friends to begin with? They probably just wanted his parents money or his name, not him so good riddance.
Life went back to normal again for a while, they healed and their bonds became tighter than ever before. Steve started relaxing again, his nail bat left behind at home more and he wasn't jumping at every shadow that moved.
Even his bat seemed to relax, coming out from under his shirt and snuggling around his neck once more to make happy noises. Bump his little nose to Steve's cheek like little kisses and it made him mushy just imagining his soulmate doing the same, maybe even leaning down to kiss him because he was taller. Maybe he'd tuck Steve under his chin and hold him close, swaying them ever so gently to whatever song was in the older boy's head.
"Steve! You're doing it again!" The exasperated voice of Dustin said, snapping Steve out of his day dream of who his soulmate was and back into the present. A present where Dustin was bugging Steve at work, the Freshman demanding a ride home after his D&D club meeting after school the next day. "You're so sappy about your soulmate, don't even know who they are!"
"Oh shut up, Henderson! Just because you found yours..." Steve huffed, leaning against the counter and crossing his arms. "Why should I give you a ride after your club anyway? Why not ask your new best friiiiiend Eddie for a ride home, hmm?" He asked, mocking Dustin a bit and trying to hide the grumpiness over being replaced as Dustin's big brother figure.
"Oh come on, you know it's not like that!" Dustin huffed, throwing his hands up dramatically and flailing a bit. "He's a friend, you're a brother!" He crossed his arms in a mirror of Steve's position. "I just...want you come and meet him, want my two cool senior friends to meet!"
Steve almost melted, heart aching at the knowledge it wasn't just him who felt the bond between them. He smiled at the younger boy and wiggling his dorky hat on his head in a mock noogie. "Fine..fine, I'll come pick you up after your nerd game and probably meet Eddie Munson but you owe me...say, a dozen of Mama Claudia's chocolate chip cookies."
"Deal! You won't regret, Steve!" Dustin said, squeezing his waist in a hug before darting out of the store to try to make it home on his bike before his mom flips. He's lucky Steve's new after school job was a 5 minute bike ride to the Hendersons home or he'd be screwed.
"Aww, Mama Stevie is so soft."
"Oh shush, Robin, and go back to day dreaming about Chrissy!"
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Steve didn't really know much about Eddie Munson, King of the Misfits. just knew he was the leader of the D&D club and he liked a lot of alt music, especially metal. He knew that they share an English class and that Eddie had many opinions about the books they'd read. Knew Eddie was already 19 and got held back because of stupid reasons, one being his birthday was just over the cut off date for the year.
He knew that Eddie was ridiculously pretty, with long curly hair and Bambi like brown eyes. Pale skin covered in silver jewelry (rings on his hands and piercings through his lip) and black tattoos. He had a gorgeous dimpled smile and a cackling laugh. An adorable habit of covering his mouth with his hair when he smiled.
He knew that Eddie had beautiful dog, a shepherd of some kind, as his soulmate animal. Gorgeous and lush fur and piercing eyes, always draped over Eddie like a blanket or between him and the asshole jocks that bully him (he's so happy he didn't befriend them, they were the type he worried about).
So maybe he knows a little about Eddie Munson but not enough, never enough. He'd never let Henderson or Robin know how much he wanted to know Eddie. Wanted to get close to him and his pretty smile, pretty eyes, pretty dimples. How hopelessly he wishes that his sweet Bat belonged to the older boy, it would make so much sense.
"I wouldn't get that lucky, would I?" He murmured to his bat, tracing gentle fingers down his furry back and sighing softly. "He's too good for me..."
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Steve glanced at his cell phone to check time and sighed, the meeting was supposed to end 20 minutes ago and there wasn't hint of his little band nerdy gremlins, not even the distant sound of Dustin's yelling. He's not really worried or anything but they've only been about 10 minutes late before and Dustin usually texts him about it first. He knows they've probably just lost track of time but still...
With a heavy sigh, Steve pushed off the hood of his car and headed inside the school towards the drama room. The eerily silent hallways setting him a little on edge but he pushed through, relaxing a bit as he hears his gremlins voices along with a lower and huskier voice. He rounded the corner to find his missing children and Eddie Munson coming out of the drama room, talking excitedly about the cliffhanger Eddie left the campaign at. The hero worship in their eyes, especially Mike's, was adorable and amusing.
"Was it worth making your poor babysitter sit out in the cold? Worrying about if his precious gremlins were hurt?" He asked, crossing his arms in his Mom Stance and mock glaring at him. "It takes 2 seconds to text me, Dustin Joseph Henderson." He added, focusing on the runt of his boys and satisfied with the hint of guilt in his face. "Oooo, he full named you." Mike loudly whispered, pouting sourly when it got him a bop on the head from Will.
"I'm sorry Steve, we lost track of time! Didn't mean to worry you." Dustin said, rushing ahead and hugging Steve's waist. Steve tried not to give and melt but hugs were his weakness, and the little shit knew it. "You are all safe, that's all that matters." He murmured, pressing a kiss to unruly curls before focusing on Eddie Munson, finding the older teen watching it with a gentle smile. A smile that he returned before ducking his head and placing a calming hand to the lump that was his bat under his clothes.
Steve was shocked to feel his bat worm out from under his hoodie, his bat preferring to cuddle against his chest, right over his heart, when they were out and about. He felt him crawl up to pop out of his collar and curl around his neck, a soft smile on his face as he glanced down at him. He shook his head and focused back on a shocked looking Eddie. "Hi. I'm Steve and this is Baby. Don't mind him, he's probably just a bit curious." He said, holding out a hand for Eddie to shake.
Eddie seemed to shake himself out of whatever headspace he was in, smiling at Steve and reaching for his hand. "It's fine, man, just surprised at what animal he is. I heard rumors but..." He shook his head and laughed, finally taking Steve's hand. Steve barely got to noticed how rough his fingers were compared to his palms, probably from playing guitar like Dustin told him, before a warmth filled him. He gasped, eyes going towards where their hands meet then back to Eddie's equally shocked eyes. He glanced back down just in time to see that his bat had made his way down Steve's arm and was about to crawl on to Eddie's. "Baby, what are you do-" He started to ask but his bat made it to Eddie's hand and suddenly the warmth was more. He felt his knees give out and he dropped, only slowed by a furry body pressing against his leg and when he looked it was Eddie's soul animal.
He stared at dog, who seemed to be staring right into his soul, which makes sense because it was...him. A part of him who was a companion for his soulmate, for Eddie. Steve reached out with his free hand, the one not in a death grip with Eddie's, and gently placed it on the dog's head. He heard another body drop as he did so and looked over at Eddie, who had also dropped and was staring at them in awed surprise. He had his free hand cradling Steve's bat to his chest, secure but so careful of the delicate bones of his wings.
Steve gave a breathless giggle, pulling Eddie and his dog closer to him, "Of course it's you." He breathed, staring at the older teen in awe and releasing his hand to gently touch his face, wanting to be sure it was all real. "...Wanted it to be you, had such a crush on the golden hearted bad boy." He confessed, blushing cheeks hurting from smiling and happy tears in his eyes.
Eddie huffed a soft laugh, his newly freed hand cupping Steve's face and wiping away his tears. "I didn't think I'd ever find you, that in our backwoods town I'd be so lucky to have my soulmate." He said, a drawl coming into the words thanks to emotion. "But you've been right in front of me, sometimes so close I just had to reach out but I..." He shook his head and leaned in to press their foreheads together. "I can't wait ta get to know you, sweetheart. I already know how loving and protective you are but I want more. You're so pretty..."
Steve giggled more and nuzzled their noses together, wanting to kiss him but not wanting to do it in front of Dustin and his friends. "Look who's talking, so beautiful, especially when you smile with your dimples." He murmured. A choked squeak followed by a thunk made him reluctantly pull away from the warmth. Glancing at their shocked audience find him seeing a guilty Mike covering his mouth and Will shaking his head at his dumbass soulmate, having bopped his head (again) for ruining the moment. Will mouthed an apology to Steve when he noticed him looking.
"Can we..." Steve started before he was gently interrupted by a bemused Eddie, who semi glared at the group of younger teen.
"Give me your phone and I'll text you my address. We can meet there after you drop off the hellions, okay, baby boy?" Eddie said, taking Steve's unlocked phone once it was offered and tying his info into it before texting himself. He pulled out his own phone and texted his address. "There. Now go be the best damn baby sitter and I'll see you later, Angel."
Steve shyly smiled at him, scrambling to his feet as he tried to keep a hand on Eddie and keep close to him. "Yea, yea I can do that." He murmured, looking down at his bat and reaching for him. "Come on, Baby, we gotta go. We'll see them later." He said, gently scooping his bat back into his arm and shivering at touching his soulmate's chest as well as the rush of warmth safety love of having his bat back.
"Baby, huh?" Eddie teased, a pink touching his cheeks as he gave a dopey smile. "Shut up." Steve huffed, tucking his soul animal back under his shirt and backing out of the door. He watched as Eddie's soul animal, a part of HIS soul, went back to Eddie's side and pressed his head into Eddie's hand. "Hey, darlin'." The older teen said, scratching his dog behind the ear and making Steve flustered at the accent.
"Bye, Eddie!" He squeaked, rushing out the door and towards his car. His brain was scrambling around, his body on autopilot as he got in and started the familiar process of dropping off the Freshman in his backseat.
It wasn't until he pulled into Dustin's driveway and the younger hugged him from the backseat. "I'm happy you found him, Steve." He said, squeezing his neck once more before running inside to his mother and her delicious meatloaf.
It finally sunk in and Steve made a squeak in the back on his throat, a lovesick smile taking over his face as looked down at his bat. "I found him, I finally found him." He breathed, holding his sweet Bat close and pressing his face into the soft fur of his bat's belly. "My soulmate..." He giggled, his bat chittering like he was excited too.
It took him a few minutes to calm down enough to drive and another few to get directions up to Eddie's place, which turned out to be right by Max's house, but he was soon off to talk to Eddie Munson, his soulmate, his Bat boy.
He couldn't help thinking Steve Munson sounded very nice, making himself blush.