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Jason had thought he could do it, could find Eddie Munson and kill that monster after he killed Chrissy.
He knew where Eddie was; in the Harrington house, where Steve was hiding him away. He didn't know why though. He grew up with Steve, he used to look up to the guy so he couldn't understand WHY Steve would hide him away.
Unless Eddie was forcing him to. The thought that Steve, who fell down the social ladder and was basically alone except for the kids he babysat and that one weird girl, was being forced to do something for that freak pissed him off.
He knew Steve would bounce back eventually. He had been King! Of course he'd rise back up!
He remembers the days of his childhood, of when even as small kids, Steve had taken care of him. He remembered how Steve would hold his hand when their parents weren’t around and he was scared. But those soft days had quickly left and soon enough, Steve had become friends with Tommy Hagan and then Carol and Jason watched from the sidelines as Steve became King.
He wanted nothing more than to be like him. And then bullshit after bullshit happened and Steve just…. Became stuck. That’s all it was. Steve was stuck and now Eddie had his claws in him.
Jason would stop him. Kill him for killing Chrissy and taking Steve hostage in his own home.
And while he noticed Eddie’s van and Steve’s car as he snuck by, he never got to see the second car that was hidden away from view in the garage.
Getting into Steve’s house was easy, the back sliding door was always a bit wonky. He could smell food being cooked before he heard Eddie's loud laughter and then his mocking voice.
"Aw, Stevie! No need to be so pouty."
It made Jason's blood boil! He pulled his gun out and in a(nother) lapse of judgment, he rushed into the dining room, gun raised and words dying in his throat.
At the table sat Steve, who was red in the face, and Eddie, who's grin fell, replaced by a look of terror.
But there were two more.
Patricia and Richard Harrington were staring horrified at Jason and Steve's red face becomes pale as he stands up.
"What the absolute fuck are you doing in my house?" Steve snapped.
"Steve! I-.. what's going on?! Don't you know who he is?!" Jason turned to the Harringtons, eyes wide. "He murdered Chrissy! And… and Patrick and that nerd Fred!"
Jason flinched as Richard slammed his hands down as he stood up.
"Jason Alexander Carver, HOW DARE YOU!" Richard roared.
"S-sir-!"
"Don't you think that boy has been through enough! Framed for murders only to be taken by the culprit!"
"He wasn't-"
"He was tortured! And you! You sent a damn hate mob after him! With no proof other than it had happened in his home!" Richard rounded the corner and Jason immediately pointed the gun at him, shaking.
"He murdered them! Patrick-!"
"ENOUGH!!"Richard roared again and Jason dropped his gun, pale.
It was the same tone his father always had with him.
Richard grabbed his arm roughly. "I don't know what happened to you, you used to be a good kid but this ends now! I will not tolerate this! You, with your self-righteous bullshit."
Patricia rushed to the house phone while Eddie stood up, taking Steve's hand.
Jason easily spotted it. "That! How-how could you possibly be okay with that! He's turned your son fag!"
Oh Steve had only ever seen his father that pissed before and he rushed over grabbing his arm. "Don't! Dad, he's not worth it!"
"Let me go, Steven!" He tried to jerk his arm back. "No one would blame me! He pointed a gun at us!"
"Mr. H, come on. Don't do this. You… you don't want to do this, not in front of Steve or.. or Mrs. Tricia. He's just a stupid kid."
"A kid who's nearly gotten you killed!" He tightened his grip. "What is WRONG with you, Jason?! He did nothing wrong and yet you refuse to see the truth! You claim he's in league with the devil and you claim you're on God's path. God wouldn't want you to do this! You're a sinner just like the rest of us!"
"I'm not-!"
"There is no one in the world without sin! It is not our place to judge, but to love and guide. Am I hard on my son? Of course I am! But I will never shame him for being in love and happy."
Steve reached out and gripped his dad's arm. "Let him go. Come on, Dad, you're going to hurt him."
Patricia slipped back in and pulled Eddie close. "Both the police and the Carvers are on their way."
Richard stared Jason down as Steve kicked the gun away from them.
"Dad…"
"Come on, Mr. H…"
Richard snarled and jerked Jason to the table. "Sit the fuck down."
Jason shakenly sat down, watching as Patricia rubbed Eddie's back, watched as he smiled at the woman before moving to Steve.
"Stevie… babydoll… Come on… you'll give yourself a migraine again." His voice was soft, gentle as he tried to get Steve to leave the room.
"I will not. Not until I see his ass arrested." The look Steve Jason made him want to cry.
Gone were the faded Memories of the beaming smile Steve used to give, replaced by this hateful look.
"Ste-"
"No." His voice was firm as he cut off Jason. "I don't know what happened to you to make you this way, probably your bastard of a father, but I will not tolerate it."
It didn't take long for both police and the Carvers to arrive and all Jason could do was shrink down at the hateful look his father sent him as he tried to reason with the police and the Harringtons.
"-son boy murdered his girlfriend. He's understandably upset that he got away with it."
Oh… wrong thing to say.
"Excuse me? Did you forget my son had been with him during two of those murders before he was taken by the real murderer? There's no possible way for him to have done those!" Patricia snapped.
His father huffed and turned to him. "What were you thinking, boy?!" He snapped. "Are you trying to get arrested?!"
"He killed Chrissy! He's done something to the Harringtons to make them be like this! To make them follow his lead!"
"Will you quit this satanic tal-"
"WHY ELSE WOULD MUNSON AND STEVE BE DATING?!"
Richard and Steve looked enraged as Eddie and Patricia looked horrified at what he just revealed.
His father turned to look at Steve and Eddie in absolute disgust. "Richard, how could you allow this to happen?"
Richard straightened up, almost towering over his father. "What my son does behind closed doors is no one's business. The only reason Jason even knows is because HE BROKE IN AND POINTED A FUCKING GUN AT US!" He roared. "As long as my son is happy and safe, I don't care! Your child has threatened my family, I want him arrested!" He snapped at Powell and Callahan.
Both looked very uncomfortable before moving to Jason.
"What are you doing?! After this, you should be going after them! Not my son!"
"Being gay isn't a crime," snapped Powell as Callahan pulled Jason up.
"My brother is gay," Callahan stated as he handcuffed Jason. "He lives in the city to get away from people like you." No one had really heard Callahan angry before.
"Let me go!" He turned to Steve, eyes pleading. And he could see it. See how Steve softened, could see how upset he was and suddenly it was like they were children again. "Steve-"
"You threatened the one of the only people who's ever loved me without conditions. To you, I'm still King Steve. To Eddie? I'm just… Steve. I'm just me and he loves me."
Something broke in Jason. The perfect picture of Steve he had shattered and all that was left was an image of someone who probably never existed.
Steve pulled Eddie closer as Callahan led Jason outside and he could still hear his father and the others yelling but it was muffled.
The Steve he knew, the Steve he admired so much… had been fake?
It hit him how easily and quickly Steve changed and it was like a fog had been lifted.
King Steve had been a role he played. Most likely one to protect himself… and he didn't need that role anymore..
Jason didn't know how long he stared at the back of the seat, but he acknowledged when both officers got in and when the car started to move.
His dad would get him out, he knew that… But what was waiting for him at him was worse than any jail sentence
________
Eddie rubbed Steve's back as he sat hunched over on the bed. "It's not your fault…."
"He used to be a good kid… I… I should have seen it back then, should have stopped this."
"Some people are just bad, Steve. No matter what you teach them, they'll still be bad. It's not your fault. He wasn't your responsibility."
Both glanced up as his parents walked in, Richard with a bottle of whiskey and his mother with a few glasses.
"I was able to get Carver to agree not to spread around your relationship." Richard sat at the desk as Patricia set the glasses in front of him.
"What did you threaten?"
"I'd buy out his work and fire him." Richard poured four glasses and Patricia handed the boys their's.
Eddie only snorted and sipped the alcohol, making a face. "Mr. H, you're brutal."
"Got to be in this town."
Steve immediately downed his drink and Eddie shot him a worried look. "Don't say it. That's all imma drink."
Patricia sat next to Steve, her own drink in hand, and kissed his head. "It'll be okay, Steven. We'll keep you safe."
"Both of you," Richard added and Eddie sunk into Steve's side.
"Thank you… both. Really."
"You're a good kid and you make my son happy. You're family now."
Eddie felt his eyes burn and he hid his face in Steve's side, relaxing as Steve wrapped his arm around him.
"Thank you…" Eddie whispered.
"We already love you, Eddie. Nothing will change that." Patricia ran her hand through his hair and eyes closed his eyes as the tears fell.
"I love you guys too…"