Work Text:
Eddie did not like quiet Steve.
Not in that he demanded Steve always speak because that would be inhuman. The only ones who could always speak were himself and Robin; ranting was in their nature. Thankfully, Steve tolerated it and didn’t tell him to put his mouth to better use than yapping.
That time Dustin had been dumped off at his with no warning and meeting Steve for the first time had made him sure they’d never go out again. Steve had been so quiet. Pleasant, yes, but quiet.
Eddie was a hundred percent sure he’d wanted to just get out of there but for some reason hadn’t. They’d gone without catastrophes since then until whatever happened at the bar happened to make him quiet all the way home and in the kitchen still.
He stood by the sink putting dirty dishes in the dishwasher. Silently. No humming, no talking to himself, no happy little working song, just cleaning the sink for the coming day.
“Something wrong?” Eddie asked, putting his hands on his waist not knowing what to do with himself.
“Ah…” Steve broke his streak of silence but didn’t look at him. “Did I do something wrong? At the bar, you… you tugged at me when I was talking and I don’t know what I said or did but I’m sorry.”
Ah, shit. He knew what Steve was talking about. It wouldn’t make Eddie look good in his eyes. “No,” he sighed and looked to the side, rubbing the nap of his neck. “Look, I, uhm… okay, there was this chick at the bar checking you out and she was on her way over so I had to show her you’re… that you were there with me.” Close on there. Reel it in, cowboy.
Steve halted in his move of putting a plate in the dishwasher. It took a beat or two for him to assume his task again.
“You’re obviously free to talk with whoever you want but I’d rather you not flirt with others when with me,” he continued, ranting despite feeling himself digging the hole deeper and deeper. “You’re not mine and I know that but it’d just be rude, maybe, or shitty for me. I don’t know if you like women, hell, maybe I just…” Should shut the fuck up? Yeah, probably.
Steve spun a dirty bowl around in his hands. “I wouldn’t mind.”
All the air had been knocked out of Eddie. What did he say to that? He wouldn’t get in the way next time? Just chop his head off and get it done with.
“Being yours, I mean, I wouldn’t mind,” Steve clarified, putting the dirty bowl where it belonged. “I didn’t notice her, but I never notice anyone but you when we’re together.” He closed the dishwasher, satisfied with his work.
How he said such things so casually drove Eddie up the walls. “You wouldn’t mind?” he managed, tone quiet not daring to hope it was true. “Don’t jerk me around.” It was meant as a joke, a throwaway line to ease the tension if Steve wasn’t serious, but to his utter despair it sounded like a fucking plea.
“I like being yours,” Steve confessed, brushing a hand through his hair. “If you’ll have me, I know I’m… a special case.”
Not allowing Steve to talk down on himself for a moment, Eddie walked over and put his arms on his shoulders. “If I’ll have you? Are you for real? I’ve wanted you since I first saw you, in any capacity you’re willing,” he added the last line in hopes to get his point across.
Saying nothing, Steve put his hands on Eddie’s chest and used him as support to raise himself up and kiss him on the cheek.