Work Text:
It all started with a stupid phone call. Steve was sitting in his room, half-listening to the radio, when his phone began to ring.
"Steve here," he said, as he picked up the phone. He half-expected it to be dustin calling to get him and the party from somewhere. It's like he'd become their personal taxi service. Regardless, he recognized the gleeful cackles on the other side of the line and couldn't help but chuckle himself, "Rob? Nance? What's up?"
"Steve! Steve, man! You've gotta get over to Nance's house. We've got the best surprise in the world," Robin took a full minute to get her words out because every time she would start talking, nancy would giggle, and then she would.
"O-ok? I'll be right over," he sighed, hanging up and tugging on the cleanest pair of jeans he could find.
~~
Steve knocked on the Wheeler's door. He noted a lack of actual nice cars and only having Nancy's Malibu and Eddie's beat up old van. He waited until the door opened to a Nancy with a wider grin than he'd ever seen her sport. He walked into the house and saw eddie standing in the living room, wearing one of Mrs Wheeler's work pantsuit/dress thingys.
"Jeez, Munson... what bet did you lose?" he chuckled, trying to ignore the lump in his throat.
"And who said I lost a bet?" The shaggy haired man chuckled, twirling around despite the lack of flow in the dress. "Ok, fine... i told the girls I (placeholder)"
"Oh..." Steve simply said, words lost on him. He felt like he was floating on a cloud, his brain light, his body even lighter. His eyes looked up and down Eddie's frame. He had a metallic blue color on his eyelids, a slightly pink color on his lips and cheeks, and, seemingly, no leg hair. "You shaved?" he chuckled.
"They wanted me to," he shrugged, staring Steve down as the man looked at him. "What do you think?" Eddie's voice, one the surface, was asking a simple question. In a secret language, seemingly only the two of them knew, he was asking more.
Steve balled one of his hands into a fist, trying to push away that all-too-familiar feeling. The one he felt when his and Tommy H's hands touched in the dark of the popcorn bucket; the one he felt when him and Billy Hargrove would go at eachother. He hated it.
"You look... good," his voice was barely a whisper, all the air left his lungs.
"How... how about we make some popcorn and watch a movie?" Robin's voice cut through the awkwardness, pulling both men's attention.
~~
They're halfway through some movie Steve couldn't pay attention to if he wanted to. Nance and Robin are cuddled up on one couch while him and Eddie were sitting on the other, practically miles away from eachother. Finally, the night came to a close.
"Rob, you need a ride home?" Steve called out, almost desperate to leave.
Robin turned to Steve from her spot next to nancy, "No... i'm gonna stay over." Steve nodded and said his goodbyes.
He walked outside into the cool summer air, deeply inhaling. He lingered for a few minutes before he heard the front door open and close again.
"Hi," he whispered, looking over to see Eddie standing next to him.
"Hey," Eddie replied. Steve looked and the makeup was still on Eddie's face, however he was back in his torn up black jeans, white tank top, and battle jacket.
That night, Steve wished he could say they went back to his place, or Eddie's, or anywhere. But they didn't. Steve just awkwardly hurried off to his car, leaving Eddie on the steps. He thought maybe all those looks, that tension, that longing- it was all in his head.