Chapter Text
1. Eddie
After everyone had finished recovering from their encounter with Vecna, sleepovers at Steve Harrington’s house became a regularity. It had been the same last year too, but not the two encounters with the Upside Down prior. Every other week, the party, Steve, probably Robin, maybe Jonathan and Nancy, and now Eddie Munson, would crash at Steve’s house. These meet-ups usually started in movies, snacks and laughter, and ended in quiet sobs and comforting holds. It was nice, curling up on the floor at night with people who understood just what you were going through.
These sleepovers were the first time Mike had seen Eddie and Steve interact properly. It was strange, he decided, to see his DM and unofficial babysitter laughing and talking to each other like old friends.
Mike had never been as close to Steve as the others had. Dustin and Max were like his younger siblings, and Lucas looked to him in awe. Will was, of course, quiet around Steve. He was quiet around almost everyone. Mike could, however, see it in Will’s eyes that he had an infinite amount of respect for the man. As for El, she was always smiling and acting happy around Steve.
Mike couldn’t pretend that he didn’t like Steve- and he definitely did enjoy being around him, despite what he may say. That didn’t mean that he felt no overprotection over Eddie when he saw the most hated of freaks interacting with Steve Harrington, former king of Hawkins High.
Deep down, Mike did know that he was too territorial over his friends (when he and Will had joined middle school, he had hated Lucas and Dustin for a few weeks, convinced they were trying to steal Will from him, or harm the boy) but surely, that was natural, right?
Anyway, Mike found himself staring at the pair during another sleepover. Dustin was talking animatedly to just about everyone and Will was the first person asleep, curled into a ball by Mike’s side. Robin had her elbow propped up on Steve’s shoulder (Mike had been so convinced they were dating for a long time) whilst Steve muttered into Eddie’s ear. It was hard to read the metalhead’s expression, and Mike didn’t like that.
Eventually, when almost everyone was falling asleep, Mike heard a scuffle. Opening his eyes blearily, Mike watched as Eddie and Steve walked quietly out of the room. Then everything was silent again. Quite a few minutes later, they came back in. Eddie looked distinctly panicked. Steve was quietly brooding, and it was too dark to be able to tell what he was thinking.
Mike really didn’t like that. Eddie meant a lot to him- he vividly remembered the horrors of sitting in the hospital waiting room, imagining with horror the picture of Eddie Munson, body ripped up and sticky with blood and gore. And Eddie didn’t get upset! He didn’t! Mike wondered if he could kill Steve with willpower alone. What had he done to upset the Eddie Munson?
*
Morning. Mike wasn’t an early riser, but he had never properly fallen asleep, too busy worrying about his Dungeon Master, and noticing the warmth at his side where a certain Will Byers slept. Which was totally irrelevant.
What was relevant was the fact that Eddie was up. Mike had a sneaking suspicion that Eddie hadn’t fallen asleep either. Technically that wasn’t Mike’s business- but what is his friend’s business is his too. Obviously.
He could hear the guy moving around uncomfortably, and the rustling made it harder to stay asleep, or whatever you could call the sort-of-stupor he had been in. Mike sat up, stretching.
“Eddie?” Mike’s voice was quiet and croaky.
“Hey there, baby Wheeler,” muttered Eddie.
Scowling at the nickname, Mike took in the sight of Eddie Munson. His eyes were red from… tiredness? Crying? His hair was even more messy. His rings were still on. His Metallica t-shirt was the same one he’d been wearing in the day.
“Are you… okay?” Mike marvelled at himself. He hated asking that question, and being asked it was even worse. It was a personal achievement to utter the words, but hey, Mike couldn’t read what was up with Eddie and he was curious and concerned.
“I… that’s very out of character for you, Wheels. What have you done with Mike Wheeler?”
“Wheels?” murmured Mike, “what?”
And then,
“I asked if you were okay. Don’t be a doosh about it, just answer the question.”
Eddie paused, clearly thinking. The attention the older boy was giving him made Mike feel uncomfortable and scrutinised, like Eddie was reading Mike like a book, when that was just what he was trying to do to Eddie.
“You have... wizened to my decoy tricks, Mike. You were supposed to play along with my little theatrical thing and forget your question.”
“Wizened?” scoffed Mike, “Mike the brave, not Will the Wise,”
Eddie raised an eyebrow. Well, what the hell did that mean? Obviously, Mike’s joke was terrible, and he regretted saying it as soon as the words left his mouth. But would Eddie raise an eyebrow at that? Maybe he would. Maybe he raised an eyebrow because a mention of Will was off topic. Mike realised he didn’t know his friend all that well.
“Anyway. Um. You’re distracting me from getting answers. Stop it.”
Eddie folded his arms, seemingly reevaluating whether or not he should tell Mike. Maybe Eddie was totally fine, and Mike was just being an idiot. That would be totally embarrassing.
“Mind if we leave the room? So I can tell you?”
“Um, yeah no, totally, of course!” stammered Mike, genuinely surprised at the successful persuasion.
*
Eddie looked at Mike for a good twenty seconds before saying anything.
“Mike. Out of you, Dustin and Lucas, you are the most closed off,” he finally said.
How do you respond to that?
“But I feel I can trust you with this shit. Swear you won’t judge me though, Wheeler?”
“Yeah, I swear,” muttered Mike. What the hell? Had Eddie actually killed someone?
“I like Steve.”
“Okay?” said Mike, “so what?”
“God, Wheeler,” sighed Eddie, running a ringed hand through his curls, “You really are dense, you know that? I like like him. The way I’m not supposed to,”
“I-” started Mike, “Shit.”
“Yep,” Eddie popped the syllable, “Shit indeed,”
Panicking, Mike desperately tried to come up with something to say. Something along the lines of: I’m not homophobic? I support you? I’m scared I might be like you? Help me navigate my own complex feelings?
“Why Steve?”
Well done, Mike. Tactful.
Eddie forced a laugh, “What a Mike Wheeler sort of answer,”
“I’m just saying, Eddie! Of all the guys you could’ve gone with!”
“What, who would you’ve chosen?” Eddie says with a shit-eating grin.
Oh, shit. Never mind.
Two days later, Eddie and Steve got together.