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“Do you wanna go get ice cream?” you ask. It’s a warm day in early summer, the sky alight in a vibrant blue outside, but here you are, in a garage that smells so strongly of sweat and old motor oil that you could almost taste it. You’ve been sitting in on band practice with Corroded Coffin, but it’s been hours in the stale heat and now you’re desperate for relief.
Eddie laughs as he finishes packing away his gear. “You’re sitting on the ice cream, dumbass.”
You glance down at the chest freezer you’re cross-legged on top of. That wasn’t what you meant, and he knew it. He was just pushing your buttons. “That’s boring. Let’s get sundaes.”
“You mean, let’s go swoon over Steve Harrington.” He finally vocalises it. You fold your arms stubbornly across your chest, but you know he’s right. He gives you a smug grin as he grabs the keys to his van.
The mall is packed with bodies moving through the space, the air conditioning above working overtime to cope with the mass. The two of you manage to worm your way through the crowd stiltingly - to be fair, it helps that a lot of people took one look and move out of your way. Neither of you look like you belong in the neon utopia: Eddie with his wild curls and his Hellfire Club T-shirt emblazoned with a demon and his denim battle jacket; you with your smoky black eyeliner and your vibrantly dyed hair and your half-black half-tartan trousers that you’d made yourself.
“Ahoy,” Steve greets you with a smile when you finally make it to the front of the queue. “Where are we sailing to this time?”
You’ve been here so many times over the past few weeks that Steve quickly dropped his usual ‘ocean of flavour’ spiel, but somehow he still managed to keep his opening remarks on theme. You’d never really had a crush on him until recently - he’d been such a jerk in early high school that you’d never have considered him no matter how conventionally attractive he was - but since splitting up with Nancy he’d become surprisingly mature and his time spent with Dustin and the other kids in that group had clearly brought out his dorky side. Suddenly you’d found yourself giggling like an idiot at the stupid little remarks he made and finding excuses to be around him just to hear them more.
“What do you recommend, captain?” you return his smile with one of your own. Even though you can’t quite see him, you can tell out of the corner of your vision that Eddie is rolling his eyes.
Steve ponders for a moment. “I’d say… chocolate wafer cone, banana ice cream, strawberry sauce, chocolate sprinkles. All classic combos, the strawberry and banana is very fresh and summery, but then the dark chocolate gives it a bit more depth instead of being too sweet. You seem like you’d be into that,” he finishes with a light flourish to his words and a flush to his cheeks.
You grin, flattered despite knowing he’s just trying to upsell. “Sounds good, let’s do it.”
He nods, turning to Eddie, who you now see has a shit-eating grin and a twinkle in his eyes. “Sounds terrible, Harrington. I’ll take rum and raisin in a cup.”
The two of you settle into a booth with your ice creams. A mother trailing a trio of screaming children looks like she’s about to complain about you taking up a larger table than you need, but the moment she makes eye contact she seems to change her mind. You take the first lick of your cone. Damn, Steve was right. This is good. You cast a glance back at the counter, where he’s serving a group of girls in tight, vivid lycra.
“You know,” Eddie muses around a mouthful of rum and raisin, “you should really put the guy out of his misery and ask him out already.”
A sprinkle must have gone down the wrong way; that must be why you choke on nothing. “Shut up. He’s not into me, he flirts with literally everyone.” You pointed at the crowd of girls, the way Steve was leaning on the counter with a smirk painted across his face.
Eddie shrugs. “He doesn’t flirt with me.”
“He probably would if you tried,” you mutter. Eddie’s face lights up into a wicked grin again, and you hurriedly raise your hands to ward off whatever idea he’s brewing. “No, no, I take that back, don’t-”
“Too late.”
—
It’s only been a few days, but Eddie seems to have dropped the subject. You’ve almost let your guard down when he suggests going to the mall to watch a movie. That’s odd. Just last week he was complaining about the lack of decent listings. It’s all cheesy romances and ‘generic’ sci-fi action stuff, apparently. You’re even more suspicious when he tells you to wear something cute.
“You better not be up to something,” you warn him down the phone while you drag unappealing clothes out of your wardrobe.
“Oh ye of little faith,” he replies dramatically. “Am I not allowed to want a fun day out on the town with my best friend in the whole wide world?”
You pinch the bridge of your nose as you toss another shirt to one side. “Not when you say it in that tone, you’re not.”
He picks you up half an hour later, appraising your outfit out of the van window. You’ve gone for a loose patterned red shirt, paired with a black miniskirt, fishnet tights and your least battered pair of high-tops. The look is finished with a pair of sunglasses perched on top of carefully tousled hair. He nods with approval as you slide into the passenger seat.
“Cute,” he acknowledges. You blush in spite of yourself.
He’s made an effort too. He’s still dressed like himself, in a Corroded Coffin top and his chunky silver rings picking out the matching chain which hangs from his waist, but he’s traded the vest for an open checked shirt and his jeans are ones with fewer rips than usual.
“You scrub up alright, too.”
“I do, don’t I?” he beams as he puts the van into gear.
Eddie stares in faux shock at the listings outside the movie theatre. You can tell he’s trying so hard to look convincing, but the curl at the corner of his lips gives him away.
“Aw shit,” he practically kicks himself, scuffing his foot across the carpet. “I could have sworn it said the movie was now! I must have got the days mixed up. It’s not for another hour.” He turns to you with that meddling glint in his eyes. “Do you want something to eat while we wait?”
You consider your options, pointedly avoiding the obvious. “Burgers?”
“Nah, it’s too warm for that.” You know what he’s about to say before the words even form on his lips. “How about ice cream?”
You shove his shoulder even as you start heading towards the parlour. He recovers quickly, trailing behind you with an uncharacteristic spring in his step.
Scoops Ahoy is less busy today; you suppose most people are either already in the movie theatre or not dumb enough to show up a full hour ahead of schedule. There’s a group of younger teens in front of you, complaining about the fact their cones have melted. You peer forward, and sure enough their hands and clothes are stained with a sticky array of pink, brown and bubblegum blue.
“That’s because you bought them half an hour ago,” Steve says with a strained smile. He’s trying so hard to maintain his customer service front and not launch himself over the counter, you can tell. The thought of watching him bludgeon a thirteen year old with their own ice cream cone makes you laugh involuntarily, and his head snaps up at the sound. He gives you a weary salute, telling the kids to clear off and make room for real customers.
“Sorry about that,” he sighs as you and Eddie approach. “You… look nice.” His eyes rove swiftly over your outfit. You blush again.
“Aww, thanks, so do you,” Eddie jumps in, propping his elbow on the counter and resting his face against his palm. “So, hot stuff, what’s the suggestion of the day?”
Never in your life did you think you’d get to see Steve Harrington physically malfunction, but it’s a sight to behold. His face goes as red as the trim on his uniform. His mouth opens, then closes. It opens again, and a small noise escapes him before he aggressively clears his throat. “Um, rocky road with extra marshmallows?”
“Sounds good to me. Same for you, babe?”
You make a sound not dissimilar to the one that came from Steve. Eddie has never called you that before. He turns his gaze on you expectantly. You swallow and focus on Steve, who is watching you with parted lips and the cogs whirring behind his eyes so quickly you feel like you can hear them. “Sure,” you manage to choke out.
“Cup or cone?” Steve asks, his voice somehow more gruff than it was when he was reprimanding the kids. “Let me guess, one of each?”
Eddie actually bats his eyelashes, and you feel like it’s not just Steve that’s losing his mind. “You know us so well.”
Steve hands over your ice creams without making eye contact with either of you.
You sit at a table this time, in clear view of the counter. Eddie is already enjoying his ice cream, spoon perched jauntily between his lips, by the time you sit down with an incredulously horrified look on your face.
“What the hell was that?” you hiss.
Eddie smirks, like he’s told a joke you haven’t yet figured out the punchline of. You normally love it when he smiles like this, it lights up his whole face with a youthful mischief, but now that you’re on the receiving end it makes you nervous. “Isn’t it obvious?"
“Should it be?”
“Well, yeah. I’m making him jealous.”
You can’t help the scoff that bursts from your lips. “Jeez, Eddie, you were laying it on so thick I was starting to get jealous.”
“Listen, it’s foolproof. I show him how charming I am and what a cool couple we are, he steps up his game to prove he’s better than me because we all know he thinks he is, he flirts harder with you than any other customer and ends up falling madly and deeply in love with you if he isn’t already.”
You raise an eyebrow, a smirk creeping onto your face which mirrors his. “Are you sure you’re not just using me as an excuse to flirt with Steve?”
Eddie points his spoon at you with a scowl. “I told you, I’m into Glenn Hughes and K.K. Downing, not some poser who’s a little too dedicated to scooping ice cream. Besides, in this scenario there’s no way I’d actually choose him over-” He cuts himself off.
You bite your tongue to stop yourself from pointing out that Steve looks a little like Glenn Hughes if you squint. He wouldn’t take too well to you defiling his icon like that. Instead, you glance at the counter. Your eyes lock on Steve’s, observing the two of you attentively, but as soon as he sees you've caught him he becomes very focused on cleaning the top of the nearest ice cream cabinet.
Hang on. Did Eddie say you were a couple?
—
This goes on for a few weeks, you and Eddie going on ‘dates’ to Scoops Ahoy. To your surprise, it almost seems like it’s working. Steve is definitely paying you more attention and doing more to make sure he’s holding yours, nearly falling over himself every time you flirt back. One time, you rejoin the queue with your empty cup to ask for a refill of soda, and by the time you get to the front Steve already has a fresh cup filled with your favourite drink. As he slides it across the counter, he leans over with it and gets unnecessarily close to murmur that it’s on the house, immediately straightening to serve the next customer with only a sidelong wink as acknowledgment of the fact that you’re clinging to the counter to support your rapidly weakening knees.
What’s unexpected are the other side effects of this little game that Eddie’s playing. His flirting with both of you has got more intense and, if you didn’t know better, more earnest. When he keeps it up when the two of you go out for dinner one night, despite Steve being nowhere in sight, you consider saying something, but the truth is that you’re enjoying it too much to risk making him stop. You’d agreed to all this in the hopes of winning Steve over, but somewhere along the way you find yourself wondering what it would be like to be dating Eddie for real. By far the most surprising aspect of this whole thing is the interactions between the two guys. Eddie has never hidden his attraction to men as well as women from you, so it’s not too surprising the ease with which he flirts with Steve, but you know deep down that the plan doesn’t require it, nor does it have anything to do with the fact that Steve gets equally as flustered around both of you and has almost started flirting back with your supposed date as well as you.
One Saturday, after a week of unseasonable rain, you’re on the verge of going stir crazy from being stuck inside. Eddie comes over and drapes himself upside down off the side of your bed while you sit on the floor, sewing supplies spread around you as you attach the collection of patches you’ve been making all week to your jacket. Eddie’s hair is fanned out on the carpet, his eyes free of his bangs for the first time in you’re not sure how long. He looks different like this, open and calm as he watches you bite through a thread.
“You up for a mall date?” he proposes after a while. You glance round, and the way he’s looking at you makes your heart skip a beat. “No ulterior motives today, I just want some new cassettes. Unless you want to visit your beloved, of course.”
This isn’t the first time he’s suggested a ‘date’ that hasn’t been a part of the plan. You start to wonder if you might be pursuing the wrong boy. Sure, Steve is showing more interest than he did before you started this whole thing, but there’s only one guy who’s actually asking you out right now and it isn’t him. But Eddie’s just being a supportive friend… right?
“Sure, I wouldn’t mind a new record.”
He rolls off the bed and jumps eagerly to his feet, holding out a hand to help you up.
Eddie insists on carrying your bag as you leave the music store. You’ve ended up buying two vinyls, and he’s got a handful of cassettes that he drops into the plastic once you hand it over. He’s adding the extra weight, he reasons, it’s only fair that he bears the burden. You eye Scoops Ahoy on the landing above as you pass.
“You want to go up there, don’t you?” he asks softly. You almost think you detect a note of regret, but he covers it with an amused tilt of his head.
You bite your lip. You kind of do, but you’re also having such a good time with Eddie and the last thing you want to do is spoil this very real moment to go after someone you’re still not sure likes you that way.
He must sense your hesitation. “It’s okay. Gareth said he’d be around here today, he’s probably in the arcade. I’ll come up and find you in a bit, okay?” You nod, any response you might have given catching in your throat when he reaches out and squeezes your hand before disappearing into the crowd. You’re questioning your decision more and more by the second.
Steve smiles widely as you walk in, glancing around as though he’s waiting for Eddie to follow you in. When he doesn’t, the smile wavers ever so slightly.
“Ahoy there, y/n,” he greets you. “Sailing alone today? Your boyfriend isn’t with you?” There’s a hint of probing in that second part.
“He’s just gone to find a friend,” you explain, pretending to consider the rows of flavours in the cabinets even though you know you’re going to have whatever the boy behind the counter suggests.
“Oh.” Why do everyone’s voices have a tinge of disappointment today? “Well, his loss. Lucky you, you get my undivided attention and first try of this combo I’ve come up with that I think you’ll really like.” You feel your cheeks grow warm. He’s been planning this.
“Hit me with it,” you nod. Now’s your chance. “And he’s not exactly my boyfriend, by the way.”
“He’s not?” Steve frowns as he rinses off the scoop. “So he’s- I mean, you’re single?” The disappointment is replaced with hope.
You take a steadying breath, praying you’ve read the stumble in his words right. “Yeah, we’re both single.”
He looks like he’s about to say something, but thinks better of it. He places all his attention on the ice cream, not you, as he speaks. “Huh, I was so sure you two were dating. But, like, you’re so awesome, and-” He looks up sharply, very aware of what he’s just said. “And he’s cool too,” he adds hurriedly, “You’re both… both very cool people. You’re so suited to each other, not-” He trails off again and clears his throat awkwardly. “Anyway, see what you think of this.” He hands you what you think is apple and salted caramel with fudge pieces, and you hand him the cash.
Eddie finds you out in the hallway, one boot casually propped against the wall as you lean back, slowly eating some sort of white and beige ice cream combination.
“How did it go with lover boy?”
“Weird,” you huff. “I think he’s into me, which is… good?” You intentionally say it a little hesitantly, watching his reaction. He keeps a mostly straight face, but there’s a glow behind it that tells you maybe you’re right to be hesitant. Maybe Steve’s not the only one who’s got jealous along the way. “But I think you’ve gone slightly overboard on the charming thing. I told him you’re not my boyfriend, and he was just as interested to learn that you’re single as me.”
“Oh for fuck’s sake,” Eddie heaves a sigh even as his eyes light up. “Stay here.”
He barges into the parlour. There’s a girl behind the counter, her name tag announcing she’s called Robin. Eddie marches to the front of the queue, ignoring the protests of the line of customers.
“Hi Robin,” he gives a forced smile. “Where’s Steve?”
“Hi doofus,” she mimics his smile with a scathing edge. “I don’t know you. And there’s a line.”
“I’m Eddie.”
Her eyes widen a little in recognition. “Oh, you’re Eddie? Shit, okay. Back room.”
He plays that back in his mind as he heads for the door with the porthole. Steve must have mentioned him.
The boy in question is sitting alone at a table, one hand drumming on its surface while the other cradles a mug of coffee.
“Eddie!” he leaps to his feet the moment he sees who’s at the door. “You… shouldn’t be back here.”
Eddie shrugs. “Blame the delightful Robin. Look, man, I just wanted to say I’m sorry if things got out of hand, but none of it was y/n’s idea. She really likes you, and you’re an idiot if you can’t see that.”
Steve sinks back into his chair, bewilderment painted across his face. “I… what? Dude, I’m so confused right now. You’re telling me to ask her out?”
“Praise the lord, he gets it!” Eddie replies sarcastically.
“But…” Steve looks like steam is going to start coming out of his ears. Eddie almost feels bad for how much confusion he’s caused, but he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t a little proud to have sent the Steve Harrington into an emotional crisis. Steve continues, trying desperately to piece things together. “But you’ve been flirting with her for weeks, but she was flirting with me, and you were flirting with me, and I know I was flirting with her but I- you- we- I don’t get it.”
Eddie’s done it. He’s broken Steve’s brain. He sighs. “Okay, look. Y/n has liked you for a while, so I was pretending to flirt with her to make you jealous so you’d ask her out, but I kind of got into her along the way, and then I was also flirting with you because it’s funny, but then she got kind of jealous too and I guess I like you too now and it’s got all complicated. Tada.” Steve’s staring at him like he’s just said that entire thing in German. He sighs again, more shakily this time. “Y/n likes you. I like you. I like her. You like her. See? You should ask her out.” He really can’t spell it out more simply than that.
Steve takes another moment to process. Slowly, a devilish glint creeps into his gaze that Eddie doesn’t know if he likes (he does). “So, you’re saying you don’t want me to ask you out?”
It’s finally Eddie’s turn to malfunction. He blinks in shock. He opens and closes his mouth. He gives a huff of reluctant respect at the satisfied smirk on the other boy’s face. “You bastard.”
Steve’s smirk turns into a full-on mirthful grin. “I think you missed two very crucial points out of your rundown. Let me see if I get this right. Y/n likes me. You like me. You like her. I like her. I like you. She likes you. See?”
Eddie picks his jaw up off the floor and leaves without a word. For a moment, Steve worries that he’s said the wrong thing. He’s already worried he’s driven you away, despite what Eddie just said, and now he might have scared the boy off too. Suddenly the door bursts back open and Eddie returns with you in tow.
“Stevie-boy here seems to think you're into me,” he says, his tone almost accusatory.
“Eddie,” you respond calmly, “I've been flirting with you for weeks.”
“Because you're into him! That was the whole plan!” he gestures frantically at Steve, who is inching further into the background and looking more confused by the second.
“No, that's why you were flirting with me.”
“I was flirting with you because you're hot!”
You falter. “You think so?”
Steve braces himself and dips back into the conversation. “So you don't want to go out with me?”
“No, I do!” you and Eddie protest in unison.
“But you’re dating each other?”
“No, we're-”
“Well, we-”
You glance around. Everyone's faces are flushed. You feel like your head is about to explode. Eddie looks like he can't decide which of you to jump. Steve seems ready to sink into the ground. You're pretty sure Robin is eavesdropping through the hatch.
After what feels like an age, Steve steps forward, running a hand through his hair. “Okay. Okay, um… This is… Where do we go from here?”
You bite your lip. Of course it would come to this. You all have to choose. Whatever happens, someone's going to be disappointed. You've got a horrible feeling it's going to be you, even if one of them chooses you. It's not going to be the same.
Eddie looks at you, at the torment painted across your furrowed brows. He turns to Steve, whose hand is still tangled in his hair. “Oh, fuck me,” he groans.
Your eyes meet Steve’s, the beginnings of a childish giggle tugging at your mouth. He's holding back a similar reaction, and watching him desperately purse his lips shatters your resolve. A laugh erupts up from deep within your chest, doubling you over and bringing tears to your eyes. Another laugh joins you: Steve is leaning on the back of his chair, positively howling. Just like that, the tension in the room lifts and you can breathe again.
“Do you want to go get something to eat?” Steve asks when he regains the ability to speak.
You stare at him. “Me or Eddie?”
He frowns. “Both of you, duh. Makes sense, right?”
“Come on then, hot stuff,” Eddie steps back into the conversation, wrapping an arm around Steve’s waist and leaning up to plant a melodramatic kiss on his cheek. “Let’s go.”
Steve swings him into a dip. It's like something straight out of one of those cheesy rom-coms Eddie refuses to watch. He grins wolfishly down. “After my shift, babycakes. Can you both survive until then?”
Eddie reaches out a hand and drags you into the embrace. He plants a similarly huge kiss on your cheek, while Steve chuckles.
The two of you are waiting in the parking lot when Steve emerges, dressed in a polo shirt and jeans. He looks good. Your heart flutters.
“Aw gee, Harrington,” Eddie pouts, “I was hoping you'd still be in that saucy little sailor suit.”
“Don't push your luck, Munson.”
Eddie drapes an arm around your shoulder as Steve takes your hand and places a delicate kiss on your forehead, and the three of you head towards Eddie’s van.