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Steve tugged his jacket a bit tighter as he walked the streets of San Francisco - he'd been warned that it could get cool, but it was close to frigid! He'd arranged extra time off for Memorial Day and took himself on an extended vacation. It had been too long since he'd been on his own (since before the Upside Down) and he needed a bit of alone time.
He traversed the streets and checked his notes from Robin - she'd demanded he go to the Castro and experience it for her. And for himself - he'd done a lot of self reflection in the years since the Upside Down and after all the dust had settled and everything had quieted down, had embraced his own bisexuality; it felt like a weight had lifted once he'd accepted that part of himself.
Steve knew the moment he'd entered the Castro - aside from the rainbow flags, Steve was getting looks. All different types of guys blatantly gave him a once over and Steve tried not to be self conscious. Once he'd accepted himself, he'd started to change the image he'd presented to the world at large. He'd pierced his ears, adjusted his clothing style a bit to accentuate his assets and had just recently gotten some bright blonde highlights.
He made his way through the Castro, enjoying the sights and sounds until the sound of an acoustic guitar floating from a bar seemed to call him. It was a Friday night, so Steve forked over the cover charge and stepped inside, making his way over to the bar to order a drink. He could still hear the guitar and then as he was handed his drink, someone started singing.
Steve almost dropped the beer he'd been given. He knew that voice. He tightened his grip on the bottle as he turned towards the stage.
Eddie.
It had been four years since the Upside Down, since they'd killed Vecna. Eddie'd been dragged back and kept in Hopper's cabin, Joyce and Nancy stitching him up while Hopper worked to get the charges against Eddie dropped. And when Vecna was gone, Eddie fully recovered and it was certain he was cleared … Eddie'd left Hawkins. He came back sporadically and sent everyone postcards from wherever he was, but Steve hadn't seen him in well over a year.
Steve managed to sit on the stool and watch Eddie, perched on his own stool on the stage, strum a guitar and sing - not at all the stuff Corroded Coffin used to sing (admittedly hard to do with just an acoustic guitar) but something softer.
And damn, Eddie looked good; long hair hing in shiny waves past his shoulders and he sported a thick, well groomed beard. He was wearing a dark chambray button down with black slacks and worn brown work boots - so different from what Steve remembered him wearing.
1990 was treating Eddie well.
And then … Eddie's eyes found his. Steve's breath caught and he noticed Eddie's eye widen briefly before he smiled softly.
And then Eddie's gaze never left Steve as he continued to play his set. Steve's beer sat untouched on the bar as he sat transfixed.
"All right guys, my time's just about up," Eddie said. "Thanks for putting up with me - got just one more for you."
Steve swallowed and licked his lips as Eddie began to sing - a love song.
"… Take me back to the summer breeze
We were sleeping out by the willow trees
It was the first time you laid your head on my chest
It was a night I will never forget
That's when I told you on a Friday night
You're always gonna have this heart of mine
Wherever we go, whatever we do
I just wanna spend forever with you …"
Steve's breath caught … there had been moments before they'd gone to battle Vecna, where something could have happened if Steve hadn't been stuck in the closet. And then Eddie'd never been around long enough for Steve to make a move and Steve never knew where Eddie would be next.
But here they were, both in the same place at the same time.
And when the song was done and Eddie'd packed up, Steve watched as Eddie tucked his guitar behind the far end of the bar and then made his way to Steve.
"Hi," Steve breathed.
"What are you doing here?" Eddie asked.
"Vacation," Steve replied.
"I mean here in the Castro," Eddie said.
"Robin told me to come."
"Oh," Eddie murmured.
"And I wanted to see it," Steve whispered. "I'm bi, remember?"
"I had completely forgotten," Eddie admitted.
Steve snorted, then froze when he felt Eddie's hand on his.
"You look good," Steve murmured. "Healthy, strong."
"Thanks," Eddie replied. "You look good, too. I like the hair."
"Yeah? Trying something different and not sure if I like it." Steve went to run a hand through his hair, but stopped when Eddie reached up and carded his fingers through Steve's hair. "Oh."
"The earrings?" Eddie asked.
"About a year ago," Steve whispered.
"I missed a lot," Eddie said.
"We missed a lot." Steve hummed as Eddie continued to stroke his hair, while his other hand moved to Steve's hip. "You were throwing signs that I was missing."
"And then I left," Eddie said.
"Were you running?"
"A bit, yeah," Eddie agreed. "Everything was still so fresh there in Hawkins and I wanted to try to get away from the nightmares."
"But they kept finding you," Steve murmured. "Running doesn't stop them."
"Believe me, I know," Eddie said. "But then I really started to enjoy traveling - working the odd jobs and meeting new people, finding a new sound."
"You sounded great up there." Steve reached up to wrap a lock of Eddie's hair around his finger, giving it a playful tug. "I like this." He reached up to cup Eddie's cheek, running his thumb along Eddie's bearded chin. "Like this, too."
"Yeah?" Eddie whispered.
"Yeah," Steve murmured. "I think we have some lost time to make up for."
"Is that so?" Eddie asked with a grin.
"Mmmhmm," Steve hummed, gasping when Eddie gave his hair a tug. "Playing any more sets tonight?"
"Nope, that was my last one," Eddie replied.
"Lucky me." Steve hummed again as Eddie leaned in.
"Lucky me."
Eddie was right there - Steve took the initiative and leaned in, pressing his lips to Eddie's in a kiss. Eddie's hand tightened it's grip on Steve's hip as Steve slid a hand around to Eddie's back and down to Eddie's ass. Eddie's beard was a bit rough against Steve's face but Steve was curious about what Eddie's beard would feel like against other parts of Steve's body.
"Fuck." Steve whined when Eddie broke the kiss. "Why'd you stop?"
"Because for as open as this bar is, I don't want to get arrested for public indecency," Eddie murmured, his lips still mere millimeters from Steve's.
"Ugh, logic," Steve said with a small smile. "Fine."
"How long are you here?" Eddie asked.
"Checking out of my hotel Monday morning," Steve replied. "You?"
"I didn't have any solid plans," Eddie said.
"I have an absolutely brilliant idea." Steve gave Eddie another soft kiss. "Come back to my hotel room with me."
"Baby, you're just blowing past all those bases," Eddie teased.
"Mmmhmm," Steve hummed. "You game?"
"Definitely."
"Awesome." Steve picked up his beer and downed it in a few swigs, noting the way Eddie watched his throat as he swallowed. "Want to hang out here at the bar a bit longer or -"
He laughed when Eddie snagged his hand and dragged him through the bar, barely pausing to grab his guitar before pulling Steve from the bar and out on to the street. They'd barely made it past the bar before Eddie was pushing Steve into the next alley and against a wall where he covered Steve's body with his own and began to suck kisses to Steve's neck.
"Eddie," Steve groaned, entrenching a hand in Eddie's hair and giving it a tug. "Public indecency?"
"We're hidden," Eddie replied, nipping at Steve's neck.
"Would have been more hidden in the bar bathroom," Steve breathed. "We can be very hidden in my hotel room."
"Ugh, logic." Eddie gave Steve's neck one more nip before pulling away. "Is it close?"
"And when we get there, we can hole up there for the whole weekend," Steve said.
"You really do have the best ideas."
Steve laughed and made sure Eddie had his guitar before he led the way back to his hotel; they could figure all the rest of it out later, but in that moment Steve was going to enjoy it.
He had Eddie and had no intention of letting him get away again.
