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Bev kept her eyes shut as her Aunt Abigail said a long prayer before dinner. Sure, the ham with pineapple, scalloped potatoes and a mix of zucchini, eggplant, and tomatoes were getting cold. Bev was fine with that, despite how weird and exotic it was for a vegetable side dish. What happened to just peas and carrots?
But Bev kept her mouth shut as she let her aunt continue the prayer. It was a comfort to know her aunt and uncle were taking time to thank Jesus for their food. After all, Bev and Jason had been so badly disrespected at Scoops Ahoy that day that it still burned her to think about it.
Finally Aunt Abigail Carver finished the prayer as the family let out a loud chorus of amen. Bev hesitated to start eating her cold meal before she sent off a silent prayer for a fitting punishment to both Eddie Munson and Steve Harrington for being so awful to her that day.
Her mom sent her to have a summer away from Crockett Island, to see how more worldly people lived. She guessed that meant visiting her older cousin Jason and her aunt Abigail and uncle Howard in Hawkins, Indiana.
So far she wanted to get on the first plane back to Crockett. Sure Bev didn't get along with most people her age, she was used to that. No one could quite understand Bev's values and religion and she figured it was a threat to others they didn't follow the bible as closely as she did.
But in small town Indiana, with her cousin Jason to show her around might've been nice to visit. All she heard from her mother was how well adjusted Jason was, that he and his family were well respected in the community. That Jason had friends, was even considered popular. That he played on the basketball team. That he had a girlfriend Chrissy for about a year now. All that and Jason was an openly deeply devout Catholic. What was unsaid was, "why aren't you as well adjusted like that, Beverly?"
Mentally pushing her metaphorical mother aside Bev sat up a little straighter and looked her aunt and uncle dead in the eye. "We got insulted at the mall today. I'm still disgusted by it."
Aunt Abigail's fork froze halfway to her mouth. "What happened, Beverly? Was Jason there to escort you?"
"Yes I was, you know I wouldn't leave Bev alone, mom." Jason said with his mouth full.
"This horrible boy yelled at us at the mall, discriminated against us just for our faith." Bev continued dramatically.
"What did they call you?" Uncle Howard asked now.
Bev and Jason looked at each other uncomfortably now.
"They said…F you…" Jason started.
"They called him Jesus boy!" Bev said, her eyes narrowing. "Don't sugar coat the absolute persecution we faced today, Jason!"
Abigail gasped and went to hug her son. Howard looked confused for a moment. "Wouldn't you being known as Jesus Boy be a good thing?"
"He said F you before it, Uncle Howard." Bev said, her plate now shoved away.
"Who? Who would say such a horrible thing about my son?" Abigail said as she kept hugging and smothering Jason.
"Eddie Munson, mom." Jason said while buried under his moms hugs and fussing.
"I wouldn't take what he says seriously, son." Howard said as he served himself more potatoes. "The Munsons have always been…like that."
"Like how?" Bev asked.
"Just bad news. I remember Al Munson was always so disruptive and weird when I was in school with him. I know Wayne tried to keep him in line but yeah, whole family is bad." Howard continued.
Aunt Abigail smiled. "I know what will cheer you kids up. I'll be right back."
As her aunt stepped back into the kitchen, Bev was determined to get more information against her current sworn enemies. "What about Steve Harrington and his family? Equally degenerate I assume?"
"Hey, Harrington is my bro." Jason protested.
"Nah, the Harringtons are well respected people in this town. I remember Danny Harrington from high school and everyone just wanted to be like him." Howard continued as Abigail came back to place a freshly baked cherry pie on the table right in front of Bev.
"Here you go, this should put a smile right on your face, I spent all day making it. I have some ice cream in the freezer to go on the side."
Bev's face was as red as her hair as her aunt cheerily served her a thick slice of pie and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. She gripped her fork so hard her knuckles turned white. All she could think was Steve Harrington picking out the cherries of her ice cream and then still not doing a good job.
The phone rang and Jason got up to answer it as his mother called after him. "We're about to start our prayer for dessert!"
"I know mom, it's my friends to ask to hang out at Flapjack's later on. Is that okay?" Jason said back.
"You just had dinner, son. Are you really going to eat more?" Howard asks as he looked hungrily at his pie.
"I know, but I'll be there more to hang out. Would be good for Bev to come along, meet more of my friends." Jason insisted.
"What do you think about that, Beverly? Does it sound nice to get out of the house?" Abigail says as she sat down, ready for dessert prayer.
No, it did not sound nice to her to leave again. If other people who did not respect religion or her beliefs were out there. Maybe Jason's friends would be better than whoever they met at the mall. She remembered her mother telling her to try to make friends. As if that was so easy. Bev sighed and resigned herself to dessert prayer, the ice cream on her plate melting down into a puddle of sweet soup.
Steve entered Flapjack's Cozy Corner with his new date, Carrie. It was new in town trying to take the place of the diner that had shut down a few years ago, when the owner was killed in a robbery attempt. Steve tried his best to enjoy this date. Carrie was really hot and seemed smart, but half the time he had no idea what she was talking about or found her condescending.
But she wanted to try this new place and Steve was happy to oblige. Who knows maybe dating this smart girl would help him better himself or something, plus might make him forget about Nancy.
They entered the crowded restaurant. Steve was unsure if they would even get a table with how packed the place was. He recognized a group from the basketball team and he started to take Carrie to sit with them. But halfway there, his date cracked a genuine smile for the first time that night, as she waved and took Steve's hand to a table with her own friends.
True. Steve had been an absolute prick in high school and that’s probably why he was having such issues dating now that he had graduated. He scanned the group's faces for anyone he might have known or tormented back then, but no one was recognizable to him, which might be worse.
Carrie took a seat and a few others looked at Steve curiously before they reluctantly scooted over to make room for him.
"Wow, Carrie didn't know you would go for that." A taller girl looked at Steve up and down which made him feel like he was a piece of garbage stuck to her shoe.
"Oh, Gabby." Carrie laughed as she turned to Steve. "While we catch up, did you want to order for us?"
Steve tried to regain his composure and put on a friendly face to win over his date's snobby friend. "I can do that, what do you want? Do you want anything Gabby?"
The girls stopped talking to look at him. Carrie now smiling at him and Gabby raising an eyebrow.
"I'll take a burger, fries and a strawberry shake." Carrie said sweetly, her turn of attitude almost giving Steve whiplash.
"Cherry shake?" Gabby said before she dismissed him like a strict teacher as Steve nodded and made his way to stand in line.
The last thing he wanted was more ice cream, he was paying for this meal from wages made selling ice cream to ungrateful people to buy more ice cream for other ungrateful people.
With a sigh Steve got in line and scanned the menu for what looked good. Red white and blue shake for fourth of July. Vanilla with strawberry and blueberries, he might as well try it even if he could make a million different types of milkshakes at Scoops Ahoy. Oh well. His eyes wandered around the crowded restaurant looking for a friendly face.
He spotted the big smile of Chrissy Cunningham as she waved enthusiastically from her table. She was always so sweet when Steve would see her around the basketball games cheering, she was a sophomore when he graduated so he never knew her that well but had a vague idea she was dating someone on the team. She seemed nice enough.
Once Steve ordered and picked up their food he returned to the table, heavy tray in hand to see another group of freaks sitting at the table next to him and his date. Their ringleader had his back turned but that frizzy hair was unmistakable.
Munson.
He was kicking back in a chair, tipping it back so far that Steve would've worried he might fall over, if he cared. He put the tray down at the table and started to pass out food to his date and her bitchy friend. Maybe if he turned on some more of the ol Harrington charm he could win Gabby over. Look good in Carrie's eyes, bonus!
Gabby took her cherry shake and Carrie took her meal. Steve sat down as he smoothly slung an arm around the back of her seat, maybe this date could be salvaged and she could be the one.
As Steve planned his and Carrie's wedding, or at least the fantasy of a cross country vacation in an RV, he saw Carrie and Gabby giggling.
"What's so funny?"
"I don't know." Gabby gave a sly smile, playing with the stem of the cherry on her shake. "If you're going to date my friend I wonder if you'll be good for her."
Steve felt himself go red, his eyes going between Carrie looking at him and Eddie stop rocking in his chair. "I'll be good to her."
"Prove it." Gabby said, Carrie looking at him expectantly.
Steve felt like he was back hanging out with Tommy and Carol, how he would be goaded into doing absolutely horrible things to make them laugh and not seem like a chicken.
Maybe Steve felt he was lacking a lot in life, but courage sure as hell wasn't one of them.
"Okay, what do you want me to do?"
Gabby's smile returned as she pointed to Steve's shake. "Can you tie a cherry stem with your tongue?"
A smile crept across Steve's face, he was game for this. "Easy, ladies let me show you how it's done."
The girls giggled and looked at each other. A scrape of the legs of a chair was heard as Eddie turned around completely, to watch as well.
Well, fuck he might as show that asshole how to get a girl, maybe he'd be less of a loser. Steve plucked the cherry from his milkshake and held it up.
"Easy, I could tell you my trick or show you later." Steve looked at Carrie before he popped the cherry in his mouth and biting down on the stem he made quick work of tying a knot and pulled it out between his teeth dropping it triumphantly into his hand to show off.
Three sets of mouths dropped around the table as Carrie plucked her cherry off her shake and passed it over to Steve like it was a very precious thing.
Maybe it was.
"Do it again." Carrie asked, a little half smile crossing her face.
"Mine too." Gabby said passing over her cherry.
"Mine too!" Eddie said before Steve glared at him.
"Okay I'll do two cherries at once, if that's what you want, Carrie." Steve shrugged and popped both cherries into his mouth to try and work the magic a second time. Carrie looked amused and Gabby looked…less angry, just confused as her eyes went between Steve to Carrie. Eddie was utterly transfixed on whatever magic Steve was working. Why was he here again? Freak.
Bev felt intimidated as Jason pulled up to Flapjack's Cozy Corner. The restaurant looked like a cheap imitation of how a soda fountain might have looked in her mothers and aunt Abigail's time, if such a restaurant existed on Crockett Island which Bev highly doubted.
This tacky place was what her mother thought would make her more worldly? She felt the falseness of the place was something to trick her and lead her astray of the Bible and how she followed it. They stepped through the front doors and she saw Jason wave enthusiastically to a large booth in the corner filled with others in matching letterman's jackets and cheerleader outfits. It made her feel even more apprehensive and out of place.
Jason approached the booth. "This is my cousin, the famous Bev Keane from Crockett Island. She's finally here for her visit." He put his arms out as if to present her as the table of jocks waved and greeted her.
A short perky strawberry blonde in a cheerleader outfit waved enthusiastically at Bev. "Hi I'm Chrissy, Jason's girlfriend. So happy to finally meet you, Bev."
"Okay, scoot over so I can sit down." Bev dismissed her cousin's girlfriend’s attempt at friendliness.
Chrissy looked taken aback as Bev waved her hand at her again. "Well, I need room to sit down."
"Ladies, there's plenty of room." Jason said smoothly as he took a seat and put an arm around Chrissy, planting a kiss on her lips.
Chrissy's smile returned as she did make room for Bev by sitting on Jason's lap.
"Jason!" Bev scolded, "You should not be doing that in public…or at all. You don't want your mother to think you're…indecent or something!"
Jason broke his kiss with Chrissy to glare at Bev. "And who would be the one to tell her? Tell me, Bev, aren't I the one to chaperone you around town and doesn't the Bible say to obey the men in your life?"
Bev sputtered a retort back to her cousin, "fine, stay here with this harlot while I try and find any godly people in this godforsaken fake 50s diner!"
Bev stalked off in the direction of the ladies room, but her search for the godliest people in the fake 50's diner led her to Steve Harrington choking down cherries in front of two stuck up looking girls and Eddie Munson. The audacity for these plebeians to be having stupid fun while they still owed her an apology.
Steve had his back to Bev, but the hairdo was unmistakable. He remained happily oblivious as popped both Carrie and Gabby's cherries into his mouth determined to make a double cheery stem tie and hopefully impress his date to get her away from her friend.
Bev stomped over and slammed her hand on the tabletop, making their milkshake glasses jump, clattering against each other, their food spill, and the cherries to go down the wrong way as Steve gagged and started to choke.
"You." Bev's tone was icy as she eyed both Steve and Eddie. "You owe me an apology."
Carrie and Gabby both screamed as the milkshakes and food both dumped all over them, staining their clothing in frozen patriotic dessert.
Steve dropped to the ground, trying to make himself retch to get the cherry out as Eddie crouched down next to him to slap him hard on the back a few times.
"Hey, man. Don't do that, don't die on me and let that bitch win." Eddie slapped Steve even harder, worried he'd never get to tell Steve his feelings at this rate.
Steve shook his head in panic as Eddie delivered one last blow between the shoulder blades, finally dislodging the cherries. Steve puked up the both cherries right on Carrie's nice shoes.
Carrie glared at him, she was covered head to toe in cherry milkshake and puke making her look very much like the cursed prom queen of her namesake.
A bucket of pig’s blood would've been better.
As the very opposite of Steve's dream girl walked away, sticky, with someone else's arm around her, he felt his head clear as much as his windpipe had.
Eddie was eye to eye with Bev before he felt arms around him, Steve was giving him a hug. "Thank you, man. I owe you one."
"Wasn't going to let you go out like that, man. No problem." Eddie hugged him back as Bev still stood too close to them.
"You." She poked Steve in the chest. "Still owe me an apology. Now clean up this mess like the good little ice cream soup boy you are."
Steve glared at her. "What did you just say to me?"
Eddie knew his own Munson doctrine was to chase off awful people by being as weird and scary as possible.
"Why were you even doing that?" Bev demanded as Steve moved back from her, he still felt terrible and sick to his stomach and didn't want to deal with Bev's shit anymore.
Eddie grabbed an empty milkshake glass, he hopped up on the table and threw it on the ground so it shattered. Making both Steve and Bev jump.
Steve knocked himself back into a chair, but Bev stared up at him, eyes wide as she takes a step back from the broken glass in front of her.
"You're crazy." Bev sputtered as she looked around the crowded restaurant for anyone to back her up on her righteous self imposed mission.
"Yeah, I'm crazy." Eddie said, voice low but his eyes more on Steve than Bev. He jumped up on the table, crouching down so he was almost nose to nose with Bev, so close he could kiss her, so close he could bite her jugular and tear it out with his bare teeth.
Bev tried to keep her composure, she had a tendency to have a chilling smugness overtake her facial expressions, but she was quickly losing a battle of keeping composure with this freak in her face.
"Fie on you, Satan." She tried the hardest to keep the waver out of her voice.
Eddie jumped up so quickly, the table underneath him also warbled as Steve went to steady it to keep his batshit insane savior from falling on his ass in front of all these people.
"I wish, you know how cool that would be?" Eddie says as he kicks down another glass to the floor to startle Bev. One thing about Eddie, other than being loud and chaotic was he had music constantly in his head. Where most people probably kept their math knowledge or grocery lists, Eddie had a constantly playing radio in his head, as natural and familiar to him as his own heartbeat. And it being Eddie's internal radio it only played the best music, and it was Misfits night. If anyone was going to embrace what made them just plain weird, it was Eddie Munson.
"Die, die, die, my darling. Just shut your pretty mouth, die, die, die my darling I'll be seeing you again, I'll be seeing you in hell!"
Bev let out a shriek as people paused from politely ignoring them to fully take notice since a middle class white woman was screaming for help. "You're doing another weird satanic ritual!" Bev stepped back, almost stumbling before she took off to find protection, or an angry mob.
"A dead end boy for a dead end girl!" Eddie sang after her. He went to hop off the table before it finally did tilt and collapse with Eddie falling back into the pile of discarded food and broken glass.
Steve stood there in shock, still unsure what the hell had just happened. That side of the restaurant was quiet before Steve unsteadily got up to hold a hand out to Eddie.
He was worried Eddie had really hurt himself chasing off that angel of death before he saw Eddie's face break out into a grin as he started to laugh.
"You okay, dude?" Steve watched Eddie take his hand, his fingertips rough compared to how embarrassingly smooth his own hand was. Working class vs Steve being so privileged.
"No problem, man. Someone had to put that bitch in her place. Exactly why you shouldn't fall victim to conformity." Eddie holds his hand for a beat as he gets up, then he shakes his head, his curls wild and sweeping his face to cover up a faint blush at his cheeks.
"I owe you one, again." Steve tried to cover his own flush, he was nauseous and sore and humiliated but somehow staring at Eddie made it…kinda okay.
"Okay, freak you're outta here." The fry cook and dishwasher, who both towered over Eddie and had about one hundred pounds on him, each grabbed him by the arms as he was dragged away from Steve and tossed out the front door. He skidded on the pavement, grateful for his old hand me down work jeans and leather jacket to not cause too much damage, he wanted a new tattoo soon. He stood up and brushed himself off, feeling very low that once again this was his reward for doing the right thing. Coming to the rescue of Steve Harrington, it turned out exactly what typically happened. That good ol Munson luck there to bite him in the ass.
Eddie could smell that petrichor scent in the air and crackle of thunder in the distance. Last thing he needed after this humiliation was to get struck by lightning. He went over to his shitty van, figuring he could beat the rain home and get high and listen to music in his room and forget this night.
Climbing into the passenger seat, Eddie did the most important thing before driving and picked a mixtape for the ride. A little break to shut his brain up for a bit and just get home in one piece, or careen into a telephone pole, not like it mattered which one. After carefully making his selection, Eddie popped the cassette in and turned it up to drown out his feelings as he went to reach for his keys.
Nothing.
Eddie patted his jeans pockets as well as his vest and still he was keyless. Not a huge problem as he grabbed pliers to do a quick hot wire. He touches the wires to get a spark going but still nothing from his van. Don't freak out, he was used to driving this piece of shit and could get it running again, hopefully.
After slapping the dash and yelling at it, Eddie popped the hood and got out of the van. He squinted in the darkness to see if he could tell what was wrong with the engine. Since he wasn't allowed back into the restaurant, he couldn't just call his friends or uncle for help or advice. He watched the bright windows of the restaurant as people happily ate and hung out.
"Thanks, dad." He muttered sarcastically. His dad taught him to hot wire a car so well in his sleep but Eddie didn't even know how to troubleshoot an engine. Uncle Wayne was supposed to teach him but Wayne was always busy or tired and the times he tried Eddie always had a hard time paying attention.
He resigned himself to smack the car battery a few times hoping that would help as lighting crackled overhead as the sky opened up to dump a downpour onto poor Eddie.
"Fuck! Fuck this day!" Eddie screamed out into the empty parking lot. He tried to keep the rain off his head but with the wind whipping the drops were coming in sideways. He went to the driver’s door, figuring he could sleep in the back of the van until morning or help came. As his hand went to the handle it broke off, crumbling like the rest of this shitty day. Eddie stared at the broken handle in shock before he hurled it to the ground. The little bit of cheap chrome bouncing back and disappearing into the gutter, probably where the rest of the car belonged with Eddie himself. He considered breaking a window to get back in, but knew he so could not afford to get the glass fixed.
He sunk down on the curb in defeat, letting the rain beat on his back and soaking through the sleeves of his tshirt, even if his battle vest kept him pretty dry. Which meant his cigarettes were dry. He patted his pockets to grab them for something to do and also found another random mix tape.
A bright line of headlights cut through the rain, on Eddie like a spotlight and for a moment he was worried it was someone come to yell at him for loitering or worse to kick his ass. But a maroon BMW pulled up and the window was cranked down as Steve's beautiful face poked through the window.
"You okay, Munson? Hop in." Steve's voice was hoarse still from when he was choking, but his smile was genuine.
Eddie tucked the cigarettes back in his pocket but kept the cassette in his hand as Steve swung the door open and let Eddie into the much nicer car than what he was used to.
"Thanks man, saving my ass." Eddie's eyes went to a little Hello Kitty plush lying sadly on its side in the passenger seat. Eddie got in and picked the toy up looking it over. "Sorry if I took the front seat from your passenger."
Steve sighed and grabbed the toy to put it on the dash. "Got it for my date along with some flowers and she left this behind and probably trashed the flowers by now. Don't know why I try anymore."
Eddie blinked and squeezed some of the water out of his hair, he took the toy to look it over. "It's cute, never pegged you for a cat guy. Or is this more pussy."
Steve rolled his eyes as he started up his car to take off through the rain, he jerked the brakes causing the hello kitty to fall and knock into Eddie's lap. "Don't please. I could leave you walking, Munson….but you saved my ass back there, least I could do."
"Wouldn't be the first time, you were badass back there trying to fight that harpy off." Eddie reaches for the Hello Kitty off the dash before the radio blasts on and he slaps his hands over his ears. "What the hell is that?"
"Corey Hart. What you don't like it?" Steve asks with an amused smirk.
"Okay I saved your life today, I should at least get radio privileges for the ride." Eddie says as he opens the glove box for anything decent Steve might have.
"Watch it, you're spilling stuff." Steve moved to park the car off to the side of the road while Eddie fumbled blindly for something that didn't suck.
"Oh no shit, here." Eddie grabbed the cassette and without a word popped it in Steve's stereo with the opening of Rainbow In the Dark starting up.
Steve turned it up and nodded. "This is fine, but we might have to wait out the storm. It's bucketing down and I don't need to risk anything else happening." He put a hand to his chest to clear his throat.
"Not feeling well, Harrington? Need me to kiss and make it better?" Eddie glances at him as the rain made the streetlights bathe them both in hazy golden light. "If you don't feel well I can drive. Won't go crazy, promise."
"No, I didn't say that. Just… a lot of shit has been happening but yeah. I'm good." Steve sits up a little taller as the music picks up. "This isn't bad."
"No shit, keep the mix tape. Enjoy some real music." Eddie picks up the hello kitty plush again and fiddles around with the arms and bow. "You deserve better than that Carrie girl. So much better."
"Thanks, dude I think." Steve watches Eddie play with the toy. "I should give you something back for the tape."
Eddie reddened but quickly covered up being flustered. "I'll take this kitty, seems she needs someone who'll care. Don't try to tell me no, you seem more like a dog guy anyway. I can help you steal one if it'll make you feel better…"
Steve finally cracked a smile. "I always did want a dog but my parents never let me get one. Maybe we could go find a dog together."
"Lots of strays at the trailer park, guess you picked one up." Eddie shook his head to dry himself off. Steve stopped to stare at Eddie, still soaked but his hair in little dark ringlets framing his face. If Steve didn't know any better he could feel something coming over him, his natural state was protect or care but something about Eddie was tugging at his heartstrings for the first time in years. Like how he felt when he first met Nancy Wheeler.
Fuck.
Before he could stop himself Steve reached forward to touch Eddie's hair, so thick and soft even in the wetness. "Damn, what do you use on your hair? Looks nice."
"I uh, oh fuck it." Eddie un-clicked his belt before leaning over and bumping his forehead into Steve's face. "Shit, sorry. Sorry, I didn't mean."
Steve grimaced and rubbed where Eddie had bumped him. Was he really going to do this? "Here turn your head, I'll show you how it's done."
Steve lifted Eddie's chin as they went in for a sweet kiss. His lips even softer than his hair. Now it was Steve's turn to unhook his seatbelt and climb on top of Eddie, straddling his lap. It felt right, it felt hot, Steve hadn't felt a connection like this since he got with Nancy and was always trying to recreate that magic.
Eddie with all his weirdness and being a good guy underneath it all was exactly what Steve needed to set off that spark. Another trail of kisses from Eddie's lips and down his neck. Skin soft, lips plump, Steve grabbed the back of Eddie's long hair to pull him closer. He could devour him right now if it were possible in the cramped front seat.
"You said you were locked out of your house?" Steve whispered breathlessly, burying his face into the crook of Eddie's neck, taking in the scent of his hair, a smoky cedar, warm and comforting against the patter of rain on the windows.
He could feel Eddie's smile pressed up against his lips as they made out. "How did you know I was locked out?"
Steve pulled away, looking at him. "A hunch. Come on, my house is big and empty if you'd like to stay the night. Better than stuck out in the rain, I have a guest room if you need it."
"Yeah only if we fuck in the guest room if that makes you more comfortable, Steve." Eddie's eyes are dark and half lidded, but his expression makes him look like the cat who ate the canary. "Or do it right here in your car while we wait for the rain to pass."
Steve hesitated to say yes, before Eddie pulled him back down into a rougher kiss, biting his lower lip and going in to the side of Steve's neck to leave his mark when he jerked his head up as something caught his eye through the window. "Oh, shit."
"What's wrong?" Steve said still a little delirious from the kiss and Eddie's cologne, an intoxicating combination.
Out in front of Flapjack's Cozy Corner stood Beverly Keane, her arms clasped around her in a futile attempt to keep dry in the rainstorm, as the wind whipped at her legit old fashioned Victorian frock coat. Eddie might've thought it was cool, something a vampire would own, if it was anyone but Bev wearing it.
Steve shrugged and went to nuzzle Eddie's neck and plant a sloppy kiss on his lips when Bev turned to the road to see them in her direct view. Her mouth opened in a shocked little oh, as she let out a gasp. If she had pearls she would have clutched them but the simple rosary she kept in her pocket would have to do.
"Shit, Steve, Steve drive." Eddie said quickly as he saw Bev start to cross over the parking lot, to a little strip of grass between the sidewalk and road, crushing colorful flowers under her sensible shoes.
Steve tried his best to leave Eddie's warm embrace and climb over the center console, fumbling for his keys before Bev made it to the window with the speed of some long forgotten cryptid that you dare not whisper its name.
"Fuck you Bev." Steve said under his breath as he tried to find the keys as she marched up to car and knocked on the window.
"Excuse me. How dare you be so inappropriate in public like this?" Bev went to go for the handle of the car before Steve quickly pressed the button to lock all the doors.
"Inappropriate in public? I'm not the one going around just ruining everyone's day just by you being you, Bev." Eddie climbed over Steve's lap to put his face right against the window, like an angry caged animal. "And why? You say it's for some magic sky man but it's really because you want to push people around. I won't take it."
Bev stumbled back as if she had been hit, before she glared. "Are you threatening me after I was trying to help you fall on the right path and you're not listening to me?"
"Who the fuck do you think you are to think I have to listen to you?" Eddie shouted back.
Steve sunk lower into the divers seat, trying to find his dropped keys as the two squabbled over him. In the corner of his eye he saw a pickup truck appear at the corner. He knew that was Jason's, probably here to pick Bev up.
"Bev, your ride is here." Steve tried to disengage Eddie from jumping out the window to…fistfight her in the rain? He had no idea.
"Yeah, bitchmobile is back there." Eddie says as puts his arms, his body over Steve protectively.
"This isn't over." Bev huffs as she retreats to Jason's truck with a haughty flounce.
It's quiet for a moment, Eddie leaning over Steve, ready for what? Finally Steve's hand closes around the keys as he takes in a deep breath. "What was that?"
Eddie finally relaxes a touch and sits back down as Steve turns the car back on. "You okay, man? Your hands are shaking."
Steve looks and indeed his entire body, not just his hands, have a fine tremble to it. He chest had that tightness to it from earlier, like it wouldn't go away for hours if not days later.
Like when he first discovered the demigorgon as real with Nancy and Johnathan.
When he had thrust himself into protector role for a bunch of middle schoolers.
"Hey it's okay, man. Just breathe." Eddie put a reassuring hand on the back of his neck. "If you want to call off tonight…I understand."
Steve now turns to face him, Eddie's eyes big, sad, and looking so used to disappointment. Maybe Steve was looking back at a reflection of himself.
"I...I don't want to be alone tonight. No, come over. Just I might not be able to drive right now." Steve shakes his hands a bit in an effort to calm down but still nothing.
"Alright, I'll drive if it's cool with you." Eddie says his hand already reaching for the door handle.
Steve hesitated, thinking of what his father would think before fully giving in. "Yeah, go ahead. Drive me home, but don't wreck it, Munson."
"I won't, trust me, Steve. Your life is in my hands." Eddie got out to let Steve scoot over into the passenger side.
In the distance, through the haze of rain he could see Bev talking to her douche-bag cousin from the front seat. Suddenly both eyes focused on him as Jason got out, a glint of silver in his hand.
A gun. Fuck.
Eddie hopped back into the car and hauled ass as gun shots rang out. Steve felt like he was going to throw up again, but he looked over at Eddie who's face was cool and composed as he expertly steered the car at breakneck speed around the corner.
Eddie took turns so fast it was making Steve dizzy, before he slid the car into a tiny alleyway between two houses as Jason's truck zoomed by without noticing them.
Silence, other than the racing of Steve's heart. "Where the fuck did you learn to do that?"
Eddie tossed his hair back and gave him a dimpled smile, sexy and effortless which it was. "Not the first time I've had to be a getaway driver."
Steve couldn't help himself, he un-clicked his seatbelt and drew Eddie in for another kiss, ready to climb him like a tree.