Chapter Text
I wanted him in the bluntest way. I wanted his lips, his hands, his arms. I wanted him the way the ocean wants the shore, constantly reaching and running back. I wanted him the way rain wants to fall, the way the sun wants to shine, the way words want to be read. I wanted him to infinity, to the millionth degree. No amount of rain could douse the fire I had in me for him. -Winter Renshaw
Eddie wakes up in lazy waves, mostly aware of the warmth where his front is flush to Steve, face pressed into his neck, their legs tangled. Steve mumbles something that sounds like “Good morning love” and Eddie smiles against his skin, squeezes him around the middle. They fall back asleep.
When Eddie wakes the second time, it’s because Steve’s arched against him, ass rocking into his hips. Eddie realizes he is very, very hard. He gasps as Steve catches him along his whole length in one go. “Give me your hand,” Steve demands, raspy from sleep. Eddie does, and Steve immediately guides it down his front, between his legs and Oh, Steve is in a similar state, already throbbing and solid all the way through. Eddie wipes the beading pre-cum over Steve’s tip to a drawn out moan and he loves this, loves knowing Steve wants him so badly he can’t stand waiting, can’t do anything properly or slowly right now, can’t do anything except writhe against Eddie in desperation.
He can’t help rubbing against Steve’s ass, the dip between his firm muscles feeling like heaven. Steve fumbles for the lube in his bedside table and before long they’re back to thrusting against each other, Eddie grasping Steve’s cock and himself rutting between the swell of Steve’s ass. With Steve arching back into Eddie, one arm wrapped back to press bruising fingers into hip hip, his head tilted to offer up his neck and shoulder for suckling bites, it doesn’t take long for them to finish.
They lay in each other’s arms for a while, panting and sweaty. Steve pinches the sheets in two fingers. “Definitely going to need to change these soon.”
Eddie nuzzles his nose into the short hairs at the top of Steve’s neck. “Already?” he says with a smirk in his voice. He thinks they could get them so much filthier first. Steve shuffles around until they’re face to face, drawing Eddie in for a kiss with a palm on his neck. He presses closed mouth kisses to Eddie’s lips until Eddie pries Steve’s mouth open, licking into him, heedless of their morning breath.
“Eddie,” Steve weakly protests with a self-conscious frown.
“Don’t care,” he responds, kissing Steve again.
“In that case,” Steve mumbles against Eddie’s mouth. He drags the other man closer until their fronts are even, the tacky feel of cum on his hands, his front, smeared all over Eddie’s stomach. They’re sticky and sweaty and morning breathy and it’s so human and glorious and filthy that Eddie’s already twitching against Steve’s thigh again.
Steve slows, pulls back. “I was thinking…” he begins, lashes lowered and hiding the expression in his eyes. “We could have a movie night with everyone today.”
Eddie senses there’s more to it, gives Steve an encouraging kiss.
“We could…we could ask them to help me move.”
He arches an eyebrow. “Is that all we’re going to tell them? That we’re moving in together? Just roommates?”
Steve tucks his face into Eddie’s neck and mumbles something incoherent.
“What was that princess?”
Steve pulls back just enough to blurt out, “They kind of already know something is going on!”
Eddie freezes, mind racing. Steve wasn’t going around telling everyone he’s gay, right? No. There’s no way he’d do that. He thinks about how Steve stubbornly fends off endless questions about his relationship with Robin without ever alluding to her sexuality.
“I’m…” he says, drawing it out, “confused.”
Steve sighs and recounts the conversation in his car after he picked the kids up from D&D. “I’ll bet you when we tell them we actually are dating, someone, probably Dustin, will accuse me of lying to them before and Mike will be annoyed and confused about something. And we know Will's gay. I mean, it's pretty obvious. El was raised in a lab so I don't think she even knows what homophobia is.”
Eddie barks out a laugh. “I’d bet on Dustin and Mike but the odds are so deeply in your favor, it isn’t remotely fair.” His rumbling stomach interrupts Steve’s response, who drags a hand up Eddie’s abs, eliciting a shiver.
“Breakfast time,” he says, catching Eddie’s lips in a soft kiss before rolling out of bed. Eddie feels the loss of his warmth immediately. “What do you want this morning babe? Omelets? Waffles?” He leans down to kiss Eddie again between questions.
“Pancakes,” Eddie responds with a little smile.
Steve wrinkles his nose. “You mean maple syrup mush.”
“Exactly.” Eddie kisses him back, feeling flush with attention and Steve’s touch.
“Whatever you want,” Steve says, rolling his eyes, but his words are soft. Fond.
“You’re in an extra good mood this morning,” Eddie remarks, a little breathless.
Steve smiles, eyes honey-warm and bright and it takes whatever remains of Eddie’s breath away. “You’ve got Steve the Boyfriend now, sweetie. This has nothing to do with being in a good mood. Although I am, by the way.” He gives Eddie a long forehead kiss and he wonders if they’ll ever stop short circuiting his brain.
“Boyfriend,” Eddie breathes out, like he barely recognizes the word, tries to cover up his fluster with an eyeroll of his own. “Are you going to be this unbearably sweet all the time?”
“Probably,” Steve says, kissing him again. “Are you complaining?”
“Not at all,” Eddie says quickly, watching Steve pull on a pair of sweatpants. “Not at all.” He thinks he’s kissed Steve more in the last 24 hours than he’s kissed anyone his entire life and the thought warms him. He never wants anyone to upend Steve’s spot. And he wants to climb to #1 on Steve's most-kissed-list and stay there.
Eddie pulls on his own sweatpants and reaches for a shirt, but Steve stops him, holds his gaze. Then he trails gentle fingers over Eddie’s torso, tracing over the rough, pink seams where stitches once were.
“The doctor said these should heal up okay, won’t be too bad. But my leg…” Eddie bites his lip, looks away. “He said the scars are going to be painful sometimes. They’ll make everything stiff.”
Steve’s mouth twists. “Is there anything we can do to help it?”
We. Eddie’s mind stumbles over the word, circles back to it. He realizes Steve’s still waiting for an answer.
“Massaging,” he says with a little flush. “With mineral oil. He showed me how to do it.” Steve’s still tracing the raised seams across his stomach. “Helps break down the scar tissue.”
“Let me do it,” Steve says.
“They need 20 minutes, minimum, every day for it to help,” Eddie responds in protest.
“Every night, then.” Steve replies like it’s nothing, gripping Eddie’s sides both hands, drawing him close. He leans his forehead against Eddie’s shoulder. “Sometimes when I see them,” he whispers, “I think about how we almost lost you. How I almost lost you.” He sounds close to tears. “When Vecna comes back…”
Eddie crushes Steve to his chest, wrapping his arms around the other man until he can feel their heartbeats against each other. Is this always how love feels? Like Eddie took his heart out of his chest and held it up to an uncaring universe, saying “Please don’t break it.”
“We’ll figure it out,” Eddie whispers. “We’ll figure it out together. All of us.”
“I can’t lose you,” Steve chokes out and the fragile, desperate sound of those words worm painfully into Eddie’s chest.
“You won’t,” he promises.
“No more playing the hero,” Steve pleads. “Run away next time.”
Eddie doesn’t answer at first. They both know that’s not what he’ll do. That’s not what any of them do. “If I can’t play the hero then you can’t either. I can’t lose you, too.”
Steve just buries his face in Eddie’s neck, inhaling deeply. Eddie does the same, letting the warmth of Steve’s body and the sweet, human smell of his skin pull him back to earth, lift the pressure off his chest. He thinks about wanting, about never getting to keep things. Steve makes him feel like this time it’ll be different.
Steve calls Robin to set up the movie night, figuring he has a higher chance of getting everyone the right information if he gives it to essentially three people at once. And he has to tell her about the recent…developments.
Karen Wheeler answers, a little smile her in her voice when he asks to speak to Robin that makes him roll his eyes. People are never going to stop assuming they're together.
“Good morning, dingus. We’re making a habit of this.”
“Eddie and I are moving in together,” Steve blurts out. Then he thunks his head against the wall, because it’s not at all what he meant to lead with, but he’s just so damn happy about it that those are the first words that jump out of his mouth.
There’s a long silence on the line but Steve knows she didn’t hang up because there’s no dial tone and he can faintly hear her breathing.
“Robin?”
“WHAT?” she screeches so loud he holds the phone away from his ear.
“Well, we’re not really moving in together so much as I’m moving in with him,” Steve amends.
“That is NOT what I meant and you know it Steve!” she splutters and then lets out a rush of a laugh. “Start from the beginning.”
Eddie wanders into the kitchen and wraps his arms around Steve from behind while Steve hems and haws, feeling suddenly shy with Eddie right there. His wet curls drip cold onto his bare shoulder.
“Well, we uh, we um we talked, like you said I should. And I told him all the things.”
Eddie’s laugh is low and warm in his other ear and he presses a hot kiss to the side of Steve’s neck, causing his voice to jump and octave on the next words.
“And it turns out he feels the same way,” he finishes in a rush.
There’s rustling noises like Robin’s jostling the phone and the image of her doing a little victory dance in the Wheeler’s kitchen pops into his mind, because that’s exactly what she’s probably doing. Then farther away, “Nancy, Nance!” and more shuffling sounds and suddenly Nancy comes on the line, probably from her bedroom phone.
“What’s going on?” she chimes in, clearly not alarmed by Robin’s fit.
“Steve and Eddie stopped being total idiots for two seconds,” Robin explains right as Steve says, “Eddie’s my boyfriend now.”
There’s a beat of silence then, “I’m happy for you, Steve.” He can hear the smile in Nancy’s voice.
“Boyfriend,” Eddie murmurs, kissing Steve’s neck again. One hand dips down his abs, smoothing over the healing mass of his demobat bites, curls around Steve’s hip possessively. He licks a droplet of water off Steve’s shoulder with far too much tongue.
“Is Eddie there right now?” Robin says, perking up. “Put him on the line!”
“Yeah Stevie, it’s my turn on the line,” Eddie rumbles, his hand sliding a little lower, brushing the band of Steve’s briefs and he's happy to hand the phone over, too breathless to properly object.
“At least it will keep your mouth busy,” Steve mutters. Eddie gives his hip a delighted squeeze and then pushes him to lean against the wall, catching Steve in a quick kiss before bringing the phone back to his face.
“Good morning, ladies.”
Steve can make out the excited chatter of their voices, but none of the words, content to just lean against the wall and watch Eddie give a highly dramatic and mostly accurate rendition of their conversation the night before. His free hand fidgets with Steve’s torso, tracing his ribs, playing absently with his chest hair, stroking along his collarbone. Steve is too lost in his touch to bring himself to care how many details he’s spilling to Robin and Nancy and from the way Eddie’s eyes flash at him every few seconds, he knows the other man is plenty aware of it.
“And then he said ‘take me to bed and ravish me, Eddie-‘”
“Okay, alright,” Steve breaks in finally, wrestling with Eddie over the receiver for a moment. "Story time is over,” he shouts into the phone. “And I did not say that.” They end up shoulder to chest, phone split between them, like the morning of the food fight when all Steve could think about was how close Eddie’s lips were, how much he just wanted to lean over and close the distance. But this time, Steve can, so he does, tucking the phone for a moment to steal a kiss.
“Ew! Gross! Not over the phone!” Robin protests as Nancy giggles. “Our ears are like, right here. You guys are going to be unbearable, I can already tell.”
“Oh, speaking of tell, Buckley, we’re going to spill the beans to all the kids tonight,” Eddie says, wrapping a hand around Steve’s waist and pulling them both to lean against the wall again.
Nancy makes an inquisitive hum as Robin says “Tonight? What’s tonight?”
“A coming out slash movie night, I guess,” Steve says. “Can you guys figure out rides with the kids and tell us who needs to get picked up?”
“Of course,” Nancy answers. “I’ll go find Mike. See you guys tonight!” The second line clicks off.
“Will is going to literally melt on the spot,” Robin says with glee.
Eddie and Steve exchange confused looks and Steve speaks for both. “Huh?”
There’s a slapping sound. “That’s right! El and Will are back in Hawkins for the rest of the school year. They got in last night. Joyce is finishing out the year with Jonathon in Lenora.”
“Why doesn’t anyone tell me anything,” Steve complains, and Eddie gives him a fond smile, reaching over the phone to kiss him again.
“NO! No more kissing on the phone. I will hang up.”
Steve grins and kisses Eddie again, harder, unnecessarily loud. “That’s fine, we have to go anyway.”
“Ugghhhhhh, disgusting,” Robin whines. “Okay, I’ll give you a call later about the rides, Steve.”
The boys say goodbye and hang up. Eddie looks smug, barely waiting for Steve to put the phone back before he drags Steve into a deep, messy kiss that leaves them both panting.
After breakfast, Steve digs some old boxes out of the basement and stands in front of his closet, hands on his hips. He doesn’t have a ton of things, but the apartment closets are pretty small. Eddie is behind him, sitting on his desk chair and putting stacks of folded clothes into a box, chattering about Black Sabbath’s rise to fame, while Steve occasionally asks clarifying questions. While Steve is digging through a box of swimming medals, trying to decide if he should keep any of these at all, Eddie crawls onto his bed and flops across the covers, hands massaging his leg. His history lesson trails off when he notices Steve watching him.
“Your leg bothering you?”
He nibbles his lower lip. “Just a little. Doctor said it will be like that sometimes.”
Steve comes around the bed to perch on the edge beside him. “Is this the scar problem? For how long?”
Eddie’s mouth twists and he shakes his head. “This pain is different. It’s nerve damage. And possibly forever.” He swallows hard, eyes flitting back and forth between Steve’s face and the room in a way that Steve’s learned is nervousness. He leans over, smoothing a kiss to Eddie’s forehead, and he relaxes against the pillows.
“Will massaging help the nerve thingie too?”
Eddie shrugs. “Couldn’t hurt, I guess.”
“Take off your pants,” Steve instructs, already on the way to the hall to dig through the linen cabinet.
“I don’t think I have the energy for that right now,” Eddie chuckles. “Give me another hour or two.”
Steve tosses a smug smile at him over his shoulder even though he knows Eddie can't see him. “Just an hour?” He pitches his voice to be heard from down the hall while he rummages through old bath and beauty supplies. “That’s not why, babe. For your leg…Ah ha!”
He reenters the room with a bottle of mineral oil, holding it up triumphantly. “When you told me about the oil earlier I knew I’d seen some around. This shit is probably as old as me.” He wrinkles his nose and turns it around the inspect the label. “Do you think this stuff goes bad?” He pops off the top and takes a sniff. It smells fine, kind of smells like nothing at all. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting it to smell like. Minerals, maybe. Whatever that means.
Eddie’s star-fished across the bed, watching Steve as he dribbles some of the oil into his hands and warms it. Steve spreads the oil carefully over the scars as he works his way down Eddie’s leg - over his knee and calf, and then back up. From the soft, satisfied noises Eddie’s making, Steve figures he’s doing a good job. Eddie’s eyes drift shut after a few minutes and Steve slows his movements to make sure he doesn’t wake Eddie, remembering that despite his increasing energy, he’s still healing, his body still working to recovery from major blood loss and surgery, still trying to knit itself back together.
He tucks blankets around the other man, smooths his hair back and presses a feather-light kiss to his forehead, just watching him for a minute - the slow rise and fall of his chest, his features smoothed by sleep, all the frenetic energy and panache melted into stillness.
Steve didn’t know it was possible to love someone like this, to the point where his whole body seems to shiver with it, a buzzing under his skin that’s full to bursting and trying to get out. He has to drag himself away from the bed, thinking it’s probably weird to enjoy watching someone sleep as much as he does. He lets Eddie sleep while he packs more of his things and gets ready for the evening. He takes extra care with his book box, winding an excessive amount of tape around it until it would be absolutely impossible to peek inside without sawing through several layers of tape. He knows at some point he’ll have to explain it to Eddie. He groans to himself, already imagining the shit the other man will give him for it.
Steve rouses a grumbling Eddie a few hours later. He yawns all the way to the grocery store, shuffling behind Steve in a groggy daze for the first half.
Steve grabs a couple boxes of penne pasta and tosses them in the cart. Eddie immediately grabs them and puts them back, replacing them with rotini.
“Dude,” Steve exclaims, switching them back for penne. “We need these for the sauce.”
Eddie wrinkles his nose in distaste. “The little tubes are gross. Besides, there’s no way it makes a difference.” He swaps the pasta boxes out again.
“Uh uh!” Steve puts the rotini back. “Rotini is for chunky sauce. And they taste the same!”
“It’s not the taste,” Eddie insists, shaking a box of penne. “They feel weird in my mouth! The spiral ones are better.” He pouts at Steve, rounding his eyes. “Please?”
Steve groans, dragging his hands down his face. “That’s not fair. You’re cheating.”
Eddie arches a brow at him. “How am I cheating?”
Steve waves at his face. “Giving me those puppy dog eyes. Like I’m going to say no to that.”
Eddie gives him a dastardly smile, leaning over the cart. “Yeah, I know.”
Steve shoots him a look, half irate and half fond. He can’t bring himself to ever be totally annoyed with anything Eddie does. “Okay, how about this, I’ll make most of it with penne and then a separate smaller pan for you with rotini?”
“Wait, really?” Eddie’s widened eyes and surprise catch Steve off-guard.
“Of course, Eddie. And you don’t even need to pout,” Steve says with a lopsided smile.
Eddie brushes a thumb against Steve’s cheek, just for a split second, pulling away with a little smile. “Maybe I will anyway. I like what it does to you.”
Steve’s cheeks warm, just a bit, earning a bigger smile from Eddie. He pointedly ignores it.
“Hey, grab me a couple cans of tomato puree.” Steve nods his chin down the aisle at the rows of canned tomatoes. He studies his grocery list, trying to remember if he still has parmesan in his fridge or not and whether or not the kids are worth spending good parmesan money on, or if he should just get the cheap stuff.
“We’re going to have to get a TV or all future movie nights will have to be in the Wheeler’s stinky basement,” Eddie muses, apropos of nothing, wrinkling his nose like he can smell the offending room.
Steve just…stops. Eddie’s holding up two different cans of tomatoes, frowning at their labels, and they’re in a grocery store together talking about what to make for dinner and getting a TV for their place and ugly florescent lighting is glaring down on Eddie’s messy hair because he never combs it after he showers and Steve thinks Eddie has never been so beautiful.
Eddie catches him staring. “Steve?”
“I love you,” Steve breathes out, barely loud enough to hear over the background buzz of the store.
The resulting grin is one of Steve’s new favorites, he decides. Where Eddie’s eyes look like melted chocolate and his whole face crinkles, even his nose, kind of dazed and brilliant, and for just a second Steve doesn’t really care if anyone heard him or not.
“I love you too,” Eddie returns softly. His gaze shifts over Steve’s shoulder and he blanches. Steve turns to see mayor Harris Walker wheeling his cart into their aisle. Fear shoots through Steve and he feels immediately sick, kicking himself for his stupidity.
“Boys,” Walker greets them, nodding his head at them both. His face is eerily neutral.
“Mayor Walker,” Steve returns slowly, feeling all his muscles tense against his will. He shifts his body to stand in front of Eddie, trying not to shoot the mayor a frosty, warning look.
“I was just in the next aisle over,” Walker begins, studying Steve carefully, who takes another unconscious step back towards Eddie, like he could hide him from the mayor’s view.
Fuck, Steve thinks. Fuck, fuck, fuck. He scrambles to think of excuses, of explanations, and comes up blank. Their conversation could be considered just two overly affectionate roommates arguing about dinner, right up until the I love yous. Everything in him is winding up, preparing to fight or run, or something, but he’s going to what, hit the mayor? Run away? This isn’t the Upside Down or a fight in a parking lot and Walker isn’t a monster he can bash with a baseball bat. They’re in a grocery store. They’re just in a grocery store trying to get ingredients for dinner.
Walker leans over a bit, looking around Steve. He nods towards Eddie. “I heard about your little tumble outside the diner last week.” His gaze shifts to Steve. “And about the argument with Jason Carver.”
Eddie puts a hand over the nearly healed scrapes on his jawline. “Just a misunderstanding,” he says, and the way his voice comes out small and shaking triggers a low, angry burn in Steve’s chest.
Walker doesn’t respond, just smooths down his suit jacket, taking extra care to straighten a small pin on the lapel: a simple rainbow stripe design with far more colors than Steve remembers from the ROYGBIV of science class.
Eddie sucks in a breath behind him, his limbs visibly loosening. “Nice pin,” he compliments Walker, the waver and shrink in his voice completely gone. Steve’s gaze swings from one to the other, totally bewildered, but Eddie’s still looking at the mayor with an easy smile on his face.
Walker smiles back, his face brightening. He wheels closer to the two of them and leans in. “Thank you, Mr. Munson. My younger brother’s roommate gave it to me. They live in San Francisco.” He winks at Eddie, like they’re conspiring in a secret. His voice drops even lower. “If anyone asks, I tell them it’s about the Bible – you know, Noah’s ark and all?”
Eddie laughs, sharp and bright as Walker leans back again. Steve looks between them both again, feeling like they’ve switched into speaking a different language.
Walker’s features turn serious. “I think I’m starting to understand why certain Hawkins residents are intent on a witch hunt.” He rubs his forehead with a weary sigh. “Rest assured that Jason Carver won’t be a problem for you anymore. I’ll make sure of it.”
Steve’s jaw drops and Eddie sucks in a sharp breath. Steve notices his hand is shaking on the handle of the shopping cart.
“Thank you Mm-Mr. Mayor,” Steve stutters out.
Walker smiles, tight-lipped but still genuine. “Call me Harris, please.” He nods at both of them, gaze settling on Steve again. “You take good care of him, yeah?”
Steve nods dumbly, feels Eddie shuffle against his shoulder, and realizes he’s backed up until their shoulder to back.
Walker nods his head to them again, pushing his cart past, pausing at the very end of the aisle. “Oh, and boys? Maybe consider being more careful in public, hmm?”
His words could be considered a threat, Steve thinks, if he didn’t look so concerned for them.
“We will,” Eddie assures him in earnest. “Thank you again. Really.”
The mayor just smiles at them, friendly and professional, and then disappears around the end of the aisle.
Eddie lets out a long breath, slumping forward a little onto Steve’s shoulder.
Steve twists halfway, looking down the aisle after the mayor. “I don’t understand."
“I’ll explain in the car.” He lets out another deep breath. “That could have been so much worse. Like, catastrophic. He’s right, we do need to be more careful.”
Steve regards him with a somber look, the expression reflected back to him in Eddie’s dark eyes. “I wish we didn’t have to.”
“Maybe someday we can live somewhere we won’t have to,” Eddie says carefully, his eyes bouncing from the rows of pasta on the shelves and then back to Steve.
“You would…you would do that?” Steve says slowly, remembering his conversation with Robin about moving away.
“I’d follow you anywhere, Steve Harrington,” Eddie says, voice low and rumbling.
Steve leans forward unconsciously, wishing they were home already, aching to just take Eddie in his arms and kiss him.
“C’mon,” Eddie says, like he can read Steve’s mind. “Let’s get the rest of our stuff and get out of here.”
The rest of their trip is muted, both of them feeling shaken. The reality sets in as Steve pays for groceries. They’re in Hawkins and he just cannot say whatever he wants in the pasta aisle where anyone could hear them. And they got caught by the mayor. That could have been the end of everything for them. Half the town has it out for Eddie and not even the Harrington reputation could protect Steve, let alone both of them. Love doesn’t conquer all, not when it’s in a town full of homophobic, small-minded people. He lets out a shaking breath after he thanks the cashier for his change and pockets his wallet. He has to protect Eddie and that means being more careful.
It’s not until they’re pulling out of the parking lot that Steve asks about Walker. “What’s the deal with the mayor’s pin?”
“It’s the pride flag.”
Steve shakes his head. “The what?”
“It’s like…a symbol for being gay or lesbian or what have you. It started in San Francisco. Pretty bold for Walker to be wearing that around here. If anyone actually figured it out…”
“You figured it out.”
He gives Steve an impatient look. “But I’m gay. That’s the point.”
“Ooohh,” Steve says. “Like a secret code. Like your bandana.”
Eddie tilts his head in amusement. “How do you know about that?”
“Robin told me it was like, a code.”
Eddie snorts. “Of course she did. Bless her. Did she tell you what the sides and colors mean?”
Steve's forehead crinkles in confusion and he shakes his head.
Eddie folds his arms over his chest and slouches with a satisfied nod. “Good. We’ll get to that later.”
“Oh come on,” Steve whines. “Why can’t you tell me?”
“Because you’re driving and I don’t want you to crash this car and kill us both.”
Steve scoffs. “There’s no way whatever you tell me could be that distracting.” He smirks at the road when Eddie lets out an indignant huff and straightens up.
“Fine. Remember that when we're bleeding out in the ditch. Black means S&M. You know what that is?” He leers a little as he says it, the start of an impish smirk curling his lip.
Steve’s heart stutters. “Like…tying someone up?”
Eddie hums. “Close.” There’s a pause and then he slips his hand over Steve’s leg, just this side of too high, his pinkie brushing the crease between thigh and hip. “You like it when I bite you?”
Memories of the way Eddie nips and bites over Steve’s body rushes to mind. The way it lights up all his nerves, the hint of pain amplifying everything. He curls his hands over the wheel until the leather creaks. “Mhmm.”
“Just like that, but more. A lot more. And more than just biting.” Eddie’s voice is far too sultry for the current setting. He should be whispering this into Steve’s ear, preferably in bed.
Steve risks a sideways glance to see Eddie watching him with a dark, unwavering gaze that lights up his insides, the feeling oozing its way down and settling between his legs like liquid heat. Eddie’s pinkie dips lower and Steve shifts in his seat, skin starting to feel tight. “What about marks?”
“What about them, baby?”
Steve bites down hard on his lip. “Is that – are those – is that part of it?”
“Oh yeah,” Eddie purrs. “Big time.” He squeezes Steve’s thigh briefly before drawing away and Steve almost whines at the loss of the heat. “But I’m not going to tell you anymore about it until you can stay in your lane.”
Steve jolts when he realizes he’s drifting over the center line and that his blinker’s been on since their last turn. He shuts it off and straightens out the car with stained cheeks. “Fair enough,” he mumbles.
Eddie laughs, lurching over the console to press a quick kiss against Steve’s cheek. He flops back into his seat, wide smile plastered to his face. “Promise I’ll tell you more soon.”
“You’re enjoying this,” Steve accuses him, pride smarting a little.
“Watching my boyfriend get turned on while he’s driving? Ohhh yeah, I am.”
A smile tugs at Steve’s face. “I like hearing you say that. Boyfriend.” He laces Eddie’s fingers through his own, resting their hands on the nice, safe space of his knee.
“I like saying it, princess,” Eddie responds, almost shyly. “You know, you’re my first.”
Steve glances at him, the way the evening sun lights turns his hair auburn, the way he sprawls across the seat with one foot on the dash, always taking up as much space as he wants, anywhere he wants. It’s one of the things Steve loves about him. “First boyfriend?”
“Yeah.” Eddie squeezes their hands. “You’re the first.”
“Me too,” Steve tells him. “Obviously.”
“Someday, you’ll have to tell me about all that,” Eddie says. He waves his hand. “About how you figured it out and everything. If you want.”
Steve squeezes his hand back. “Of course I want to.” He pulls into his driveway, waits until he’s shut off the car and put up the brake, until they’ve dropped the groceries on the counter and taken off their shoes. Then, very deliberately, he turns to Eddie and draws him in with a hand curled over the back of his neck. He hears Eddie’s breath hitch in his chest right before he seals their lips together. They move against each other, solid and firm. Reassuring. Steve pulls back, just enough to look Eddie in the eyes. “I’m glad you’re the first,” he tells him. Eddie’s answering smile is incandescent and Steve kisses the corner of his grinning mouth, thinking Eddie’s smiles are something he can feel in his chest, like he’s swallowed down the joy and now it’s fluttering free between his ribs.
Eddie cages him in against a wall with his hips and shoulders. “I am too,” he breathes against Steve’s mouth, capturing him in another searing kiss.
Steve pushes Eddie’s jacket off his shoulders, dragging his hands along the hard curve of muscles the whole way, presses the box of his hips into Eddie’s. Eddie moans softly into the kiss, moves his mouth to Steve’s jaw, working his way down. “Can we move this to the couch? My leg hurts from standing for too long.”
Steve quirks an eyebrow at him but doesn’t push it. Eddie’s stood for longer periods and not complained. The way he’s walking Steve to the living room, his hands digging into Steve’s back and nipping at his bottom lip, makes Steve think it’s got nothing to do with his leg. Steve halts them, strips Eddie’s shirt off and then his own, shooting the other man a scorching look.
“You should sit down,” he tells Eddie with a smirk, pushing him into the cushions. “Since your leg hurts so much.”
Eddie hits the cushions with a sharp exhale, looking up at Steve under thick lashes. Even at this distance, Steve can tell his pupils are blown wide, his eyes nearly black. Steve cradles his jaw, thumbs dragging over the light stubble, and tips Eddie’s head back to gain access to the soft skin of his throat. Eddie’s responding whine vibrates against Steve’s teeth as he sucks a tiny mark next to his Adam’s apple. Then he sinks to his knees, knocking Eddie’s legs open with his elbows. Eddie’s hands freeze on his shoulders.
“What’re you doing?”
Steve pulls his ass to the edge and slides his gaze over the hurried rise and fall of his chest, the way he licks his full lips. They’re cherry red as always, a bit swollen and edges mussed from kissing. His chin and cheeks are pink from Steve’s own stubble.
“I want to try something,” he says, hands falling to the button of Eddie’s pants.
He lets Steve undo them, lifting his hips so Steve can pull them off, his gaze liquid and fixed the whole time.
Steve smirks a little when he sees the obvious tent in Eddie’s boxers.
Eddie sniffs, shoves his shoulder. “Like you’re any better,” he says with a heavy look at the bulge in Steve’s pants.
Steve doesn’t respond, just leans forward to capture Eddie’s lips again while he teases the skin around the band of his boxers. He switches to Eddie’s thighs, slipping his hands under the fabric, careful to skirt the areas Eddie clearly wants him to touch, if the soft thrusts and uneven jerk of his hips mean anything.
“Is this revenge for the car?” he says breathlessly, letting out a tiny whimper when Steve’s thumbs brush his cock.
“Not at all,” Steve assures him with a mischievous smile. “I just want to try something new.” He finally curls his fingers into Eddie’s boxers, tugs them down. Eddie’s cock springs free, thick and pink and curved over his belly. Steve hasn’t seen a lot of cocks in his life, and certainly not this close or erect, but he thinks there’s no way they get prettier than Eddie’s. The thought briefly crosses his mind that maybe it’s weird to think a cock is pretty, but he’s not sure; it’s not like he has any other reference points. Just like what he’s about to do.
“Are you sure?” Eddie’s voice is already graveled and unsteady, and it makes Steve throb in his pants. He loves that sound, thinks he could get high on it.
“Absolutely,” Steve says with more confidence than he feels as he sinks onto his heels. “I love to give head, remember?”
Eddie sucks in a hard breath and drops his head onto the back of the couch as Steve takes the base of his cock in one hand, careful not to pull any hairs. “Yes, I fucking remember you telling me that. Nearly killed me.”
Steve huffs a soft laugh, feeling it heat the space between his face and Eddie’s crotch. He steadies himself with a hand on Eddie’s good thigh, then leans forward and licks the smooth tip like an ice cream cone. Eddie takes another sharp breath in when Steve repeats the motion with a flat tongue, flicking over the slit. The sharp breaths turn into little whines, and he grows more confidence with each lick, making his way around the ridge, down the shaft, over the ribbon of a vein, paying extra attention to the sensitive underside. Each motion draws soft groans from Eddie. The skin is unbelievably soft and warm in his mouth, and he quickly finds he loves the feel of Eddie’s steeled length pressed against his tongue. He didn’t know how he was expecting it to taste, having only gotten a tiny lick the week before after the rushed hand job in Eddie’s apartment. Eddie’s skin is humid and a little salty. Steve sucks in a deep breath and finds he’s surprised by how pleasant the scent is, musky and clean with a hint of soap. He takes in another breath, looks right into Eddie’s eyes, and wraps his mouth around the head, sucking gently. He sinks his hands in Steve’s hair, not pushing or pulling, just holding it there. Steve thinks back to blow jobs he’s received, tries to remember what girls have done and replicates each motion, cataloging Eddie’s reactions. He slides Eddie’s cock deeper into his mouth, inching towards the back of his throat, making sure to wrap his lips over his teeth and dragging his tongue against the underside.
“Fuck,” Eddie groans, loud and needy. “God, your mouth feels so good. Fuck, of course you’d be good at this. Don’t even need to tell you what to do.”
Steve flushes with the praise, slides his mouth back up Eddie’s shaft. He pulls off for a second, spit trailing his lips. “But I want you to tell me what to do,” he says in a coy tone.
“Jesus Christ,” Eddie says, hands tightening almost imperceptibly in Steve’s hair.
Steve wants to ask him to pull on his hair, decides that might be too much right now. It’ll just distract him and he wants to stay focused. Between the hungry, heated looks Eddie’s giving him and every needy sound, he’s worried he’ll come in his pants if Eddie pulls his hair. “Tell me what to do, babe.”
“Jesus Christ,” Eddie repeats, eyes locked onto Steve’s face as he sinks back onto Eddie’s cock.
He runs his tongue along the shaft again, angling his head to work it in deeper, sucks hard. Nearly smiles when it earns him another strangled groan.
Eddie swears, hips twitching like he’s holding himself back from thrusting down Steve’s throat. “Yeah, just like that baby, keep doing that.”
Steve lets Eddie’s reactions guide him when his instructions devolve into moans and whimpers. He keeps the pace slow, just letting himself enjoy it, letting his tongue explore the texture of Eddie’s cock, the weight of it in his mouth. He uses one hand as a band to reach the spots his mouth can’t right now, setting an even rhythm. The idea of having Eddie’s cock so far down his throat that he doesn’t need his hand has him groaning, and Eddie gasps at the vibrations.
“You enjoying yourself, baby?”
Steve hums the affirmative, sucks just a little harder.
“Fuck Stevie, you’re so perfect. Your fucking perfect mouth was made for this.”
It has Steve moaning on Eddie again, his own hips squirming to find any kind of friction.
Eddie swears, digging his nails into Steve’s scalp. “I’ve been thinking about this for so long. God, baby I’m not going to last.”
His legs shake around Steve’s shoulders as he says it and Steve takes him down again, trying to let his throat relax, to pull Eddie in a little deeper. His gag reflex tightens up on him and he eases back a bit, focuses on sucking and licking instead.
Eddie pants harder, curses and praises spilling from his mouth in equal amounts – telling Steve he’s perfect, his mouth is perfect, he feels like heaven – until Steve’s full and buzzing with it, his hardness bordering on painful in his jeans. He shifts a bit, reaches under Eddie’s balls and scoops them into his free hand, gently, and then gives them a tiny tug, watching Eddie for his reaction.
“Fuck,” Eddie cries. “Fuck, do that again and I’m going to come.” He’s shaking harder now, whining with every slide of Steve’s mouth.
Steve takes a moment to just watch Eddie while he teases the head with his tongue, swirling around the smooth surface. He wasn't lying - he does love to give head and this is definitely his new favorite way. Eddie’s head is tipped back against the couch, long eyelashes fluttering against his pinked cheeks, like he’s fighting to keep them open to watch Steve, hair tangled and fanned out around him. His lips are bright red and swollen from biting them, chest heaving and speckled with just a hint of glistening sweat. Fucking beautiful, Steve thinks. His boyfriend is so fucking beautiful. He gives one last lick over the tip and sinks down, tugging on Eddie’s balls again.
With a high-pitched, throaty whine Steve’s never heard before, Eddie’s whole body jerks hard and then hot cum spurts into Steve’s mouth, hitting the back of his throat and filling his mouth. Salt blooms on his tongue, slightly bitter and Steve swallows it down, sucks it right out of Eddie while he shakes through the rest of his orgasm.
“Jesus H Christ,” Eddie gasps, pulls Steve’s mouth off him with a handful of hair at the base of Steve’s neck, and crashes their lips together. His tongue dips into Steve’s mouth, like he’s searching out his own taste, like he’s trying to lick Steve clean. He yanks Steve onto his lap until he’s straddling Eddie’s thighs. His hands work Steve’s jeans open and he shoves them down far enough to get to Steve’s cock, fingers fumbling and desperate to touch him. His hot hand squeezing around the shaft has Steve choking and twitching against the other man.
“Not going to last long,” Steve warns him, voice raspy and wrecked from Eddie’s cock. “Nearly came just listening to you.”
“Fuck,” Eddie growls, pulls him down for another hard kiss. “That’s so fucking hot, you have no idea baby.” He spits into his palm and grabs Steve again. His strokes are almost harsh, demanding, and Steve knows he’s not going to last more than a few seconds at this rate. Eddie sucks a nipple into his mouth, scrapes his teeth against it and pleasure rips up Steve’s spine before he has a chance to warn Eddie. He comes with a harsh, deep gasp, arching into Eddie’s hand as he works Steve through it.
“I love your hands,” Steve says dazedly, slumping against Eddie’s chest. "I really, really love them." They just breathe against each other, panting and sweaty, until Steve peels off with a tired groan. “Gonna have to get the kids soon. Need to start dinner.”
Eddie bites back a grin. “Love it when you talk sexy to me.”
“Har har,” says Steve grumpily, but he kisses Eddie, smiles against him. He glances over the couch at a wall clock. “Come on,” he says, kissing Eddie again. “We still have time to shower.”
“What do we need to shower for? I’ll just change shirts.” Eddie looks down at the shirt in question, pulls it away from his chest to inspect the soaked spots.
“You have cum in your hair,” Steve responds dryly, lifting up a sticky strand and dropping it back down again.
“Just the ends,” Eddie mumbles. “I can’t wash it twice in one day, it’ll dry out.”
Steve grins. “I knew you cared about your hair.”
Eddie rolls his eyes. “Yes, sometimes I care about my hair. Bite me.”
Steve grins, nips his neck. “Yes sir.” Eddie lets out a tight, throaty hum when Steve says it. Interesting. He files it away for another time.
Eddie ends up just rinsing the ends, because all their shower time is occupied by making out. Steve knows they’re on a time crunch, but the last time they were in the shower together, Eddie was naked on the bathtub floor between Steve’s legs while he tried desperately not to think too hard about any part of that.
“Washing your hair was like, torture,” Steve tells him between two wet kisses, drawing his long curls back so he can nibble on Eddie’s neck.
“Wha-what? Why’d you do it then?” He sounds almost hurt.
“Not like that,” Steve tells him with an exasperated click of his tongue. “You were naked, right next to me, and I couldn’t stop thinking about how fucking gorgeous you looked, and you kept making these noises when I touched your hair,” Steve’s rambling is cut off by Eddie’s lips.
Eddie pushes him into the wall, away from the stream of hot water, and Steve doesn’t even care, just lets his hands roam, gripping and sliding over Eddie’s wet skin that’s fully warm for once.
“You know afterwards I jerked off almost every time you did that,” Eddie confesses.
The irony of it is too much and Steve starts laughing, dropping his forehead against Eddie’s shoulder.
“What? Why is that funny?” The hurt tone is back.
“God, babe,” Steve admonishes him gently, cupping Eddie’s face in his hands and pushing his bangs out of his eyes, revealing the shallow worry lines crinkling his brow. He has the impulse to kiss them away and so he does, smoothing kisses from one temple to the other. “I did too,” he says with another laugh.
A smile spreads across Eddie’s face. “We’re idiots, aren’t we.”
“I think a little bit,” Steve agrees, sliding his arms around Eddie, pulling him close. Just feeling him there, pressed against his body from chest to toe. When Eddie shivers, he moves them back under the hot spray. “Always cold,” he says, repeating what Eddie told him in the bathroom, what feels like forever ago. “Warm up a little bit before we get out.”
Eddie sighs into Steve’s neck, but it sounds content. Like the sigh of crawling into a warm bed at the end of a long, cold day. “I love you,” he says in a near-whisper.
Steve clutches him closer, a sudden ache curling in his chest, his ribcage far too small for the love contained inside it. He never thought it could be like this. “I love you too.”
Eddie makes the rounds to pick up kids that won’t fit in Nancy’s car while Steve starts dinner.
It’s not quiet for long, Eddie and Nancy arriving with everyone in tow at the same time. The front door lets in the sound of at least two arguments (Dustin vs. Erica and Mike vs. Lucas), but when Eddie gets involved, Steve realizes it’s just one, giant chaotic disagreement. From the number of fantasy-themed terms, Steve deduces they’re bickering about D&D. He rolls his eyes – fucking nerds. Eddie enters the kitchen in time to catch the end of Steve’s private eye roll, and they start towards each other out of habit for a kiss before Eddie pulls back abruptly. El rolls Max into the kitchen, their eyes flicking back and forth between the two men.
“Um, hi,” Eddie settles on, a little flustered and breathless. “Almost done?” He nods towards the pasta, skirting the center island to reach Steve’s side.
“Nearly,” Steve responds, head turned to where Eddie’s now hovering over his shoulder.
He leans farther over, peering into the pot, his hair tickling the side of Steve’s head. “Smells good.”
Steve has to forcibly turn his head back forward, eyes resolutely fixed on the stove so he doesn’t kiss Eddie’s cheek. From the way Eddie lingers over his shoulder, he thinks the other man is in the same state.
“Soon,” Eddie murmurs in Steve’s ear and his stomach flutters.
“I see you two kissed and made up,” Max teases, sharply drawing both their gazes. Her eyes slide over Steve and he hopes she can’t see the slight heat to his cheeks.
“All it took was a pair of two carat diamond earrings and a bouquet of red roses,” Eddie jokes with a wink and waggle of his eyebrows, drawing a giggle out of El.
“Steve did say it was your fault,” Max replies, eyes still narrowed in his direction.
Eddie’s jaw drops and he turns towards Steve with a hand pressed to his heart. “You did not,” he says with exaggerated hurt.
“It kind of was,” Steve mumbles, stirring the pasta faster.
“Unbelievable,” Eddie says. “I want my diamonds back.”
Steve rolls his eyes. “Grab me a serving bowl, would you?”
Eddie snakes around him, reaching to a top shelf to grab a giant ceramic bowl, twirling and presenting it to Steve with a flourish that makes him smile. Steve watches him move around the kitchen, helping prep for dinner while he talks to the girls. Steve loves the way he flows through space, somehow smooth and blunt at the same time, always stretching out wherever he pleases, everything done with a leonine grace that flows easily from look at me, look at me and nothing to see here, move along. Eddie’s just a giant cat, Steve decides. He’s got the mane for it. Steve smirks at him, smiling wider as Eddie’s head tilts in confusion.
He doesn’t explain, smiles all the way through dumping the pasta into the bowl and all the way to the dining room table.
Steve’s nerves grow steadily as the kids scamper off to the living room and he puts things away while Eddie loads the dishwasher.
Robin squeezes his shoulder in silent reassurance. “Everything will be fine,” she tells him before shooing both the boys away so she and Nancy can take over the cleanup.
It leaves Steve standing in the kitchen, turning in lost circles. He’s grateful for their help but wishes he had something to do. “I know,” he says and then takes a deep breath, repeating until it's steadier, “I know.” This is the first time he’s just – announced his sexuality to anyone out of the blue. Robin and Eddie don’t count – they were already halfway to figuring it out before he confirmed it and Nancy apparently got it on her own. And it’s not just him, Eddie’s outing himself to everyone too. Steve tries to remind himself of the conversation in his car after he picked them up from D&D, that the kids didn’t seem bothered about any of it. But these are his friends – basically his family – and he’s worried it will change things, make them see Eddie and him differently. Act different. He wipes at non-existent stains on the counters until Nancy and Robin signal they’re done. He takes a deep breath, then another, and follows them into the living room.
“Hey, dipshits! Shut it!”
Will is the only one listening to Steve, curled up in a corner of a couch with his chin in his hands like he’s trying to puzzle something out. He’s had the same expression on all night.
“Lucas, Mike, stop throwing M&Ms at Max.” Steve snatches the bag out of Lucas’ hand right as another one bounces off Max’s nose.
“You think as a basketball player, he’d have better aim,” Max snarks.
“Hey!” Lucas protests, tossing the rest of his handful at her face at once. Three make it into her mouth and they all cheer together.
“Ugh, seriously? Now I have to vacuum those up later.”
Dustin zips past him and Steve grabs him by the back collar of his shirt. “Sit down,” he commands, pushing the younger boy into the couch next to Robin and Nancy, who are looking on with matching expressions of amusement. “Of course, no help from you two,” he gripes at them.
“Hey kids, listen to your mother,” Robin says flatly at regular volume. Nancy hides a laugh against Robin’s shoulder.
Erica and El are totally engrossed in a conversation about My Little Pony, as Erica apparently explains the intricacies of the show to an increasingly confused El.
“Okay, shrimps,” Eddie says with a loud clap. “Gather around. We have an announcement.” Everyone settles down and straights up immediately, shuffling into spots around the living room. He shoots Steve a delighted smile and gets an eye roll in return. It’s only a little annoying how much they don’t listen to Steve.
Steve stands next to Eddie and suddenly nine pairs of wide eyes are staring them down and he falters.
“We’re um, we’ve got something to tell you,” Steve starts. He notices Max shooting Eddie a satisfied look, wiggling into the couch cushions like she’s getting comfortable for a good story. The nerves from earlier grow claws, crawl up his chest, displacing his prepared speech. “We won’t be able to use my house for parties anymore.”
A chorused round of protests and questions immediately rise up, and Robin drops her shaking head into her hands. Eddie’s got his mouth screwed tight like he’s trying not to laugh. He presses one hand against the small of Steve’s back, warm and firm.
“What Steve is trying to say, is that we’ll be having stuff somewhere else from here on out, because Steve is moving out.”
“Where is Steve moving to?” says Max in a smug, knowing voice with a gleam in her eye and far too much self-satisfaction for Steve’s liking.
“He’s moving in with me,” Eddie responds with an overly pleasant smile directed at her. “Because he’s my boyfriend.”
There’s a beat of silence and then everyone starts talking at once.
“You LIAR!” Dustin exclaims, jumping to his feet and pointing at Steve. “You told us you weren’t dating!”
“I didn’t lie, Henderson! It was true at the time.”
“Oh wow, I’m so shocked,” Max intones flatly, glancing at El, who’s watching them with wide, dancing eyes. “Told you,” she says to El, quieter.
Mike’s lip curls with his trademark, adolescence disdain. “Okay, I’m confused.”
Eddie and Steve exchange knowing looks. Eddie’s steadily losing his battle against that smile.
Eddie’s lips twitch as he responds, “What, pray tell little Wheeler, are you so confused about?”
Mike scoffs at Eddie and points to Steve. “Are we supposed to be like, surprised, or something? You do mean that you’re bisexual, right?”
“You could at least pretend to be surprised. You kids show us no respect,” Steve says with a grimace. He notices Will finally, his willowy frame completely drawn up and frozen in astonishment. His face is bright red. But he’s not looking at Steve and Eddie at the moment, he’s staring at Mike.
“We just wanted to address it officially. We are moving in together, we are boyfriends, and yes, I’m bisexual,” Steve finishes, trying not to cringe into Eddie’s side.
“I’m not,” Eddie says. “I’m just gay.” He folds his arms over his chest. “Any questions?”
Lucas raises his hand like they’re in school. “When are you moving?”
“Tomorrow,” Eddie answers. “And we’d appreciate help if you shrimps feel inclined to be useful for once.”
Dustin’s sitting again and he raises his hand too but doesn’t wait for acknowledgement before he barrels forward. “Far be it from me to question your love,” he begins with a hand pressed over his heart. “But don’t you think this is a little fast? What’s wrong with Harrington’s house?”
“There are circumstances,” Eddie says with a vague wave and a warning glare at Dustin, which he ignores.
“What kind of circumstances?” Dustin says slowly, suspicious, like he’s got three more questions already lined up.
“My dad,“ Steve begins, eyes on the floor, trails off.
The whole room falls silent, everyone’s faces solemn.
Steve tries again, “Yeah, he’s, well-“
Eddie puts his hand around Steve’s waist. “Like I said,” he grits at Dustin. “Circumstances.”
Dustin looks abashed, nodding his head rapidly.
Erica pipes up for the first time, almost lazily, like this whole ordeal is boring her. “Well, I think I speak for all of us when I say fuck that guy.”
Everyone gasps. Nancy and Steve shout in unison, “Language!”
Eddie reminds everyone not to go sharing their announcement with anyone else unless they ask first, earning a round of eye rolls and exaggerated head nods with a frustration only teenagers can, like ‘Yes, we know dad, you’ve told us a million times.’
“Can we watch Star Wars now?” Mike says with an annoyed huff. “We’re never going to get through all three of them at this rate.”
Eddie waves them off. “Be free, little gremlins.” They scatter, Mike heading to the kitchen to pop bag after bag of popcorn. Lucas resumes throwing M&Ms at Max, Dustin and Erica are already arguing over which Star Wars movie is the best, Erica waving Empire Strikes Back in his face while he protests. Will is still glued to the couch, looking shell-shocked.
Eddie turns to Steve with a little smile, wraps his arms around the other man. Steve rests his own on Eddie’s biceps, leaning back to get a full look at his face.
Eddie screws his features up with one eye shut, like he’s thinking really hard and hums. “I’d give that about a B minus?”
“Are you grading my performance or the kids?”
Eddie's eyes twinkle and pecks Steve's lips. “Your performance is always A plus, darling. I meant the kids.”
Steve flushes. Darling. That one was new. His stomach does loop-de-loops and he pulls Eddie in for a longer kiss to hide his fluster, but the way Eddie smiles against his lips tells him he wasn’t entirely successful.
“Gross!” Mike yells at them, coming through the kitchen with a massive bowl of popcorn, right as Lucas cups his hands over his mouth and shouts, “Booooo.”
“That’s homophobic,” Eddie says with an overly stern glare and a finger jab, earning eye rolls from both boys.
“It’s like seeing our parents make out,” Mike retorts, then snaps his mouth shut when he realizes what he said.
Eddie gives him a cocky grin and tilts his head. “Finally recognizing our authority hmmm, little Wheeler?” He ruffles Mike’s hair as the younger boy makes an annoyed sound and then wriggles away.
Steve drops into the corner of an open couch, feeling a little like Will looks. It went so fast. It hasn’t quite set in that the kids didn’t care, not in the way that he was worried they would. Dustin sits on the floor with a pillow, back to the couch.
“You did good, kid,” he says, stretching up to pat Steve’s hair.
He gives Dustin a flat stare and knocks his hand away. “Thanks sooo much.” He fluffs up the flattened bits. “And don’t touch the hair.”
Dustin takes his cap off, ruffling his own hair. “I mean it,” he says, slightly more serious. “I’m sorry your dad’s such a prick.”
Steve just shrugs. “It’s no biggie.”
Dustin looks like he’s about to argue but thinks better of it. Instead, he punches Steve’s shoulder.
“Ow! Dude!”
“That’s for not telling me about your relationship first and lumping me into your announcement to the masses.”
Steve scoffs. “Like you would’ve been able to keep it to yourself!” His voice takes on a childish tone. “Friends don’t lie.”
“You wound me, Steve,” Dustin says, clutching his fists over his chest. “Do you think so little of our bonds of friendship?”
Steve just raises his eyebrows, like ‘Um, yeah.’
Dustin clicks his tongue in frustration. “I would have made an exception.”
Steve makes an effort not to show it, but he’s genuinely touched. Dustin’s face is rapidly falling. Maybe he should show it.
His eyes soften, with just a fraction of a smile. “I’ll remember that next time I get a secret boyfriend.”
“Secret – “ Dustin sputters. “That doesn’t even – that doesn’t even make sense. How is Eddie a secret?”
“He’s a secret to everyone outside this room, dumbass!”
“Not like you even could get another secret boyfriend,” Dustin rebuts. “I’ve heard your pickup lines. It's a miracle you snagged Eddie. And you’re not allowed to break up with him, anyway. So it’s a moot point.”
Steve just can’t with this kid. It’s his turn to splutter, “What do you mean not allowed?”
“It’ll kill him and then I’ll kill you.” Dustin says very matter-of-factly. “And don’t worry, I’m giving him the shovel talk too.”
Eddie walks over with the bag of M&Ms, liberated from Lucas’ annoying hands. An entertained smile stretches his face and Steve wonders how much of Dustin’s little speech he overheard.
Steve opens his arms for Eddie. He settles between Steve’s legs and lean back on his chest. Eddie sprawls his legs out over Robin, who’s next to Nancy, arm thrown over the back of the couch with Nancy tucked underneath in a way that looks suspiciously like cuddling. Robin puts their bowl of popcorn between Eddie’s shins, and the whole tangle of limbs and bodies and bowls of snacks somehow settles and works.
Steve hunches up to get a quick glimpse of Eddie’s face. He’s got a faraway, almost dreamy look as he watches Robin and Nancy together on the couch, his gaze snagging on the way his legs lounge over Robin as she uses them as a bowl holder. Steve pushes aside a lock of waves to whisper directly into Eddie’s ear. “What are you thinking about?”
Eddie hums, tilting his head back, warm cheek grazing Steve’s nose. He takes several starting breaths, before saying simply, “The time we watched Rocky Horror and Robin fell asleep on me.”
The answer doesn’t make a lot to sense to Steve, so he just cards his fingers through Eddie’s hair and presses a kiss to his temple in answer. Eddie hums again, so low it’s more of a vibration through his chest, like a purring cat. Steve repeats the motion and he’s rewarded with another purr. Eddie’s eyelashes flutter shut. He’s just a giant cat, Steve thinks again.
They start the movie, Steve jumping a little with the opening blast of the main theme. It always gets him. A quarter through the movie, Eddie whispers, “Cut that out,” pulling Steve’s hand out of his hair.
“Excuse me,” Steve says into his ear, genuinely shocked. “Are you telling me to stop playing with your hair?”
“I promise, this is the only time. If you keep that up, I’ll fall asleep and miss the movie.” He grabs Steve’s hand and kisses his knuckles in apology. “I know how much you love my hair.” He laces their fingers against his chest.
“Fine,” Steve grumbles, but he finishes it with a kiss to Eddie’s temple that makes the other man smirk.
Eddie falls asleep on Steve anyway, just a few minutes into Empire Strikes Back. With Eddie asleep, Steve resumes playing with his hair. He catches Will watching them after the third soft kiss he presses against his temple. He sends the boy a reassuring smile and Will returns it. Suddenly Steve gets it. Telling the kids wasn’t just about letting them in on the secret, he realizes. He wanted to let them know this was a safe place for them. That they were his family too, and everyone in it would be loved no matter who they were. Steve wasn’t really used to telling people how he felt, especially the kids. Nancy used to complain about how stoic he was when they were dating, how much he just smoothed over everything. Robin was the only exception to that, and now Eddie too. Especially Eddie. Maybe Steve would never really learn how to be open and affectionate with everyone, but he could do this for them. He could just be there for them, safe and protecting no matter what.