into the eddieverse

It was a rough day for you, whatever reason it may be, mission gone south, bad day in training, or you just can’t seem to hit the target correctly in the shooting range

Price knew the signs you were in a bad mood immediately and practically picked you up by the scruff and walked out to his car

He would not listen to a single protest you have, he’s taking you somewhere to make you feel better and he won’t take no for an answer

Doesn’t care if you’re bigger or taller than him, he will throw you over his shoulder and into a Humvey to get to where he wants to

Drives you to McDonalds and only then once you’re there he’ll look ove and ask what you want?

“What do you want from McDonalds?”

“Chicken nuggets…fries…sweet and sour sauce…Hi-C orange…”

Will order exactly what you want and if you don’t answer he’s getting you a happy meal

Walking back to his room in the barracks after another day of seeing König and Horangi cuddling and kissing each other after a mission, (y/n) wasn’t ready to deal with the flooding emotions of regret and pain he felt. He didn’t even think about it as he quickly grabbed his headphones and phone off the small desk in his room and left to go to the shooting range, just wanting to shoot his pain away. Putting his headphones on (y/n) started to play one of his playlists as he made it to the shooting range and grabbed his usual assault rifle, handgun, and sniper rifle out of his weapons locker before walking to an unclaimed station at the range all the while the opening of “Mr. Brightside” was playing in his headphones. 

“Comin' out of my cage and I've been doin' just fine. Gotta, gotta be down because I want it all. It started out with a kiss, how did it end up like this? It was only a kiss, it was only a kiss.” Popping a magazine into his assault rifle, (y/n) aimed it at the targets in front of him and started to shoot at them, not worried about where exactly they hit, this wasn’t practice, this was pain. He’d kissed König once before, it was nothing more than a quick kiss on the cheek after a successful mission, and (y/n) could’ve sworn that König liked it, that he might’ve liked him back. 

“Now I'm fallin' asleep and she's calling a cab. While he's having a smoke and she's takin' a drag, now they're goin' to bed, and my stomach is sick.” As he kept shooting off into the targets, more images of König and Horangi kissing and cuddling around the base and on the exfil back from missions filled his head. It was a few weeks after he’d kissed König that he saw Horangi sneaking into König’s room in the barracks, and then them sitting very close to each other the next morning at breakfast. “And it's all in my head, but she's touching his chest now, he takes off her dress now. Let me go, and I just can't look, it's killing me, they're taking control.” The subtle rejection he got from König when he started to hang out with Horangi more and less with (y/n) is when it hit him, that König didn’t like him, that he didn’t want him like (y/n) wanted König. And of course, the thoughts of what they did in König’s room that night lingered in his thoughts, the things he did with Horangi that (y/n) wanted König to do with him.

“Jealousy, turning saints into the sea, swimming through sick lullabies, choking on your alibis. But it's just the price I pay, destiny is calling me. Open up my eager eyes, 'cause I'm Mr. Brightside” Putting the assault rifle down once the magazine was emptied, (y/n) picked up his handgun and filled the magazine with bullets before aiming at the targets again, a few tears clouding his vision as he thought about the things he could have with König if he just had the chance.

“I'm comin' out of my cage, and I've been doin' just fine. Gotta, gotta be down because I want it all, it started out with a kiss, how did it end up like this?It was only a kiss, it was only a kiss” As the kisses shared between König and Horangi replayed in his head, the tears started to fill (y/n)’s eyes more, making it more difficult to see the targets as he shot at them. Wanting nothing more than for it to be him kissing König, for him to be holding König and sneaking into his room late at night.

“Now I'm falling asleep and she's calling a cab, while he's havin' a smoke and she's takin' a drag. Now they're goin' to bed, and my stomach is sick, and it's all in my head, but she's touching his chest now, he takes off her dress now.” Putting the handgun down once he couldn’t see the targets any more, (y/n) sunk to his knees as he tried to wipe his eyes free of the tears, faintly hearing the sounds of König’s and Horangi’s laughter in the back of his mind. The thought of how much he loved König made him sick to his stomach, (y/n) would’ve given anything, everything, to be with him, to be the one that König wanted and loved.

“Let me go, 'cause I just can't look, it's killing me, they're taking control. Jealousy, turning saints into the sea, swimming through sick lullabies, choking on your alibis.” Looking down at the floor and his shaky hands in his lap, the tears didn’t stop flowing down (y/n)’s face as he kept thinking about what could’ve been if he confessed sooner, if he talked to König about it, or if he…if he did anything other than keep his feelings to himself.

Leaving his room in the barracks, (y/n) wasn’t paying attention to the world around him, too emotionally distraught. Of course, it was stupid of him to fall for his lieutenant, but he couldn’t help it, he was stern on and off the field, but was kind with (y/n), patient, and helpful with him too. Heading straight for one of the training rooms he put in his earbuds and played a random playlist, Bad Habit by Steve Lacy starting to play as he pulled the dummy out of the corner. Getting into a fighting stance (y/n) started to throw hits at the training dummy, the lyrics blasting in his ears as images of Ghost and Soap being cuddled up in the common room flooded his mind. “I wish I knew you wanted me. I wish I knew. I wish I knew you wanted me. I wish I knew. I wish I knew you wanted me. What you, ooh, uh, what you do? Made a move, could've made a move. If I knew I'd be with you, is it too late to pursue?” As the song continued to play, (y/n) could feel tears fill his eyes while things started to piece together in his head. All the times that Ghost would show up late to training and seem more flustered and sloppy during sparring…him leaving the common room the moment Soap would show up and barely even wave at him. 

“I bite my tongue, it's a bad habit. Kinda mad that I didn't take a stab at it, thought you were too good for me, my dear. Never gave me time of day, my dear. It's okay, things happen for reasons that I think are sure, yeah.” The tears gathering in his eyes started to spill as he kept punching and kicking at the dummy, his movements sloppy and fueled by anger and sadness. Was Ghost leading him on, on purpose? Was it a mistake or did the lieutenant mean to play with (y/n)’s heart like that? 

“I wish I knew, I wish I knew you wanted me, I wish I knew, I wish I knew oh, I wish I knew you wanted me. I wish I knew, Yeah, I wish I knew you wanted me, oh. I wish I knew, I wish I knew you wanted me. Please say to me, please, just say to me. If you still want it I wish you wouldn't play with me, I wanna know, I wanna know.” His knuckles were surely bruised and splitting at this point but he couldn’t care less, only needing to get his anger out one way or another…(y/n) didn’t even know if it was anger at himself or anger at Ghost for leading him on.

“Can I bite your tongue like my bad habit? Would you mind if I tried to make a pass at it? No, you're not too good for me, my dear, funny you come back to me, my dear. It's okay, things happen for reasons that I can't ignore, yeah. I wish I knew, I wish I knew you wanted me. I wish I knew, wish I knew, I wish I knew you wanted me, oh.” Ghost stood in the doorway of the training room, hoping to come see (y/n) and train with him, but seeing the sergeant in such a distraught Ghost frowned behind his balaclava and left. He’d never seen (y/n) so…upset, so emotionally driven to go as far as hurting himself to relieve the anger. 

Miguel hate’s this mf and loves him at the same time

He has such conflicted feelings about him and it’s only cause he’s Lyla but on crack and can physically distract Miguel

(y/n) combined with Lyla is not only a nightmare for Miguel but also everyone else in the Spider Society

You thought (y/n) was bad at the start, nah nah nah, give him access to everything because of Lyla and he’s more than just a fucking menace

However, (y/n) doesn’t really bother anyone else, he quite literally only likes to bother Miguel

Now does Miguel know this? No, no he does not

Does he think that (y/n) annoys everyone in the Spider Society and he just happens to get bet bothered a lot more than others? Yes, that’s exactly what he thinks

(y/n) will legit just sit on top of Miguel’s shoulders while he’s looking through other universes and just play with his hair or poke his face

There have been many occasions where (y/n) has smacked Miguel’s ass and nearly gotten hunted through the entire Spider Society for it

Miguel cares for (y/n), he does…but god does the boy test his patience

(y/n) also asks a lot of random questions that Miguel doesn’t get a chance to process before the other man goes on rants about his opinions on them

 (y/n) was sitting on Miguel’s shoulders again and was hanging off of him like Miguel’s shoulders were the monkey bars at a playground. “Miguel, do you think that worms have feelings?” The taller man was completely absorbed in looking over the multiverse when (y/n) asked the question but quickly snapped back to reality. 

So everyone knows that Ghost is always covering himself head to toe, both on and off the field

Most people just assume it’s cause he prefers it or he likes to be ready for missions

They’re half right

The other fucking reason is both his boyfriends are mongrels

Soap has this unconscious desire to lick people he’s close to, and Simon and (y/n) are subjected to it

However, (y/n) is a biter, not like an affectionate nom or something

But has left many marks on Simon and Johnny because of it

He doesn’t bite hard enough to draw blood or break the skin, he’s careful of that, but still, any skin on his boyfriends and he just nom nom

Both of these combined have led Simon to keep himself almost entirely covered on and off the field

He might not wear the mask as much (the skull bit, he definitely still wears the balaclava) but it’s hard to find him without a long-sleeve shirt or hoodie, and full-length pants no matter how hot it is

Simon “Ghost” Riley

Y’all were just chilling in the common room together on the same couch

His arm wrapped around you, you leaning against him, doing your own things

When you just randomly throw out the “Hey Si, would you still love me if I was a worm?”

He is taken aback by it so much that he just sits there, phone in hand for a solid three minutes before looking at you

“Say that one more time”

“Would you still love me if I was a worm?” 

For the next few seconds, he actually processes the question and looks at you with the most confused but loving expression

“I love you, to the moon and back, I trust you with my life, and I would die for you…but I would not love you if you were a worm”

He severely miscalculates how much of an impact his answer will have on you

The next few hours are spent chasing you around the base as you ignore him because you’re upset

“Love please, I’m sorry, please stop being upset” “You said you wouldn’t love me if I was a worm, Simon!!”

“I didn’t think saying no would genuinely offend you!”

König

Precious angel, I love him with my whole heart, he can do no wrong

Same thing, chilling around the base, not exactly doing much but still sitting together

“Hey, König? Would you still love me if I was a worm?” Very similar reaction to Ghost at first, kind of confused and just sits there figuring out if you’re serious

“You uh, why would you be a worm?” He looks so genuinely confused at you, not even sure how that would happen

“No no, it’s theoretical, if I somehow turned into a worm, would you still love me?”

After another couple seconds he smiles behind his hood and nods his head, pulling you into a hug

“Of course I would mein Liebling, you’d be the cutest worm ever”

The next half hour, at least, is you two talking about how he would take care of you as a worm

Terrarium, premium garden soil from the hardware store, plenty of plants, he would spoil you as a human or a worm

Miguel pretends to hate it, like outwardly he genuinely looks so pissed

But secretly, he kind of likes it, he thinks it’s funny at the bare minimum

Has totally considered responding to them in non-serious ways

He would never admit to liking them though, utterly ashamed that he enjoys them at all

Imagine walking into his little platform office room and just going “hey mamas” to see him look away from his screens to give you the harshest glare he’s ever given, with the faintest blush on his cheeks

Like almost impossible to see faint, but if you look hard enough it’s there

His favorite would probably be Mamacita or Mami

He would totally tolerate the rest and barely tolerates Babygirl

“Hey, Mamas! How’s it going?” Walking into the room that he had essentially claimed as his office, (y/n) called out to him with a box of empanadas in hand as a peace offering. 

“What do you want (y/n)?” He didn’t even look away from the screens, Miguel knew he was just trying to flirt with him, and he didn’t want to show it was working at all. 

“I’ve got empanadas for you” swinging up to the floating platform to stand next to Miguel, (y/n) offers out the to-go box in his hand to the taller man with a smirk. Miguel looked over at it and his expression softened ever so slightly as he took the box.

“Que maravilla” Looking back to the screens he opened it and started to eat one of them.

“Anything for my favorite babygirl” Knowing he was treading on thin ice, (y/n) quickly gave Miguel one last smile before swinging off the platform and out of the room. Despite his hate for the nickname, Miguel couldn’t help but smile slightly to himself at the thought of it.

Walking into the room that has been dubbed Miguel’s office, by everyone but him, (y/n) saw him trying to ignore the barrage of questions from the three teens that normally bother him. Miles, Gwen, and Hobie were asking his boyfriend a bunch of questions that Miguel was obviously not thrilled about to be answering. Stopping behind the three teens, (y/n) crossed his arms over his chest with a slightly amused look on his face. No one in the Spider Society knew that he and Miguel were dating besides the two of him, and just maybe he had a way to save him from this barrage of questions. Putting a hand on Miles’ shoulder, (y/n) made him stop his question mid-sentence to look back at the slightly taller man.

“Wanna see something funny?” (y/n) pulled his mask off with the other hand and tucked it into the pocket of his jacket before walking over to Miguel and tapping him on the shoulder.

“What could you possibly- oh, hey, what do you need?” Miguel’s attitude softened at seeing his boyfriend, but not enough to make it obvious to the three teens in front of them that they were dating. (y/n) reached his hand up to rest it on Miguel’s shoulder and leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice just a bit and speaking a little huskily. “Hey” Giving Miguel a sweet smile and an even sweeter look with his eyes, (y/n) could hear the shock from the three teens and the three of them muttering quietly about how he had a death wish or how crazy (y/n) was for trying this. Miguel looked taken aback for a moment before looking away from (y/n), not quite sure how to respond to him without making it obvious to the other three that he was definitely enjoying it. Putting a hand over his face and turned away from all of them, his back facing the three teens and (y/n). 

“A-all of you ou-out of here” (y/n)’s soft smile quickly turned into a smug smirk as he turned back to Gwen, Miles, and Hobie and quickly ushered them out of his office, giggling slightly to himself as he did so. 

“How did that work? How did you get that to work??” Miles was utterly lost as he watched Miguel definitely turn into a flustered mess at one word, the one trick he couldn’t even do himself. 

“I’m just waking you up, can we try something new?” He asked, his curls tickling his lover's inner thigh as he smiled.

“Sure what is it?” He asked, rubbing his shoulder as he looked him over softly, gaze weak at being woken up, but still filled with the love for him. 

“I just have some ideas for a scene?” Eddie smiled, his own eyes hazy as he smiled fondly, “Mind if I try them out on you this morning?”

“Sure.” He nodded, leaning back and humming, letting him do as he pleased.

Eddie stretched, watching him as he slid off his shirt and moved over his lover, pressing hot kisses along his neck, “Gonna fuck you stupid, that okay?”

Y/N let out a low groan and nodded, shifting beneath him, “Mhm.”

Eddie chuckled, tugging back as he began to strip Y/N, humming fondly, “Safe word?” “Red.” he muttered back, lifting his hips to help him strip him as he looked him over, “What’re you planning Eddie.”

“Something fun.” He smirked as he leaned down, kissing along his thighs as he muttered, “You gonna be my good boy, let me corrupt you?” He asked, his teeth baring as he bit down into the flesh of his thigh.

He let out a small yelp, nodding quickly, “Y-Yes.”

Eddie purred at the sound, eager to hear more of it from him as he tugged him close by his thighs, teasing his cock at his entrance,”I want this whole fucking trailer park to hear your pretty moans for me okay?”

He nodded quickly, spreading his legs for him as he leaned back, enjoying the touch. He felt himself get filled, the same as before but this time Eddie shifted further, bottoming out, filling him in a vile way now. He glanced down, noticing that after only a few times together, he was ruining him. And it was really hot. 

“Holy fucking shit.” he scoffed, reaching down and dragging a lazy hand over his abdomen, feeling out Eddie. 

Eddie felt it too, his cock was reaching so far into his lover, he could see himself, he could watch his cock fill him out so much that he was forming a bump into his lover's flesh. Adequate hands drag across his hips, muttering slowly to the open air, “Shit Y/N.. you feel like heaven…” 

He shuddered at the praise per its intent to fluster him as he settled back, his cheeks flustered, “Eddie…” He leaned back, head against the pillow now as Eddie filled him over and over again, tracing the delicate pale scars against his lovers chest, boney fingers toying with the bumps as he muttered, “Gonna breed your stupid hole aren’t I? Is that what you want, big boy?” Y/N could only nod in response at the idea of it all, the scene suddenly reminding him of a conversation Eddie had with him a week or two ago. 

Eddie sat across the table, rocking a bit as he usually did, but this time it looked a little bit more panicked than anything else. Y/N notices, he seemed to read him very well given he’d just had Eddie making love to him the night before. He sat down, coffee mug in hand as he muttered, “What is it Eddie?” 

“I want to ask you something. You can say no, you can tell me to leave even, I just need to know if you’re comfortable with it.” He muttered, looking at his hazy, sleepy eyed lover, and realized that he loved him. 

Shit.

Oh Shit, he was in love with the guy he’d literally taken the virginity of 8 hours before hand. That wasn’t good. He sat back at the realization before remembering he was about to tell this guy one of the most embarrassing things he thinks he’s ever had the brain power of thinking about, but then again, his boyfriend understood hanky code. This couldn’t go that bad. So he spat it out, explained some of the things he was into, wanted to explore, and after that, after all that, Y/N spoke softly, understanding, even agreeing at some parts. Eddie settled, relaxed. This wasn’t high school, he wasn’t the freak anymore. He was Y/N’s and Y/N was his. He could accept that. So he nodded curtly, looking up at him, and agreeing, their comfort, their pleasure, was important to him, and vice versa. 

Y/N shook back into his thoughts, his head getting flicked up at he looked up a hungered looking Eddie who was fucking into him at an almost brutal pace, looking almost entertained at the image of him being stretched out by his cock. His voice filled Y/N’s head, shaking him a bit, “Stupid puppy can’t fit me can he?”

Y/N shuddered a bit, the term arising a dark idea into his head as he nodded weakly. Pathetic response he’ll admit, but fuck it all felt too good. He squeezed his eyes shut, pleasure gripping him tightly as he muttered out, “Please- can you touch me Ed’s?” 

Eddie chuckled, deep and heavy and something sinister as he muttered, “No, I’m not done with you, you gotta be a good boy okay? Gotta let me fill up your needy fucking hole first okay?”

Tears sprung into Y/N’s eyes, the painful need to be touched, given pleasure was all he needed, and he was being denied. Eddie knew that since starting T he was much more sensitive, and the orgasms alone were enough to fucking wreck for hours on end. He began to cry, his tears sliding down his cheeks as he sobbed a bit. 

Eddie noticed the sob and chuckled again, “Oh you pathetic little puppy, you can’t even take my cock can you?”

Y/N whined out again, and watched as Eddie grinned, beamed even and fucked into him more quickly, filling him out and pressing into every part of him until he was split at the seams for Eddie to pick through. And Eddie did. He finally hummed softly, muttering lowly as he slid a hand right where Y/N needed it, toying with him as he fucked into him quickly. He muttered lowly, growling as he continued to fuck into him, “Cum for me Y/N, be a good boy okay?” And with the white hot pleasure he’d craved, Y/N gripped down on Eddie and came, his eyes rolling back as fat hot tears spilled out of his eyes.

The weekend before the 4th of July Steve had come the closest to progress he had seen all summer. There was a girl who worked at the movie theatre on the first floor who had never directly shut him down. She laughed at his jokes and made some of her own, and she looked at him the way girls had before the disappearance of Will Byers. Before Steve got soft. She looked at him with intrigue.

She was nowhere near the prettiest girl he’d ever seen, in fact Robin was more his type, and she wasn’t exactly the sharpest tool in the shed and a little too dorky for him to take entirely serious. But was it so wrong of him to want to dip his toes back into the dating pool rather than dive in head first? Did he need his first pursuit to be for someone he was completely and utterly smitten with?

She was nowhere near the prettiest girl he’d ever seen, in fact Robin was more his type, and she wasn’t exactly the sharpest tool in the shed and a little too dorky for him to take entirely serious. But was it so wrong of him to want to dip his toes back into the dating pool rather than dive in head first? Did he need his first pursuit to be for someone he was completely and utterly smitten with?

Steve had a tendency to get carried away with things, and had recently been trying to take a step back from doing so.

She had mentioned being a fan of Kate Bush’s music and, if Steve were being completely honest, he’d only heard the name in passing from Max. Despite his determination to not get ahead of himself he decided to drop by the record store on the opposite side of the mall after work one day in hopes of having something in common with her to talk about when he eventually asked her to go to the 4th of July fair with him.

“Why don’t you just ask Max to borrow her album?” Robin called from the back while Steve changed out of his uniform in the attached bathroom. “It would save you some money.”

“Cause I don’t want her asking me why,” Steve replied, pulling his jeans and polo shirt from his backpack. “She’s nosy, and if I tell her I’m doing it for a girl she’ll make fun of me.”

“Oh boo-hoo Harrington’s gonna get teased by a middle schooler,” she replied, tone dripping with sarcasm.

Steve rolled his eyes despite the fact that she couldn’t see him do so. “Okay, well, she can be pretty brutal sometimes. Plus she listens to cassettes and I still like records better.”

He heard Robin snort from the other side of the door. “Okay dad.”

After changing his clothes and stuffing his uniform into his bag he opened the door and sent her a half hearted glare. “Geez, Robin, I’m trying to be nice here? Like the things that she likes.”

“Do you even like her?”

Steve faltered long enough for her to smirk and raise an eyebrow at him. “Look, she’s really nice. And she’s kinda funny, and we get along. Isn’t that enough?”

“I don’t know, Harrington. Is it enough for you?”

Instead of answering Steve flipped her off, to which she only laughed in reply. “Have fun closing by yourself Robin,” he called through the open window before ducking under the counter and heading out of the store.

The record store smelled vaguely of cigarettes, which he assumed was thanks to the people that worked there, and the same “old paper” smell that a bookstore would have in a way that wasn’t at all unpleasant. He browsed between the aisles of waist high shelves, keeping an eye out not only for Kate Bush as he did so but for something that he might like as well. He hadn’t bought a new record since Hatful of Hollow by the Smiths and he thought it was about time that he tried out some new music.

While browsing through Tears for Fears albums someone leaned into Steve’s peripheral vision. When he looked up he found a boy seemingly around his own age leaning over the records on the opposite side of the shelf that Steve stood on, arms folded across the divider at the top. His hands were decorated with rings and a chain necklace was around his neck and tucked into the neckline of his Metallica tshirt. Though his hair was tied up in a bun it was obviously long by the hairs that had escaped their confines and hung on either side of his face.

When Steve looked up and watched the boys pouty looking lips turn up in a smile he swore his heart stopped for a moment.

“What can I do for ya, big boy?” he asked, leaning his chin on his folded arms and gazing at Steve with brown eyes that could have easily belonged to a baby cow.

Steve felt heat rapidly crawl up his neck at the nickname and his eyes looked away and down at the records he had been sorting through on their own accord. “I, uh,” he cleared his throat when he found his voice came out slightly hoarse sounding. “I’m looking for Kate Bush.”

“Kate Bush?” he asked, his tone laced with equal parts surprise and suspicion, pushing himself upright once more. When he did so Steve was able to see his nametag.

Eddie.

Steve remembered him in an instant. He had always been a grade above Steve, until he had to repeat his senior year. But even then they hadn't had any classes together, and though his reputation had certainly preceded him Steve had only ever really been vaguely aware of him. In his junior year and the ones previous Steve didn’t really pay much mind to people outside of his own circle. But after the disappearance of Will Byers, and more specifically his face off with the Demogorgon, Steve didn’t care much for gossip about anyone. So when his classmates whispered about the latest news on Hawkins’ resident drug dealer Steve usually tuned them out.

He couldn’t even really remember ever interacting with Eddie before.

“You’re in the wrong section, man,” Eddie said before strolling to the end of the aisle, Steve following him from the opposite side. “But you’re not far off.”

Eddie brought him over to a shelf against the wall, tapping one of his ringed fingers against an album that Steve didn’t recognize. “I wouldn’t have pegged you as a Kate Bush kinda guy,” he noted, bumping his shoulder against Steve’s.

“I’m not,” Steve replied, grip on the strap of his backpack tightening as he felt Eddie’s gaze on him that he refused to meet. Anxiety had hastily taken a hold on his heart, squeezing and teasing him. “It’s, uh, it’s for a friend.”

“Oh well in that case you’re gonna want this,” Eddie said, plucking one of the records from the bunch and holding it out for Steve to see. He was careful not to brush against Eddie’s hand as he plucked the record from them, inspecting both the front and the back one in his grasp. “It just came out a little while ago. Not what I normally listen to but it was good. I’m surprised it’s not doing so well.”

Steve’s bottom lip stuck out in a slight frown as he read the names of the tracks. “It’s not popular?”

“More in the Uk than it is here, govnah,” Eddie replied in an overly dramatized cockney British accent. “So what’s the occasion?”

He looked up from the album but for a moment Steve’s reply got stuck in his throat when he realized the close proximity to him that Eddie stood and that his head was tilted up at him slightly. Personal space seemed to not be his thing. “Hm?” was all Steve answered with.

“You said it’s for a friend,” Eddie reminded him, nodding down at the record. “Is it their birthday or something?”

“Oh, uh… yeah,” Steve managed, brows coming together. “I don’t know her really well, but she mentioned she liked her music so, uh, I wanted to get her something.”

“So it’s not for a girlfriend then?” Eddie asked.

Steve cleared his throat that had suddenly felt dry. “No, no. She’s just… she’s just a friend.” In reality she was neither but, for a reason Steve couldn’t quite pick out, he had no interest in calling her his girlfriend to simplify things for Eddie. “I don’t know her super well. What did you think of the album? Do you think she’ll like it?”

Eddie hummed for a moment, looking over Steve’s shoulder to look at the listed songs on the cover and getting even more in his personal space in the process. “Like I said; it’s not really my thing. I’m more into metal music. But I still liked it. It’s a little experimental, I think. And, dude, if you’ve never listened to her before get ready. Her voice is insane.”

“Really?” Steve asked with more difficulty than he anticipated.

“Her range is crazy. I mean she can go so high. Everyone I’ve talked to about it likes Cloudbusting but I really like Waking the Witch. Maybe that’s case it’s more my speed.” Eddie straightened up again, raising an eyebrow at Steve. “What do you normally listen to? If not this.”

“The Smiths is more my thing,” Steve answered, watching Eddie’s face carefully for his reaction. When he instead spotted Eddie’s gaze flicker down for a moment he quickly turned away to busy himself with looking through the other albums they stood in front of. “Duran Duran, Tears for Fears, Eurythmics. That kind of stuff, I guess.”

“That’s respectable,” Eddie answered, turning around and leaning against the shelf next to him. Steve wondered briefly why he wasn’t helping anyone else before he realized that besides a slightly older man sat behind the counter too busy reading the paper to pay them much mind they were the only ones in the store. “But it’s not very adventurous.”

“I’m adventurous,” Steve replied, “Just not with music.”

“With what, then?”

“That’s classified information,” he answered sarcastically.

Eddie snorted, crossing his arms under his chest. “Geez, Harrington, if it’s private kinky stuff you can just say that. Don’t need to sound like you’re part of the CIA or something.”

Steve opened his mouth to sputter out a denial but wavered before he could. “I never introduced myself.”

“You don’t need to,” Eddie said, punching Steve’s bicep without any force whatsoever. “EVeryone in Hawkins knows who you are, man. That can’t be news to you.”

“No, not exactly,” Steve confirmed. “It’s just weird sometimes.”

“Aw, what? You don’t like being Hawkins royalty?”

“Actually no, I don’t.”

Eddie didn’t seem to expect much of a reply at all and, for the first time since he appeared, he didn’t have anything to say for a moment. He reached up and pushed some of the hair that had fallen loose from his bun behind his ears. As he did so Steve allowed himself to quickly inspect Eddie’s rings. “Yeah, well if you ever need a place to hide it’s not usually very busy here. Maybe we’d get more people if we sold cassettes. But, you know, gotta keep things the way they should be.” The last part of Eddie’s reply was in what Steve assumed was an impression of the manager behind the counter.

“Well usually I just hide in the back of Scoops if I need to,” Steve said with a short laugh.

Eddie mirrored the sound, and Steve thought that for someone who dressed the way that he did Eddie’s laugh was kind of dorky sounding. “No fucking way you work at Scoops.”

“For the past month and a half, last time I checked.”

Eddie laughed again and Steve decided that, yes, it was definitely dorky. But in a way he almost dared to describe as cute. “You in that god awful uniform is something I need to see.”

Steve sucked on his teeth. “Damn, too bad for you then that we have a strict dress code that you don’t fit. You won’t be allowed in. Sorry.”

For a moment Steve feared Eddie would think he was seriously trying to criticize him. But his smile persisted as he rolled his eyes. “You say that like I’m incapable of dressing ‘normal.’” He put air quotes around the word, rings clinking together as he did so. “I just chose not to.”

“Why do you?” Steve asked, then quickly added “Not that- not that it’s a bad thing! That’s not what I’m saying. Just curious is all.”

Eddie shrugged his shoulders, entirely unbothered by the question. “Cause I like it,” he replied. “Isn’t that reason enough?”

“I guess it is.” Truly Steve had never given the way Eddie dressed much thought. Well, he’d never paid much mind to Eddie in the first place. Their paths didn’t cross enough for it. But generally speaking Steve had never given much thought as to why people who dressed like Eddie did so. It never seemed important enough.

Though if Steve were going to give some thought to it he would think that he liked the way Eddie dressed. It was definitely not something he himself could pull off. But Eddie’s hair, that reached almost to his shoulders at that point, suited him as well as his rings. The Metallica shirt he wore was tight enough that it didn’t leave much about the shape of his torso up to the imagination. Steve struggled to imagine what Eddie would look like in jeans that weren’t ripped.

But again, he’d never given it much thought.

Steve cleared his throat that was still dry for no apparent reason. “Hey, thanks for showing me this.”

“It is quite literally my job, Harrington. I don’t hang out here for fun,” Eddie said, a shallow dimple poking into his cheek as he smiled. “You getting anything else?”

“No, I don’t think so.”

Eddie slid the record from his hands and pushed himself off the shelf, calling over his shoulder “Follow me, then, good sir,” as he made his way behind the counter that was now empty since the apparent manager had disappeared at some point. Steve felt almost glad for it. “So,” Eddie said slowly, trying and clearly failing to suppress his grin. “I really gotta dress up to be graced with access to your workplace?”

Steve held his hands up. “Listen, I don’t make the rules,” he insisted. “I just get paid to enforce them.”

Eddie hummed for a moment. “I’ll just have to decide if it’s worth the sacrifice, then.”

“Ouch, Munson,” Steve replied. “You know how to hurt a guy's feelings.”

“Damn really?” Eddie deadpanned, as he punched numbers into the cash register. “Guess I’ll just have to find a way to make it up to you then.”

“Guess you will.”

Eddie looked up at him only with his eyes, perpetually wide and doe-looking, and it was only then that Steve was hit with the slamming realization that he was flirting with Eddie.

Steve paid for his record and hurried out of the shop, all while suddenly not being able to look directly at Eddie and his puppy dog eyes anymore. Once the record store was out of sight it took all of Steve’s power not to run as he made his way through the mall in the direction he had come from . Anxiety continued to take hold of his heart at a more aggressive pace, squeezing and making the air struggle to pass through his lungs.

When Steve made it back to Scoops he walked past Robin, very clearly annoyed and asking “what are you doing back?” from where she sat perched on the counter thumbing through a book, and straight into the back room. He dropped both his backpack and newly acquired vinyl onto the table while Robin came in, faltering when she stepped into the room and closing the door behind her.

“You okay?” she asked slowly.

Steve raked his hands through his hair, tilting his head back to look up at the fluorescent lights above them. “Definitely not.”

“What happened?”

Eddie Munson happened.

For the next three weeks Steve experienced what Robin very bluntly called a “gay crisis.” He had resisted the idea entirely at first, getting way too defensive when Robin began making comparisons to the interaction he’d had with Eddie and the ones he used to have with Nancy right before they started dating and insisting that wasn’t what he was feeling. He had noticed was all. He didn’t feel anything. Though when Robin ended up coming out to him as a lesbian, and therefore well qualified to recognize a queer crush, he felt a little less argumentative.

Still Steve wasn’t convinced. At least at first. But when he caught himself in the following week finding excuses to be in the same area of the mall as the record store it became increasingly hard to ignore. When Steve found himself standing in the baby section of the Gap solely because it gave him a perfect view of Eddie while he was slumped back in a chair behind the counter and drawing on himself with a sharpie Steve had no choice but to acknowledge that Robin hadn’t been entirely wrong.

He took two more trips to the record store in the coming weeks, one of them to pick up something for his mother (which he may or may not have been too eager to offer to do). Eddie, to his absolute delight, was there both times. Conversation didn’t come quite as easy the second and third time around, with Steve being much too focused on choosing all the right words and making sure the tone he spoke with was as controlled as possible, but Eddie didn’t seem to notice. He still smiled at Steve in the same way that made a dimple cave into his cheek and spoke to him in a way that made Steve wonder what exactly he was trying to say.

Steve wasn’t ready to try and assign himself to a new sexuality. Not in the slightest. But he was ready to admit that there was an undeniable allure he felt around Eddie. And although watching a girl with a lip piercing try to flirt with Eddie on Steve’s third visit to the store did make him feel a bit like he might suffocate it did make him feel a little less intimidated by his at that point undeniable attraction to Eddie. Even though he and the unnamed girl would not face the same consequences for hitting on Eddie. The fact that Eddie didn’t seem particularly interested, hardly looking away from the shelf he was stocking as she spoke to him, was a small consolation prize.

Steve had ended up putting his pursuit of the girl that was the catalyst for his first visit to the record store on what would be a permanent hiatus. The date and possible follow up ones Steve had planned on having were instead spent alone in his bedroom listening to the Kate Bush album. Though Hounds of Love was Steve’s favorite song on it he understood in an instant why Waking the Witch was Eddie’s. It was far from Steve’s usual taste but every time the song came on he couldn’t help but think about Eddie’s dorky sounding laugh so it quickly became one of his preferred tracks.

Normally Max and Eleven showing up to waste some time in the shop would have given him pause, still aware of the reason for her very strict curfew (which was a little less strict while Hopper was pulling a double shift) but after a weeks long increase in his stress triggered by his first trip to the record store he found he couldn’t turn them away. And so he promised Robin to do both the sweeping and the mopping at closing if she would man the register all on her own while he sat with the two girls in the back for a little while.

They gave him a very dramatic and animated retelling of Eleven’s breakup with Mike from three days earlier while they all ate directly out of the tub of strawberry ice cream he had put on the table. “Woah, whoah, woah, what did Sinclair say?!” he asked, stopping the story short towards the end.

The two girls shared a look, Max rolling her eyes while Eleven only grinned. “Girls act with emotion, not logic.”

Steve shook his head, using his spoon to point at them. “You guys know that’s bull, right? It’s just that misogynistic crap Nancy always talks about. It’s real, you know.”

Eleven glanced at Max. “What is misogynistic?”

“Basically when men think they’re better than women,” Max explained.

“Nancy talked about something like that once,” Steve said. “That thinking with logic or emotion; one isn’t really better than the other. But when you say it like that, when you think that one is worse and then tell someone that’s what they’re doing, that’s nasty. You know what I mean?”

“Yes,” Eleven answered, struggling to get another scoop as they got closer and closer to the frozen core. “But why do men think they’re better?”

Steve scoffed. “Kid that goes back to, like, the beginning of time.”

“But boys are so stupid. Why do they think they’re better?”

“I genuinely don’t know.”

Max began telling the saga of breakup stories she had ever since the start of her relationship with Lucas dating back to December when the frosted window separating the back room from the counter flew open. Robin stuck her head in, lips turned up into a smirk as she did so. “Metal head at twelve o’clock.”

Steve scrambled out of his seat, nearly stumbling on the way, to poke his head out next to Robin in the open window. Sure enough when he looked out it didn’t take him long to spot Eddie. He was only a storefront or two away, fussing with a walkman that he seemed very annoyed with. His hair was tied up with loose waves framing his face, which Steve had decided was the best way Eddie could wear it, and Steve nearly fainted at the sight that the sleeves and hemline of his shirt had been cut off. A small stripe of skin between his shrit and his jeans was exposed and was sure to be the catalyst of Steve’s premature heart attack.

He turned back to the girls, taking his hat off and throwing it at Max who caught it easily and pointing at them. “Stay here,” he said as he made for the door. “Mind your business.”

“You know we can’t do that,” Max replied with a snort.

“Mind your business or I call Hopper and tell him you're out.”

When the girls let out what sounded to him like a sigh of defeat he slipped out the door and behind the counter. There were only two other customers in the store that Steve took the liberty of ringing up while Robin scooped their ice cream, thankful to have something to go to keep his hands busy while he waited to be (mostly) alone with Eddie. It was near painful the effort it took not to look at him as Steve helped the two people in line ahead of him.

Though Steve did dare to let his gaze land on Eddie when the last customer turned to walk away, spotting a dimple-causing smirk on his face. Robin became all too focused on wiping down surfaces and implements as he approached, holding his hands up in mock surrender. “Okay, this is totally worth getting kicked out for not fitting the dress code,” he said, coming close enough that his somewhat exposed stomach was pressed against the other side of the counter. “That uniform is completely ridiculous.”

Steve looked down at himself, lips turning down into the frown. “Some people think it’s cute,” he said matter-of-factly.

“I didn’t say it wasn’t.”

“You said it was ridiculous.”

“It can be both at the same time,” Eddie replied. “Like when you put clothes on a dog for the first time and it doesn’t know how to walk anymore. It’s cute, but it’s stupid as hell.”

Steve put his hand on his heart and leaned his shoulder on the same side back. “You walked all the way from the other side of the mall to insult me? That’s so mean.”

“No, I came all the way from the other side of the mall to bother you,” he explained, moving to lean both his forearms onto the counter, giving Steve a very clear view of the tattoos that were visible. “I’m having car troubles so I’ve been getting rides with a friend who works at the comic store downstairs. But he doesn’t get off for another hour and a half so,” he spread his hands palm up, “here I am.”

“Interesting that you didn’t wait for him at his store,” Steve pointed out.

Eddie rolled his eyes. “Yeah, well I tried. The manager started taking her break and she made me leave. Don’t think you were my first choice, Harrington.”

“Okay now you’re trying to hurt my feelings.”

His dimple dipped into his cheek as Eddie’s lips turned up into a smirk once more. “Big boy you couldn’t handle it if I tried to hurt your feelings.”

Steve was sure his heart had stopped beating and his stomach plummeted down into the floor simultaneously. He was only vaguely aware of Robin, who thankfully had her back turned to Eddie, quickly covering her mouth with her hand to stifle a giggle. After his last visit to the record store Steve had been certain that Eddie was flirting with him. Whether he meant to or not was the only mystery. But as Eddie’s gaze flickered up and down what of Steve was visible from the opposite side of the counter during his momentary inability to speak he was faced with the near certain truth that Eddie knew exactly what he was doing.

Steve felt nothing short of what Robin decided as gay panic.

Eddie straightened up slightly, brows rising with surprise and disappearing under his bangs. “Unless you want me to leave.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“So do I get the privilege of getting to hang out behind the counter with you guys?” Eddie asked, placing his hands palm down on the granite. “Or is there a strict ‘no wearing black beyond this point rule?”

Steve opened his mouth to reply with an offer to get a chair from the back when Robin beat him to the punch, appearing by his side with a grin that was a little too cheeky. “Actually you guys can hang out in the back until it’s time to start closing. No one really comes in from now until then, really.”

That wasn’t true. The second to last movie playing in the theatre, and the last one that would be played before the rest of the mall closed down, was set to let out in twenty minutes and there would undoubtedly be a rush. It would be short but it would be busy.

But Eddie was none the wiser, ducking under the flip top instead of pulling it up while Steve sent a quick glare Robin’s way when he wasn’t looking. Steve was quick to lead the way into the back room where Max and Eleven still will. They looked up from the barrel of ice cream curiously when he walked in with someone he doubted they recognized. “Out,” he said simply, walking over to the table and plucking the spoons from both their hands.

“What the hell Steve?” Max asked.

“Don’t you have friends your own age?”

“Do you?”

Steve felt his face go red and turned away much longer than was necessary to put their spoons in the sink. “Yeah, well, either way I’m not the one with the curfew. Which, last time I checked, was two hours ago.”

The two of them exchanged a look and a short giggle before reluctantly gathering their things. Eleven hesitated for a moment before following Max out of the room. “Will you tell him?”

“I won’t if you guys go straight home,” Steve answered, earning a wide smile from her in return before she ducked out the door.

Eddie took his time making his way over to the table in the center of the room, peering down into the tub of ice cream they had been working on before his arrival. “She your sister or something?”

“Hm? Oh no, no, she’s…” She has telekinetic powers and is hiding from the government and when her dad can’t come home I make her dinner. “I used to babysit her. She’s old enough now that we just kind of hang out.”

“Cute,” Eddie said simply, sitting in the chair Max had previously occupied, taking the headphones from his walkman off of around his neck and placing both on the table all while Steve put the tub of ice cream back in the fridge where it was supposed to remain untouched until it went out to the counter. “So is it just you and Robin here?”

“Yeah, usually,” Steve answered, taking the seat he had been in before, which was now next to Eddie. “Do you know Robin?”

“Vaguely,” he replied. “We had gym together last year.”

“She never mentioned that,” he said, planning on interrogating Robin as to why she didn’t offer up such information in the weeks he had spent pining and complaining about pining for Eddie.

“Yeah, well, I hardly ever showed up so she probably forgot I was in the class with her,” Eddie replied. He leaned back in his seat, making the two front legs of the chair come off the ground, and let his ringed hands fall into his lap. “Why? Were you guys talking about me?”

Steve’s throat went dry, which happened a lot when he was around Eddie. “What?”

“You said she never mentioned me,” Eddie explained, the smirk that Steve both loved and loathed returning. “Does that mean she would have had a good opportunity to mention me? Like if you guys were talking about me?”

His face that had only gone back to its normal temperature for a few minutes felt hot once again and he prayed that it didn’t show in his complexion. “Watch it Munson, your ego is showing.”

Eddie held his hands up while letting out a laugh that made Steve’s stomach do a summersault. “Your phrasing left lots up to the imagination, Harrington. I’m just trying to fill in the blanks.”

“Nah, seems more like wishful thinking to me.”

Eddie rolled his eyes. “Yeah, cause I’ve got nothing better to daydream about than Robin Buckley and Steve Harrington talking about me behind my back.”

“See now your phrasing makes it seem like we’d be talking shit about you,” Steve pointed out. “Maybe we were saying nice things about you.”

“Oh yeah?” Eddie asked, one of his eyebrows rising and disappearing under his bangs. “And what would those nice things be?”

Steve immediately realized he should have kept his mouth shut, taking a hand through his hair before resting his head on his propped up arm. “That was rhetorical.”

“Right,” Eddie said sarcastically. He let his chair fall flat on the tile floor once more, folding his arms on the table and leaning over them, teetering on invading Steve’s personal space once more. Honestly it was surprising it has taken him so long to do so. “You haven’t been telling Buckley I’ve been flirting with you. I definitely believe that. That’s totally not why she acted like the fucking mayor or something was here when she saw me coming.” Eddie let out a laugh, shorter this time and, dare Steve describe it as, uncertain. “If she moves like how she hauled ass to tell you I was here in gym last year maybe she wouldn’t have almost failed the class.”

At some point while Eddie spoke Steve’s brain began working at half the speed it normally did. Eddie’s words processed in his mind slowly, taking their time to marinate thoroughly before being consumed into his consciousness, all while Eddie’s puppy dog eyes surveyed Steve carefully for his reaction. Steve ran his hands through his hair before propping his chin on them. “Wait, so- yeah. You were flirting with me. Definitely?”

Eddie’s naturally pouty lips turned up in a smile while he turned his gaze down to the rings on his hands. “Yes, Steve. I was flirting with you. I still am. I didn’t, uh…” His voice trailed off and as he took a moment to gather his thoughts Eddie took his bottom lip between his teeth and spun the ring on his thumb. “I just didn’t expect you to flirt back. I mean, that is what you’re doing right?”

Logically there was nothing to be embarrassed about yet his face immediately ignited. He leaked his face further into his hand, hoping to cover at least one of his undoubtedly red cheeks. “Yes.”

“And, um…” Eddie’s voice sounded much different when he was seemingly nervous or unsure of himself than it did in Steve’s visits to the record store. Or how he had sounded when he arrived at Scoops. It was only then, when Eddie began nervously shaking his leg up and down and causing the chain hanging off of his belt to clink repeatedly on the metal leg chair that Steve realized at some point they had progressively begun to inch closer. Eddie’s leg brushed up against his own every few seconds and their elbows were just barely touching. “Is that just for fun? Or to, like, fuck with me?”

“It’s not to fuck with you,” Steve said immedetly, his hands falling onto the table and landing close beside Eddie’s. “Not at all.”

“So then… it’s just for fun?”

“No.”

Eddie looked up at him once more, large and unblinking eyes flickering across Steve’s face until they landed on his lips. Steve only had a moment to realize it before Eddie moved, closing the distance between them in the blink of an eye. Eddie’s hands lifted up to hold either side of Steve’s face, the metal of his rings cool against Steve’s warm skin while Eddie crashed their lips together. For a slightly terrifying moment Steve froze up completely, his heart ceasing from pumping and his blood stopping its rush. But just as soon as it had come it not only passed but resumed with a fever.

Steve was sure sparks were coming off of him from where Eddie’s hands were on his face and their knees pressed together. Everything he’d been avoiding thinking about, everything he pathetically underplayed both to Robin and his own inner monologue, was propelled to the front of his mind with a clarity not unlike the first time he had put contact lenses in. Steve had previously been trying to undermine that what had happened to him since the first time he met Eddie was not much more than attraction caused by confusion and perhaps a little bit of desperation.

It was a gross understatement and Steve knew it in an instant when he felt himself practically melting into Eddie’s hands. He hadn’t felt the same amount of draw, same struggle to not be pulled into someone's gravitational pull, since senior year when his paths first crossed with Nancy Wheeler. And once he realized the gravitational pull was dragging him in he had no other choice but to let it consume him.

What Eddie has triggered in him wasn’t surface level and objective attraction that led to diconcernment. It was his heart opening up and allowing someone new to be the one it longed for for the first time since Nancy. It had its sights set on a slightly obnoxious metal head with the biggest eyes and nicest smile Steve had ever seen.

Steve wrapped his hands around Eddie’s wrists and began moving his lips against his, earning what sounded like a content sigh in response. Eddie tasted like the bitter smoke of cigarettes and the sweetness of soda, and though it wasn’t a combination Steve would have anticipated enjoying had he previously considered it they were a marvelous combination when belonging to Eddie’s lips.

They both moved to sit on the edge of their seats, Eddie doing so first and Steve quick to follow him, legs somewhat tangled together as they got used to the movements of each other's lips. Eddie’s hands slowly inched upwards until his fingertips were lost in Steve’s hair and holding securely but not harshly making Steve’s stomach do backflips.

Steve still had no idea what to make of his sexuality and if/how it had changed since meeting Eddie Munson but by now, slipping his tongue past Eddie’s lips in the back room of Scoops, he was certain that what he felt for Eddie was no different for the feelings he’d had for Nancy in the beginning. The anxious anticipation of the next time Steve would get to see him, how a simple glance or smile made Steve a blushing mess, how despite the fact that they’d had little interaction Eddie consumed a concerning amount of Steve’s thoughts.

The movement of Eddie’s lips was small and gentle at first, perhaps anticipating rejection that Steve had no plans of giving him, but the longer they were connected the more Eddie kissed him with what seemed like a need that rivaled what Steve had been feeling for the past three weeks. Steve felt his breathing become progressively shaky and found that as they continued the urge to pounce on Eddie like some kind of animal became increasingly difficult to suppress.

Steve thought that he could have kissed Eddie for hours, but when Eddie pulled away just enough to separate their lips to take in a few panting breaths Steve realized just how badly he had needed to do the same. Eddie’s hands slid to the back of Steve’s neck, his hands still grasping Eddie’s wrists, and hesitated before moving far enough away that they could look at each other. Which, in Steve’s opinion, was much too far.

Eddie looked at him with eyes that made Steve’s heart dissolve into a lovesick puddle. They moved down momentarily before meeting his gaze once more. “You’re smiling,” Eddie observed out loud. “So I’m guessing you’re not exactly pissed that I just did that?”

It was only then that Steve managed to let go of what had been his grounding grip on Eddie’s wrists, reaching over and wrapping one of the curls that had fallen loose from the knot Eddie had tied his hair in around his finger. Steve swore he saw pink dust across Eddie’s cheeks. “You could say that,” he replied, his knuckle grazing Eddie’s jawline. “You have, like, the most beautiful eyes ever.”

Eddie laughed and Steve relished in the sound. “Do I?”

“Yeah, you do,” he answered without hesitation. “I forget how to think a little when you look at me.”

Eddie hummed quietly and leaned his face into his hand. “Say more nice things, Steve.”

It was his first time hearing his first name in Eddie’s voice and Steve decided that the way Eddie said it was his favorite. That combined with the way he let his eyes flutter shut for a moment when Steve rubbed his thumb against his temple; how was Steve ever expected to deny Eddie of anything he asked for? “Robin and I do talk about you,” he said. “About this stupid, pathetic crush I have on you.”

“You have a crush on me? That’s the cutest shit I’ve ever fucking heard.” Eddie reached up to pinch his cheeks and Steve only half heartedly tried to turn his head away. He quickly gave up and held Steve by the chin, moving his face to look at him once more. “There’s nothing wrong with my car. I just didn’t know what else to say to get you to let me stay for a while.”

“Well now who's being cute? Coming up with an excuse just to come see me.”

Eddie snorted and rolled his eyes. “Yeah says you, you’re our most regular customer right now.”