Winter

“I’m just saying,” He shrugs. “If the thing that doesn’t get you re-elected is me having some fun with my friends than you must not be good at your job.”

“You committed treason.”

“Actually, I saved the world. Maybe mention that when your opponent calls me a loser in a debate instead of agreeing with them.”

“You were also caught hotboxing in a van with a man that was accused of multiple murders.”

He’s kinda hoping that he’ll wake up a lip reading expert one day but it hasn’t happened yet, but it’s fine.

Most of his friends talk at him instead of with him, so it’s okay if he misses some of the finer details. He doesn’t think he’s missing much until -

“Dating?” He asks. “You’re dating someone? Who?”

Eddie pauses and looks at him. His mouth moves to say, “You.”

“Me?”

“I asked you out a month ago,” Eddie says. “You said ‘sounds great.’”

“Oh,” Steve says, realization dawning slowly. “Yeahh, that’s what I say when I can’t figure out what you said.”

Eddie gives him a look like he’s bugging out, “What do you mean? I said it to your face.”

“Well, yeah,” Steve nods. “Lip-reading isn’t like, a science. It’s hard sometimes.”

“Why are you reading my lips?!”

“Because I’m deaf!”

“You’re deaf???” Eddie asks. He looks exasperated. “Since when.”

“Since before I had a boyfriend,” Steve replies, nudging him. “Sorry. I didn’t really tell anyone about it. I still have a boyfriend, right?”

“Yeah. Of course,” Eddie says and then curls his hand into a mimic of a telephone. He holds it to his ear before bringing his hands together into a gesture of a bird.

Steve frowns, “Don’t call Robin.”

Steve: “uh, no, don’t blame being gay for your lack of action. You’ve never been kissed because you both don’t have any type of game.”

Eddie: “it’s not like there’s a wealth of people we can kiss here steve. It’s Hawkins.”

Steve: ive made out with like three different guys in this town since last summer.

Robin and Eddie: “you. What.”

Let him have care and love, consistency and companionship.

Let him have it all.

“having a great time doing congress shit! wish u were here!”

fast forward to one hour later