graysmiles

Steve ran a hand through his hair, honestly stumped. This wasn't going anywhere close to how he'd thought it would, and the entire flaw in the plan was the guy right in front of him. He - the fact of it was, Steve hadn't been expecting anyone even close to so hot, and it was really screwing with his ability to form complete sentences, let alone think around corners.

"Your Craigslist ad said - "

"Yeah, the ad," Eddie waved that away. "There's only so much information your response gave me, big boy. Sure, you want Thanksgiving ruined, but what's my backstory?"

"I don't -"

Eddie vaulted to his feet, way too much energy for the peaceful clearing they'd met up in, almost tipping himself backwards over the picnic bench... and then doing it, sprawling out over the table like a swooning maiden, the back of his hand pressed to his forehead.

"Am I a pining ex serenading you under your bedroom window?" He sat up, an abrupt movement that left him hunched and glaring. "A bitter rival accusing you of stealing my man?"

Steve took a couple of steps backwards as Eddie flung himself off the picnic table and darted in close, looking up at him under his lashes with an air of tragedy.

"Are you cheating on me, baby?"

"I wouldn't," Steve said, and quite without intending to he reached up and cupped Eddie's cheek, brushing the crest of it with his thumb before feeling bright colour wash across his own, up to the bright tips of his ears.

"Oh," Eddie breathed, his eyes flicking between Steve's, "you're just a sweetheart, aren't you?" His long fingers cupped Steve's elbows, then slid down to encircle his wrists, the brush of his warm skin like tingling static against Steve's.

"I just want my parents to believe me," Steve said, his blush renewing at the plaintive note in his voice, the idiot simplicity of what he couldn't do for himself.

"Oh, baby," Eddie said, his voice settling warm like syrup in Steve's gut, "I will be the most convincing boyfriend you could ever wish for." He grinned, wide and a little manic, and Steve couldn't help how the echo took up residence on his face.

"And what's more convincing," Eddie said thoughtfully, carefully weaving their fingers together and pulling Steve a little closer, "than days - nay, weeks! - of dating?"

"Weeks?" Steve asked, laughter warm in his voice.

"Months?" Eddie asked, and then - slow, and sweet, and with all the time in the world where Steve chose not to pull away - gently brushed their lips together.

"I'm in trouble with you, huh?" Steve asked, and got another of those sweet, manic grins.

Steve and Eddie weren’t together before Spring Break of ‘86. Yeah, they fucked once at a party Steve’s senior year, but Steve got blackout drunk later that night and only vaguely remembers it.

It didn’t mean anything then.

Steve didn’t think about it.

Eddie maybe thought of it too much. Of the way Steve’s thighs hugged Eddie’s waist. How wet he got as Eddie thrust inside him, popping a knot way too fast and coming harder than he thought was possible.

He thought most about how Steve begged for kisses the whole time. That same greedy affection that lived inside Eddie’s own chest. That’s what he imagined while jerking it in bed for the next year: Kissing Steve Harrington and scenting at his neck. Holding Steve’s hand around his cock, thrusting into their joined fists until his spilled.

Then the world turns upside-down and he’s running for his life, trapped, desperate, afraid. He’s ready to fight, only to be hit with the scent of sweet summer peaches.

He gets hard, pressed up against Steve in Rick’s boathouse. And Steve whispers, “It’s okay,” in his ear.

When he’s alone that week, everything moves at a snail’s pace. But it hurtles forward when he’s with Steve: too much, too fast, too tempting.

He can’t help mentioning their ill-fated hook up as they walk together through that nightmare place. Steve just smiles at him and holds his hand.

There isn’t a lot of time, but they carve a little for themselves, Steve whispering, “Might as well take what we can before it’s too late.” The words sit heavy beneath Eddie’s heart, but he will not deny himself this. The heat and wet and softness. The wonder of having Steve again.

Of one more time.

Their plan seems to be working, at least for a while. He should have expected as much coming from Nancy Wheeler.

It still goes to shit. But if there’s one thing Eddie can do, it’s keep Dustin safe. The last thing he remembers is Dustin’s face, along with blood and pain.

And darkness.

Then it recedes. No pain. No blood. Still dark, but more a dim light.

He’s different now. Stronger. Faster.

Winged.

And he hears a deep voice in his head, one that orders him to find the child and bring it back. A child he sees in his head, but doesn’t know.

A door opens, and he goes.

Following orders because he has nothing else. At least until he breathes fresh, cool air. Until he smells sweet summer peaches, following his nose instead and climbing through a window.

Through Steve’s window.

The omega is curled up under his blanket, and he smells so sweet. Sweeter than usual. Like sweet cream has drenched his peaches.

Steve shifts, showing the swell of his belly as he rolls over.

Eddie doesn’t know how long it’s been since the plan and the bats and the darkness, not really.

But he knows that this smells like home.

Like family.

The voice in his head says to stop wasting time, but no time here is wasted. All time spent near his omega is good. Fruitful.

He will not leave.

Eddie perches on Steve’s desk, wings folded tightly to his back, trying to look small, unobtrusive as he watches Steve sleep.

The voice does not understand. Eddie ignores it.

before the alpha can ask what steve is even doing there, steve whispers out frantically, “please don’t tell anyone that i’m not really your omega. i promise that i never meant to lie”

eddie’s intrigued. enough to hear an explanation before he reacts anyway

apparently steve made up a whole story about him and eddie secretly courting. he’d gotten lost while trying to visit a friend a few weeks back and ended up in eddie’s room with wayne. steve felt bad when wayne said eddie never got any visitors and he spit out a lie without thinking

it was an attempt to comfort an old man

but then it turned into steve getting a family and them bonding over eddie and nobody really thought he’d wake up

steve kind of figured that if eddie wasn’t going to come out of the coma, there was no harm in his ruse and making wayne feel better

but now steve’s staring him down with desperation in his eyes and they only have a second until wayne returns from the vending machine to make a choice

eddie sighs

“yeah, alright pretty boy. i’m not gonna rat you out… but if we’re going to court, it’s gotta be convincing”

steve’s instantly relieved to hear eddie’s going to cooperate

he figures they can go on a few dates for wayne’s sake and then breakup amicably. nobody gets hurt and they can go back to their normal lives again

…except that eddie’s entirely planning on keeping this omega as his mate forever and ensuring that he’s good and pupped by spring

Sleepy Ilya

Steve is the innocent-just-brought-home-puppy boyfriend who falls asleep on Eddie's arm and Eddie would rather saw it off his body or wither to dust in death on the couch before moving him. Because look. Look at him he's so relaxed and he trusts me and he's happy and he's resting 🥹

Like Eddie is brandishing his switchblade at the door the millisecond Dustin and Co burst in If you make one sound so help me youll all be NPCs by dawn (cue the whole party whispering and communicating solely through vigorous hand gestures for hours, on the best behavior theyve ever shown while Steve sleeps like 😇😴 and Eddie's arm gets nerve damage)

Or like Eddie always dead stops in the middle of a riff and puts his guitar down the second Steve walks in, overjoyed to see him, even when he's practicing with the band, and Gareth is lowkey relieved because practice with Eddie is merciless, and Steve is all bemused because Eddie is kneeling before him kissing his wrist, murmuring in Elvish (he's only been gone 25 minutes) and then biting his up his arm, standing unevenly when Steve laughs and hauls him up with a strong grip, and Eddie locks his hands on Steve's ass & Steve almost drops the groceries.

Steve holds up a red crinkly bag, a failsafe to keep sticky hands at bay in public.

OOOOH Twizzlers! Eddie has short attention span & loves sugar. Steve chomps contently on one himself in the kitchen putting away the supplies he got while the band shreds the garage to pieces.

Only to fall head over heels, in love at first sight with the salesman that helps him, Steve. The man is stunning, absolutely model material, dressed in a sunshine yellow sweater over a white button down with pearls wrapped around his neck and wrist.

they love each other but at what cost?? they both fight and bleed and hurt just to be with each other and loose everything else in the process.

until they look at each other and wonder “was it even worth it?”

and it was but it doesn’t make it less painful