“Yeah, I mean, there’s a reason I came all the way out to nowhere, Indiana from West Virginia when my aunt Pat and uncle Jimmy lived a town over. Wayne… he’s uh… he’s like us.” Eddie leaned back against the wall, pillow propping him up.
“He is?” Steve perked up from the bed beside him.
“Mhm. That’s how I knew it’d be safe here. All the things my dad had said over the years about him. I knew he’d understand. Took a bus all the way here with a shiner and a split lip. Looked all shades of purple by the time I landed on his doorstep, but he took me in without question. I think he just knew.” Eddie smiled fondly at the memory.
“I’m glad you had him. Someone safe to be… you.” Steve looked up at him, taking in the soft glow of his face in the dim light.
“I wish you’d had that. I know the fancy wallpaper and family portraits make everyone think you had it so good, but I remember how alone you feel.” Eddie’s palm came down to rest on Steve’s cheek, his eyes turning a little somber.
Steve shook his head. “I had my own escapes. The Hagan’s- I know, Tommy’s a piece of shit, but there was a time where him and his family were a lifeline for me.”
“That’s good. Sorry he grew up so shitty.”
“Me too.” Steve settled back against the mattress. He looked up at the ceiling and chewed his lip. “So, has Wayne ever… had anyone around?”
Eddie scrunched his nose. “Gross.”
Steve huffed dramatically, shoving Eddie’s shoulder. “That’s not what I mean- I just, ugh. You know- did he ever find someone else? Like us.”
Eddie hummed, nodding. “Yeah, yeah I know what you mean. It’s just. It’s complicated.”
“Usually is.” Steve took Eddie’s hand in his, turning it over and tracing the scars that trailed up his arm.
“No… this was different. They were… happy. They were. I even knew him. He was around when he could be. We’d have dinner together sometimes, in our own way. Was like that for years. Longer than I’d even been around here. That’s why it’s just… it didn’t make sense.” Eddie frowned, his fingers curling around Steve’s tighter.
“Bad breakup?” Steve noticed Eddie’s face shift, expression tightening. He bumped their shoulders, trying to offer some comfort.
Eddie shook his head, jaw clenched tight. He swallowed, looking away.
Steve rubbed his thumb against Eddie’s hand, pulling him in closer. “Eddie, what happened?”
“He uh… he died. Suddenly. He… killed himself.” Eddie voice was strained.
Steve’s heart sank in his chest down to his gut. “Oh my god. Eddie, I’m so sorry.”
Eddie was already shaking his head, but his hand trembled along with the motion. “Yeah, no it’s fine. It was a few years back now. I just remember the shock of it, and then Wayne being so quiet. He’s already a quiet guy, so this was… deafening. We went to the funeral, but it was weird. He was this big part of our lives, but people didn’t even know. No one called Wayne when it happened. Saw it on the news like everyone else. Can you imagine?”
Steve remembered sitting in the hospital waiting room, not knowing if Eddie had pulled through. The dried blood covered his hands and clothes from when he carried him out of that hell, limp and unconscious. “No.”
“Right, it was so… It felt like being locked out, ya know? Everything’s happening, but you’re being left out. It was so hard on Wayne. Especially cause we didn’t know why. It was out of nowhere. I meant, shit, Benny was not the type. He faced everything head on. He was just that kinda of-”
“Wait, Benny?” Steve tensed. He knew that name. He knew that case.
Eddie cringed. Even dead, outing someone held a certain weight. “Oh shit. I mean, yeah. Benny. He owned the burger place? It’s gone to hell now but-”
“Benny didn’t kill himself.” Steve interrupted.
Steve fully sat up, facing Eddie. His boyfriend looked so lost, eyes searching his own. It made Steve’s stomach twist. “Benny, he… fuck, I’m so sorry, Eddie. Dustin told me about this a while back. I guess El went in there right when she broke out of the lab. I don’t know all the details, but Benny was nice to her. He gave her some food and tried to help. He called CPS or something and the fucking lab pieces of shit showed up. They killed him and covered it up. I’m sorry, is this worse? It’s all so fucked up, and I just… shit, you and Wayne… I had no idea you even knew him.”
Eddie looked down at his lap, fingers still laced with Steve’s. “Huh…”
“Are you okay?” Steve asked quietly.
“Yeah… I’m. I’m alright. I guess… I mean, it’s awful. He was a great guy. He meant a lot to me and to Wayne, obviously. I’ve spent so much time wondering why… I know Wayne has too. It’s… I don’t want to say I’m relieved because that’s sure as shit not it, but the way things went down… never sat right, ya know? Like I said, it just wasn’t like him.” Eddie looked up at the ceiling, eyes wet.
“I’m sorry to just dump that on you.” Steve chewed his lip more, feeling the sharp bite of pain.
Eddie shook his head quickly. “No, don’t worry about that. Never a good time to share that kinda news.”
“Are you gonna tell Wayne?”
“Yeah. I think he deserves the peace of it. It won’t take away the grief, but it will stop the questions. He can finally stop wondering what he missed back then, and Benny can finally get some peace in our memories of him. It’s… it’s nice to know he’s the guy I knew him to be.” He smiled, eyes shining.
Steve nodded, wrapping his arms around Eddie’s waist. “This fucking town…”
“Gave me you, so don’t be disparaging it too much.” Eddie hugged him tightly, burying his face into Steve’s chest.
“Yeah, I guess it did something right.”
