He wasn't expecting anything else but still.
His expectations and his hopes weren't aligned. That's on him. And a little on Steve, for being so kind, and good, and sweet and- and all the things Eddie's secretly wanted but never dared trying to find.
He doesn't know Steve beyond last night and they did not spend it talking. So, maybe being sweet and attentive is just his go to move to getting laid. It's not the usual vibe given off in the bar by the kind of guys willing to slum it with Eddie for a night, but fuck if it didn't work.
Eddie allows himself to wallow in his bed for about half an hour before getting up. He's got to do his laundry today, and he can't put it off again. Not if he doesn't want the guys to throw him from the shop for smelling like weeks old motor oil and stale weed.
Dragging himself from bed, he goes into the kitchen, needing a hot cup of coffee to get through the day. He's surprised to see the coffee pot on, and that quickly turns to irritation when he finds a half-drunk cup of coffee left for him to clean up on the counter.
Sweet Steve must be an act, because what one night stand helps themselves to your coffee and doesn't bother to finish it before leaving?
The irritation double when he opens his fridge and finds his creamer gone. What the fuck? That's rude as shit, to drink the last of his creamer and bounce without so much as a word.
Grumbling to himself, Eddie stomps back his room to get dressed and grab his wallet. He got to run to the corner store for goddamn creamer.
He goes to grab a jacket, the fall chill having moved in quickly, and is surprised once again. Steve left his jacket; it's a Members Only jacket, not cheap. It's, well, surprising that it would be forgotten.
Or, fucking swapped for his vintage leather jacket! Eddie can't find it anywhere and he knows he wore it out last night. Steve had commented on it, complimented Eddie's whole outfit, really. And it's gone!
That fucker stole his jacket!
If Eddie ever sees Steve again, it's fucking on. Needing a jacket, Eddie opts for putting on the Members Only one.
Fuming, Eddie stomps down the three flights of stairs to the main floor. He's so caught up in his anger that he doesn't see the person sat on steps up to the door and promptly trips over them.
"Fucking shit," Eddie curses, flailing his arms in an effort to not eat shit. He succeeds but barely. He whirls around once he's steady on his feet, ready to tell off this dipshit, "what the-"
"Eddie!" Steve interrupts him.
Eddie's words die in his throat as he watches Steve stand and smile at him, soft and just as sweet as last night. Steve stands before him, his broad shoulders stuffed into Eddie's jacket, a plastic bag hanging off his wrist since both hands are shoved into the pockets of the jacket.
"Steve? What- what are doing?" Eddie is confused, to say the least. "Why are you wearing my jacket?"
Steve blushes, just as pretty as he was last night, "I, uh, I just wanted to go grab some creamer for us. And then I bought stuff for breakfast, too. Um. Anyway, I just put on the first jacket I saw."
Eddie blinks at him. Then does it again because his brain isn't working. He blurts, "why are you sitting out here?"
"Um, the door," Steve pulls a hand from his jacket to throw his thumb over his shoulder at the direction of the door. The door that needs a code or for someone to buzz you in. "I tried to buzz a few times but I don't think you were awake."
"Oh," Eddie says dumbly. "How long have you been out here?" Which isn't what he wanted to ask but are the words his brain offered up.
Eddie checks his watch and says, "9:52."
"Oh shit, really?" Steve looks surprised, and the quickly blends into embarrassment. "Uh, about three hours."
Three hours? Three hours? Holy shit. Why didn't he just go home? Why did he just sit on the steps and wait?
Eddie is speechless. He had thought- but he'd been wrong, apparently. Steve isn't a douchebag who steals jackets and leaves the morning after without word. No. He's the kind of guy to go buy more creamer when he uses the last and who waits fucking three hours on a cold fall morning to do it.
Eddie must be quiet too long because Steve's looking increasingly sad.
"Or, uh, that's weird, isn't it? God, it is isn't it? I'm being so weird, just sitting outside your building waiting for someone to let me in. And you didn't- I'm just inviting myself to stay and you didn't even say you wanted me to. I-"
"You wanna come in and have breakfast?" Eddie cuts him off.
The smile Steve gives him takes his breath away.
