Steddie Happened

Eddie doesn't know what exactly happened, just caught glimpses of the heated argument, but it must've been bad bad for Tommy Hagan to throw fists at the guy he usually follows around like a puppy on a leash.

Steve didn't even fight back, just stood there and took every blow like he didn't care. Like he somehow deserved it. Didn't even try to tell him to let it go, just laughed at his face, half delirious, which only made Tommy angrier.

And no one stopped them, not even Eddie, because he's a coward, so Tommy only let off when Steve was already on the floor. On his hands and knees, chest heaving, with blood trickling down his chin and colour blooming on his face.

Tommy left, stormed out, and everyone just stood there whispering, letting the rumour mill run because nothing exciting ever happens in this fucking town, so at least now they've got something to gossip about.

Steve must've been aware of the badly hidden stares but paid them no mind, just pushed himself up on unsteady feet and stumbled to the staircase that leads to the upper floor. It's usually off-limits for any party guests, everyone knows that, but Eddie ignores the rule when he finally makes up his mind and follows, acting as nonchalant as he can not to draw any attention to himself.

   "What the fuck, Harrington!"

Eddie barges through the bathroom door and locks it instinctively behind him. He's pretty sure no one saw him coming in here and it's probably best to keep it that way, he doesn’t need anyone to get a wrong idea about the nature of their relationship – even if Eddie himself doesn’t know how to define whatever their relationship even is. They’re not friends, not really, more like friendly acquaintances that sometimes talk and sometimes… doesn’t matter.

   "What the hell happened down there?"

Steve is standing at the sink, hands braced on the ceramic for balance, looking at him through the mirror.

   "I told him," he says and pulls his blood stained lips into a horrifying grin.

   "Told him what?"

Eddie steps forward and doesn't think when he grabs Steve by the side of his face, turns him around so he can take a closer look at the damage. Steve freezes at the contact and doesn't even flinch when Eddie gently brushes a thumb across his bottom lip to wipe at the blood but his smile falters and Eddie notices a shimmer of unshed tears in his eyes.

   "Told him that I’m not into girls."

Eddie's heart stops and for a few seconds he forgets how to breathe.

   "Why would you do that?"

It's a stupid question. If anything, he should tell him how brave that was. How proud he is of him. But that's just not the world they live in, where people can be who they are without having to fear the consequences.

   "He tried to kiss me."

Eddie feels anger rising at those words, can barely keep his fingers from tightening their grip as his blood begins to boil with unbearable rage.

    Of course he would. Who wouldn't want to get a taste of those lips? Especially Tommy, whose obsession with Steve has always been too obvious, at least to Eddie.

He's had his fair share of encounters with those kind of guys, who suppress their feelings until they boil over and explode right in their faces. The ones who kiss and then tell on you for being what they pretend not to be. The ones that make you go down on your knees so they can blow their load before running straight back to their girlfriends.

   "I didn't let him," Steve continues and Eddie ignores how that makes him feel just like he ignores the expecting look on Steve's face because he can't do this, not right now.

   "Sit," he tells him and points to the edge of the bathtub, surprised that Steve listens and doesn’t talk back.

Eddie grabs a towel and runs it under cold water until his fingers go numb before bringing himself to turn back.

   "Can I touch you?"

Steve nods and holds still when Eddie presses the damp towel against his lip, careful not to re-open the cut that has finally stopped bleeding. He moves on to his cheek, finds another small cut there that thankfully doesn't look too bad, before dabbing the area under his black eye. It won't do much, but the cooling effect at least feels good – Eddie knows that from experience.

   "I don't think you'll need stitches and it doesn't look like he got your nose, so you should be fine."

He moves to pull back but Steve stops him, places a hand on top of the one holding the towel to keep him in place. Eddie wants to resist but he's weak. Always so pathetically weak for Steve.

   "Tommy got so mad. I should've just left but I was stupid."

Steve lets out a shaky exhale, fingers twitching against Eddie's where he still hasn't let go of him.

   "He asked me where I was going so I told him the truth. That I was looking for you."

Eddie's breath catches in his throat, shock-widened eyes staring down in disbelief, but Steve keeps talking before he can say something.

   "I didn't think. Just wanted to get away but I guess he knew. That's why he freaked out. Said he was going to hurt you, so I- I punched him first."

As if Eddie needed proof, Steve holds up his right hand and curls it into a fist to show off his bruised knuckles.

   "I tried to get away but he came after me and- Well. Guess you saw what happened then."

Eddie wants to laugh, maybe cry, and yell at Steve for being so fucking stupid.

   "You're and idiot, Steve! He could've hurt you! I mean, so much worse than he already has."

   "Better me than you," Steve simply says and Eddie wants to shake him.

   "Oh no, Steve. You don't get to be a hero for being so selfish and dumb."

He finally finds the strength to pull away and Steve lets him this time. Just sits there with his head bowed down, hands in his lap, looking so small and defeated, Eddie feels instantly bad for raising his voice. But he's angry, can't shake the feeling that this is all just a game to Steve.

What else would it be?

Eddie isn't delusional. He always knew what he'd get himself into, every single time it happened, and Steve's little confession just now doesn't change that.

   "I'm sorry I dragged you into this," Steve says so quietly Eddie almost misses it.

   "That's not what-" Eddie takes a deep breath and rubs both hands over his face to calm himself down. "Look, Steve. I don't care about what Tommy knows or thinks he knows. I'm not mad about that. I'm mad because you got hurt. And I'm mad that I just stood there, watching you getting beat up just like the rest of 'em. I should've helped! That's so fucked up."

It's only half of the truth, only part of the reason why Eddie wants to rip his own hair out. Why he can't stand still, feels itchy under his skin from all the nervous energy that has nowhere to go.

   "I'm fine. You said so yourself. Tommy doesn't know how to throw a punch anyway. He's always been all bark no bite."

Steve huffs a laugh but Eddie still notices the tremble in his voice and it's what finally draws him back to him. He crouches down before him and Steve instinctively parts his thighs to make space for Eddie between them.

Their eyes lock and for a moment, it's like time stops.

   "I like you," Steve whispers and it would strike Eddie to his core had he not heard the same words before.

The first time at a party, where Steve drunkenly dared him to kiss him.

In the back of Eddie's van, when they where both just high enough from the joint they shared to have an excuse for making out fully clothed on a pile of old blankets.

Under a starry sky once, over at Skull Rock, both still a little breathless after jerking off next to each other, just for fun.

Two weeks ago in the trailer, when Steve came by to buy weed and then came down his throat instead.

Every time they get too close, Steve leaves him with the same three words and a feeling he never quite manages to get under control. A deep longing for something real, something that isn't just a casual sidestep, an excursion of sorts, a deflection from the truth.

And now he doesn't know what that truth even is anymore. Because if what Steve told Tommy is true, then what does that mean for him?

To add to his confusion, Steve suddenly sways closer, wraps his arms around Eddie's neck and brings their faces so close their noses are almost touching. Eddie shivers in anticipation, knows he doesn't have it in him to push Steve away should he try to kiss him. Doesn't matter how much it'll hurt them both in the aftermath, for different reasons.

   "I really, really like you, Eddie," Steve repeats and every last sense of self-preservation leaves Eddie the moment he closes the few remaining inches between their lips.

He doesn't even care about the hissing noise Steve makes when he greedily sucks on his bottom lip and flicks his tongue across the cut, tastes blood but doesn't stop because Steve's hands in his hair keep him from pulling back.

Need runs hot through his veins as Steve matches his own desperation with equally frantic movements, rough and dirty and unmindful of the state his face is in. It's like nothing matters more in this moment, than to deepen the kiss until their lungs run out of air completely.

Only then do they pause, panting hard into each other's mouths, unwilling to fully break apart just for the sake of breathing.

   "You're insane," Eddie says and isn't sure if he means Steve or himself. "Fuck. You make me crazy."

   "Is that a compliment?"

Eddie shakes his head but confirms Steve's question with another kiss before he says, "I like you, too. Just in case that wasn't obvious."

Steve closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, and Eddie uses the momentum to draw back just enough to really look at him. Despite the blemishes, Steve's is still the prettiest face Eddie has ever laid eyes on. And maybe that's because he is looking at him through heart shaped glasses, but that doesn't make it less true.

   "Can we get out of here?" Steve asks and Eddie hesitates before he stands, wants to stay in the moment for a little longer before they're going back to pretending that nothing happened between them, just like they always do.

   "You go first, I'll wait a few more minutes so no one sees us leaving together."

Steve looks at him like he's insulted him, then rolls his eyes before taking Eddie's hand to help him up.

   "I don't care who sees. And I don't mean- I don't want to go back down there. I want to leave. We can climb out the window, it's not too high up. I've done it a million times."

Eddie doesn't know what he expected but it surely wasn't this.

   "But... this is your house. You're just gonna ditch your own party? Don't you think they'll notice?"

   "Half of these people don't even know me and they're gonna run out of booze soon and fuck off anyway. I really don't care, Eddie. I just want to be anywhere else. With you."

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