Steddie my love

"Okay, Suzie and I were talking, and her family is considering visiting Hawkins."

Steve smiles. "That's great, but why-"

"Why are you acting like that's bad news?" Eddie asks, finishing Steve's sentence. The two glance at each other, and Steve tries not to size him up.

Dustin groans, "Because I need to take her on a proper date! We weren't able to go on dates during science camp, so I want this to be special. Of course, this is all contingent on whether she can convince her dad to give us alone time..."

"I could be your chaperone, but I'd ditch you once you got to the movie theater," Steve offers.

Eddie scoffs, "Yeah, a date with Suzie will not be at a movie theater."

Steve crosses his legs and turns toward Eddie. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know you knew something about dating. Wait a minute." He directs his attention back to Dustin, utterly horrified. "You asked me and Munson for girl help?"

"Don't sound so shocked," Eddie says, but Steve ignores him.

"Yes," Dustin states simply. He sighs and gestures between the two of them. "Steve, you're a lady's man and you know exactly what to say and where the best date spots are, but you pick up the worst girls. Except Robin who you refuse to date." Steve doesn't have time to argue before Dustin points at Eddie, "And Eddie understands all the cool nerd stuff that Suzie and I like, and he's super charismatic. So, I thought we could combine your abilities to create the most epic date in the history of dates."

"No," Steve and Eddie both say at once.

"Guys-"

Steve turns to Eddie and raises an eyebrow. "Why are you protesting my help?"

"Because try as he might, Dustin can't convince me that you aren't an asshole that has never actually wooed a girl. You get by with your pretty looks and think that's enough."

Steve's mind lingers a bit on the "pretty looks" for some reason, but he pushes past it to say, "Please, you're telling me you know a single thing about wooing a girl?"

Eddie leans in with a bright smile. "You heard it from Henderson, I'm charming."

"Charismatic," Steve corrects him, "But I haven't seen a shred of that yet."

Eddie tosses an arm over the back of the couch and scoots in until Steve is trapped against the arm of the couch. Steve tries not to show Eddie how much the sudden closeness is affecting him.

"I could easily charm your pants off, big boy," Eddie says with a wink.

Steve's eyes betray him and flicker down to Eddie's lips. "Please, I'd easily beat you to it."

Eddie tilts his head and looks at him through his lashes. "Are you saying you want to charm my pants off, Harrington? I'm flattered, but I'm not that kind of girl."

Steve raises his eyebrows. "Is that a bet?"

"Do you want it to be? Because it kind of sounds like it."

Steve blames his series of bad dates, the meaningless sex with girls with no substance, and the weird tension between them for his response. "It's a date, Munson."

"So, I'm going to assume that was the weirdest way of you two agreeing to help me," Dustin says, startling Steve away from Eddie who he was definitely not just about to kiss.

"Jesus H. Christ," Eddie mumbles under his breath as he moves away, seeming to have also forgotten where they were.

"Sure, we'll create a date for you two and trial-run it for issues," Steve says.

Dustin smiles wide and giggles, "See, I knew you two would help if you just put your dumb differences aside!"

"Something like that," Eddie mutters. "But hey, what does your gut say? Where do you want to take her?"

Dustin shrugs. "I like the idea of the movies."

Steve slowly looks over at Eddie and gives him a cocky smile. Eddie's mouth twitches momentarily into a frown, but he ignores him. "I'll think of something special to do after, but Harrington can fill you in on a movie date."

"I thought you were the expert on wooing," Steve snarkily replies.

Eddie huffs, "Movie dates just aren't my thing."

If they're actually trial-running this, Steve will make it a point to make movie dates Eddie's thing.

"That sounds great. Thank you both!" Dustin says, still ignoring the obvious tension.

"Well, I've got to head out, but it was good seeing you," Eddie says with a genuine smile that Steve thinks he would like to see more often.

"I do, too. Hey, I'm glad I could help. Next time maybe don't make it sound like a nail-bat emergency though," Steve says lowering his voice before grabbing the bat.

He follows Eddie toward the front, but they both stop and turn to mess up Dustin's hair simultaneously. Steve pulls his hand back when Eddie's hand runs on top of his. He looks at him with his eyebrows furrowed.

"I told you you guys are similar."

Steve thinks that Dustin's right, but maybe they're only similar in the way they both obviously care for him.

They finish their goodbyes and head out into the cold January weather. Steve clutches his jacket tighter around himself - he had forgotten to grab a heavier coat in his rush over. He turns to Eddie and says, "Hey."

Eddie turns to him and raises his eyebrows.

"Want to trial-run that date tonight?"

Eddie frowns at him. "I thought you were joking."

With that, Steve should take the clear out given to him and agree. Yes, it was just a joke. Instead, he says, "It doesn't have to be."

It's a long few seconds of Eddie staring at him before he gets a quiet response of, "Yeah, sure. Uh, let's go to my place though. I don't want your reputation to be tainted if you're seen in public with me."

"I wouldn't mind," Steve says sincerely. He's not sure why he's so adamant about this date, but maybe he just wants to see where that moment on the couch could truly lead. "But hey, your reputation would also be tainted if you're associating with me."

"And we wouldn't want that," Eddie says with a small smile. "The freak and the king. What would people say?"

This surprises a laugh out of Steve before he says, "I think your place would probably be a little more intimate than a movie theater."

He can't tell if Eddie's cheeks suddenly flush a little pinker from the cold or a blush. "I told you, I'm not that kind of guy."

"More intimate doesn't always mean sex. You know this."

Eddie laughs and shakes his head. "Why don't we continue this conversation at my place so you don't freeze to death?"

"I like the sound of that," Steve says, making his way to his car and trying to hide the huge smile that's trying to split across his face all because of Eddie Munson.

He rushes to shove his bat into the trunk, hoping that he won't have to further explain that to Eddie. But based on the way his eyes linger on it, he's thinking he won't get away from questioning too easily.

Luckily, he has prepared his Harrington charm for this moment. And boy, he's going to be using it as often as he can to prove Eddie wrong.

I mean Eddie ringing up groceries? Even in the scenario where he was hired it would be boring as fuck and he’d have to encounter the exact types of people that made his day to day existence in Hawkins less than ideal. He had some basic mechanic experience but the closest auto shop was owned by a man who genuinely thought Eddie ran a satanic cult.

He applied to a music shop outside of town and the local library, who now employed his former middle school teacher. She had let him down gently before he had a chance to turn in his paltry excuse of a résumé.

It was over a week and Eddie needed to be making some sort of income. Gas didn’t pay for itself, he and the guys used his van to go play shows, and he had stepped up to help Wayne with the utilities on his second go at Senior year so he wouldn’t feel like a failure and a freeloader.

He laid in front of the high-speed fan on Gareth’s bed holding his arms up to better cool him down and whined about his conundrum, “I’ve literally applied to multiple places Gare- not even the fucking hardware store would hire me!” Eddie complained as he flopped his arms back down.

“The owner said something about his daughter being a pot head because of me. ME?! Like sir, listen to yourself, I’m sure you contributed a hell of a lot more than I did in her wanting to smoke up to chill out.” Eddie made his point by sitting up and re-packing the glass bowl on Gareth’s bedside table.

“Are you even listening to me, man?” Eddie said as he exhaled a sloppy succession of smoke rings.

Gareth huffed out a laugh, “I mean, yeah? Blah blah blah, getting a job is hard, yadda yadda?”

Eddie snorted at him and handed over the bowl, “Fucking delinquent.” He muttered and smiled as Gareth laughed out his toke of weed.

Gareth snapped him fingers and set down the piece, “Jeff said his work needed more drivers!”

Eddie let his body slowly melt off the bed and laid down like a boneless corpse on Gareth’s bedroom rug, “Fucking pizza delivery?”

Jeff walked into the room with a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos and Sprite, “What’s wrong with pizza delivery, Edward?”

Eddie smooshed his face against the rug and breathed out a long winded, “Fuck…” As both his closest friends laughed at him.

Jeff slapped him on the back, “Dominic is desperate; besides you can be a little stoned at work, no one will know the difference.”

The metal head pushed himself up to a seated position and made grabby hands at Jeff to pass him the bowl. He lit up the remaining weed in place and watched it blaze for a moment before inhaling a deep full-bodied breath. He held it as Jeff and Gareth chattered about who the better drummer was John ‘Bonzo’ Bonham, Ginger Baker of Cream, or Phil Collins.

Eddie frankly did not care, “Fuck it.”

He stood up as the other boys watched, “Looks like I’m gonna go talk to Dominic.”

“Dude, I said you could be a little stoned you look zooted. Chill for a minute then go talk to him tonight. Like I said he’s fuckin’ desperate.” Jeff said as he relaxed into the pillows and munched away on the Doritos.

Eddie sunk down to the floor and rested his back against Gareth’s bed, “It’s Bonzo by the way, numbskulls, he’s definitely the gnarliest drummer. I mean come on- Led freaking Zeppelin.”

Gareth pushed his head as they devolved into a half-assed slap fight before Grant walked in and tossed on the newest cassette he had come across at a record store his older brother frequented. It was a debut band called Megadeth, the four of them vibed to the tunes of the album Killing is My Business…and Business is Good as they let the weed do it’s work.

•

Jeff had been right, Dominic was desperate for drivers and Eddie had a van and a half decent attitude so he agreed easily and put him on a shift that night.

Eddie knew the area well from living in Hawkins, but also better knowledge of side streets and some off the beaten path places due to his original entrepreneurial endeavors. He delivered to four houses and had his signature long hair shoved under a ‘Hawkins Hot Pies’ hat. It made him feel slightly less recognizable on the rounds, especially when he pulled up to a home in a nicer subdivision.

He returned to the restaurant to pick up a final round of deliveries, feeling accomplished with the tips he had gotten along the way- not nearly as lucrative as his dealing days, but not awful for a Saturday night.

It was easy, he could jam to his own music, take a toke or two en route- it wasn’t the worst available option. His last stop was a little further out in the town limits.

He pulled up the long drive to the more secluded home and rang the doorbell. It wasn’t the most well-lit porch but he caught the address and knew it was the right place, he could hear some excited yelling and the door beginning to unlock, “El, wait- I’m watching you girls tonight I’m gonna get the door, okay?” He heard a petulant fine drawn out before the door opened.

Steve ‘the Hair’ Harrington stood before him with glitter on his cheeks and a scrunchie holding back his usually voluminous hair in a Pebbles style ponytail atop his head.

Eddie almost choked.

He coughed out to cover his laugh, “Pizza delivery.” He said only a little dumbfounded as his wide dark eyes trailed over Harrington’s face, was that mascara he had on?

Two girls peeked around him, one with short hair and a red head he vaguely recognized as a new addition to the trailer park he and Wayne resided. The red head poked the glittery boy hard in the side. He swatted her hand away with an annoyed Ouch, Max- before stepping out to the porch and semi closing the door behind him.

“Uh, yeah, how much again?” He asked Eddie.

Eddie knew for certain this wasn’t Harrington’s place he had sold drugs at a handful of Harrington parties in Loch Nora. Rumors had swirled about him through Eddie’s time in Hawkins High and now? How the mighty had truly fallen. He looked hilarious. A traitorous part of Eddie’s brain supplied that he also looked kind of cute. All annoyed and less than expertly made-up wasn’t a bad look on the guy. Was that lip gloss too? Eddie willfully forced his line of sight back up to Harrington’s amber eyes.

It was just a large cheese pizza, “It’s gonna be seven-fifty.” Eddie said as Harrington dug in his back pocket for his wallet.

He pulled out a ten and handed it to Eddie, “Keep the change, man.” He said softly as one of the girls shrieked out a giggle.

Eddie smirked at him, “Ya got a little something...” He trailed off and pointed to his own cheek.

It was hard to tell in the dim summer evening but Eddie swore Harrington’s cheeks burnt a deeper pink at the comment. He held tight on the pizza box, “Oh, yeah, fucking babysitting. And y’know sometimes you just-“ He was cut off by the door being opened again.

“Jesus Steve, you’re the one who needs babysitting. Get back in here me and El are starving.” The red head lamented dramatically as Steve made a face at Eddie.

“Please don’t repeat…” He trailed off and gestured to his face.

Eddie burst out laughing, “Your secret’s safe with me King Steve.” He managed to say.

The red head narrowed her eyes at him, “Better do as he asks, I know where you live, dweeb.”

The short haired girl popped up behind her and gave him a stony faced look, “Steve looks pretty.” She said in a deadly tone.

Eddie straightened right up, kids were terrifying, “Yeah, yeah of course! You look like a princess, man. The prettiest. Enjoy the pizza!” Eddie said as he rushed off for self-preservation.

Steve ushered the girls back in the house feeling wrong-footed and embarrassed, “Here’s your pizza you fucking menaces.” He griped at them as they sat down at the table.

Max bit into a piece and twisted the line of gooey cheese around her pointer finger she studied Steve’s still lingering discomfort, “You do look pretty. Your lashes are super long. Thanks for letting me and El practice on you.”

Steve rolled his eyes but didn’t have it in him to stay mad, “Any time, well not really any time but, y’know it was actually kinda fun.”

Eddie was just getting ready to turn the ignition on his van when Hopper’s police Blazer pulled up the driveway next to him.

He knocked on the window for Eddie to roll it down, “I swear I’ve been super legit Hopper, like this is my first night! I’m working an honest job!” He started rambling off.

Hopper chuckled at the other man’s discomfort, “No need to freak out Munson, this is my home and I’d appreciate that stays on the down low.”

Eddie nodded his head, and let the thoughts swim around in his slightly stoned brain, did Hopper have a daughter?

“You got it Chief.” He said and saluted.

Hopper huffed out an exasperated noise, “Be good, kid.” He said as Eddie started up the van and headed back to the shop to clock out.

The drive back had the same image popping up in his mind, he wasn’t even that high, but Steve Harrington had definitely opened the door with make-up on and a scrunchie in his hair.

What a wild sight.

The girls had been right too, he had looked pretty.

Eddie had always loathed how attractive he found Harrington, but tonight? He wanted to lick the gloss from his lips. Super normal, Eddie thought to himself. He shook it off, he’d barely seen the guy around since he graduated. He could avoid him. Eddie was sure it wouldn’t be a problem now.

•

steve stops, freezes where he is and frantically turns his head around to spot the cashier grinning at him. he has long hair and a bright red hook's drugstore vest over a denim vest which doesn't look very comfortable. he has chains in his jeans and handcuffs holding his belt closed and a smirk that is trying to kill him and oh-

"wait, stealing cologne?" steve shakes himself back into existence as the old lady pushes by him without dropping a single roll on the way back to her car. "you're going to call me putting on a few sprays stealing?"

the cashier's smile just gets bigger, like a cat hunting down a canary. steve's never felt like a canary before but can't deny that it's an exciting feeling.

"well, on a good day i wouldn't. but i'm bored and you didn't buy a single thing so technically, yes. you're stealing, pretty boy."

steve fights the urge to roll his eyes and put his hands on his hips, so instead he crosses them over his chest, cologne wafting up from the movement and reminding him that he doesn't have time for this no matter how cute the cashier may be.

he makes his way over to the counter, grabs a pack of gum and slams it on the counter. without breaking eye contact with eddie, as his nametag suggests, he throws him a salty smile of his own and pulls his wallet out from his back pocket.

eddie's eyes are a deep brown with a glimmer of something behind them and his hands are covered in rings making his fingers look long and strong. the jeans he has on are ripped on one of the the thighs, showing a hint of a tattoo to match the ones crawling up his arms. steve's no stranger to thinking men are attractive but this guy? he's on a new level. his heart thumps painfully in his chest when eddie's grin grows larger as he watches steve give him a once over. it thumps even harder when eddie gives him a once over of his own.

the clock above the register shows that he's officially 20 minutes late to picking up... laura? lisa?

no, linda. damnit.

eddie looks down at the gum and then back up at steve, quirking up an eyebrow. "i hardly think this monetarily equates to a bottle of cologne but-"

"oh come on!" steve huffs. eddie laughs and it's clear and bright, ringing off the cinderblock walls louder than the annoying jingle that's still playing. whatever fight steve may have had left in him drains away at the sound and suddenly he isn't thinking about the clock anymore. he feels his shoulders fall down to a more relaxed state, feels himself shift his weight on his feet to look more natural than ready to run at a moments notice.

"just kidding, man." eddie rings up the gum quickly and hands it back to steve. "sorry, you looked like you were in a rush. i shouldn't have created a scene just because i'm bored."

steve chuckles. "i'm already supremely late for my date so what's another five minutes. especially if it gets me..." he looks at the gum packet to look at what he even picked up in the first place. "... spearmint freshen-up gum."

"well there you go," eddie says, grin smaller than before, "a perfect thing to get for a date. everyone likes their date to be minty fresh for that first kiss."

it strikes somewhere in steve that he isn't expecting. the beemer is still out in the parking lot running so he didn't have to waste time, his watch on his wrist feels heavy, the scent of obsession overpowering. but he can't make himself move. he wants to stay and talk to eddie, wants to learn about what makes him tick.

"can i borrow your phone?" steve asks. eddie's eyebrows furrow but he reaches for the store phone and places the console on top of the counter.

"for what?"

steve look through his wallet, finding the piece of paper with linda's number on it. holding the receiver between his shoulder and ear, he dials in her number and holds his pointer finger up at eddie, signaling that he'll need a second. steve then brings the finger to his lips and shushes with his cheek pulling up in a smirk. eddie's eyes zero in on the motion and it feels like steve's gone from being the canary back to the cat.

"linda? hey it's steve."

he watches as eddie mouths steve back at him and then nods to himself when he gets the confirmation that it is indeed his name. steve throws him a wink for good measure.

"i know i'm late and i'm really really sorry to cancel last minute but-. oh. yeah, sure. have a good time. okay bye li-."

on the other end of the line, linda slams down the phone without waiting for steve to finish talking and it makes him wince with how loud it is in his ear. he gives eddie a sheepish smile, all toothy and guilt-ridden, and gently puts the receiver back down.

"what was that?" eddie asks with a disbelieving look on his face. steve shrugs.

"she got tired of waiting so she already had another guy lined up to come pick her up."

eddie sucks in air through his teeth and mimes getting shot in the heart. it has steve laughing as he falls over on the counter, hair covering his face. he turns his head to peer up at steve through the curtain of curls, the one brown eye that's visible twinkling in the harsh overhead light.

"was it true love? are you just absolutely heartbroken?"

steve thinks about it for less than a second. watches how eddie curls back up one vertebrae at a time before placing his elbows on the counter and leaning over. watches how eddie's eyes flit between his own and his lips. watches how he focuses on the latter for a little while too long.

"why would i be heartbroken," steve starts. he's being too forward, too brash, but with eddie looking at him that way, he knows he can be. "when you'll probably be on break soon and can make it up to me? you know, for making me even more late and all."

eddie's grin grows wide again. "oh really?"

steve shrugs once more with a playful look of consideration on his face, resting on his elbows to match eddie on the counter. "yes, really. this is your payback for being bored and taking it out on me."

it's later when eddie's on break and steve hasn't left the drugstore in over an hour and they're sitting in his car with bowie playing through the speakers that eddie looks up at him with a look steve knows well.

"you do smell really good, y'know." his voice is softer than steve's heard it all day.

"so are you glad i came in to steal cologne?" steve leans closer over the center console to get into eddie's personal space. there's a hand curling over his bicep and pulling him even closer, their faces only centimeters apart.

"i guess i'll let it slide this time, thief."

But he could do this. It was gonna suck. Four miles in and it was already sucking pretty hard. But at the end of it would be a quiet little place to live for the next five months where he’d be making above federal minimum wage, 56 hours a week, without any living expenses to speak of. Shelter and food would all be taken care of by the state. All he had to do was live at the top of a tower all alone for the summer and watch for forest fires. Easiest money he was ever going to make. Legally, anyway. For someone in his situation, finding this job had been a godsend. 

By the time he reached the tower, his shirt was plastered to his chest and back and his hair, which was finally getting long enough again to pull back at least the top half of it, was falling out of its ponytail and sticking unpleasantly to his forehead and jaw. 

It was nearing dusk and he was tacky with cooling sweat. The muscles in his thighs felt like jell-o. His ankles and shoulders ached under the weight of his backpack and the guitar case he’d lugged up here with him. They’d warned him to pack lightly, and he’d left behind his electric guitar and amp in storage where his uncle had kept it for him, but there was no way he was going to go a whole five months without at least an acoustic. 

The climb up the steps of the tower seemed endless in the darkening woods. He climbed and climbed until he reached the little cabin at the top of the tower where he’d be living, a full two stories above the swaying tops of pine trees below. The porch wrapped around the entire cabin, but Eddie didn’t bother exploring at the moment. He was so beyond exhausted. 

“Holy fuck,” he groaned as he set down his pack and guitar case and shuffled to where he could see a twin bed in the corner of the one-room cabin, dark plaid coverlet just barely visible in the pale purple light of dusk coming through the windows. He didn’t even bother switching on the lights, just fell onto the surprisingly comfy mattress, kicked off his sneakers, and fell asleep in his sweaty clothes. 

Some time later, a staticky voice woke him.

“Tower two, come in.”

Eddie raised his head off the bed and blinked bleary eyes, expecting to see gray concrete walls and startled to be met with rustic wood instead. Shit. Where was he? Why was it so dark? What had woken him?

“Tower two, come in. Do you copy?”

“Who the fuck…” Eddie grumbled, sitting up cautiously. Then his memory caught up with what he was seeing and he groaned. Right. He was at the fire tower. 

“Jesus fucking christ,” he said, carefully swinging his legs over the side of the bed. His thighs felt tight and sore and he knew he was going to have to do some stupid jock stretches or something over the coming days to recover from the hike. He rubbed at his scratchy eyes with the backs of his hands. 

He felt gross. The cabin was stuffy with the remnants of early summer heat. He’d sweated through his clothes. His socks were stiff with dried sweat. He peeled them off, shoulders aching with the movement, and sighed in relief as he stretched his overheated toes against the frayed rug. He needed to find the light switch and then he needed to find the shower.

“Tower two, come in.”

And he needed to find the radio and tell whoever was disturbing him in the middle of the night to fuck off. Eddie groaned as he stood and stumbled his way through the dark to the cabin door. He found the light switch beside the door, but didn’t have time to inspect his new home before the radio crackled again.

“Tower two, do you copy?”

Eddie snatched the handheld radio off the little table in the corner and pressed the push-to-talk button. “Yes, I’m here, what do you want?” he said.

There was a short silence, then the radio crackled in his hand. The voice sounded amused. “Just making sure you were alive out there. I never saw your light come on. I was worried you got lost or eaten by a bear on your first day.”

Eddie sighed and dropped his head back in exasperation. This must be tower one. The Ranger, Hopper, had told him the only line of communication he’d have out here for the next five months would be the guy in tower one. 

“Nope, no such luck,” he responded. Fuck. He’d already made a bad impression on this guy. The guy who was literally his only lifeline out here in the wilderness. He chewed his lip and paced towards the kitchenette area, wondering if he should apologize.

“Ah, give it a few months. The bears get more desperate later in the season.”

Eddie huffed a laugh through his nose. The guy was joking with him. That was probably a good sign.

Then the voice came back on. “This is tower one, by the way. I’m sure you’d figured that out. Um. My name is Steve. Steve Harrington.”

With those words, the bottom dropped out of Eddie’s gut. Oh, fuck. Shit. He knew that name. Recognized the voice, now that he had the name to go with it. Steve fucking Harrington. The king of asshole jocks, the boy who had haunted teenage Eddie’s dreams and nightmares. 

“Oh, fuck you!” Eddie said to the ceiling. “I come out to the middle of fucking nowhere and Steve god damn Harrington is my only line of communication?” 

He glared down at the radio in his hand. 

“Tower two?” Steve’s uncertain voice crackled through the radio. “You there, man?”

Eddie held down the button, opened his mouth, then snapped it shut again and released the button. He did it two more times. Shit! Steve would surely recognize his name. That was the last thing he needed. 

He made a split-second decision and pressed the button to talk. “Yea, yea, I’m here. Sorry. Uh, bee got in. I was trying to get it out the window. I’m, um- Eddie Makowski.” His intonation raised at the last syllable like he was asking a question. He cringed. Hoped Steve didn’t notice it. 

There was a long silence. Then, “Makowski, huh? Ok. Um, nice to meet you then, Eddie Makowski.”

Eddie sighed with relief. 

“So, I’m guessing this is your first year doing fire watch?” Steve asked.

“Yea,” Eddie answered. “You’ve done this before?” 

“Five years and counting,” Steve said.

“Shit. You must really like it.”

He could hear a smile in Steve’s voice when he answered. “I love it. All expenses paid vacation in a luxury cabin for five months? And I’m getting paid? Can’t beat it.”

Eddie raised his eyebrows, looking around the small rustic cabin. The twin bed in the corner, the little table and single chair, the kitchenette with a tiny stove and the refrigerator, the smudged glass of the windows. “Yea, luxury, right. Hey, where the hell is the bathroom in this place?” 

Steve laughed. “Outhouse, dude.”

“You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

“Just wait til you see the shower.” 

Eddie groaned and sank down into the dining chair. Like everything in the cabin, it was hard wood. Without thinking he responded, “Guess it’s still better than where I’ve been living.”

“Oh? Where’s that?” Steve asked.

Eddie bit the inside of his cheek. “Nowhere special. Listen, the Ranger didn’t explain much to me. Kind of the silent stoic type. How does this work exactly? Am I supposed to just sit on the porch and stare out at the woods all day?”

Steve dropped the previous subject, thankfully. “Oh yea, Hop’s not much of a talker. And no, you don’t have to sit on the porch all day. That’s what the windows are for.”

Eddie let his eyes wander the entirety of the cabin. All four walls were lined with floor-to-ceiling windows, making the cabin feel like a fishbowl in the sky. The light inside, provided primarily by soft white string lights hung across the walls, prevented him from seeing out, only his lank-haired reflection staring back at him. “Not much hope of any privacy. Feel like I’m in a zoo exhibit or something.”

“Eh, it’s not so bad. You’re so high up and so far away from anyone, you don’t really have to worry about it,” Steve said.

“Unless there’s some pervert out here with binoculars spying on me,” Eddie grumbled. 

“Dude, it’s a national park. Everyone has binoculars out here,” Steve said.

“That’s sick. So where do you jerk off? The outhouse?”

There was a delay in reply, and Eddie wondered if he’d weirded Steve out already. Not that he cared, really. High school was a long time ago, but he’d be lying if he said he didn’t still feel sort of antagonistic toward the other man. 

Steve’s voice came through, and he sounded like he was smiling again. “I mean, you can. But I try not to linger in there. It’s spider central.”

“Spiders? I’ve gotta try to do my business with a bunch of spiders watching me?” Eddie said. What even was this place? What the hell had he gotten himself into?

“You’ve never been camping, have you?” Steve said.

Eddie glared down at the radio. “I’ve been camping, jackass.” Not since he was a little kid, but he didn’t say that. “I don’t remember having to contend with spiders when I needed to piss.”

“Oh, just piss off the edge of the tower. Don’t waste a whole trip to the outhouse for that.”

“You’re a savage.”

“That’s tower life, baby.”

Baby? If Eddie didn’t know better, he’d think Steve was flirting. He wasn’t, though. Obviously. Ugh. Fucking heterosexual jocks. 

“So, I’ll tell you what I do. I mean, like generally,” Steve said, sounding a little winded. “I get up in the morning, have breakfast, hang around and keep watch for four hours. You don’t have to stare out the windows, just be aware of your surroundings. Take an hour lunch, watch for four more hours, then do what you want. You can go for a hike. There’s good fishing at the lake, if you’re into that. Just try not to be away from your tower for more than like three or four hours at a time.”

“What do I do if I see a fire?” Eddie asked.

“You call me, and I call Hop. You’re the furthest tower out, so your radio only reaches me. I’m about 12 miles east of you, by the way. My light’s on. You should be able to see me if you go out on the porch.”

Eddie did. His legs still ached from his earlier exertions as he stepped out onto the porch and walked around until he saw a yellow light in the distance above the treeline. “Huh. Yea, I can see you.”

“I’m waving!” Steve said, sounding excited.

Jesus Christ, this guy was a dork. Eddie couldn’t see him, of course, only the light of his tower, but he smiled and waved back. 

“Are you waving back?” Steve asked.

Eddie rolled his eyes. “Yes, Harrington, I’m waving back.”

“Cool,” Steve said.

“You’re really not,” Eddie said. 

“Cooler than you,” Steve shot back.

Eddie laughed. It felt startlingly foreign. It had been so long. “I seriously doubt that.”

“Yea, you’re probably right. I’m not too cool these days. But at least I’ve still got my charm.”

“I’ve seen no evidence of that so far,” Eddie said, mouth still twitching with a smile.

“I’m better in person.”

“Guess we’ll never know,” Eddie said.

“Never say never. Maybe we’ll run into each other on the job. It’s a small forest.”

Eddie barked another laugh. “It’s literally not.”

“It’s all relatives or whatever.”

Eddie furrowed his brow. “Relatives?” he mouthed to himself.

Steve’s voice came back on. “Listen. It’s like one in the morning. I’m gonna go to bed. I’m glad you made it safely. There’s a binder in one of the kitchen drawers if you have any more questions before morning, and the key to the outhouse and storage shed are there too.”

“Oh, shit, yea. It’s pretty late. Uh, yea, thanks man. I’ll talk to you tomorrow maybe?” Eddie said.

“Absotootly!” An awkward beat. “I don’t know why I said that, ignore it.”

Eddie laughed again. “Tell me again how cool you are?”

“Shut up. Good night, Eddie.”

“Goodnight, Harrington.”

The sounds of the forest filled the silence, crickets and distant bullfrogs, an owl hooting somewhere. Eddie set the radio down on the railing and looked thoughtfully out at the light in the distance. The light in tower one went out. Steve must have gone to bed.

What a weird fucking night. Had Eddie actually been having a decent conversation with Steve Harrington? A flirty conversation? Best not to think about it.

He shifted uncomfortably. His bladder was full. He glanced down the porch to the stairs. It was such a long walk in the dark.

“Fuck it,” he said, and unzipped his jeans.

—

Maybe he’d done something good that he wasn’t aware of, he did go to that Make A Wish thing a few weeks back, DM’d a whole one shot for the kids, he’d spent hours there, a whole dang day just… hanging out with sick kids.

Maybe that was it. Maybe that was what brought this heavenly creature to his side.

To cut a long story short, he was on stage one minute, belting out the lyrics from the final verse of the last song in their set ‘Into the Underdark’, Jeff was slipping into the ending guitar solo, Eddie was gearing up for an end of gig crowd surf and the next.

The next he was looking into a bright, blinding light that kept moving between his eyes.

He’d always been told not to go to the light. If you see it? Don’t go to it, going to it would make whatever trip you were going on a one way ticket, there was no going back when you reached that light. Just hang back, wait for the resuscitation, it’d happen, someone would breathe life back into you, or whack you with enough voltage to get that heart kickin again, just don’t go into that light.

That light was way too close to his eyes, and he couldn’t swat it away. His arms felt tied down. Rude.

And then the light was gone, had he reached it? Was that it? One way ticket stub punched, sorry Earth, Munson out. “Mr Munson? Can you hear me?” Oh what heavenly chorus, the light had momentarily blinded him but shit… when his sight came back, at least enough to make out the vague shape of a very square jaw, of angular features, of warm hazel eyes, and a luscious head of hair surrounded by a halo of brilliant white light.

Angel. He had an audience with an Angel. It could only be an Angel. Neat.

He’d enjoy the ‘I Told You So’ he got from his uncle whenever the old goat made it up there he hoped it wouldn’t be soon though, he’d prefer a longer wait than a short one, thanks.

“Mnn… I hear you big boy, are you sure I’m in the right place though? I’ve been told Heaven wouldn’t want me” it sounded smooth in his head, but he was pretty sure he slurred half the words.

How could he have a slurred voice in Heaven? That didn’t seem fair.

Oh he’d forgive the slurred speech bit if the angel kept making that wonderful music with his vocal chords, that little giggle of a laugh, so bubbly and sweet, yep. Somehow he’d weaselled his way into Heaven. Suck it soccer moms. “Well, at least you can summon the strength to be charming.”

He was charming? An angel thought he was charming? Hell yeah, he’d rock this heaven shit, he already had an in with the big, winged boys!

“I can summon the strength for other stuff too, worship ain’t ever really been my thing but, baby I think I can learn for a literal Angel” he’d subject himself to an afterlife on his knees gladly if it meant he’d have his hands curled around this creature’s thighs, his mouth on—

“Oh wow…” Eddie couldn’t really see it properly thanks to the lovely blinding spots in his eyes that was no doubt his eyes adjusting to heavenly light, but he was sure his angel was blushing, he sounded a little breathless. Good. “You’re uh… wow”

Eddie hadn’t had much charm before becoming world famous but, he’d gained a little experience. Women and men alike throwing themselves at him, knowing he wasn’t all that fussed, babes were babes. All genders welcome to hop on and take a ride. He knew it was mostly the fame, he was still the same nerd he’d been back in high school, but… if fame got him laid then fame got him laid.

At the very least it gave him the experience to flirt with one of Gods pretty little birds. Maybe even score if the reaction he got was any indication.

So much for lust being a punishable sin, huzzah.

Steve was having a day. Okay no, Steve was having a whole week. The only upside to his overtime riddled ass, was that Robin had been on the majority of his shifts with him, so they could at least talk in the ambulance while they roamed the streets waiting for chaos to drop.

Monday, it’d been a seven car pileup on the highway, a few lost limbs, no fatalities but one hell of a close call on two accounts.

Tuesday, it’d been a tumble at a care home resulting in a popped hip and some heavy flirting from a few old ladies. Poor Robin suffering it from a few old men trying to shoot a shot they didn’t have.

Wednesday it’d been crisis after crisis resulting in him not finishing his shift until six hours after he was meant to finish his shift.

Thursday he had one blessed night off, thankfully his on-call status hadn’t dragged him in, and he got a decent six hour nap in.

Friday, another car wreck, he didn’t want to think about that one.

And now Saturday.

Dispatch sent them to the sold out arena, some idiot had leapt off the stage likely for a crowd surf, his foot tangled in an amp chord, it reduced his air time dramatically and he brained himself on one of the guard rails.

Excellent. At least he wasn’t dead.

Which given how easily one could wind up six feet under from such a whack to the head, he was lucky.

They parked by the side exit, shuffled in by security, and right through into the arena. The patient hadn’t been moved as per dispatchers instructions to the person who’d called. No moving the idiot until the professionals arrived and determined it safe.

Cameras, flashing lights, big beefy security guards standing in front of them blocking the majority of what was happening from view, there was… quite a bit of blood there. It didn’t look pretty in that lighting. “The crowd’s too much, let’s get him to the ambulance.” Robin’s patience didn’t exist when it came to large crowds.

Too many people. Plus she’d been on shift five hours longer than he had.

“Alright, you two, c’mere” Steve singled out two of the big security guys “we’re gonna need you to help us get him onto the gurney, we’ll look him over in the back of the ambulance.” There were no broken bones, nothing stopping them from moving him just enough to get him to the ambulance unscathed.

And then, somewhere between writing out paperwork, checking vitals, and Robin googling who this guy was, said guy… woke up.

Steve, being closer, was quick to check responsiveness, pupils reacted well to light although a concussion did look likely, they’d cleaned up the blood and found the cause to be a cut just above his left eyebrow that’d probably make a kickass scar and oh.

Without the blood. Oh. Oh he was pretty. Pretty plump lips, long lashes, deep brown eyes, faint freckles across his nose. All that hair. He was pretty.

“Mr Munson? Can you hear me?” He’d asked, while shining that little torch into those pretty brown eyes, left to right to check the responsiveness. And then he spoke and Steve— well. Robin was eyeballing him judgementally pretty damn hard given how fast his face flamed red.

Her head in her hands, her fingers plugged into her ears as Munson rattled off promises of worship and good lord— Steve didn’t know what to say, what to do, what does one do when a hot yet slightly delirious rockstar offers to worship your ‘angelic body’?

What does one do with that?

One awkwardly stutters through thanks while bright red and toasty until they can part with the guy at the ER wishing he’d met him under better circumstances cause it’d been a long ass time since anyone even touched him let alone worshipped him but accepting that he’d probably never see the guy again, so it didn’t really matter.

Until a few days later when the official Corroded Coffin account slid into his DM’s on Instagram, apologised profusely, and requested very sweetly to make it up to him with dinner the next time he was free.