@steddiemicrofic prompt: fool, 454 words rated: g | cw: none | tags: pre-relationship, steve has a crush, even gareth knows, soft boys
“You’re not fooling anyone.”
Gareth’s voice makes Steve look up, finding him leaning against the kitchen doorway.
Then he looks down at the cookies he’s moving from the box they came in to a plate, frowning. “I wasn’t trying to. Just thought it’d be easier to grab the cookies this way.”
Gareth rolls his eyes. “No, about why you’re playing DnD with us.”
“Spend quality time with the children, uh huh,” Gareth finishes, using Steve’s words. “That’s not it. You wanted to spend time with Eddie.”
Steve flushes but tries to act nonchalant. “Yeah, with all of you-”
“No, specifically with Eddie. You even asked Byers to help you study the handbook to impress him!”
Steve bites his lip, thinking. “Did I?”
“Did I impress him?” Steve asks. Gareth clearly saw through his lie and probably knows what Steve is doing. He might as well figure out if it’s working. “Because I’ve been trying to since I realized I have a crush on him-”
Gareth waves his hands in front of him. “Woah, woah, you can’t say that.”
Steve frowns. “Oh, but you know that Eddie likes guys, are you not okay with-”
“Of course I’m cool with that, Harrington, but Eddie is my best friend. I’m like, obligated to tell him now.”
Steve’s eyes widen. “You can’t. You can’t tell Eddie!”
“Can’t tell Eddie what?” Eddie asks, strolling into the kitchen.
Gareth glances between the two before jerking his thumb over his shoulder. “I’m gonna go,” he says then hurries out.
Eddie skips over to Steve, grinning at him. “What secrets are you keeping from me, Stevie?”
Steve focuses on rearranging the cookies on the plate. “None, no secrets, nothing, nope.”
“See, I know that’s a lie. You didn’t tell me mini Byers was helping you learn DnD.”
“I was trying to surprise them-”
“I guess-” Steve says quietly, “I was also trying to surprise you.”
“Steve, you haven’t stopped surprising me since the day I met you,” Eddie says with a chuckle. Steve looks up and finds Eddie staring at him with a soft look, eyes sparkling with something.
Something that makes Steve a little bold.
“I was also trying to impress you,” Steve says shyly.
Eddie’s eyebrows shoot up, pointing at himself. “Me?”
“Yeah, you,” Steve says, poking Eddie’s chest in the same spot.
Before he can back his hand, Eddie wraps his fingers around Steve’s wrist, keeping his hand against his chest. “Guess what, Stevie?” Eddie gives him a slow grin, his dimple popping. “You haven’t stopped doing that since day one either.”
And oh, Steve thinks, maybe he didn’t need to try so hard to get Eddie’s attention after all.
