written for @steddiemicrofic prompt: pool
442 words | rated T (out of an abundance of caution for Steve's vaguely impure thoughts) | cw: none
A bead of sweat trickled down Eddieâs neck, eventually settling in the dip of his collarbone.
Steve watched its journey and licked his lips, imagining diving into the shallow pool with his tongue and reckless abandonâ salty yet sweet.
Eddie was rambling on about something that seemed very important to him as they drove around in the van, just having dropped the last of the kids off for the evening. The air conditioner was busted, and Eddie was talking about dragons again. So Steve was left to his own devices in watching the effect of the heat on his friendâs perfectly bitable neck.
It didnât help that Eddie was wearing a tank top, or that his hair was pulled up into a bun.
âStevie,â Eddie waved a hand in front of his face, snapping Steve back to the present. âYou get heat stroke on me?â
âSomething like that,â Steve mumbled. He wished he could blame the heat for way he'd been daydreaming about sucking the taste of Eddie's skin into his mouth, but that particular thought never seemed to leave Steve's mind these days.
âWhatâs wrong?â Eddie asked, always too attuned to whatever Steve was thinking (or sulking) about.
âNothing,â Steve tried. Eddie leveled him with a look that would have melted stone. âYouâre hot, is all.â
âWell I know that, Steve,â Eddie huffed. âItâs eleventy one degrees out and the A/C is broken.â
âWhatâ?â Steve began to ask, but he didnât actually think he wanted to divert the conversation that far. âNot literally, Eddie. I mean youâre attractive, and itâs driving me crazy.â
Eddieâs eyebrows pinched together in confusion, and Steve wondered how on earth he could be more clear. Until out of nowhere Eddie steered off the main road and into a small copse of trees just off the shoulder.
âWhat the hell, dudeââ
âDonât dude me,â Eddie chastised as he scrambled out of his seat and into Steveâs lap. Steve hurried to settle his hands on Eddieâs hips without much thought, and Eddie looked down at him with a wolfish grin. âYou just told me Iâm driving you crazy. I think that deserves a baby, or a sweetheart, or even a honey bunch.â
Steve was stunned at this turn of events, but bantering with Eddie was always the easy part.
âIâve always kinda liked schnookums, if weâre being honest,â Steve said with a lazy shrug.
âOf course you would,â Eddie rolled his eyes with such affection it made Steveâs heart clench. âCan I kiss you now, schnookums?â
âThought youâd never ask, baby.â
Eddie kissed the wry smile right off of his mouth.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
â Live Streamingâ Interactive Chatâ Private Showsâ HD Qualityâ Free Actions
Free to watch âą No registration required âą HD streaming
Steve Harrington x Eddie Munson, 2.4k words, also on ao3
Just a silly little first kiss idea that fell into my head because I accidentally typed Loverâs Lick instead of Loverâs Lake.
It was a blistering day in Hawkins. As a twisted way to enjoy it, the whole party decided to spend the day at Lover's Lake to continue celebrating what theyâd dubbed âDead Vecna Summer.â
Eddie wasnât sure he was enjoying himself, yet, but Robin was determined to make sure everyone did.
âItâs called exposure therapy,â Robin explained as she lazily dragged her toes through the water from her seat on the dock. âIf we all come here and have a good time, the positive association will start to make the bad shit less scary.â
âThat doesnât sound like a thing,â Mike countered, and Nancy leaned down and flicked a handful of water at him. She and Robin were near inseparable now, physically sitting shoulder to shoulder as they soaked up the sun, but also to the point where Nancy steadfastly defended everything Robin said.Â
âItâs a thing, Wheeler,â Eddie drawled from his own beach towel. He wasnât entirely sure if it was a thing or not, but Robin tended to know her shit, so he was going along with her plan for now. Eddie had no interest in actually getting in the water, but the shady little patch of grass heâd managed to lounge in was pleasant enough. âI just donât know if itâs working.â
Admittedly, the whole experience was made more pleasant by the fact that no one else but their little group was around, staring them down or making accusations with their eyes. No one really wanted to spend much time at Lover's Lakep anymore, considering it had so recently been a crime scene. The quarry and the copious other lakes around Hawkins seemed delightful by comparison; but maybe that was just because no one else had Robin.
So far, only Dustin, El, and Will had been brave enough to venture into the water. They were off the shore a ways, splashing each other and giggling ferociously. The glee on their faces was helping to tamp down the lingering sense of dread that Eddie couldnât quite shake, despite his best efforts.
Steve was also eyeing them warily, either watching like a hawk to make sure nothing weird went tickling at their ankles, or because he was fighting himself on whether he wanted to venture in after them.
Eddie suspected it was a little bit of both.Â
âFuck it,â Steve muttered to himself, before stripping his shirt off and wading into the lake. Eddie watched him go from behind the safety of his sunglasses, doing his best not to let his jaw go slack in the presence of a half dressed, sun kissed, and about to be wet Steve Harrington.Â
Once Eddie finally tore his eyes away, he noticed Robin also looking after Steveâbut her expression was a worried one.Â
âMaybe we should play a game,â Eddie suggested with a slow grin. âFor positivity, and whatnot.â
âOooh, how about truth or dare?â Max recommended in a heartbeat, like sheâd been waiting for an opportunity to present itself for her to suggest it. It instantly made Eddie wary of her intentions, but he shrugged and went along. If it made Max happy to wrangle some embarrassment out of her friends, she deserved as much. Plus, truth or dare never scared Eddie much, since he could always come up with something freakier to challenge people with than anyone ever dared him to do. And truths werenât tricky at all, because he had a knack for making bullshit sound like the truth on the spot.Â
They didnât come around on his turn for a while, yet, so he let his gaze drift back across the strikingly serene water until it landed back on Steve. He started off indulging the kids in letting them dunk his head under water, but now he seemed to have found some semblance of peace, floating on his back with his eyes on the sky.
âEarth to Munson,â Lucas called out, cupping his hands around his mouth and deepening his voice for the intended bullhorn effect. âItâs your turn, so you can stop ogling Steve, now.â
âI donât ogle, Sinclair,â Eddie said, pulling his best unaffected act. All the same, he dragged his eyes back to his immediate surroundings. âThatâs much more your speed.âÂ
Lucas nervously glanced at Max, knowing exactly what Eddie was implying. Max seemed to know as well, because she came to Lucasâs defense in a snap. Eddie wouldâve thought it was sweet, if he hadnât just aimed the Max Cannon of Shit-Talking squarely in his direction.Â
âYouâre the one who looks like you want to lick Steveâs face half the time,â she said with a knowing smirk. Everyone else burst into laughter, and Eddie had no choice but to eat the shame of being completely obvious, to the point where even all the gremlins knew he had an enormous crush on Steve.Â
âOnly half the time?â Jonathan asked, and Argyle snorted. When even the two of them were helping to gang up on Eddie, he lost any hope of someone backing him up instead of roasting him further. He sighed in resignation.
Not long after all the Upside Down drama had concluded, Eddie and Robin had both teamed up and decided to come out to the whole group together. It was partly because Robin was sick of having to deny the allegations that she was in love with Steve, and partly because they both agreed it would let the group adjust so that there would be as little friction as possible when Will decided to follow suit. It turned out none of them really needed the extra education in love and acceptance and all that, though. The kids barely blinked an eye, and instead just shifted the allegations about being in love with Steve off of Robin and right onto Eddie.Â
âOh my god,â Lucas squealed, completely overcome with excitement for some reason. He snapped his fingers and pointed at Eddie as he said, âThatâs your dare!â
âI didnât even pickââ Eddie tried, but everyone was already turning to look at him with matching evil smiles.Â
âLick his face,â Max sat back, folding her arms against her chest in satisfaction.Â
âThatâs not my dare,â Eddie muttered, already knowing his fate was sealed. He had to lick Steveâs face, or suffer some unknowable torture for time eternal for being a chickenshit.Â
âLick his face,â everyone chorused, mercifully at a whisper so Steve wouldnât hear. That didnât make it any less mortifying.
âI swear to Christââ Eddie pinched the bridge of his nose, doing his best to ignore them. He thought maybe he could withstand the torture option, instead.
âLick his face,â they all repeated, chanting like they only worshiped at the alter of humiliating Eddie in the most creative ways possible.Â
âYouâre a bunch of heathens,â Eddie whined.Â
âLick his face!â They repeated, insistent and already getting louder.Â
Eddie stared at Max in a silent plea, knowing she was the one who could most easily get everyone to lay off of him. This was her rodeo, and they both knew it. Max only stared back at him, unwavering. Eddie wondered if this was why she wanted to play truth or dare in the first place.Â
âFucking,â Eddie grumbled, pulling himself up off his towel and whipping his own shirt and sunglasses off. Then he stood there, clad in nothing but his Garfield swim trunks, and took a deep breath to steady himself. Heâd done worse than this, surely. It would be mortifying, but heâd get over it. Steve had a good enough sense of humor that Eddie didnât think heâd be pissed, at least. âFine.â
Then he stomped off into the lake and started swimming out to Steve to a round of raucous cheers at his back.
The calamitous thing he was about to go do was enough to distract Eddie from the fact that he was swimming in this lake for the first time since the spring, and he wasnât being dragged down to its depths, or watching something mind-bendingly terrifying, or being chased for his life as he did. An entirely different kind of doom was spelled out for him, sure, but at least Eddie was swimming towards someone as his fate unfurled before him.
Steve really did look beautiful, sprawled out on his back, droplets of water glistening on his skin in the sun. Eddie intentionally caused a lot of fuss as he swam, making waves and noise as he went, so as not to startle Steve out of his peaceful reverie too severely.Â
Steve was already treading water, swimming upright again, by the time Eddie reached him.Â
âHey,â he said, soft and trusting even though he probably shouldnât have been.Â
âHey,â Eddie echoed him, feeling the weight of fourteen sadistic eyes on his back. Once more, he was incredibly glad that no one else but their little group of friends was around to witness this. Eddie laughed, a desperate and delirious little sound that perfectly encapsulated how little he believed he was about to give in to peer pressure like all the preppy conformists he always made fun of.
âIâm sorry in advance,â Eddie said, and Steve tilted his head in confusion.Â
âHuhââ
Eddie reached up and grabbed Steveâs chin, watching as the lake water pebbled across the planes of Steveâs face, and gently tipped it towards the side. Then he licked a stripe up Steveâs cheek, quick but thorough, just enough to savor the feel of Steveâs skin on his tongue for even a moment.Â
Just as quickly as itâd begun, it was over, and Eddie turned around to face his jury, still idly judging from the dock. They broke out into another round of cheers and applause, so Eddie couldnât help but thrust his arms up in triumph and give them a little show.Â
He felt a hand on his shoulder, then, and had to kick his feet quicker so he didnât start sinking at the sensation of being spun around. Eddie braced himself, for a split second thinking he was gonna get punched.Â
The next thing he felt was, in fact, a hand on his face, but it was as gentle of a touch as he could ever remember feeling. Eddie peeked one eye open, only to find Steve looking back at him, a small smile playing at his lips. Steve rubbed his thumb across Eddieâs cheek bone, then very deliberately dropped his eyes to Eddieâs lips.
âWhat are you doing, Stevie?â Eddie asked, wondering if he was dreaming all of a sudden.
âWhat was Robin rambling about earlier?â Steve murmured, the low rumble of humor in his chest. âPositive associations?âÂ
Eddie just nodded dumbly at him, entirely unsure if that was what Robin had said at all.Â
âWell, hereâs mine,â Steve said simply, then leaned in and kissed him.Â
Even though the world had seemingly thudded to a stop, Eddie felt the way Steveâs lips moved against his own, firm and soft all at once, leaving him all tingly in an instant. Eddie didnât know how, or why, but Steve was kissing him like he meant itâlike heâd been ruminating on his desire to slot his lips between Eddieâs it for as long Eddie had been fantasizing about the same.Â
The realization was a heady one, and Eddie heard a surprised little whimper escape his throat. Steve hummed happily in response, then slid the hand on Eddieâs cheek into his hair, getting a better grip so he could maneuver the angle of Eddieâs face to his liking.
Eddie thought heâd let Steve position him however the fuck he wanted as long as he kept kissing him. He grabbed on to Steveâs shoulders on instinct, dragging him in closer, with the water allowing Steve to flow into Eddie's arms with ease until their chests were pressed together. Steve gently nipped at Eddieâs bottom lip with his teeth, and Eddie rode that wave to bold new heights, daring to drag his tongue along the curve of Steveâs, perfect, delectable mouth. Steve's grip on Eddie's hair tightened, then he opened up and rolled his tongue against Eddie's own.
Eddie thought Loverâs Lake might actually be the best place on Earth.
It occurred to Eddie that he might sink and drown and die in that moment, since he completely forgot how to tread water when the only thing he could focus on was Steveâs mouth on his own, Steveâs hand in his hair, Steve kissing him so thoroughly that it was worth it if this was where he died after all. But Steve secured an arm around Eddieâs waist, holding them both aloft in the water, letting the sunshine dance across their shoulders and set their kisses surging with even more heat than their hold on each other could generate on its own.Â
When they finally pulled apart, Eddie heard the distant roar of hooting and hollering coming at them from the dock and their friends nearby in the water, but he couldnât do anything but stare at Steve, dumbstruck and with the taste of Steve's cherry lip balm still on his tongue.
âWas that okay?â Steve asked, looking worried now.Â
Eddie thought the best way to chase that concern right off Steveâs pretty face was to kiss him again, and again, and again.
âOh my god, get a room,â Dustin hollered at them after a moment, and Eddie relished the feel of Steveâs smile against his own. Eddie pulled back just enough to tilt his head in silent communication, doing his best not to get too distracted by how Steveâs lips were still swollen thanks to him.
âDefinitely,â Steve nodded in agreement, and two of them took off after Dustin in perfect sync. By the time Dustin realized what he was in for, it was too late. He paddled away like a mad man, screeching and giggling all the way, but Steve was too fast. He gained on Dustin quickly, getting his arms around him just as Eddie caught up.
Together, they each smacked a sloppy kiss to one of Dustinâs cheeks, then dunked him underwater together. Dustin did his best to look affronted when he resurfaced, but his grin was unmistakable.
âItâs about time,â he muttered, then splashed Steve and Eddie both and quickly paddled away again. El and Will joined in the chase this time, and Eddie heard several splashes from the dock behind him as reinforcements came to unite in a game of ganging up on Henderson.
None of them ever really panicked about taking a dip in Lover's Lake after that.
Written for @thefreakandthehair's Summer Fanworks Challenge for the prompt: "That look in your eye terrifies me."
Thanks so much for organizing this, Lex! It's been so fun!! đ
tags/cw: fwb, jealousy, love confessions, consensual somno, deepthroating, semi-public sex, light d/s dynamics, cockwarming, good boy Eddie Munson, soft dom Steve Harrington, off-screen negotiated kink, meddling buckingham, one teensie reference to past stomarol, and more tags on ao3
Eddie is good for Steve, he thinks. Good in more than just the way he knows exactly how to turn Steve to putty in his hands, beyond how he can make Steve laugh, or make him feel safe, or even how heâs one of the best friends Steveâs ever had.
Steve really has to start grappling with the fact that heâs in love with Eddieâthe little detail might have the power to ruin them forever. Ruin Steve forever. Because heâs the one that went and fell in love when they were supposed to just be fooling around, friends with benefits or whatever the fuck Eddie had called it when they first started this
When Steveâs being entirely honest with himself, he knows he was in love with Eddie long before their arrangement ever started, but he dove in head first anyway, desperate for an excuse to have Eddie in whatever way he could get him.
[read on ao3, or under the cut!]
Steve wakes up to Eddieâs mouth around his cock, and even though heâs barely conscious heâs already not sure how much more he can take.
Steve whines, a deep gravelly whimper that makes Eddie stop what heâs doing with a wet pop. The filthy sound of it, the way a trail of spit and precum dangles from Eddieâs lip as he smiles up at Steve, hair a wild mess and with nothing but hunger in his eyesâSteve has to bite down on his lip to keep from telling Eddie he loves him. If Eddie thinks heâs just stifling a moan, so be it.
âMorninâ Stevie,â Eddie says, licks his lips and then slowly draws his tongue along the slit of Steveâs cock. Steve hisses at the sight as much as the sensation, so hard already he wonders how long it took for him to wake up.
âMorning,â Steve manages to say, brushing his fingertips across Eddieâs cheekbone and sending him a sloppy smile. âStarted breakfast without me?â
âYou just looked so fucking good, babe, I couldnât wait.â Eddie lowers his mouth to lick Steveâs balls next, and it takes everything Steve has not to jerk his hips wildly in response. Eddie smiles like he can tell. âYou can punish me if you want.â
And god, if Steve doesnât love it when Eddieâs in a mood like this. He loved most of Eddieâs moods, actually. They were so in sync with their tastes, their desires, their kinksâmaybe everything but their feelings for each other.
âShould I make you watch me jerk myself off?â Steve snakes his hand down his chest and grabs his own shaft with a squeeze that makes his breath catch. He watches Eddieâs eyes flare and doesnât bother to hold back a shaky laugh. âForce you to keep that pretty mouth to yourself?â
As he watches Steve stroke his own cockâstill soaked with Eddieâs spitâEddie bites down on his lip so hard Steve wonders if he might break the skin. Steve uses his free hand to tug Eddieâs lip free, and Eddie doesnât hesitate to suck Steveâs thumb into his mouth instead. Steve can feel the way Eddieâs spit is thicker with his own precum when Eddie swirls his tongue, sucking Steveâs thumb deeper.
Steve pulls it back and pushes three fingers into Eddieâs mouth instead, reveling in the way Eddie moans and looks up at him like heâs grateful. Steve shoves his fingers in deeper, and Eddie sucks them down as Steve moves them in time with each stroke of his cock.
âGonna let me fuck your throat?â Steve asks eventually. Eddieâs eyes are pleading as he keens around Steveâs fingers, making a gurgling sound as he nods ferociously. Steve palms the head of his cock before stroking down again, then presses the tip right up against Eddieâs chin. âFuck, baby. Lemme see what that mouth can do.â
Eddie sucks the tip of Steveâs cock back into his mouth like heâs starved for it. Steve moves his hand to cup the back of Eddieâs head, guiding it as he lets Eddie bob up and down a few times before he starts thrusting up into it. But Eddie seems impatient, makes a needy sort of grumbling sound as he swallows Steve down as far as he can go. His nose presses into the thick nest of Steveâs hair and he looks up at Steve with pride as he sucks in a deep breath through his noseâa plea for more.
Steveâs happy to oblige. He pushes up until Eddie gags and pulls back with a wet, sloppy smile. He comes back for more almost instantly, and Steve trusts Eddie will tell him if itâs too much. He thrusts up again and Eddie moans around his cock, relaxing his throat just at the perfect moment for the vibrations to send frissons of heat straight from Steveâs tip and licking up his spine. He holds Eddieâs head in a firm grip and lets himself get lost in how good it feels, makes sure to tell Eddie just how much.
âGod, you were meant to be a pretty mouth to fuck, werenât you Eds? Like your throat was made for my cock,â Steve says, and Eddieâs eyes roll back as he hums again, sending another wave of electricity through Steve like a serpent eating its own tail of absolute divine pleasure between them. The wet heat of Eddieâs mouth is perfect, he knows just how to press his tongue against the underside of Steveâs cock to make him see stars.
Steve wonders how Eddie can be so good at making Steve come undone without loving him back.
The problem is as much as Steve loves fucking into Eddieâs mouth until he can feel the tip of his dick pressing against Eddieâs perfect, pliant throat, sometimes he thinks heâd like waking up to a deviant round of cuddles just as much.
âFuck, youâre so goddamn good for me,â Steve whines anyway, fisting Eddieâs hair into a tighter grip and thrusting up into his mouth again. Eddie looks up at Steve like heâs floating on the praise, tears now sparkling on his pretty lashes. The sight alone is nearly enough to make Steve fall apart.
Eddie is good for Steve, he thinks. Good in more than just the way he knows exactly how to turn Steve to putty in his hands, beyond how he can make Steve laugh, or make him feel safe, or even how heâs one of the best friends Steveâs ever had.
Steve really has to start grappling with the fact that heâs in love with Eddieâthe little detail might have the power to ruin them forever. Ruin Steve forever. Because heâs the one that went and fell in love when they were supposed to just be fooling around, friends with benefits or whatever the fuck Eddie had called it when they first started this.
When Steveâs being entirely honest with himself, he knows he was in love with Eddie long before their arrangement ever started, but he dove in head first anyway, desperate for an excuse to have Eddie in whatever way he could get him.
Itâs never in these moments that he regrets it, not when Eddie fits him so perfectly, knows just what Steve always needs and vice versa. Theyâve negotiated every kink in the book, talked through what they like and donât, fucked each other senseless so many times by now Steve wonders how heâs ever supposed to get hard for anyone elseâor love anyone else.
But that part isnât allowed. Those words are for thoughts only, allowed to stir a yearning ache that takes over Steveâs whole body in waves but never be released aloud into the space between them.
So Steve keeps letting his body say what his mouth canât and fucks up into Eddieâs throat, desperately chasing a high he can never quite reach. Then Eddie flattens his tongue and relaxes his jaw just right, and Steve barely has time to register the way he feels that familiar tightening in his balls before heâs coming, babbling Eddieâs name like a prayer.
He paints Eddieâs throat in his cum, possessing him in the only way he knows how. Eddie swallows it all down hungrily, then takes the time to lick Steve clean until heâs on the verge of overstimulated and writhing.
âEds,â Steve pants, using whatever weak grip he still has on Eddieâs hair to pull him away.
âYeah, Stevie?â Eddie asks, all faux innocence, fluttering eyelashes, and swollen lipsâlike all he wants is to keep his mouth on Steveâs cock for the rest of their lives.
And thereâs another one of those thoughts about forever that Steve has to shove away in earnest, bury deep in as many dirty thoughts as he can heap on top of it before he loses his senses.
He grins wickedly down at Eddie before pulling him the length of his body up for a filthy, salty kiss. Steve can taste himself on Eddieâs tongue, moans into it before hooking his leg over Eddieâs hip and flipping him onto his back. He pulls away slow, sucking Eddieâs bottom lip as he goes, not releasing it until he gives it a little nip.
He sees whatâs left of the tear tracks staining Eddieâs cheeks and kisses them awayâmore salt on his tongue to temper the sweetness that is Eddie.
âYou were so perfect, always make me feel so good,â Steve tells him between kisses, inching further down Eddieâs jaw, his neck, his chest as he goes.
âCanât help that you taste so good, sweetheart,â Eddie purrs, arches his back as Steve starts to twist his nipple piercing between his fingers, before sucking it into his mouth. Steve feels Eddieâs dick twitch against his hip as he laps at his nippleâall cold metal and taut, pebbled skin beneath his hot tongue. He pulls away and looks up at Eddie, whoâs watching every move Steve makes with rapt attention.
âMy turn,â Steve promises, then sinks down for some breakfast of his own.
Steve almost regrets having to brush his teeth. He feels dirty to think it, shameful even, but he wishes he could keep the taste of Eddie and himself blended together with him all day, the mixture of their cum and spit that coats his mouth and reminds him of exactly how good things with Eddie can be.
âCan anyone make you come like I do, sweetheart?â Eddie had asked after they were both sated and finished, knowing full well what the answer was, is, has always been. Steve just smiled and stretched and avoided the question, but now that heâd retreated to the bathroom to get ready to leave, he canât think about anything else.
Because heâs afraid it will always be Eddie for him. Not just because the sex is goodâitâs phenomenal, but he loved Eddie well before he ever knew how well they could meld together in bedâbut because Steveâs heart is so tied to Eddie heâs not sure how heâll ever untangle those feelings without catastrophic damage.
Itâs always this part of their time together that Steve dreads the most, where he inevitably starts to contemplate leaving Eddie behind and never coming back. Just Eddieâs fingers on his skin can make Steve feel more alive than he has in years, yet somehow it makes him feel so empty by the time he cleans up and leaves, that Steveâs not sure how much longer he can do this.
Heâs not sure what stupid impulse ever made him think he was cut out for a no-strings-attached situation, but he curses it every time he feels like this.
Steve thinks itâs almost worse that Eddieâs never an asshole about it. Heâs always more than happy for Steve to spend the night, to lay cuddled together in a tangled mess of limbs, talking and joking all night longâor at least until theyâre ready to go again. Eddieâs always willing to let Steve make him breakfast the next morning, or to make Steveâs coffee perfectly and do the whole domestic thing that drives Steve even more wild than the orgasms do.
Steve never feels like Eddieâs just using him for sex and somehow, beyond all of Steveâs deductive reasoning abilities, thatâs become a huge problem. Steve loves every minute of it, every ounce of affection Eddie showers him with, but once heâs left to sneak back into his own house (or Eddieâs off to do the same), reality sinks in that Steve might have Eddie, but he doesnât really have him in the way he wants to. Needs to.
He and Eddie were clear when they started this. Friends with benefits. Nothing more, nothing less. They would be each otherâs ports in a storm against the lashing tides of loneliness. Because they liked each other, trusted each other, and it seems so silly to let all that attraction, all that sexual compatibility, go to waste.
Steve caught feelings anyway.
Well, if Steve was being honest like Robin wanted him to be, heâd caught feelings before he ever even agreed to the whole arrangement. Thatâs why Robin was so adamantly against it. Not because she didnât like Eddieâhe was her girlfriendâs best friend. In the same way Chrissy loved Steve, Robin loved Eddie.
Both of them seemed to hate the idea of Steve and Eddie, though.
So mostly they snuck around. It wasnât terribly difficult, even though Steve lived with Robin and Eddie lived with Chrissy, considering Robin and Chrissy stayed together most nights. All Steve and Eddie had to do was suss out whose place would be empty most of the time, and then manage to sneak back home before either one of their friends noticed theyâd been gone.
Steve had memorized the exact way to flip open the mechanism on his and Robinâs garden gate without making it creak in the night, just below Robinâs bedroom window, as he came home from what was starting to feel like a clandestine affair.
Eddie, for his part, had every stair that creaked on the way up to his bedroom in his and Chrissyâs place memorized, so as not to alert her when he was coming home at all hours of the night.
Itâs working out fine, except for that empty feeling thatâs a growing cavern in Steveâs chest. And itâs getting harder and harder for him to ignore.
Steve knows he has to find a way to extricate himself from this mess heâs made, to somehow clean up his own sloppy feelings and shove them back inside a lock box in his chest without letting Eddie know anything is actually wrong, without insulting him and damaging their friendship in the process.
Because even if Steve knows he has to stop sleeping with Eddie, he canât fathom the idea of losing him altogether.
The first step is probably getting the hell out of Eddieâs apartment, however.
Steve finally spits his toothpaste into the sink, watching all remnants of the morning washing down the drain with an ache in his ribcage.
Like clockwork, Eddie slips into the bathroom behind him and wraps his arms around Steveâs middle. He hums into the crook of Steveâs neck and says, âCoffeeâs ready, sweetheart.â
And just like that Steveâs staying for coffee, too.
Thereâs absolutely no way that Steveâs gonna make it home before Robin gets up now. He knows heâs in for it, that heâll have to make up an excuse about some one-night stand he somehow managed to pick up after heâd left Eddieâs the night before.
The entire walk home, he curses himself for admitting to Robin that he was planning on seeing Eddie at all.
Robinâs sitting at the kitchen table waiting for him when he gets home. Steve takes a quick look around, finds no extra shoes by the door, no spare jacket still hanging on the hook. So Chrissy isnât still here to also witness his lovestruck humiliation, or however Robinâs planning to dress him down over it, at least.
Steve doesnât bother trying to dodge his fate when he takes in Robinâs face. She looks stern, sure, but also sad in a way that Steve canât possibly ignore. He goes to sit beside her, probably looking like the picture of guilt the whole way.
âWhereâve you been?â she asks by way of greeting. Steve bites his lip, but Robin stops even the semblance of a lie from percolating on the tip of his tongue with a tired sigh. âJust tell me.â
âEddieâs,â Steve mumbles, then pillows his head in his folded arms across the tabletop. âGo ahead and yell.â
âIâm not gonna yell, Steve,â Robin says softly, and that only makes him feel worse.
âNo, I think I really need it,â he says, looking up at her again without lifting his head.
âAnd thatâs how I know you donât,â Robin counters, patting the top of his head sympathetically. âThree times a week for four months seems to have finally knocked some sense into you.â
Steve canât help it, he feels himself gawking at her. âHow did youâŠ?â
âChrissy and I arenât idiots, Steve,â Robin rolls her eyes at him with more affection than he feels like he deserves. âJust because you figured out how not to make the gate creak doesnât mean you donât come home smelling like him. Like right now.â
Steve actually thought he did a pretty good job at covering up Eddieâs scent, but he always hates doing it. Maybe heâd been subconsciously sabotaging his own efforts.
âPlus, Chrissy and I went back to hers one night and totally heard you two going at it,â Robin adds with a shrug. âApparently you were so loud you didnât notice us stumbling-drunk into the apartment and crashing for the night.â
âWhen was this?â Steve asks.
âI think the same week you swore to us both that you werenât going to mess around anymore, that you were âjust friends and that was it. Pinkie swear.ââ Robin gives him a skeptical look, like she thought maybe he was cursed just for breaking the sanctity of a pinkie swear to his best friend.
She was probably right.
Steve tries to think back to that week, that day even, when he and Eddie decided theyâd had enough of Chrissy and Robinâs judgmental looks over their relationship, if you could even call it that. Steve was pretty sure that was the same night Eddie had surprised him with a cock ring. So yeah, that mightâve distracted him even from armageddon commencing, let alone the fact that there were people in the next room.
âSorry,â Steve mutters. He genuinely is if Robin and Chrissy had to listen to that night.
âRemember how you caught us in the kitchen a week later?â Robin asks, and Steve does. A little too vividly for his taste, actually.
âPayback?â Steve guesses, and Robin just grins. âI guess I deserved that. What about Eddie, though? Did he get payback too?â
âOh, we did the same to him,â Robin assures him.
âThorough.â
âWe really are,â Robin waggles her eyebrows at him before turning back to the topic at hand. âSeriously though. What happened?â
âNothing,â Steve feels his shoulders deflate with a sigh. âIt was the same as it always isâfucking amazing. And itâs not just the sex, Rob. Heâs amazing. He makes me laugh and heâs so goddamn cute and I donât even know why because heâs a dork butâŠâ
âYou love him,â Robin fills in, and Steve feels like he might cry if he admits it out loud. So instead he just nods once, stiffly, then swallows thick so he can try and move the conversation along.
âI canât keep leaving there pretending I donât want him for real, you know?â Steve asks, and Robin hums along like she does. Of course she does, because she seems to know everything that goes on in Steveâs head. âItâs eating me up inside. So Iâm going to end it. I have to end it. Can youâŠfuck. Can you help me, Robbie?â
Robin takes his hand and clasps it between her own so quickly, it feels like sheâs shoved a giant weight off Steveâs chest. âOf course I will, dingus.â
âOkay,â Steve lets out a breath he didnât know heâd been holding onto. âThank you.â
âYouâre welcome,â Robin says matter of factly.
Like clockwork, Steveâs phone dings.
Eddie: holy shit, Stevie!!!!! Jeff says Ghost is coming here in sept!!!! we HAVE to go, please say weâre gonna go đ„șđ„șđ„șđ»đ»đ»đ„șđ„șđ„ș
Steve knows heâs grinning like a fool at his phone, despite the distinctly depressing conversation heâs in the middle of with Robin. He feels her eyes on him as he types out a response. If heâs teasing Eddie on purpose, Robin doesnât need to know that. Plus, itâs not like he said heâd stop being friends with Eddie. Just that heâd stop fucking him. They could surely go to a concert together without fucking. Right?
Steve: I donât even like Ghost
Three little dots pop up faster than Steve can blink. He prepares himself for a lot of punctuation.
Eddie: what!!!!!!!!!
Eddie: sacrilege!!!
Eddie: how can you say such a thing?!?!?!
Eddie: okay you might be teasing me soâŠ.really??
Eddie: cause you like fuckinâ e v e r y t h i n g
Steve: Thatâs a mean way to call someone bisexual
âAhem,â Robin clears her throat, making Steve jerk his head back up to look at her. âWhatâs so funny in your phone?â
âJust a meme Dustin sent me,â Steve lies. Heâll find a random meme if he has to, but he doesnât think it will matter either way based on the way Robin is narrowing her eyes at him. Heâs saved by another ding.
Eddie: i just snorted coffee through my nose and everyone at work is staring
Steve: đ
Steve laughs out loud as he types his reply, hits send just a millisecond before Robin snatches his phone from his hands. She gives him a disappointed look before she reads the conversation aloud just to rub Steveâs nose in it.
âOh, apparently Gareth is reenacting the coffee snort, now,â Robin informs him as he makes a diving grab for his phone back. She dodges him easily, because apparently sheâs got a measured athletic grace that kicks in when Steve needs her clumsiness the most. âHe says you must all hate him.â
âRobin,â Steve grits through his teeth. âIâm sorry, okay? But heâll know somethingâs up if I start ignoring him.â
âIf you donât at least avoid him for now youâre never gonna make it, Steve,â Robin says, matter of fact, and Steve knows sheâs right. He doesnât know how to maneuver this without ruining their friendship, too.
Sometimes he worries itâs already well beyond ruined, and heâs just in denial about it.
âSo what do you suggest?â Steve asks, folding his arms across his chest. âI canâtâŠI canât tell him the truth, Rob. Heâll be nice about it while he rejects me and itâll kill me. And I canât just ghost him.â
Steve winces at his lack of a better term.
âYou wonât be,â Robin shrugs easily. âIâll keep your phone for now. Pretend to be you and respond to him. You know. How friends do.â
âThat was friendly!â Steve insists.
âThat was flirting,â Robin counters.
âHow am I supposed to get around without my phone!â Steve deflects.
âIâll give you mine,â Robin says easily, almost like she thinks itâll be fun. âWeâll be fine, we do it all the time by accident anyway.â
And, well, sheâs not exactly wrong about that. Theyâre signed into all of each otherâs social media and other accounts anyway, just by virtue of how they share phones like they do clothes. And thoughts.
âFine. But donât be mean to him,â Steve warns.
âI told you, Steve. Nothing but friendly,â Robin grins and types out a response to whatever Eddieâs saying now. Steve gets the feeling she wonât fill him in, and is proved right when she locks the phone and a wicked grin takes over her face.
Steve is a little scared of whatever plan she has cooking up.
âYou know the best way to get over someone?â she asks.
âHowâŠâ Steveâs voice is so flat it can hardly be considered a question.
âGet under somebody else.â
âRob,â Steve protests immediately. He canât even think about someone else yet. Maybe ever.
âCome on, Nancyâs coming to town tomorrow, Chris and I were gonna take her out for a girls night. Nothing crazy. Just a bar or two. You should come with us. See if you can meet someoneâŠdistracting. And uncomplicated,â Robin puts her best pouty, puppy eyes on. The ones she knows Steve can never resist.
He already knows heâll say yes, but he deflects anyway. âYour solution to me getting over Eddie is taking me out with Nancy?â
âI did not say you should sleep with Nancy, you creep,â Robin groans and flicks his forehead. âIf anyone is taking Nance home at the end of the night, itâs me and Chrissy.â
Well that certainly achieved the distract-Steve-from-his-misery goal in a two seconds flat. He feels his eyebrows shoot up into his hair as he half-shouts, âAnd thatâs not complicated?!â
Steve knew Robin probably wouldnât want to hear it, but he was willing to draw on certain throupled experiences of his own with Tommy and Carol from their college days in warning of how that path was anything but simple. Robin seems to know thatâs exactly what heâs thinking anyway, because she scrunches up her nose and barrels right past any opportunity for him to bring it up.
âNot with healthy communication about expectations, dingus,â she says simply.
âI thought I did that with Eddie,â Steve points out with a huff. âLook how that turned out.â
âYeah, except you lied about how you really felt,â Robin says, voice dripping with exasperation.
âOh. Right,â Steve mutters. She had a point. âGuess Iâm coming to girlâs night, then.â
Somehow âGirlâs Nightâ turned into âLetâs Pick Out a Date for Steve Nightâ instead, and heâs already regretting agreeing to come. Robin and Nancy are really into it, scouring the bar for potential partners and rating them on a scale of one to ten based on what they think Steve will like.
Itâs a little bit more illuminating about what they think of his taste than heâs willing to examine.
Chrissy at least seems to be taking pity on Steve, and is keeping up with him beer for beer as they watch a baseball game on the barâs TV. Steve can still feel her concerned eyes on him every once in a while, though, like Robinâs told her exactly the state he came home in the morning before.
Or maybe Eddieâs talked to her about the sudden shift in tone in Steveâs texts, how itâs obvious something has changed between them and itâs freaking Eddie out as much as it is Steve. Or maybe thatâs just wishful thinking.
Steveâs not proud of it, the way heâs agreed to let Robin pretend to be him so he can take the space to breathe. But he just needs to not to get caught up in the whirlwind of Eddie and his charm, or the way he draws Steve in faster than any moth has been to a flame. So he gave Robin his phone, asked her to screen for anything important, and has been sticking to it for a solid thirty-six hours now.
Robinâs definition of important might differ slightly from his own, considering she hasnât informed him of anything since yesterday, but thatâs well enough for Steve. Maybe she has a point about not needing to respond to every text from Dustin within thirty seconds of receiving it, too.
Sheâs certainly right to keep him in the dark, mushroom style, every time he asks if Eddieâs called.
Heâs stuck ruminating about it pretty hard when Robin elbows him in the ribs to get his attention.
âHim,â she says with all of the conviction Steveâs ever heard in her voice. He turns to follow her gaze until his eyes finally land on the guy in question, only a couple of barstools away from the table theyâre huddled over together.
Heâs not exactly an Eddie clone, but itâs close enough that if Eddie were to walk in while Steve was hypothetically talking to him, it would send a message for sure. Heâs got dirty blonde, shaggy hair thatâs not nearly as curly or long as Eddieâs, but also canât be described as anything but a mane. Heâs wearing a t-shirt for a band Steveâs never heard of and jeans that hug his ass so nicely that Steveâs almost tempted.
âI donât think so,â Steve sighs and sinks further into the booth.
âWhy not?â Nancy asks, and catches Chrissy and Robin exchanging a look. âWhat?â
âEddie,â they say in unison, and Nancy gets a look on her face like sense has dawned on her once again.
âYouâre still not fucking together, but you are still hung up on him?â Nancy rounds on Steve. âSeriously?â
âIââ Steve tries to respond, but Robin cuts him off.
âWell theyâre fucking plenty,â she says, going the extra mile to rat him out fully.
âRob,â Steve protests, giving her ankle kick under the table. Robin just shrugs while Chrissy snorts at their antics, used to them by now.
âYouâre both so stupid,â Nancy grumbles before taking another swig of her drink.
Steveâs more tempted to go talk to the random hot guy now just to get away from the disapproving vibe at the table. The temptation only increases when he takes in the manâs handsâtheyâre strong hands, big and rugged like one of this guyâs hobbies requires some muscle out of them.
It only takes the manâs green eyes sliding over to watch Steve back, then an appreciative smirk lobbed in his direction, for Steve to make up his mind.
âHeâs been checking you out for at least ten minutes,â Robin says, laying it on a little thicker. Sheâs lucky Steve is even willing to listen to her advice right nowâand that this guy is attractive as fuck.
âAt least he wonât give me shit over Eddie,â Steve grumbles at them as he goes to say hello. The stool beside the man is empty, so Steve slips into it easily and gives him one of the best Harrington Charm smiles heâs got on deck. âCan I buy you a drink?â
âWoah, not even a pick up line first?â the guy asks, and his flirtatious smile is cute as hell, Steve will admit.
âDo I really need one?â Steve asks, tilting his head as he does.
âOh, so heâs cocky and handsome,â the other man nods seriously. âDeadly combination.â
Steve laughs, and itâs easier than he expected it to be. Thereâs still a hole in his heart that he doesnât know quite how to sew up tight, but having a drink with this manâwhose name is Derek, he learnsâand his easy smile makes it just a little bit easier to ignore for now.
Heâs not really planning on going much further than a little bit of flirting, maybe exchanging numbers if heâs feeling reckless. Heâs really not in a place to do anything but take whatever ego boost Derekâs willing to provide. Maybe thatâs not fair of him, exactly, but Robinâs right about one thing, at least: heâs distracted enough not to feel completely miserable for a while. Steve lets himself get lost in the simplicity of it, finds the flow of flirting without the weight of confusion and a million what ifâs weighing him down.
Itâs all going so well until he hears Eddieâs voice clambering through the crowd, from somewhere around where the girls are sitting.
âWhat the fuck, Chrissy,â Eddieâs question carries, and Steveâs whole body locks up in tension in an instant.
âWhat?â Chrissy asks, sounding the picture of innocence. Nothing follows, so Steve assumes Eddieâs just making a face at her, since silent communication is one of their strong suits as well. Then Chrissy laughs and says, âWell, he has a type I guess.â
And oh, Steveâs not ready for whateverâs coming next.
âDid I just stumble into a scenario where youâre trying to make your boyfriend jealous?â Derek asks, and Steve really wishes heâd just stayed home.
âI donât have a boyfriend,â Steve says truthfully, yet artfully leaving out some context. He doesnât really think Eddie has the right to act jealous in the first place, so Steve thinks a little bit of bewilderment on his part is also warranted.
âEx, then?â Derek guesses, still eyeing Eddie over Steveâs shoulder. Steve doesnât have the courage to turn around and look.
âHeâs just a friend,â Steve sighs at the truth of it, can hear the disappointment in his voice.
Derek can too.
âHe looks like heâs thinking about kicking my ass,â he says, sounding less impressed by the second.
âHe is not going to do anythingââ Steveâs decisive reply is cut off by a hand on his elbow. Heâd know that touch anywhere. Itâs gentle but demanding, soft yet strong enough to fall to pieces for.
All of a sudden Eddieâs crowding between them, somehow turning one of his more charming smiles into a sneer sent in Derekâs direction. But then his focus lands on Steve, and for a moment it seems like the rest of the room goes silent.
âCan I talk to you?â Eddie asks, eyes almost begging.
Steve canât believe Eddieâs acting like this just because heâs talking to someone else, canât believe that for a minute he considers going along with it. He turns to apologize to Derek. âIâm sorââ
But Eddieâs already dragging him off by the elbow. Steve just barely hears Derek say something like, âWhy am I always the one that makes them get their shit together?â to his friend before theyâre both out of earshot.
Eddie leads Steve out the back door and into an alley beside the bar. He slips his hands into Steveâs back pockets, manhandling him until his back is against the brick and giving his ass a firm squeeze.
âAre you trying to drive me crazy, Stevie?â he asks, an unknowable and wild look in his eye.
It feels twisted even to think, but Steve isnât sure if heâs more irritated or elated from this reaction out of Eddie. He wonders if he should have started flirting with other people in bars sooner, but he runs with the irritation outwardly.
âWhat is wrong with you?â he asks, ignoring Eddieâs question entirely. âSince when did you turn into a jealous maniac?â
âThat was hardly maniacal,â Eddie scoffs, but thereâs this desperate sheen overtaking his whole face that Steveâs never seen before. It quickly disappears behind one of Eddieâs many masks, but Steve still caught it. Itâs enough to give his pathetic heart a little jolt of hopeâhope that morphs into white hot flames that envelope his whole body when Eddie slips one hand around Steveâs front to grab his dick through his pants. He grins when he feels how Steveâs already getting hard. âIâll show you maniacal.â
Then Eddieâs kissing him, as possessive and needy as Steveâs ever felt his lips before. Thereâs nothing soft about it. Every ounce of desperation he saw on Eddieâs face just a moment before is now cascading into the kiss, a hot clash of tongues and teeth like Eddieâs trying to devour him whole.
Because they donât talk about their feelings, they only do.
Steve just wishes it didnât feel so goddamn good.
He threads his fingers through Eddieâs hair and pours himself back into what little space is left between them. Eddie bites down on Steveâs bottom lip and growls, all grasping greed and bravado before he soothes it over with his tongue. Steve opens his mouth and lets Eddie in, just like heâs been doing all these months, canât help it when he feels like all Eddie wants is for Steve to be his.
I am, I am, I swear Iâm yours, Steveâs traitor heart chants in his chest, and heâs afraid Eddie can hear it in every beat.
Steve pushes further into Eddie until their chests are pressed together and hips flush. Eddie groans into the contact, rolls his tongue against Steveâs and slots his thigh between Steveâs legs. Steve grinds down onto him just as Eddie pushes up, not a care in the world for how theyâre dry-humping in an alleyway like animals.
Steveâs panting heâs missed this so much, and itâs barely been a couple of days. He knows he shouldnât (promised himself he wouldnât), but heâs leaning into it. Then Eddieâs hand is on his dick, and heâs losing himself in a sea of want and need and touch and Eddie. Steve canât believe how heâs gone from vaguely flirting with a stranger to fully hard in a back alley and breaking his promise to himselfâto Robin, tooâin about two minutes flat.
The thought of Robin snaps him back to reality and he pulls away with a gasp.
âWe canât,â Steve says, but not before Eddieâs already moved to kissing his neck, biting along the underside of his jaw next.
âWhy not,â Eddie murmurs against Steveâs skin without stopping. Steveâs hips move of their own accord, grinding into Eddie again as he curses himself.
âBecause,â Steve says weakly, trying to remember why he said that in the first place. Robin, some rational voice supplies in the back of his head. And your goddamn dignity.
Steveâs eyes fly open and his hands fist in Eddieâs shirt, which Eddie mistakes as a sign of excitement. He chuckles darkly against Steveâs neck, and Steve has to muster every bit of self control heâs ever had in his life.
âEddie, stop,â he says, somehow managing to keep his voice flat. Eddie does instantly, before he looks back at Steve with that same quiet desperation in his eyes again.
Steve realizes heâs scared.
Eddie tries to cover it with a joke. âNot as into sex in public as last month?â
âNot into sex with you right now,â Steve clarifies, and somehow he finds the annoyance in his chest again, buried somewhere down deep beneath all the layers of lust. And love. Which is why heâs doing this, Steve reminds himself.
He loves Eddie too much to lose him over itâor to lose himself in it.
âWhat did I do?â Eddie asks, voice straining.
âNothing,â Steve says, because itâs true. Eddie hasnât done anything wrong, itâs Steve and his feelings that are all fucked up here. The only thing Eddieâs done is dare not to love Steve back, just like he promised he wouldnât. But Eddieâs face is crumpling, and Steve canât stand to watch it. It makes him a little mad that Eddie even gets to look heartbroken, when itâs Steveâs thatâs shattering right there in between them. âI justâneed some time to myself, Eddie. Okay?â
Eddieâs shaking his head already, though, and Steveâs scared heâs being too vague, that nebulous reasons wonât cut it.
âYou keep calling me that,â Eddie says. He finally pulls away entirely, putting space between them that Steve feels like a knife in the gut.
âWhat?â he asks.
âEddie.â
âThatâs your name,â Steve deflects. He knows exactly what Eddie means, that Eddie feels as foreign coming out of Steveâs mouth as Steve does Eddieâs.
âNot from you,â Eddie clarifies.
Steve doesnât know how to do this. He has to get out of there. âJustâŠnot now. Okay?â
He doesnât give Eddie the chance to reply before he turns on his heel and runs back inside.
At first Steve thinks Eddieâs not going to follow him. He goes back to the booth where the girls are sitting to find them all looking at him expectantly. He canât try to parse what theyâre thinking, how they might be judging the undoubtedly miserable look on his face, or if theyâve noticed the slight bulge in his pants. He grabs his jacket and tosses some money on the table before telling Robin heâll see her at home.
Itâs that time of night when cabs are already lined up and waiting outside for the drunks to come stumbling out, and Steve finds one with ease. Heâs relieved that Eddie seems to have taken the hint and isnât following him this time.
Steve thinks heâs managed to escape this mess in particular, at least. Avoiding Eddieâs texts and calls wonât fly, not now that theyâve fought over it. But Steve just needs the space to figure out what to do next. He knows heâs an asshole for running away, but he canât help it in that moment.
Heâs wondering why Eddie even showed up tonight, but he shoves the questions away for later. Right now he just needs to flee.
The driver just starts to pull away from the curb when the door opposite Steve flings open, and Eddie hops in the backseat. The cabbie looks startled, but satisfied enough to keep driving when Eddie slams the door shut behind him and turns his wild eyes on Steve.
âWhat the fuck!â Steve exclaims, because really. What the fuck.
âI need you to talk to me, Steve,â Eddie says. Heâs right, the lack of a Stevie feels almost like a death sentence. âStop avoiding the subject and tell me whatâs wrong.â
âBecause dragging me off in a fit of jealousy before storming my cab and nearly killing yourself seems like a healthier way to communicate,â Steve scoffs.
âYou stopped answering my texts and literally just ran away from me, Steve!â Eddie throws his hands up in exasperation. âYouâre not winning any medals there, either.â
âI havenât stopped respondingââ Steve tries, weakly.
âOh, please.â Eddieâs laugh is a bitter one. âI know itâs been Robin texting me. I can tell the difference.â
Steve doesnât point out that no one else has seemed to notice their little phone swap. Instead of trying to read into how well Eddie knows him, he tries to get back on track.
âEddie,â Steve all but grits his name through his teeth. âWhen I said I canât do this right now, I meant that.â
âBut why canât you?â Eddie asks, and as annoyed as they both sound, thereâs a current of misery beneath Eddieâs tone that threatens to crack Steveâs heart into a billion shards of glass. âYesterday morning everything was fine, Stevie. Then something completely beyond my control and knowledge seems to have happened to make you hate me, and you wonât talk to me? Or even look at me?â
âI donât hate you,â Steve mutters under his breath. He crosses his arms and looks forward, trying to seal his lips shut before he says anything else that might bury him.
âWhat?â Eddie asks, and every precaution Steve has taken (and not) to avoid this moment has utterly failed him.
âI said I donât hate you, alright?â Steve all but explodes. He turns to Eddie, whoâs staring at his hands in his lap instead of looking Steve in the face. He just jumped into a damn moving vehicle, complained about Steve not looking at him, but now heâs only got eyes for the rings on his pretty fingers. Steveâs so wrung out, pulled taught with exhaustion from holding it in, he throws caution to the wind. Partly because he doesnât know how else to deal with this, and partly because heâs lost his last bit of sense thatâs been keeping it back. âBecause I fucking love you. And you donât love me like that! So Iâm trying to unlove you as quickly as possible so everything doesnât get even more fucked up than it already is, okay? There. Thatâs my terrible secret, Eds. Are you happy now?â
Eddie doesnât look up, not right away, and Steveâs heart seizes in his chest. He canât believe he finally said it out loud, canât believe how itâs both a relief and absolutely agonizing now that itâs hanging in the air between them.
Behind the curtain of Eddieâs hair itâs hard to see for sure, but Steve still doesnât think he imagines the way Eddieâs lips twitch.
Eddie finally looks up and Steveâs proven rightâhis smile is wicked but warm, and thereâs a mischief dancing in his eyes where they were filled with fear just a moment ago.
It doesnât seem like Eddieâs reacting poorly, but Steveâs not entirely sure what to make of it.
âThat look in your eye terrifies me,â he admits, and Eddie just laughs. A delighted sound that pools in Steveâs belly and heats him through.
âThereâs a fine line between terrified and turned on, Stevie,â Eddie practically crows. The teasing lilt of his voice has Steveâs stomach doing backflips.
âWhat does that even mean?â Steveâs pretty sure itâs not bad, but he really canât be sure when his anxiety is blazing through his senses like wildfire.
âIt means I fucking love you, too.â
The force of it hits Steve head on, sending him careening into a cloud of relief and shock and unadulterated joy. He stares at Eddie, gobsmacked, canât possibly believe this is the outcome from finally admitting how he feels.
But he did. He said the words aloud, and then Eddie said them back. Tentatively, he reaches out for Eddieâs hand, brushes his fingertips across the back of it. Eddie smiles again, almost shy, and wraps Steveâs hand up in his own.
Then he pulls Steve in to kiss him.
Itâs sweet, this time, careful like theyâre afraid to tread on thin ice. But Eddieâs lips are the same as they ever were; and now theyâve gone and told Steve that Eddie loves him, too, so Steve cherishes them even more than with all of the other kisses that came before. Eddie squeezes his hand, smiles against Steveâs mouth.
âCan I take you home now?â Eddie asks. âI promise you can keep yelling if you need to.â
Steve laughs, and itâs the lightest heâs felt in ages. âYes, please.â
He catches the driver grinning at them in the rearview a few times on the rest of their way home.
Steveâs hard-on only grows more urgent on their way from the car up to his bedroom, even though Eddieâs barely laid a finger on him. Itâs the anticipation thatâs getting to him more than anything, the promise of this night and many more to come.
Because Eddie loves him.
Theyâve both already peeled their shirts and shoes and jackets off and discarded them along the way to Steveâs bed, and Eddieâs shoving Steve up against the bedroom door before Steve even has it closed behind them. Then heâs kissing Steve everywhere, his jaw, his chest, his mouth, like heâs checking that every fiber of Steve is realâthat his loving Eddie in return isnât some kind of mirage.
âWhy didnât you say anything?â Steve asks as Eddie works on sucking a mark into his neck.
Eddie pulls back, searching Steveâs eyes for any sign that heâs jokingâlike he thinks the answer should be obvious. âI didnât want to lose this. Lose you.â
Steve doesnât point out the irony that they almost lost each other for the same stupid goddamn reason. Instead, he says, âIâm not going anywhere, Eds.â
Then Eddieâs kissing him again, feral, like hearing Steve say the words has awoken a new hunger inside of him. Eddieâs slender fingers move to take Steveâs pants off in a hurry, shoves them down just far enough to free Steveâs erection before moving to take off his ownâheâs in a rush, and Steve canât exactly blame him.
Eddie manages to get his pants down around his ankles before Steve can get hands on him. Steve spits in his own hand to add to the slick of precum already leaking out of the tip of Eddieâs cock.
âFuck, Stevie,â Eddie hisses as Steve gives him a few firm pumps. But he replaces Steveâs grip as he crowds in closer, nudges his cock against Steve's in a slow but urgent slide. âAh, shitâthatâs better.â
Steve laughs through a moan, finds it cute that Eddie thinks heâs gonna stay in charge for long. For the moment he leans into it, though, grinds back against Eddie at his pace, accepting the sloppy glide of their cocks against one another just for a little bit of relief through the friction.
Then Steveâs cock catches Eddieâs frenulum at just the right angle, and Eddie lets out a strangled whimper that tells Steve they have to slow down. This is the first time theyâre having sex after saying I love you, and maybe it makes Steve a hopeless romantic, but he wants to savor it.
So he grabs two fistfuls of Eddieâs hair and drags him in for a kiss, laps his tongue against Eddieâs and swallows down his shallow breaths with greed. Then he gives Eddieâs hair a tug until heâs looking back at Steve through heavy lidded eyesâthey know each otherâs signals so well by now that Eddie gets the message to slow his hips without anything more.
âWhat do you want?â Steve rasps before tugging Eddieâs earlobe between his teeth.
âJust you,â Eddie replies with ease, and Steveâs stomach swoops. Still, itâs an answer that wonât do.
âUse your words, baby,â Steve tuts.
âI am,â Eddie retorts with a playful whine. Steve looks at him skeptically. âI mean it! Are you really gonna boss me around when I just told you I love you?â
âWell, I did say it first. So, yeah,â Steve shrugs, nonchalant. Itâs too easy to get Eddie worked up, he canât help himself. âPlus, Iâm pretty sure you love me because I boss you around.â
âOh, sweetheart,â Eddieâs whole face softens, and Steve knows theyâre not teasing anymore. He cups Steveâs cheek and somehow inches a little bit closer, until Steve can feel the cold metal of Eddieâs nipple ring pressing into the overheated skin of his bare chest. âI love you for so much more than just that.â
Steve melts into Eddieâs hands, wants to ask him to list all the reasons without sounding needy. Instead he decides theyâve got time, that right now he just needs Eddie, however he can get him.
Steve pulls him back in for a sloppy kiss as he moves them towards the bed. As soon as Eddie hits the edge of the mattress he sits, and Steve takes the break between them as an opportunity to get his pants the rest of the way off as Eddie does the same.
Eddie looks up at him, waiting, like Steve could literally demand anything in the world from him in that moment and Eddie would do it. He does wrap his hands around Steveâs hips and make a request, though.
âI want you to do something really devious, Stevie. Iâm talking filthy stuff,â he admits. Thereâs mischief playing in his gaze, and Steve canât wait to find out why.
âOh?â he buys in. âWhatâs that?â
âI want you look me in the eye while you let me fuck you,â Eddie leans forward to kiss along Steveâs stomach, looking up at him with wide, pleading eyes the whole time. âI want you to see just how much I love you, while you tell me exactly how good it feels to have my cock so deep inside you that it feels like weâll never be apart. Because I never want you to doubt it again.â
Steve holds Eddieâs gaze for a breath that catches deep in his lungs before he feels a slow smile take over his face. As if he could deny such a pretty face, asking so nicely.
As if he could deny Eddie anything.
âLay back,â Steve instructs, and Eddie hastens to do just that. Once heâs propped up on the pillows, Steve grabs his bottle of lube from the bedside table and tosses it on the bed. Then he climbs in, straddling Eddieâs waist and sliding their cocks together once more just to get another breathy moan out of the beautiful man beneath him. He slicks his hand with lube before jerking Eddie off a few times with it. âYou wanna watch me ride your perfect cock? Watch how good you make me feel while I come apart on it?â
âFuck, Stevie,â Eddie hisses. âYes, please.â
âWhatâre you gonna do for me?â Steve asks, likes drawing it out until Eddie gets whiny about it.
âGonna fill you up, be so so good for you,â Eddie promises. âIâll leave you full of my cum just so everyone will know youâre mine, and Iâm yours.â
âYouâre so fuckinâ perfect, Eds.â Steve smirks down at him, and Eddie preens. Steve uses more lube on his fingers and reaches behind himself, slicks his hole before slipping two fingers inside. He fingers himself just to make Eddie watch, delighting in the way Eddieâs cock leaks a little bit more when Steve groans at that first stretch his knuckles provide. Once heâs desperate for more, Steve leans down and grabs Eddieâs chin before licking into his mouth.
âGonna ride you until we both come, but only if youâre good for me,â Steve murmurs, and Eddie shivers beneath him.
âAnything you want, Stevie,â Eddie agrees in a single breath. âUse me, claim me, I donât fuckinâ care I just needâfuckââ
Eddieâs blathering begging is replaced with a high whine as Steve lines up his cock and sinks down onto it slowly, inch by inch until Eddieâs bottomed out and fisting Steveâs sheets like it might kill him.
âShhh,â Steve soothes, even though heâs the one that feels so full he might split in two. He rubs careful circles around Eddieâs nipples while they both adjust, enjoying the way it makes Eddie twitch beneath him. Slowly, Steve leans down to lay more of his weight on Eddie until theyâre chest to chest. The extra stretch of his hole around Eddieâs cock as he moves is so delicious, nearly consuming when coupled with the way his own cock gets a little bit of friction as it rubs against Eddieâs stomach.
Eddie closes the rest of the space between them, kisses Steve messily as his hands find their place on Steveâs hips. Neither of them move yet, happy just to feel each other for a blinding moment of anticipation.
Once Steve catches a little bit of his breath he leans back a fraction, brushes some of the hair away from Eddieâs face and just breathes him in.
âYou feel soââ Eddie whimpers as Steve clenches around him, ââfucking good, Stevie.â
âYou too, Eds,â Steve purrs, and Eddie grips his hips harder. âYou ready?â
âFor you?â Eddieâs eyes light up and his voice slips back into something velvety. âAlways.â
Steve canât help it, his cock twitches between them, leaves a fresh trail of precum leaking on the skin of both of their stomachs. He groans, fully aware he canât take it anymore as he starts to ride Eddieâs cock. The wet slide of it is intoxicating, the way Eddie fills him up so perfectly it feels like they were always meant to do this. He stays pressed close to Eddie to start, setting a slow enough pace to drive them both wild with every roll of his hips. Eddie stays patient though, doesnât try to speed Steveâs pace or even thrust up into him as he moves.
âYouâre doing so good for me,â Steve praises as he sits up again, plants his hands on Eddieâs chest for better leverage. Steveâs cock bobs between them as he grinds his hips into a rhythm, and Eddie watches it and bites his lip like heâs straining not to touch it. Steve smiles down at him. âLook so fucking gorgeous beneath me, Eds.â
âFuck,â Eddie gasps, squeezes Steveâs hips tighter as his hips finally stutter up at the praise. Itâs barely a thrust, but itâs timed just right for Eddieâs cock to graze Steveâs prostate. Steve groans as he rides the shockwave of it, a hot gush of arousal straight up his spine. âWanna touch you,â Eddie says, eyes pleading again.
Steve considers it for a minute, but slaps Eddieâs hand away when he takes Steveâs pause as permission.
âNot yet,â Steve chides, deciding to slip his fingers through Eddieâs instead to hold his hand in check.
âWhat about my other hand?â Eddie asks in a challenge, somehow managing to be a smartass in such a compromising position. He waggles the fingers on his left hand for effect, and Steve has to bite back a laugh. He does slow his pace down to a near stop, earning a pathetic little whimper out of Eddie in return.
Steve grins down at him sweetly.
âI could always tie you up instead,â Steve threatens with a raised brow.
âTempting.â Eddie swallows thickly, gives Steveâs hand a squeeze. âBut no thanks. Hold my hand, please.â
âSap,â Steve smiles. He takes Eddieâs other hand in his own, too, before pushing both of them into the mattress beside Eddieâs head as he leans forward again, grinding his cock into the solid yet soft flesh of Eddieâs belly again.
âYou started it,â Eddie grins up at himâa dopey, lovesick sort of grin that Steve really should have realized meant Eddie loved him back ages ago.
He canât get caught up in that now.
âSo you wanna jerk me off, huh?â Steve asks as he starts to grind down on Eddieâs cock again. Eddie just nods, biting his lip like heâs afraid heâll say something bratty and make Steve stop again. Smart boy. âGonna make you earn it, Eds. Use your pretty cock as a ride for as long as I want before you get to touch me. Before I say you can come, too.â
Eddie whines aloud, but doesnât complain further. âAnything you want, Stevie.â
Steve hums as he presses down on Eddieâs cock again and canât help but let out a low groan at this angleâknows he needs more.
âGo ahead and fuck me, Eds,â Steve locks his eyes on Eddieâs again, just like he asked for. âI know how bad you want to.â
Eddie doesnât hesitate, fucks his cock up into Steveâs hole with a perfect, fluid motion that leaves Steve seeing stars. He canât believe how well-timed Eddieâs thrusts are with hardly any leverage in his position. The drag of his cock inside of Steve is unbearably good, hitting his prostate over and over and leaving that tight ring of muscle burning and clenching for more.
Steve knows he wonât last long like this. And based on the mess of satisfied sounds falling out of Eddieâs mouth with every filthy, slick slap of his hips against Steveâs ass, he wonât either.
âSay it again.â Steve grits out the command through clenched teeth, holding on for dear life as he feels another dribble of Eddieâs hot precum inside of him.
âWhaââ Eddie sucks in a deep breath through his nose, like heâs fraying at the seams trying not to come apart before Steve tells him to. âSay what, Stevie?â
âYou know what.â Steve licks Eddieâs top lip, keeps riding him without mercy. Eddieâs already a whimpering, needy mess. His cries are just about the most beautiful thing Steveâs ever heardâat least until the next words out of his mouth, anyway.
âFuckâsweetheart, Iâgod I fucking love you so much,â Eddie groans.
Steve clenches to hear it, rolls his hips a little more on Eddieâs next push up inside of him. Eddie whines in that way he only does when heâs near tears, and Steve feels like heâs on fire. âWhat else?â
âWhat?â Eddie asks, desperately squeezing Steveâs hands, now. âStevie, please, Iâm so close.â
âTell me what you need, gorgeous,â Steve coos, genuinely wondering which answer heâll get out of Eddie.
âYou, you, you, yâgoddamnitâyou,â Eddie babbles. âI only ever need you, sweetheart.â
âFâuck,â Steve hisses, his voice carrying the word out of control like a song with the next drag of his cock against Eddieâs stomach. âYouâre such a good boy, Edsââ Eddie groans at that, a guttural sound that Steve feels down to his toes. âLove you so much, need you to come inside me.â
Eddieâs responding moan is so desperate, itâs almost violent what it does to his voice. His hips stutter, and Steve knows hearing the words affect him just as much as they do Steve.
Eddie doesnât let go right away, though. Instead he nods at Steveâs aching, swollen cock between them. âCâcan I? Please? Want you to come with me.â
Steve groans and just releases Eddieâs hands as his permission, wonders if the red marks he left between Eddieâs knuckles will bruise. Eddieâs almost giddy in the way he wraps his ringed finger around Steveâs cock, hitches his other hand to the curve of Steveâs ass in a tight grip to guide his movements.
âGo ahead, pretty boy,â Steve encourages. âLet me see you come.â
With Eddieâs cock buried deep in his ass, Eddieâs hand wrapped around his own cock and jerking him off in perfect strokes, Steve has to hold on not to come right away. But he wants to watch Eddie first, doesnât want to miss a minute of him losing control. He watches as Eddieâs face contorts and his mouth falls open, drinks in every blissed out sound Eddie makes, rides Eddie faster and somehow keeps himself together until Eddie falls apart.
Eddieâs orgasm is shattering, leaves the very air around them buzzing with the force of it, and his whole body is shaking as he comes with a throaty scream. Steve feels the hot gush of cum inside him, feeling it pushed further in with every broken thrust of Eddieâs hips as Steve rides him through it.
Itâs enough to make Steve lose his hold on the edge. He finally goes tumbling over into an all-consuming pit of ecstasy once Eddieâs grip on his cock tightens through the last gasps of his own high.
âEdsâfuck!â Steve cries. He manages to keep his eyes open to watch the spray of cum he leaves all over Eddieâs chest, the way Eddie opens his mouth to try and catch some of it like snowflakes on his tongue. Itâs so filthy, so beautiful, that another searing shockwave crests through Steve, his whole body crackling with electricity as the next spurt of cum hits the corner of Eddieâs mouth and chin.
He laps it up greedily, and Steve whines as he watches, mesmerized. Eddie pumps every bit of pleasure out of Steve that he can, until the last fragments of his orgasm are an echo through his limbs and heâs nearly ready to collapse from it. Somehow, Steve manages to stay upright on shaking legs long enough to drag his fingers through some of the cum on Eddieâs stomach. Eddieâs eyes widen as he watches, anticipating what Steveâs next move is with ease.
Steve brings his fingers up to Eddieâs lips, and Eddieâs mouth is already open and waiting for them. Eddie moans around Steveâs middle and forefingers, swirls his tongue around them and lets his eyes fall shut like Steveâs cum is a full-course meal.
âFuck, youâre so perfect,â Steve praises again, and Eddie hums before releasing Steveâs fingers with a slurping noise that makes Steveâs spent cock twitch pathetically between them.
âAll mine,â Eddie says, wipes the last bit of cum from his chin and licks his fingers clean of that, too. âWill never get enough of you, Stevie.â
Itâs unbearably sexy, but more than anything it makes Steveâs love-wrecked heart soar.
âLove you,â Steve murmurs, stroking Eddieâs face as he does. Eddie leans into his touch, and even though Steve can feel Eddieâs cock softening inside him, he wants to stay right there forever. âCan we stay like this for a while?â
âGod, yes,â Eddie agrees with a low rumble, wrapping his arms around Steveâs middle and bringing him to lay against his chest. Steve goes happily, mess between them be damned. For now he just wants to keep Eddie inside of him for as long as he can, feel the stretch and the fullness and the cum leaking out of him in sated bliss.
âYou were so good for me,â Steve tells Eddie, running his fingers through his tangled, sweaty curls. He presses soft kisses to Eddieâs face, revels in the fact that heâs not losing thisâthat he doesnât have to go anywhere. âGonna take such good care of you.â
It feels like a bigger promise than for just that moment, and Eddie hears it too.
âLove you, Stevie,â he whispers before catching Steveâs lips in a kiss. Itâs languid, almost lazy with satisfaction. Once more Steve can taste himself on Eddieâs tongue, and instead of it leaving him feeling empty this time, he feels full to burst.
Steveâs not sure how long they stay like that, holding each other tight and unwilling to let go. But eventually Steve moves to get something to clean them both up with before they freeze or end up uncomfortably stuck together. Thereâs only a slight wobble to his gait as the best kind of soreness starts to set it, even if his legs are still a little shaky. When he makes it to the hallwayâstark naked and still with Eddieâs cum leaking out of himâhe notices the light beneath Robinâs door is on. Realizing exactly how thereâs no talking their way out of this one, he keeps his dash to the bathroom short. He wipes himself down in a hurry before wetting a fresh washcloth and taking it back to Eddie.
He winces as he carefully closes the bedroom door behind him, because he knows thereâs a good chance Robin will come barging in if she knows theyâre done.
âWhatâs that face for?â Eddie asks, voice still sleepy.
âRobinâs home,â Steve says guiltily. âAnd probably Chrissy, too. Which means theyâre gonna kill us, because we were loud as fuck.â
For some inexplicable reason, Eddie smiles. With all the conviction in the world he says, âTheyâre not gonna kill us.â
Steve gives him a confused look, but his curiosity unlocks his body enough to move towards the bed and start taking care of Eddie like he meant to.
For a moment, Steve tries to focus on wiping Eddieâs skin clean. Eddie watches Steveâs soft, deliberate movements as he clears the last of the sweat and cum from Eddieâs chest, careful to get the rest of the lube off the sensitive skin around his now softened cock. Steveâs slept with people who thought this part was gross, who hated the intimacy of sharing it with him. Eddieâs so comfortable, though, soaking in everything Steve does with such affectionâno, Steve can say that itâs love nowâthat it makes Steveâs heart stutter a little happy tune against his ribs.
He loves that Eddie lets him take care of him, that Eddie takes care of Steve right back.
âYouâre so good to me, Stevie,â Eddie hums as Steve finally settles back into bed with him. He thinks itâs some kind of minor miracle they didnât wreck the sheets, too. Or maybe itâs a sign they didnât try hard enough this go around.
âYeah, well,â Steve smiles as he snuggles into Eddieâs side, wrapping an arm around his waist and pulling him close as pillows his head on Eddieâs shoulder. âThatâs âcause I love you.â
Eddieâs returning smile is so bright, Steve would happily go blind just to keep looking at it. âMm, as luck would have it? Love you too.â
Steve kisses him with abandon, relishing the way he can leave his heart open and soul bared now. Thereâs still fear thereâthat things might go wrong somehow, that Eddie will change his mind and runâbut knowing that Eddie feels the same soothes some of that ache, keeps it pinned to an undercurrent that Steve can choose not to focus on. Instead he can let the love float to the top, the way Eddieâs hands in his hair and lips pressed up against his own makes him giddy with the possibility of a future.
âWhatâd you mean, before?â Steve eventually asks. âWhy wonât Rob and Chris kill us when theyâve been trying so hard to keep us apart?â
âAha, but I suspect they havenât been, not really,â Eddie says with an almost appreciative smile.
âExplain.â
âChrissy definitely waited until you were talking to that guy to text me and ask me to come down to the bar,â Eddie says, and Steve feels his jaw drop open more than he allows it.
âShe told you to come?â Steve asks, probably more surprised than he should be. âBut the whole point of tonight was getting me away from you!â
âPretty sure the actual whole point of tonight was triggering enough jealousy to make me break,â Eddie shrugs.
âOh my god,â Steve says, realizing Eddie has it right. âThose schemers.â
âAbsolutely conniving,â Eddie agrees. âBut it worked.â
âMmm,â Steve says skeptically, unwilling to give them all that much credit yet. Especially since Steveâs really the one who broke. He doesnât get to make the distinction before a sharp, loud moan erupts from Robinâs bedroom, however.
Apparently Robin and Chrissyâs payback will be swifter this time around, and Steve wishes theyâd taken the cab back to Eddieâs place instead.
Eddieâs eyes go wide as two more distinct voices follow the first. âIs thatâŠ?â
âNancy,â Steve nods with equally wide-eyed realization. He isnât grossed out by Robinâs sex life, and he knows sheâll tell him everything in the morning whether he hears it happening in real-time or not. Heâs more concerned with the fact that heâs going to wake up with three expectant and smug faces waiting for an explanation in the morning, and heâs really not sure thereâs any way to prepare for that. âRobin did warn me they might bring her home.â
âHow thoughtful of her. Chrissy didnât bother,â Eddie laughs, but seems willing to let it go as he presses soft kisses into Steveâs neck.
Another round of noises from the other room interrupts their flow, though.
âWeâre going to have to come up with a system for choosing which apartment everyone goes to at the end of the night,â Steve points out with a pout. âBetween us, and now them? The neighbors are gonna think weâre porn stars.â
Eddie laughs again, clearly delighted that Steveâs apartment has turned into the Horny Place. Steve canât remember a time heâs seen him this happy. Eddie rolls on top of Steve and brushes two fingertips against his lips, a devious smile playing on his own. âWell, we might as well live up to it the rumors and give them a show, donât you think?â
He kisses the pout off of Steveâs face and spends the rest of the night giving the performance of a lifetime.
please consider reblogging if you enjoyed! it means the world <3
đž affectionately known as Steve the Botanist đž
Steddie | Rated T | 6k | cw: language, making out, and some grinding
Read on AO3
Eddie was running late.
That was nothing new, strictly speaking, but after last yearâs traffic debacle he swore heâd never be late to his standing dinner date for Chrissyâs birthday again.
And yet there he was, scrambling to find somewhere to buy her a present on the way from his apartment to their favorite restaurant. Eddie was already cutting it close, but if he managed to actually land on something to get her in the next three minutes he was pretty sure heâd be fine.
Heâd dodge that same smug and mildly amused Chrissy face this year. There would be no groveling. Eddie was gonna make it.
Stopped at a red light, Eddieâs eyes started drifting. They landed on a vibrant little floristâs shop that sat right up against the edge of the parkâthe same one that Eddie always looked at fondly from the gay bar across the street without ever actually going inside.
Weathertop Nursery and Florist, the sign out front read, and Eddie wondered if that was meant to be a Tolkien reference.
âMotherfucking duh,â Eddie laughed at himself before pulling over to park.
Was a bouquet of flowers the most original thing he could get Chrissy for her birthday? Not exactly, but there was no denying that Chrissy loved flowers. At the very least Eddie could bide his time with them and buy her dinner, then surprise her with something more thoughtful later.
It wasnât like Chrissy didnât know Eddie was forgetful, but she also knew he cared a whole lot, regardless of if his gift-giving skills were lacking. And this time he wasnât going to be late, so he took a little bit of pride in surpassing expectations as he made his way inside the shop.
It was even more charming than he always expected it to be.
The walls were painted an earthy green color that instantly managed to soothe some of Eddieâs manic energy. Plants and flowers populated every shelf and surface, their happy and well-cared for petals and leaves seeming to greet him as he walked in. There were enough windows and natural light that Eddie almost felt like he was still outside, except for the fact that it was wonderfully cool inside.
There was a big greenhouse connected through a door on the left hand side of the shop and a garden out back, which the sloped windows behind the counter overlooked like a dream. A few people were milling around in both, enjoying the extended daylight now that the first day of summer was so near.
Eddie wished he werenât in such a rush to get in and out. He thought he mightâve liked to linger in this place for a while and let its cheer sink into his bones. Even more so he wished he was at all good with plants so heâd have an actual reason to be there. Eddie wondered if maybe he could learn as he made his way towards the counter for help.
The guy working had his back turned, the broad slope of his shoulders hunched over what looked like a potting bench. Based on the steady sound of clipping, the man must have been pruning the stems of the pile of pink roses he had sitting beside his right elbow.
Eddie impatiently drummed his fingers against the countertop beside the register, hoping to make this a quick one and done stop. Even in a hurry, he couldnât help but notice that he liked watching the way the manâs muscles moved beneath his t-shirt even more than he liked the whole vibe of this place.
âExcuse me,â Eddie piped up, probably a little too impatiently. He heard one final snip, and the man finally turned around.
Whatever nerves Eddie had to get out of the shop as quickly as possible died on the spot.
The man that stood before him was an absolute dreamâtall, tan, with a full head of chestnut hair that Eddie immediately wanted to run his hands through.
He was pretty sure his jaw dropped, especially when he noticed the guy was wearing a black graphic tee with several plants printed across the chest, each of their pots a different color to make up the rainbow. Almost like it was for Pride.
The way the shirt was probably a size too small didnât hurt matters, either.
So this guy was dorky, hot, and potentially queer? Eddie wondered if he fell down in his haste to get inside and smacked his head on the pavement. He had to be hallucinating, or at the very least getting ahead of himself. It was June, after all. The dude could just be trying to be supportive.
âCan I help you?â he asked, a friendly smile playing at his lipsâwhich looked perfectly kissable, just to add to Eddieâs distress.
Eddie snapped his jaw shut, trying not to overheat when the other man looked him up and down.
Act normal, dipshit, Eddie told himself as he sucked in a deep breath that smelled like some kind of floral paradise. Youâve talked to pretty people without dying before.
Maybe none so pretty as this guy, admittedly, but Eddie thought he could try. For Chrissyâs sake. Remembering the reason he came in here at all snapped him back to reality a bit.
âI need a birthday gift for a girl who will roast the shit out of me if I show up to take her out to dinner empty handed,â Eddie said, feeling a tad frantic about having waited this long to get Chrissy something.
âI think we can manage to avoid getting you roasted,â the absolutely fucking delectable man who worked there said with a low laugh. He leaned on his elbows on the counter and looked up at Eddie through his lashes, and Eddie nearly swooned. âAre we talking a gift for a girlfriend, sister, friend, orâŠ?â
âJust friend,â Eddie said, then realized how ridiculous it sounded to call Chrissy just anything, and course-corrected. âBest friend, actually. Why? Do you have certain flowers that mean certain things?â
Really, Eddie hoped this guy was just fishing for information about if he might be single.
âI mean, sure,â the man shrugged. Eddie wished he was wearing a name tag. He wanted to feel this beautiful creatureâs name rolling around on his tongue. âIâm a firm believer in buying people flowers based on what they like, or what you do, but I can ramble on about symbolism if you want.â
âIâd probably listen to you talk about just about anything,â Eddie admitted freely as he leaned his hip against the countertop. Stopping to flirt would make him late, but Chrissy would get it. He hoped she would get it, anyway, because the smile he got in return made Eddie weak in the knees. âBut I know next to nothing about flowers.â
âSeems like a perfect match, then,â the man said with an easy smile. âIâm Steve, by the way.â
And oh, Eddie was definitely done for. Heâd be lucky if someone came along to scoop him up off the floor from the puddle he was surely turning into in time to make it to dinner.
âEddie,â he replied, somehow managing to sound the slightest bit normal. His face had the muscle memory to remember how to flirt, it seemed, because it flashed Steve a dimply grin of its own accord.
âWell, Eddie,â Steve said, still smiling as he made his way around the counter. âHow about I show you some cut flowers to start?â
âWhatever you say, sweetheart,â Eddie said, instantly fascinated by the way Steve ducked his head in reaction to the pet name. Eddie didnât bother to hide the way he tilted his head to admire how nicely Steveâs jeans hugged his ass as he walked them down an aisle overflowing with colorful plants, either.
âDo you know what your friend likes?â Steve asked as he pulled up and idled near a refrigerator full of already cut flowers.
âIn movies? Or women? Yes. In flowers? Not so much,â Eddie shrugged easily. Steve barked out a happy little laugh
âI can relate.â Steve barked out a happy little laugh, then turned to point at a container full of flowers Eddie couldnât identify if he tried. âWhatâs her favorite color, then?â
âPink and green,â Eddie said, almost rote in his recitation. Chrissyâs favorite colors hadnât changed since they were fifteen.
âPerfect,â Steve muttered under his breath. He turned towards the left hand side of the fridge and plucked out a pretty, soft pink flower with a bright, verdant stem and leaves. To Eddieâs untrained eye, at least, he thought it kind of looked like a rose. âPeoniesâmy best friendâs favorites. And she has great taste in plants and women. Usually.â
Steve offered out the peony, and Eddie stepped closer to examine it. He felt Steveâs eyes on his face as he delicately reached out to brush his fingertips against the velvety edge of a petal. Each petal curled along the edge, folding in on each other in what looked like an endless cascade of feathery clouds towards the center.
They reminded Eddie of Chrissy instantly. They were pretty, sure, but they also had a little bit of extra personality to them.
âTheyâre perfect,â Eddie murmured, turning to Steve. He was standing a whole lot closer than Eddie realized, and Eddie wondered if there wasnât a little bit of magic living in this place. âHow did youââ
The next in a series of reminders Eddie had set on his phone sounded in his pocket and interrupted him. He groaned, and pulled it out to read his note to himself.
Your ass better be outside that restaurant if not already in it, Munson, it read.
âShit,â he grumbled. âIâm gonna be late.â
âMaybe get two dozen, then,â Steve said with a teasing grin. âMake it up to her, Munson.â
Eddie felt himself flush as he realized Steve mustâve been reading over his shoulder. It only made him want to shove Steve up against a refrigerator door and kiss him more, somehow. Eddie realized too late that heâd probably buy the moon if Steve suggested it.
âYouâre an excellent salesman, you know?â
âOnly when I have such handsome customers,â Steve volleyed back without delay. And god, if that smirk wasnât going to be what finally did Eddie in at the tender age of thirty-one, he wasnât sure what would.
âOkay, okay, Iâm buying the flowers, no need to keep laying it on so thick,â Eddie lamented, nodding towards the container of peonies Steve was already pulling from for him.
âWho said it was about getting you to buy flowers?â Steve asked with a wink. âCome on, Iâll check you out.â
âI thought thatâs what weâve been doing this whole time,â Eddie said, thrilled at how it drew another laugh out of Steve.
âFair enough,â Steve conceded before leading them back to the register. If Eddie noticed a little bit more swagger in Steveâs gait as he walked, he kept as much to himself. Instead he just watched, utterly entranced by another human after only knowing them for a matter of minutes. Eddie wasnât sure how or why, but it felt like getting hit by a meteor.
Desperate to do something with his hands or his mouth other than ogle Steve as he dried and then delicately wrapped the flowers in paper, Eddie glanced around the front counter a little. It didnât take long for his eyes to land on a little display of what looked like handmade jewelry.
âDid you make these?â Eddie asked, zeroing in on a bracelet in particular that he thought Chrissy might like. He did spend enough time listening to Chrissy talk about crystals and rocks to know that the delicate little gem wrapped in silver was moonstone.
âNope, canât take credit for those,â Steve said, sounding a little proud when he realized what Eddie was looking at.
âThe best friend?â Eddie guessed, and Steve nodded. So he made a decision on the fly and plucked the silver bracelet from where it hung on the rack. âThen Iâll take this, too.â
âGift wrapped?â Steve asked.
âDefinitely,â Eddie said, glancing at the time again. He was already late, so sloppily tossing an unwrapped gift at Chrissy would probably only look worse.
âIâll be quick,â Steve promised, and Eddie honestly wished he wouldnât. Instead of admitting it aloud, though, Eddie opted to dig out the cash he owed while Steve boxed up Chrissyâs gift.
âHow the hell do you keep all of this alive?â Eddie couldnât help but ask, still looking around in wonder. There werenât just flowers on display, but plants of all sorts, and that was just from peeking into the greenhouse without getting started on all the stuff also growing outside.
Steve took the question in stride with a low laugh. âNot a plant guy, I take it?â
âUnless by âplant guy,â you mean an incredible capacity to kill everything I touch?â Eddie asked, shooting for innocently hopeful. He was rewarded for it with another crooked smile out of Steve, which was rapidly approaching the top of Eddieâs list of favorite things to see.
Steve just shook his head and handed Eddie his change. The time to actually leave was suddenly staring Eddie in the face, and he desperately didnât want to. Eddie decided to admit as much aloud. âWhich is a shame, because I really could use an excuse to keep coming back here.â
âLike what you see?â Steve nodded towards the shop in general, but Eddie wasnât gonna let the implication slide.
âYou have no idea, gorgeous,â Eddie practically crooned, feeling sparks light in his chest when Steve flushed just in just the slightest. It was adorable, because surely people had to flirt with this man all the time. But every compliment or pet name Eddie threw in his direction only seemed to affect him more.
âWell why donât you come back tomorrow?â Steve suggested with a raised eyebrow. âIâll show you some plants that even you canât kill.â
Eddie took the promise of seeing Steve again and ran with it, practically floating as he made his way out the door.
âHappy birthday, favorite person of mine!â Eddie said cheerfully the minute he finally laid eyes on Chrissy. He spread his arms for a hug, making sure to hold her flowers and bracelet out prominently. Chrissy accepted the hug and well-wishes with a smile, but Eddie knew there was more coming just from the way she tilted her head.
âYouâre late,â Chrissy drawled with her arms crossed, visibly unimpressed from her perch at the table sheâd kept waiting for them.
âChris, youâre gonna forgive meââ Eddie tried as he scrambled to sit down, passing her gifts to her right away.
âThatâs a bold assumption,â she interrupted, but brought the peonies up close to her nose with a small smile. âPretty flowers arenât enough to forgive you for being late to my birthday dinner.â
âWell sure, but thatâs not the only gift I got you!â Eddie pointed out the small jewelry box next with his most charming of smiles. It wormed a slight twitch of the lips out of her, but she narrowed her eyes at him without opening it.
âBeing late just so you could buy me stuff seems a little backwards, donât you think?â
âWell thatâs notâŠâ Eddie bit his lip and paused, wondering if Chrissy would forgive him for this after all, ââŠentirely why Iâm late.â
âAha,â Chrissy hummed with a knowing sparkle in her eye.
âThere was this guyââ
âAha,â Chrissy was all but gloating now. âI assume he was pretty? Dark haired? Athletic?â
Eddie pursed his lips, not exactly loving how he was being called out with such little effort on her part. Eddie figured fifteen years of being best friends would do that, but he wasnât sure it was entirely necessary. Heâd never been happier to see a waiter in his life, who gave him some time to collect himself while they took drink orders.
âDid you get his number, at least?â Chrissy asked before Eddie got a chance to defend himself.
âNo, but Iâm seeing him again tomorrow,â Eddie preened, and Chrissy finally cracked a smile.
âThat sounds promising. Tell me about him,â Chrissy said, settling back in her seat with an expectant look on her face.
âWell he picked your flowers, for one,â Eddie said.
âNo shit, you know nothing about flowers,â Chrissy laughed and finally reached for the box with her bracelet. She carefully untied the ribbon with an amount of grace that Eddie wouldnât have afforded it, then popped off the lid with an expectant smile. That smile only grew when she saw what was inside. âAw, Eddie! I love it!â
âI picked that. Because I know that moonstone is one of your birthstones,â Eddie bragged, before reaching across to offer to put it on her wrist. She took him up on it happily, so Eddie added, âAnd I know enough about flowers to know those are peonies.â
âOh wow,â Chrissy breathed, sounding surprised. âYou really must be smitten.â
Eddie opted to look at his menu rather than trying to deny it.
âHe was so pretty, Chris,â Eddie whined, two drinks and an appetizer platter later. âI wanted to cry.â
âYou should let me come with you tomorrow so I can see him.â Chrissyâs smile was a wicked thing, and Eddie only whined again. Until he remembered something.
âOhhhh but that wonât be necessary, my dear friend,â Eddie crowed as he dragged his phone out of his pocket. He went straight to the camera roll and stopped at the last photo he took. It was a clandestine, somewhat blurry photo taken in haste so no one would notice him pressing up against the glass of the flower shop like a complete weirdo. There was a glare on the glass that reflected Eddieâs already yearning face rather unflatteringly, but Eddie didnât really care.
The important part of the photo was the easy way Eddie had captured Steveâs smile as he talked to another customer, and the long line of his tanned forearm as he handed a small potted plant across the counter.
Eddie thrust the phone across the table for Chrissy to see how utterly pathetic he already was, and exactly why.
Chrissy picked up the phone, careful not to touch the screen and disrupt the photo Eddie had queued up for her. The amusement on her face when she finally took it in was palpable, and Eddie had half a mind to hide behind his hair.
âDo you ever get tired of me being right all the time?â Chrissy beamed.
âI admire your consistency, if anything,â Eddie said drily. He was mildly afraid of the way Chrissyâs expression shifted into something curious and appraising next. âWhat?â
âJustâŠâ Chrissy bit her lip, like maybe she wasnât sure she wanted to bring it up at all. Then she shrugged and continued. âPlease donât tell me you were late because you went back to work and tattooed his face on your ass already?â
She said it like getting faces tattooed on his ass was some kind of regular occurrence.
âJesus Christ, that was one time, Chris,â Eddie grumbled. It could hardly be considered his fault that he and the boys got drunk after work one night, and Jeff convinced Eddie to get Garethâs cute little mug inked into his left butt cheek. And it certainly hadnât been anything romantic.Â
Eddie hadnât gotten a stupidly impulsive tattoo since (though he was pretty sure heâd given people a few).
âYou canât blame me for asking!â Chrissy argued with a little too much glee in her voice.
âI did not get Steveâs face tattooed on my ass,â Eddie deadpanned for the record. âI havenât even tried to find his Instagram yet.â
âOooh!â Chrissy lit up even further with excitement and scooted her chair closer to his. âLetâs do that now.â
By the time Eddie got to the shop the next afternoon, heâd thoroughly convinced himself the beautiful man heâd met the day before had been a mirage. Surely no one was that pretty, just up and walking around this town looking like that while subtly signaling that theyâre queer. And they certainly didnât so blatantly flirt with Eddie while also helping him pick out flowers.
Especially considering his and Chrissyâs resolve to find Steveâs social media had ended up being a big flop. Without more than a first name to go by, all Eddie could find was the flower shopâs official Instagramâwhich obviously didnât have much more than plants on it.
It was a great page to promote the business, with very professional looking and tasteful photos. But Eddie couldnât help but think they neglected to highlight the biggest draw for the place: Steve. There wasnât a picture of him to be found, and after a cursory glance of the shopâs followers he couldnât find any usernames or photos that seemed to match the man heâd met either.
If it werenât for the photo Eddie had taken himself, he wouldâve been completely convinced that Steve was a heat-induced hallucination on his part. But that photo did exist, which meant so did the man inside. So Eddie squared his shoulders and made his way into the little store at the front of the greenhouse once more, this time wearing his Iron Maiden crop top for good measure.
âHeâs around back,â a woman with a strawberry blonde undercut told Eddie the minute she laid eyes on him. Eddie wondered if she was the best friend Steve had mentioned. She pointed towards a door at the back of the store from her perch behind the register.
Eddie didnât want to jump to conclusions, but the fact that sheâd clocked that he was looking for Steve immediately made him hope that maybe Steve had mentioned him. Just like Eddie had spent the night before gushing to Chrissy.Â
âUh, thanks?â Eddie said, already making his way towards the door. âIâmââ
âEddie, yeah,â she laughed lightly as her bored expression receded. âHe told me. Iâm Robin.â
âRight,â Eddie felt his heartbeat kick up into a higher gear. âThanks, Robin.â
She went back to reading a book with a small smirk on her face.
Eddie found Steve out back without much difficulty, trudging around in the dirt in a patch of purple flowers with vibrant green leaves. Today Steve was in cutoff denim shorts, crouched on the ground with his back to Eddie, and giving a perfect view of how the curve of Steveâs ass rested back on his heels.Â
And yet somehow, that wasnât the most interesting thing about the scene.Â
What had Eddie most captivated was the way Steve was looking up into the branches of one of the trees bordering the garden and squawking. Eddie followed the line of Steveâs gaze upward, but he heard it before he saw it. A raven was perched on one of the lower hanging branches, apparently talking back at Steve.
âYeah, yeah,â Steve said after making a series of croaking noises at the bird looming in the tree line above. âYou donât need me to help feed you, my guy.â
âAre you talking to a bird of death?â Eddie finally asked, and Steve startled. He turned around slowly, with a dirt-covered hand clutched to his chest. He didnât bother to stand up right away, apparently relaxing when he saw it was only Eddie.Â
God, he looks pretty on his knees, Eddie couldnât help but notice.
âIs that a problem?â Steve asked with that same adorable, crooked smile Eddie had been daydreaming about since the day before. Then his eyeâs landed on Eddieâs exposed abdomen and lingered there in the most exquisite of pauses.Â
So it had all been real, then. What a fucking trip.
âNo,â Eddie shrugged before deciding to let his mouth run away with him. âItâs really fuckinâ attractive, actually.â
The raven croaked again (in agreement, if Eddie had to guess), and Steve ducked his head as he laughed. Then he pushed himself up off the ground and made his way over towards another little potting bench and outdoor sink beside the door Eddie had just come out of.Â
Eddie watched Steve wash the soil from his strong hands and swallowed thickly. âDonât you like wearing gardening gloves?â
âMore fun when you can get a little dirty, I think,â Steve smirked over his shoulder before grabbing a towel off the bench.
Eddieâs breath caught, and for a split second he thought he mightâve completely forgotten how to flirt. But somewhere along the way, his innate must-chat-up-the-pretty-person hindbrain kicked in and took over for him.
âDonât have to be a gardener to agree with that, sweetheart,â Eddie replied, delighted at the way Steveâs shoulders hitched once the remark hit him.
Steve kept his expression smooth, but his perfect lips still quirked up into a self-satisfied little smile. Eddie wanted to skip the pretense and kiss it off his face.
âIâm glad you came back,â Steve said as turned to face Eddie fully again. Eddie matched his stance, stepping just a little bit closer as he did.
âWell, you promised to work miracles, if I recall,â Eddie teased. âOr you just really underestimated how bad I am at keeping plants alive.â
âLetâs go with miracle worker for now,â Steve said, confident yet hopeful in the way he appraised Eddieâs face. Once again, Eddie felt entirely tongue-tied, which was mildly frustrating for someone who usually considered himself a smooth-talker. âShould we find out?â
âLead the way, big boy,â Eddie said as if he was at all interested in plants.Â
Steve looked like he might have a retort for the nickname, but instead he bit it back and smiled. Then he inclined his head in a way that screamed maybe I am, and Eddie felt himself start to sweat a little.Â
The feeling only heightened when Steve led them into the greenhouse, which was practically blistering inside. On instinct, Eddie reached for the hair tie on his wrist as Steve led them over to what looked like a whole section of cacti populating a raised bed along the far wall. Eddie pulled his hair up into a loose bun just to get it off his neck as he looked around. There were all kinds of plants in here, including a whole lot of vegetables, and something that with almost shiny leaves seemed to reach out and tickle him when he walked by.
It startled Eddie into looking back at Steve, whom he caught staring in just the nick of time. Eddie wanted to punch the air in triumph as he watched Steve shake himself and drag his eyes away from the curve of Eddieâs jaw.Â
âYou okay?â Steve asked, voice remarkably calm. Eddie was impressed.
âYeah, itâs just warmer in here than I expected,â Eddie said, tamping down a smirk. Based on the way Steve wouldnât quite meet his eye, he didnât tamp it down all that well.Â
âYeah, well,â Steve scratched the back of his neck and nodded at a cactus. âThe succulents like it hot.â
âThe succulents and I have that in common,â Eddie winked, doing his damnedest not to make a dirty play on the word succulents.Â
Steveâs lack of response other than a faint flush let Eddieâs hearing work in earnest for the first time. Before, his brain had been too busy chanting Steve, Steve, Steve! to really hear anything else from his surroundings, but now the sound of Hungry Like the Wolf finally filtered in through Eddieâs ears. Instinctively, he scrunched his nose. âDo the plants like Duran Duran, too?â
âWell, I like Duran Duran,â Steve corrected, âand I like to think they like what I do.â
âAnd just when I thought you were perfect,â Eddie sighed, both dreamy and with feigned disappointment.Â
âDonât you like 80âs music?â Steve asked with a playful roll of his eyes. Eddie was relieved he took the jab in stride instead of being insulted.
âI like good 80âs music,â he said, leaning forward to give Steveâs shoulder a nudge. The muscles he felt as a result were solid and delicious beneath his fingertips.
âExcuse me,â Steve laughed, then eyed Eddieâs shirt again. âIâm sure you only listen to very cool rock bands, then?â
âCool is subjective, Stevie,â Eddie said with a lazy smile. âSome people think plants are cool.â
âThat they do,â Steve hummed, and Eddie wanted to sink down into the cadence of his voice like a hot bath. Heâd meant what heâd said the day before; heâd listen to Steve talk about just about anything. Even Duran Duran. Thankfully, Steve took the cue to start rambling on about his plants instead of music, though. He patiently explained how he thought Eddie could surely handle something called a snake plant because they were âalmost indestructible,â and Eddie sort of drifted off into the lull of Steveâs expertise.Â
Eddie wasnât sure how long he stood there, staring like a buffoon at Steveâs lips as they moved, but at some point Steve apparently stopped talking. And Eddie had no idea how long ago. All he knew was that Steve had a cute little confused tilt to his head and he wasâfor some reasonâstaring at Eddieâs neck. Again.
âSorry, what?â Eddie asked, trying to blink the love struck veneer from his eyes. He thought maybe he could use the heat in the greenhouse as an excuse for being completely out of his wits. Really he was just rapidly falling for someone he barely knew, and yet was desperate to know more about.
âSap,â Steve said, and Eddieâs heart clenched. Was he being so obvious that Steve was calling him a sap already?
âIâd hardly say Iâm a sap,â Eddie tried to sound casual about it.Â
âNo,â Steve chuckled. It was such a warm sound that Eddie thought he started sweating harder. âYouâve got sap on your neck. Looks like from the rubber tree.â
âOh, Iââ Eddie stuttered and started pawing at his neck to try and get it off. Steve just laughed again, and stepped a little closer.Â
âHere, let me,â he offered. Before Eddie could exhale a sputtering breath, Steveâs tongue darted out to lick the pad of his thumb. Then he delicately dragged the same rough, damp skin against the side of Eddieâs neck and wiped the sap away. The cool wake of Steveâs spit left a trail of shivers racing down Eddieâs back, and yet he felt like he was on fire. Steve pretty deliberately traced the slope of Eddieâs lips with his eyes before meeting his gaze. âThere.â
Eddie wasnât sure how heâd managed to get himself in so deep in less than twenty-four hours, but there was no denying it now. Then something slotted into place in his mind, a little too late and a lot too dirty.
âIâm sorry,â Eddie scoffed. âDid you just say thereâs something called a rubber tree?â
Steve snorted and Eddie knew heâd gotten the joke, at least. Robin poked her head into the greenhouse just as Steve poised himself to reply, though.Â
âHey, Iâm outta here, dingus,â she said with a mock salute towards Steve. She spared a smile for Eddie that felt like she saw right through how smitten he was. Eddie wondered how much of that little display sheâd been watching through the windows.
âOkay.â Steve didnât really look at Robin as he spoke, Eddie noticed. Instead his eyes stayed stuck on Eddie. âCan youââ
âIâll lock up on my way out, like I always do,â Robin finished for him. Her tone was annoyed, but her smile was fond as she ducked back out in a flash.
It took Eddie a moment to catch up to what Robin had actually just said, but he got there eventually. He realized the absolute dearth of other people that were around since heâd walked in. âWait, youâre closing?â
âAlways close earlier on weekends,â Steve said with a shrug.
âSo why am I here?â Eddie asked, wondering if maybe heâd gotten his wires crossed or showed up later than Steve had wanted.
âBecause you want to be, I hope,â Steve said simply, with more earnest want in his eyes than Eddie had ever had directed towards him before. Despite the fact that Eddie was nearly certain they were about to kiss, and despite all the flirting that led up to it, he still felt floored by it. âThought itâd be easier to talk without customers around.â
âAw, if youâd told me this was a date I wouldâve dressed up, Stevie,â Eddie trilled, unable to help himself. Steve didnât shy away though, rewarding Eddie with a roguish smile for saying exactly what he thought again.
âYou look pretty good to me,â he murmured, inching ever-closer and brushing the faintest of touches against Eddieâs bare stomach.
Eddie was never happier to have decided to wear a crop top in his life.
He also wasnât willing to wonder what kissing Steve was like any longerâhe needed to know. He reached out and hooked his fingers through the belt loops of Steveâs little shorts and pulled him in until their hips were flush, then Eddie tilted his head just so.Â
Steve dove in the rest of the way, his lips hot and searching against Eddieâs own in an instant. Eddie hummed into his mouth happily, and Steve moved to cup his face with those strong, capable hands of his.Â
Eager to get handsy as well, Eddie squeezed the curve of Steveâs hip with one hand, then trailed the other right up the front of Steveâs solid chest and around the back of his neck. The faint sheen of sweat Eddie felt beneath his fingertips only served to rile him up further, and he pressed in impossibly closer, until he could feel the steady beat of Steveâs heart reverberating through his own chest.Â
Steve shifted just enough to slot his thigh between Eddieâs, and Eddie hissed out a needy little noise that would have been embarrassing if Steve hadnât swallowed it down with a greedy gasp of his own.
It wasnât enough somehow, even though it was probably too much too soon by most peopleâs standards. But Eddie wanted to be entirely overwhelmed by Steve, caught in a tidal wave of taste and sound and smell and want. Eddie prodded at Steveâs bottom lip with his tongue, delighted with the soft, wet swell of it. Steve opened up for him shamelessly, swirling his tongue against Eddieâs in a delicious twist that left Eddie grinding down on Steveâs bare thigh.
âShit,â Eddie panted, grateful to come up for some air when Steve moved to trailing kisses against his jaw. âAny chance that rubber tree could help us out?â
Steve laughed, his hot breath fanning out across Eddieâs neck like a dream. âNot that kind of rubber, sadly.â
Eddie thought it was sad, too, especially when he could feel the bulge in Steveâs shorts pressed against him, and even more so when Steve maneuvered Eddie until his ass rested against the edge of the raised planter with enough force to send soil toppling over onto the floor.Â
Eddie slotted his fingers into Steveâs soft, perfect hair while Steve went back to sucking what promised to be a delectable hickey into the column of his throat. Eddie moaned aloud, not caring how desperate a sound it was, and rutted into Steve again.
âThat mouth of yours is showing a whole lot of promise,â Eddie hummed.Â
âJust my mouth?â Steve asked just as he rolled his hips against Eddieâs again. He didnât move his lips from Eddieâs throat, and when Eddie moaned again, he felt Steveâs smile against his skin.Â
Eddie tugged Steve back from his neck by the hair, his dick twitching when Steve let out a pleased whimper at the pressure Eddie used.Â
âHow about you let me take you out to dinner before I have to go home and change my pants?â Eddie asked, unabashed by how turned on he already was.
âStevie,â Eddie whined, completely disbelieving of how this was already going. At best heâd hoped for some more flirting and an exchange of phone numbers, and here he was ready to drag Steve back to his apartment just because that was where the condoms lived.Â
Eddie was a little mad at himself for failing to be properly prepared in the first place, if he was being honest. He diverted the subject in an attempt to hold onto a little bit of sanity before he started giving out handjobs to someone heâd just met.
âYou donât even know what I do,â Eddie pointed out with a pout.
âYouâre a tattoo artist at the shop a few blocks over,â Steve shrugged, then very deliberately ran his tongue along the tattoo that peeked up above Eddieâs collar and curled around his neck. Steve must have heard the surprise in Eddieâs groan, because he huffed out a little laugh. âDonât pretend you werenât also stalking my socials last night.â
It took a long pause for Eddie to remember that Steve already knew his last name, but to be fair he didnât have much blood flow to his brain at the moment.
âJust the shopâs Instagram,â Eddie grumbled, annoyed that Steve undoubtedly had a whole lot more info on him than the other way around, now. âI couldnât find yours, but I did try.â
Steve laughed at Eddieâs obvious frustration, low and dark, then went back to teasing his knuckles against the zipper of Eddieâs jeans. âWhere did you wanna get dinner?â
âSomewhere we can curl up in a corner booth,â Eddie said, dropping his hand to dance his fingers along Steveâs collarbone. âWhere you can sit there, half-hard and thinking about finishing this while I run my hand up your thigh.â
âEddie,â Steve groaned, a delightful sound that Eddie wanted to hear every day going forward. âNow whoâs being a tease?â
âDefinitely me,â Eddie smirked as Steve finally pulled away, giving Eddieâs hip a little squeeze as he did.
âCâmon then, I know a place,â Steve said with a wry smile. âIf you behave maybe youâll even get to find out if you were right about the whole âbig boyâ nickname.â
âUh, I could already tell, sweetheart,â Eddie said around a laugh, adjusting himself in his jeans as he did. Steve bit his lip and watched, still putting that mouth to good use even when it wasnât on Eddie. âGod, youâre trouble, arenât you Stevie?â
âYou have no idea,â Steve said, eyes full of promise and mischief. Then he held out his hand in offering, and Eddie didnât hesitate to take it. âPlace weâre going has good food and fast service.â
The little wink Steve gave him was nearly enough to make his heart stutter to a stop.
âExcellent,â Eddie cooed, albeit weakly, before allowing Steve to lead him out into the dwindling summer sunlight of the back garden. As they rounded the side of the greenhouse towards the street, though, Eddie heard another familiar croak. He thought he mightâve been hallucinating, but it was a throaty syllable that distinctly sounded like the word sluts.
âDid your raven just slut shame us?â Eddie asked, whipping his head towards the sound, aghast.
âRobin may have taught him a few wordsâŠâ Steve admitted with a sheepish grin. Then he squeezed Eddieâs hand and kissed his cheek, before leading them off down the street.
Eddie realized he didnât much care for the commentary of birdsâor the fact that he hadnât actually bought any plantsâwhen he was already having the time of his life.
taglist: @stobinesque @starryeyedjanai @patchworkgargoyle @steves-strapcollection @scoops-stevie @spicysix @soulsofstarsliveinyourveins @bifuriouswaterbender
(Just everyone who's previously expressed interest! There will probably be more bits of this AU in the future, so just holler if you want to be added or taken off!)
Written for @corrodedbisexual for the STuad Server Gift Exchange!! I hope you enjoy it friend đ„°
tags: domestic fluff, homoerotic wound care, cuddling for warmth, nerdily named cats, Good Boy Eddie, which probably warrants a Soft Dom Steve too, mild praise kink, hand kink, unprotected sex
Summary: Eddie tries his hand at skiing to try and impress Steve. It goes about as well as one would expect, and Steveâs got to take care of him (and keep him warm) in the aftermath.
The smell of fresh brewed coffee roused Eddie from a deep, sound sleep. Before he even opened his eyes, he felt the warmth of one furry cat curled up against his hip (probably Crowley), and heard the other meowing for breakfast in the next room (definitely Aziraphale). Peeking out his bedroom window, he found a gray, rainy day brewing outside, as the wind whipped whatever was left of the bare treesâ fallen leaves through the air. The weather was finally changing to something that resembled winter.
Once upon a time, Eddie would have pulled a pillow over his head and rolled over, unwilling to wake up at a civilized hourâespecially on cold days when he didnât have to work.Â
But now he had Steve to look forward to in the mornings. So Eddie all but leapt out of bed, spared a scratch for the still sleeping Crowley, and padded out to the kitchen.
âGâmorning, sweet cheeks,â Eddie greeted his boyfriend around a yawn. He thought it was a particularly fitting moniker, considering the way Steveâs pajama bottoms hugged his ass. Steve smiled to himself at the pet name and flipped the omelet he was making before replying.
âMorning, beautiful,â he said, his eyes so earnest and full of affection that it made Eddieâs heart tumble around in his chest like itâd been knocked loose. The only thing that kept him grounded was Aziraphale bonking into his shin to say hello before returning to his food dish. âYou sleep well?â
âLike a log,â Eddie admitted before wrapping his arms around Steveâs waist from behind. He closed his eyes as he notched his chin into the dip of Steveâs shoulder and breathed deep. Eddie thought he could probably slip back into a peaceful sleep just like this. âYou?â
âSame,â Steve hummed, then nodded towards the cat. âOnly reason I got up was to feed everyone.â
âYouâre good that way, babe,â Eddie smiled and pressed a kiss behind Steveâs ear. âWeâd all starve without you.â
âYeah, yeah,â Steve grumbled good-naturedly. âCoffeeâs ready. Go sit and Iâll bring your plate.â
Eddie did as he was told, pausing only long enough to grab a mug and the sugar bowl on his way to the kitchen table. He sat back and watched Steve work on plating up their eggs and toast, content as ever. Just as Steve put their food down, though, his phone rang.
Steve sighed as he checked the caller ID, then gave Eddie an apologetic look before leaning back against the counter.
âHey, mom,â he answered the phone in his cheery, talking-to-family-voice. Eddie gave him a sympathetic smile before taking a giant bite of his breakfast and groaning obnoxiously loudly at how good it was. Steve laughed and flipped him off, probably without missing a word of whatever his mom was saying.
âOh thatâs nice,â Steve said half-heartedly. Eddie figured âniceâ had to be code for âboring as shitâ once Steve started examining his cuticles as he listened. Eddie knew he wouldnât eat while he was on the phone with his mother of all peopleâthat was a big faux pas in Harrington Land.
âWell we were supposed to go see Eddieâs uncleâuh huh. Oh really?â Steveâs voice kicked up into a surprised register that instantly set alarm bells off for Eddie. All of a sudden, the kitchen smelled of in-laws meddling with each other.
âWhatââ Eddie half-whispered, but Steve was already waving a hand at him to shush.
âSo weâre all spending Christmas together,â Steve said, recapping for Eddieâs benefit. âAnd Wayne agreed to come along so no one gets left out?â
Eddie heard a somewhat exasperated yet amused, âYes, Stephen,â through the phone. He stopped listening so he could focus on wondering why the hell Wayne wouldnât run something like this by him before agreeing to it, though.
Unless he just wanted to be a smartass, which was as likely an explanation as any.
Before he realized it, Steve was off the phone and sitting beside him at the table.
âLooks like thereâs no getting out of Christmas with my parents now. Apparently Wayne happily agreed to come along,â Steve sighed. The look on his face showed that he knew all too well exactly how Eddie was already working himself up into a panic.
It wasnât that Eddie and Steveâs parents didnât get along, exactly. The Harringtons were always perfectly polite to him, and at times he even felt like they were bonding over the years. But he still always felt mildly uncomfortable in his skin around them, like he had something to prove just by virtue of the fact that he had tattoos and grew up in a trailer park.
If Mrs. Harrington was willing to head them off at the pass and invite Wayne first, though, maybe he was overthinking things.
âItâll be fine, Stevie.â Eddie knew he sounded like he was still trying to convince himself. âHell, your dad and Wayne will probably be best friends once they start talking about baseball.â
It was a mildly terrifying thought, but Eddie kept that to himself.
âIt will be fine,â Steve agreed before sipping his coffee. There was still a line of worry burrowing its way in between his eyebrows, though.
âWhy do you look worried, then?â Eddie prodded.
âWell,â Steve hedged, then placed his mug down before speaking gravely. âThey want to go skiing for Christmas.â
âAndâŠâ Eddie fumbled around for why that might be such a bad thing. âYouâre more of a snowboarding kind of guy?â
âNo,â Steve rolled his eyes. âItâs more that I can already tell youâre worried about impressing them somehow. At a ski resort. When youâve never skied in your life.â
It took Eddie a minute to catch up with what Steve was implying, but once he did, he snorted.
âYou think Iâm gonna bust my ass trying to impress your parents by strapping death blades to my feet?â Eddie asked in his best incredulous voice, even though the thought had absolutely already crossed his mind. It was less about impressing Steveâs parents , though, and more about trying it out as a nice gesture for Steve . He felt like Steve always got caught in the middle of the somewhat chilly relationship Eddie had with his family.
âI think thatâs exactly what youâll wanna do, and Iâm begging you not to. There are a million other things we can do at the resort. I promise.â The tone Steve had slipped into was much too inviting for Eddie not to indulge it.
âLike?â Eddie asked, quirking an eyebrow up playfully. Steve wasted no time taking the bait as he stood and moved closer, before plopping himself right into Eddieâs lap. On instinct, Eddieâs hands moved to rest on Steveâs hips.
âLike, sneaking into the hot springs after hours,â Steve suggested in a low tone. He dipped his mouth closer until his breath skirted the sensitive skin of Eddieâs neck just enough to send a small shiver through his shoulders. âSpend a romantic evening in front of the fire, spend a night getting wine-drunk at the bar before heading back to our cabinâŠâ
âSounds like youâve got a lot of plans for not spending time with your parents,â Eddie pointed out, but very much enjoying the sound of it.
âOh, thatâs the Harrington Way,â Steve assured him with a coy smile before moving to kiss along the column of Eddieâs neck. By the time Steve was running his tongue along the shell of Eddieâs ear, heâd completely forgotten what theyâd been talking about. âSo, no attempts at skiing?â
Lost in the sensation, Eddie would have agreed to just about anything at that point. âI promise, Stevie.â
âGood,â Steve grinned and then tilted his head teasingly. âI was thinking after breakfast we could go back to bed?â
âOh, breakfast can wait, sweetheart,â Eddie promised. âIâm not that hungry anyway.â
âOh really?â Steve asked in a mildly offended tone.
âWell, not for eggs at least.â
âïžâïžâïžâïžâïžâïž
Eddie had a plan. Maybe it was silly and unnecessaryâor maybe even stupidâbut once he got an idea in his head, he wasnât going to quit until heâd at least tried .
And all plans, regardless of their cleverness, called for the input of a good friend.
âAre you sure you want to do this?â Chrissy asked, her brow raised skeptically as Eddie clicked his boots into the skis sheâd loaned him for the afternoon. Of everyone in his life, Eddie was grateful that his best friend was a certified snow bunnyâand someone willing to entertain his whims. âIâm sure Steve wouldnât wantââ
âMe to feel like his family wonât like me if Iâm not the perfect skier?â Eddie cut in, waving her off. âYeah. I know. But I still want to try. So teach me to shred some powder, Cunningham.â
âI was going to say âwouldnât want you to get hurt,â but,â Chrissy leveled him with a look that almost made Eddie feel bad, but not quite. Itâs not like he was as clumsy as Robin, for Christâs sake. He could handle this. Chrissy sighed and trudged on, seemingly reading his mind. âI know your stubborn face when I see it.â
âGood,â Eddie grinned widely at her acquiescence, or at least her reluctance to argue with him. âNow be a dear and take a photo while my hair still looks intentionally windswept instead of like I got caught in a blizzard.â
Chrissy laughed even as she rolled her eyes and began to search for her phone in one of her many pockets. While she patted herself down, Eddie shuffled into a better pose at the top of the small hill theyâd come out to for practice. When heâd asked Chrissy if she could teach him to ski, she laughed at first, but eventually agreed to get a feel for if he could even try to learn or not. Chrissy had loaned him an old pair, and agreed to show him the basics on a hill that even little kids could handle with a sled so that he didnât break his neck.
It was a perfect day for itâSteve was at work, a fresh snow blanketed most of the town. Now it was only flurrying lightly to add some sparkle to the air. There werenât many people around to witness him potentially embarrassing himself, and the sun was peeking out from behind the clouds, giving the occasional illusion of some warmth trickling through the crisp wind.
Moving in his skis didnât feel nearly as foreign and awkward as heâd expected it to, and Eddie felt a pleased smile work its way onto his face at the thought. He could do this.
Except that he couldnât.
In his attempt to look good for a photo, Eddie did exactly what Chrissy had told him not to, and leaned a little too far forward on his skis a little too close to the edge of the slope. In an instant, he lost his balance and was tumbling forward and down the hill at a faster clip than heâd been ready forâwhich was none at all.
âShit shit shit shit shiââ Eddieâs panicked curses became muffled as he tumbled off his feet and onto his front. He ate a mouthful of snow in the process, and went from being vaguely able to feel his cheeks to not knowing which direction his face was even supposed to be pointing.
Eddie kept hurtling down the hill, ass over tea kettle, until his skis popped off and he finally landed in a heap at the bottom, with all the snow heâd accumulated on his way down still clinging to him.
Vaguely, he noticed Chrissy rushing towards him, looking graceful and not at all like an idiot as she skidded to a stop beside him with her concerned face on.
âEddie!â she yelped, and he already felt guilty for worrying her.
âIâm okayââ Eddie tried to assure her before she could even speak, but he barely got it out before he coughed up some melting snow like something out of a cartoon.
âYeah, you look it,â Chrissy deadpanned as she kneeled down to check him over for wounds. âAnything hurt?â
âBesides my pride?â Eddie quipped, and drew a small smile from Chrissy. âI donât think so.â
âYour face is cut,â she pointed out, then gently dabbed his cheek with her glove. He was surprised to see it come away with a small blood stain. âAnd youâre covered in snow, andâJesus, really Eddie?â
âWhat?â Eddie asked, starting to feel the shock wear off and the cold set in. Snow pants were helpful at keeping that feeling of frozen wetness at bay, sure, but not perfect by any stretch.
Especially when theyâd slipped off a little on his way down, effectively soaking his underwear.
âYou didnât even put your gloves on yet?â Chrissy asked, exasperated as she took in Eddieâs shaking hands. They were already red and stinging from grasping for purchase in the snow.
âI was trying to look good for the picture?â Eddie tried, and Chrissy clicked her tongue at him.
âCan you stand?â she asked. âWe need to get you out of this cold.â
âYou mean I canât try again?â Eddie asked, already letting her help him stand up. When he put weight on his left ankle, though, he winced.
Of course Chrissy didnât miss it.
â No ,â she admonished. âAnd even if you werenât hurt the answer would be no.â
âYouâre no fun,â Eddie grumbled, but dutifully hobbled off with Chrissyâs arm looped around him.
âïžâïžâïžâïžâïžâïž
âFor the last time, Chris, Iâm fine ,â Eddie insisted again, plopping down into the safe cushioning of his couch at last. âIâm just sore and cold.â
âRight,â Chrissy said, not sounding at all convinced as she went off to make him some tea. Crowley came over to greet him then, but promptly gave him an offended look when he felt Eddieâs cold fingers scratch his chin.
âWell sorry ,â Eddie grumbled, and Crowley gave him a brief lick on the arm before disappearing to warmer climes. At least he cared enough to try to clean Eddie up, if only a little.
If he was being honest, Eddieâs ankle hurt pretty bad, but he could still walk on it well enough. But all he wanted at this point was to warm up and live down his humiliation in peace.
Naturally, Chrissy wasnât going to let that happen. Once Eddie was sipping his tea, she gave his hurt ankle a gentle squeeze, palpating like she knew what she was doing. Eddie tried to hide a pained whimper behind an annoyed grumble, like her fretting over him wasnât needed.
âI wish youâd go get this looked at,â she sighed, but carefully lowered his foot back to the floor. âI donât think itâs broken, but if you wake up with a fat, purple ankle tomorrow and Steve has questionsââ
âQuestions about what?â
For the first time he could remember, Eddie winced at the sound of Steveâs voice. Because of course Steve was here to witness this embarrassment that Eddieâd been hoping he could take to his grave. Steve tilted his head in question at the scene before him, the look on his face growing quickly more concerned as he took in Eddieâs state. Eddie was pretty sure he looked something like a drowned, half-frozen rat.
âAre you okay?â Steve asked after what felt like an eternity of silence, eyebrows pinching together when his eyes finally landed on the bloody cut on Eddieâs cheek. Then he was by Eddieâs side in a second, kneeling beside Chrissy and putting her nervous fussing to shame. âWhat the hell happened?â
âWell, see,â Eddie fumbled for an excuse. He wasnât prepared to come up with a story yet, thinking heâd have hours before Steve got home. Not that Eddie wanted to lie to Steve. He just didnât want to worry him, either. âI tripped.â
âDown a mountain?â Steve asked, incredulous.
âPretty close,â Chrissy mumbled, and Eddie gave her a soft kick with his bad leg and regretted it immediately. âHe tried to ski.â
Steveâs eyes locked on Eddieâs with a look that was somehow equal parts pity, concern, and also somehow finding Eddie to be the most endearing thing in the whole world.
Even though it was still half-frozen in his chest, Eddie felt his heart clench.
âHe what?â Steve asked, calmer than Eddie expected. Steve was speaking to Chrissy, but didnât take his eyes off of Eddie.
Eddie gave him the best sheepish smile he could muster.
âYou know the big hill all the kids like to sled down? Just up the road?â Chrissy asked. Steve just nodded. âWell. He wanted me to teach him to make it to the bottom.â
âSeems like you made it, one way or another,â Steve raised an eyebrow.
âHa ha,â Eddie groaned. âNow will you stop mocking me and help me? Iâm injured here.â
âI tried to take him to the hospital but he refused,â Chrissy added, making sure she tattled on Eddie in every way she could.
â Eds ,â Steve chastised, but he was already rushing to take care of Eddie himself. He moved to slip Eddieâs coat off and found a thick blanket from the couch to replace it with, to start.
âCan you throw some of his clothes in the dryer for me, Chris? Warm them up a little?â Steve asked, and Chrissy was already moving towards the laundry before heâd finished the question.
âIâm fine, Stevie, I swear,â Eddie tried.
âYou just admitted that youâre hurt, so hush. Youâre bleeding, youâre soakedââ Steve paused just long enough to brush his hand against Eddieâs cold cheek, warmth blooming across Eddieâs skin from his fingertips alone, ââgod, Eds, youâre freezing . Come here.â
Steve wrapped the blanket even tighter around Eddieâs shoulders, then pulled Eddie into his armsâsurprisingly warm, always strong and inviting. Eddie sank into the embrace, and even though he was still wet through, he was happy to stay there for a little while and absorb some of Steveâs warmth.
âClothes are in, including your fuzzy penguin socks,â Chrissy informed them as she made her way back into the living room. Those were Eddieâs favorite pair, and he was suddenly very glad that Chrissy knew it. âI trust youâve got him from here?â
âI do,â Steve assured her. The deep rumble of his promise echoed through Eddieâs cold bones, sending another shiver running through him. âCome on, letâs get you out of these wet clothes.â
âIs that a come on?â Eddie asked, smirking and unable to help himself.
Steve rolled his eyes, but bit his lip all the same. Eddie only heard a muffled snort come from Chrissy as she slipped out the front door.
âPants off, Munson,â Steve ordered once heâd helped Eddie into the bathroom. He left Eddie leaning against the sink as he got the hot water going in the shower, then he gave Eddie two pain pills and urged him to take them for his ankle.
âYou know,â Eddie said once heâd swallowed. âIf you wanted to get me naked so badly, you could have just said so this morning. Mightâve saved us a lot of trouble.â
The exasperated sigh that escaped Steveâs mouth turned into a low chuckle as he ran a hand through his hair. The look he gave in return left Eddie feeling closer to warm than he had for hours.
âIâm serious, Eddie,â Steve nodded at Eddieâs zipper as his voice dropped even lower. âOff.â
Eddie couldnât help but note the promise in the way Steve was turning bossy already.
âMy hands are much too cold to be of any use, Harrington,â Eddie crowed, surprisingly grateful for how this was turning out. âYouâll have to help me.â
Steve didnât look too displeased at the prospect, either. He stepped towards Eddie with a little more hunger coloring his eyes now, beyond just the worry. Eddie thought maybe his flirting was going a long way towards convincing Steve that he was alright.
Steve paused after undoing Eddieâs snow pants and pushing them to the ground, looking surprised. âYou borrowed my long underwear?â
âYes?â Eddie asked more than answered. âSorry.â
âNo, Iâm glad you did,â Steve chuckled lightly as he played with the waistband between two fingers. âSome of my favorite parts of yours wouldâve frozen off if you hadnât.â
âOh? Like what?â Eddie asked, unable to help himself.
âOh, you know,â Steve shrugged. Slowly, Steve worked his hands around to cup Eddieâs ass and squeezed, drawing Eddie in closer as he did. Steve just barely pressed one thigh between Eddieâs legs, creating just enough friction on Eddieâs dick to grab its attention.
Eddie let out a small gasp, but Steve kept moving along.
âI expected you to be a little more apologetic, really,â he mused as he pushed Eddieâs underwear to the floor. Steve deftly ignored the way Eddieâs half-hard cock bobbed as he did, and moved on to peeling Eddieâs shirts off next.
Eddie tilted his head to the side, watching Steveâs face as he started to feel the steam from the shower defrost his stinging skin. âWhyâs that, Stevie?â
Steve didnât answer at first, instead grabbing a towel off the hook and running it through Eddieâs damp hair. It felt so good, the way he massaged Eddieâs scalp as he gently wrung the melted snow from his curls, that Eddie almost forgot heâd asked a question.
âYou broke your promise,â Steve sighed, sounding almost hurt about it, but still resigned. Like he knew all along that this was exactly what Eddie would do, one way or another. âYou hurt yourself, made me worry about you.â
Steve brushed Eddieâs hair over one shoulder, then just barely brushed his lips against the skin of the other. Eddie felt his muscles contract at the gestureâand felt the burn of probably having pulled one or two of them as he fellâand gained new resolve to fix things.
Because Steve was right, Eddie had broken his promise.
âLet me make it up to you?â Eddie suggested.
Once more, Steve didnât respond right away. Instead he moved around to towel down Eddieâs front, taking his time to trace along each curve of Eddieâs torso and make sure not a drop of cold water was left clinging to him.
Then Steve dropped to his knees, and Eddie bit back a gasp as he watched Steve dry off each of his legs, slow and deliberate, taking extra care around his sore ankle. Steve propped that foot up on his own thigh for a moment, giving Eddie a much needed break from putting any weight on it. He ran the towel between Eddieâs legs last, sending another shiver up Eddieâs spine from just the barest touch of his cock.
âI donât know if you can be that good, Eds,â Steve murmured, then pressed a kiss to the inside of Eddieâs thigh.
âIâll be so good for you, Stevie,â Eddie retorted quickly. âIââ
âPromise?â Steve finished for him as he drew himself back up to stand, his eyes skeptical.
Eddie gulped, regret and anticipation coursing through his veins and fighting it out for dominance. So he just nodded, hoping his gaze would impart the pleading he felt in his gut as he locked eyes with the man he lovedâthe one he regretted hurting more than he did hurting himself.
Steve smiled, a dangerous, beautiful thing, then drew Eddieâs bottom lip between his teeth and sucked. âShow me.â
âWhat do you want me to do, sweetheart?â Eddie asked, happy to comply with whatever Steve wanted.
âWait here,â Steve smirked as he drew back from Eddie, leaving a gulf of empty space in his absence as he opened the door and left. Eddie heard the distinct thunk of the dryer door opening and closing before the machine started up again. Steve thankfully returned nearly as quickly as heâd gone, holding up a clean robe for Eddie. âPut your robe on.â
âButââ
Steve raised an eyebrow in challenge, and Eddie swallowed his retort. He chose to rephrase it in the form of a question.
âArenât I supposed to be getting in there?â he asked, nodding towards the shower.
âNope,â Steve said simply, guiding Eddieâs arms into the warm, fluffy robe as he did. Eddie melted into the softness of it, thinking maybe the clothes dryer was a contender for the greatest invention of all time. âJust needed the steam to help warm you up.â
âWhy just steam?â Eddie asked, hearing the way his voice had melted and finding it hard to care. âWhy not actual water?â
âBecause going from too cold to too hot too fast will just make it worse,â Steve explained patiently as he tied the robe around Eddieâs waist. âIâve gotta warm you up slowly.â
âI have a few suggestions for that, you know.â Eddie wiggled his eyebrows, and not-so-subtly nodded at the tent he was sporting in his robe.
Steve looked down and bit his lip, but still didnât touch. It was already driving Eddie mad.
âOnly you could get that hard at a time like this,â Steve pointed out.
âHmm, I think youâre selling yourself short, sweetheart,â Eddie said, just as he palmed Steveâs dick through his pants. Sure enough, Steve was sporting the start of his own hard-on.
Eddie grinned like heâd won a prize.
âI need to wrap your ankle before you get any more of those ideas, Eds,â Steve said. His words didnât quite match the way he was running his teeth along the underside of Eddieâs jaw, though. Or the searing grip he had around Eddieâs hips.
Eddie wanted to argue, wanted to say that his ankle was fine, that all he needed was Steve to touch him for real âbut more than anything he wanted to be good for Steve, to reassure him, to be everything he needed in that moment.
âOkay,â Eddie hummed, and Steve steered him to sit before getting an elastic bandage from the medicine cupboard.
Steve kneeled back on the floor and got to work, starting at Eddieâs toes and working his way up as he wrapped the bandage just tightly enough for Eddie to feel the relief of it. By the time he was done, Eddieâs ankle barely hurt at all.
Sometimes he swore Steveâs hands were magic.
Like heâd read Eddieâs mind, Steve ran his hands up Eddieâs still bare legs, slow and steady, before stopping to squeeze Eddieâs thighs and slot himself between them. Seemingly out of nowhere, he produced a tube of ointment and dabbed a small amount on Eddieâs cut cheek.
âYouâre still cold,â Steve remarked as Eddie leaned into his touch. Their faces were so close, Eddie could almost feel the heat of Steve coming off him in waves. He wasnât sure he even remembered what feeling cold was like anymore.
âNuh uh,â Eddie argued. âIâm warmer than Iâve ever been. Feel like Iâm on fire. You fixed me, Stevie.â
âMhmm,â Steve mumbled, clearly unconvinced as he leaned in to press a soft kiss against Eddieâs lips. It was too quick, though, before Steve was talking again. âIâve still got a few tricks up my sleeve.â
âShow me?â Eddie asked, echoing Steveâs own words. Steve smiled again just as the dryer beeped to signal its finish.
âGlad to,â Steve agreed, and once again was on his feet and out the door.
Eddie did his best to keep his complaining to a minimum as Steve put more clothes on him instead of lessâespecially considering how nice his fuzzy penguin socks felt coming straight from the dryer.
Still, he had to say something.
âStevie,â Eddie half-whined as Steve slipped a thermal shirt over Eddieâs head, âarenât you going a little overboard?â
âDefinitely not,â Steve gave him a stern look and put his hands on his hips. Now that Eddie was fully clothed and cared for, Steve finally turned off the shower, but the lingering steam still left his skin more flushed than usual. Eddie found it mesmerizing to look at. âNow are you going to behave and get in bed yourself? Or do I have to carry you?â
âOh, you definitely have to carry me,â Eddie grinned at the prospect.
In an instant, Steve hoisted Eddie up and draped him over his shoulder, like he barely weighed anything at all. All Eddie could see was Steveâs back, entranced by the way his muscles worked beneath his t-shirt as he carried Eddie into their bedroom. It was all so surprising, even though heâd asked for it, Eddie couldnât help but laugh wildly.
âSo much for being good,â Steve muttered under his breath, but Eddie could feel his shoulders bobbing with laughter as well.
âI am, Stevie, I swear!â Eddie said, his own giggles interrupted by a snort.
âGonna need some more proof,â Steve said just before he dumped Eddie onto their bed. Despite Eddieâs flailing, he managed to do it gently, and Eddie felt like heâd landed on a warm, soft cloud.
Eddie didnât know how or when heâd managed to do it, but Steve had piled at least three more blankets than usual on their bed. There was an indent in them that was distinctly cat-shaped, which Eddie thought was probably vacated when Steve discarded him on the bed. Apparently neither of the cats cared to stay and find out why one of their dads was tossing the other around the house like a rag doll.
âIn you get,â Steve nodded as he pulled the blankets back.
âArenât you getting in with me?â Eddie pouted just enough to still be taken seriously and get his way.
âFigure I donât have much of a choice,â Steve smirked as he stripped down to his boxers. âYouâll need the extra body heat.â
âDamn right,â Eddie agreed and moved to take his socks off before slipping his feet between the covers.
âWhat are you doing?â Steve asked, and Eddie stopped his movements.
âYou know I hate wearing socks to bed, Stevie,â Eddie said.
âHumor me?â
Eddie left the socks on. Steveâs small smile as he climbed into bed was worth it.
Steve laid back against the pillows and held his arm outâan invitation for Eddie to tuck himself in. Eddie thought about protesting, about throwing a leg over Steveâs waist to straddle him and kiss him until he forgot whatever his plan for the rest of their night was. It was tempting, but so was finding out what Steve had in mind.
And based on the look on his face, it was more than cuddling.
So Eddie complied, laying on his side and burying himself in Steveâs arms. Steve folded around him easily, happy with the responsibility of being the big spoon for now, and pulled the blankets up around them in a cocoon of warm coziness.
âYou know, Iâm still a little chilly,â Eddie murmured without an ounce of sincerity. âI think skin to skin contact would be much more effective.â
âOh I bet you do,â Steve laughed, but obliged by taking his own shirt off. Then he prodded Eddie to sit up, and slipped his off next. Eddie took the opportunity to quickly kick his socks off, as well.
âYou know I am capable of undressing myselfââ
âShh,â Steve hushed Eddie as he pulled him back under the covers. For a while he just held Eddie and let the steady beat of his heart warm them both. Eventually Steve started to massage Eddieâs sore shoulders. He hadnât even realized how tight they were before Steveâs strong hands were working out the knots, then moving on to Eddieâs arms, his hips, his scalp. By the time Steve slid his fingertips across the line of Eddieâs collarbone and down his chest, Eddie was turning to mush in his hands.
It also had the added bonus of leaving him feeling hot all over.
âStevie,â Eddie sighed, somehow in a daze of contentment and yet getting unbearably excited again. He could feel each slow, happy thunk of his heart reverberating through his ribcage.
âWhat, baby?â Steve asked, voice quiet and full of innocence.
âPlease,â was all Eddie said.
âI know,â Steve hummed as he pulled one of Eddieâs nipples between two fingers. He couldnât help but arch into the contact. âYouâve been so patient for me, letting me take care of you.â
âI have,â Eddie opted to give himself a little bit of credit, and Steve rewarded him with a low chuckle.
âWhat do you want, Eddie?â Steve asked, just like he always did when Eddie let him take the lead.
âDonât care,â Eddie said, because it was true. He just needed Steve to touch him, to love him the way only he could.
âThen you canât want it that bad,â Steve laughed.
â Steve .â
â Eddie ,â Steve matched his tone. âTell me.â
âWant you to fuck me,â Eddie admitted around a whine. âJust like this, with you holding me.â
For a moment, Steveâs presence at Eddieâs back disappeared, and Eddie felt the loss like an ache. But then he was back again, this time pressed closer still, and slowly pushed the waistband of Eddieâs sweats down his thighs. He continued his slow movements, massaging Eddieâs hips, his legs, his ass, leaving no part of him feeling unloved or uncared for.
Eventually, Steve withdrew his hands for a moment, just long enough for Eddie to be surprised at the cold feel of lube trickling against his hole.
âAck, thatâs cold !â Eddie gasped, even though the temperature swing felt kind of nice. All the same, Steve pulled away and began warming the lube with his fingers.
âYou usually like that part.â He placed a single, soothing kiss against Eddieâs shoulder.
âWell Iâm more sensitive since I became a human snowball today,â Eddie retorted quickly.
âSorry,â Steve assured him, but his quiet laughter let Eddie know he wasnât sorry at all. Eddie was proven further right when Steve started humming Frosty the Snowman into the crook of his neck.
âStop that, you asshoâ ohh ,â Eddieâs laugh morphed into a moan as Steve finally slipped his fingers inside. He stretched Eddie open just how he knew it would frustrate Eddie the mostâwith just enough of a burn to leave him needing more, and now .
Eddie pushed back onto Steveâs fingers, dragging his aching cock against the sheets for some much-needed friction as well. Steve laid a hand over Eddieâs hip to still him just as he pulled Eddieâs earlobe between his teeth.
âStay still, babe,â Steve instructed, and it took all of Eddieâs willpower to comply. Seemingly reading Eddieâs mindâor body, or bothâSteve slid one arm beneath Eddieâs head until he could press his hand against Eddieâs chest, then pulled him back until he was flush against Steveâs. The position had the added benefit of holding Eddie still, while also making him feel the safest heâd ever been. âYou ready for me?â
âFuck, sweetheart, beyond ready,â Eddie said, practically panting already.
Steve pulled his fingers free, leaving Eddie clenching with anticipation. Then, ever so slightly, he felt Steve line the tip of his cock up with Eddieâs hole. And then he waited.
âPlease, Steve.â The plea was barely out of Eddieâs mouth before Steve pushed deep inside in one hard thrust, the wet sound of it filling the room alongside Eddieâs gasps. Eddie tensed at the sensation, pleased and relieved and aching all at once.
Steve rubbed soothing circles into Eddieâs hip with his free, still lube-slick hand, and began pressing more kisses into the now overheated skin of Eddieâs shoulders.
âYou feel so fuckinâ perfect, Eds,â Steve groaned, setting Eddieâs senses further alight. âDoing so good for me.â
The praise went straight to Eddieâs dick, already twitching and leaking precum all over the sheets. Eddie only managed a whimper, desperate for Steve to move, to touch him, for anything more than he was willing to give in that moment.
âYou wanna touch yourself?â Steve asked, eyeing the way Eddieâs cock was clearly in need of attention.
âYâyes,â Eddie managed weakly. âCan I?â
âNot yet,â Steve said lowly, then took Eddieâs hand in his own as he started to move his hips. He set an agonizing pace, slow and deliberate so that he could coax every bit of pleasure out of Eddieâs prostate with the tip of his cock and sheer willpower alone. Eventually Eddie managed to hook his leg up and over Steveâs behind him, deepening each thrust so deliciously that Eddie couldnât tell where his body stopped and Steveâs began.
For what felt like ages, Steve dragged Eddie right to the edge and then back, picking up the pace and slowing it again, like a pendulum of pleasure and denial. Steveâs free hand kept roaming, too, teasing Eddieâs sweaty skin with what he might do nextâwhether that was pinching Eddieâs nipples, or pressing into his taint, or just barely teasing the nest of hair at the base of his cock before pulling away again.
âGoddamn, sweetheart,â Eddie gasped, feeling like he might fall apart at the seams as Steve set another particularly punishing pace. âIâ fuck .â
Steve stilled his hips, filling Eddie up completely and staying there until a torturous kind of pleasure trickled up Eddieâs spine and spread through his limbs. Then Steve finally wrapped his hand around the base of Eddieâs cock and squeezed , leaving Eddie seeing stars and desperate to thrust into it, desperate for any movement at all.
The sight of Steveâs hand on Eddieâs cock alone was enough to drive him crazyâfrom the slight sheen from the lube and precum on his fingers, to the way he enveloped Eddie fully, or how the veins between his knuckles strained against his skin.
It was electric, the way every inch of Steve could make Eddie fall apart, and it was reaching the limit of what Eddie could handle.
âShit, shit, shit,â Eddie chanted, grabbing a handful of sheets so he didnât immediately come all over Steveâs perfect fist.
âWhoâs my good boy?â Steve asked. His lips brushed Eddieâs ear as he talked, hot and breathless yet entirely in control.
â I am ,â Eddie all but screamed, pleading for it to be true. âI am, Stevieâ please . Iâve been soâfuckâ good .â
âHave you?â Steve asked, his teasing bordering on unbearable at this point.
âYes!â Eddie cried, squirming in Steveâs talented hands now as he babbled. âI swear I have, Iâll do whatever you want baby, please, please, fuck donât stop.â
âAnything I want, huh,â Steve mused, voice playful, then licked a stripe up the side of Eddieâs neck. âWhat if I want to stop?â
Eddie actually managed to laugh, but it was a pained little sound. âIâd probably cry, but Iâd do it. For you.â
âFor me?â Steve asked softly, all traces of teasing gone from his voice now, leaving nothing but want in its place.
âItâs all for you, baby,â Eddie nodded frantically. âIâm only good for youâŠplease, I swear. Shit, please let me come, Steve.â
âWell, since you asked nicely,â Steve purred, and Eddie couldâve come from the sound alone. Steve swiped a bead of precum from Eddieâs tip, then brought it to his mouth and licked his fingers clean. Eddie groaned loudly at the sight, barely able to hold it together before Steve even touched him again.
In time with his thrusts, now, Steve wrapped his hand around Eddieâs cock and jerked him off in long, graceful strokes. There was nothing slow about the way Steve moved now, with each roll of his hips getting sloppier as he chased both of their orgasms like he meant it, this time. Every push inside sent a shockwave roiling through Eddieâs whole body, every roll of Steveâs palm over the head of his cock seemed to splinter time itself. Barely holding on, Eddie grasped for whatever purchase he could find, reaching behind him to thread his fingers through Steveâs hair. Steve let out a broken whimper when Eddie gave it a tug, and Eddie wasnât sure life could get better than this.
âGo on, Eds,â Steve said, his own voice sounding wrecked now. âWanna watch you come for me.â
That was all it tookâall Eddie ever needed, really.
â Fuck ,â Eddie nearly howled, his voice sounding foreign to his own ears as his orgasm tore through him like wildfire. He could barely hear Steve follow him soon after over the blood buzzing in his veins, but Eddie felt the hot, wet spray of Steve coming inside of him. It sent another spark of arousal shuddering through him, and Eddie made a desperate, keening sound as his body contorted around it. He wasnât sure if it was moments or hours later when he finally gasped out a raspy little, âGoddamn it, Stevie.â
âGood?â Steve asked, and all Eddie could muster was a weak laugh.
âIncredible,â Eddie corrected. âSome of your best work.â
Steveâs small, proud smile at the compliment was enough to set Eddieâs heart all aflutter again, like some kind of lovesick teenager. But that feeling never really went away where Steve was concerned, and Eddie never wanted it to.
âDo you still want that hot shower?â Steve asked eventually, once theyâd caught their breath and the sweat started to cool.
âIâd probably just drown,â Eddie said simply. âCouldnât move if I tried.â
Instead, Steve opted for the quick clean up with a warm washcloth. Then he helped Eddie shift, bonelessly, to move one of the dry blankets beneath them for now.
âYouâre too good to me,â Eddie purred as Steve finally curled his body back around him like it was exactly where he belonged. Eddie believed wholeheartedly that it was.
âHere I thought you were the good one,â Steve said as he settled in closer and pulled the covers tight around them. Eddie twisted in his arms so that they were face to face.
âOh, I am,â Eddie assured him with a kiss on the nose. âBut you can be, too.â
âOh phew,â Steve grinned, pretending to be relieved. âAre you warm enough?â
âPositively toasty,â Eddie said. Then a wicked thought occurred to him. âMaybe I should totally fuck up at skiing more often.â
âDonât you dare ,â Steve warned, just barely letting his amusement shine through his stern face. He still wasnât actually annoyed enough to stop running his fingers through Eddieâs hair, though. He sighed, seeming thoughtful for a moment, so Eddie didnât interrupt. Instead he let himself get caught up in the feel of Steveâs hands in his hair, their legs a tangled mess, the way he felt warm through, and more than just on a physical level.
âYou know you donât have to change anything for me, right?â Steve finally said, a whisper filling up the narrow space left between them. âWhether you know how to ski or not isnât gonna change how much I love you, or how I wanna spend the rest of our lives together.â
The words settled in Eddieâs chest and crackled like they were flames and Eddieâs heart was the kindling. He swallowed thickly, not sure how to respond right away no matter how many times Steve said something so earnest like that.
Even though Eddie knew he and Steve were in this for the long haul, sometimes it still knocked him off his feet to be reminded.
âI know,â Eddie said softly, grabbing Steveâs hand in his own and bringing it to his lips for a soft kiss. Steve seemed pleased to hear it, his brown eyes gleaming. Still, Eddie had a question. âIsnât the point of sharing a life with someone to grow together, though?â
âWell, sure,â Steve nodded, then shifted until he settled further into his pillow, close enough for them to bump noses now. Then he grinned. âBut in ways you actually want to, Eds. You donât need to force yourself to become a human snowball for my benefit, is all Iâm saying.â
âBut you wouldâve thought it was hot if I showed up at the resort and kicked your ass on the way down a mountain,â Eddie guessed, because that was the mental picture that had driven him to insanity. He still thought the idea of surprising Steve with a triumphant kiss at the bottom of even the smallest of slopes wouldâve been a nice Christmas present.
Steve seemed to be picturing it as well, because after a momentâs contemplation he admitted, âYeah, okay. That wouldâve been hot.â
âI rest my case,â Eddie said, and sealed it with a lazy, slow kissâlike they both knew they had time to savor one another.
â This outcome was pretty hot, too, though,â Steve pointed out when they pulled apart, and Eddie couldnât really disagree.
âI knew you love it when Iâm a damsel for you,â Eddie said, preening just to see the affectionate way Steve rolled his eyes. âEither way, I made the right call today, I think.â
âYouâre not gonna stop until I agree, are you?â Steve guessed.
âNope.â
âFine,â Steve relented, but then he cupped Eddieâs cheek the way he always did when he wanted something. âCan we just agree not to try winter sports again, though? Otherwise I might just let you freeze, next time.â
âIf you do, you know Iâll have no choice but to haunt you mercilessly,â Eddie pointed out. To his surprise, all that drew out of Steve was a blissful smile that Eddie couldnât help but return.
âIs that a promise?â Steve asked.
âYou bet your sweet cheeks it is, Stevie.â
âïžâïžâïžâïžâïžâïž
Eventually, as Eddie started to drift off into sleep, he glanced out the bedroom window. He found the snow was falling outside once more, accumulating along the edges of the sill like it was stopping by for a visit.
Pretty as it was, Eddie was more than grateful to be inside, warm and safe in Steveâs arms.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
â Live Streamingâ Interactive Chatâ Private Showsâ HD Qualityâ Free Actions
Free to watch âą No registration required âą HD streaming
Where Eddie wakes up a little bit different, Steve is obsessed, and Dustin gets his Meddling Kids Platinum Badgeâą.
I know I posted a couple teasers from the last chapter of this over the weekend, but friendly reminder that this is primarily an idiots to lovers fic, and they take their sweet ass time getting there.
Warnings: None for this part, except the obvious mentions of blood.
Steve didnât ever really leave Eddieâs bedside, while he was sleeping. The only breaks he took were to shower or go visit Max down the hall. Most nights he stayed past visiting hours, the nursing staff having long given up on trying to stop him falling asleep in an uncomfortable hospital chairâoftentimes with Lucas's head resting on his shoulder.
One of those nights, with Steve already leveled with exhaustion and barely holding his own head up, Robin came in to sit with him.
âSteve,â she all but whispered.
âIâm okay, Rob,â he said automatically. âJust gonna rest my eyes for a bit, then Iâll drive you home.â
âDonât worry about that,â Robin said, sounding fondly annoyed. âNancyâs gonna drive me. Butâdonât you think you should go home and get some rest?â she tried.
Theyâd had this conversation every day for the last three, now. Steve hadnât yet relented.
âIâm just gonna worry if I go home,â he said honestly. âI wonât sleep. At least here I know theyâre both still breathing.â
Eddie had made strides in that regard, at least; theyâd extubated him earlier that day. There still werenât any signs of him waking up, though, and there was no change at all with Max.
Robin sighed, apparently having expected that answer. She was quiet for a minute, as they both listened to the slow beep of Eddieâs heart monitor.
âCan I ask you something?â Robin asked, voice still low. âAnd you donât have to answer if you donât want to, to be clear.â
Steve had an idea of what was coming next and let it happen anyway.
âSure,â he said.
âThis,â she started, gesturing towards Steve slumped in his chair, âis more than just guilt, isnât it?â
Of course Robin knew. She always went on about how she couldnât read social cues very well, but Steve couldnât ever get anything past her. Maybe it was their âtelepathic brain thingâ that Dustin always complained about them doing. Sometimes it weirded Steve out a little, but right now he was just grateful for it. For Robin.
âNo,â he said. His voice sounded small. âItâs hardly guilt at all, really.â
Robin just made little humming noise to herself. Steve took that to mean she wanted him to keep going.
âI mean, I wish weâd done things differently, obviouslyâ Steve said, laughing bitterly so that he wouldnât cry instead. Heâd go back and do things over a thousand times not to end up here again. âI wish Iâd stayed with him and Dustin, maybe. Or dealt with Jason when weâd had the chanceâŠâ he trailed off, thinking of Max down the hall, Lucasâs swollen face, and the way Erica jumped at every loud noise now. âIâd do a lot differentlyâor I wouldnât do it at all. But I blame Vecna more than I blame myself, believe it or not.â
He couldnât quite figure out what Robin was thinking, or what the look she was giving him meant. Her eyes were soft, a little sad, but also something else.
âI just,â Steve started, but he didnât know how to say it out loud. Except he knew Robin was waiting for him to, and that sheâd be proud of him if he did. The promise of that propelled Steve forward. âI canât lose him, Robin. Not when I just got him.â
Steve didnât think he had Eddie, not really. He just knew how Eddieâs teasing grin made his insides warm. How whichever pet name for Steve fell out of his lips at any given moment made him almost forget the apocalypse they were fighting together. Steve didnât need to have Eddie as his own, he thought. He just needed to know he was alive, that Steve had more days ahead of Eddie invading his personal space, and leaving Steve breathless when he left his scent of smoke and something spicy in his wake.
âYou wonât,â Robin said, something steely in her voice now as she grabbed Steve's hand and squeezed. âNeither of them are going anywhere. Not if I can help it.â
Steve did his best to believe her.
âââ
On the seventh morning of Eddieâs hospital stay, Steve dragged himself into Eddieâs room like usual. Coffee didnât really do much to quell his exhaustion these days, but he sipped on some anyway as he got to his new routine. He played one of Eddieâs cassettesâquietly, as heâd gotten plenty of dirty looks from the nurses for being too loud beforeâhumming along as he pulled a chair up next to Eddieâs bed. He was so still, Steve couldnât help reaching out to thread his fingers around Eddieâs wrist, just to feel his pulse still beating away.
This time it stuttered under Steveâs touch. That was new. Steve looked at Eddieâs face, confused. He looked peaceful, like this. His skin was still cool to the touch, but his breathing was even, pulse slow and now jumpy. Was that a good sign?
âHey, Munson,â Steve said, settling in. He let his grip around Eddieâs wrist loosen, leaving his hand to cover Eddieâs own instead. âItâs been seven days in here, now. Three since youâve been breathing on your own again. Max is still asleep, too. I wish I had better news. Dustin misses you. I miss you,â Steve sighed and tried to think of something cheerful to share.
âThe press does seem to be buying the governmentâs alternate serial killer theory, since itâs simpler than âSatan did it,â I guess. Wayne said the police are working on closing the case against you, so thatâs a relief, at least.â Steve dropped his head into his free hand. What good was clearing Eddieâs name if he wouldnât wake up to see it himself?
âI was wondering why I wasnât handcuffed to the bed,â a surprisingly smooth and awake voice said above him.
Steveâs head snapped up so fast his neck cracked. Eddie was looking down at him already, his brown eyes darker, somehow. But they were open, bright, and alive. Steve felt his mouth stretch into a wide grin. He didnât know what to say for what felt like a long time, just smiling stupidly at Eddie.
âDisappointed by that?â Steve finally replied, then immediately felt like kicking himself. Here Eddie was, waking up from a coma, and Steve couldnât even figure out how to say something normal. Something like, how are you feeling or can I get you some water, sprang to mind too late. But apparently all Steveâs stupid little brain could manage was something not-so-vaguely flirtatious under Eddieâs gaze.
But Eddie didnât seem to mind. In fact, if Steve wasnât totally deluding himself, it seemed like Eddie liked it. He didnât blush, but he looked flustered. Hungry. Steve let that revelation settle deep into his bones, warm and pooling like syrup.
Then he got his shit together.
âHow are you feeling?â he asked, squeezing Eddieâs hand. He was still cold. Eddieâs gaze flicked down to Steveâs neck and back. If Steve hadnât been analyzing Eddieâs every moveâfor any sign that he might break, might fall back into a coma, might leave againâheâd have probably missed it.
âStarving,â was all Eddie said with a devilish grin.
Steve watched, somewhat dazed, as Eddie let the doctors marvel over his recovery for about forty-five minutes before checking himself out against medical advice. His bites had already scarred over, completely healed in somewhat miraculous fashion. The doctorâs seemed mildly concerned about Eddieâs circulation, given how much blood heâd lost and how slow his pulse still was. But all of his tests were normal, had been for days now. He didnât seem to have any muscle atrophy, no loss of brain function. He was just Eddie.
So Steve didnât argue when Eddie asked him to drive him home as soon as possible. Steve wheeled Eddie down the hall to visit Max before he took him back to the motel where Wayne was staying. Eddie had complained loudly about the wheelchair, only relenting when Steve gently laid a hand on his shoulder and said, âHumor me.â
They sat with Max for a while, sobering Steveâs giddiness at Eddieâs complete turnaround. But Steve knew if anyone had the strength in them to do the same, it was Max Mayfield.
No one was here visiting yetâit was still early by anyone but Steveâs standards. So they took their time talking to her, Eddie giving her the daily update like Steve had done for him. He gave Steve a knowing grin as he said, âWe all miss you, Red.â
Steve was too busy looking at his feet in embarrassment, so he didnât notice Eddie hopping out of his wheelchair at lightning speed.
Then Eddie was in his space again, quicker than Steve had time to even account for. Eddie turned into Steveâs neck and whispered, âCover for me, Stevie.â
Then he dipped down the hallway and into the stairwell.
Steve fumbled to recover for a minute, wondering what on earth had just happened. He looked to Maxâs sleeping face as if maybe sheâd know. Steve imagined her usual lazy shrug and his heart ached.
Sure enough, a minute later one of the younger nurses came looking for Eddie with discharge paperwork. Bewildered as he was, Steve could handle this part. He leaned against the door frame next to her and grinned.
âI think he went back to his room for something,â Steve said, before putting on the most convincing show of fake flirting he could muster. It still wasnât his bestâSteve was mostly still thinking of Eddie whispering into his neck and earâbut it worked well enough to distract her. Steve was actually surprised to see her face fall when he brushed her off for Eddieâs return.
Take that, Robin, he thought, picturing her damned tally board. Steve thought this whole endeavor probably warranted a point in the âYou Ruleâ column, but he didnât care much. He was too busy watching Eddie saunter over to his side with his now-zipped jacket suspiciously full looking, and his grin bright.
âLetâs blow this popsicle stand, shall we?â
Steve was too busy caught up in the thrill of Eddieâalive, probably healthy as Steve had ever seen him, laughing breathlessly as they made their escape to Steveâs carâto even ask what heâd been covering for. He wondered if theyâd just robbed the hospital pharmacy.
Eddie seemed to wilt a bit once they got outside and the sun peeked out from behind a cloud overhead, hitting him straight in the face.
âShit,â he mumbled to himself, ducking back into the shade by the doors. âDidnât think of that.â
âWhat?â Steve asked, offering his sunglasses over. Eddie accepted them with a grateful smile, then took a tentative step back into the sunshine.
âItâs nothing,â he said, seeming to relax a little once the sunglasses were on. Steve couldnât help but notice they looked good on him. âHelp me to the car, would you?â
So Steve did, offering Eddie an arm to lean on as they made their way through the parking lot. Steve eyed him carefully, but didnât ask questions.
Well, at least not until they got into the beemer. Thatâs when Eddie immediately pulled something out of his jacketâwas that donated blood?âthen tore into the bag and sucked its contents down like, well, water.
Then Steve had questions. The first of which being a hearty, âThe fuck?â
Eddie drained the bag and let his head fall back to rest on the seat, exposing the column of his neck. Steve swallowed, cursing his brain to pay attention to what the hell was happening instead of being a slut for once. Eddie lolled his head to look at Steve and gave him a gleaming, bloody smile.
âSo, funny story,â he paused. If Steve had to guess it mustâve been for dramatic effect. âI think Iâm a vampire.â
âââ
Admittedly, the whole vampire revelation made Steve a little anxious in a what-in-the-Vecna-fuckery sort of way, but he didnât trust Eddie any less over it. Just because he was on the slithering assholeâs radar, Steve didnât understand why heâd have to worry about Eddie being mind-controlled by Vecna anymore that he did for Max or Will. The whole vampire bit was admittedly a curveball, but so was the rest of Steveâs life at this point.
All the same, Eddie himself had insisted that they give it a few days before letting him around the kids, to be sure. Dustin only gave it twenty-four hours before calling a âfamily meetingâ and inviting everyone over to Steveâs. Steve had not been consulted, but what else was new?
So there he sat, Eddie sandwiched between himself and Robin on his couch, while Mike, Lucas, and Dustin took turns pacing in front of them.
The kids eventually devolved into having a rapid-fire debate about some dude called Kasâwho apparently destroyed things? Steve wasnât sure it really mattered. Dustin kept yelling something about Kas and betrayal, whatever that meant, but Mike was countering with something about evil and alignments. Steve guessed it wasnât about any dark desires from a chiropractor.
Eddie had finally had enough of their bickering and whistled for them to shut up.
âLook, kiddos. I want a Vecna-free brain just as much as you guys. Well, more than you guys do,â he paused to fiddle with his rings. Steve wondered if they werenât real silver, or if that was just a myth. Then he realized heâd thought all vampire-related things were myths up until yesterday. He shook himself out of his thoughts as Eddie continued. âIf he is secretly hanging out in the olâ noggin, I canât tell. But donât you all keep telling me about a girl with mind-reading abilities? Think she could suss him out?â
The room went silent, blessedly, for maybe one-and-a-half seconds.
âGenius!â Dustin exclaimed.
âWhereâs El?" Mike asked Lucas at the same time.
âWill that work?â Lucas questioned over everyone else.
âOne at a time, Jesus,â Steve cut in, rubbing his eyes. When he stopped, Eddie was looking at him with some emotion Steve couldnât quite interpret. He stopped trying and turned back to the kids, who stood there staring at him like they were waiting for assignments. Steve sighed, and pointed at Mike. âYou first, Wheeler.â
Mike turned to Lucas. âWas El still at the hospital when you left?â
She spent most of her time with either Hopper or Max these days, so it was a fair assumption.
âShe was,â Lucas confirmed. âIs that something you think she can do?â
âProbably,â Mike shrugged.
âDefinitely,â Will amended, speaking up for the first time in a while.
And so thatâs how Steve ended up going to get El so she could âdo a proper seanceâ on Eddieâs brain, as heâd put it.
âI donât feel him,â El said about an hour later. âYour mind is strange.â
Robin failed to hide her snickering behind her hand.
âBelieve me, kid, I know,â Eddie agreed with a grin.
With everyone more relaxed after that, Eddie regaled the kids with his tale of evading tipping off the nurses to his being awake while he pieced together that heâd woken up not quiteâŠhuman.
âSo I played dead,â Eddie told them and flopped on the floor like a sack of dead weight, letting his tongue loll out of his mouth and everything. Steve watched the hem of Eddieâs shirt ride up just far enough to give him a glimpse of the worst of his scarring. They already seemed to have faded again since the day before. âAnd hoped like hell I wouldnât eat anyone before I could figure out how to get down to the blood bank. Then Stevie came to my rescue.â He flashed Steve an exaggerated wink and whisked himself back to his feet as he told everyone how waking up felt.
Eddie apparently had a lot of weird dreams while he was still under, too. When Dustin asked, Eddie explained how most were like watching his body turn cold, like steelâor dreams about blood. He recounted waking up and being overwhelmed by feeling almost everything around him, of being able to hear the heartbeat of the patient in the next room over before the monitor even registered it with a beep.
As an added bonus, Eddie also enjoyed showing off the fangs.
Steve had to work to control his face every time Eddie popped those out. Steve thought the fangs should be freaking him out, but they didnât in the slightest. To the point where Steve thought maybe there was something wrong with his fight or flight response after one-too-many trips to a different dimension. A normal person would be scared, not inexplicably turned on by the thought of them sinking into the flesh of their neck.
In the interest of not exposing himself as a lovestruck idiot to absolutely everyone in the roomâRobin absolutely already knew, based on the looks sheâd been shooting him all afternoonâSteve excused himself to the patio for a smoke break. He didnât usually smoke much anymore, unless he was drinking, largely due to Robinâs incessant nagging about it. But Steve was pretty sure if he had to keep his blossoming crush on his friend the vampire in check, heâd need a lot more nicotine to distract himself.
Except Eddie slid out of the patio door to join him. Steve offered him one from his own pack wordlessly. Eddie accepted with a toothyâbut thankfully fang-freeâgrin.
âDo these do anything for you anymore?â Steve asked, suddenly curious.
âNot really,â Eddie shrugged. âI just wouldnât know what to do with my hands if I quit. Or for an excuse to leave the room when Iâm uncomfortable.â
Steve huffed out a nervous laugh, unsure if that was meant to be Eddie calling him out. Unwilling to really find out, Steve stayed quiet and stared up at the few stars that were starting to show themselves.
âAre you sure you wanna let me drive them home?â Eddie asked after a minute, staring determinedly at his shoes. Steve didnât know what the hell to make of that question.
âIâm not your mother, Munson,â he tried for a lighter tone.
âTrue,â Eddie smirked, âbut youâre kind of theirs, though.â
Fair, Steve thought. But he still wasnât sure what Eddie was actually getting at. âWhatâs this about?â
Eddie sighed and stubbed out his cigarette with a frustrated flourish. âI guess Iâm asking if youâre sure you trust me to be around them. By myself. When Iâm likeâŠthis.â
Steve almost laughed, but managed to hold it in once he saw that Eddie was being serious. He was tucking into himself like a pill bug, like he was expecting the fear and revulsion to finally come rolling off of Steve in waves.
Steve had wondered if it was a delayed reaction on his part, as well, and if eventually heâd be disgusted or freaked out by the whole situation. So far those feelings showed no threat of surfacing, and Steve didnât really think that they would, either.
Instead, all he felt was relief. He was relieved that Eddie was still alive. Or, well, kind of alive. He never really mastered the logistics of all the vampire movies Robin has made him watch. And really, after all of the Upside Down creatures that had tried to eat them over the years, Eddie seemed positively tame.
Most importantly, he seemed like himself.
So, gently, Steve reached his hand across the empty expanse between them and laid it on Eddieâs forearm. Eddieâs eyes snapped up to meet his own.
âI trust you,â Steve said, putting every ounce of sincerity he could muster into the look they shared. Eddie seemed to believe it, because after a moment he deflated, melting back to lean against the house. âAnd more importantly, so do they,â Steve added, jerking his head back towards the kids inside.
âYour trust is pretty important to me, too, Harrington,â Eddie admitted with an almost shy smile.
Steve sucked whatever he could out of the last dregs of his cigarette and prayed for the strength to survive being a total goner for Eddie Munson.
âââ
Max seemed to be improving physically, but there were still no signs of her waking up anytime soon. The longer she slept, and the more things deteriorated in town, the more everyone wanted to find Vecna and finish the job.
Soon enough they all coalesced around a plan to end the Upside Down nonsense once and for all. With El and Will back in town, and Eddieâs newfound enhanced abilities of his own, it didnât take much. Especially once they realized their old friends the demobats were now more inclined to follow Eddieâs lead than âOld Slitherfuck,â as he called Vecna.
One spring night they snuck into the Upside Down one last time and ended things for good. Max woke up in Lucasâs arms the moment Vecna was done and dusted, and El closed the gates for what they all hoped was the final time.
And now? Well. Now everyone was trying to get back to normal. Or as normal as they could be when they had to figure out ways to steal blood for the vampire in their friend group.
So on they went, trying to settle into yet another new set of skin. Eddie was still wary of himself, Steve could tell, but he never withdrew into isolation or tried to convince everyone they were better off without him.
Which was good, because everyone wanted Eddie around that much more.
Dustin wanted nothing more than to test his abilities, and did test whatever Eddie would let him get away with. Robin asked if they could have vampire movie nights, or if Eddie would find that insensitive (he heartily agreed to it). Nancy had a million questions like the good reporter she was, and she and Dustin often piggybacked off each otherâs ideas. Mike tended to go between staring at Eddie in awe and wondering if maybe his sexuality was just âpeople with superpowers.â
Or at least thatâs what Steve and Robin assumed when no one else was listening (and Robin wasnât pointing out Steveâs own crush on a certain vampire).
Steve was just doing his best to cope. He was getting used to the whole âEddie Munson is now an undead vampireâ situation. Really, he was.
Was he sometimes inexplicably a little bit jealous that he apparently didnât get enough demobat venom to also be turned? Jealous that he wasnât the one with superhuman strength and outright awe from the kids at his mere existence? If he was, Steve wasnât willing to admit it out loud. Because he knew where the jealousy was really coming from, and he certainly wasnât going to admit how attractive he found Eddieâs new set of pearly whites, no matter how many times Robin tried to get him to.
With everyoneâs support (and curiosity), it didnât take very long for Eddie to finally relish his adaptation into an immortal being either. Theyâd determined that the sun was hard on himâit made him feel sluggish and itchy, âlike Kryptonite"âbut he didnât burst into flame under its rays. Usually he just wore sunglasses and carried around an umbrella like an old-timey gentlewoman who didnât want to accidentally gain a freckle.
Eddie had been a night-owl before, anyway, so nothing much had really changed there either. Silver didnât hurt him, mirrors still worked on him, and garlic only made him sneeze. No one was willing to check if a wooden stake would do anything, and Eddie seemed as glad of that as Steve was. Other than the commanding an army of bats, invulnerability, and the obvious diet changes, Eddie didnât seem all that different.
It was driving Steve wild.
The simplest of flirtatious remarks sent him into a tailspin most days. And Eddie was full of flirtatious remarks by default. The more Steve let on that the flirting flustered him, the more elaborate Eddie got with it.
Eddieâs retelling of his and Steveâs escape from the hospital became more embellished, as well. Steve didnât exactly know what had happened before heâd arrived to visit that morning, but he was pretty sure it didnât involve a ravenous Eddie hanging upside down from the hospital ceiling to avoid being caught out of bed while he looked for the blood bank, like Eddie claimed.
Once, he was regaling Will and Dustin with his harrowing journey down into the basement on the âhunt for blood,â as he stood on top of the coffee table in Steveâs living room. (Steve did not have it in him to object to this, a bit of a double standard that Robin mocked him mercilessly over.) Steve was only half paying attentionâheâd been there, thank you very much, he remembered what actually happenedâfrom the kitchen while dumping a bag of chips into a bowl.
He perked up though when Eddie said, âSteve was pitifully flirting with a nurse for my benefitââ
âHey!â Steve protested as he made his way back to the living room. He shoved the bowl into Eddieâs chest and flopped on the sofa next to Will. âShe was into it.â
âI could tell your heart wasnât in it, sweetheart,â Eddie said, and shot Steve a wink. It was so simple, barely even a blip on anyone else's radar, but it had Steve feeling heated through.
Steve tried not to melt into the floor as Will gave him a sideways glance. He did his best to ignore it. The last thing he needed was for someone other than Robin to needle him about his ridiculous behavior.
That particular desire was quickly snuffed out by one Dustin Henderson, though.
âââ
One day in May, Dustin cornered Steve on their way out of the Henderson house.
âDo you have a problem with Eddie?â Dustin asked him, point blank in his hallway. Steve was suddenly very grateful that Claudia was not at home at the moment.
âNo?â Steve couldnât help but let it become a question. Dustin narrowed his eyes.
âWell, it seems like you do. All you ever do is stare at him, you barely talk, you act like youâre going to jump out of your skin if he even looks at you. Are you afraid of him or something?â Dustinâs face softened, like he was trying not to be quite as harsh as usual. There was still a fierceness there, though, that Steve knew was just born of protectiveness over Eddie.
âNo,â Steve replied without hesitation. âEven though you might think thatâs a perfectly reasonable reaction to have to our friend the newborn vampire, Iâm not afraid of him.â
âWell thatâs just it!â Dustin half-yelled, throwing his hands in the air. He just barely missed clipping Steveâs nose. âHeâs our friend, but youâre back to treating him like some kind of freak. So if youâre not afraid of him, Iâd like to know why youâre being a dick.â
Steve flinched. Dustin wasnât outright saying it, but he got the implication all the same; youâre acting like King Steve again.
He so violently wanted to reject the accusation that he considered telling Dustin the truth.
It wasnât like Dustin didnât accept queer people. He knew about Robin nowâthank godâand practically mooned over her for weeks with how cool he found it. Steve was pretty sure Dustin wouldnât react any differently to finding out he was also a member of the fruit basket, as Robin had dubbed them.
Steve took in the sheer disappointment on Dustinâs face and sighed. He retreated into the living room and plopped on the couch, restlessly running his hands through his hair. Tews came up to him and rubbed her cheek against his pant leg. He gratefully scratched her ears.
Steve knew if he just admitted to the jealousy, Dustin would feel better, but wouldnât entirely lose that kicked-puppy look. âI just want my dads to get along,â heâd taken to whining whenever he felt like Steve and Eddie werenât bonding to his specifications. Steve tried not to spontaneously combust each time any of the kids referred to him and Eddie as such.
Fuck it, Steve thought. He knew Dustin would latch on to his confession like Dart with a Three Musketeers, and Steve dreaded the conclusions heâd jump to. But he couldnât stand to disappoint the kid. He took a deep breath in as Dustin sat beside him. For once, heâd kept his mouth shut instead of berating Steve into submission. He waited patiently, quiet.
âIâm not afraid of him,â Steve said again. âI donât think heâs a freak. Iâm not turning back into King Steve.â He gave Dustin a pained look, who had the grace to look a bit sheepish in response. âI like him, okay?â
âYou donât seem like youââ
âNo, Dust,â Steve interrupted. He held Dustinâs gaze this time, hoping heâd connect the dots without too much explanation on Steveâs part. âI like him. I stare and barely talk and tense up because he makes me nervous. But in the butterflies in your stomach kind of way, not the oh god heâs going to kill us all in our sleep kind of way.â
Dustin stayed silent, but his eyes were wide as saucers. Steve wondered if he should give himself a pat on the back for rendering Dustin Henderson speechless for possibly the first time ever.
âYou okay?â Steve asked instead, picking at his pant leg. Steve was nearly certain Dustin wouldnât care that he was bisexual, sure. But he couldnât help but worry that Dustin still wouldnât approveâthat Steve wouldnât be good enough, not for Eddie, not in Dustinâs eyes.
Dustin had a knack for surprising Steve, though.
âThis is amazing,â he said, eyes practically fucking sparkling with delight.
Written for my lovely, talented, and frequent brainworm-sharing friend @stobinesque! Happy birthday, I hope you have the best day!! đ„łđ
This one is also affectionately known as stobin: codependent delivery drivers. Featuring the soulmates soulmating, some Rockie fluff, and just a dash of Steddie.
rated: T | wc: 4k | cw: none
[read on ao3]
Robin slaps the classified section in front of Steve as heâs making their morning coffee. Itâs been another long night of tossing and turning, of holding each other through anxious dreams thanks to the latest round of shit theyâve been through. Itâs exhausting, but theyâre figuring it out together. Again. Because if all they can do is stay attached at the hip, share a bed, and tell each other everythingâs okay as long as they have each other? Well, Robinâs more than willing to do that for Steve. And after two times around this ride already, Robin knows Steveâs more than willing to do that for her too.
So she uses the time not sleeping to scour the paper for job leads. Itâs not like sheâs dying to work again, but if she and Steve ever want to realize their plans of getting the hell out of Hawkins and moving to the city, theyâre gonna need something. If they canât sleep without each other, they certainly canât be expected to work without each other.Â
Luckily Robin thinks sheâs finally stumbled upon something that could be great for both of them.
âI think I found our next excursion through the perils of capitalism,â she grins and takes her mug from Steve, who always knows just how to make her coffee. Sheâs actually pretty sure they could do each otherâs morning routines in their sleep, by now.Â
âYippee,â Steve says with all the enthusiasm of someone on death row. He knows as well as Robin does that they need to find another job after the Family Video quite literally crumbled to dust, but neither of them is exactly eager to dive back into the hells of minimum wage labor. Not to mention that Robinâs more than a little worried that theyâre cursed, and the total destruction of both of their previous workplaces might precede them.
âCome on, as long as we do it together it wonât be that bad,â Robin tries to persuade him before telling him what the actual job is.
âYou said that about the last one!â Steve points out, looking so scandalized that Robinâs a little annoyed.
âAre you saying you donât want to work together anymore?â
âNo,â Steve course-corrects so quickly that Robin canât help but laugh at him. âI whine about work about five-hundred percent more if you arenât there with me, Robbie. You know that.â
âIâm familiar,â she chuckles, thinking back to every single time Keith scheduled Steve to work without her at the video store. And every time theyâd come back to work together at Scoops after a few days apart, Steve would have countless tales of people-watching and bizarre customers to share, even before they considered each other certified soulmates.
âSo what is it?â Steve asks.
âHow would you like to be one of the newest faces of Surfer Boy Pizza?â
âI thought you couldnât drive,â Keith narrows his eyes at Robin before going back to inspect her newly acquired driverâs license. She figured it was time to get one after the shit hit the fan for the second time in less than a year, so thatâs exactly what she didâŠafter a few tries, anyway.
Steve would argue that she still canât drive, actually looks like the words are poised on the tip of his tongue before he thinks better of it.
Robin canât exactly blame him, not after all he went through trying to teach her. She has to hold back a wince as she relives the time she popped one of his tires like a balloon just from rolling over a curb. But by some miracleâarguably her impeccable parallel parking skills, which might be the only thing sheâs actually good at, go figureâRobin finally did manage to get her license.
So the way Keith is looking at it like it has to be a fake is a little bit insulting.
âItâs newly minted, Iâll admit,â Robin sighs and leans across the counter to try and level with him. How he managed to snag up a managerâs spot here so quickly baffles her, quite honestly, since they just opened. (The rumor is that the owners saw Argyle driving around in his van so frequently that they were inspired to open a franchise. Robin isnât sure what that says about her potential new employers, but sheâs trying not to think about it too hard.)
At least she knows how to talk Keith into things he doesnât necessarily want to do by now.
âBut Iâm super careful and am an excellent parallel parker,â she continues. âYou wonât find any scratches on your shiny new delivery vans when Iâm working, or get calls from customers saying I left a dent in their bumper like the infamous kid that used to drive for that other pizza joint in town.â
âWe donât mention that place in here,â Keith grumbles, knowing full well that he is that infamous kid. Itâs another reason Robin is shocked that someone hired him to work at a pizza place again, even if he isnât driving this time around. Keith passes her license back over before glancing at Steve, who knows to stay quiet and let Robin handle things. He merely shrugs and gives Keith a look that imparts so much confidence in Robin that it makes her heart swell. âFine, youâre both hired. Again. Butââ
Robin cuts him off with a soft whoop, surprised at how excited she is to be able to make a mixtape and drive around town without a manager breathing down her neck for her entire shift. She doesnât really care much about the handing pizzas off to people part, more so the independence. And then to come back to the store and gab with Steve about it while they wait for their next call.
It maybe doesnât promise quite as much togetherness at work as theyâre accustomed to, but Robin has a feeling theyâll find a way to work around that.
âButââ Keith says again with his supposedly stern face on and points at Robin specifically. âYouâll deliver by bike until I trust you with a van.â
Robin feels the way her shoulders slump like sheâs sinking into quicksand. âItâs about to be summer, Keithââ
Steve kicks her ankle and clears his throat loudly before he sells her out like a Judas. âDeal.â
Robin stares daggers at the side of his head like the good old days when he was just the douchebag who left bagel crumbs everywhere he went. He doesnât look at her, though, just shakes hands with Keith and seals her to her sweaty fate.
Robin doesnât speak to Steve again until they pull up in front of her house. âI canât believe you threw me under the proverbial bike like that, dingus.â
âDo you want to hear my plan, or do you want to go back and quit before you even get your little yellow visor?â he asks as he shuts off the Beemer.
âIâll hear your plan,â Robin sighs, glad he seems to have one at all. âBut I reserve the right to reject it out of hand. Visor be damned.â
Steve smiles and twists around in his seat to face her, like whatever heâs come up with excites him.
âOkay, so every time Keith sends you out on your bike, you ride around the corner and wait, then Iâll pick you up in the van. That way we can do all our deliveries together until Keith trusts you to drive on your own.â Steve crosses his arms and grins at her like heâs some kind of evil, work-avoidant genius.
Robin thinks he just might be.
âI guarantee weâll still cover just as much ground if I push the speed limit, Hawkins is so small,â he continues. âThen weâll both basically be getting paid to do one job, and Keith never has to know.â
âYouâre a genius Steve, you know that?â she figures it canât hurt to tell him. It breaks her heart a little to watch the shadow of disbelief that crosses his face to hear it.
âI donât know about thatâŠâ
Robin claps a hand over his mouth before he can say anything self-deprecating. âNope. Take the compliment. I only have one question.â
âShoot, Bobbie,â Steve says. Heâs probably trotting out one of Robinâs favorite nicknames to counteract the fact that his lips are moving against her palm as he talks, which he knows creeps her out. How she understands what heâs saying anyway is beyond her, but she does.
âWhat do we do on nights that Iâm scheduled to work, but youâre not?â Robin asks as she drops her hand.
Steve shrugs and gives her such an easy smile, Robin thinks his knack for scheming is one of her favorite things about him.
âHelp cover the gas, and Iâll drive you around anyway,â he says. âBut youâre pretty good at convincing Keith to schedule us together already.â
Robin wonders if maybe this job will actually be kind of fun.
Robinâs pretty sure Keith catches on to their little routine after about a week of doing it. But sheâs already plotted a route around Hawkins that maximizes the ground they can cover, and Steveâs had all the best places to speed memorized for years, so every customer ends up singing their praises to the point where Keith canât really bring himself to do anything about it.
She thinks she might never have to drive a delivery van herself as long as they keep this up. Thatâs fine by Robin, because even if the pay is shit, itâs probably the most fun sheâs ever had at work.
It beats slinging ice cream in a sailor outfit, anyway.
People actually seem happy to see Robin when sheâs the one who rings the bell, delivering their dinner with a smile and a little bit of a clumsy lilt to her gait. It always gives her an extra dose of confidence when the particularly hot moms of Hawkins are thrilled to see herâwhether itâs for closeted sapphic reasons or just gender solidarity, Robin canât help but enjoy the attention and praises heaped upon her.
âRobin, you look almost as adorable in that uniform as you did in the sailor outfit. Yellow really is a good color on you,â Mrs. Wheeler says to her one night, and Robin nearly faints from it. Â
Eventually she starts flirting a littleânot with Nancyâs mom, but maybe with some of the others who didnât birth her friendsâjust subtly enough to make getting out of the car to talk to the babes on their route worth it. Steve grumbles about letting Robin talk to all the pretty girls at first, but itâs good natured and really Robin can tell that heâs proud of her for being a little charmer.
He doesnât mind flirting with the dudes instead, anyway. Especially not when Eddie starts ordering pizza way more frequently than is strictly necessary, even for someone still recovering from his first stint in the underworld.
âWhy donât you just ask him out?â Robin asks when Steve climbs back in the van with a goofy smile on his face for the fourth time in one week. Between the kids hanging out at Maxâs and Eddie calling so often, they spend more time delivering to their new, unearthquaked end of the trailer park than anywhere else.
âWhy donât you just ask Vickie out?â Steve counters, just like he always does. Robin tries to flick some of her Coke at him (that she may or may not have snagged from the work fridge behind Keithâs back), but she fumbles the execution and ends up spilling the whole can on Steveâs shirt. Then Steveâs laughing, but also glaring at her as he whines about his work shirt being sticky now.
Robin tries to stifle her own laughter with apologies, chooses not to point out that Eddieâs laughing from his door, too. She strips her own Surfer Boy tee off, leaving just the white tank top sheâs wearing underneath, and hands it to Steve to change into. They share clothes like itâs their lot in life anyway. Robinâs actually kind of convinced that one mightâve been Steveâs shirt to begin with.
âThanks,â he grumbles and changes hastily. He finally notices Eddieâs still watching once heâs trying to fix his hair in the rearview mirror.
Robin revels in the way his neck flushes, just a teeny bit. Steve waves shyly, Eddie waves back, and she wonders how long theyâll continue to be dumbasses as Steve finally pulls away.
âWhere to next?â he asks, and Robin checks her list.
Her groan tells Steve everything he needs to know.
âVickieâs it is!â He sounds entirely too cheerful about it.
The drive from Eddieâs to Vickieâs is vanishingly short, especially with Steve and Robinâs System of Fast and Efficient Pizza Delivery, patent pending.
âGimme my shirt back,â Robin implores as Steve pulls up to Vickieâs, feeling exposed all of a sudden in just her tank top. She anxiously looks towards the front door as she waits. The porch lightâs on for them, because Vickie is always one of the more courteous customers theyâve gotâand one of the best tippers.
âOh so Iâm supposed to sit here shirtless because you donât want to show off your arms to a pretty girl?â Steve asks, and Robin whips her head around to realize heâs not planning on giving her shirt back at all.
âItâs company policy not to approach a door without your uniform!â Robin shrieks, not because she cares much about company policy, but because Steve should have her back on principle. âPlus, you enjoy being shirtless, you flirt!â
âI donât think Vickieâs going to mistake you for a missionary,â Steve says blandly, ignoring the mild-slut shaming completely. âPlus, youâve still got your visor on.â
âSteve,â Robin tries, but he just grins at her without moving a muscle.
âYou look great. Go get âem, Tiger.â
âOh god. You did not just say that,â Robin sighs, delaying further just to make fun of him a little. She thinks itâs deserved.
âI did, and I meant it,â Steve raises an eyebrow at her. âUnless you want me to drop this one?â
âNo,â Robin tells him with all the annoyance she can muster. She might be awkward, flailing, and hopelessly pining over Vickie already, but sheâs not gonna let any of that stop her from going up to that door. âGimme the damn pizza.â
Steve reaches to get it out of the back and hands it over to Robin with a shit-eating grin. She really regrets not giving him more hell over Eddie back there, but she takes the box and squares her shoulders before making her way up Vickieâs front stairs.
Robin rings the bell and does her best not to fidget the entire time sheâs waiting. Which isnât very long at all. Vickie opens the door with a wide smile in greeting, looking almost angelic in the way the light behind her frames her fiery hair, her eyes bright and excited just because Robinâs there.Â
Or maybe sheâs just really hungry, a more cynical part of Robinâs brain corrects.
âVeggie pizza?â Robin asks, and Vickie nods.
âThanks,â Vickie says, already moving to exchange pizza for money. âThat was really fast.â
âOh, well. Steve and I have a system. I kind of buried myself in maps for a night while I worked out the quickest routes around town, then we spent the next couple of days figuring out how to drive them quickly without hitting any pedestrians or breaking too many traffic laws,â Robin says without thinking. No matter how many times they talk, Robin doesnât seem to be able to stop blurting things out around Vickie.
Vickie just laughs though, leaning a little around Robin so she can wave to Steve who is very obviously watching them from the car.
âThatâs a whole lot of dedication to the job,â Vickie comments, and Robin can feel her ears turn pink.
âSometimes I just plan stuff out when I canât sleep, even if I never actually end up doing it,â Robin admits.
âMe too,â Vickie says with such soft knowing in her voice that Robin wants to wrap herself up in it like a blanket. For the first time she wonders if maybe Steve isnât the only person who can calm her nerves enough to help her sleep. She doesnât have much time to get caught up in the thought, though, because Vickie keeps talking.
âIs that your normal uniform?â she asks, and Robin hopes sheâs not imagining the way Vickieâs gaze lingers over her bare shoulders, her chest, her neck. She feels exposed, still, her skin alight with any attention Vickie is willing to give, but it feels nice. So nice, actually, that Robin doesnât remember how to respond for a moment. âOr did you just want to show off your tan?â
Vickie bites her lip and flushes ever so slightly, like maybe she hadnât quite meant to say that part out loud. Robin canât think of anything but how desperate she is to kiss her.
âI really donât tan,â Robin admits. âFreckle, mostly. Sometimes burn if Iâm not careful. Which I guess isnât surprising, given the history of skin cancer in my familyââ Robin hears herself and wants to die. She snaps her mouth shut before she can say anything else horrifying.
âOh, I burn too! Even with all the sunscreen in the world, sometimesââ Vickie cuts herself off with a nervous laugh. âWell, the freckles look very good, anyway.â
âThanks,â Robin murmurs, and she thinks maybe sheâs blushing enough to look sunburnt now.
âRobin?â Vickie asks, still holding the pizza between them like sheâs afraid if she moves the moment might break.
Or maybe thatâs just what Robinâs scared of.
âYeah?â
âCan you help me with something real quick, or are you super busy tonight?â Vickie asks. The hopeful way she tilts her head is so precious Robin might implode right there on the spot.
Robin doesnât care how busy they are, thereâs no way sheâs not following Vickie inside. âI can help. Whatâs up?â
âItâs just that my VCR is jammed,â Vickie says, already leading Robin inside and talking over her shoulder. She puts the pizza down on the coffee table and nods toward the TV. Robin ambles over, not sure thereâs anything she can do to fix it, but sheâs willing to try.
âYou worked at Family Video for a while, right?â Vickie asks. Robin nods and tries not to relive every time Vickie came in to rent something and Robin acted like a fool. âThought maybe youâd have the magic touch with it.â
Robin doesnât think sheâs imagining the flirtatious way that Vickie says magic touch, so she pours all of her focus into the malfunctioning machine in front of her before she malfunctions and melts into a puddle on Vickieâs floor.
She feels Vickieâs eyes watching her as she works and thinks she might melt anyway.
It doesnât take long to figure out the problem. After some fumbling, Robin manages to untangle some loose tape from inside the deck. She canât help but think it looks haphazardly shoved in there. âWere you babysitting, or something?â
âNo?â Vickie says, voice inexplicably laced with questionable guilt.
âJust seems like it got stuffed in there,â Robin says as she turns around with the tangle on display. âLike maybe a kid was playing with it.â
âOh. Well. Weird.â Vickieâs biting her lip and looking at her feet all of a sudden. Robin can see the sheen of freshly applied gloss on Vickieâs lips. She wonders what it tastes like.
She also wonders if maybe Vickie put it on just for her.
âVickie?â Robinâs voice is whisper quiet.
âYeah?â
âDid you really need my help with the VCR?â
Vickieâs eyes snap to Robinâs face, worried, like sheâs been caught out. But then Robin smiles at her, so gently she feels like it might break her own heart just to feel it on her face, and Vickie relaxes her shoulders.
âNo,â she admits.
Robin doesnât know where the courage comes from, what comes over her or how, but one minute sheâs standing in Vickieâs living room thinking she might pass out from nerves, and the next sheâs cupping Vickieâs cheek with all the casual smoothness Robinâs ever mustered in her life. Then Robin leans in to kiss her.
Itâs heady, the power Robin feels just from being the one to move first. Itâs like her body was made for this, for gently holding Vickieâs face and tasting the strawberry flavor of her lip gloss, feeling the soft pout of her lips slotting between Robinâs own like puzzle pieces fitting together.
But mostly Robin is soaring because Vickie is kissing her back, fiercely, like maybe this was actually what Vickie was hungry for instead of pizza in the first place.
Robin isnât entirely sure what being a good kisser entails, at least not when you actually want the person youâre lip to lip with so badly youâre seeing stars. Thereâs no universe in which Robin thinks this canât be good, though, because her whole body is tingling from the way Vickie presses up against it, the way she gently slips her hand into Robinâs hair and tilts Robinâs head just so.
Robin feels her visor come tumbling off her head, but she can hardly care when Vickie lets out a delicate moan that leaves her absolutely weak in the knees.
âVickie,â Robin breathes out when they separate, already wanting to dive in for more. Vickie smiles against Robinâs mouth, kisses the corner of her lips again like sheâs worried she missed a spot.
âYes, Robin?â Vickie asks, suddenly sounding much more confident than sheâd looked just a moment beforeâalmost teasing.
âThat was really good,â Robin says plainly.
âI agree,â Vickie hums. She pecks Robin on the lips one more time, gentle and quick about it. âAnd as much as I want to do it again, I think Steveâs waiting for you.â
Itâs only then that Robin even hears the distinct sound of the vanâs horn honkingâtwo quick beeps to remind her that thereâs still two more deliveries they need to make.
âDamn him,â Robin mutters, and Vickie just laughs. Her breath against Robinâs face is minty fresh, and Robin canât really be expected to function when she knows Vickie planned this whole thing, can she?
âCall me later?â Vickie asks.
Robin nods, but not before kissing her again, deliveries be damned.
âYour lips are swollen,â Steve says first thing when she gets back in the car, dazed and floaty like sheâs just taken the best drugs of her life. (This is something Robin actually has a point of reference for now, and sheâs easily putting âKisses From Vickieâ at the top of the list.)
âI kissed her,â Robin says, staring straight ahead. Steve squeals like a little girl and bounces in his seat.
âFinally!â he cheers, giving Robinâs shoulders an excited shake. âAre you comatose over there?â
âA little,â Robin admits, but she feels the smile break out on her face like an explosion of fireworks. She sucks in a deep breath and finally looks at Steve. He looks so happy for her she thinks her heart might burst all over again. âI kissed a girl.â
âWas it everything you imagined?â Steve asks, not bothering to hide the hopeless romantic that lives in his chest and pulls all of his heartstrings.
âAnd then some,â Robin says, hearing how dreamy she sounds and just rolling with it. Steve starts the van up again just as Vickie waves at them both from her front window. She blows Robin a kiss, and Robin thinks sheâs died and gone to a heaven sheâs not sure she believed in until now.
âSeems this job was worth it after all,â Steve admits.
SO I was gonna just write out a little paragraph or two...and then I did the whole thing. Or an abridged version, at least. I may expand on this someday but for now, enjoy some demi!Eddie.
Eddieâs always known heâs different. Not just because heâs the town freak, or because his tastes tend to differ from almost everyone elseâs, or even that he realizes he thinks boys can be just as pretty as girls, if not prettier. Sure, all of that makes him objectively different from the herd of followers that he heâs surround by in a small town like Hawkins.
It takes him a little longer to realize thereâs another kind of different to add to his already overflowing plate, though.
Because sure, he can appreciate the way a cheerleaderâs skirt swishes around her thighs, or the way the sweat glistens on the jockiest guysâ arms in gym class. And yeah, when he first sees Nancy Wheeler shooting at something with that fierce gleam in her eye, itâs objectively attractive⊠in a terrifying sort of way.
But Eddieâs very rarely ever wanted to do anything about it. Not until he gets to know someone first, at least. He needs that first spark to burrow deep, for feelings to take root and claw away at him until he canât not have someone. Except every time Eddie gets to know a crush in any real way, it becomes abundantly clear that his feelings are unrequited, or it takes long enough to realize all he really feels is a platonic sort of love now, anyway.
Flirting is still fun, Eddie thinks. Getting to know new people, to make them blush or flutter their lashes while he learned about their little quirks and dreams and what made them tick? That lit him up like fireworks on the Fourth of July. But so rarely does any of it ever turn into anything deep enough to warrant desire. So few had ever ignited that something more in himâthat undeniable gut feeling of want and need and oh god why arenât we kissing right now?
The few times Eddie actually has managed to feel that way, to develop a deep enough connection to dig into his marrow and let the love and attraction and desire break free? Well, those havenât turned out so well for him, historically.
He wants so badly to want. For someone to want him just as much. He wants sex to not be going through the motions, getting it over with just so he could say he had, to not feel weird or vaguely wrong every time he tries.
Eddie needs to not want to run.
Instead itâs always that initial rush of this person is so cool, and oh theyâre also pretty, then maybe if I get to know them, theyâll finally be someone I can be with, be the person I want to rip my clothes off for.
And they never have been.
Until Steve.
Steve awakens something in Eddie that he genuinely didnât think existed, a ferocious kind of hunger that is almost always awake and demanding. He needs to touch Steve, needs Steve to touch him and make him feel like the world is spinning off its axis with every heated glance.
He needs to kiss Steve, to slide their tongues together and roam his hands all over Steveâs chest and give Steve every kind of pleasure heâd ever dreamed of and then some.
Steve comes around and all of a sudden Eddie is consumed by fire.
The moans he pulls out of Steve with his mouth donât just turn Eddie on, they twist his soul. Contort his heart in ways he knows canât be healthy or normal, but when has Eddie ever wanted to be normal anyway? Heâd rather sink deep into this feeling, so raw and intoxicating and utterly new for him that he doesnât know how to deal with it besides to dive in headfirst. Because Eddieâs been in love before, but no one has ever loved him back. But Steve does, by some strange twist of fate.
And Steveâs loveâŠitâs something so much more than he ever bargained for. Itâs a soft sweater in the middle of a crisp fall afternoon, that first taste of your favorite home cooked meal after going without for a while. The way Steve loves is all-encompassing, wild and loyal and unwavering.
Eddie canât get enough. Heâs probably getting ahead of himself, probably letting those feelings he always imagined latch on to his senses and and run away with them, threatening never to let go. But he never wants to let go of Steve, anyway, so whereâs the harm, really?
So maybe Eddieâs a little bit weird for how he loves, how he wantsâbut Steve takes the weird and cradles it, nourishes it and cherishes it as though he wouldnât want Eddie any other way.
And he proves it every single day.
They're sprawled out in Eddie's bed one afternoon, all lazy strokes and soft kisses and passing the time just being together. Then Steve chuckles a little to himself before asking outright.
âWho are those for?â Steve asks, sly and knowing smile on his face as he nods towards the wall.
The handcuffs. Eddie can't even be bothered to blush, because he knows why Steve is asking.
The cuffs have hung there for ages, because Eddie has been prepared and waiting for this. Heâs known heâs a freak for years, knows all the kinks that come with living in his funny little brain. Heâs just been dreaming of the right person wandering into his life, for the stars to align enough for them to want to use them.
So without a trace of doubt in his voice, Eddie smiles back and says, âYou, baby.â