written for the @steddiemicrofic prompt: slick, 501 words | rating: g | no cw | tags: pre-relationship, steve has a crush, set between s4 and s5, in a world where eddie lives
âRoads are too slick to drive to the woods,â Murray explains as he shoves another crate in Jonathanâs arms. âOne of you, children, will need to use the tunnels to get these to Hop.â
âIâll go,â Steve volunteers. Four pairs of eyes narrow at him. âWhat? Someoneâs gotta bring El her battery.â
âBut you hate the tunnels,â Nancy says, matter-of-fact.
âWho doesnât?â Steve throws back. He doesnât like the look sheâs giving him, like sheâs trying to figure him out.
Then thereâs Robin, whoâs had him figured out for months, and Jonathan, who couldnât be more clueless. He still thinks Steveâs trying to impress Nancy for Christâs sake! If riling him up wasnât so fun, Steve wouldâve already confessed heâs interested in someone else now.
When thatâs settled, they bring everything inside, Steve and Jonathan pack up stuff while Nancy and Robin send a message to Hopper. Thirty minutes later, Steve is making his way through the tunnels.
Itâs hardly his first timeâ after everything happened, they were too nervous to use the truck and give away Hopperâs safe house so theyâd take the tunnels. Now, eight months into their new reality, they rarely need to use them.
Itâs why Steve jumped at the opportunity. Itâs the only way he gets to seeâ
âHarrington!â Eddie cheers when Steve comes into view. Grinning, he offers him a dramatic curtsy. âYouâre a sight for sore eyes, especially down here.â
Steve scoffs. âThatâs hardly a compliment, man. Itâs either me, the army or a Demogorgon.â
âYou forget Murray. I much prefer your pretty face over his ugly mug,â Eddie says, pinching Steveâs cheek, making his stomach flip. âI was delighted to hear youâd be doing the delivery.â
âWhy? You missed me, Munson?â Steve asks smugly but the thought thrills him.
Eddie grins. ââCourse I did, sweetheart. Hiding with Hop and Supergirl gets really boring. And Joyce is cool, but she doesnât like me much.â
âMust be all the murder charges.â
âFalse accusations! All of âem!â Eddie loudly protests. âBesides, who in our little rag tag group isnât a criminal?â
âIâm not.â
âStevie,â Eddie deadpans, âyouâre literally smuggling supplies right now.â
Steve raises an eyebrow. âOh so you want me to take the Boppers back?â
The threat makes Eddieâs eyes widen. âNo!â He drops to his knees, clutching Steveâs hand. âForgive me, sir! Youâre a model citizen!â
He presses kisses all over Steveâs hand, making blood rush to his face and butterflies to erupt in his stomach. âYouâre so annoying,â he says unconvincingly.
Jumping to his feet, Eddie gets all up in Steveâs space. âBut you keep coming back so I must be doing something right, big boy.â
Steveâs response is to shove him away. Itâs either that or kissing him. âWhatever. Help me bring this up or Iâll send Jonathan next time.â
âAs His Majesty commands!â Eddie salutes, grabbing a bag.
He throws a wink over his shoulder and starts walking. Steve follows closely, thinking that maybe the tunnels arenât so bad after all.
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buck/eddie | 3,1k | post 9x11 âgoing once, going twiceâ
âHello, table for Buckley,â Eddie tells the waitress five minutes later. After a quick glance at her tablet, she leads him inside.
It really is a nice place but Eddie was right about it being too romantic. He sees mostly couples having dinner as they make their way through the tables. The waiter probably thinks Eddie and Maddie are one of them. If only she knew Eddie is actually in love with her brotherâ
âHereâs your table, sir,â the waitress says as Eddie stops to let a waiter carrying a tray of drinks pass. âIâll come back shortly to take your order.â
âThank youââ
âEddie?â
The voice sounds familiar, but itâs not the one he expects to hear. Confused, Eddieâs eyes snap to the table that he was shown to and finds Buck sitting there instead of Maddie.
âBuck?â
or after the bachelor auction Maddie tricks Eddie into going out on a date with a different Buckley
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson
Summary:
Eddie opens his mouth to enthusiastically say yes to Steveâs invitation when he remembers that he does have plans this Saturday.
âI canât,â he says with a pout. Steveâs face twists with disappointment, and it only makes Eddie pout harder. âDonât get me wrong, I would love to, Stevie, but I- uh- I have plans.â
Steve frowns. âWith your band? The kids?â
Eddie shakes his head. âMy uncle. Wayne and I are grabbing dinner at Enzoâs.â
âYouâre eating at Enzoâs?â Steve asks with a surprised tone.
âWhat? Canât trailer trash like us have a decent meal on a special occasion?â Eddie jokes.
âHey, donât call yourself that,â Steve says with a serious expression, squeezing Eddieâs arm where it rests on the couch next to Steve. His hand lingers there, thumb brushing over Eddieâs arm, making goosebumps raise on his skin. Then his finger jerks to a stop as he realizes something. âWait, special occasion? What special occasion?â
or Eddie doesnât tell anyone that his birthday is coming up. When Steve finds out, he ends up giving Eddie the best gift that he could possibly ask for.
âSo weâre kissing each other on stage now?â Ashton asks while they sit around eating their dinner after the show.
Luke chokes audibly on his California Spring roll, forcing Michael to give him a few thumps on his back. With watery eyes, he glances at Calum, sitting across from him and finds him grinning back smugly. Neither of them says anything. Itâs Michael who says, âyeah, what was that about?â looking directly at Calum who shrugs nonchalantly.
âDunno, I just felt like doing it,â he says, leaning back on his palms, still looking at Luke. âLuke doesnât mind, do you, Luke?â
The truth is Luke does mind. He minds a lot. Not because he doesnât like it, but because it messes with his headâ leaves him feeling a little floaty and distracted.
***
Or 3 times the boys kiss Luke on stage + 1 time Luke kisses them all off stage
a/n: hey hey! It's @5sos-fic-exchange time and this is my fic for the lovely Alison @bandsanitizer, I really hope you and anyone else who reads this enjoys the fic! Also thank you Hazel @allsassnoclass for organizing this once again!
written for the @steddiebingo round one main card | prompt: jim hopper | rated: t | wc: 1 k | tags: hopper pov, hopper/byers wedding, getting caught, humor
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Hopper makes it halfway through his wedding reception before he sneaks away to have a cigarette.Â
On his way out, he catches Joyceâsâ his wifeâs eye. Sheâs talking to Karen Wheeler but pauses to shoot him a radiant smile and wave at him, her ring sparkling, making Hopper smile back before he exits the tarp they set up in their new backyard for the occasion.Â
He doesnât have any cigarettes on him so he walks over to his truck to retrieve one. He sticks it between his lips, and leaning back against the passenger door, he lights it up.Â
He relaxes, blowing the smoke onto the night air. After a couple more puffs, something catches his attention.Â
A few cars down, he sees Eddie Munsonâs van, its light on. Hopper assumes he left it like that by accident until he sees the van rocking a little, suggesting that thereâs someone inside.
Hopper doesnât remember seeing the kid inside, not since he dragged Max and El to the dancefloor, twirling them both around at the same time while Max groaned and El giggled. Like Hopper, Eddie might've snuck out of the wedding to smokeâ or God forbid, Hopper thinks, to deal.Â
He runs a hand down his face. Over the years, he has let Munson off the hook a few times, sending him off with only a warning, but dealing at the Chief of Policeâs wedding is a new level of stupid and Hopper thinks it warrants a scolding at least.
After putting his cigarette out, Hopper makes his way to the van. He grabs the handle and starts talking at the same time he yanks the backdoor open.Â
âMunson, you better not be dealing in there, or so help me God, I will arrest youââ
His words cut off abruptly when he gets a look inside the van.Â
Because the kid isnât dealing, he isnât even smoking.Â
Heâs straddling someone.Â
âJesus H. Christ, Hopper!â Munson shrieks, somewhere between flustered and pissed off. âEver heard of knocking?â
Heâs frantically trying to fix his clothes, careful to hide whoeverâs underneath him from view so Hopper canât see them.Â
Him.Â
Because thatâs definitely not a girl under Munson if the pants and the dress shoes that Hopper can see are anything to go by.
Hopper doesnât have anything against that, of course not, but he knows that others do and if they had been the ones to catch these two like this then things couldâve gone badly, making this more stupid than selling weed at a wedding where half of the police department is in attendance.
Stupid kids, Hopper thinks with a sigh. They could benefit from their own Donât Be Stupid set of rules. Really there would only be one, easy enough to remember: Donât get caught making out with yourâ boyfriend? Is that what these two are?
âIf ya wanted privacy, kid, you shouldâve locked the door,â Hopper says gruffly.
Thereâs a snort from the other boy and Eddie frantically shushes him before rolling his eyes at Hopper. âWe didnât think anyone would come looking for us.â
âI didnât,â Hopper says, shrugging. âSaw the light on and thought you were selling drugs.â
Now itâs Munsonâs turn to snort. âDonât know what youâre talking about, Chief, I donât do that,â he says, shooting Hopper whatâs supposed to be an innocent grin. âAnd if I did and thatâs a big âifâ, Hop, Iâm a model citizen, it offends me that you think Iâd be stupid enough to do it here,â he adds with that dramatic flair of his.Â
âYouâre so full of shit, Eddie,â an amused voice says.Â
A voice Hopper recognizes right away.Â
Eddieâs eyes go wide when he hears it, and he puts a finger over his lips and lets out a frantic shhhh!
Only itâs too lateâ Hopper recognizes not only the voice but the fancy dress pants and the shiny shoes that Steve Harrington showed up wearing to his wedding.Â
Munson and Harrington, huh? Hopper canât say he saw that coming.
Identity revealed, Steve sits up and Eddie has no choice but to slide off of his lap. His head whips back and forth between Steve and Hopperâs faces, looking like a deer caught in headlights.Â
Harrington, on the other hand, is looking real smug. âHey, Hop.â
âHarrington,â Hopper says, crossing his arms over his chest. âWouldâve expected you to be smarter than to get caught like that.â
Brushing a hand through his messed up hair, Steve gives a shrug. âGot a little distracted. It wonât happen again.â
At that, Eddie's head snaps in his direction. âIt wonât?â He asks in disappointment.
Steveâs expression turns soft. âI meant getting caught, Eds. The kissing on the other handââ He winks and Munsonâs cheeks go bright red.Â
âOh,â he says with a pleased smile.
Hopper canât help but feel like heâs intruding. He wants to go back inside, but he knows that as soon as he does, these two will probably start sucking face again, not a care in the world about who might catch them.Â
He sighs. Theyâre stupid kids, sure, but he cares about them, damn it.
âListen, youâ if you boys need a place with a lock and some privacy, the cabin is empty. Thereâs a key under a faulty board on the porch,â he says, smoothing his moustache down with his fingers, his other hand resting on his hip.. âJustâ donât use it to sell drugs. Hear that, Munson?âÂ
âChief, Iâm outraged that youâd thinkââ Eddie starts while dramatically clutching his chest but itâs Harringtonâs turn to shush him, covering his mouth with his hand.
âNo drugs. Got it, Hop, thanks,â he says, flashing him a charming grin.
âYeah, yeah,â Hopper muses.Â
Harrington wiggles his fingers at him and Munson offers a dorky soldier salute. With a rueful shake of his head, Hopper starts walking back to his wedding reception to find his wife. She will be proud of how he handled that, so much better than when he caught El and the Wheeler kid kissing for the first timeâ
Hopperâs face twists into a frown.Â
Now that he thinks about it, he hasn't seen his daughter or Mike for a while either.
âGod damnit,â he mutters under his breath and goes looking for them.Â
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written for the @steddiebingo kissing booth mini event prompt: bear | rated: t | wc: ~1 k | tags: season 3, alternate first meeting, first date, ft steveâs nail bat
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After a long stretch of bad dates, Steve begins to think heâll never have a good one again. Itâs why tonight comes as such a surpriseâ especially because the person who helps him get out of this bad date rut is none other than Eddie Munson.
Steve asked him out after several days in a row of Eddie showing up at Scoops to bother him. Heâd mock Steveâs uniform or ask for ice cream sample after ice cream sample only to end up not buying anything but when Steveâ who had been dealing with Hendersonâs shithead friends all summerâ only got mildly annoyed at this, Eddie decided to up his game by flirting shamelessly, hoping it would make Steve either angry or uncomfortable.
Steve was neither. He was into it.
So by the end of the week, when Eddie showed up again, Steve interrupted his rant about how it was criminal that Scoops was out of rainbow sprinkles to ask him out on a movie date.
Said movie had finished over an hour ago, but their date was still going.
After leaving the Hawk, Steve drove them to Loverâs Lake. When he turned the engine off, Eddie was in the middle of another rantâ something about Steveâs terrible taste in musicâ which he also interrupted by pressing a kiss to Eddieâs lips this time. One kiss quickly turned into two, then three, and then, Steve lost count. He could only think about Eddieâs tongue in his mouth and his hands in his hair, and how this might be the best date he ever went on even if it wasnât even over yet. In Steveâs opinion, there wasnât anything that could ruin it.
That is, until he hears a growl.
Steveâs stomach flips at the sound, and not because Eddie bites his bottom lip. âWhat was that?â He asks without breaking the kiss, their lips brushing.
âMmâ wâ what?â Eddie mumbles, pulling back as his eyes flutter open. He looks absolutely kissâdrunk, and Steve takes a second to appreciate his puffy lips and red cheeks before glancing out the window.
âThat growlââ He trails off, squinting at the trees, half expecting to see a demodog jumping out of the shadows.
Memories of last Halloween flash behind his eyes and fear starts bubbling up inside him. Heâs ready to protect Eddie even if heâs terrified, but thereâs little he can do against one of those things, especially without a weapon. âWait here,â he says, grabbing the car keys.
Eddie frowns as Steve opens the door. âWhere are youââ
But the rest of his question gets cut off by Steve slamming the door closed behind him. With his eyes darting around, Steve heads to the trunk. He hears the passenger door open and Eddie as he stumbles out.
âStay in the car, Eddie,â he says, opening the trunk and moving stuff around.
âAfter you looked like you saw a ghost and scrambled out of there?â Eddie scoffs. âNo, sir. Fuck that.â
Leaves crunch under his boots as he walks over to Steve. He comes into view just as he grabs his nail bat and gives it a twirl.
Eddie stumbles back a few steps. âJesus H. Christ, man! What the fuck is that?â
Steve hesitates and Eddie starts rambling, a nervous edge to his voice. âYou brought me here to murder me, didnât you? Oh shit, I shouldâve known this was too good to be true, someone as pretty as you would neverââ
âEddie!â Steve interrupts, lowering the bat but keeping a tight grip on it. âIâm not going to hurt you.â
Iâm trying to protect you, he thinks.
âThen whatâs that for?â Eddie remarks, eyeing the nail bat warily.
Monsters. âUh,â Steve falters, trying to think fast. The best he comes up with isâ âBears?â
Eddie blinks. âBears,â he repeats flatly.
âYeah.â
âAre you gonna go pick a fight with a bear or something?â Eddie asks, now confused rather than afraid.
Steve shakes his head and lowers his voice a little, even if by now, they probably alerted every creature in the vicinity that theyâre here. âI heard growling.â
At that Eddie lets out a loud cackle, the sound reverberating in the otherwise silent woods. So much for being quiet, he thinks.
âSteve, you beautiful idiot,â he laughs, âthat wasnât a bear you hear. It was me.â
Itâs Steveâs turn to stand there and blink. âWhat?â
âThe growling? Just my stomach, tough guy,â Eddie explains, chuckling amusedly. âI was so nervous to go on a date with the Steve Harrington that I didnât eat all day.â
Steveâs grip on the bat loosens. âOh,â he replies dumbly.
âYup, so you can put thatâ thing away now. Unless you were planning to murder meââ
Steve huffs out a laugh. âNo, Iâ I canât buy you dinner if I murder you.â
âThatâs a good point,â Eddie says, stifling a smile. âWe should probably go though, before my stomach wakes up every bear around hereâ wait, are there even bears in Hawkins?â
Steve doesnât know the answer but fortunately it doesnât matter because Eddie doesnât wait for one and climbs into the car.
Tossing the nailbat back into the trunk, Steve does the same. He starts backing the Beemer away from the lakeâ
Only to hit the brakes after a few feet.
Eddie yelps in his seat. âDamn, youâre jumpy tonight, sweetheart,â he teases, his mouth quirking up in a smirk. âWhat did ya hear this time?â
âNothing. Just remembered something,â Steve says. Itâs his turn to smirk. âWere you really so nervous about our date that you forgot to eat all day?â
Eddieâs eyes go wide while his cheeks turn pink. He tries to hide behind his hair, tugging it across his face, but itâs too late. âShut up and drive, Harrington.â
steddie | rated: t | wc: 1,8 k | tags: post st4 vol. 2, but eddie lives, and steve braids his hair, pre-relationship, flirting, hospitals
a/n: this is a continuation to this fic but it can be read on its own too
read on ao3
Flipping out when youâre hooked to a bunch of machines and tubes, as well as confined to a hospital bed, is pretty much impossible.Â
Eddie canât storm out of the room or slam the door shut, all he can do is roll over in his bedâ mindful of all the cables and IV linesâ and glare at the wall until Uncle Wayne takes the hint and leaves the room.Â
It takes a while but eventually he does.Â
Before the door closes behind him though, Eddie hears footsteps approaching, followed by a familiar voice. âHi, Mr. Munson, uhâ sorry, Wayne.â
Eddie doesn't need to roll over to know who it is, he immediately recognizes Steveâs voice and his stomach flutters due to it.Â
Then he grimaces, because he doesnât want Steve to see him acting like a child.Â
Not that heâs acting like a child, thank you very much, Wayne.Â
ââllo, kid,â Wayne says gruffly.Â
âIs Eddie asleep?â
âHe ainât. Just throwing a fit, sâall,â he explains and Eddie glares at the wall even harder. Damn his uncle. âI wouldnât go in there if I were you, boy.â
Eddie hears Steve hum in consideration but instead of hightailing it out of there, he asks, âDo you think pie could change his mood?â
âIt just might,â Wayne snorts. âIf youâre the one to give it to him.â
Eddie splutters and thinks about rolling over just so he can throw a pillow at his uncle. If he did, heâd probably see Steveâs bashful smile, the one where he doesnât quite believe someone elseâs compliment and brushes it off as a joke.Â
Only it isnât a jokeâ itâs nearly impossible for Eddie to be in a bad mood around Steve. Blame his big fat crush on him.Â
âWell, good luck, son,â Eddie hears Wayne say before he hears his retreating footsteps.Â
ThenâÂ
âHey, Eds.â
Eddie doesnât respond. He doesnât move. Maybe he can pretend heâs asleep. Of course he wants Steveâs company and pie, but he doesnât want to dump his pissy mood on him andâ
âI know youâre not asleep, dude,â Steve says, matter-of-fact.Â
Well, there goes his plan.Â
Sighing, he rolls over, his face still pulled into a frown.
One that quickly dissolves when Steve lifts a paper bag labeled Kittyâs Dinner. âI brought you something,â he says with a little smile. âUnless youâre in too much of a shitty mood for blueberry pie.â
Eddie rolls his eyes at the teasing remark. ââM not in a bad mood,â he grumbles.Â
Steve snorts. âRight,â he says, his voice dripping with sarcasm.Â
âJustâ Gimme that, Harrington,â Eddie huffs, making grabby hands at the bag. Steve obliges with an amused little smile, falling back on the chair next to the bed. Meanwhile Eddie starts stuffing his face with pie. âThanks,â he grumbles after a few bites because he has mannersâ and because it makes Steve wink at him.Â
âYouâre welcome,â he says, crossing his arms over his chest. âWanna tell me why your uncle warned me to stay away?â
âBecause he sucks,â Eddie says through a mouthful of pie. Steve doesnât even bat an eye, he just stares expectantly at Eddie until he sighs and says, âThe nurses want to chop it off.â
Steveâs eyes go wide. âWhat? Your leg?â He asks, his voice thick with alarm as he glances at Eddieâs heavily bandaged leg. âBut I thought they said it was healing well andââ
Eddie waves him off. âMy hair,â he clarifies and Steve relaxes against the chair. âThey say it keeps getting in the way, getting tangled with the cables and the IV lines and shit so they want to cut my hair short.â
âIs that why Wayne said you were throwing a tantrum?â
âItâs not a tantrum!â Eddie growls in frustration. âOr maybe it is butâ fuck, man. I already have scars all over my fucking body, I lost a fucking nipple and like, a big chunk of flesh. I barely recognize myself when I look in the mirror as it isââ he trails off when his voice starts to shake. âI know itâs just hair,â he mumbles after clearing his throat a few times. âAnd I know it grows back and that Iâm being stupidââ
âHey,â Steve cuts in and Eddie looks up to find him much closer than before, sitting on the edge of the bed instead. âItâs not stupid. Youâre talking to The Hair of Hawkins, man. If anyoneâs gonna understand the importance of hair, itâs me.â
A small smile teases at Eddieâs lips. âWell, Wayne says itâs stupid.â
âDude, your uncle is bald, what does he know?â
That manages to get a real cackle out of Eddie and Steve smiles smugly, pleased with himself.Â
After that, they sit in silence until Eddie finishes the pie. When Eddie is done, he tosses the empty bag across the room and the movement makes a strand of hair fall over his eyes. When he brushes it back, he notices Steve looking at him, his head cocked to one side.Â
âWhat?â
âWill you let me try something again?â He asks, gesturing at Eddieâs hair.Â
âWhat?â Eddie asks warily.Â
Steve rolls his eyes. âCanât you just trust me? I was right last time, wasnât I?â When Eddie only narrows his eyes further, he lets out a long suffering sigh. âIâm not gonna cut your hair, okay? I already told you I like it this way.â
Eddie has to bite down on a giddy squeal, his chest fluttering the same way it did that day on the field. The difference is that now heâs hooked to a heart rate monitor and its beeping grows more frantic after Steveâs admission.Â
After he nods, Steve moves to sit behind him, squeezing between him and the wall. His hands immediately find Eddieâs hair, and while he does whatever it is that he wanted to do, Eddie attempts to telepathically slow his heartbeat down. He really doesnât want a nurse to barge in because she thinks Eddie is having a heart attack only to realize heâs just really fucking gay.Â
At first, Eddie thinks Steve is just tying his hair back but when he pats the back of his head, he feels something else. âIs thatâ is that a braid?â
âMhm,â Steve confirms and slaps Eddieâs hand away.Â
âHow did Steve Harrington learn to braid hair?â He asks, flipping Steve off. âDid some chick teach you?â He teases with just a hint of jealousy in his voice.Â
âActually, yeah,â Steve says amusedly. âRob did.â
âOh.â No reason to feel jealous, then, he thinks.
Not that he has any right to be jealous to begin with butâ whatever.
âYeah, slow hours at Family Video can get pretty boring,â Steve explains, his fingers still working on threading Eddieâs hair. âYour hair is longer than hers and the curls are a little harder to work on butââ
Eddie snorts. âYou got something against curls?â He accuses and even if he canât see him, he knows Steve just rolled his eyes at him.Â
âNo,â he says with a soft tug to Eddieâs hair that makes him shudder. Then as if that wasnât enough, he leans forward and speaks right into Eddieâs ear. âI have a thing for them actually.â
The words, the tone and the proximity make Eddie feel warm all over, and he falls silent just as his heart monitor starts beeping a little faster. Eddie wants to smash the god-damned thing but he doubts Nurse Barbara will appreciate that.
At least Steve is nice enough not to mention it as he keeps working. Meanwhile Eddie canât help but sigh at the way Steveâs fingers gently card through his hair, braiding it carefully; or at the way his fingertips brush against his scalp and how his breath occasionally hits the back of Eddieâs neck.Â
âGot a hair tie, Munson?â Steve asks, breaking the silence.Â
Eddie doesâ he keeps it on his wrist and itâs what heâs been using to tie his hair but it never lasts long. Also, the hair tie always ends up tangled in his curls or digs uncomfortably into the back of his head when he tries to sleep.Â
But a braid? It might just do the trick.
He offers it to Steve and he uses it to secure the braid. âDone,â he says, squeezing his shoulder.
Careful not to undo Steveâs work, Eddie touches the back of his neck where every strand of hair is perfectly woven in place.Â
âBuckley taught you well,â Eddie praises.Â
Steve chooses that moment to stand up and sit in front of Eddie on the bed so he gets to see the pretty little blush that creeps to his cheeks at the compliment.Â
He gives a little shrug. âShe probably couldâve done a neater job but what matters is that itâll keep your hair out of the way and safe from any nurse who wants to cut it off. Besides,â he pauses as he reaches out to tuck a baby hairâ too short to be braidedâ behind Eddieâs ear. âYou look pretty.â
Eddie's stomach flips aggressively and fills with what feels like a thousand fluttering butterflies. Heâs thankful that thatâs not something one of the many monitors heâs connected to can show.Â
His cheeks burning like theyâre on fire, Eddie lets out a slightly hysterical chuckle. âPretty, huh?â He says in a strained voice. âNot hot?â He teases, but he sounds too nervous for the words to land as a joke.
Or Steve just chooses not to take it as one. Heâs genuine when he says, âYouâre always hot, Eddie.âÂ
Jesus H. Christ, someone better call Nurse Barbara because Eddieâs about to have a fucking heart attackâ
As if reading his mind, the door opens and Nurse Barbara herself steps into the room, a hospital chart in her hands. âTime to check your vitals, Mr. Munson,â she says, aiming an arched eyebrow at Steve.
âI was just leaving,â he says, standing up. âMy shift starts soon anyway.âÂ
His hand brushes Eddieâs where it rests on the bed and Eddieâs heart jumps. Barbara glances at the monitor and then at Eddie with knowing eyes. He resolutely ignores her. âSay hi to Buckley for me.â
Steve nods. âIâll come back tomorrow.â
âCanât get enough, can you, Harrington?â Eddie jokes, also ignoring the giddy feeling he gets from Steveâs promise.Â
âGotta make sure you donât mess up my work, Munson.â
Eddie hums. âThat sounds like an excuse to get your hands in my hair again.â
With a grin, Steve says, âI told you. I have a thing forââ he pauses, his eyes twinkling as he looks Eddie up and down, ââcurls,â he finishes, and it might just be wishful thinking but Eddie thinks he actually meant to say you.
Before he can think of what to say, Steve leaves, and when the door closes behind him Eddie falls back on the bed, his lips stretching into a dopey smile.
âYou hear that, Barbara?â He says, wagging his finger at the nurse. âYou better keep those perfectly manicured hands away from my wonderful curls.â
With a rueful shake of her head, Barbara starts checking Eddieâs vitals, for once not complaining about his hair getting in the wayâ thanks, Steveâ and if Eddieâs heart rate is a little too fast, even after Steve leaves, sheâs kind enough not to bring it up.Â
written for the @steddiemicrofic prompt: race, 413 words | rating: g | no cw | tags: modern setting, corporate team building, pre-relationship, flirting, chrissy & eddie friendship
Eddie glares at his coworkers tossing eggs back and forth. âI hate this team-building bullshit.â
âItâs not so bad.â Chrissy takes a sip from her smoothie, trying to cool down after the sack race she just won. âItâs fun! I met this cute girl, Robin-â
âChriss, I like our little IT bubble as it is. I donât wanna meet people.â
âNot even Steve?â
Eddie sighs longingly. Steve Harrington- companyâs golden boy and the sweetest, hottest guy Eddie knows. If talking on the phone counts as knowing someone.
Eddieâs seen him around of course but theyâve never spoken in person. Steve probably doesnât know how he looks.
âIâd rather not embarrass myself the first time we meet.â
âThereâs gotta be at least one game youâre okay at! Letâs try tug of war!â
âAnd risk losing my fingers? No way.â
Chrissy sticks her tongue out at Eddie then ditches him. In revenge, he finishes her smoothie.
He throws the empty cup at a nearby trashcan-
And misses.
Someone sniggers behind him. âMaybe you should skip ring tossing.â
The voice sounds familiar and Eddie realizes why when he turns and sees Steve.
âHey. Eddie, right? Iâm Steve. The guy whoâs always calling about his stupid printer.â
Eddie knows of course. He doesn't know why Steve is talking to him right now. âUh, is your printer acting up again?â
Steve laughs, brushing his hair back. He mustâve been participating in some game- heâs all flushed and sweaty.
He's also wearing scandalously tiny shorts. Jesus Christ.
âNo but I could use your help. I need someone for the three-legged race. Your friend said I should ask you.â
Chrissy. âYou really donât want me, man.â
âShe also told me not to take no for an answer.â
Eddie tsks. âAccording to HR, thatâs harassment, buddy.â
Steveâs mouth twitches. âAccording to HR every employee must participate in at least one game and youâve been sitting here all day.â
âAre you keeping tabs on everyone?â
âNope.â Steve smirks. âJust on this hot guy from IT.â
Eddie squeaks, his stomach fluttering.
âSo,â Steve continues when Eddie fails to reply. âWanna be my partner? I'll buy you a pretzel after.â
âEven when we lose?â
Steve snorts. âSure.â
âOkay, but Iâm warning you, golden boy, Iâll probably suck.â
Steve waves him off. âIâm sure you wonât.â
But oh boy Eddie sure does. They fall down twice and inevitably lose. But Eddie gets his pretzel and a date and thatâs better than winning any stupid game.