Inspector Jones

a normal morning in the Buckley-Diaz household

edit: fixed version because I'm fucking dumb and forgot the birthmark and tatto

It's the same with every girlfriend or fling afterwards. They get to pick the movie, the music, the dinner, the activities. Or more accurately Steve picks exactly what they like because they seem to expect it. He shows up to Sarah's piano recital and watches Heidi's cheer practice. He let's Jenna eject his Tears for Fears tape with a frown and put on some Ska instead. And when Chloe really, really wants to go out for milkshakes he pretends like ice cream doesn't make him want to throw up after Starcourt. Not a single one of them ever shows up at his basketball games or his swim meets.

Love means sacrifice and putting yourself second. At least when you're Steve Harrington.

So when Steve starts dating Eddie he doesn't expect anything else. It's not as bad though as with some previous dates. It's nice to listen to Eddie go on a long ramble about the history of metal. He likes to sit in during the DnD games, flicking through a magazine while Eddie and the kids play. And sure he is not the biggest fan of horror movies but it's a nice excuse to cuddle up with Eddie during movie night. Not that he would need an excuse, Eddie is incredibly tactile.

Steve is in the middle of a little league baseball game when things change. He is so focused on coaching his team he doesn't notice the mop of black curls in the audience at first. Only when his little team has their first home run and an eardrum shattering whistle comes from the bleachers, Steve turns and is surprised to find Eddie in the audience, smiling, cheering, hollering.

When he spots Steve looking at him he waves at him with an even bigger smile. During a brief water break Steve jogs over to the bleachers.

"What are you doing here?" he asks, still surprised that Eddie is here.

"Came to support my boyfriend and his team, of course," Eddie grins. If they weren't in public, Steve would steal a kiss right now. Eddie very much loathes sports and yet he still came.

Once the game is over Eddie drives both of them home. When he turns on the tape player, Steve very much expects the usual metal to come out of the speakers. Instead he is met with the familiar voice of Duran Duran. He expects Eddie to change the tape but he just lets it play. After Duran Duran there is a Judas Priest song and maybe the Duran Duran just got on there by accident. But after Judas Priest Hall and Oates plays and Eddie even hums along? No complaints, no berating Steve for his horrible taste in music, but fucking humming along?

"Did you…did you make this?" Steve asks, trying to wrap his head around what is happening.

"Yeah, thought this way we can both listen to stuff we like," Eddie smiles and laces their hands together. "But I also got some Bowie and and Queen tapes if you want something else."

It's the few musicians they can agree on. But Steve shakes his head.

"No, I like it. Leave it."

When they get to their small but comfy new home Eddie dashes upstairs to take a shower and tells Steve to pick a movie from the few he rented earlier.

The first one is Rosemary's Baby. Of course Eddie picked a horror movie. But then the next tape surprises Steve yet again. It's Back to the Future and the one after that is Star Wars there even is Top Gun. And Night of the Living Dead. A perfect mixture really.

When Eddie comes back from his shower Steve is still staring at the movies a frown on his face.

"You alright, Steveheart?"

"You know you don't have to do this," Steve says slowly. "Pretend you want to watch something I like. Or listen to my music. I don't want you to pretend."

Eddie walks over, wet hair dripping onto the floor. He presses a kiss to Steve's cheek and takes Top Gun out of his hand.

"I'm not pretending," he says and walks over to their TV. "I want to watch stuff you like. The same way you agree to sometimes watch stuff that I like. That's how it works, doesn't it? We compromise."

Steve blinks. Compromise. No ones ever really wanted to compromise with him. No one ever cared enough.

"Why?" he asks and sits down on the couch.

"Because I love you. And I want to know about the things you love. The same way I want to hear about your day or how your run went, if you liked your green smoothie this morning," Eddie says and sits down on the sofa too, pulling Steve into his arms.

And maybe it's taken him 22 years to learn. But finally Steve realizes that love is not putting others always first. Love is to meet in the middle. Love is to care, and to compromise and to share.

reason 1 million why i love zukka: how extra insane it makes hakoda's family tree

Steve, in fact, doesn't know shit, he thinks that all straight boys make out with their male friends from time to time. Big deal.

Written for @corrodedcoffinfest.

All This Time

Prompt #8 - "Where's the Beef?" | Word Count: 1000 | Rating: T | CW: Language | POV: Eddie | Pairing: Steddie | Tags: AU, Office Setting, Meet Cute, Misunderstanding, Free Donuts!

"Eddie, can we chat?"

Eddie looks up from his desk, er, well, the desk he'd commandeered months ago. He nods, wondering if the jig is finally up.

Steve Harrington is standing in the doorway of his office, a tight smile plastered on his face. And oh yeah, Eddie's definitely fucked.

Holding open his arm, Steve gestures towards the chair across from him. Eddie takes it. Steve's face is confused. Kind, too. But mostly confused.

"Eddie," Steve starts, tapping away on his keyboard. Stuttered little henpecks that Eddie finds endearing. "After our audit, I can't seem to find any files submitted by you. Not for a while. Not ever, actually."

Eddie grins, in a way that he hopes looks impish, throwing up his hands in a 'what can you do?' motion.

"And everybody has to pull their weight. I can't have someone on the payroll that isn't contributing. Have you done anything?"

Eddie shakes his head.

"So, um, I'm really sorry to do this. But I'm going to have to let you go."

"You can't," Eddie says plainly. 

He and Eddie are just watching tv, his hearing aid closer to his partner so he can hear as much of Eddies commentary as possible than the window where the fireworks begin to pop.

Their black lab suddenly jumps scurrying closer to his dad causing Steve to meet Eddies eyes with concern before he sees his wide grin.

"Fireworks.", the metalhead confirms, point with his chin towards the source.

Steve chuckles, grin matching the man he loves as he pets the dogs head comfortingly.

"Its ok, Kas. Daddy will protect you."