My spicey brain makes things

Nothing. That is new. No pain, no exhaustion, no tension behind eyes pulling his vision in a million different directions. Just an overwhelming nothing.

It should probably be concerning, humans aren’t supposed to feel nothing, and yet here he is floating in a sea of silent numbness, a million miles from anything resembling something. Maybe there was something past The End, maybe the Vast or the Lonely had a little piece of that pie and… oh. Did that mean he failed? Not surprising to say the least, he’d never truly expected… or hoped that final last ditch effort would succeed. The thought of passing on his apocalypse, his new world… his knowledge… well he can’t say it was just the Eye that had resisted in the end. But it had ended. He’d felt the knife hit… wait, where did it hit, there had been pain, immense pain right after Martin's lips… Martin. Martin? Martin!

It takes less than a moment for his mind to cease its drifting as alarm burns away the nothing from his body, limbs that had seemed not to exist moments ago began to flail and claw at the darkness surrounding him. He wants nothing more than to scream but has not yet found his voice in what was now an all consuming panic. He feels his mouth open and nearly chokes as air rushes into his lungs, burning and spasming as if they’ve never known air before. His eyes fly open, or at least that was what he had intended; the moment he tries to engage that familiar motion a new wave of raging hot pain explodes through his head and sends him sprawling onto his back gasping and shaking weakly.

He realizes with hazy awareness that he had landed somewhere soft and solid, a warm pressure against his back and around his shoulders. There is a muffled sound a million miles away that seems like it could be words but in his fevered state it could easily be the roaring of a dying sun blinking down at him. Maybe they had succeeded and this was The Eye’s final snarls as it is sucked from this particular existence. Good riddance. He snarls back, finding with an almost despairing heaviness that he truly means it. Maybe it’s that last tendril of the Watchers grasp slipping from his mind as the faces of those he’s lost since the beginning flood his mind with regret and sorrow anew. He wants to curl back into the nothing, the quiet, the lonely, the vast, the end, whatever will take him at this point. Whether he died or not this new hell was all his and he no longer feels the self righteous martyrdom that had fueled him before, why should he, there’s no one to martyr himself for any longer. A cool hand drags him from his despair as it finds his cheek, or what he thinks is his cheek, a soft thumb dragging gently over his cheekbone as the rest of the fingers disappear into the tangled mass of hair around his ear. All thoughts freeze in confusion and in the silence he can hear the muffled sounds clarify into a voice he recognizes.

“Jon?”

His mouth opens and closes several times, the words lost against what feels like barbed wire coiled in his throat. With monumental effort and a pained whimper his hands reach blindly out until they tangle in something soft and familiar, the blue jumper he remembers gripping tightly as they shared what was supposed to be a final kiss. He pulls tightly, manically trying to get closer to the body in the jumper and feeling the figure hold him tighter, a cool forehead pressing against his ,soothing the burning pain that still rages under his skin.

“Jon, Jon its ok, I’m here. I’m here.” It’s Martin’s voice, tight and trembling but oh so impossibly soft as his breath fans over Jon’s nose. “We’re ok.”

They stay there for what feels like an eternity, clinging to each other and simply breathing, savoring the moments they’d grieved never having again and trying to convince themselves that it’s real, it’s not a dream, a hallucination or some twisted new hellscape of whatever Fear had snatched them up this time.

It’s Jon that breaks the moment first with a shuddering groan as a wave of nauseous pain washes over, he leans away from Martin as the sudden urge to vomit hits him, the sensation of spinning taking over all his senses with nothing to visually tell him otherwise.

“Woah, ok, you’re ok. Just take it easy” The other man murmurs, his hands coming to steady Jon as his head hangs low.

“Martin…My ey-” His voice scrapes quietly into the air, his words choked off by a sudden retching, he doesn’t need Beholding to know but also something in him refuses to let him accept it. He can feel the emptiness under the surging pain, the nerve endings frayed and cut where there should be something more. He can feel the urge to blink, to open his lids and rub away whatever is obscuring his vision but he knows… He feels Martin tense at his side, his hand pulling back a fraction of an inch as guilt and fear bubble up in his throat.

Martin can see the damage he did, the dried blood streaking down Jons skin, pooling in and coursing over the lines of stress and scars that mark the face he adores so much. He can see the empty sockets and the viscera still leaking past his lashes, he wants to wipe it away but what good would that do when his own hands are covered in the same blood. There’s tears in his eyes and he curses their ability to do so as he feels Jons thin shoulders shake under his palm.

“I couldn’t…I couldn’t kill you.” He whispers, his vision blurring as his heart thuds painfully against his chest “I just couldn’t! You broke your promise so I had to try! It was either dead or… or this and I just couldn’t. I’m not sorry, ok? I- I mean- I am- I am sorry, oh Jon, I’m so sorry! I-” His spiraling apologies are choked off with a sob as he feels Jon’s hand on his, his thin fingers gripping Martins tightly as he hunches away from him.

When the vertigo passes enough for Jon to figure out which way is up he slowly turns, his free hand guiding him with hesitant fingers up Martin's jean-clad thigh, over the worn jumper until his grip tangles in the knitted fabric over the man’s heart. He releases the hand that still holds Martins and feels him flinch, a new wave of sobs bubbling up. He gently reaches up to where he instinctively knows the man’s cheek is, easily finding it even in the endless dark in front of him. He feels Martin exhale in surprise, his breath stuttering as he reflexively leans into Jon’s palm.

“Thank you.”

Without another word their lips meet, each relaxing into the other as if the weight of the past years had slipped away like a shadow in the dawn.

Jon finds himself for the first time in what feels like an eternity fully and completely focused, nothing but the sensation of Martin pressed against him, their hearts beating wildly in tandem, the press of his hands against Jons back, twisting themselves into the beaten fabric of his sweater. He can taste the salty tears and a hint of smoke as he breathes against Martin's lips, a warm breeze drifting what he assumes is his hair across his cheeks. Their lips part and they rest foreheads together in peaceful silence, he has no idea where they are or what is happening and he revels in it, the only knowledge available to him that Martin is here in his arms and they are both alive.

“So uh..” Jon coughs slightly on the words, feeling Martin rub his back gently as he lets his senses drift to their surroundings “Where are we? I hear birds so it feels safe to assume we’re not in some other hellish fearscape?”

“Honestly? I’m not actually too sure?” Martin chuckles “I thought we had somehow landed back at Daisy’s cabin but there’s not actually a cabin here, just a pile of rotted wood.”

“Rotted wood? Well if Miss Annabelle Kane is to be believed I would hazard a guess that we’ve found ourselves in a universe where either she has hopefully avoided the Hunt, thus having no need of this cabin or we’ve traveled far enough into the future that it has simply rotted away of its own accord?”

They both sit in silence for a long moment before Martin’s giggle breaks the silence.

“I’d like to hear you come up with a better suggestion.” Jon snaps, only slightly peeved at Martin's outburst but unable to stop the way the corners of his lips tick up at the sound.

“No, no you’re probably right.” Martin chuckles, wiping fresh tears from his cheeks “I just never thought there would be a universe where I would hear you say that with such seriousness.”

Jon shakes his head with amused exasperation, the motion causing a wave of vertigo to pitch him forward into Martin who sputters wildly. “Before we figure out what universe we landed in I think a trip to the hospital is in order.”

There are few things in the world that properly throw Eddie for a loop, he can make a song out of any discordant beat Gareth throws at him, he can judge in an instant whether or not a jock at a party has had enough liquor to turn him from a threat to a happy customer and he knows how to spin a good plot twist that leaves even the most seasoned of his nerdy sheep shrieking in shock and betrayal. What he just can’t wrap his head around at this moment is the curled up figure of one Steve Harrington in HIS bed at 8:30 on a Friday night, his face pressed deep into his pillow, sweat soaked and pale. The sound of the familiar bathroom door creaking open behind him nearly spooks him out of his skin, expecting yet another unexpected guest in his home but only greeted by the soft smile of his uncle as he glances past his sputtering nephew. 

“Harrington’s boy, you know him?” 

Know him?? Of course he knows him, or at least knows OF him with his title of fallen king and the nearly never ending praises his newest Hellfire additions can’t seem to stop spewing. Even Mike, ever snarky and awkward, can’t help the smallest smile while Dustin rambles about some “adventure” the older boy had been part of much to Eddie’s hidden irritation. Not that Eddie believes them for a second, it’s one thing for the ex-jock to give the kids rides to and from the club occasionally, probably as a begrudging favor to try win Wheeler’s older sister back or something but he’d sooner assume the earth had turned inside out than believe Hawkins graduate would willingly waste his precious lady-killing time hanging out with a bunch of literal children.

“Yes Wayne, I know the guy, why the hell is he here? In my bed?!” His quickly raising voice earns a stern look and a hush as Wayne directs him back down the narrow hall, shoving him a little harder than intended into the dimly lit living room as he leans back against the counter, clearly not about to give him the short version of events as Eddie flops down onto the couch with a huff. 

“The kid got a temp spot after the mall burned down a while back. Not sure how a Harrington ended up working the night shift at a factory but he works hard and keeps his head down-” 

“Ok cool, again, why is he in my freaking bed?” 

“Relax boy, I was gettin to that. I noticed he’d been getting those headaches, the real bad ones like your mama used to get. Last night was a bad one, kid started squinting and flinching anytime one of those pipes I told you about would start whistling, managed to make it to the end of shift but by the time we clocked out he was a mess, didn’t feel right letting him drive off like that, much less to an empty house so I took him here. Still haven’t gotten the curtains replaced in here and he needed somewhere dark to sleep it off so yes I put him in your bed, not that he didn’t fight me on it, damn kid’s so polite he tried to sleep on that war zone you call a floor.” 

Huffing a disbelieving laugh Eddie shakes his head, avoiding the look Wayne threw him as he shrugged into his coveralls. 

“Probably just didn’t like the idea of sleeping in the Freak’s bed.” That stops Wayne in his tracks, a look of heartbreak and anger flashing for just an instant before he throws an old sandal at Eddie who yelps in surprise. 

“What did I say about that word in this house?” 

“Come on Wayne, the guy was top of the pile all throughout high school, him and his cronies shoved kids like me into lockers, a couple days hard work ain’t gonna turn him into Mother Teresa”

“He ever toss you in a locker?” The look in Wayne's eyes tells him he already knows the answer so he just crosses his arms tighter over his chest, his eyes dark under a scowl as he stares daggers down the hall. He doesn’t look up when he feels Wayne’s hand drop onto his shoulder, a gentle squeeze holding the same weight as a whole hug. “Give him a chance Eddie, his life may look perfect but I get the feeling it’s not, he’s got the look of someone who’s been through it and if I’ve taught you one thing in life it’s to not judge someone on appearances.” 

Begrudgingly Eddie nods, patting Wayne's' hand with a final huff before the older man heads out the door, closing the door with an extra second of care to avoid it slamming. 

Silence takes over the small trailer and Eddie is left sitting on the couch staring down the hall, fiddling with his rings nervously. He’s not used to strangers in his house much much less Steve Harrington of all people, the thought sounding almost surreal in his head as it continues to loop, Steve Harrington is in my house, Steve Harrington is in my house… holy shit Steve fucking Harrington is in my damn bed. He scrubs his hands across his face aggressively, not sure what to make of the bubbling feeling in his chest as he leans back with a groan. It’s not that he exactly hates Steve, quite the unfortunate opposite actually, he had been Eddie’s first crush all the way back in middle school, his heart; cynical and cold even at a young age had been no match for the bright hazel eyes and even brighter smile a young Steve had turned his way the night after the talent show, telling him that it was the coolest performance he’d ever seen and that they definitely should have won before being dragged off by a stern woman. He hadn’t really talked to him much after that, just watching from afar and trying to work up the courage to talk to him, that was until Tommy had noticed Eddie looking one day and corned him in the bathroom, telling him how creepy he was and that he was freaking Steve out with that “faggy shit”. Well, that put an hasty end to that, even after coming to terms with his own sexuality he’d kept “King Steve” far off the table, tales of his exploits with every lady he could get his hands on stamping out any remnants of a flame that had stuck around. At least that’s what he tells himself, in the quiet warmth of the trailer he can’t deny the way his heart jumps at the thought of the boy sleeping in his bed, the glimpse of his tossed hair and closed eyes seared into his memory. Scowling he heaves himself to his feet, it’s still early but something about the sudden upheaval of his normally predictable evening has set an exhaustion heavily on his shoulders. With a final glare at the bedroom door he disappears into the bathroom, planning to simply shower and doze on the couch watching whatever terrible late night television until Steve eventually woke up to drive him home. It’s not until he’s done and toweling off that he realizes a flaw in his planning, the jeans and hellfire shirt he’d worked up a sweat in over the course of the night's game looking anything but comfortable from their haphazard pile in the corner. Chewing his lips nervously he clutches the towel tightly around his waist, staring at the thin bedroom door long enough for the warmth of the bathroom to go cold and send a shiver up his spine. Throwing an extra towel over his head for good measure he creaks the door open as quietly as he can manage, he doesn’t want to risk turning on the light, not in any way ready to confront the other boy in his room in nothing but a towel. He knows his room well but having to pick his way through piles of clothes, cans and the ever present threat of hidden dice has him leaving the door open just a crack, the light streaming in just enough to illuminate a path to his dresser. Quick as he can he snatches a pair of sweatpants from the top of the cabinet, not even risking the extra seconds and endless possible slapstick outcomes of trying to run back out of the room and simply yanking them up under the towel, only letting his held breath release when he feels safely covered, dropping the towel onto a pile. He’s debating on whether to throw a shirt on or not, the Indiana heat of summer just beginning to crest and the night no longer holding the biting chill it had when a noise from the gloom startles him, something between a groan and a whimper has him spinning quickly, the pair of shirts he’d been inspecting clutched to his chest and ready to start rambling apologies. He’d expected Steve to be sitting up, probably horrified and scrambling to leave but when Eddie’s gaze falls on him he’s still curled up under the ratty quilt, face half tucked behind his hands with his eyes shut tight, his normally broad shoulders hunched and making him look impossibly small. Several long moments of silence stretch as Eddie stays frozen against the dresser, eyes locked on Steve for any hint of him waking up, there are several twitches and noises that nearly send him bolting but after a few moments he realizes the boy is still deep asleep, asleep and dreaming. The dim light from the hallway is just enough that Eddie can barely make out the deep creases in his forehead, a sheen of sweat covering his otherwise soft looking skin, another whimper and Eddie is dropping to his knees beside the bed, shirts forgotten on the floor. He reaches out a hand and pauses, not sure what to do, he knows he should probably shake him awake but is whatever nightmare he’s stuck in as bad as waking up face to face with the town's resident satanic drug dealer? His eyes flash to Steve’s face as he whimpers again, a sound he would almost think is a name he recognizes muffled into his hands as they twist the blanket. Instinctively Eddie finds his hand resting over Steve’s hand, curling around his tense knuckles, his thumb rubbing soothingly over the soft skin, he finds his thoughts drifting for a moment as the rough calluses drag gently, enjoying the sensation much more than he should be. His face suddenly grows hot and he nearly pulls back in embarrassment until he feels the fist relax under his palm, a soft sigh replacing the panicked whimpers. He watches with surprise as the tension in Steve’s face dissolves almost immediately, his jaw relaxing and letting his lips fall open slightly, the pinched skin around his eyes smoothing even as a couple tears slip from under his lashes. Frowning Eddie has to stop himself from brushing the tears away, watching them disappear into the soft hair framing his face, he’d never gotten this close of a look and finds himself unable to look away and for a moment he can’t blame a single one of the girls that had thrown themselves at him over the years, this boy is too damn pretty. His lashes are long and stuck together with remnant tears, his skin looks soft with small constellations of moles and for a moment Eddie wonders what kind of mythical creatures he could turn them into. But then he finds his eyes refocusing, his soft skin is littered with small scars, not the typical acne scars common in youth but longer, more chaotic, the words battle scars come to mind as his gaze follows the surprisingly thick scar disappearing into the boy's hairline with a frown. Something heavy settles in his chest as he remembers the rumors of his run-in with the Hargrove kid the previous year, the whispers he’d caught from his newly acquired freshman about the mall fire that didn’t sound quite right and the heavy bandages he’d glimpsed wrapped around his head the first time he’d picked up the kids from Hellfire. He remembered that night far clearer than he’d like to admit but even harder to admit was just how much he’d missed, he’d seen the way his shirt had stretched across his biceps but had missed nervous tension to his shoulders, he’d watched him grin at Dustin across car roof but had missed how he’d flinched when Lucas slammed the door, he’d caught the way the street lamp had caught the gold in his eyes but not the way they flicked past the kids and off into the darkness full of fear. Looking now Eddie can see the heavy bags under his eyes and wonders when the last time he got a good sleep was, how often is it plagued with nightmares of whatever the hell this kid has been through. 

His life may look perfect but I get the feeling it’s not. He’s got the look of someone who’s been through it.

His uncle's words echo in the dark room and Eddie’s heart aches, overwhelmed with the desire to throw his arms around him and absorb whatever was the cause of the tears still occasionally slipping down his cheeks but still in barely enough control to simply continue his gentle stroking of the boy's knuckles. He nearly jumps back when Steve begins shifting but suddenly finds his hand gripped tight in Steve’s, his long fingers curling around Eddies and tugging them to his cheek with a hum and a contented smile that sets his entire heart on fire. After a moment of letting his heart rate return to normal he leans against the bed, tucking his other arm into the space between him and Steve and letting his head fall comfortably, just far enough away to let him take in every detail of his pretty face, ignoring the nagging voice that tells him to enjoy it while it lasts. It’s not long before Eddie’s eyes drop shut, the warmth of Steve’s cheek and the boys now steady breaths fanning across their joined hands lulling him into a peaceful sleep, the tossed caramel hair and soft lips parted in a smile follow him into dreams he’ll never quite remember. 

In the darkness and safety of the Munson trailer Steve sleeps peacefully for the first time in weeks, nightmares of snarling demons and shouting men dissolving into soft images of curly brown hair, wide smiles and deep warm eyes. The next morning he doesn’t wake with gasping breaths in a pool of sweat like he has been but slowly, blinking in the gloom, surrounded by warm air that carries the scents of pine scented candles, leather and weed. Somehow even the sight of a figure curled up sleeping beside the bed doesn’t set off his fight or flight, this house feels safe, he feels safe. 

Wayne is awake when he finally gets up, sitting in the living room with a warm look, the kind of look he doesn’t recognize but if he had to guess he’d call fatherly, he gives him a lift back to the plant to get his car. It’s the weekend so Wayne tells him to do some job hunting, Plant’s no place for a kid. He drops him off and that’s exactly what Steve does, he grabs Robin and the two of them hit the pavement, finally landing the gig at Home Video. Steve calls Wayne that night just when he knows he’s getting ready to leave for his shift, the deep chuckle and congratulations warm him like no other achievement ever have and he promises free video rentals for the old man as soon as he’s off probation just to hear that laugh again, he likes that laugh, it’s familiar for some reason and makes his heart warm. He doesn’t think too hard about it, kind of forgets about Wayne for a little bit, forgets a lot of things if he’s being honest, falling into a new routine and trying to forget the dark brown eyes and the smell of leather and pine that he can barely remember on the mornings he wakes up peacefully. 

That is until his back hits the rotted walls of a dingy boathouse one awful spring morning, he should be terrified, he should be fearing for his life as the broken bottle presses into his neck but he’s not, there’s a comforting feeling that is so wildly out of place that Steve just stares in shock, the scent of leather and pine surrounding him as he looks into the wide brown eyes staring back. The sounds of shouting around him fade as his hand rests gently around the shaking hand holding the broken bottle, the trembling figure freezing at the touch with a choked sob. 

The sun is dipping low along the trees as the two lounge lazily on the tossed bed, Steve laying between Eddie’s legs with his head against his chest, his arms folded under his cheek as Eddie sits propped against the headboard playing with his soft hair, his fingers dragging gently over his scalp earning a rumbling hum of pleasure. Eddie smiles softly to himself as his gaze drifts over the expanse of the other boys back, quickly fading scratch marks lacing across the otherwise soft skin, dotted here and there with long healed scars. He lingers over the faded marks and wonders, childhood mischief gone wrong? Troubles at home? Sports injuries? Some deeper and clearly holding far heavier stories from the recent years, all the parts of the boy's history that Eddie now finds himself aching to learn. He feels Steve shift, his fingers dancing almost playfully across Eddie’s skin, Already ready for round two? He nearly lets the words out when he notices the patterns Steve’s fingers are tracing and he can feel a lump form in his throat. The pattern is familiar, the two apparently of a similar mind in the quiet peace, a faint mark from a broken arm, old scars from a broken glass window he’d been forced to crawl through, a burn on his forearm from a poor attempt at fixing the old broken stove at the trailer, small scratches from the time he’d crawled under the trailed to save a kitten who’d then proceeded to scratch the shit out of him, small innocent memories laced with the deeper scars and deeper stories, remnants of the monsters of the upside down and his unexpected brush with death. Steve's hand stalls at Eddie’s waist, surprisingly gentle in his touch considering their earlier activities, as he traces the thick, raised skin of the demobats attack, clearly remembering his own experience with the little bastards. Eddie almost whines at the loss of contact when Steve pulls back, the cool evening air brushing over his now exposed torso. He wants to ask where he’s going, to pull him back to his chest but is struck momentarily dumb as Steve leans back on his heels, the warm glow of sunset is streaming through the windows, illuminating his softly muscled form and turning his bed tossed hair into a halo of fire around his face. Eddie’s heart skips a beat as he lays there, feeling exposed in not just a physical sense, wanting to pull the twisted sheets over himself but finding himself unable to do anything other than swallow heavily under Steve's gaze, the dying lights illuminating what Eddie can’t help but think must be shards of heavens gold hidden deep in the hazel depths, a secret blessing just for him. 

The smile that tugs at his lips is one of pure adoration as Steve looks down at the man in front of him, he can’t deny he’s spent the last couple months checking him out any chance Eddie’s back was turned and feeling a certain amount of guilt at the images fueling his dirty thoughts late in the night but now, looking at him laid back on the tossed white sheets, bare and relaxed there is nothing but now. There is no shitty parents telling them they’re fuck ups, no stormy, lonely nights, no fucked up social ladders, no lost and broken loves, no interdimensional psychic wizards and no damned hell gates threatening to tear their world apart, just two boys madly in love and finally safe together. His eyes land on the spidering scars across Eddie’s sides, white tendrils snaking over his skin in an almost identical pattern to his own if more extreme, an off handed comment of Jonathans in the back of his mind about “shared trauma” making him smile. In what is probably a twisted way he kind of likes that they share something like this, he hates to admit how jealous he was of the matching roses you both had on your hips…maybe later they could all get something like. He can see out of the corner of his eye Eddie’s face fall a little as Steve studies the marks, a mixture of sadness, frustration and self conscious unease twisting the lips that he’d come to enjoy kissing so much. With a soft smile Steve leans down, his hands splayed over Eddie’s hips as he presses the gentlest of kisses to the marred skin, trying to imprint every ounce of affection he can barely contain like a brand over the marks. He feels Eddie’s stomach muscles tense for a moment, his hands raising halfheartedly to stop him but it only takes a couple kisses for him to relax back into the pillow, his fingers tangling in the sheets beneath him. There’s a hitch in Eddie’s deep breathing and Steve pauses, his lips gently caressing the skin above his hip as he glances up, catching quickly the tears welling in the other boy's chocolate eyes, his head turned to the window as he tries to stifle his sniffling beneath one hand. Leaving one last kiss Steve crawls up to face him, straddling his lap and taking Eddie’s face in his hands, pulling his face towards him and pressing a long kiss to his forehead. 

“What’s got you all teary huh?” 

“It’s nothing. It’s stupid, really” The other man chuckles with a sniffle, closing his eyes and nuzzling into Steve’s large palms. 

“I’m guessing it’s neither pretty boy.” He feels Eddie’s breath hitch and more tears well in his wide eyes as he blinks up at Steve, understanding suddenly aching in his heart. “Oh Eds, you’re so beautiful.” 

“Shut up” Eddie huffs, trying to fight back the smile tugging relentlessly at the corners of his mouth, tears making their escape and disappearing into the deep smile lines. 

“Make me”

~

It was as if nothing and yet everything changed all at once, their routine stayed largely the same even after the monumental change in their relationship, Steve worked his way into manager with Robin taking her rightful place as assistant manager at the video store, the promotions surprising the both of them when they lived in constant fear of yet another of their jobs going up in interdimensional flames while Eddie stayed mostly at the cabin, thoroughly embracing the homebody life surrounded by his d&d campaign notes and new music ideas. The kids would frequently come out for dnd, homework help and movie nights, Eddie and Will developing a relationship fully hinging on sassing the other boys to the delight of the three girls and after much begging and bribing Steve had allowed the Corroded Coffin guys to set up their instruments in the loft, the saturday nights Robin had dedicated to dragging Steve out for “Best friend dates” becoming the bands unofficial practice nights to save Steve's already damaged hearing.  

Conversations about the future would come up naturally over their shared dinners, Steve’s growing interest in a possible career in physical therapy had begun to bloom as he helped Max with her exercises while the boys were enthralled in their weekly, relocated Hellfire games, El hanging on his every word and promising with those big brown eyes of hers that she would make sure her and Lucas helped Max when Steve couldn’t. Even with the ever present frustration from the wildly independent Max there was a gleam of determination and joy in her eyes that stoked the passion that was beginning to build. Eddie had asked about it one night, feeling his heart warm at the excitement that perked up in Steve as he shuffled his food around his plate and made half hearted excuses for why it was a silly idea and where would he even go for that kind of schooling, it’s not like he could get a real job with the half-assed exercises the doctor gave them or the books he’d managed to convince the library to order in. Eddie watched him fondly, chin propped in one hand as he chewed his lip thoughtfully. 

“What about indianapolis?” 

“Sorry what?” Steve choked, nearly spitting out the mouthful of spaghetti he’d shoved in there to stop himself from rambling more. 

“Indianapolis, or hell we could go to another state” 

“Eddie-” 

“I talked to the guys, we want to start playing gigs again and the Hideout isn’t looking like it’s coming back anytime soon. They’re either taking gap years or going to schools in the area but we all wanna keep making music and well… I can’t see myself doing anything else honestly.” Steve stares at him for a long moment, long enough for Eddie to start rethinking his idea, fork tapping an awkward beat against the plate. “If it’s a stupid idea just tell me.” He chuckles with a lopsided grin, Steve shaking himself out of his surprise and realizing he hadn’t even considered moving. 

“No, no! I think it’s great! There’s so many schools in the city and you guys would do great in the music scene there, might even get discovered and shoot off into stardom” He sputters, an excited grin taking over his face quickly only to suddenly fall, a thought Eddie can already read darkening his eyes. “But what…what about her. What if she comes back and we’re gone.” 

“Hey… We’re not skipping town tomorrow, we’ve gotta wait till the kids graduate anyways and probably should give it a bit to make sure the upside down isn’t going to suddenly try suck this stupid town under again.” He sees Steve relax ever so slightly and scoots his chair closer, taking Steve’s hands in his and leaning their foreheads together with a soothing hum. “We’ve got plenty of time Stevie, we’ll wait for her.” 

- Six months - 

Since her first call four months ago Eliza had checked in semi-regularly, partially to give general updates but mostly to find out more about the people you’d left behind and why, her fiercely protective nature needing to know whether or not you’d be safe going back if the time came. She would double check that you were asleep, sometimes with the aid of a little liquor or the few sleeping pills she saved for emergencies when it was a particularly bad day before dialing the number she’d made sure to memorize before shredding, knowing you wouldn’t thank her for the interference unless things went miraculously well. That mission was what kept her calling, the breathless excitement of Steve’s hello and the hopeful voice of the man she’d come to know as Eddie clearly cramming himself as close to the receiver as Steve would allow bringing a small smile to her lips and warming her heart learning how much these two missed you. She would usually just give simple updates, you’d been sleeping better, you were learning how to knit, you’d mentioned something from home without crying, you’d laughed twice today. That was always their favorite, she could almost hear the grins in their voices as they would tell her how much they love your laugh and different things that were sure to get you giggling at least, she made a note of a couple and was pleasantly surprised to find they were never once wrong, the first time she’d put on the smurfs sending you into a full on fit of giggles. She enjoyed hearing about your childhood with Steve, giving him a lecture on treating women well when he told her with much embarrassment how your friendship had faltered through highschool, the anger and disappointment behind her tone dissipating against regret in his and catching the gentle sounds of Eddie comforting the other boy, a curious smirk growing on her face. She’d learned all about Eddie, his alternative style and dramatic reputation he had been hesitant to divulge, clearly afraid it would taint her opinion of him and risk their chances of seeing you again but she had simply laughed and implied her own rebellious history, audibly hearing the relief in his voice at the quiet, “see, not a freak”, from Steve in the background. Over the months she began to catch a shift in the way they spoke to each other, a fondness that was similar to the way they spoke about you, a curious warmth swelling in her chest. She’d smile and glance over at a picture of her and a young woman on the mantelpiece, her thoughts drifting to memories of the way her hand had felt in hers and the secret kisses they’d shared behind the schoolhouse before shaking herself back to the questions the boys had started directing back over the line with a chuckle. 

Nearly six months after she had found you passed out at the end of her drive Eliza comes down the stairs to the smell of pancakes and the quiet sound of your voice singing along to the small kitchen radio, the song not quite in the genre of what she’d found in your glove box when she’d moved your car but closer to home than you’d allowed yourself in your months there. She hovers on the steps watching you smile to yourself as you flip the near perfectly golden cake over, punching a fist in the air to celebrate. She is about to make her presence known when the song changes, the shift in your energy immediate as a song she remembers seeing scrawled in terrible handwriting across a mix tape hidden under your car seat begins to fill the small kitchen. You take a small breath, your face twisting in concentration as you fight an invisible war inside your chest, after a moment it’s too much and you quickly hit the power button, the small kitchen falling into silence save for your erratic breathing. She is again stopped in her tracks when you suddenly straighten, slapping your cheeks with a loud huff before spinning back to the stove, a grim yet determined look on your face as you flip the pancake out of the pan, scowling at the slightly darker side before noticing Eliza by the stairs. Shuffling into the kitchen she returns your embarrassed smile with a peck to the cheek and a thank you for the beautiful breakfast, as she sits and watches you flutter around the kitchen she takes in the color that’s returned to your cheeks, the bounce to your step and the ratty Led Zeppelin shirt you’d found in her attic a couple weeks ago. Chewing thoughtfully she thinks on the prior month, the panic attacks had nearly stopped, the last one triggered by a similar song coming across the radio, however it had been quick and you’d managed to get yourself through it without any liquor or medication. Come to think of it, unless you’d been sneaking it while she wasn’t looking it had been over a month since you’d been properly drunk, the thought warms her heart as she watches you munch on a slightly burnt pancake, smiling proudly to yourself. 

“Hon, I’ve got something I’d like to tell you.”

It was then a long week of bickering and convincing you of a dramatic story Eliza had come up with on the spot that slowly became truer as it went, the first email back containing the words “I miss you” and after several more “Will you come see me?”. She embellished it a touch, just enough to get you moving in the direction of home much to your fear and resistance, a bit of gentle ribbing on days you woke up smiling and gentle words of comfort when the urge to run the other way was nearly overpowering but in the end she saw you off with a peck on the cheek and a promise to see you again. The moment your car disappeared down the road that autumn morning she took a deep breath, picked up the phone and dialed the familiar number. 

“She’ll be in Hawkins around 11. Be gentle.” 

~

The words nearly send the phone clattering to the floor at Steve’s feet, a tidal wave of overwhelming emotions making him dizzy as he tries to properly discern what he had just heard. 

“O-ok…” Is all he can manage as he leans against the table, his hand roughly carding through his hair. 

“You gonna be ok or do I need to go drag her back?” Eliza’s voice is gentle and he can tell she is smiling in sympathy. 

“No, no it’ll be fine.” He quickly breathes, closing his eyes and nodding, trying desperately to convince himself of his own words. He looks at the clock to see it just having hit 8:30, shaking his head he tries not to think about the fact that you’d been less than 3 hours away this whole time. 

“Have a little more confidence boy, she’s ready. She’ll be at her parents” With that she hangs up and Steve is left staring off into nothing, trying to rein in his rocketing thoughts and decide if he wants to throw up or start dancing with all the nerves humming through his body. 

“Enjoying that dial tone?” Steve nearly jumps out of his skin as he feels a pair of arms wrap around his waist from behind, Eddie’s breath tickling his ear as he plops his head on the other boy's shoulder. 

“Jesus Eds!” Steve yelps, slamming the telephone down far harder than necessary. 

“You ok?” Pulling Steve around to face him Eddie rests a hand on his cheek, his thumb gently trying to rub some color back into his pale skin. Closing his eyes and leaning into the touch Steve takes a heavy breath before slowly meeting Eddie’s gaze with a shaky smile. 

“She’s coming home.” 

He watches all the air leave Eddie’s body at once as the news settles in, a parade of emotions flashing through his eyes, confusion, shock, excitement, all overwhelmed in a tidal wave of panic.

“W-what do we do?” He suddenly looks so young, so unused to the concept of people coming back and what that actually means, his wide, doe eyes bigger than Steve has ever seen. 

“We go get her.” He murmurs, seeing the smallest smile tug at the corners of the other boy's lips before his eyes go impossibly wider, fear and panic swimming in their endless depths.

“What if I scare her away again.” Steve’s heart breaks for him and he covers his hand with his own, leaning his forehead against Eddies. 

“You won’t, she’ll be ok.” Eddie closes his eyes and he can see him fighting to match his breathing to Steves as they’d learned to do. Steve can’t help but frown, suddenly worried that maybe he could be wrong, your meltdown in the hospital still holding the harsh sting it had at the time. “Do you want to stay here, I’ll bring her back and we can talk to her here, where it’s quieter.” 

Eddie takes a deep breath and nods slowly, hating that he’d have to wait that much longer but too scared to screw it up and potentially never see you again. If Steve could convince you to come back here then there was hope, if not he wouldn’t have to watch you leave. 

Steve pulls Eddie’s hand from his cheek, his other up to Eddies as he pulls him in for a kiss, the butterflies and the warmth it ignites in him no more diminished than the first time, his heart pounds in his chest as he pulls back, holding the other boy's gaze, trying to pour every ounce of love and certainty he can into it to drown out the fear. 

“I promise, I’ll bring her home.”

“W-wait!” 

“Shit sorry! Are you ok?” Eddie’s hands fly into the air in a panic from where they had been toying with the zipper of Steve’s jeans, the material slipping dangerously low on his hips as they ground together against the wall of the hallway.  

“No-Yes! God yes. Sorry.” Steve scrubbed his hands across his face trying to calm his whirling thoughts and pressure building behind his eyes with the sudden embarrassment “It’s great. You’re great! I just…I’ve just never done this before, well with a guy.” 

“Woah, hey calm down, it’s ok.” Eddie’s panicked face softens and he leans back over Steve, propping his hand on the wall beside the man and taking his face in his hand, stroking his cheek gently. “We don’t have to do anything you’re not comfortable with, I promise.” 

“It’s not that, I want to, I really, really do.” Steve fights to keep the whine out of his voice as he leans into Eddie’s touch, the soft caress grounding him and fighting down the anxiety that had threatened the moment before, his hands falling to tangle in the hem of Eddie's shirt. “I’m just really fucking new to this and I don’t want it to be weird or bad for you.” 

Eddie blinks at him for a moment, his brows disappearing into his tangled fringe, struck momentarily dumb as he stares at the beautiful boy under his palm. Sometimes it breaks his heart just how Steve he can be, always overwhelmingly concerned for the people he cares for. 

“Oh Stevie” He chuckles, pressing a kiss to the boy's nose and looking him deep in his wide hazel eyes, his voice uncharacteristically serious. “You just set the pace. The last thing you need to worry about is me enjoying myself, you could literally blow me a kiss and I'd bust in my pants like a fucking virgin.” 

A laugh bursts from Steve’s throat, filling the entire hall as he brings his arms around Eddie’s waist to pull them flush together. 

“Ever the romantic Munson.” 

The laughter dissolves into a much more comfortable warmth as the two gaze at each other, with little warning Steve leans forward and captures Eddie's lips with his own, slowly and gently at first before a hungry intensity overtakes them both, lips sliding over each other in a dance of lust. It isn't until Eddie's lips part with a groan that Steve even realizes he'd begun grinding into the man pressed against him, his entire body already alive with energy and burning where their forms met. He takes the opportunity to slide his tongue across Eddie's plush lips, licking into his open mouth, hungry for the faintest taste of coffee and tobacco on his breath. With a rumbling groan Eddie presses back, savoring the sweetness of Steve's lips as his hands begin their roaming once again, teasing one up and down his chest as the other slips from the man's jaw and drags gently across his throat. His fingers stop for a second as they bump across the faintest raised scars circling his neck, the memory of beating back the winged bastards that had held Steve to ground only fueling the passion raging in his chest. Ignoring the whine of protest from Steve he breaks the kiss, trailing kisses and gentle nibbles across his jaw and down to his neck, grinning devilishly at the hitch in the other boys breath as his lips latch onto his throat and grinding their hips together as Steve's fingers lace roughly into his long hair, holding him impossibly closer. 

"F-fuck Eddie." Steve groans, his legs shaking as the two grind into each other "Eddie I'm gonna fall on my ass if we keep this up." 

"I mean I'm not opposed to right here on the floor" Eddie growls against Steve's neck sending a jolt of electricity through him, punctuating the statement with a roll of his hips. 

"Fucking h-hell" He yelps, barely managing the will power to pull Eddie back by his hair enough to look him in the eyes, his resolve nearly breaking right there as he gets a look at the near feral look burning in Eddie's eyes, his dick straining painfully in his jeans. "Ed's, baby, as close as I am to dragging you to the floor right here and now I want to be able to give you my full attention and not worry about splinters or unintentional bruises." Eddie chuckles with a bratty roll of his eyes, about to say something when Steve grips his chin, pulling his focus back in surprise. "I fully plan on fucking on every surface of our home but I intend to start with somewhere comfortable ok?" Eddie's eyes go wide, swallowing heavily with a breathless ok before snatching up Steve's hand and all but dragging him down the hall. They make it a couple feet before Eddie pauses, turning to glance over his shoulder.

"Uh, your room or mine?" 

Steve frowns in thought for a moment, they hadn't shared a bed again since Steve's nightmare but he remembered how closed they'd been, the objectively small twin bed not giving two grown men much to work with and the single in Steve's room not even an option. His eyes drift down the hall to the once foreboding door at the end of the hall, his head tilting thoughtfully, he sees Eddie's brows rise in surprise. 

"You sure?" 

"I mean… It is my house after all and I'm sure that big old bed won't feel nearly as lonely now." 

Eddie pulls Steve in gently for a kiss before motioning dramatically for Steve to take the lead. 

"After you then m'lord" 

Steve laughs and pulls Eddie along down the hall, pushing the master bedroom door open with no regard for how hard it slams against the wall, a silent middle finger to his fathers rigid formality, he breathes a silent prayer of thanks that the roof had leaked and forced him to throw the bedding in the laundry earlier that month, the blankets no longer smelling musty or holding any hint of his mothers nauseating perfume. He lingers a moment at the foot of the bed, hesitating in the face of the large, empty space, there are no pictures, no personal touches aside from the shells he can faintly recall collecting on one of their few family vacations sitting on his mothers bedside table, the rest is clean and nearly unused, a space ready to be made theirs. 

A shiver runs up Steve's spine as he feels Eddie's lips press gently to his neck, his long fingers slipping the flannel down and off his shoulder, kisses trailing in its wake. He sucks in a breath in at the sensation, the boy's lips leaving electricity crackling along his skin and sending his heart beating erratically against his chest. Humming he leans back into Eddie, the drawn breath escaping just as quickly as he feels skin meet skin, the soft warmth of Eddie's chest pressed into his back both comforting and exhilarating. 

Letting the flannel fall to the ground at their feet Eddie lets his long fingers trail back up Steve's arms, committing the feeling of the toned muscles beneath his calloused fingers to memory just in case… just in case this was a joke or a dream or Steve suddenly came to his senses and decided he'd made a mistake. He could handle it of course, he'd felt loss more than he'd like to think about but god would it hurt. He can feel the anxiety tickling at the back of his mind, a lump forming in his throat as Steve hesitates at the foot of the bed, his now bare shoulders tensing against memories and thoughts that Eddie can't read. He'd seen the discomfort and sadness he'd hidden away with a dry laugh any time they'd had to come in there, ghosts of memories and things that never were haunting the empty space and sending him quickly scurrying back to the warmth of the living room or kitchen, their safe spaces. With an almost sad smile Eddie begins placing kisses along the other boy's shoulder, comforting and drawing a shiver and a sigh from him. Letting his hands drift under Steve's arms he traces the lines of his hips in comforting circles, feeling up his stomach and wrapping his arms around his solid form, letting himself melt into the warm softness of his back. He'd always known Steve had some bulk to him, going from the swim team to basketball to fighting otherworldly monsters gave him a comfortable amount of muscle that even the months since their last escapade to the upside down and Eddie’s valiant attempts at cooking couldn’t fully soften out. Not that he’s complaining, the muscles of his back press into Eddie's chest and he breathes out, his lips brushing gently over the warm skin and turning up in a soft smile as he feels Steve relax in his grip.

“Figured we’d start with something we know we both like, that ok?” Eddie winks up at him and Steve has to fight not to do exactly what Eddie had joked about doing such a short time ago, his cock pulsing near-painfully, something about seeing the shirtless metal head settling himself between his knees with unhidden excitement over sucking him off, setting off fireworks in Steve’s head. He nods dumbly and busies himself helping Eddie shimmy his already undone and disheveled jeans all the way off, groaning in relief as his cock springs free of its confinement, his cheeks growing hot as Eddie lets out a low whistle of appreciation, his eyes dark and hungry though his tone is light. 

"You wanna sit down for me big boy?" Eddie lets his breath tickle over the shell of Steve's ear and chuckles at how quick he is to heed the request, spinning himself down onto the waiting bed and looking up in nervous excitement. He's seen Eddie shirtless plenty of times since they'd moved in together, watched him tussle with the younger kids; tossing them off the dock, he’d choked on a groan when he'd tore his shirt off after a long and apparently rigorous session with the band up in the loft, hell, he'd blatantly stared (telling himself he was glaring) at him swagger from the shower to his room, damp and flushed from using up the hot water countless times at this point but somehow this time is different. His mind jumps to the books Eddie had lent him over the past couple months, the eloquent descriptions of fantasy heros, battle worn and beautiful, his dark hair curling around his face, his expression heavy with an appreciative smirk. Steve watches him gently bite his lip as he gazes down at him, the simple movement stoking the burning desire deep in his core and he can’t help flicking his tongue across his own lips, wishing they were Eddies. His ogling is quickly interrupted as Eddie leans down over him, their faces inches apart, the air heavy and hot around them.

“Promise you’ll tell me if it’s too much.” He murmurs against Steve’s lips, holding himself just out of reach and waiting until Steve lets out a breathless yes before closing the gap in a bruising kiss, his hands cupping Steve’s cheeks in gentle desperation, his eyes fluttering closed as his scent and the feeling of his hair curtaining around them block out the rest of the world. Suddenly he disappears and Steve’s eyes fly open, lips finding empty air as he chases the kiss, confused for a moment before he sees Eddie lowering himself to the floor in front of the bed, hands splayed out across Steve’s thighs and gently pushing them apart, 

“Guess I wasn’t too far off, huh big boy?” 

Steve’s groan of embarrassment is choked off in a gasping moan as he feels Eddie’s lips connect with the head of his cock, planting a surprisingly chaste on the tip as his hand wraps gently around it, thumb dragging agonizingly slow up his length. If he was in any kind of control of himself Steve would be embarrassed by the noises he's making already, his chest heaving with gasping breaths as Eddie teases him with his tongue, spreading the salty precum over the head, a stilted whine leaving his throat when he finally wraps his lips around him. His hands fly into the man's hair, not tugging his head down just giving Steve something to hold, to ground him when Eddie begins to bob his head, the motion nearly sending him over the edge right then. He's barely aware of the words leaving his mouth, moans of Eddie's name amidst whined praise as Eddie's mouth pushes him closer and closer to the edge. He can feel it building, the hot pressure in his core, hotter than anything he'd managed to bring out himself, his hands tightening in Eddie's soft curls and earning a moan of his own muffled around Steve's cock. 

"Oh f-fuck Ed's, I'm gonna-" He goes to move his hands but Eddie's hand flies to his, fingers laces with Steve's and hold it in place against his scalp, a growl rumbling in his throat and sending what feels like an electric shock through his entire body as his release overwhelms him. He can feel himself empty into Eddie's mouth, his tongue hungrily working him through his climax as Steve's eyes clench shut, stars exploding behind his lids as the crashing wave of it rocks through him. He can't tell if it's been seconds or hours by the time his vision returns to him, chest heaving, bent double over Eddie's back, the other boy still letting his tongue work him through his shuddering aftershocks. With a shaky laugh Steve finally pulls himself up, his hands sliding from Eddie's hair to pull him up to face him, mirroring his smile. 

"T-that was incredible" He breathes, his mind still a pleasant mush as Eddie grins up at him. 

"Good, not gonna lie I've been waiting to do that for an embarrassingly long time" Chuckling he climbs up to straddle Steve's lap, pulling him close and pressing their lips together gently. He's surprised when Steve deepens the kiss, his tongue licking into his mouth with a moan, the taste of himself on Eddie's tongue is intoxicating as his hands slide down his bare sides to land on his jean covered ass and pull him heavily against him. Eddie gasps into Steve's mouth as their crotches press together, his still very hard cock straining painfully against his confining jeans, his hips rolling to chase some relieving friction. Steve grins against Eddie's lips, his hands slipping up under him and lifting him with a grunt to twist and drop him to the mattress with a startled yelp, his hair splayed out in all directions as Steve props himself above him, staring down with unfiltered desire. 

"Can I try?" His eyes flick down to the very obvious bulge in Eddied pants and Eddie's mouth drops open. 

"Y-you don't have to." 

"I want to. God I want to so bad." 

"Fuck then I'm all yours baby" he chuckles, arms raising to rest behind his head in an attempt to look calm and confident and to try hide how his heart is about to pound out of his chest, not trusting his hands not to shake as Steve begins trailing kisses down his chest. 

"Jesus christ Harrington you can't just use those eyes on me" His voice pitches up in a yelp when Steve nimbly flicks the button open and pulls the zipper down with teeth, Eddie barely managing to catch a glimpse of before his pants and boxers are in a pile on the floor. Steve kneels between his legs with a wide grin, he'd never really let himself entertain the thoughts of what it might be like on the giving end of a blow job after his dad had beat the shit out of him at 14 for finding the "men's magazine" him and Tommy had swiped from the convenience store but he knew what he liked to receive and that was at least a good start.

Steve can feel the rapid beating of Eddie's heart against his lips as they press against the remnants of the spider tattoo, the demon head lost to the demobats along with his precious nipple, a fact Eddie had no qualms using for pity when an argument wasn't going his way. Chuckling Steve let's his tongue trace the edge of the scars, knowing from personal experience just how sensitive they could be and being rewarded with a hiss through clenched teeth of, fuck yes Steve, as Eddie's entire torso rippled in pleasure. He lets his lips drift lower, hands sliding down Eddie's side as he goes, finally hooking into the waistband of his jeans and looking up with an as innocently questioning look as he can manage, remembering how he'd nearly cum in his pants the first time a girl had done that to him and hoping it has a similar effect, his eyes wide and glistening as Eddie glances down with exasperation. Clearly it has the desired effect when Eddie falls back with a groan, his hands covering his eyes, only the tightening of his abs belying just how hard he's trying to keep himself in check. 

"Let me know If I'm doing anything wrong" He breathes with an almost nervous giggle "wanna make you feel good too" 

Eddie smiles, propping himself up on an elbow and pulling Steve in for a quick kiss, murmuring softly against his lips. "You're way ahead of that dont worry, just do what you like and we'll work from there" 

Pressing another quick kiss to his lips Steve gently pushes Eddie back onto the bed, his hands finding their way back behind his head so he can watch as Steve shuffles back down to his place between his legs, his hands sliding to Eddie's hips, thumbs rubbing small circles in the soft skin and sending a shiver through him. With an achingly gentle touch he slides his hand around Eddie's length, the weight of it in his hand making his mouth water slightly, stroking his thumb through the precum dribbling out of the top and reveling in the strained groan it pulls from the metalhead. He swipes his tongue experimentally across the tip, not displeased with the salty taste and letting his lips slide slowly around the head. He glances up to see Eddie staring down at him, his posture no longer relaxed as his chest heaves and his hands tangle in his hair, dark eyes blown out black with lust. A wave of confidence hits Steve and he takes Eddie's cock as far into his mouth as he can, only stopping when it hits the back of his throat, gagging slightly but not ready to give up as curses and praises fall from Eddie's lips. 

"Oh fuck Stevie, feels so good when you take me that deep. God you're such a good fucking boy." 

Steve can feel himself harden at the praise, a moan vibrating around the cock buried deep in his throat, one hand gently working the base while the other holds Eddie's hip to ground himself. Pulling back just slightly he lets his tongue swirl around the head, the constant stream of curses and praises coming from Eddie fully reigniting his own desire and he can't help but reach down to grab his own length, bobbing his head in the same rhythm. 

"Touching yourself while getting me off? Fuck that's so hot." Eddie groans, bucking his hips up as Steve takes him even deeper, twisting his hand and stroking his thumb down the underside of his cock, hitting a spot he knows personally drives him wild. Clearly it has the same effect as Eddie's rambling becomes nearly incoherent, barely able to catch his breath. "Holy shit S-Steve, you- I'm gonna cum oh my god. You dont-" 

He feels Eddie's hand on his cheek, moving to pull him off but he just slaps it away, not one to be outdone and more than a little curious as Eddie's hips begin the thrust sloppily, his own cock aching in his fist. He can barely hear Eddie's shout over the blood rushing in his ears, his climax painting the back of Steve's throat in hot ropes, his whole body shuddering as Steve swallows around him, the heady taste on his tongue not nearly as unpleasant as he was expecting and nearly sending him over the edge himself. He only stops when he feels Eddie pull back, gasping at the overstimulation and desperately trying to catch his breath as Steve lets it go with a pop, sliding up the bed to rest on his side beside him.

"How'd I do then?" He grins as Eddie cracks an eye open up at him, his face red and sweaty yet not too exhausted to crack a wide grin and pull Steve down for a bruising kiss, tongues intertwining and mingling the taste of them both in an intoxicating combination leaving them gasping and heavy lidded when they finally pull apart. 

"And here I thought the epic tales of King Steve were a bunch of crap. You're a damn natural at sucking dick Harrington." 

Steve can't help but puff up at the praise, for once the stupid nickname not making his stomach turn, shrugging he nuzzles into Eddie’s messy hair, hiding the dark blush on his cheeks and breathing in his warm scent. 

"What can I say, I'm a quick learner." 

"Well I am a more than willing teacher." 

"Oh, teach me your ways then Master." 

He barely has time to blink as Eddie jolts up, Steve's back hits the mattress as one hand plants firmly on his chest. Eddie's thigh presses into his still hard dick as he leans close, his breath tickling his ear and sending a jolt of pleasure rocking Steve's hips up into his leg with a desperate whine. 

"Careful with your words there Stevie or you're never leaving this bed" 

“Maybe that’s exactly what I’m after”

- 4 months - 

The sun pokes through the tear in the curtain covering the window of Steve’s small room early one morning, he rolls over groggily, grinning at the small hole, his mother would have a cow if she saw how “disheveled” the place had become over the months since him and Eddie moved in. He doesn’t care, he much prefers the term “Homey”. That tear in particular had come from Eddie insisting he was fully healed up and that he deal with the small hole that had cracked open in the ceiling, his trusty belt chain catching in the material and nearly taking the entire curtain rod down with him, Steve had grabbed him by the hips to steady him on the wobbly desk before it collapsed sending the both of them into a heap on the floor. He’d then offered to patch the new hole but the mischievous glint in his eye had told Steve that patch would likely end up being something he’d rather see on the metal head's new vest. He’d never admit it but the tear reminded him how close their faces had been when they fell, the comforting weight of Eddie on his chest, the way his hair fell around the two of them made it seem like they were hidden away from the world. He can’t get the faint smell of cigarettes and mint on his breath out of his mind, finding himself brushing his fingers across his lips absentmindedly at the memory, flashes of the polaroid he’d found in your things making an unbidden appearance in his imagination. Shaking his head he sits up, groaning at the very prominent morning wood that sprang up to greet him, he glowers at it, trying to pretend for a moment that this is a surprise before sighing with an embarrassed laugh.

It’s not a surprise. He’d made a conscious effort to pass it off as just not having gotten any in a while and the close proximity Eddie’s confinement had forced on him but by the 5th wet dream he’d had in a row, he was having trouble looking the other man in the eye, having to double down on paying attention to whatever he was doing anytime he’d come out of the shower, towel slung low on his hips, skin soft and flushed from the steaming water, even the sight of the slowly healing scars doing little to hinder the blood rushing to areas he’d rather it not. He’d had to leave the room the other day when Eddie had sprawled himself out across the couch beside him, his shirt riding up his stomach a bit revealing a tattoo of a black rose on his hip between the scars, the accidental knowledge that you have a matching one on the opposite hip sending the overwhelming impulse to straddle the other boys lap through Steve’s body like an electric shock and stamping out any other thoughts as he’d pressed himself against his closed bedroom door, fisting himself tight as daydreams of what Eddie's plush lips might feel around him like as your hands wandered over the both of them flooded him with desperate need.

It isn’t all sexual frustration however, though it had taken him longer than he would have liked to get used to the way Eddie seemed to take up twice the amount of space anyone else would or the way there was rarely silence in the small building he’d gotten used to the sounds of the man rambling about campaign ideas, singing loudly in the shower or the near constant playing of the records the three parents and the older kids had pulled together after Eddie’s accidental birthday party. Now he can’t imagine the house without him, the sight of the stupid Garfield mug in the cupboard, the heavy metal magazines he’d never admit to the smug metal head he’d found actually interesting or the brand new battle vest hung up beside the front door. He smiles into his pillow remembering how overwhelmingly happy Eddie had been when the rowdy bunch of his band mates had shown up a couple days after his name had been cleared, all big smiles and reassuring slaps on the back that they hadn’t doubted him for a second, he’d nearly choked poor Charlie out in the hug disguised as a choke hold when they had presented him with a new vest, a Master of Puppets album shirt in place of the Dio back patch, a suggestion from Dustin. Maybe for Christmas he’d see if the guys would want to go in on a new guitar with him for Eddie, remembering how he and Dustin had raved about his “most metal concert ever” and finding himself pouting slightly at the fact that he missed it. 

As if the thought had summoned it the faintest sounds of Eddie’s guitar filters through the window from somewhere outside and Steve can’t help but hum along quietly, his favorite of your songs making his heart sing along as he finally drags himself from the warmth of his pillows, breathing a sigh of relief at his now loose boxers. 

Stretching with a groan he sends a silent prayer of thanks to Robin for needing to swap shifts to make room for a date and leaving him with a beautifully rare weekday off. Groggily he tosses on a pair of jeans and a random flannel from the basket of clean laundry, not bothering to button it up and makes his way to the small kitchen. From the window he can see Eddie sitting out on the small dock behind the house, his guitar propped in his lap as he blindly plucks away at the strings with practiced precision, eyes closed as he soaks up the morning sun bouncing across the quiet water. Steve can’t help but watch him as the coffee slowly brews, captivated in the way the sun catches the lighter highlights in his dark hair as the gentle breeze makes it dance around his shoulders, the muscles under his thin shirt rolling as his hands flit across the strings. He rarely gets to appreciate Eddie’s morning serenades, usually gone to work or sleeping in but very aware that the young man spends several hours every morning out on the dock playing, the routine and the quiet vigil he keeps helping him through the pain and trauma he wasn’t quite healed from, the heart taking longer than the healed scars across his waist would suggest. 

The two had opened up slowly, a few nights after Steve’s particularly dramatic nightmare they had sat down together over a couple beers, the moon glinting off the water as they’d lounged on the back deck. Eddie had opened up more about his past with his dad and how he came to live with Wayne which led to the two bonding over absent parents and their adopted family of feral children. Steve had properly told him the story of the Upside Down, Eddie listening in horror and admiration from start to finish, able to finally understand why you’d kept him in the dark about it for so long and feeling his heart ache in regret for the pain you’d carried alone. Steve had grabbed his hand, telling him not to beat himself up over it, that he’d have done the same if he could have, for the both of you… There had been a long moment where they’d stared at each other, hands not leaving the other as they shared the warmth and finally feeling like they were on the same page before turning away with a blush and a terrible joke from Eddie. They’d spent the entire night that way, laughing and telling stories until the sun started to peek over the trees across the lake, Steve realizing with horror that he had to be at work in an hour and scrambling to take a shower while Eddie made some quick coffee in a thermos and a bagel for him to take. The grateful peck that Steve had pressed to his cheek had shocked them both, sputtering and laughing like idiots as Eddie basically shoved Steve out the door to his car where he sat stunned for a solid five minutes pressing his fingers gently to his lips before speeding off. They hadn’t talked about it since but Steve couldn’t help but feel like there were more gentle touches than before, Eddie’s fingers brushing over his when they cleared dinner dishes, or his hand on Steve’s lower back when they moved past each other in the narrow hallway. 

The smell of coffee shakes Steve from his daydreaming with a sigh, running his hands through his hair aggressively as he kicks himself. Not only did he have to work through the frustrating realization that he might be at least a little gay, (“no, not gay, bisexual. I’m the gay one” Robin's words ringing in his ears.) but even more frustratingly he is developing very real feelings for his best friend's boyfriend… who he also has feelings for. He sighs and pours the coffee into a pair of mugs, smirking at the stupid Garfield mug Eddie insisted on using every morning, making it the way he’s come to know he likes it before bumping the back door open with his hip and making his way gingerly across the damp surface of the dock, grimacing at the feeling of the dew wetting the bottoms of his jeans. He slows in surprise, stopping a few feet away as a new melody comes from the end of the dock, new but familiar, Eddie restarts a few times with a quiet curse but the song is unmistakable and Steve can’t tell whether he wants to cry, laugh or turn and run. 

Eddie nearly jumps out of his skin when the sound of laughter starts up behind him, whipping his head around in a panic to come face to face with Steve as he stoops to sit beside him. 

“Jesus Steve, I almost jumped in the lake! Walk a little louder!” He snaps a little harsher than he means to in embarrassment, his face flushing bright red as he turns to see Steve. His breath catches immediately, the way the jeans hang loosely on the boy’s hips is downright criminal and he begins to think that he may actually need to throw himself in the lake when his gaze travels up Steve’s bare chest, covered only by an open flannel… his flannel. 

“Didn’t want to interrupt. I never get to hear you in the mornings now.” Steve grins, handing the hot cup over as Eddie quickly fumbles the guitar out of his lap and pulls a leg up to his chest. 

“That’s on purpose” He mumbles quietly into his mug trying to will his heart to slow down and the fire to calm across his cheeks, wrinkling his nose with a curse as the hot liquid sears his tongue. 

“Embarrassed I might be turning you into a Springsteen fan?” Steve elbows him affectionately in the ribs, grinning as Eddie scoffs in offense. 

“Definitely not Harrington, I’m a metalhead through and through.” 

“Suuuuure, then you’re learning his music because?” 

Eddie hesitates for a moment, the explanation simple enough in theory and yet feeling like an impossible weight in his chest, letting his hair fall over his cheeks to hide the returning blush. 

“It’s your song” He says as evenly as he can manage, shrugging like it’s the most obvious thing in the world “I figured, he’s still out there y’know. Better safe than sorry.” 

“We've all got walkmans. What are you going to do, carry your guitar around everywhere?” 

“Maybe.” 

“Are you going to learn everyones or am I special?” Steve can’t help pushing, something about the way Eddie refuses to look at him sends his heart pounding against his rib cage and ignites a near desperate need to know what’s going on inside his head. 

“I-i…you know what, forget it. Was just trying to do something nice for you man.” 

Steve’s teasing grin falters in panic as Eddie pulls himself to his feet, scrambling to his feet to chase after him as he takes a couple steps. 

“Wait Eds-” He reaches out to catch Eddie’s arm, feeling his world suddenly tip to the side as his bare feet slip wildly against the damp wood. There is a yelp and a flurry of limbs before suddenly Steve finds himself staring down at Eddie, his hand gripping the back of his head to cushion the fall against the dock, the other planted beside his shoulder, nearly straddling him. 

He knows he should get up, he knows he shouldn’t be looking at Eddie the way he is, he shouldn’t be reveling in the feeling of his hair between his fingers and imagining that Eddie might just be blushing below him but he can’t make himself move. He feels frozen where he is, Eddie’s deep brown eyes staring into his, an endless ocean of emotion that Steve feels like he’s falling into. “Thank you…I didn’t mean to tease, no one’s ever done something like that for me.” 

Eddie can feel his heart break a little at that, an ache in his chest thinking that after everything he’s done, everything he’s been through to protect his friends no one had expressed just how important he is. He doesn’t even try to stop himself as his hand comes up to brush a strand of hair out of his eye, knuckles grazing his cheek softly, his heart skips a beat as he watches Steve’s eye flutter shut for a moment, the impossibly small movement of chasing the delicate touch almost hidden if Eddie attention wasn’t so fully ensnared by him in that moment. 

“Don’t want to lose you…” 

Steve’s eyes fly open in surprise, the raw emotion in Eddie's voice setting off fireworks in his chest as his mouth opens slightly in surprise, he sees the other man's dark gaze flick to his lips, his calloused hands slipping across his cheek to grip the back of his neck gently. He barely has a moment to think before he feels himself being pulled down, gentle enough that he knows he can pull back if this isn’t what he wants, the same question reflected in Eddie’s ebony eyes. He knows he should, his feelings should be irrelevant, Eddie is yours, you’re Eddies, Steve was never supposed to even be an option and yet here he is, hovering inches from Eddie’s lips desperately failing to hold onto his resolve. 

“Steve” 

He feels the last of his control crumble as Eddie’s whisper caresses his lips, the faint hint of coffee amplifying as Steve crashes his lips against his, something between a gasp and a whimper escaping him as he lets himself be overwhelmed by the strength of his feelings. He feels Eddie’s grip tighten against his neck, his other hand coming to tangle in the flannel hanging loosely around them, nearly pulling Steve entirely onto him as he kisses back hungrily, almost desperately. Steve’s head swims, all thoughts pushed far away as he’s surrounded by nothing but Eddie, the softness of his lips, the familiar scent of pine and smoke, the warmth of his hips against his as Steve props himself heavily on his elbow, hand slipping from Eddie’s soft hair to cup his jaw, thumb gliding over his reddening cheek. He fights to keep his eyes open, to take in every inch of Eddie’s face, finally let himself take in the beautiful man beneath him like he’d tried to avoid for so long but can’t help flutter them closed when he feels Eddie’s hand slide from his shirt lapel to his chest, a groan of pleasure escaping from deep in his throat as his fingers trail over his pecs, tangling slightly in the tuft of chest hair the kids like to tease him for. 

Somewhere between an eternity and a single second they break apart, breathing heavily, their blown-out brown eyes stay locked together, the only thing that keeps either grounded. Eddie feels like his heart is about the pound through his chest, thankful he’s lying where he is because he feels like he would probably pass out if he tried to get up again, all blood and breath vacant from his now floating body. He can barely believe that happened, half convinced he’s about to wake up from one of his steadily increasing dreams, but he doesn’t, the moments stretch and as he feels the adrenaline eb the comforting weight of Steve against him doesn’t disappear, his thumb still gently caressing his cheek as he stares back. Suddenly Steve frowns, emotions start flashing across his face at an alarming rate and Eddie can feel his heartbeat pick up beneath his palm this time in a much more panicked rhythm. 

“Shit- I shouldn’t have- I’m so sorry-” He starts stumbling over his words as his eyes widen, tears welling against his lashes as he moves to pull away. Eddie can feel his heart jump in alarm, suddenly terrified that he’d overstepped, that he’d crossed the line and destroyed their friendship at the very least. “I know you just miss her-” That drags Eddie’s panic to a screeching halt, his frown dissolving into a sad smile before he sits up suddenly, using Steve’s sudden shift in balance to flip the man over with a surprised yelp, quickly straddling his hips and sliding his hand into Steve’s to hold it against the damp wooden boards. Steve sputters, wide eyed and clearly fighting between his guilt and suddenly being overwhelmingly turned on as Eddie leans over him, his hair falling around their faces and effectively blocking out the world around them for a moment as his hand slips from Steve’s neck to his cheek. He does miss you, more than almost anything he wants you to come home but he can’t fight the equally strong feelings pounding against his chest anymore or he’s going to go crazy. He knows it’s too soon to say out loud but in his heart he knows that he is just as much in love with the man beneath him and he can’t hide it anymore. 

“Steve…I didn’t do that just because I miss her.” He gives him a lopsided smile, his heart breaking a little at the disbelief and broken hope in Steve’s hazel eyes. “I like you… a lot.” 

“But-” 

“Steve, please. Don’t think, just tell me. Do you like me too?” 

His eyes burn into Steve’s, every argument and wall he tries to hide behind withering under the strength of his gaze until there’s nothing left but the simple truth that he’s so very in love with Eddie Munson. 

“Yes” He can feel the tears escaping, trailing down the sides of his face, waiting for this to all go wrong, for his heart to be trampled and abandoned but Eddie just smiles. His eyes nearly disappearing behind his cheeks as his grin takes over his face, tears of his own welling at his lashes, a few falling to scatter across Steve’s cheeks. His lips are on Steve before he can say another word, trying to claim every aspect of the confession and make his own known in the best way he knows how, his hand gripping Steve’s almost painfully as his other tangles into his swooping locks, something he’d been desperate to do for far too long, the curiosity over how that particular nickname held up like an itch he couldn’t ignore. Clearly it came with many meanings, a slight tug earning a dangerously satisfying moan from Steve’s lips, his eyes flying open as his cheeks flush with embarrassment. Eddie can’t help but chuckle, covering his reddened cheeks with kisses until he can feel a grin return and an almost agonizingly adorable giggle bubble from his throat. Tucking his face into Steve’s neck Eddie lets out a groan, barely able to reign in the overwhelming desire to go way, way too far immediately, luckily Steve seems to be on the same page, taking a deep breath and pushing himself up off the dock until he and Eddie are chest to chest, Eddie still straddling his lap and now bringing his hands up to steady himself against Steve’s shoulders. There’s a long beat of silence as the two gaze at each other, Eddie watches the gears turning behind Steve’s warm brown eyes, desperate to kiss the anxiety he sees swimming in them away but knowing it’s gotta be dealt with…sooner rather than later. 

“Talk to me Stevie” He prompts gently, his thumb gently grazing over the other boy's collarbone as he swallows heavily, the nickname making his heart skip a beat even as he grapples with so many fears. 

“What… Uh what does this mean?” He flinches at the laugh that bursts from Eddie's chest, the older boy taking a moment to compose himself before taking Steve’s face in his hands and pressing a gentle kiss to his lips. 

“Well I’d really like it if this could mean you’re my boyfriend.” His smile is wide but hesitant, tentative hope creasing his brows as he watches Steve’s expression go from open mouthed surprise to a wide grin of joy only to drop back into worry and fear, his eyes dropping away from Eddie. Eddie’s smile falters, sure he’s about to be rejected, why wouldn’t he be. Not only do they live in hicksville-Indiana but what could the Freak of Hawkins, previously wanted for murder and not even highschool graduate possibly offer Steve Harrington of all people, his heart hurting in a way it hadn’t in a very long time as familiar fears begin to claw their way up his throat. He’s about back-track, about to laugh and say “Just kidding”, ready to bury his heart under anything necessary if it meant he wouldn’t have to lose the love of his life for the second time when Steve’s eyes snap back to him. 

“What about her?” 

Eddie nearly falls over backwards, Steve’s hands the only thing keeping him from tipping back over into the lake, his grip shaking slightly. God he wants to kiss the absolute life out of this man, of course the only thing he’s afraid of is hurting you, somehow that just makes Eddie fall further in love. He knows he loves you, no question about that, there never has been but now, looking into Steve’s honey coloured eyes his heart burns to love you both, to let himself be entirely selfish. 

“I love her…too” He sees Steve’s eyes widen in surprise, unable to stop his lips from turning up as the words sink in. “Maybe I’m asking too much and I feel crazy but I love you both. Is that allowed? I mean it’s sure as hell not normal…” 

“I mean,  we did fight literal monsters in another dimension, I’ve fought Russians under a mall, you died! I think we’re pretty far past normal.” Steve grins, his hands sliding under Eddie's shirt to rub gingerly over the roping scars across his waist, the motion sending a small shiver up the boys back. 

“Do you want normal?” Eddie breathes, somehow still feeling a nagging sense of fear and doubt as he holds Steve’s face in his palms

“I want…” He can’t help but hesitate as he looks up at Eddie, his mane of hair glowing in the warm morning sun, his freckles more prominent against his pale cheeks than Steve had noticed before, his eyes ever as warm and deep as always, he can’t help the desperate desire to let himself be selfish, to reach out and take everything being offered to him. “I want you…I want you both.” 

The smile that takes over Eddie's face is nearly blinding and Steve suddenly feels light headed, a smile of his own taking over his face, melting any frowns in its wake as Eddie pulls him in, crashing their lips together in a dizzying kiss. Steve’s arms slip around Eddie's waist, pulling him impossibly closer as he leans into him, hands slipping from his cheeks to roam hungrily across his shoulders, slipping under the open flannel. The feeling of Eddies calloused fingers against Steve’s admittedly soft skin is unlike anything he’s ever experienced and definitely not something he realized he would crave the way he does now, desperately wanting to feel them against every part, mourning the loss of contact even as they glide to a new area of his neck, chest, waist. It’s intoxicating the way their lips slide together, the mixture of coffee and lingering mint from the tooth paste they’d started sharing some time recently, Steve nearly chokes on the gasp that leaves his lips when Eddies begin to trail across his jaw and down his neck softly kissing and suckling against the taught muscles. He could almost believe he had died and gone to heaven as the morning sun blinded him over the other boy's shoulder, his eyes watering as they cracked open, the droning of June Bugs barely audibly over the pounding of his heart in his ears. Except it isn’t the bugs, the sound strangely foreign in the deserted forest they’d come to call home, the sound of a boat engine buzzing across the water. Steve frowned with an annoyed chuckle as the distant figure of a fisherman’s boat came into view, puttering about the middle of the lake, not unreasonably close but definitely too close for a pair of men seconds from tearing each other's clothes off would be exactly comfortable with. With a monumental effort Steve dragged his hands from Eddie’s waist and pulled back to look up at him. 

“Uh Eddie, hey Eds.” 

“Hm?” 

“We should probably move this inside. Apparently not everyone is afraid of the lake.”

- 3.5 months - 

Eddie starts awake, gasping and shaking into the darkness of his room, the softest beam of moonlight pushing through the curtains illuminating the small room dimly as he glances around wildly. Taking in the little guest room he’d started calling home he feels his heart rate slowly begin to return to a reasonable speed, he wipes the sweat from his brow and rolls over, mashing his face into his pillow and trying to forget the horrible visions that had driven him to wakefulness. He lays there for what feels like hours before finally looking up at the clock to see barely an hour having passed, merely three from when he’d first hit the pillow, he angrily sighs and reaches towards the bottle of sleeping pills on the bedside table, cursing as he pushes himself up. He shakes a couple into his palm but pauses, a noise somewhere outside his room distracting him. He waits a moment, trying to play it off as his imagination until he hears it again, a muffled thump somewhere in the house, the hairs on his neck standing up with fear. Swallowing heavily he shuffles out of bed, snatching the child sized baseball bat from beside the bedside table and creeping towards the door, he curses to himself as the door creaks on it’s hinges, freezing in place and holding his breath, lingering thoughts of swarming demobats and monsters he’d only heard described nearly sending him back under his covers like a scared little kid. The sound of a pained cry coming from down the hall banishes those fears immediately and Eddie feels a jolt of bravery surge through him as his feet carry him quickly to the room just shy of the master, throwing himself through the door he skids to a halt, brandishing the small bat as he glares around the small room. Finding it empty of intruders confuses Eddie for a moment, his brow furrowing as he looks around for whatever had caused the noise before his gaze finally lands on the boy in the bed. Steve’s forehead is slick with sweat, creased in a deep frown as he whimpers and claws at the sheets wrapped around him, your name slipping from his lips as tears streak down his cheeks. Eddie’s frown softens as he recognizes the telltale signs of a nightmare, a bad one. Setting the bat down gently and moving to sit on the bed beside Steve’s writhing form he flicks on the bedside lamp before reaching down to carefully grip his shoulders, shaking them gently. 

“Steve. Hey Steve, wake up man.” His voice is gentle but firm, his grip slides down Steve’s arms as he begins to thrash more violently. “It’s just a nightmare. Hey Steve!” 

“No! EDDIE!” The sudden shout of his name from the sleeping man causes him to loosen his grip in surprise, the panic in the shout clenching his heart painfully. An unrestrained swing of Steve’s elbow catches Eddie in the ribs, right into the worst of his injuries and pulls as gasping yelp from him, white hot pain radiating through his stomach and causing him to double over. 

The sound of Eddie’s very real cry of pain slices through the horrible screams and screeches of his dream, dragging Steve gasping awake, the inky tendrils that had been holding him tight transforming back into the twisted, now sweat soaked sheets tangled around his legs. He sits up in a panic looking around wildly, the cry from his nightmare feeling far too real. The moment his eyes lock on the hunched form of Eddie his arms are reaching out, grabbing him around the waist, pulling him into his arms and burying his face in the other man’s neck with a sob. Eddie doesn’t hesitate to return the hug, ignoring the pain in his side to wrap his arms around Steve’s shoulders and hold him tight, one hand stroking his hair gently. 

“Hey it’s ok man, it was just a nightmare. You’re ok, you’re safe.” 

He holds him until his sobs subside into the occasional hiccuping sniffle, only loosening his grip when Steve pulls away to wipe his eyes. 

“S-sorry.” He sighs, not looking up from where his fingers are worrying the hem of his sweatshirt, the edges frayed and loose and clearly used to the treatment. 

“It’s ok man, I get them too. We’ve all been through hell, I’d be surprised if any of us have gotten a good night's sleep since. I mean except for Erica, she probably could have taken out Vecna all on her own and been home in time for saturday morning cartoons.” He sees Steve wince at the name but catches the tiny smile that ticks up the corner of his mouth. “D-do you want to talk about it?” 

If he wasn’t still seeing stars he might have seen the small blush that flushes Steve’s cheeks before he can rub his eyes furiously, his gaze still firmly planted in his lap. He’s silent for a long moment and Eddie eventually takes it as a sign that no, he doesn’t want to talk about it, heaving himself up with a groan. Steve’s eyes go wide as his hand flashes out to grab Eddie’s sleeve, his hand shaking slightly as Eddie turns back, nothing but concern reflecting back at him as he stumbles for words, finally choking out; 

“Don’t wanna be alone…” He winces at how pathetic the words sound, sure in his still panicked state that Eddie’s going to slap his hand away with a laugh himself back to his own room. 

“Ok” The response is so immediate that Steve can’t help but stare up at him as Eddie glances back to his bed with a grimace, taking in the sweaty mess of sheets. “We’re not staying in here though, smells like a locker room.” Gently he takes Steve’s hand and leads him back to his own room, Steve’s attention is drawn to the way his calloused thumb rubs comfortingly across his knuckles and can’t seem to choke down the lump in his throat when the metalhead tosses him a clean shirt. “You’re not getting in my bed in that, feels like you ran a mile.” He quickly turns away and misses how Eddie’s eyes linger as he pulls the damp shirt over his head, the way they trace up the toned muscles of his back or how he busies himself pulling the covers back, letting his hair fall in his face to cover the blush, admonishing himself for thinking thoughts like that in this kind of situation. 

When they’re both settled Eddie flicks out the light and snuggles down, the feeling of Steve's breath on his shoulder and the warmth radiating off him both comforting and unsettling. He’s about to roll over and try to sleep when he feels the other boy's knuckles rest against his bicep. 

“I know I’ve gotta keep it together around the kids but I just can’t stop thinking about the fact that he’s still out there… El managed to stop him but he almost killed us… he did kill you…” 

“I got better.” Eddie chuckles, rolling onto his side to face Steve in the gloom “And he didn’t kill me, I did that myself. Trying to be the hero and all that… just like you told me not to.” He hears Steve inhale sharply, his own warning ringing in his ears as tears prick at his eyes. 

“You should have listened.” His voice wobbles and Eddie frowns, the hurt and fear in his tone gripping his heart and he can’t help himself from wrapping his arms around Steve, pulling him against his chest. 

“I know…I’m so-” 

“Do you know how scared we were?” Eddie’s heart twinges as he buries his face in Steve’s hair, feeling fresh tears begin to soak the front of his shirt as the younger man's shoulders shake. “We got back and she was just there curled up on your chest sobbing. I tried, I tried so hard to bring you back but it wasn’t working, you were cold and dead and then you weren’t and it was f-fine. But I still see it in my dreams, sometimes it’s you, sometimes it’s her, sometimes I get back and I have to choose who to save but no matter what every time I’m too late and I can’t save you both!” His sobs echo in the small room, his fists twisted into Eddie’s shirt as he cries, Eddie’s arms holding him tight to him, tears of his own lost in Steve’s hair as he presses his cheek to the boy's crown. 

“I’m sorry, I'm so sorry.” He murmurs, his chest feeling like it’s about to explode with how full it is of guilt and surprisingly, joy. He hasn’t had many people care about him in his life, not to this extent. He knows Wayne loves him like a son, the guys from his band are like brothers and he’d protect the monster fighting crew with his life but this, this somehow feels different. He knew he’d started feeling something for the other man for a short time now, catching himself watching him when he was distracted, the the giddy excitement that exploded in his chest watching Steve losing himself in the beaten copy of the lord of the rings the kids had found at a thrift store earlier that week, the way his face would start scrunching up before he finally caved and asked Eddie to explain something with a defeated sigh. He feels a little guilty but something about having Steve Harrington of all people, the man who’d been through hell and back without shedding a single tear, tucked into his chest allowing himself to fall apart in Eddie’s arms makes him feel so fucking lucky. 

In the darkness of the room Eddie comes to a conclusion he never let himself dream of, that he’s only felt like this with you, the type of love that he felt for you, that he still does and now feels for the boy tucked into his arms, takes up its own residence in a space next to yours. The warmth blooming in his chest that he didn’t think he’d ever feel again, the overwhelming desire to absorb all the pain from this man and make him smile. He presses his lips gently to Steve’s hair, the gesture lost in the sobs shaking the boy's frame but bringing a small blush to Eddie’s cheeks as he closes his eyes and begins humming comfortingly. 

Through his gasping breaths Steve begins to feel a low vibration against his cheek, his racing thoughts slowing just enough to let the soft sound of Eddie’s humming filter through. He can’t help but smile slightly as his tears slowly come to a stop, the warmth of Eddie’s arms and the steady rhythm of his heart chasing the lingering chill of his nightmare away with every beat. He lets himself linger in the moment not wanting to move or break apart, savoring the comforting feeling of another person holding him tight. 

“Eddie…are you humming Black Sabbath?” His chuckle is muffled into Eddie’s shirt and he feels his smile falter when the humming stops, suddenly hating the silence that takes its place. 

“So what if I am” Eddie’s teasing laugh ruffles Steve’s hair “My girl’s favorite song, worked anytime she had nightmares, figured it might help now.” 

“You never told me that’s what that song was…” Steve whispers, remembering the fight they’d had when Eddie had first moved in, guilt tugging at his heart “Sorry.” 

“S’ok, I was being a dick.” 

“So was I”

They lay in silence, enjoying the warmth and the soothing presence of the other in the dark, Eddie’s quiet humming lulling Steve nearly into sleep. 

“Hey Steve?” 

“Mm?”

“What’s your song?” 

Steve frowns in his sleepy state, his mind wandering dreamily to a school dance buried deep in his memories, the warm fuzzy feeling he’d tried to forget mixing seamlessly with the moment he finds himself in, snuggled into Eddie's arms.

“Dancing in the dark.” 

He can feel Eddie's chest rumble with a chuckle as he drifts off, wondering if the feeling of the other man's lips pressing against his forehead is just a dream but finding himself hoping it’s not.

- 2 Months - 

Ring ring! 

Steve groans as he tosses his book on the couch beside him and runs his hands roughly through his hair, over-tired from a long shift at work and desperately wanting to just let it ring through, sure it’s either one of the kids demanding a ride again or one of the government mooks checking in on them. A muffled groan from down the hall is enough to motivate Steve off his ass, not wanting to disturb Eddie’s sleep especially if his meds haven’t kicked in, his voice gruff and cranky as he answers with his name. 

“Steve huh?” An unknown woman's voice snaps at him over the line, his brows furrowing with annoyance as he gets ready to toss the phone back on the receiver. “What the hell did you do to this poor girl?” The blood freezes in his veins, his entire body locking up as only one possible option flashes in his mind. It had been two months since he’d seen you disappear from the hospital and since then no one had seen or heard from you, if the government agents that kept calling knew anything they hadn’t let it slip. 

“Is she safe?” It’s the only thing he cares about as he whispers into the phone, not wanting to alert the metal head down the hall just yet as he strangles the phone in his grip. Please just tell me she’s ok. There’s a beat of silence and Steve’s mind begins spiraling, was this a nurse? Had you been in an accident? Maybe they were trying to call your next of kin.

“She’s still alive if you even care.” Her scowl is evident even over the phone and he almost laughs in relief, definitely not a nurse, the sass sounding more like an angry, overprotective friend. 

“Oh thank god” He chokes out. Outside of him and the kids you’d babysat you hadn’t made many friends in Hawkins, he remembers seeing you drifting alone through the high school halls until you’d been brought into the Hellfire fold by Garreth in your Sophomore year, something he’d never admitted he was begrudgingly grateful for. It had taken you weeks to even start warming up to Nancy and Robin after the incident with the mall. The idea that wherever you are right now you’d found someone willing to call up your old friends to give them hell for whatever she thinks they did makes his heart feel like it’s going to explode out of his chest and several tears escape down his cheeks. “I just- please stay with her. I know you don’t know me but I know you care about her. We do too, so, so much.” He can almost feel the suspicious frown as the woman on the other end remains silent “If… If she’s ever able to please send her home. We miss her so much. I don’t kno-” 

There’s a muffled shattering sound and the woman’s voice comes through hurriedly, a touch warmer than when she’d first called. 

“I’ll call you back” the line clicks dead and Steve stares down at the receiver in his hand, shock and relief still muddling his thoughts, his vision suddenly swims as a wave of longing washes over him, tears scattering across his arms as he leans against the side table. He jumps when he feels a hand softly touch his shoulder, looking up to see Eddie standing beside him, tentative hope swimming in his watery brown eyes. Without a word Steve just nods, pulling the other man into a tight hug, feeling his shoulders slump as he tucks his face into Steve’s neck, his arms slipping around to tangle in the back of his shirt, tears dampening the neck. Steve leans his cheek against Eddie’s head, not caring that his curls are tickling his nose, letting the comfort of his embrace soothe his own aching heart, almost holding tighter when he finally sniffles and pulls back. He surprises himself by reaching forward to brush a damp curl from Eddie’s cheek, his cold fingers warming against the man's pale skin as they brush against it. 

“I didn’t mean to wake you” Steve coughs, dropping his gaze as he feels the other boy studying him softly, his cheeks burning slightly.

“S’ok, I wasn’t asleep.” He shrugs with a sniffle, his hopeful stare not leaving Steve’s face as he gently takes his hand and leads him over to the couch “So she’s ok?” 

Steve nods, flopping dropping onto the seat pinching the bridge of his nose to fight off another wave of tears. 

“Yeah, no idea where or who she’s with but she seemed nice enough, at least cared enough to call and give us hell.” 

Eddie huffs a small laugh as he tucks his knees up under his chin, tugging at the frayed ends of his pant leg. Steve throws an arm over the boy’s shoulder, letting him lean into his shoulder with a shaky breath. 

“I don’t know how to feel man…” Eddie mumbles into his knees, a couple tears escaping into the plaid fabric. “I’m so relieved she’s ok but… what now?” 

“We wait, I guess, you’re still a wanted man.” Steve sighs, trying to lighten his tone as he leans back on the couch, pulling Eddie with him 

“Thanks for reminding me” Eddie huffs, no fire to his tone as Steve leans his cheek against the curly head of hair, feeling his shoulders slump further. “Really good motivation for her to come back.” 

“You know that doesn’t matter to her, man” Steve laughs, imagining the endless jokes you’d absolutely make about your fugitive boyfriend if you were here. His heart tugs painfully at the reminder of your absence and he holds Eddie closer, his warmth and weight comforting. “She just needs time, she’ll come home.” 

He hears Eddie hum in hopeful agreement as he relaxes into his side, exhaustion clearly catching up to him as Steve feels his own eyelids droop. Neither move away as sleep takes them, comfortable and safe in each other's embrace, Steve using the last of his wakefulness to pull the familiar knit blanket from the back of the couch over them both. 

The next morning Eddie wakes first, untucking himself groggily from the mess of limbs he and Steve had tangled themselves in throughout the night. He can’t help the soft smile that picks up his cheeks as he brushes a stray hair from Steve’s cheek, a warm blush creeping up as the other boy nuzzles into his palm with a hum, still deep in a happy dream. He can feel his heart being pulled in two directions but strangely it doesn’t hurt, it feels right. 

- 2.5 Months -

The loud pounding on the front door sends both boys scrambling from their lounging state in the living room into full flight, Eddie’s long legs launching him up the stairs into the loft space while Steve snatches the nail bat from behind the door, peering nervously through the peep hole they’d drilled in the thin wood after a surprise visit from Mrs. Wheeler and her casserole the week before. He sighs heavily and swings the door open just as a near-vibrating Dustin is about to start pounding again. 

“Jesus Henderson, are you trying to give us a heart attack?” Dustin ignores his scolding and pushes past excitedly, shouting Eddie's name. Steve sputters in exasperation, staring past him at the small crowd of people on his steps all looking up at him expectantly. “Uh come in I guess?”  

He’s sure there’s never been this many people in the cabin in all it’s years, Max is settled in her wheelchair by the window with El, shouting at the boys to bring them something to drink as the group of boys rush to the kitchen with grocery bags, Joyce and Nancy chase after them picking up items as they tip out of the paper bags. Eddie’s uncle hovers awkwardly near the door, his permanent frown deepening at the claustrophobic space while he glances around for his nephew. Steve nearly jumps out of his skin when he feels the heavy hand of Chief Hopper land on his shoulder, a weary, unimpressed scowl pressing his eyebrows together as he tosses a newspaper into Steve’s hands. 

“I was supposed to deliver the news alone but well…” He rolls his eyes and gestures to El and the rest of the younger kids before snatching a beer out of Robin's hands with a stern look and plopping into the armchair beside the two girls, El squeaking in protest. 

Steve presses his fist to his lips to hide the smile that explodes across his cheeks as he flips open the paper, the headline “Serial killer caught - Munson name cleared” staring up at him. He looks up to find Eddie peering down from the loft space in confusion and fear, eyeing the police chief with suspicion. 

“Hey Munson!” Steve shouts, grinning and holding the paper above his head as the other boy’s wide eyes snap to him “Looks like you’re a free man!” 

Eddie stares at him for a moment gripping the wooden railing tight with bewilderment as his heart pounds in his chest trying still to fight the urge to take off running. He shakes his head and refocuses on Steve’s wide smile, something about it grounding him and reassuring him this isn't a dream or a trick as he staggers back, sprinting down the stairs and snatching the paper from Steve’s hand. 

“Accused murder Edward Munson declared innocent today after government officials reveal him to be an integral part of the capture of a local serial killer after his first hand witnessing of the heinous murders of Christina Cunnigham and Patrick McKinny. Law enforcement officials thank him for his bravery and sacrifice as he recovers in an undisclosed location.” 

He reads and rereads the paragraph several times, the words not making sense no matter how many times he whispers them to himself, he doesn’t feel relief, he feels like this isn’t real, that it’s a sick joke or that maybe he’s under Vecna’s spell or something. He jumps when Steve gently puts a hand over his, his eyes wide and confused as he looks back at him, shaking his head in disbelief. “This can’t be real… how?” 

“You can thank the future threats to society” Hopper huffs around the beer in his hands, trying to hide the glimmer of amusement behind a scowl as Dustin and Erica exchange a sly fist bump, the entire group puffing up with pride and throwing beaming grins at El. “Didn’t think it was possible for a bunch of kids to bully the American government into not only clearing you of the murder charges but turning you into a hero as well.” 

“Hey! He is a hero!” Dustin shouts, scampering out from the kitchen to drag Eddie by the sleeve to the other hellfire boys “Just figured serial killer would go over better than evil interdimensional psychic wizard.” 

Eddie rushes forward, wrapping Dustin in a hug just tight enough to pull a yelp from the shorter boy which dissolves into giggles as the rest of the group pile on, Lucas and Mike throwing themselves over him. 

“Best birthday ever.” Eddie laughs, tears in his wide brown eyes as he grins back at the rest of the room, the faces around him turning to horror.

“IT’S YOUR BIRTHDAY???” 

Later that evening, after the group have left the boys clean up the fully tossed living room, throwing cans and empty snack bags into a bag, Steve pauses, his gaze fixed on Eddie as he tosses a crumpled can across the room, grumbling something about a “stupid laundry basket game” when it bounces off the rim of the garbage and clatters to the floor. He glances back with a blush noticing Steve staring at him, trying to nonchalantly scoop it into the bin but missing yet again and glaring after it as it bounces across the kitchen island. 

“Something on your mind Harrington?” Giving up on the can he turns to face Steve, leaning back on the counter he frowns as he notices the slight tension in the other boy. He’s started picking up on things Steve does when he’s nervous, the tight smile or the way he wraps his arms around himself or fiddles with the hem of his sweater when he’s over thinking something. 

“Was just wondering, what’s your plan?” 

“Plan?” 

“Yeah, you’re a free man now. You gonna go back to school or are you just gonna take off with your band?” 

Eddie lets his head fall back as he thinks, for the first time that evening finally letting himself think about that exact question, he’d brushed it off with a laugh when the kids had asked, joking that he was enjoying the free room and board too much to start thinking about that but the truth is he’s scared. He’d put off the “future” long enough with his senior year double feature, pretending he was ready for it by round three but now he had literally nothing to hold him back and that thought was fucking terrifying. 

“Definitely not school, I think that ship has long sailed…The band? I dunno, I haven’t even been able to see the guys yet. I might have been cleared but who knows. They’re good kids… can’t imagine their parents will want them hanging out with a “formerly accused murder” even if the government managed to paint me as a hero. Jeff’s off to college anyways, Garreth and Charlie’ll probably go that way too as long as I don’t drag them down… Honestly my only real plans are to keep playing my guitar, running games for the kiddos and wait for… y’know.” He sighs heavily, squeezing his eyes shut as he feels pressure build behind them. “I probably should go get a job though, find a place and get out of your hair eventually though.” 

“You could just stay here.” Steve’s words snap Eddie’s head up in surprise, the other boy shrugs and looks at his feet. “I've gotten kinda used to having a…roommate” 

Eddie barely manages to rein in the brilliant smile that takes over his face before Steve looks up, uncertainty and worry creasing his brows as he pretends to mull it over, his fingers tapping a happy beat against the countertop he then uses to push off, spreading his arms at his side as he dips low in a dramatic bow. 

“If you would be so generous, I will gratefully accept.” He grins, peeking up through his curls to catch the relieved smirk Steve quickly covers up with an eye roll. 

“You’re still not allowed to use up all the hot water, not unless you decide you wanna pay rent.”

- 3 months - 

The cool morning breeze does nothing to lessen the sweat beading on Eddie's forehead as he stands at the door of Steve’s car, his hand poised above the handle as he stares at his reflection. It had been nearly a month since his name had been cleared, most of the people who had been the most vocal about his status as a satanic murderer had fled town when the ground had split open and Chief Hopper had regained his position as head of police, doing what he could to quash any new rumors from whipping the town into another witch hunt and yet staring at his dark eyes reflecting back he can’t help the overwhelming dread at the thought of going out into the town that had once wanted him dead. Steve had suggested it that morning, offering to take him along grocery shopping since he always complained about the type of cereal and beer he brought home. 

“I thought you loved this stuff! You were pretty much inhaling it when I first got it!” 

“Uh yeah that’s cause I was on the run for my life and it was the first thing I’d eaten that entire day! I still can’t believe you guys thought yoohoo and honeycombs was “survival food”” 

“It was Dustin's idea and you have a problem with Yoohoo now too??” 

“Of course not, I'm just making a point.” 

“Oh my god. Ok today you’re coming with me, you can pick your own damn snacks.” 

So now here he is, fighting every instinct to sprint back into the house and let Steve pick out whatever horrible cereal he wants. 

“Hey man, you don’t have to go if you don’t want to. I know it’s still a lot” Steve’s voice is gentle and without any judgment as he looks across the car roof to Eddie, watching the internal battle going on behind his dark eyes.

“No. It’s fine. I'm fine.” Eddie sighs, finally grabbing the door handle and looking over at Steve with an unsteady smile “No more running.” 

Steve groans quietly and rolls his eyes, wishing Eddie would let that go but at least happy to see him use it to move himself in less self destructive directions as the two pile into the beemer. 

Eddie scoffs at the poor selection of music, shaking his head in disgust at the solitary two cassettes in the glove box. 

“Really? That’s it?” 

“What? I’m just not that into music.” 

Eddie grips his heart dramatically like he’s been shot, a horrified gasp escaping him as Steve pulls away from the cabin. 

“Not into- Steve Harrington tell me you’re lying to me.” 

“What?! With everything we’ve been through I don’t love the idea of not being able to hear something coming.” He shrugs with a lighthearted laugh but Eddie’s dramatic expression falters, his heart suddenly hurting a little for the other man and the things he’s been through. He’s noticed the little things Steve does when he thinks no one’s looking, the way he closes doors the second he’s through them, windows never left open even on sweltering hot nights, the extra batteries he keeps in the glove box, his jacket pockets, hell Eddie’s even had to pull them out of his pants pockets before throwing them in the wash and he never misses the way that no matter where they are Steve is always on the edge of group the kids always in front of him; eyes constantly flicking past them as if expecting something to jump out of the bushes. 

“I've got your back, man.” 

It’s quiet for a long moment, long enough for Eddie to start kicking himself, nearly ready to start verbally backtracking thinking that was stupid or made Steve feel weird when the other boy chuckles, leaning forward and flicking the volume up on whatever station the radio was last set to. Eddie grins and doesn’t even make fun of him when he starts humming along to the top 40 pop song he’d normally rage against, just happy to see Steve’s eyes stop flicking nervously between the mirrors, settling steadily onto the road ahead of them with a calm smile. 

What started as a calm drive quickly dissolves into Eddie nearly punching holes in the car's leather from how hard he’s tapping his fingers against the seat, he tries to hide his nerves but Steve can practically feel the anxiety coming off him in waves. 

“You’ll be fine man” 

“Says the guy who’s never been a wanted man.” 

“Oh I beg to differ Munson” 

Eddie scowls over at him but the wide grin Steve wears softens the prickling edges of his fear, his lips turning up at the corner before he scoffs and pushes himself out of the now parked car. He can’t help but glance around nervously, the months spent cooped up, hiding in the cozy little cabin in the woods makes the parking lot of the run down grocery store feel immense and intimidating. He closes his eyes and breathes out, trying to convince himself that no one is going to jump him and drag him off to go be burned at the stake. He nearly jumps out of his skin when a hand lands on his shoulder, Steve watching him with nothing but compassion. 

“It’ll be fine, I’ve got your back too.” Eddie slumps a little in relief, a nervous laugh escaping as he lets Steve lead him to the doors, the warmth of his hand slipping from his shoulder to his lower back as they enter the store, only disappearing for Steve to grab a small cart. 

True to his word Steve doesn’t leave Eddie’s side, glaring down anyone stupid enough to give Eddie even the hint of a dirty look, even going so far as to step between him and a middle aged woman who followed them through the aisles scowling, turning on the saccharine sweet charm to an almost threatening level when she began to admonish him for hanging around “boys like that”. He’d seen the way the normally imposing boy had shrunk into himself, tugging his hood over his recognizable puff of hair to hide the tears prickling at his eyes, his heart aching for him and spurring him into his protective nature, not sure if Eddie would welcome his defense but willing to risk it he’d grabbed his trembling hand and glowered down at the woman.

“Ma’am, you seem to have missed the memo but this man is a hero and I won’t listen to anyone talk bad about someone willing to risk their life to save their friends”  

Eddie feels a comforting warmth blossoming in his chest as Steve storms into the next aisle, hand still tightly in his grip as he drags the other boy along, cart forgotten behind them. Eddie lets Steve fume for a few seconds before placing his free hand on the boy's shoulder, surprised by the furious tremor under his palm.

“Steve…” 

“It’s such shit man!” Steve hisses, the frustration in his voice causing Eddies eyebrows to raise in surprise “If it’s not one thing it’s another, always talking out their asses, they don’t fucking know you. They don’t know what we’ve all been through to save this stupid town” 

Eddie can’t help the puff of laughter that escapes his lips, the sight of “King Steve” getting so worked up in defense of the town freak seeming nearly as out of this world as alternate dimensions and demon bats. Steve’s eyes soften as they snap back to Eddie, a confused smile pulling into an embarrassed blush as he notices his hand still wrapped tight around Eddies. 

“Thanks man. Really.” Eddie smiles wide, the first real smile Steve has seen since they left the house that morning, a warm tingle spreading through his limbs as Eddie gives his hand a quick squeeze before dropping it and jerking his head down the row. “Come on, I distinctly remember you promising me my choice of cereal.” 

By the time they finally leave the store, arms full of grocery bags Eddie looks about ready to sleep the remaining months of summer away, the outing having taken far more out of him than he was expecting. Steve is bent into the trunk stowing groceries when Eddie hears the crunching of gravel behind him and spins quickly to see a boy around Erica’s age shuffling up to him hesitantly, a baseball spinning in his hands as he looks up nervously. 

“You’re Eddie right? Eddie Munson?” 

Eddie swallows, his hands raised slightly in defense as he looks the kid up and down, glancing past him to check for possible threats or parents that might assume the threat was him before turning his attention back to the kid, the blue eyes and short mop of strawberry blonde hair making him frown before he nods slowly. 

“I, um, I’m Markus. Chrissy was my sister.”  

Eddie feels like his stomach has dropped straight into the upside down, he hadn’t known Chrissy had a younger brother, he’d known little about her outside of being head cheerleader and his greatest tormentor's girlfriend, her bubbly charm infectious enough to know he needed to keep his distance. Staring down at the boy in front of him he can’t help but see her eye’s staring back, bright and blue instead of the milky white that had kicked off his trip through hell. He blinks away the dim vision and clears his throat, crouching to the boy's eye level with a tight breath. 

“I-i’m so sor-” 

“Thank you.” Markus interrupts him, staring at him with those big eyes filled with tears and the smallest of smiles. “The news said you helped catch the guy who did it, it- it must have been really scary.” 

Eddie's breath catches as his mouth hangs open, not sure what he was about to say, if he was planning on arguing or rejecting what the kid said but suddenly his mind is quiet, the shame and guilt he still feels over her death suddenly not quite so loud. The embarrassment over how he still flinches when the lights flicker or how fast he dives into bed when he flicks the light out withering a little in the simple fact that yeah… it really was scary.

“Yeah it was…” He chokes out, trying to will the tears collecting along his lashes not to fall. “I’m sorry I couldn’t save her”

Eddie lets out an incredulous laugh, he’d done so much to look like the terrible freak the town decided he was, he’d stood on tables shouting insults at the popular kids, sworn and scowled, literally sold drugs and yet she’d seen right through him and hadn’t bought into the fear. Even through the horrors she was seeing at the time she’d followed him home and put her safety in his hands. There was nothing he could have done, he knows that now, but he would have and he screamed into hell itself on that twisted trailer rooftop in homage to the poor girl and in the end helped the others finish the monster off, to avenge all the lives it had taken. 

“I’m sure you tried.” Markus sniffles, looking a little embarrassed. “Chrissy talked about you sometimes, she said you were nice even though you looked scary, said that you were really brave." 

They hear a voice calling his name somewhere across the parking lot and Eddie flips his hood back up, patting the boy on the shoulder as he stands. 

“Thanks kid.” 

Marcus nods with a sad smile and darts off as Eddie slips into the car, ducking his head and curling down over his knees, sure he’s still the last person Mrs Cunningham wants to see her now-only child talking to and not quite ready to look over at Steve.

Steve hesitates beside him for a moment before pulling out of the parking lot, deciding quickly that if Eddie needs comfort the busying parking lot of the grocery store is probably the last place he wants to be. 

Once they leave the downtown area of Hawkins, Steve lets Eddie know with a gentle brush of his knuckles against his thigh, finding himself wanting to leave it there when the other boy straightens, leaning back into his seat with a deep breath, only letting it fall back onto his own thigh when he shoots him a watery smile. The rest of the drive back to Lovers Lake is quiet, broken only by the occasional sniffle from the passenger seat as Eddie lets his gaze drift along with the trees flying past, he fiddles with the chipped guitar pick around his neck, a soothing warmth sitting heavily in his chest as he closes his eyes with a smile. 

- 1.5 months - 

To Steve’s credit he really does try, they both do, they make small talk over the awkward meals they share together and try to set up some kind of chore schedule that doesn’t end in dishes going nearly moldy on the coffee table however It’s not long before the proximity begins to wear on the two boys, their equally solitary home lives growing up not preparing them for the sudden and constant intrusion of another person in their personal spaces, an ever present humming tension looming over them. It starts small, bickering over the dirty dishes, grumbling over one or the other using all the hot water, before escalating to Steve finally snapping one gloomy afternoon as Eddie lays sprawled out across the couch, bare feet propped up on the coffee table infuriatingly close to Steve’s mug of coffee and strumming one of the same five songs he’d been playing on repeat since he’d gotten to the cabin, the familiar tune finally snapping something inside the man as he slams the book he was trying to read on the table.

“Can you please stop playing that fucking song?!” 

“Nope” Eddie’s response is so nonchalant and immediate that Steve has to physically resist the urge to throw the book at him, his hand shaking with the effort.

“Please man, I get like one day a week to actually relax.” He begs, his hand pulling through his hair as frustration builds in his chest. He likes listening to Eddie play guitar, more than he’d expected but the near constant loop of the same 5 songs when he is desperately trying to unwind was quickly driving him crazy.

“The hell do you mean one day? You’re out every other night drinking with Buckley or here just hanging out with the kids.” Eddie scoffs, finally looking up from the strings, his glare equally irritated as he looks over at Steve, the familiar resentment he’d tried to leave behind clawing up his back remembering the kids basically ignoring him the last time they’d been over, the stir-crazy of literally hiding in a cabin in the woods for a month and a half beginning to become unbearable. 

“Drinking with Robin is so far from relaxing and I’m helping them with homework so they can actually graduate on their first try.” Steve knows it's a low blow the moment the words leave his mouth, barely managing not to flinch at the way he sees Eddie’s face drop, his heart sinking as he kicks himself but not nearly enough to dissipate the growing irritation as a scowl quickly replaces the hurt on the other mans face. 

“Oh fuck you” Eddie hisses, the words dripping more with embarrassment than anger as he pops the cap off his beer, letting it fall to the ground beside the couch. 

“And can you please start cleaning up after yourself? You’re worse than the kids! You left your dirty socks on the bathroom floor again, I found one behind the toilet this time!” 

“Fine mom!” Eddie snaps, tears pricking at his eyes as he glares at Steve, too frustrated and tired from one too many nights waking up shaking and sweating to explain that his injuries had been hurting too much to grab the sock when it fell and though he meant to come back for it he’d forgotten while he’d been putting away the dishes he’d managed to get washed before his shower. The attempt at helping out clearly overlooked in favor of a single piece of fucking laundry. 

“Oh grow up Munson. I literally don’t ask you to do anything but pick up after yourself” Steve scoffs, hands on his hips like he’s scolding one of the kids. 

“Stop treating me like a fucking child Steve.” 

“I would if you’d stop acting like one, I swear even Mike’s better behaved” 

“God I shouldn’t have come here. You’re still a miserable bastard, you know that?” 

“If you hate it here so much you’re free to leave!” 

“Oh would if I could Harrington, I’m only here because there’s an angry mob out there still gunning for my ass. The moment they clear my name I’m out of here!” He tries to ignore the regret and the hint of fear that flashes across Steve's face, tossing the guitar down beside him and wincing as the head hits the side table before snatching his beer and storming off to his room, ignoring the soft call of his name as he slams the door. Striding in his side collides painfully with the small dresser beside the door, stifling the yelp of pain as his vision goes white and several tears escape. Cursing he limps to the bed and snatches the pain meds he’d hidden from himself out of the top drawer, downing a pair of them with a swig of beer before falling onto his back and drifting into a fitful sleep. 

The week following is quiet and tense, Steve spending most of his time with Robin even when he’s not working and barely looking at Eddie when he is home, ignoring him in an almost embarrassingly childish way. Not that Eddie is much better, purposefully leaving dirty dishes around the house and scowling at Steve anytime he silently dumps them in the sink. He’ll never admit it but as much as he hates being the recipient of Steve’s glares he finds himself hating the ignoring more, purposefully doing things to piss off the other boy just to instigate some kind of interaction. When the phone rings early that Friday night Steve is ready to throttle Eddie as he pointedly ignores it, letting Steve stumble half naked out of the shower with a scowl on what must be the 10th ring. 

“Harrington” He grumbles, letting his wet hair drip onto Eddie’s shoulder as he leans over the end table, smirking as the metalhead scrambles to the otherside of the couch with a surprised yelp. The smirk is replaced with a deep scowl as a familiar voice crackles across the line. 

“Hello Steven, glad I finally found you.” His stomach drops as your fathers voice comes through, gritting his teeth he tries to sound as neutral as possible, fixing his eyes somewhere across the room as he sees Eddie cock an eyebrow at him. 

“Hello sir. To what do I owe the…pleasure.” 

“I don’t know if you’ve seen my daughter around but if you hear from her I was hoping you could pass on a message. She seems to be on one her runaway bits again, our last spat was a bit dramatic and she hasn’t bothered to check in.”

“Of course.” He has to fight the rage back as he responds, remembering the way he’d found you walking down the side of the road toward the trailer park not even wearing shoes, the tears in your eyes as you tried to hide the red hand print across your cheek nearly making him drive back to your parents house to beat the crap out of the man. You’ve technically been missing for almost 2 months now and this is the first he’s heard from either of your parents, only having seen them briefly at a farewell party his parents had hosted before they’d moved looking less than concerned for their absent child.

“We’re leaving town and have some boxes of her things. She clearly doesn’t want to join us so it seems a waste for them to take up space in the moving truck.” 

If Steve could reach through the phone and punch the bastard he would, his hand shaking around the receiver as he turns away from Eddie. 

“I can come pick it up.” 

“Oh splendid, we’ll be on the road in a couple minutes but we made sure to box it all up nicely and put it out on the lawn. You’ll probably want to swing by soon, looks like it's about to rain” Steve looks out the big front window in alarm as the line clicks dead, dark clouds beginning to roll across the sky. Cursing he runs to his room, furiously tossing on clothing before running out the front door, ignoring Eddie’s questions as he tears down the drive. 

Eddie flops back onto the couch as Steve’s car disappears down the bend, flipping the bird in the general direction as he pulls his guitar into his lap, strumming loudly to soothe his nerves. He hadn’t missed the angry scowl when Steve had picked up the phone or the panic in his eyes as he’d had flown out the door but if he didn’t want to let him in on the situation then fine, why should he care? If it was anything actually important he’d tell him, right? 

It’s nearly an hour later, the rain having started coming down in buckets as Eddie sits aggressively plucking at the strings in no particular order, catching himself constantly glancing back at the door nervously, unable to fight the worry and frustration at not being able to anything. 

Finally the door blows open and Steve stumbles in, soaked through to his skin, clutching a soggy cardboard box in his hands and shivering violently. 

“Jesus Steve!” Eddie snaps, jumping up and grabbing the box, Steve grips it tightly, his eyes searching Eddies “What?” 

“They’re …. They’re hers.” 

“Shit…” Eddie breathes, frozen for a moment before shaking his head and pulling the box from Steve’s hands “Go get dried off, you’re dripping everywhere and you’re gonna get sick.” 

Steve hesitates, looking back out the door for a moment before Eddie gives him a hard shove toward the hall. “Go man, I’ll get the rest.” 

Steve sighs and disappears down the hall to his room while Eddie pulls on the heavy rain coat and starts ferrying the few boxes piled in the back of Steve’s car into the living room, piling them in front of the couch. He finally sets down the last box, breathing heavily and clutching the stitch in his side as he stares at the small pile, fighting every urge to throw them open and lose himself in what little you’d left behind. Swallowing the lump in his throat he finally turns and distracts himself by making some of the weird herbal tea Robin had got for him and Steve, the violent shiver in the other boy's shoulders worrying him slightly. 

Steve shuffles back down the hall just as Eddie’s setting down a pair of mugs on the coffee table with an awkward smile. Flopping down beside the metalhead he takes the warm cup gratefully, the two sitting in silence as they stare at the pile of boxes sipping the bitter tea, the tension that had crackled over them for the past month eases almost imperceivably as they look at the boxes, the faintest hint of warmth lingering where their knees rest a hairsbreadth apart. 

“This stuff’s fucking awful” Steve finally chuckles, grimacing down at the steaming brown water. 

“Oh no she’s fully convinced this stuff is a magical cure for everything, whoever convinced her that however may be out to get me.” 

“Oh thank god, I didn’t want to say anything cause she’s your best friend and all that but I’m pretty sure Buckley’s trying to poison us” Eddie huffs in relief, grimacing dramatically at his cup.

“You did refuse to give the kids a ride the other night.” Eddie chuckles, bumping his elbow into Steve’s 

“I mean, short sighted play to kill off their personal chauffeur.” 

“High intelligence - low wisdom party.” 

“I have no idea what you’re saying but I feel like I agree” 

The two laugh together for a moment before falling back into a less uncomfortable silence, soft smiles hidden behind their cups as the tea slowly dwindles until Eddie finally slams the mug down on the coffee table. 

“Done! That witches brew better keep even Vecna away” He gags, standing up and shadowboxing the air while Steve laughs, not wanting to remind him that he didn’t in fact have to drink it and instead just enjoying the act of solidarity. Eddie lets himself warm at the sound of Steve’s laughter for a moment longer, a warmth tickling his chest as Steve’s eyes seem to twinkle in the soft living room light before quickly turning back to the pile of boxes.

“So uh…Where should we put them?” 

Steve sobers as he pulls himself to stand, drawing a hand through his hair with an awkward smile. 

“I guess there’s space in the master bedroom.” 

“I never did ask, why aren’t you in there?” Eddie grunts as he lifts one of the soggy boxes, grimacing at the now fragile seams. “The place is yours now and it seems a lot more comfortable than that hobbit sized bed you’ve got, I know your feet practically hang off the end of that thing.” 

" I tried the first week I was here. It was my parents room, honestly it felt too weird. Plus their bed is REALLY big. Just felt kinda lonely.” Steve shrugs, avoiding the look Eddie throws at him as he picks up a box and tries to shuffle between the couch and the other man. “Careful with that one, I think it’s older than the others and it was basically in a puddle when I got there.” 

“They dip out of town too?” Eddie scowls, he’d only met your parents on a few occasions and when he had they’d made a very clear point of showing their disapproval, doing everything in their infuriatingly polite way to make him feel like something they’d scraped off their overpriced shoes. You’d never let it shake you though, holding his hand tight and expertly fencing the remarks clearly with years of practice, never letting him doubt how highly you thought of him and how little their opinion mattered. He’d expected little fanfare when they inevitably followed the rest of the “well-to-do’s” out of town, he hadn’t however expected them to move so suddenly and to leave all your stuff out in the rain…

“Yep.” Steve pops the P with irritation as Eddie shakes his head.

Eddie opens his mouth to say something but is interrupted by a wet ripping sound as the bottom of the box disintegrates around his fingers, items dropping heavily around his feet, a weighty box catches him in the foot and sends the remnants of the box flying as he yelps, hopping on one foot cursing. Steve carefully tosses the box he was carrying to the floor beside him and drops to his knees to start picking things up, his hands however freeze when they land on a very familiar sweatshirt, the faded Hawkins High Swim logo staring up at him. 

“Shit I thought I lost this years ago…” He breathes, his fingers brushing over the now very worn fabric with a confused smile. 

Steve instead moves to start gathering the polaroids spilling from the box that had collided with Eddie's foot, the camera that had made up most of the weight is miraculously intact and Steve smiles remembering just how loud you’d screamed when he’d given it to you for your 16th birthday. He can’t help himself as he flips through the slips of film, his smile widening at the blurry photo of you and him pressing handfuls of birthday cake into each other’s faces, the next a photo of you holding a slightly younger Lucas upside down off your shoulders, Mike and Dustin tickling him mercilessly while Max and El watch from a distance rolling their eyes, Will presumably the one behind the camera, his heart feels impossibly full as he stares at it, remembering how much the kids loved you and feeling a familiar ache in his heart … He blinks away tears and quickly flips to the next slide. His head nearly explodes as his eyes focus on a photo of Eddie kissing a guy he’s never seen before. The kid he vaguely remembers as Garreth stands in the background rolling his eyes while what he knows for certain is your hand pokes into frame with a giant middle finger, one of Eddie’s rings flashing in the lights of what he can only assume is a bar far away from the small town of Hawkins. His eyes snap up to Eddie who’s now watching him with a confused look, feeling like he’s about to combust he quickly shoves the box into Eddie's hands, his eyes flicking unbidden to the metalheads lips, confusing thoughts stampeding through his brain and trampling any intelligent thought as his mouth hangs open. Eddie’s confused expression morphs into a wide grin immediately as he flips through the polaroid's, memories of his previous birthday bringing a blush to his cheeks. 

“Was the only thing she’d wear when she was sick” Eddie grumbles, rubbing his foot as he kneels down “Practically had to knock her out when she was out that week with the flu to finally get a chance to wash it.” Eddie can’t help but feel his own lips turn up in a smile when he finally looks up at Steve, the teary grin he’s got as he folds the shirt carefully and puts it in his lap is too sweet for him to be any kind of grumpy. His eyes go wide as Steve pulls another crumpled piece of fabric out of the pile, tears filling his own eyes as he snatches the shirt from Steve’s hands, the words Corroded Coffin still bleached into the dark fabric. Steve opens his mouth to say something but stops as Eddie shakes his head, clutching the shirt to his chest as he relives the moment he’d seen it staring back at him in front of the meager stage at the Hideout, the proud grin you’d worn nearly blowing his heart right out of his chest. 

“Hah! I almost forgot about that night, god I thought she was going to kill me or worse break up with me.” He laughs for a moment before catching Steve’s eye, taking in the shocked expression and finding himself uncomfortably nervous, the familiar dread he’d nearly forgotten about sending his heart beating a little faster. “Y-you good man?” 

“What? Oh yeah! Sorry, just surprised me, didn’t realize you uh…” Steve finds himself choking on the last of that sentence, eyes darting around as he tries to figure out where to look, his eyes continuously jumping to Eddie’s lips until he forces himself to stare a burning hole into a particular knot in the wooden wall, a furious blush taking over what feels like his entire body. What the hell? He hadn’t been this weird about it when Robin had told him she liked girls and he’d had a CRUSH on her, why was he suddenly being so weird about it now??  

“Like dudes too?” Eddie chuckles at the blush on Steve’s cheek as the other boy nods. A lump forming in his throat as he watches Steve’s reaction, trying to kick the nerves away, it’s just Steve, his best friend is gay and more so what does it even matter what he thinks? He’d never been particularly shy about his unique interests, he had it about as bad as he could already being the Freak of Hawkins and a suspected satanist now that the tabloids had started pushing the Satanic Panic bullshit so really, being into guys as well always seemed like peanuts comparatively. His band had figured it out long before he’d properly come out to them, joking that “he’d need all the options he could get.” and that he wasn’t allowed to start flirting with their dad’s or older brothers, their goofy grins holding nothing but affection for their older friend. You’d held no disdain for his preferences, merely chewing him out for kissing other people without permission and when Robin had grinned knowingly from the foot of the hospital bed and began grilling him on that damn bandana he’d felt no embarrassment, shame or fear. So why now, sitting nearly knee to knee in the suddenly too warm, too small hallway is he finding himself sweating and nervous being outed to Steve Harrington of all people? Maybe its his long dead reputation of being a pretentious dick or the hushed rumor he’d heard of what he’d said to Jonathan Byers so many years ago or maybe it’s something… Else. “That ok?” 

“Yeah, it’s great!” Steve nearly slaps himself, where did that come from?? “I mean, sorry, it’s not a problem around here I promise. Rob-” This time he does slap himself, hand flattening over his mouth in horror.

“Don’t worry man, Robin clocked me pretty much immediately and let me in on her little secret.” Eddie chuckles as Steve deflates back into the wall behind him, his heart nearly pounding out of his chest in relief and embarrassment. 

They sit in silence for a long couple of moments, Steve’s heart rate slowly returning to normal though still not quite able to make himself look back at the boy across from him as they sort through the knickknacks, letting his mind drift back to you and the memories you’d left behind, heart aching with every reminder of your absence. They’ve gotten most of the odds and ends in a small pile when Steve holds up a small, carefully wrapped box, noticing Eddie’s name scrawled across the paper. 

“Go ahead.” 

“I think this was for you” He tosses it to the other boy who frowns at it confused, considering how long you had been gone it had still been a while till his birthday and your anniversary had passed so what did you have a gift for him for? He hesitates for a moment, wondering if maybe he should wait, worry that maybe you’d hidden it for a reason making his palms sweat, he can feel Steve watching him and glances up. Steve can see the apprehension swimming in his dark brown eyes and smiles encouragingly at him, surprising himself by resting a hand on the other boy's knee. 

With shaking fingers he peels back the paper, careful not to rip through the lettering and pulls open the box to reveal a black D20 under a small note. 

“Congrats on graduating Eddie my love, may your life be nothing but nat 20’s from here on. <3” 

He chokes out a laugh as he peers closer at the die seeing the numbers filled in and every side hand painted with a looping twenty, one side bearing a tiny painting of the Hellfire logo. 

“Shit she really believed I’d graduate this year…” 

“Of course she did man, She gave Dustin a run for his money for your biggest fan. Nearly as annoying about it too” Steve chuckles, grimacing at how he remembers snapping at you over it more than once, hating the way your face fell but unable to handle the jealousy and taking it out on you childishly, only now realizing that he’d just wanted to be the one you were gushing over. He’d talked to Robin about it plenty over the last month, his feelings for you becoming clear as definitely more than just the childhood best friend he had tried to convince himself you were. He sighs as he looks over the pile of things on the floor, the remnants of your happiness both warming and hurting his heart, pulling his hand back he shifts a couple things aside when he sees a familiar object. 

“Honestly…Yeah.” Steve’s response leaves Eddie stunned, mouth falling open at the other man's sudden admission. He fiddles with something in his lap, the dried petals of a small corsage crinkling between his fingers as he holds it against a picture “Look, I’m not gonna get in your way, I promise. You make her happy, more than I have in a long time. She deserves to be happy and if all I can ever be is her friend that’s more than enough. I wasted my chance a long time ago.” 

“Heh, jealous Harrington?” Eddie smirks, the warmth of Steve's hand leaves as he moves from his knee, the motion saddening him strangely, flinching at the pride in his own voice and almost apologizing but is quickly cut off. 

No words leave Eddie's still open mouth as he stares at Steve, something about the adoring way he runs his thumb over the picture of you kissing his cheek at your first school dance stirring equal parts warmth and jealousy in his gut. He’d known you’d had feelings for your childhood friend that never quite went away regardless of how entirely you’d loved him and he’d always had his suspicions about him, getting overly clingy when Steve would come up in conversation but for some reason in this moment it doesn’t irk him in the same way, he just feels mostly bad for the guy, fighting off the urge to put a hand on his knee in comfort. 

After a moment Steve clears his throat and pulls the Hawkins High shirt from the pile. 

“Mind if I keep this?”

“Of course man, I’m sure she won’t mind. She’ll probably just steal it again when…” the lump in his throat catches and his gaze falls into his lap, twirling an old necklace of yours in his fingers. “If she comes back.”

“She’ll come back.” 

Eddie glances up, surprised by the conviction in the other boy's voice, Steve’s gaze holding his with warm assurance as if reading the pain and fear in his eyes like a book. He lets Steve’s eyes hold him for a moment, letting the reassurance soothe the ache in his heart before letting his gaze fall back into his lap, he’s not mad you left, honestly he feels ashamed mostly, if he hadn’t gone and tried to be the hero he wouldn’t have nearly died you’d still be here, it hurts that you left but it hurts even more that you left because of him. He blinks away tears as he coughs, trying to laugh around the lump in his throat as he heaves himself to his feet, gathering an armful of the items to toss in another box. 

They hide the boxes away in the master bedroom, making dinner together for the first time in weeks and chat quietly about random, light topics and finding an ease to each other's presence they had never noticed before. The hostility and tension of the previous weeks dissolves in the warmth of the cabin fireplace as they sit closer than usual, knees brushing, hands occasionally finding their way to the other's arm or shoulder as they let themselves find comfort in each other for the first time.

- Day 1 - 

“-Kidding me Dus-” 

“Come o- -eve, please.” 

The darkness that had surrounded Eddie’s senses for god knows how long begins to wane ever so slowly, lightening at the edges as the sounds around him begin to creep into his consciousness. The high pitched, repetitive beeping near his head, wet tapping against glass somewhere across the room and the achingly familiar sounds of two people near his feet. He tries to open his eyes, the light above his head feeling blinding as his lids crack barely open, crusted and sore from being closed for so long before falling shut again in exhaustion. With what feels like a monumental effort he tries to move, his finger twitching feeling like a massive triumph. The tiny motion however seems to ignite the rest of his aches and pains, whatever meds they’d probably pumped him full of doing little to lessen the tide of fire that rips through his limbs, a tiny gasp escaping his chapped lips. 

“I’m telling you! He can absolutely hear us and he’s probably bored as hell! Keep readi-” 

“Wait! Did you hear that?” 

Again Eddie tries to open his eyes, gritting his teeth against the pain as the room slowly comes into focus just past his lashes.

“Shit. Shit! He’s awake! Dustin call the nurse. Oh my god.” 

He can feel the bed dip and a large hand grab his, the cool feeling almost euphoric over the burning pain coursing under his skin. Chasing the feeling he tightens his grip around the hand, using it to ground himself as he finally lets his eyes focus on the figure in front of him, a tiny smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he sees the face of Steve, his eyes big and watery as he forces a smile, hands clasped around Eddies. 

“Fuck man we were starting to think you’d never wake up” He sniffles and quickly wipes his eyes as Dustin bursts back into the room, pulling his hands back with a tight smile. Stretching his fingers Eddie almost cries at the loss of contact, his voice catching on the barbed wire that feels like it’s tangled around his throat, only the tiniest whimper escaping. 

He can see the blurry form of Dustin dart past, ready to jump on him only to be yanked back by the collar at the last second as Steve berates him. 

“Save the dog pile for when it might not kill him for good.” He snaps, Dustin's face falling more than it normally would, tears springing to his eyes as he looks over at his friend laid up in the hospital bed covered in bandages and wires. 

Eddie frowns, his gaze roaming the room, first with confusion, then fear, panic welling in his chest at the now very noticeable absence. Summoning all his strength he takes a deep breath, his eyes falling back to Steve, the look in his eyes shifting from relief to anxiety. 

“Where i-is she?” The words feel like acid against his throat but not hurting nearly as much as the silence that follows, the way Steve looks down at his feet, avoiding his and Dustin’s eyes as the kid looks back at him, mouth gaping like a fish as he stumbles over unintelligible words. 

“Harrington.” Steve’s eyes snap back to Eddie as the heart monitor starts to pick up, the beeping increasing frantically as panic rises in his chest. “Where is she?” 

Steve puts a hand on Dustin's shoulder, cutting off his rambling in a choked sob as he turns away, the older man’s hand steering him back towards the door as he slowly takes a breath. 

He has to bite back tears as he looks back at him, the bandages covering most of his body no easier to look at than they were when he’d stood here with you several days ago, his eyes sunken and haunted, now blazing with fear as he begs to know where you are, if you’re ok. 

“She’s f-fine…she’s safe. I think.” 

“You think?? Where the fuck is she Steve?!” Bolting up in his bed his shout is cut off by a yelp and violent coughing, blood spattering across the white hospital sheets. Dustin’s eyes go wide and he scrambles quickly out of the room, shouting for a nurse as Steve jumps to Eddie's side, a hand gripping his shoulder as gently as he can manage. 

“She’s ok, I promise, she’s not here right now. She uh…she left.” 

“What do you mean she left?” Eddie wheezes, trying to drag stinging air into his lungs without coughing. 

“I’m sorry…” Steve looks down at the bed beside Eddie, his hand white knuckling the sheets as he fights back tears, the memory of your first and last visit here and the sound of your retreating sobs ringing like church bells in his skull. He jumps when he feels a hand on his, Eddie's pale, shaking hand clutching the back of his desperately, his soft voice lifts Steve’s eyes to him. 

“They finally let us see you a couple days ago… It was just too much for her and she bolted.” 

“Steve…What happened.” He whispers, tears filling his wide brown eyes as he searches Steves for an answer “Please…” 

It's a long moment before Steve can find the words, still reeling from watching you disappear without a word.

“What do you mean?” 

“Seeing you like this, she was so scared… You died in her arms man, I don’t think she believed you were still alive. She just took off, no ones seen or heard from her since.” A tear slips off Steve’s lash and lands on Eddie's knuckles, he watches it scat across his pale skin. He hears Eddie take a shaking breath and opens his mouth to speak again. 

“And you just let her go?” Steve looks up to Eddie, the betrayal and hurt in his eyes grips his heart like ice.

“I tried! Fuck man I tried! I didn’t catch her in time and she just drove off.” 

“I need to get out of here, I need to find her!” Panic begins to overwhelm him as Eddie swings his legs over the side of the bed, swatting Steve’s hands away. The other boys protests ringing dully in the empty room as his head swims, how could they let you just disappear like that, after everything that happened you can’t be just gone. Pain lances through his entire body as his feet hit the cold tiled floor, adrenaline doing little to numb it as his legs buckle under him sending him crumpling to the floor with a cry of pain. 

“You can’t go anywhere right now! You’re not going to be any help to her like this.” Steve drops to his side, grabbing his shoulders, eyes burning into the metalheads as they glare back, rage blazing in their ebony depths. 

“Well what good have you been! You let her go in the first place!” Eddie's voice is razor sharp and Steve flinches back as he begins heaving and coughing, he knows he’s just scared and lashing out so why does it hurt so much? He stares back, tears welling in his eyes as several nurses rush into the room, snapping at the pair and ushering Steve out of the room as they all but drag Eddie back into his bed, a syringe of something numbing taking the edge off his pained fighting as blood seeps through the clean bandages around his waist. 

Stumbling out the door Steve's back hits the wall and he slides to the floor opposite the little room in the forgotten corner of the hospital, only the sounds of the nurses grumbling and the slowing beep of the monitors echoing through the empty halls. He doesn’t realize he’s crying until he feels a sleeve wiping his cheek, blinking the tears away to see Dustin crouched in beside him, his own tears glittering on his cheeks and a sad smile on his normally goofy face. 

“He didn’t mean that” He sniffles “None of us could have stopped her.” 

“I know man, i know…” Steve sighs, throwing an arm around his shoulder and pulling the younger boy into a hug, the both of them letting silent tears fall as the wounds of the past several weeks they’d begun to numb to crack open again. 

Steve doesn’t visit the rest of the week or the week after, the absence and the things he’d said begin to weigh on Eddie as he looks for the taller figure every time the kids come to visit. He'd immediately apologized to Dustin the moment he’d stepped foot back in the room the day after his outburst, his tight hug pulling a sniffle from the younger boy as he promised he wasn’t upset and that he understood, everyone missed you and they were trying to find you, especially Steve. There’d been some small comfort in the fact that you hadn’t shown up in any hospitals in the area and no similar killings to Vecna had popped up according to Hopper and whatever government officials he was razing for updates. It did little to soothe the burning ache in his heart but it was enough to keep him from jumping out of bed and tearing out of Hawkins to look for you. 

Wayne finally comes to visit the next Monday morning, the old man looking ancient after weeks of grieving the boy he thought he’d lost. The look of disbelief was heartbreaking as he stared at his nephew from the door of the small hospital room, clearly convincing himself that he wasn’t in fact seeing a ghost. Few words were exchanged but the hug they shared was long and full of all the love they could possibly have for eachother, a single tear disappearing into the smile lines of the old man’s cheeks as he held his nephew against his chest just like he did as a kid. 

One afternoon the kids show up grinning like the gremlins they are, giggling and hiding something behind their backs as he eyes them suspiciously. With a loud Tahdah! They drop a slightly beaten acoustic guitar into his lap, the painted words across the front slightly more chipped but just as wonderfully defiant as always, Eddie's mouth falls open in disbelief as he looks up at them. 

“Guys how…” He swallows the lump in his throat, willing the tears that prickle at his eyes away 

“St-” Mike starts to answer but is smacked heavily in the stomach by Lucas, his words coughed out in a groan. Eddie frowns but gingerly holds the guitar to his chest, his injuries stinging at the movement but not hindering the comfort he pulls from the strings as a few familiar chords echo through the room. He doesn’t play long, the strain eventually becoming too much and needing to lay back down with a grumpy huff, the guitar remaining within arms reach as the kids start to get ready to go back to Max’s room, their visits quick and stealthy to avoid suspicion in the town still hunting a suspected killer. As the rest disappear through the door Dustin hesitates, he looks between Eddie and the guitar a couple times, chewing his lip and clearly debating whether to say something or not. 

“Spit it out Henderson, unless you guys went into the Upside Down for this thing I'm not gonna be mad” Dustin's quiet for a second and Eddie begins to glare “You didn’t go back into that fucking place did you?” 

“N-no! El closed the gates anyway… Steve got it from your trailer” 

“What? How? I’d have thought whatever was left of that place would be swarming with government mooks?” 

“It was, he didn’t tell us how, he just showed up at my place with it and asked me to give it to you.” 

“He went back there for it?”

“Yeah, looked like he got a little roughed up too, guess he feels really bad.” 

“Shit he shouldn’t. I shouldn’t have been such an asshole, I know he did everything he could. Dude saved the world while I scared her off damn near getting myself killed” He laughs, running his hand over his face to hide the tears welling in his eyes “Tell him I’m sorry and thank you, he has no idea what this means to me.” 

“I think he does.” Dustin grins, stepping out of the room with a wave to Eddie before turning and catching Steve's eye around the corner where the older boy sags against the wall with an embarrassed smile, several scrapes and bruises hidden poorly under bandages as he wraps his arms around himself. He stands there for a long while after Dustin leaves, something stopping him in his tracks every time he reaches for the door, he’s not usually this much of a wuss when it comes to making up with people, hell he’d even managed to make up with Nancy and Jonathan, why is this so much harder? He’d never liked the metalhead, always avoiding him in school especially after the two of you had started dating, a pit of deep dislike and jealousy eating up at him when he felt like he had lost his best friend only growing with irritation as his stupid little nerds starting talking about just how cool he was and hanging out with him every damn day. That’s probably what it is, just lingering jealousy and bad memories right? The gentle strumming of guitar strings pulls Steve from his spiraling, his attention lost to the familiar couple chords, he can’t remember where he’s heard them but the sound is comforting and he closes his eyes with a smile. 

Eddie’s recovery is steady with only a few hiccups and by one month he is cleared to be discharged within the week, he giddily tells his uncle when he visits that afternoon, nearly reopening his wounds with how much he’s moving in excitement. He only stops when Wayne's face falls, the old man's almost embarrassed expression making his heart sink.

“I uh…I’m still at the temp housing, i’d be more than happy t’cram you in the little room with me but I worry what some of the idiots in the complex would do if they found out you were there…” 

“What about your friends? They let me in on their little superhero secret, they could hide you out there with her, you did always want a little sister growing up.” Eddie snorts at his Uncle's grin, knowing he’s trying his best to cheer his nephew up and appreciating it in spite of its futility. 

“Shit you’re right…” Eddie’s shoulders slump, remembering he’s still technically a wanted man, they’d announced the search for him was suspended due to lack of any leads or real evidence but the town was still rabid for a villain. He doesn’t want to put more pressure on his uncle, being related to an accused murderer has already gotta be hard enough on him without also having to care for him and make sure no one took the law into their own hands, the memory of his encounter with Jason and his goons making him shiver. 

“Nah, they’re full up with the Byers being back in town, the rest still live with their families who definitely still think I’m a murderer.”

“What about the tall fella who’s always hanging around here? The kids mentioned he’s got a big empty house” 

“What? You mean Steve? No way, the dude hates me…” He grimaces a little at his own words, his heart tugging painfully remembering the last time he’d seen the fluffy haired man. Suddenly he glances up at Wayne with a frown. “What do you mean he’s been hanging around? He hasn’t been by in weeks.” 

“Oh? I was sure he was here for you. Always hanging out in the hall when the kids are here, he stayed overnight the one night you were out with the fever last week when the squirrely one wouldn’t leave, must’a left by the time you woke up.” Wayne shrugs with a final squeeze to his nephew's shoulder, shuffling to stand as Eddie stares past him to the door, a promise to come back as soon as they’d let him again falling on distracted ears. 

His gaze doesn’t waver for a long couple minutes after his uncle leaves, something tugging his attention as he sits there biting his lip. 

“H-Harrington?” His voice echoes softly in the empty room and after several minutes of silence Eddie drops his face into his palm, an unexpected disappointment tickling in his chest as he laughs with embarrassment. He chokes on the laugh abruptly as the door creaks open, his eyes widening in surprise as they meet Steve’s, the tall boy awkwardly shuffling in to stand at the end of the bed. 

“Sorry I uh, I heard what your uncle said…” He chuckles, rubbing the back of his neck, staring out the window to avoid Eddie's stare. 

“Don’t worry about it, Wayne was just throwing out random ideas. Can’t imagine your parents would be too keen on hosting an accused murderer.” Eddie laughs a little too loudly to hide the embarrassment and frustration, he can’t think of one person he can reasonably ask to hide him… He can’t imagine bothering the rest of the Upside Down crew so soon after just meeting them regardless of how insistent Dustin had been that his mom would love him. He hadn’t been allowed to contact his bandmates yet and even if he could, the idea of putting them in that kind of position makes him queasy, not sure if they’d even still want to be his friend after everything. 

“Oh actually I was going to say that’s not a bad idea.” Eddie’s head snaps up, brow scrunching up in confusion and a hint of suspicion, expecting a mocking grin and the end of the joke. 

“But your parent’s-” 

“Picked up and left last week.” Steve cuts him off with a shrug, quickly burying the flash of hurt that draws his brows together with a grin, the edges not quite touching his eyes. “Left me the cabin up at the lake all to myself so it would be perfect.” 

“Steve…” 

“No one’s dared to come out there since the lake almost drained and honestly I could use the company, it gets kinda spooky out there at night. Plus once you’re all healed up you can help me fix the place up a bit. Dustin mentioned you helped his mom with the plumbing and the leak in their roof a couple months ago. Not gonna lie I’m not much of a handyman-” 

Eddie’s suspicion and confusion melts away as he watches Steve’s rambling, his heart hurting a little for the man, he’d heard from you just how garbage the both of your parents had been but he hadn’t really realized how similar the loneliness you’d shared must have been. He hadn’t been kidding when he’d connected with the other man in the Upside Down, definitely acknowledging a growing respect for him, but now watching him stumble and make up excuses he feels a tug in his heart, a twinge of empathy for the clearly lonely young man. 

“Hey Steve.” His laugh cuts Steve’s rambling short, a bead of sweat having formed on his brow as he wildly over thought the proposal. “As long as you don’t put me to work the minute I move in I’ll take you up on the offer.” 

Steve’s face splits in a very real grin this time, his eyes lighting up like a kid before he can reign in the surprised excitement, coughing out an awkward laugh. 

“Awesome! Awesome, I’ll uh.. Pick you up when they release you. I may have to hide you in the trunk but we’ll get you out oh here somehow” 

- 1 month - 

When his release day finally comes Eddie glares at Steve and nearly decks the government agent when they tell him he will in fact need to ride in the trunk to get away from the hospital without being seen. 

“If this was your idea Harrington I will make you pay. I’m about to find out where you sleep.” He fumes, tossing his crutches into the cramped trunk of the Beemer. 

“Maybe save the threats till we reach our destination Munson, I still have time to throw you to the angry mobs.” Steve laughs, helping the stiff young man lower himself into the small space, arranging the extra pillows and blankets he’d tossed in to make it as comfortable a ride as it could be and ignoring the daggers being thrown at him as he gingerly closes the top. 

The ride is bumpy and Eddie has to fight back a scream of pained frustration every time the vehicle hits a particularly deep pothole, unaware of the state of the city just past the thin metal hiding him as Steve navigates as carefully as he can, wincing everytime he has to go over a thick crack in the road. 

After what feels like an eternity Eddie finds himself nearly blinded by the morning sun as the trunk flies open, a momentary flash of panic nearly sending him bolting in fear of being caught but instead seeing only the grinning faces of Steve and the older kids of the Upside Down crew plus Jonathan and Argyle. They help him out of the trunk and into a small cabin, catching a glimpse of the lake behind it he shivers, hurrying inside. It’s a quaint A-framed cabin with a large living room area and open kitchen, there aren’t too many homey touches that Eddie can see, a single framed family photo of Steve and his parents that looks like it came out of a holiday catalog sitting morosely on the mantel but there are several knit blankets and odd trinkets he can only assume the kids gave him, noticing a familiar patterned blanket with a warm smile.  

“Home sweet home” He throws a lopsided grin back at Steve who just rolls his eyes. He shuffles awkwardly out of the shoes he’d gotten second hand from Jonathan while the rest of the teens begin milling about the space, Nancy dragging Robin to the kitchen with a squeak of protest while Jonathan and Argyle slip past them out the back door. Suddenly feeling very out of place without any of his regular wardrobe he rubs his bare arms, the armor he’d hidden himself under for years replaced by a plain tshirt and sweats, the only thing left from before is the guitar pick necklace Dustin had managed to save for him. As if sensing his sudden discomfort Steve gently places a hand on his shoulder with a soft smile. 

“Your room’s down the hall” Eddie blinks at him in confusion, he’d assumed he’d be on the couch or the attic or somewhere more appropriate for a fugitive from the law. “Come on, the kids brought some stuff for you a couple days ago.” 

He frowns but follows the other boy down the hall to a bedroom, surprised by the quaint furnishings and the twin bed. 

“This was the guest room so it hasn’t been lived in for a while but we made Mike and Dustin chase out all the spiders though so you shouldn’t have any unwanted guests.” Steve grins awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck, strangely nervous for the other man’s reaction as he steps inside. He’s quiet for a moment before clearing his throat and grinning over at Steve. 

“This is great man, thanks. Really, I appreciate it.” He turns back to the room and notices a box on the bed, his head tilting like a confused puppy and drawing a stifled giggle from the boy behind him. 

“Managed to salvage some stuff from your trailer before the government totally bulldozed it and we grabbed some stuff from the community center that might fit you. I apologize in advance for whatever you might find in there though, Wheeler was grinning a little too big when he left here the other day…Oh! And I ah-” Steve rapidly begins patting himself down, frowning as he looks for something before landing on a sweater pocket with a muffled clinking. “Got another surprise for you. Uh close your eyes and hold out your hands'' 

Frowning in confusion Eddie is surprised how quickly his eyes drop shut and his hands raise in front of him, palms down. There’s a moment of silence save for the strangely familiar clinking of metal and from behind his closed lids he can’t see Steve freeze, staring at the other boy's hands as his own halt above them, the metal of several rings peeking out from between his fingers. He’d meant to just drop them into Eddies waiting palms but in true Eddie fashion he’d misread the request and something about the way his surprisingly delicate looking hands hang in the air waiting causes a complete misfire in Steve’s brain, several long moments off awkward silence dragging out until Steve’s hands move of their own accord, slipping the rings on in the order he best remembers them being before. 

Eddie’s eyes fly open in surprise when Steve’s hand takes his, the familiar chill of cold metal settling heavily on his fingers as the other boy quickly slips them on. He’s swapped two of them but Eddie can’t bring himself to complain, the feeling of Steve's hand on his feeling warm and comforting and strangely intimate in what suddenly feels like the very small bedroom. 

Eddie holds his breath, unable to look away from Steve’s face as he studies the boy's hands, frowning and clearly trying to remember where the last ring, the broken mood ring, was supposed to go. Unable or unwilling to pull his hand from Steve’s Eddie taps his ring finger against his palm and feels his heart nearly stop as Steve slips the last jewelry into its place. 

“Thanks” The word is barely above a whisper but Steve jumps like someone set off a firework beside him and shuffles backwards, hand ruffling his hair in a poor attempt to look nonchalant as he shrugs. 

“Caught one of the nurses trying to toss them so i’ve been holding onto them till you were out of that damn place.” 

“Really Steve, thank you, for all of this.” Eddie’s voice is low, heavy with sincerity and something else? 

“I’ll uh, i’ll give you a minute to get settled. We’ll just be outside making dinner whenever you’re ready.” 

As the door clicks shut behind him it feels like the tension in the room is snapped away, Eddie’s shoulders slump and he heaves a huge sigh, not sure whether it’s one of relief, exhaustion, despair or all of the above. The room feels both cozy and lonely and he has to wipe away a couple tears before shaking himself, clench and unclenching his fists and smiling at the familiar weight on his knuckles, the metal chiming in a welcome song. With a grin he flips the cardboard box open in search of whatever clothes the group had left him. He’s frozen for a moment as he stares down into the box before barking out a loud laugh, several more tears making their escape as he stares down at slightly chipped garfield mug nestled amongst the various clothing items, the goofy grin he remembers you mimicking the first time you’d seen it still able to pull a smile from him. He shakes his head feeling a comforting warmth settle around him, of all the places he could have ended up, your presence is the strongest here and something about sharing a space with Steve suddenly doesn’t seem so bad. 

In the kitchen Steve fiddles nervously with a bag of nuts, trying and failing to tear it open while Nancy shoos Robin away from where she's using far too many matches to light the stove. 

“Do you think he’s ok? What if he hates it here? What if he hates it here with me? I’ve never had a roommate before.” He stresses as Robin snatches the bag away from him, popping it open and tossing a handful of nuts into her mouth. 

“You’ll be fine dingus, just pretend he’s one of the kids, they love you.” 

“No, do not do that.” Nancy rolls her eyes as she grabs the bag from Robin, redirecting her out of the kitchen with an amused shake of her head before turning back to Steve with a gentle smile. “I know you’re nervous but you’ll be fine, just be patient and try to get to know him.” He frowns a little in worry, chewing his lip as he glances back at the closed bedroom door “She loved him so he can’t be all that bad, right?” His gaze snaps back to her in surprise, whatever was about to come out of his open mouth cut off suddenly by the slamming of the bedroom door and the raucous laughter of Robin and the two other boys who’d returned from their not-so-secret smoke break. Eddie struts out into the living room in a horrendous pair of flared acid wash jeans, a tie dye shirt that says “California” across the front and his hair pulled up in one of El’s old scrunchies. With a wince he plants one foot on the coffee table and points dramatically to Nancy. 

“Wheeler, please lovingly tell your brother that it’ll take a lot more than this to ruffle the great dungeon master and that it is very much on.” 

She nods back with a mischievous smirk before patting Steve on the shoulder, her smile widening as she notices the goofy smile that had replaced the nervous grimace across the boy's cheeks.

You love the attention, you really do, but by mid-week always having someone at your elbow all hours of the day is getting to be a little much. You hadn’t thought about it much when Eddie had started showing up to every class, hoping he’d started actually taking graduation seriously this year, but when he insisted on walking you between classes that he didn’t even have and basically handing you off to either Steve or Robin you started to get a little annoyed. Steve had even made you come with him to work on Tuesday, citing a study group that ended up being only the two of you when Robin had to bail for band practice, Eddie had a deal and Nancy disappeared with Jonathan after the last bell… You “two” turned into just you when apparently every little league baseball team showed up to get ice cream after their game leaving you hunkered down in an uncomfortable plastic booth surrounded by screaming children for Steve’s three hour shift. You nearly escape Wednesday at lunch, craving a little peace and quiet, having managed to sneak away from your locker before the group could snatch you until Dustin cornered you with a new theory about the next Hellfire game, his wide, toothy grin and conspiratorial excitement hooking you in with a only slightly put-out sigh. 

~

If it wasn’t for the scathing looks Eddie had caught from several of the cheerleaders on his escort missions to and from your morning classes he would definitely be feeling more guilty, he could tell the constant supervision was starting to get to you and keeping you in the dark about it made him feel worse than he had expected. Protecting people usually felt better than this… 

“At least I’m not the only babysitter anymore” Steve chuckles as the two boys lean against the lockers waiting for you and Robin to get out of your third period. 

“Dude, do not refer to me as her babysitter. This isn’t one of those awful porno’s I'm sure you found in your dad’s closet.” Eddie snarks, fiddling with his rings more than usual. “Seriously, she’s starting to notice something’s up. I don’t want to keep lying to her, isn’t it better that we just fess up and tell her we’re just trying to make sure she doesn’t get jumped AGAIN?” 

“Believe me when I tell you, she will NOT like that.” Steve sighs “She’s not someone who likes being looked after, like self destructively independent. It’s not my place to tell but this isn’t the first time something like this has happened before and last time it ended MUCH worse for her. I was on the wrong side of the country then but I’m here now and if being the de-facto babysitter is good for something, it’s this.” 

Eddie glances over at the teen with a surprised frown, he’d known of “King” Steve since he’d first seen him strutting through the halls looking like he owned the damn place, surrounded by adoring idiots with a rotating collection of picture perfect girls draped over his arm, obviously everything the chaotic metalhead despised and a deep dislike for the pretty boy had become his default until the devastating breakup with Mike’s older sister and subsequent social decline, replaced with a semi-satisfied contempt. He’d basically fallen off Eddie's radar aside from the occasional deal for the next three years until you’d inserted yourself into his life that fateful morning at the stop light, Steve being unwillingly dragged along. He still carried a bit of resentment for the younger man, Dustin's constant raving about him getting right under his skin but seeming less and less absurd the more he got to know him, working together wouldn’t be the absolute worst, especially if it was for your sake. Oh my god, we’re becoming Gimli and Legolas… 

His grumblings are interrupted by the familiar sight of Robin leaving the room, waving to Steve as she silently passes you off to him and hurries away to her next class. Steve makes a move to step towards the class to intercept you before you can take off but before he can he’s yanked back behind one of the cement pillars with a shush. 

“What the hell man?” He snaps, slapping Eddie’s hand off his sweater and smoothing the wrinkles. 

“Just wait a sec, I need to check something.” He peers around the pillar just as you leave the room, glancing around suspiciously before darting off down the hall, clearly thinking you’d slipped your tail at last. Eddie wants to laugh at how ridiculous he feels, basically stalking his own almost-girlfriend but cold anger fills him as he sees Alex’s familiar letterman follow quickly out the door, glancing around as well and turning to follow you. “I knew it.” He hisses as Steve peers around him, his eyes going wide with fury. “I kept seeing him trying to talk to her but couldn’t get her alone. I’m gonna grab him, you make sure your cousin gets to class in one piece.” Steve nods to him and slips through the crowd, trying to avoid Alex’s sight as Eddie stalks up behind him. He follows him until they’re close enough to a side door before grabbing a handful of the green collar and yanking him outside. For all the gym classes Eddie’s missed in his extended high school career he has a wiry strength gained from near constant guitar shredding, hauling equipment to practice and well, hauling ass to escape bullies and the occasional law enforcer. Today that strength is paired nicely with a burning rage at the absolute audacity this kid has to try to corner you after everything he’d already put you through, his normal protective nature dialed up to eleven when it comes to you. 

He glances around quickly to make sure none of the other jocks had been aware of his sudden disappearance before turning back to the boy shaking in his grasp. 

“What the fuck did you think you were going to do?” He snarls

“I just wanted to talk to her, I swear!”  

“Why on earth should I believe you? You know what she’s been through since your little stunt? Unless this is just another level of bullshit you’re trying to pull.” 

“No! I swear, I never meant for any of this to happen, I should have known better.” He sputters in a panic “I should have known the guys wouldn’t let it go, I think they just wanted someone new to mess with and I just… I needed to make sure.” 

“Make sure of what?” Eddie hesitates, his grip not loosening but the hand balled into a fist at his side relaxes minutely as Alex swallows, tears welling in his eyes as he searches Eddie's face before dropping his eyes looking defeated. 

“That I really wasn’t…wasn’t into girls…”

“Oh…Oh.” Eddie’s hand falls from the boy's jacket as he processes the meaning of his words. “Shit, we were right?” 

“Yeah” Alex’s voice is tiny as stares at the ground “Can I please just apologize to her before you ruin my life? I want her to know I’m actually sorry.” 

There’s a long silence as the two boys stand frozen, a sudden heavy sigh causes Alex to jump, finally braving the inevitable disgust and humiliation as he looks up at Eddie only to find the boy looking at him, his expression unreadable but not unkind. 

“I’m not going to ruin your life man.” He says softly “I’m still pissed as hell at you but there’s no way I'd do something like that to you.”

“What? Really?” Alex frowns, suspicion and dread sinking his heart, sure that Eddie is currently fucking with him.

““Really…hahhh fuck.” He groans, fighting himself over something for a long moment before fixing the boy with a grimace “Whatever… It’s just… It takes one to know one y’know.”

Struck dumb for what feels like an eternity Alex stares at Eddie, expecting literally anything but that little revelation “Wait you’re??” His eyes flick to the bandana hanging from his back pocket, widening with surprised understanding and then narrowing in confusion “ Wait, but she-”

“You can like both, dude, not actually a crime like people think it is.” Eddie sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on from the amount of stress this conversation is heaping on him. He had just outed himself to possibly the worst person ever on the slim hope that this wasn’t a particularly creative prank that would absolutely end his life as he knew it in this town. He’d always had a soft spot for the kid since the first time he’d clocked the look in his eyes when he’d see Jason, as much sympathy as he could muster for the inevitable heartbreak that particular crush would bring no matter how it went

“Shit…” Alex breathes, leaning back into the wall, a dazed expression on his face 

“Mutually assured destruction or some shit like that, ok?” Eddie sighs, slapping a hand heavily on the other boy's shoulder “Now let's go steal her from class so you can start groveling.” 

~

The lack of your favorite metalhead lounging in his last period seat is both disappointing and the smallest of relief, maybe they weren’t being overbearing and you were just being paranoid, the bullying had been manageable as of late, the odd foot snaking out to trip you was easy to side step, shitty notes left on your locker could be whisked away. Luckily the garbage on the desks hadn’t been happening as often, the rare times you made it to class before your friends had been peaceful aside from a couple spit balls. You assume Eddie must be off sorting out an early deal he’d neglected to mention, Robin had taken off like a shot at the end of third to catch Vicky on her way to her next class and Steve had passed you with a ruffle of your hair as you’d gotten to your classroom door, for the first time since the week started you are properly alone…well alone in a classroom of idiots. With a grin you tip back out of the class and duck into the quickly dispersing crowd before the teacher can show up and trap you, making your way quickly to your locker and then Eddies, snagging your Walkman, a cigarette and his spare lighter before scurrying out of the building. 

The air is crisp and chilly in the afternoon gloom, the fall colors are barely starting to sprinkle the edges of the tall trees at the edge of the field and the woods are quiet save for the crunch of sticks and leaves under your boots. As the school building fades behind you, you pull your headphones over your ears and light the cigarette, you don’t normally smoke, preferring to save it for parties or…ahem, adult activities but it felt like an appropriate reward for the chaos your first month here had provided  and getting stoned in unfamiliar woods was probably a little much for a Wednesday afternoon. Kicking some leaves as you walk you can’t help but feel a little homesick, missing your previous band of deviants and the shenanigans you’d gotten into, they’d have burned this place to the ground if they’d been with you this last month. You’d been thick as thieves since you’d been tossed into detention together the previous year for a fight that got a little out of hand, smiling fondly at the memory of the 5 of you cramming yourself in the school’s tiny bathroom to patch each other up before going home to your parents, letting your now-best friend give you your first lesson in makeup. She’d be both proud and livid that her lessons in hiding bruises had come in handy since moving out here. Your mind wanders in the still of the trees, a daydream of introducing Eddie to your old crew scrunching your cheeks into a goofy grin, imagining the absolute grilling Em would give him the moment they met, he can probably take it… probably. Introducing him to your parents would be the most fun honestly, each and every one of your previous partners had earned their own tone of poorly concealed discomfort but Eddie, oh Eddie could probably drag some outright disdain out of your socially over-conscious parents. The thought of your parents never failed to put a scowl on your face, it wasn’t hard to tell they’d never wanted kids, not in the proper way of wanting to actually raise another human being but more in the way of creating a picture perfect puppet they could parade around social events and brag about to their socialite friends. Boy had you shattered those plans with vigor; suspensions, mild misdemeanors and every rebellious fashion accessory you could get your hands on. It’s like not you genuinely want to make them hate you but there is not a bone in your body that is willing to bend to their expectations, you know you’re smart, you’re talented and against all odds you try to be kind but just because you aren’t their manicured ideal of a daughter your interests and desires are quickly trampled and shamed. That is what fuels your anger and rebellion, that’s what unleashes your snide remarks and automatic refusal to listen to the authority figures around you and where you find your peace in the equally defiant presence of Eddie Munson. 

You curse loudly as the cigarette burns low enough for the smoldering end to singe the edge of your fingers, dropping the butt and stomping a little too violently. Your vision suddenly blurs and you realize with surprise that tears are gathering, trying to blink them away with a sniffle as you pick your way back towards the small trail leading to the familiar picnic table. 

~ 

Eddie’s heart drops to the floor as he peers through the crack in the classroom door, checking and rechecking the numbers glued to the metal door as your seat sits empty across the room. 

“Wait, where is she?” Alex whispers glancing over Eddies shoulder

“Fuck if I know, last time she disappeared during class a couple of Jason's groupies were giving her a very involuntary hair cut in one of the bathrooms” Eddie hisses as the colour drains from the other boys face

“Oh shit…” 

Eddie pulls away, scrubbing his hands down his face and trying to remember where everyone ended up in their last class with little luck. 

“Go start looking, I’m gonna see if I can find one of the girls to check the bathrooms” He shoves Alex down the hall before spinning and racing off in the opposite direction, peeking into the small windows of each classroom. 

It takes a full 15 minutes before he’s finally able to spot Robin hunched over one of the desks in the study hall, snatching a club flyer from the nearby cork board and balling it up he whips it at the blonde's head, hitting his mark. Her face snaps around with a confused and annoyed look before falling when she catches sight of the panic in Eddie's eyes, scurrying out of her desk as gracefully as she can. 

“She’s gone” Eddie hisses 

“I left her with you and Steve, how the hell did you manage to lose her??” 

“Not important, what matters is I don’t know where she went and if she ends up bald or worse this time I’ll never forgive myself.” 

“Everything ok?” A small voice pipes up behind Robin, nearly scaring the pair out of their skin as they whip around, finding a short redhead peering around the door frame. 

“Ah shit, uh…uh yes?” Robin stammers, face turning tomato red 

“That yes definitely had a question mark. Can I help?” 

“N-” 

“Yes” Eddie interrupts as Robin gapes at him “Look, I’ll endure the ass kicking for involving more people later but I am literally about to turn to the intercom if we don’t find her quick. Just go check the bathrooms, I’ll see if Alex found her.”

“Wait Alex??” 

“Just fucking go” He snaps in exasperation before spinning on his heel and taking off back down the hall. 

The wild creativity of Eddie’s imagination, while often his most proud feature is currently creating a warzone of every awful thing he can possibly think of, his own experience with the bullies of Hawkins lending ever more unpleasant options as he bolts down the hall. His pace is suddenly halted as a shorter figure turns the corner into him, the both of them flying to the ground in a tangle of limbs and papers. Eddie recognizes the younger boy the moment the world stops spinning around him, grabbing him by the shoulders and hoisting him to his feet. 

“Byers! What are you doing out of class?” 

“Helping the art class put up posters. You skipping class again?” 

“Surprisingly not on purpose today. You seen our favourite bard around recently?” 

“Oh yeah, I saw her head out back where you usually disappear to.” 

“Was anyone with her?” 

“Not that I saw but I only caught a glimpse as she was leaving and the halls were still pretty busy. Everything ok?” 

“Sure fucking hope so” 

He pats the boy roughly on the shoulder before sprinting out in the direction of the doors leading to the back of the school. The chilly air does little to cool the angry heat coursing through him, his lungs ache from all the excitement and he starts seriously reconsidering his nicotine addiction. He’s nearly wheezing when he breaks through the cover of trees into the small clearing, the sight of your figure wandering away from him driving the last of the air from his lungs in a relieved sigh. Relief quickly mixes with the remaining panic and fear humming through his veins and turns to anger as he hears your oblivious humming, his hands shaking as he strides toward you.

~ 

Your lingering cranky thoughts are very suddenly interrupted by a pair of less than gentle hands spinning you around in a flurry, you bring your arms up in a pitiful defence more than ready to throw a fist at whoever dares lay a hand on you AGAIN only to stop short with a wide grin as the wild hair of Eddie comes into view. The urge to toss your arms around him is halted by the grip he has on your biceps and you can’t help but feel a lump form in your throat as you catch the way his brows are drawn together in an angry scowl. 

“Where the hell have you been?” His voice is loud enough to make you flinch and you feel your own anger rise in your belly, lifting one brow in irritated surprise. 

“Skipping class?” 

“I figured that out! Why didn’t you tell anyone?” 

“Didn’t know I needed anyone's permission when blatantly breaking the rules” You scoff, the week of feeling like a supervised child builds a fire of frustration in your belly. “And since when is that such a problem? You do it all the time, or is it just me that’s not allowed to?”

“Not when you’ve got the entire cheerleading squad trying to kick your ass.” 

The fire in your belly blazes out of control, a wave of embarrassment and anger bringing a blazing heat to your cheeks as you slap his hands away. 

“I fucking knew it! You guys have been chaperoning me! I told Steve I had it under control, he doesn’t need to babysit me.” 

“Apparently he does! What are we supposed to do when you’ve already gotten yourself beat up by the captain of the football team and jumped by half the cheer squad.” 

“It’s my mess, I can handle it. I’m not your fucking problem.” You spit the words as you turn away, eyes burning with tears as you wrap your arms tightly around yourself. It’s all happening again, the found out you’ve fucked things up, you’re too much of a problem, too much of a burden, they’ll leave or send you away and you’ll be alone again, it’s not even your fucking fault this time. You grit your teeth as tears start spilling from your eyes, the independent confidence you’ve built up like armour to mask the loneliness falling away as you try desperately to cling to it. You flinch when you feel arms wrap around you from behind, Eddie's arms encircling you in warmth as he tucks his face into your neck. 

“I want you to be though.” 

His voice is muffled into the hood of your sweater but it’s soft, all his earlier anger dissolved the moment he heard the pain and resignation in your voice, his heart clenching painfully as he heard the same loneliness he’d hidden far away under the layers of leather, denim and dramatic outbursts. He feels your shoulders shake with a hiccup, pulling away just enough to turn you in his arms to face him, hands coming up to swipe the tears from your cheeks as he leans his forehead against yours. “Sweetheart, I want you to be my problem, I’ve wanted that since I met your chaotic ass. I want it to be us against this crazy, stupid world.” He presses a kiss to your forehead before pulling back, staring down at your wide, glassy eyes, lashes clumped together with tears, your makeup smudged below your eyes as you lip trembles, the most timid he’s ever seen you. 

“A-are you sure” You sniffle, you want to believe him so badly but one too many terrible breakups, screamed insults and disappointed sighs left your tender heart buried under heaps of suspicion and defensively low expectations. “I’m kind of a magnet for trouble.” 

“I know, it’s kind of hot to be honest.” Eddie’s grin feels like a balm to your aching heart, the raw adoration glowing in his eyes making you feel light headed for a moment. “Just maybe let me help out just a teeny little bit?” He pinches his fingers together in front of you with an exaggerated pout, his almost cartoonishly large eyes pulling a giggle from your throat as you shrug with a dramatic sigh. 

“Fiiiiiiine.” You roll your eyes with a smirk “I guess you’ll have to be my boyfriend then if I'm going to let you get that attached.”

“You mean it?” His eyes go wider than you thought even possible, a nearly blinding smile stretching across his face that you can’t help but mirror, your heart feeling like it’s going to combust as you nod almost sheepishly. He lets out ecstatic whoop, his arms wrapping around your waist as he stoops to hoist you into the air, spinning and giggling like an idiot. The world spins around you as you fall into him with a laugh of your own, curling your arms around his neck and burying your face in his wild hair, sure your face is the shade of a cherry tomato. 

He finally sets you down and you wobble on unsteady feet, the world still spinning slightly though you don’t know if it’s from the actual spinning or the way Eddie is looking down at you, eyes full of more joy and affection than you think anyone has ever turned your way. Your hands slip their way down his chest, gripping the lapels of his vest as you look up at him through your lashes, you know your makeup is probably a mess but the way you feel his heart speed up beneath your fist means your gaze is still having its desired effect. 

“Since you’ve so rudely interrupted my afternoon I do think it’s only fair we go somewhere a little more comfortable don’t you think?” You can’t help but smirk as you watch his pupils dilate, drawing a shaky inhale as you run your thumb over the neck of his exposed T Shirt. 

“Yes plea-” He freezes, his eyes squeezing shut as he groans, hands sliding around yours to pull them to his lips in an almost adorable attempt to hide behind them. “Fuck.” 

“What?” 

“While I would love to whisk you off to my castle for the afternoon we uh… may have to call off the search party…” 

“You didn’t…” Your eyes widen in horror as you look up at him, he presses your hands over his eyes in embarrassment. 

“I panicked ok!?” 

“Oh my god. Tell me you didn’t tell Steve at least.” 

“No, couldn’t find him. Just Robin, Will and well…” 

“Spit it out Eddie” 

“Alex.” 

“What the hell?!” 

“Listen I know it sounds weird” 

“Uh a little more than weird!” 

“I talked to him ok? I think you should hear him out.” 

You gape at him, trying to wrap your brain around how he’d somehow gotten even on speaking terms with the guy who’d essentially kicked off the worst welcome you’d experienced in your history of new schools. As chaotic as your short time with the wild young man hiding behind your hands has been you can’t help but trust him, suspicion and anger melting as his doe eyed stare peeks over your knuckles, the embarrassed pout brushing his lips against you skin pulls a smirk at the corners of his lips. 

“You’re going to be the death of me” You groan, throwing your head back to hide your unwilling smile as you feel him grin against your fingers. 

“Then we’ll be going out together cause I'm pretty sure I can count the grey hairs you’ve given me.” Releasing your hands he wraps his arms back around you, pulling you close enough to bury his face in your neck, nibbling gently at the exposed flesh and chuckling as your breath hitches in your throat. For all the crowding your friends had been doing the past week you’d barely been alone with Eddie for more than a couple minutes and the simple feeling of his lips against your throat is more than enough to drag a soft moan from you, your fingers tangling in his jacket. He shudders against you and you can’t help but feel the distinct outline of his dick hardening against your thigh, clearly the constant supervision was doing him no favours either. “Fuck sweetheart, as badly as I want to get my hands on you right here and now we are getting closer and closer to being violently interrupted by your overprotective cousin and that is scarier than the entire basketball and cheer teams combined.” 

“Ugh fine, you’re right” You groan, pushing away from him taking more self control than you ever thought you possessed. Turning back toward the small path you take his hand, the cold bite of his rings between your fingers sending tingles over your skin as you shake your head. “Did you know he’s got a bat in his car?” 

“Like the animal?” 

“No, you Ozzy fanboy, like a baseball bat. Ran through full of nails!” 

“What the shit? He expecting monsters to pop out of the woods or something?”