Unbury Your Gays

Eddie would never admit it out loud, but he secretly yearned to let out all of the romantic fantasies inside his head. He maintained his cynical appearance on the outside. It paired with the rest of this aesthetic and it kept him safe. But deep down, Eddie was a giant softie. He craved affection and love. He wore his heart on his sleeve and everyone close to him knew it. So when Steve Harrington came barreling into his life and then refused to leave, Eddie's secret romantic desires reached an all time high. How could they not when Steve was so kind and caring? He had a dorky sense of humor that made Eddie crack up even when the jokes were lame. He was smart in a way that differed from the genius teenagers they surrounded themselves with, and picked things apart in a way that fascinated Eddie. And of course, he was the most beautiful man Eddie had ever seen.

He remembered freshman Steve Harrington, with his church boy clothes and shy smile. He was too cute not to catch Eddie's eye. Steve continued to catch Eddie's eye even as he transformed into the king of Hawkins High. Even when his shy smile had become a confident smirk, Eddie thought Steve was cute. Then Steve's fall from grace happened. His hair started to grow out. He spent most the fall wearing sunglasses to hide the ugly bruises on his face. He started wearing sweaters that looked soft Eddie reached out to touch without even thinking. Luckily, one of the guys were usually there to smack his hand away when Eddie's impulse control failed him. Then summer came and Eddie thought he'd seen the last of Steve Harrington. He walked into Scoops only one time before the mall blew up. Seeing Steve in a tight, short sailor suit was too much for Eddie. Especially when Steve turned around and Eddie noticed how pink his lips were. And were those highlights in his hair? Robin told him once how beat up Steve was when Starcourt exploded, but Eddie thought he'd still think Steve was beautiful. He certainly did when Steve was caked in mud, smelled like a sewer, and was borderline bleeding out. He was sure he admitted something like that in his delirium as Steve and Nancy dragged his body out of the Upside Down. But no other phase of Steve Harrington compared to the current one.