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Steve was having a relatively normal shift at Family Video, chatting over the counter with Eddie, who had come to keep him company in Robin’s absence, when Mike, Dustin and Lucas burst through the door hurriedly, followed by a rather reluctant looking Will.
“Whoa, what’s going on here monsters?” Dustin was the first to speak.
“Is Robin here?”
“No, sorry”.
“Good”.
“I’ll tell her you said that”, Eddie interjected.
“This is important”, Dustin insisted.
“Okay, okay, what is it?” Steve placated. The boys just looked at each other shiftily.
“It’s a little awkward”, Lucas admitted. Will looked like he wanted the earth to open and swallow him up.
“We’ve literally faced death together, I’m basically your Dad, you guys can tell me anything”.
“Or ask you anything?” Mike asked, hopefully.
“Or that”, Steve said slowly, beginning to wonder what on earth he had signed up for.
“Can you tell us what girls like?” Steve was thrown for a moment.
“It depends on the girl”.
“But you’ve been with loads of girls right? There has to be some sort of common denominator”, Dustin insisted.
“Okay, firstly, loads is an exaggeration and secondly, I don’t appreciate you buttheads talking about my sex life. Hold on, are you asking me what I think you’re asking?”
“We have no one else to turn to Steve. No-one!”
“Dude, that’s like, sixth grade biology”.
“We’re not stupid, we just need your expertise with the finer details of seduction”.
“What? Ew! No, you’re babies. Babies!"
“We are young adults with girlfriends and our whole lives ahead of us and we can’t risk messing this up Steve”. He looked at the four teenagers in front of him. He hated to admit it, but he guessed they kind of had a point. He’s pretty sure he could have avoided a lot of emotional fallout and spared a lot of feelings if he’d had a dad that bothered to offer him any advice beyond his example, which seemed limited to, sleep with a couple of cookie cutter girls until you get one pregnant, marry her, and after 20 years sleep with your secretary instead. But he’d lived and learned. And these kids seemed to think it was worth something.
“Oh my god, fine, but you tell anyone about this…”
“We’re dead, we get it”, Dustin deadpanned. “Thanks Mom. Wheeler’s basement, 8 tonight under the cover of a new campaign”, he looked imploringly at Eddie at this, who nodded in a slightly defeated manner, “be there”.
“At your service Henderson”. Steve gave them a half-hearted two fingered salute as they left the shop. As soon as they had gone he folded his arms on the counter and laid his head down, groaning.
“You’ll survive big guy”, Eddie said, smacking him on the shoulder. Steve shot up again.
“What? No, no no no no. Eddie, you gotta help me on this one, I can’t do this by myself”.
“Umm, don’t think I can help with this one Stevie”.
“What? Why not?” Steve squinted at him in confusion, as Eddie met his gaze looking flustered, his eyes darting self consciously from side to side as they tried to communicate something silently. Steve’s eyes widened.
“You mean you’ve never..?”
“No, okay, no”, Eddie said through gritted teeth”.
“But you’re hot as fuck man”. This time it was Eddie’s eyes that widened in surprise. If he hadn’t been so skittish in that moment he would have grinned.
“Yeah, well I’m also gay as fuck”, he muttered. “Look I have, alright, just never…never with a girl”. Steve just stared at him. Eddie started clicking his fingers in front of Steve’s face to get his attention.
“Hello, earth to Stevie. You’re not gonna hit me are you?” That brought Steve back down to Earth.
“What? No! Dude, it’s cool, I’m just surprised”. Eddie snorted.
“You’re the only one”. Steve smiled.
“Wait, this doesn’t mean you get out of this. You’ve gotta know all the mechanics still, right?”
“They’re not after mechanics, they’re after personal experiences”.
“So? It can’t be that different. If I’ve gotta share my personal experiences for the sake of education you can share yours”.
“They literally all have girlfriends. That’s why they want to talk to you”.
“Will doesn’t! And the others might not always. Come on, at least one of those kids could benefit from one of your stories”.
“Y’know I’m pretty sure there gotta be something illegal about this", Eddie warned, scratching the back of his head.
“They trust us. Like they said, you want them to fuck up their relationships or learn everything from shitty one night stands?”
“You’re twisting my arm Harrington”.
“C’mon, I don’t wanna have to do this on my own”.
“Okay, okay, fine. You get the boobs and pregnancy talk, I’ll take AIDS and Crisco”.
“Do you have to put it like that?”
“Just saying it how it is Steve”.
“Yeah, well, for the kids benefit try not to make it too depressing huh? And keep your kinky shit out of this, I’ve seen the handcuffs in your room”.
“Oh you have, have you? Give you any ideas?”
“Knock it off Munson”. Steve blushed as he said it, in spite of himself. There was something about Eddie. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, except that, next to Robin, Eddie was probably his best friend, which was a turn up for the books. And he really cared about those kids. In a part of him that Steve couldn’t quite reach yet, he was pretty sure Eddie Munson was everything.
▪ ▪ ▪
The talk with the kids was going about as well as Steve had expected it too. By which he meant horribly. Although fortunately none of them had questioned Eddie’s authority in helping Steve with the talk, rather than just providing cover, in an excruciatingly embarrassing turn of events, Steve found himself having to admit that he really didn’t know much, beyond how to pull of a pretty spectacular one night stand. When he took a girl out he knew exactly what they wanted. But having an actual girlfriend and figuring out what they wanted together? That was almost unbroken ground.
“Look, I don’t know, okay!” he cried out defensively as they asked how they would know if their girlfriends were on the same page as them. “I haven’t really been in many actual relationships”.
“What about Nancy?”
“Well yeah, but it didn’t exactly last very long. And I really liked her, I did, and we’re great friends now, but I was a shitty boyfriend. It’s just, I always felt like I had something to prove you know? Live up to being Steve Harrington. Most of those high school girls wanted certain things and that I could do, but this is foreign territory man”. Eddie looked at him, almost pityingly Steve thought, before turning to the kids.
“You’re friends first and foremost right? Just talk to each other. Find out what they want and don’t want, tell them what you want and don’t want, and find a happy medium. No pressure, no expectations.
“Since when were you so wise?” Steve asked, intrigued.
“It’s mostly just common sense Steve, but if you must know, I have been in, as you call it, an actual relationship before”.
“Really? Who?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?”
“What happened?”
“They graduated on time and they got out of here”.
“Without you?” Steve was beginning to sound a little righteously angry now.
“Don’t worry Steve. He flitted of to some big city and is probably dead in a ditch by now. No need to defend my honour”.
“I’m sorry”.
“Don’t be. Guess he never liked me that much anyways. Besides…” he began to smile, “I wouldn’t have you or these little monsters if I hadn’t stayed would I?”
“Well I’m not going anywhere”.
“Glad to hear it Harrington”. Steve just rolled his eyes, and bumped their shoulders together.
“Wait, he?” interjected Mike, looking thoroughly confused. Steve and Eddie just looked at each other for a moment.
“Never say we didn’t give you a well-rounded education", Eddie proclaimed. "Stevie here has some frankly shocking blanks, which I’ll be happy to cover when you’ve finished with this girl nonsense”. Eddie shot a quick, reassuring look at Will, who smiled, even as he blushed. Kindred spirits, Steve thought, as he looked fondly at Eddie. It was good to see him realise he could be a role model in some small way.
“Of course if you tell anyone aside from the girls, I will have to banish you from the party”. And just like that, the spell was broken, and Steve tried and failed to stifle his laughter amid the cries of indignation from the kids at the insinuation that they would break the code of honour by telling, or that Eddie would really throw them out of the club, when they’d literally faced life and death together.
And thus, the unsayable stated, a tension Steve didn’t even realise he had felt gone, he and Eddie reluctantly dove back into the talk.
▪ ▪ ▪
“So, if we know we both want that, how do you know if it’s just a kiss, or if they want it to go somewhere?” Lucas pressed.
“Trust me, they’ll let you know if they don’t wanna go any further”.
“But how?”
“With their words dingus”.
“Or they’ll just pull away, or push you away, it’s not that difficult to read”, Eddie interjected.
“Half the times they do that in movies they end up wanting to do it anyway”.
“This is real life, not the movies”.
“But how do you know the difference?” Steve sighed loudly.
“I’m gonna need a visual here”, Dustin decided.
“Excuse me?”
“You heard ‘em Steve”, Eddie snorted, “they want a visual”.
“Nuh uh, I let you guys rent enough scary movies you’re too young to see without adding porn to the mix. I would totally lose my job”.
“Ew, gross, not what I meant Steve”.
“Besides that’s still film, not real life”, Mike cut in.
“Then go stalk couples in the mall, I don’t care!” Steve exclaimed.
“Or…” Eddie started, looking mischievous. It made Steve’s heart leap and sink all at once. “…we could just kiss and show you what we mean”.
“Yeah right”, Mike scoffed, rolling his eyes. Clearly they weren’t taking this seriously any more. Will just stared at his hands. Steve was looking at Eddie like a deer in the headlights, trying to decide if he would be more shaken if Eddie kissed him or if he didn’t, when Eddie started whispering in his ear.
“If it’s okay, I’m gonna kiss you now, so they can see you push me away on reflex. I won’t be offended”. He winked. Steve wasn’t really in control when he nodded. He was well and truly under Eddie’s spell. And as his mind raced with thoughts of, ‘but I don’t want to push him away’, he felt Eddie’s lips on his. He did as he was told. Reacted on instinct. But it wasn’t what Eddie was expecting. Instead of feeling Steve’s hand push against his chest he felt it reach up to grab his hair and pull, bringing Eddie closer, whilst his other hand fisted into his clothing at his waist. In a moment of either weakness or madness Eddie let his tongue slip into Steve’s mouth. It was only when he heard Steve moan that he pulled away hurriedly, aware that this was not going how he had planned, and that they had an audience.
“Uh, yeah, so…” he coughed, moving awkwardly away from Steve who looked like he wanted the ground to open and swallow him up, “eventually they’ll just pull away or something when it gets too much and then you guys can talk about where you go from there. On that note, Steve?” Eddie stared at him intently and nodded towards the stairs.
“Yeah”, Steve said suddenly, and they hurried out of the basement with half a dozen pairs of eyes on them. Dustin was grinning triumphantly.
“What the hell was that?” Eddie shout whispered when they were out of the room. “I was expecting you to pull away, I was counting on you to pull away”.
“I don’t know okay, you told me to react according to my instincts”. Eddie was silent.
“I just wanted to keep kissing you”, Steve finished sheepishly.
“And you’re aware that I have no boobs to speak of right?” Eddie said, sounding slightly panicked and flailing his arms.
“Of course, okay, would you listen Eddie? I wanted to keep kissing you. You. I like you. And I realise that I’m having some sort of gay crisis right now because I like girls, I do, and I really did like Nancy, but you’re just something else Eddie, and I realise now that I really do like…” Eddie pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. “…like you like that” Steve finished, still a little stunned.
“I like you too”, Eddie said, smiling softly. “But this better not be a joke or else I swear to God Harrington…” Steve ran his arms soothingly down Eddie’s arms.
“It’s not. I promise”. And then he kissed him again. Steve’s hands found their way to Eddie’s hair and waist once more as he let Eddie’s tongue into his mouth. In a matter of moments he felt strong hands grip his hips and pull him around to press him roughly against the wall. And Steve realised that this was what he had been missing. Arms strong enough to hold him down, box him in and keep him safe. Arms strong enough to manipulate his body just how they wanted them without Steve having to think, or make a decision, or take the lead. Arms that belonged to someone who knew him inside and out, who had saved his ass more than once and would do it again in a heartbeat. And it was heaven. Steve’s back made a thud against the plaster board and Eddie began to mumble, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry”, as he pressed kisses against his neck.
“It’s okay”, Steve said breathlessly, “I kind of liked it”. Eddie pulled back to meet his eyes, and saw he was telling the truth.
“Fuck you’re hot”, he said, eliciting a laugh from Steve which turned into a gasp as Eddie bit down just above his collarbone. ‘I could really get used to this’, Steve thought, as he began to move his hands under Eddie’s shirt and across his back, mirroring the way Eddie had a steady hold around his upper chest, a thumb lightly and unintentionally grazing one of Steve’s nipples under his shirt. Then Eddie’s mouth captured his once more, and Steve felt a hand on his ass, pulling their hips together so that Steve could feel Eddie’s hard on through his jeans, pressing against his own. Steve’s brain nearly short circuited, and he made a snap decision. His hands found the front of Eddie’s jeans. He had just undone the button and his fingers were on the zipper when he felt a hand still his. Eddie looked at him, full of lust, and friendship, and something else that Steve didn’t quite dare dwell on.
“As much as I desperately want to get you off, and have you get me off, our kids are still only downstairs”. They began to laugh quietly, and Steve pressed his head against Eddie’s shoulder and groaned.
“Not fair”, he said.
“They were yours first sweetheart, this is your fault”. Steve began to laugh again.
“Besides”, Eddie continued, “much as I love having you up against the wall like this, I have plans for you that involve a lot less clothing, and that’ll be a lot comfier on a bed”.
“Yeah?”
“Hell yeah. I know it’s your first time with a guy…” Eddie bit Steve’s earlobe and whispered into his ear, “…but I kind of wanna take you home with me and tie you up and fuck you into the mattress”.
Steve felt a little lightheaded. “If that’s okay”, Eddie added. “Any part of this plan is negotiable”. He began kissing Steve’s neck again, but stopped when he realised that Steve wasn’t responding.
“Steve say the word and I’ll back off. I didn’t mean to freak you out or anything. We can do something else, whatever you want”. Silence. Eddie cringed. “Shit, I was just caught up in the moment, and I thought it sounded hot, and now I realise I went waaaay too far, and…”
“No, no, I uh, I definitely want that”.
“Really?” Eddie snapped his head up at Steve’s words.
“Yeah. Definitely”, Steve said, sounding more sure of himself. “You kind of just, took me by surprise there”.
“Sorry princess”, Eddie said soothingly. Steve raised an eyebrow at the name, but Eddie just shrugged.
“Don’t be”, Steve said in response to Eddie’s apology. “Wanna throw the kids out?”
“Absolutely. But first, I just have to make sure, because I will be bragging about this to Robin and the older members of hellfire later, did you, Steve ‘the Hair’ Harrington actually agree to let me fuck you into my mattress?" Steve snorted, enjoying the way that Eddie seemed to have turned a complete one eighty from being a bundle of nerves at the thought of pushing his luck and Steve’s boundaries too far, to the man who now stood in front of him. Cocky, dirty-minded and completely in control.
“I did. And I believe that being tied up was also part of the deal”.
“You’re gonna be the death of me Steve Harrington”.
“Promise?” Eddie smiled and shook his head in disbelief before pressing a firm kiss to Steve’s lips, adjusting his jeans, and thundering down the stairs to the basement, clapping his hands loudly.
“Alright children, home time!”
Steve just leant against the wall, smiling to himself. He was kind of tired, he thought. It had been a long evening of awkward parenting and a lot of self-discovery in more ways than one. He thought he could stand to stay up a couple of hours more though, if it meant he got to spend the time alone with Eddie. Eddie was everything he never knew he wanted. And everything he never thought he’d get. ‘When all is said and done’, Steve thought, ‘despite the monster hunting and the drugging and torture, or maybe even because of them, I’m a fucking lucky guy’. Unbeknownst to him, Eddie was down in the basement, blushing like a fool, and more or less thinking the exact same thing.