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“Dude, I am telling you, it’s not like that. We are friends , just friends. That’s it,” Steve says, moving around Family Video as he puts the returns back in their spots. Dustin is hot on his trails, waving his hands around as he berates him. Normally Steve can handle his particular brand of teasing, but he is quickly losing his patience. He’s the only one working today, meaning he actually has to do his job, and doesn’t have Robin with him to help pass the time.
“Why!? You two are perfect for each other! You spend all your time together. You said it yourself, she is awesome!” Dustin retorts, his voice loud and high pitched in the otherwise silent store. Steve groans, putting another tape back on the shelf before turning to face Dustin. He places one of his hands on his hip, the other one pointing at Dustin accusingly.
“Yes, she is. She is also my best friend. That’s it. Robin and I are not, have not, and will not ever date. End of story.” Steve says with finality, turning back to his cart to put away more tapes.
“Ughhh, Steeeeve! You are the worst! Why won’t you just ask her out already? She’s smart, funny, pretty, and you already know you work well together. What’s the problem?” Dustin asks, his voice insistent and jarring against Steve’s skull.
He can feel a migraine coming on, and he just really needs Dustin to drop it. He places his palms over his eyes, pushing until he sees stars. It helps with the pounding in his skull, but only a little. He knows if it goes on like this he won’t be able to see out of his left eye by the end of the day. Goddamn Russians, he thinks to himself. He drops his hands, the motion slapping them against his thighs lightly.
“She’s not my type,” Steve mutters, voice much more subdued. Dustin scoffs from behind him, moving the cart out of his way so he is right next to him. He looks up at him expectantly, a disappointed frown on his face.
“Why? Because she’s in band? Because she does drama? I thought you were over all that high school hierarchy bullshit, dude! What gives?” Dustin asks, hitting him lightly on the arm. Steve sighs, tilting his head back and looking up, praying for some kind of divine intervention.
“We just can’t date, okay?” Steve says, all the fight draining from his body. He doesn’t have the energy for this right now. He just needs to get through the last two hours of his shift, and then he can go home and sleep this migraine off. Or at least he could, if Dustin would just leave him alone .
“Why not?” Dustin asks expectantly, crossing his arms against his chest.
“Because,” Steve says, not moving to further elaborate.
“Because why, Steve?” Dustin pushes, voice clipped and annoyed.
“Because, we just can’t, okay!?” Steve yells, his patience quickly wearing thin. He really needs Dustin to drop this right now, and forever. He and Robin are just friends , why can’t people seem to understand that? Because they don’t know the truth about her , his brain supplies unhelpfully. It’s not exactly like he can tell Dustin that .
“Because you’re too scared, you mean?” Dustin says, his words sounding far more like a statement than a question, as a knowing smirk spreads across his face.
“No! Just, Dustin, can we please drop this?” Steve asks a little desperately, running his fingers through his hair.
“Not until you give me one good reason you and Robin shouldn’t date.” Dustin says, and Steve knows he won’t relent. He lets out a long sigh, leaning up against one of the shelves of tapes. He counts to ten in his head, closing his eyes for a moment to try and calm himself down. When he opens them again, Dustin is still standing in front of him looking up expectantly. “I’m waiting,” Dustin says in a sing-songy voice, only serving to further irritate him.
“Because-” Steve says, unable to come up with a good excuse. Because that’s the issue, Dustin is right. He and Robin are perfect for each other. They’re like platonic soulmates or some shit. And he under no circumstances can tell Dustin the truth of why they aren’t dating. He’s at a loss.
“Becaaaause?” Dustin prompts, waving his hand in front of him to tell Steve to go on.
“Because I’m gay!” Steve shouts, thanking whatever higher power there is that he and Dustin are the only two in the store. He drops his head into his hands, groaning internally. Why would he say that? This is exactly the kind of thing he was trying to avoid. What is wrong with him? At least it’s not a total lie. He is bisexual, so it’s like, half true.
“No you’re not.” Dustin scoffs. Steve picks his head up to see Dustin impatiently tapping his foot, staring at him with raised eyebrows as if to say, ‘go on.’
“Yes, yes I am,” Steve insists. Why he is buckling down on this, he has no fucking clue, but he will do anything to make Dustin drop this right now.
“Uhhh, you have slept with like half of Hawkin’s female population, I think I would know if you were gay,” Dustin defends, and shit. He has a point there.
“Fine, I’m not gay, but I am bi.” Steve relents, slumping his shoulders.
“Bi?” Dustin asks, looking confused. Steve doesn’t think he has ever seen that look on the boy’s face and he’s maybe feeling just a little smug that he’s the one who put it there.
“Yeah, you know, bisexual. You like men and women,” Steve explains, gesturing vaguely in front of him. He is feeling weirdly calm about this situation, despite the fact he just came out to one of his closest friends. Dustin has yet to punch him in the face or call him a fag, so he supposes it’s not going too bad.
“Huh, okay. Still doesn’t explain why you won’t date Robin.” Dustin says, the confusion falling from his face, making way to his usual cocky demeanor once again. Steve groans loudly. He had hoped the shock of him coming out would be enough to get Dustin to drop it, but clearly he underestimated the kid’s stubbornness.
“Because, I’m seeing someone!” Steve yells, startling both of them with his volume. Dustin quickly regains his composure, looking up at him with a wide smirk.
“Who!” He demands. He has a hard look in his eyes, like he might just kill Steve if he doesn’t tell him. Steve is at a loss once again. He lied. He is not in fact seeing anyone right now. He doesn’t know why he thought Dustin wouldn’t push, but he is clearly off his axis right now with his creeping migraine and the direction this conversation has gone. So, he just throws out the first name that comes to mind.
“Eddie.”
Dustin stares at him, open mouthed, with wide eyes, looking properly shocked. Steve doesn’t have time to relish the look, as creeping anxiety fills his stomach. Fuck. Why would he say Eddie of all people? The man he has had a massive crush on for months now. The man he shares matching scars with. One of Dustin’s best friends.
“What!?” Dustin screeches, making him flinch slightly.
“Jesus, are you trying to blow out my ear drums dude?” Steve asks, rubbing his temples as pain shoots through his skull from the sudden noise.
“What do you mean you’re dating Eddie!?” Dustin demands, slapping him on the arm.
“Hey, ow.” Steve says, taking his hands from his temples to rub at the spot Dustin smacked. He is still looking up at him expectantly as he waits for Steve to answer. He lets out a sigh, before digging himself even deeper into the grave he has made for himself. “I mean we’re dating.” He responds simply.
“Why didn’t either of you tell me?” Dustin asks, his voice quieter and a little hurt. Steve feels his heart clench, and he suddenly feels really bad for lying to Dustin like this. Not that he’ll admit it to anyone but himself.
“It’s- It’s new. We didn’t want to get anyone’s hopes up only for it to fall apart. Plus, we weren’t sure how people would react, you know? Two dudes, in Hawkins? Not exactly the safest place,” Steve responds, honestly a little worried at how easy the lies fall off his tongue.
“You could have told me, you know I would never judge you guys for something like that,” Dustin says, his voice still quiet and tinged with hurt.
“I really appreciate that Dustin, but we just couldn’t risk it. You mean so much to both me and Eddie, and we were terrified of losing you.” Steve says, getting a little choked up. At least that part is true. He has been dreading coming out to any of the kids. They all mean so much to him, that he would hate for them to think of him any differently.
“You won’t lose me. Neither of you.” Dustin says confidently, although his voice is a little shaky. Steve can’t help it, he pulls Dustin into the tightest hug he’s ever given, practically crushing the boy. Dustin hugs back just as tight, the two of them letting a few tears fall. They pull back after a few minutes, both of them wiping at their eyes and trying to pretend they hadn’t been crying.
“Maybe just don’t mention it to Eddie yet. Let me be the one to tell him I told you. I don’t want him like, freaking out or anything. Also you can not under any circumstances mention this to anyone else. Not even Suzie. Got it?” Steve asks, his nerves returning a little.
“Got it.” Dustin says, moving his fingers across his heart in an x motion. “Soooo, you and Eddie,” Dustin teases, a self satisfied smirk taking over his face. Steve groans, pushing him away with a hand against his face, even though there is a small smile creeping over his lips.
As soon as Steve’s shift ends, he is in his car driving to Eddie’s. He wants nothing more than to go home and fight off this migraine with obscene amounts of Advil and sleep, but he knows he needs to talk to him about this first. God, what did he get himself into?
He speeds almost the entire way to Eddie’s trailer, breaking multiple other traffic laws along the way. He can’t be bothered to care right now, as he pulls up outside the trailer. He parks the car, barely remembering to take the keys out of the ignition before he is running up and banging on the door. It’s only 7pm so he doesn’t feel too bad about the noise he is making.
“Jesus, I’m coming, I’m coming,” he hears Eddie mumble from behind the door. He pulls his hand away, stepping back a little so he isn’t hit with the door when Eddie opens it. It swings open the next second, Eddie looking confusedly at him. “Steve?” He asks, voice laced with concern.
“I need to talk to you,” Steve rushes out, not waiting for Eddie to invite him in before he is pushing past him. He starts pacing the small length of the living room as Eddie closes the door behind him.
“Hey, what’s wrong, Steve?” Eddie asks, stopping his pacing with a gentle hand on his shoulder. Steve bites his lips nervously, looking everywhere but into Eddie’s worried eyes. Eddie waits patiently, not pushing, allowing him to collect his thoughts before speaking.
“Don’t be mad,” Steve says, glancing up at Eddie’s face.
“Steve, what did you do?” Eddie asks, his eyes widening even further with slight panic.
“Nothing bad! Just-” Steve pauses, taking a deep breath in as he wrings his hands nervously in front of him. “So, I may have told Dustin we are dating to get him to get off my back about why me and Robin aren’t together.” Steve rushes out in one breath, his words a little garbled with how quickly he speaks. Eddie stares at him in shock, his mouth open a little as his brain seems to be desperately trying to keep up.
“I, uh, what?” Eddie lands on, looking well and properly confused. Steve groans, moving to sit down on the couch next to them as he drops his head into his hands. Eddie follows behind him, sitting next to him on the couch. Despite his confusion he still brings a hand up to rub soothingly against Steve’s back, a motion that is decidedly not helping Steve calm down in the slightest.
“So, Dustin came into Family Video today, and I was the only one working so I was already stressed, and then he kept berating me about why me and Robin won’t just date already, and I could feel a migraine coming on, and I just wanted him to drop it, but he wouldn’t so I just blurted out the first excuse that came to mind, which just so happened to be that I’m dating you. So now he thinks that we’re dating, but that we haven't told anybody because it’s super new and we were worried about how people would react. I’m so sorry Eddie, I didn’t know what else to do,” Steve rambles, feeling his breathing picking up.
Jesus, he really didn’t think this through. He doesn’t even know if Eddie likes men! Oh god, what if he’s homophobic!? He hasn’t shown any signs of being homophobic, but that doesn’t mean he’s not. What if he tells everyone that Steve’s a queer? Fuck, what if he hates him? Steve doesn’t think he could handle it if he hated him.
“Hey, hey, Stevie, I need you to breathe.” Eddie’s soft voice breaks through his panicked thoughts, making him snap back to reality a little bit. “Just like this, follow my breathing,” Eddie says, grabbing Steve’s right hand and bringing it to rest on his chest. He takes in big exaggerated breaths, helping Steve feel the rhythm. It takes a few minutes but his breathing starts slowly evening out into a more normal pattern.
“Sorry,” he mumbles, feeling embarrassed by his reaction. His migraine is quickly getting worse, and he can feel the pain reverberating in his skull. His left eye is a little fuzzy, white spots blocking some of his vision. Not enough that it’s completely obstructed, but enough that it’s noticeable.
“Hey, you’re okay. You don’t need to apologize,” Eddie reassures softly, but even his quiet voice sounds like nails on a chalkboard. Steve lets out an involuntary whimper, shutting his eyes tight to try and fight off the pain. It’s been a while since he’s had a migraine this bad, and it’s hitting him fast and hard.
“Hey, Steve, what's wrong?” Eddie asks, a panicked note returning to his voice. Steve grits his teeth, feeling a wave of nausea wash over him as the pain continues. When he peeks open his eyes again, the vision in his left eye is almost completely gone. Fuck, he hates when this happens.
“M’ head,” he mumbles, his words a little slurred as he struggles to get them out. He desperately hopes Eddie understands as he doesn’t think he can say anything more at the moment.
“Your head? Shit, your head. You said you felt a migraine coming on earlier, is that what’s wrong?” Eddie asks, making his voice as soft as possible while still making sure Steve can hear him. Steve nods his head, whining a little at the pain the motion sends through his skull.
“Okay, okay, come here, let’s get you to bed, big boy.” Eddie whispers, hauling him up off the couch. Steve is having a hard time staying upright, but thankfully Eddie had already prepared for that, letting him lean his weight against his side. They walk slowly to Eddie’s bedroom, taking it one step at a time.
He all but throws himself onto the mattress, only being stopped by Eddie’s gentle hands. He buries his head in Eddie’s pillow, letting the soft scent of him take over his senses for a moment. He can already feel himself starting to drift off, the pain in his skull too much to bear. He vaguely feels Eddie tucking him in, before he is out like a light.
Steve wakes up slowly the next morning. He groans, burying his head into the pillow beneath him, not ready to be awake yet. His head doesn’t hurt as much as it did the night before, but there’s still a dull ache behind his eyes.
“Morning, sleeping beauty,” he hears from above him. He shoots up into a sitting position, looking around wildly as he tries to remember where he is. He relaxes when he sees Eddie, and then very quickly realizes that he hadn’t buried his face in a pillow, but rather Eddie’s chest. A bright red blush spreads across his face in embarrassment.
“Sorry,” he mumbles, rubbing his palms against his eyes, just to have something to do.
“You apologize too much,” Eddie chuckles from beside him. Steve drops his hands, peeking his eyes open to find Eddie grinning up at him, where he is still laying against the bed. His hair is a mess, and he has lines on his cheek from where he rested his head against his pillow the night before. He looks adorable, Steve thinks and immediately shakes the thought off.
“Here,” Eddie says, sitting up a little to reach over to the bedside table, grabbing water and a bottle of Advil, handing them both to Steve. He takes them gratefully, popping three Advil into his mouth before washing them down with the water. He places both items back on the table, before turning to face Eddie again. He is looking up at him with a slightly goofy smile on his face, and Steve wants so badly to lean down and kiss him.
“How’re you feeling this morning?” Eddie asks, breaking him out of his thoughts.
“Okay, my head still hurts a little, but not as bad as last night. Sorry for crashing here without asking last night,” Steve says, rubbing his hand on the back of his neck. Eddie chuckles again, a bright and happy sound that makes Steve’s stomach fill with warmth.
“What did I just say about apologizing, Harrington?” Eddie asks, poking him in the side.
“Sorry,” Steve replies on instinct, opening his mouth to apologize for apologizing, before snapping it shut at the look Eddie gives him. He shifts a little awkwardly where he’s sitting, not quite sure what to do now. His eyes suddenly widen as he realizes he has no idea what time it is, and he may very well be late for work.
“Shit! What time is it? I have to get to work!” Steve says, scrambling to untangle himself from the bedsheets as he tries to get up. He is pulled back onto the bed with a soft grip around his wrist.
“I already called Robin, she’s covering for you today, relax,” Eddie says, his voice gentle and easy. Steve sighs in relief, slumping back against the wall behind the head of the bed. Eddie sits up next to him, the bed small enough their thighs and arms are pressed together. Steve holds his breath, feeling every point of contact burn against his skin.
“Soooo,” Eddie says, leaning closer to rest his chin on Steve’s shoulder. “Apparently we’re dating,” Eddie teases, making Steve groan loudly. He throws his head back, the motion making it hit the wall behind him. He winces a little as it hits a little too hard, but doesn’t move. Eddie laughs from where he rests, not moving to take his chin off Steve’s shoulder.
“Shut up,” Steve mumbles, running one of his palms down his face.
“I’m flattered, Harrington. I mean who would have thought, King Steve and The Freak? We make quite the pair,” Eddie ribs, wiggling his eyebrows up and down suggestively. Steve groans again, pushing Eddie’s face away with his palm against his cheek, only serving to make Eddie laugh harder.
“God, you’re insufferable,” Steve sighs, but he can’t help but let out a small chuckle as well.
“And yet, you still want to date me,” Eddie replies, batting his eyelashes teasingly up at him. Steve rolls his eyes, but he can feel the heat spreading across his face at Eddie’s words. He sobers a little, feeling the anxiety creep back up his spine.
“So, you’re not, like, mad?” Steve asks cautiously, picking at the skin around his fingernails nervously. Eddie’s laughter dies down, a serious look spreading across his face.
“Of course not. I would be honored to date you, Steve.” Eddie says, maybe a little too earnestly. Steve can’t even think about the implications of how sincere Eddie’s words sound, too overwhelmed by relief that he isn’t mad or disgusted with him.
“Really? So you’ll pretend? Just around Dustin obviously, and we don’t have to do it for long, just long enough that it won’t be suspicious-” Steve rushes to explain, his hands flailing a little wildly as he speaks. Eddie cuts off his rambling by grabbing his hands with his own, holding them softly.
“Of course, Steve. I’ll be the best fake boyfriend you've ever had.” He says confidently, a wide grin spreading across his face that doesn’t quite meet his eyes. Steve feels a slight pang of guilt in his gut when he realizes how much those words hurt. He wants so badly for it to be real. Even so, he plasters on a fake smile, pretending like this isn’t eating him up inside.
“Thank you, Eddie, really. I owe you big time,” Steve says, his voice breathier than he meant it to be. Eddie doesn't seem to mind, his grin softening into a more intimate smile. He has yet to remove where he is holding Steve’s hands, and he refuses to be the first one to break the hold.
“You don’t owe me anything. It is a privilege to be your fake boyfriend,” Eddie says, his voice teasing, but there is something hidden just underneath it that makes Steve’s chest burn. He can’t quite place what it is, but he wishes so desperately he could. “Okay, so we should probably talk about boundaries,” Eddie says, releasing his hands and sitting back, his usual cheery demeanor taking over once again. Steve feels a little too cold without Eddie’s hands in his own, but he shakes it off, nodding along.
“Okay. Good idea,” Steve replies, his voice far more steady than he currently feels.
“Okay, so. Holding hands?” Eddie asks, looking at Steve expectantly.
“All good,” Steve replies, feeling his heart speed up a little just at the thought of holding hands with Eddie again.
“Cuddling?”
“Good.”
“Flirting?”
“I mean, it would be a little weird if we didn’t.”
“Kissing?” That question catches him off guard. He never even thought about the possibility of kissing Eddie for real. Sure, he fantasizes about it far more than he probably should, but he didn’t think it would actually happen. Shit, he’s probably taking too long to answer.
“I mean, I’m okay with it as long as you are,” Steve says, his words sounding a little more strained than he would have liked.
“It’s all good with me,” Eddie replies, his voice confident despite the slight worry Steve can see behind his eyes.
“Okay, then it’s settled. Holding hands, cuddling, flirting, and kissing. All on the table.” Steve says with finality, pretending like he doesn’t kind of want to throw up right now. Eddie gives one final nod, confirming his consent. Fuck, what has he gotten himself into?
The two of them further discuss some of the basics through the next few hours. Just minor details so they don’t get caught in a lie. How did they get together? Who confessed first? When was their first kiss? Etc.
“I confessed first, obviously,” Eddie says confidently.
“What? Why can’t I have confessed first?” Steve asks, crossing his arms against his chest and pouting petulantly. He and Eddie had shifted how they were sitting throughout the conversation, getting more comfortable on the small bed. Steve is sitting criss-cross, leaning back against the wall at the headboard. Eddie is laid at the end of the bed, with his legs supported up against the wall.
“Please, no one would believe that.” Eddie replies, rolling his eyes as he turns his head to the side to look at him.
“Why not? I’m romantic enough!” Steve defends, making Eddie laugh loudly. He rolls to the side, letting his legs fall down from the wall, coming dangerously close to kicking Steve in the face as he does so. He repositions himself, laying on his stomach next to Steve, resting his elbows on the bed and placing his chin in his palms.
“Awe, I’m sure you are, sweetheart,” Eddie teases. Steve’s face goes bright red as he opens and closes his mouth trying to think of anything to say. He feels like his brain has short circuited at the nickname. He likes it way more than he thought he would. “Awe, I made Steve Harrington blush,” Eddie says, sitting up so he can poke at his red cheeks.
“Shut up,” Steve mumbles, batting Eddie’s hands away. Eddie laughs, moving so he is sitting facing Steve, his knees tucked underneath him.
“If you’re gonna react like that every time I flirt with you, you are gonna give us away pretty quick, Stevie.” Eddie teases, an obnoxious smirk on his face. Steve rolls his eyes at him, feeling his face heat up even further. Eddie leans in closer, so their faces are only a foot away. Steve holds his breath, unable to help the way his eyes dart down to Eddie’s lips before snapping back up to his eyes. “Maybe we should practice, so you get used to it,” Eddie suggests, licking his lips.
“Wha- uh, what do you mean?” Steve asks nervously, using all his self control to keep his eyes on Eddie’s instead of staring longingly at his lips. Eddie doesn’t seem to have the same qualms as him, as his gaze locks firmly on Steve’s lips. He brings one hand up, gripping Steve’s cheek lightly. Steve is almost positive he’s going to pass out any moment now, as Eddie leans even closer.
“Well, Stevie. If you get that flustered Dustin is going to know something is up. So we should practice, that way if we kiss in front of him it won’t look like our first one,” Eddie explains, his voice a little breathless. Steve thinks he should probably pull away. This is a bad idea, he thinks distantly. But he doesn’t listen, his brain feels like mush with Eddie so close, and he doesn’t think even God could stop him from kissing Eddie right now.
“Yeah, good- Good idea. Solid logic,” Steve whispers, letting his eyes fall to Eddie’s lips. The two of them lean in at the same time, bringing their lips together in a soft kiss. Steve can’t help the small noise that escapes him at the feeling. Eddie swallows the noise, moving his mouth gently against Steve’s.
He feels like his entire body is on fire. Eddie is kissing him so gently he thinks he could break apart. He opens his mouth wider, encouraging Eddie to kiss him properly. Eddie takes the invitation, darting his tongue out to lick at his bottom lip. Steve whimpers, their lips parting for a second before coming back together passionately.
Eddie kisses him harder, licking into his mouth hungrily. Steve swears he feels his soul leave his body as their tongues meet. He brings his hands up, burying them in Eddie’s hair, pulling him impossibly closer. Eddie makes a small noise into the kiss, and Steve needs to hear more noises from him now .
He tugs at Eddie’s hair lightly, just testing the waters. Eddie groans low and hot into his mouth, his hands going down to grip at Steve’s waist. He bites down gently at Eddie’s bottom lip before sucking it into his mouth. He pulls away, placing one last peck to Eddie’s lips before leaning back, needing to catch his breath. They rest their foreheads together, neither one willing to pull away.
“That’s- that’s good. Dustin definitely won’t suspect anything,” Eddie whispers between them, his breath ghosting across Steve’s lips as he does. His voice is low and breathless, and the sound shoots heat down to Steve’s gut.
“Shut up,” Steve grumbles, leaning in and kissing him again. Eddie doesn’t protest, kissing him back just as hard. Steve repositions them without breaking the kiss, laying himself back against the bed, and pulling Eddie over him. Eddie lets his hands explore Steve’s torso, running up and down his chest and stomach over his thin tee shirt. Steve whines at the feeling, bucking up into Eddie’s hips a little.
“Fuck, Steve,” Eddie whispers against his lips, his own hips rutting down at the feeling. Steve brings their mouths back together, licking desperately into his mouth. He moves his hips in a messy rhythm, rubbing his half hard length against Eddie’s thigh. Eddie moans at the feeling, moving himself against Steve’s hip in tandem. The feel of him rubbing against him, even through their pants is heavenly.
Steve moves his hands from Eddie’s hair, slowly moving them down to his back, exploring the soft muscles he can feel beneath his shirt. He trails his hands down further until they reach the hem of his shirt. He moves his hands under the fabric, exploring the soft skin beneath. Eddie leans back from the kiss, grabbing his shirt from the back of his neck and pulling it off. He throws it to the floor, not caring where it lands as he brings his mouth back to Steve’s.
Steve lets his hands explore the newly exposed flesh, goosebumps raising wherever he touches. He smooths his hands over his chest, thumbing over one of his nipples with his thumb. Eddie groans into the kiss at the feeling, bucking their hips together a little harder. Steve pinches the bud between his fingers, pulling an absolutely filthy noise from Eddie.
“Off,” Eddie pants, reaching down to pull Steve’s shirt up his torso. He sits up a little, pulling the shirt off and throwing it to the floor before pulling Eddie back into a bruising kiss. Their chests press together, the feeling of skin on skin absolutely divine.
Eddie pulls away from the kiss, placing one last teasing kiss to the corner of Steve’s mouth before starting to trail kisses down his jaw. Steve tangles his hands in Eddie’s hair again, baring his neck to him as he starts to kiss down it. Eddie stops right where his neck meets his shoulder, licking the skin lightly before biting down. Steve moans at the feeling, pulling on Eddie’s hair, trying to get him to do it again. Eddie bites down lightly again before sucking the skin into his mouth. Steve is panting, bucking his hips up desperately as Eddie continues sucking a hickey into his neck.
“Eddie, fuck,” Steve moans. Eddie nips at the mark he made one last time before pulling away from his neck. He moves his head so it is right above Steve’s, as he looks down at him. His pupils are blown wide and his lips are red and shiny from their kissing. He looks beautiful. He is startled out of his trance by a loud knock on the front door of the trailer.
“Fuck,” Eddie groans, burying his head in Steve’s neck. The knocking continues, getting more insistent the longer they lay there.
“Who is it?” Steve asks, throwing his head back against the pillow.
“Robin, I told her she could come over to check on you after her shift,” Eddie mumbles into his neck, refusing to extract himself just yet.
“Ugh, we should probably go let her in before she breaks down your door,” Steve says.
“Yeah, probably should,” Eddie replies, moving his head out of Steve’s neck. He leans down and places one last quick peck to Steve’s mouth before getting off the bed. He grabs the first shirt he sees from the floor, already moving to answer the door by the time Steve is pulling on his own shirt.
Steve follows behind Eddie, combing his fingers through his hair, trying to make it look more presentable, and less like he and Eddie were just passionately making out. Eddie opens the door to a very frazzled looking Robin. She doesn’t even bother with a hello before she is pushing past him into the trailer.
“Steve!” She greets, coming immediately over to him.
“Yeah, great to see you too, Buckley,” Eddie mumbles, closing the door behind her. Robin pays him no mind, her entire focus on Steve.
“Are you okay? Eddie said you had a migraine. I know how bad they can get. Does your head still hurt? Can you see okay? Have you been drinking enough water?” Robin rambles, grabbing Steve by the shoulders to look him over as if looking for a wound.
“Robin, Robin, I’m fine. Eddie took good care of me, I promise,” Steve soothes, grabbing her hands where they rest on his shoulders. He pulls them down, intertwining their fingers between them. Eddie is resting his shoulder against the wall next to the door, his arms crossed in front of his chest as he watches them fondly.
“Are you sure?” Robin asks, sounding unsure. Steve squeezes her hands, giving her a reassuring smile.
“I’m sure.” He says, making Robin’s stiff posture relax almost immediately. Her eyes seem to catch on something near his neck, her eyes going wide as she reaches for the neckline of his shirt, pulling it down.
“Is that a hickey!?” She screeches, moving her eyes up to look at Steve in shock.
“Uhhh, no?” Steve says hesitantly, not sounding convincing in the slightest.
“Oh my god! It is! Wait. You’re wearing Eddie’s shirt,” Robin says, turning around to look at Eddie. Steve follows her gaze to see that, yup. He and Eddie had accidentally thrown on each other’s shirts in their haste to get to the door. “Oh my god! Oh my god!” Robin yells, jumping up and down where she’s standing, an excited smile on her face.
“Yeah, yeah, don’t cream your pants, Buckley,” Steve says, rolling his eyes.
“Ew, shut up,” Robin replies, frowning in disgust. She shoves him goodheartedly, before her bright grin takes over her face again. “You finally told him how you feel!!” She says excitedly, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him.
“What?” They hear from behind them. He and Robin turn to see a very shocked looking Eddie. Steve feels his stomach plummet at the sight. Shit. He hadn’t actually told Eddie how he feels. Sure they were getting pretty hot and heavy a minute ago, but what if that’s all it was? What if Eddie doesn’t actually feel the same way? What if it really was just practice?
“Robin, can you give us a moment,” Steve asks, looking pointedly at her. She tilts her head in confusion, opening her mouth to retort. “ Please ,” Steve enunciates, raising his eyebrows at her. She gets the hint, realization dawning on her face.
“Oh yeah, I’ll just, uh, be outside then,” Robin says, walking backwards to the door, pointing behind her with her thumb, before rushing out. The loud slam of the door behind her feels jarring in the otherwise silent room. He and Eddie both just stand there for a long moment, the tension nearly palpable in the air.
“So you-” Eddie starts.
“I’m sorry.” Steve blurts out, cutting Eddie off before he can speak.
“What? What are you sorry for?” Eddie asks, confusion clear on his face. Steve sighs, moving to sit himself down on the couch. He leans forward resting his elbows on his knees as he stares straight forward. Eddie joins him after a tense moment, keeping far more distance between them than he normally would.
“I- Eddie, I-” Steve says, tripping over his words. He can feel frustrated tears welling in his eyes as he tries desperately to get out something, anything .
“What did Robin mean, you finally told me how you feel, Steve?” Eddie asks, giving him an opening. He is so grateful for it he could kiss him. Or well, maybe not kiss him seeing as that’s what got him into this mess in the first place. Steve turns his head, chancing a glance over at Eddie. His eyes are wide and scared, but Steve can see how much hope is laced with that fear.
“I’m in love with you,” he blurts out. Eddie blanches, his eyes wide and shocked. Steve feels cold dread filling his stomach at the look. Maybe he read this wrong too. Maybe he was too much too fast. Just because Eddie liked making out with him doesn’t mean he’s in love with him. God, why would he say that? He’s so stupid.
“I- you’re- what?” Eddie asks, his voice strained. The sound makes Steve’s chest ache. He tilts his head back, trying desperately to keep his tears at bay, as he laughs self deprecatingly. The noise is jarring even to his own ears, but he can’t help it.
“Jesus. Fuck, yeah. I’m in love with you,” Steve repeats, his voice choked as a stray tear slides down his cheek. He clenches his eyes shut, unable to look at Eddie’s face while he inevitably rejects him.
“Steve, fuck, please look at me,” Eddie begs. Steve can’t bear the thought of the look he will be met with, but he is also helpless to do anything but listen to Eddie. He opens his eyes slowly, moving them to tentatively look at Eddie’s face. Eddie surges forward, grabbing his face in his palms and bringing their mouths together.
Steve brings his own hands up to hold onto Eddie’s wrists as he kisses back. He drinks in the taste and feel of Eddie’s lips against his own, feeling more tears streaming down his face. Eddie kisses him like he’s starving and it’s so different but so similar to their other kisses. It kind of makes him want to scream, but he also thinks if they stop he might actually die.
He kisses him more insistently, their lips slotting together like they were made for each other. Eddie licks at his bottom lip, and Steve thinks Eddie must be something divine. He opens his mouth wider, their tongues sliding together hotly. Suddenly Eddie is pulling away and it feels a little bit like a knife to his heart. He whimpers, tears sliding down his face as he mourns the loss of Eddie’s mouth against his own, trying to memorize how it felt just in case he never gets to feel it again.
“Hey, hey, baby. Shhh, I’m right here.” Eddie soothes, wiping away the falling tears with his thumbs. Steve opens his eyes, looking up at Eddie’s. His vision is a little blurred from the tears, but even so he can see the adoration on Eddie’s face. “I love you too, Steve. Fuck, I love you so much, sweetheart.”
Steve surges forward, bringing him into another kiss. He lets himself really feel it, not worrying that it might get taken away from him at any moment. Eddie loves him. Eddie loves him . He smiles into the kiss, a bright laugh escaping his lips. They have to pull away from each other because of how much he’s smiling, but he doesn’t really mind. They have all the time in the world to kiss because Eddie loves him.
“You love me,” Steve says reverently, looking into Eddie’s eyes.
“Yeah, I really do,” Eddie confirms, only making his smile grow. He leans in, placing a series of light pecks to his lips. He pushes Eddie back by the shoulders, making him sit back against the back of the couch before he swings a leg over his lap so he is straddling his thighs.
“You love me,” Steve repeats, leaning down to kiss him over and over again.
“I love you,” Eddie mumbles between kisses, the smile on his face just as bright as Steve’s.
“I love you, I love you, I love you,” Steve repeats over and over again, punctuating each statement with a kiss. Eddie wraps his arms around his waist as Steve brings his hands up to hold Eddie’s face. They just sit together for a moment both beaming at each other.
“You’re beautiful,” Eddie whispers to him, and it sounds just as much like a confession as his previous words did. Steve is practically beaming, his smile so wide he thinks he might pull a muscle. He leans down, peppering soft kisses all over Eddie’s face, anywhere he can reach. Eddie laughs brightly, tilting his head to bring Steve into a proper kiss again. They are startled apart, once again from knocking at the door.
“You two better be decent in there, because I’m coming back in!” Robin calls through the door. She has a hand poorly covering her eyes as she enters, dropping it as soon as she sees they’re both clothed. Steve shifts himself so he is no longer straddling Eddie, moving his legs to rest sideways on Eddie’s lap.
“Ugh, you two are gonna be the worst now that you’re dating, aren’t you?” Robin asks, pretending to be disgusted by them. Eddie snuggles further into Steve’s side, placing loud obnoxious kisses everywhere he can reach.
“Yup!” Eddie says cheerfully between kisses, Steve laughing loudly. He swats at Eddie’s face, moving away from him before leaning down to kiss him properly.
“Get a room!” Robin yells, but there is a small smile on her face when they look up at her.
“You know, we were in a room before someone decided to show up.” Steve points out, wrapping his arms around Eddie’s neck.
“Gross,” Robin says, scrunching her nose at them. Steve sticks his tongue out at her, making Eddie laugh.
“Now Dustin really won’t suspect a thing,” Eddie teases, making Steve laugh loudly. Maybe his split second decision making isn’t so bad after all.