Chapter Text
If you’d told Steve Harrington in ‘83 that he would spend the next three years going through literal hell and back four times over with his ex, a girl with psychokinetic powers, a ragtag group of kids and adults, his lesbian bff, and the town freak; he’d look at you like you were the demogorgon itself.
He lived a pretty average and semi-happy life before everything, but of course, things just had to get weird. There’s probably a more fitting word than ‘weird’, but funnily enough, that’s the only thing he could come up with to give it a pseudo-sense of normalcy.
The whole missing people and inter-dimensional murder monsters? Fucking weird.
Finally getting back to normal with things, only for Hawkins to get turned into a tunnel system for Big Shadow Guy and his army of rabid demo-dogs who wanted to conquer the world through Will Byers body? Again, fucking weird.
Having to deal with Billy fucking Hargrove cultivating an army for a giant flesh monster, Erica and Dustin sassing him to within an inch of his life, getting the absolute piss beaten out of him by Russians, escaping while atrociously high off whatever the fuck he was injected with, throwing up the entire contents of his stomach in a movie theater toilet, and confessing to Robin, only to be turned down because she bats for the other team? Definitely more complicated than the first two times, but still weird.
Don’t even get him started on the whole Vecna thing. That was a shit show.
Yeah, yeah he made it out alive so he’s a pretty lucky dude, but try telling him that. Even after everything Steve Harrington considers himself unlucky.
Why, you might ask?
Because his love life is a fucking disaster, thank you very much.
He thought he had it all, you know? In highschool, being King Steve meant something and he could have any girl he wanted, hell, even some guys wanted him, looking at you Tommy Hagan. But no girl compared to Nancy Wheeler. Big brown eyes, curly mop of hair, slender frame; she’s the perfect package. He was head over heels in love with her and with the hell that they went through in the two years of their relationship (if you could call it that), he thought she was it for him.
That is, until she ripped his fucking heart out and stabbed it over and over again in the “bullshit” barrage incident of 1984 and ran off with Jonathan Byers, leaving him to drink himself stupid and pass out in a bathtub.
That was a rough night.
It hurt like hell at the time, but it was the best thing for them in the long run. Nancy had dreams and aspirations that Steve just couldn’t keep up with. She needed someone that was going to be right on the scene with her and that someone was not little ole peaked-in-highschool Steve Harrington.
It took a while and a lot of growing up and moving-on on Steve’s part, six little nuggets spiel be forever damned to the Upside Down, but they eventually made their peace and are now good friends.
Robin was another catastrophe in a completely different way. He thought for sure when he got the job at Scoops that she was gonna swoon just like all the other girls he’d spent time around. But that was so not the case. Robin was different from any other girl he was interested in and he knew he couldn’t pull his usual ‘hey, I’m Steve fucking Harrington’ shit. Not that his usual shit worked anyways, as Robin’s whiteboard spoke volumes on how his game was non-existent after becoming a babysitter to a bunch of nerdy middle schoolers. Nevertheless, he persisted and was convinced that trauma-bonding was gonna be the factor that brought them together, you know after getting tortured and drugged by Russians.
Poor, poor Steve. He couldn’t have been more wrong.
He wouldn’t change a thing, though. Except maybe who Robin was in love with during high school because…Tammy Thompson? Really?
So, two failed attempts at love brings Steve to his current predicament: it’s been fucking ages since he got laid.
Yeah, Vecna definitely put a damper on his libido. The ever present threats of a horrifically painful mind-prison death, almost becoming the main course for an army of demo-bats, and Hawkins becoming the epicenter for hell on earth shockingly didn’t get his dick hard.
Steve thought all hope was lost when they entered the Upside Down for the second time that week and shit started going haywire, but then El came in like the goddamned superhero she is and obliterated that tentacled freak. Hawkins wasn’t on the brink of being ripped to shreds anymore and the gates were closed off so no one or no thing could get through ever again.
Eddie and Max had to be taken to the hospital immediately with both of them being on the brink of death, but they came out alive. Scarred and traumatized for sure, but alive.
It’s been about five months since everything went down. The California clan moved back to Hawkins, with a totally not dead Hopper, and life couldn’t be more blessedly mundane. Nancy and Jonathan talked through their shit and went off to their respective universities, promising to keep in contact with the long distance, Argyle holding him to that promise cause he’ll be damned if Jonathan ‘harshes his vibe’ with more relationship drama. It was weird not having them around as now Steve, Robin, and Eddie were outnumbered by the kids.
It took effort from both Hopper and Owens, but Eddie’s name was cleared. Once he got out of the hospital, he and Wayne were relocated to a small government-owned house near the trailer park. Eddie was even able to graduate, despite his piss poor grades and suspected murderer status, throwing up double birds as he walked the stage.
After getting berated by Keith for closing the store early and missing a few shifts during the whole Vecna takeover, Steve and Robin resumed their jobs at Family Video.
The work is mindless and any normal person would be bored to death, but after all the shit they went through, it was a welcome monotony.
Summer was just as thankfully uneventful. The kids visited as often as they could during work hours, meaning they were coming everyday to bug the fuck out of them, and they would pick out a few movies to watch that night. Movie nights was something they did now, trauma-bonding and all that jazz. They would all pile in Steve’s living room with buckets of popcorn and stolen candy from Family Video spread between them and put on whatever films they decided on earlier that day. It was mostly always the kids' choice, as according to them, the adults, or more accurately, Steve, ‘didn’t have taste’.
He’d rather watch grass grow instead of whatever sci-fi, action-adventure, fantasy flick they put on, sue him. Though, he begrudgingly admits that sometimes their nerd movies are not the worst things he’s ever seen.
Like Indiana Jones, he’s super ho— cool. He’s cool.
Moving on.
It was now October and school had already started, so movie nights and the kids visiting were few and far between, making the store (and his life) feel especially deserted. Robin took it upon herself to make a new whiteboard for Steve’s failed attempts at wooing any girls who came in, which was really not giving him confidence for his whole lack-of-love-life situation.
The bell on the door chimed as his most recent victim, Amy MacAfee, a former Hawkins High cheerleader, left the store unsurprisingly not head over heels for him. Steve let his head hit the counter as the squeaking noise of Robin marking a tally in the ‘You Still Suck’ category hit his ears. The score was now about the same as it was at Scoops: five to zero and not in his favor.
“Oof, that might’ve been the worst one yet.”
Steve groans and thumps his head on the counter again. “Shut it, Buckley.”
Robin puts the whiteboard back in its rightful place under the counter and hops up to sit next to Steve’s head, legs swinging back and forth.
“No, I’m serious. I thought I was bad with rambling, but you might’ve just taken the ‘can’t keep my mouth shut in front of pretty girls’ crown from me. I mean, you went from asking her how her day was to droning about how societal constructs and classicism are ruining potentially meaningful relationships.” There’s a pause. “Now that I think about it, that’s surprisingly deep for you, dingus. Where did that even come from?”
Steve flips her off with one hand and feebly gestures at the computer where Amy’s rental history was still pulled up. “She rented Pretty In Pink 5 times in the past week and again today. I was tapping into her interests and making a commentary on how Andie would’ve been way cuter with Duckie instead of Blane.”
Steve sighs and once again thumps his head back down on the counter. “It’s a classic Harrington move that’s worked loads of times before. Girl has an interest, I capitalize on that till she’s into me, then boom, we’re gettin’ to 3rd base in the backseat of my car.”
Robin stares down at him from her perch. “Wow, that’s pretty douchey and gross, I don’t need to know about what you do in the back seat of the car that I ride in everyday.”
“Robin, you’ve literally begged me to get laid because I’m, in your words, ‘scaring the hoes’.”
The short-haired girl places a hand on his shoulder. “Steve-you are scaring the hoes. If I have to watch you turn into even more of a dumbass the minute a cute girl walks in one more time, I’m going to quit.”
“You say you’re going to quit everyday.”
“I mean it this time.”
Steve rolls his eyes and straightens up. “Anyways, it's their loss if they can’t handle me. The new and improved Steve Harrington is apparently just out of their pay grade.”
Robin levels him with a blank stare. “You keep telling yourself that.”
They busy themselves with neatly stacking tapes and half paying attention to the movie-of-the-day playing on the TV.
Robin roped him into watching Labyrinth, which Steve heavily complained about, until leather-clad David Bowie sauntered onto the screen and promptly shut him up. The sudden silence wasn’t lost on Robin and she side-eyes him with a smirk.
“Got a thing for guys in leather pants, huh?”
Steve jumps at her voice, too focused on the movie. “Wha— huh? I mean I guess? Bowie’s got nice legs.”
“Steve, Bowie has nice everything. I may strictly fancy women, but I can appreciate an androgynous figure.”
He turns his attention back to the movie, Bowie now singing about “the babe with the power” or something. It’s catchy.
Robin hums along, bobbing her head to the beat. “Have you heard Eddie sing this? He does the voice just right and it’s un-fucking-canny. He could totally be Jareth for Halloween. Speaking of which have-”
Steve tunes her out, feeling heat creep over his cheeks picturing Eddie singing that song in Bowie’s getup. Or Eddie singing that song to him in Bowie’s getup.
Oh, that's a good mental image.
Nevertheless, he really doesn’t need Robin to remind him of the main reason for his bisexual awakening. It only took the week of Spring Break for Steve to realize that yeah, some guys (namely metalheads with tattoos and shared trauma) are hot and he’s definitely attracted to them.
Robin obviously found out. Her gaydar sounded alarms when they returned to work and she caught him multiple times glossing over a magazine centerfold featuring Guns N’ Roses. Not his fault that he’s got a thing for long-haired guys and just couldn’t tear his eyes away from Slash in particular, the man reminding him too much of a certain someone. She questioned him about it and he blabbered everything out like he was injected with that Russian drug again.
Well, everything except who he has a crush on. He’s gotta have somethings to himself.
They cried and Robin gave him the tightest hug before smacking him, telling him next time to not bottle up that kinda shit and just talk to her. Steve loves her more than anything in this world.
So, yeah, she knows he’s bi, but he’s like 90% sure she doesn’t know that he likes Edd— anyone.
“—eve? Hellooo, earth to Steve?” The short-haired girl knocks on his head. “You in there, bud?”
Steve swats her hand away. “Watch the hair!”
“Dude, you went full space cadet on me.” Robin fixes him with an annoyed look. “And you didn’t answer my question, were you even listening?”
He wasn’t, but she’d kill him if he admits that.
Steve clears his throat and grabs one of the piles of tapes to re-shelve, wracking his brain to remember her original question. “You asked me if I ever heard Eddie sing, right? I mean, yeah I have. Dustin likes to frequent his band practices so I catch snippets when I pick him up. He sounds really good then and I can only imagine what he sounds like when he’s actually trying.”
He waits for a response, but it doesn’t come. Steve looks up and sees a grin creeping over Robin’s face as she slides off the counter.
“What?”
Her smile only widens, taking a step closer to Steve. He’s officially getting creeped out.
“What, Robin?”
Still no answer, Robin steps closer still. Now, there’s only so much room behind the Family Video counter, so one more step and she’s gonna be like a couple inches away from his face.
Steve watched her eat a garlic bagel for breakfast and her nasty breath isn’t getting anywhere near him.
He takes a step back the same time she steps forward. “Rob, you’re freaking me out. What, did I say something weird? I just said Eddie probably sounds really good when he tries, not that I’m in love with him or something crazy like that.”
Robin’s eyes widen to the size of dinner plates and oh shit, he fucked up.
He attempts to play it off, meandering out from behind the counter, but it quickly turns into a brisk walk as Robin’s hot on his heels following him into the horror section.
“Oh no, no, no, no, no you’re not getting away from me this time. You might think I don’t pay attention, Steve Harrington, but I’m incredibly observant when it comes to things I’m interested in.”
She slows her approach, catching up to him as there’s only so much distance from the register to the horror aisle. “And I’m very interested in your attraction to one Edward Munson.”
Okay so she definitely knows.
“I know you try to play it off but you think I don’t see the sneaky little glances every time he’s in here? What, you just ‘accidentally’ stare at that boy’s ass every time he bends down to get a movie off the bottom shelf?”
Steve halts, gripping the copy of Alien he was in the process of putting back. How the fuck did she notice that? It wasn’t his fault that the metalhead wears insanely tight jeans. They look so good and accentuate his—
Not the time to be thinking about Eddie’s tight-ass pants, Steve.
Later, definitely later.
“Or how you always find a way to sit next to him during movie nights just so you can watch his reactions more than the actual movie?”
He was so sure he kept things on the down low, but apparently he wouldn’t know subtlety unless it smacked upside the head and added to his increasing brain trauma.
Steve couldn’t help it. Eddie's reactions were cute as hell. Okay, everything about him was cute, from how he pokes his tongue out in concentration to the way he has to separate his M&M’s into color groups before eating them.
That second one shouldn’t be as cute as it is, but Steve's just too far gone for the bastard.
Just thinking about these little details has a goofy little smile appearing on Steve’s face, completely forgetting he was supposed to be distracting himself and, unsuccessfully, Robin with actually doing their job.
Robin’s smirk widened to devious proportions at his I’m-fantasizing-about-my-crush face.
Jack-fuckin-pot.
“Sure, anyone could say I’m reading too much into it, but as your resident lesbian and knower of all things queer,” Steve snorts. In Hawkins, Indiana? Unlikely. “those looks were anything but platonic.” Robin leans forward to whisper the final blow in his ear, “You think you’re so slick but I know what you are, Steven Bernard Harrington.”
Did she just use his fucking middle name?
And what kind of parent gives their kid the middle name Bernard anyways?
Apparently it was for a great uncle that died way before he was born. He had to hide that shit all throughout middle and high school lest Tommy or someone found out and started calling him Bernie. Yuck.
Steve spun around and threw his hands up, getting ready to tell Robin to ‘mind her own damn business for once in her goddam life please.’
Unfortunately, whilst throwing his hands up, his grip loosened on the copy of Alien, launching it towards the front of the store. Robin leaned back, watching with widened eyes as the tape flew through the air, seemingly in slow motion, right into the face of-
“Ow, what the fuck, Harrington?! Is that how you greet your favorite customer? I should tell Keith how you’re dishonoring the Family Video name with that kind of behavior.”
Steve froze yet again, nervous sweat starting to build, praying to whatever deity was out there that that wasn’t who he thought it was (and that he wouldn’t sweat through his polo ‘cause ew).
He didn’t even hear the door chime, signaling that someone was coming in, nor could he see anyone approach as his back was to the door. Robin, on the other hand, looks downright giddy, as if she knew he was coming, and leans out from behind Steve. “Oh, hey Eddie.”
Steve slowly lowers his hands and turns around, mentally preparing himself to face the man he unintentionally assaulted: Eddie motherfucking Munson.
The bane of Steve’s post-Vecna existence stood in the doorway, with his long curly hair, wicked smile, and big dumb bambi eyes that you could get lost in if you stared at them for too long…ahem. He was holding the copy of Alien and rubbing the red mark blooming on his forehead.
“I mean, I’m used to getting things thrown at me, but at least you have taste in what you use. Alien is a bitchin’ movie.”
Steve cracks a small smile.
“Sorry about that. Totally Robin’s fault, though.”
“Excuse m—” Steve throws a hand over her mouth, effectively silencing whatever protests she had.
“Pay no attention to the lesbian behind the curtain.”
Eddie snickers, “The curtain being your hand, I’m guessing? I suppose I’ll take your word for it. But you were still the one who threw it so you get half the blame. I’m an equal opportunity guy.”
Steve watches him walk over to the counter, Robin continuing to muffle expletives into his hand and attempting to pry it away from her mouth. Now that Eddie’s attention isn’t directly on him, he can give the metalhead an appreciative once over.
For once, he wasn’t donning his hellfire club shirt and jacket combo. Not that Eddie didn’t have other clothes, but he could tell that the DnD themed shirt was a comfort item.
The battle vest he borrowed (more like Eddie threw at his shirtless and bloodied torso, blushing and muttering about modesty) was currently hanging up in Steve’s room. He had washed it and tried to return it to Eddie, but the metalhead said that he could keep it as a token of their newfound friendship.
If Steve started wearing it around the house and even sometimes to sleep in, well, that’s his business.
The rest of Eddie’s clothes weren’t so fortunate. The curly-haired boy had to throw away everything he was wearing during Vecnacolypse after not showering for a week, swimming through Lover’s Lake, then coating himself in a thick layer of goo and blood when he nearly became demo-bat food.
Steve doesn’t like to remember that last part.
Instead, he was repping a cropped Dio sweatshirt that was clearly loved if the frayed ends and random holes were anything to go by. Worn black jeans hung on his protruding hip bones, hugging the curve of his thighs and cupping his ass so nicely. For a guy with a slighter frame, he sure does fill out in the right areas.
He kept his signature silver rings and was that black polish on his nails? Hot. His hair, which had grown even longer, was tied up in a loose low bun at the base of his neck, a few fly-away pieces framing his face.
Overall, Eddie looks like a whole ass meal and Steve is fucking starving.
Robin, who’s still being silenced by Steve, rolls her eyes at her friend's blatant gawking and sloppily licks his hand.
Steve immediately snaps out of his second Eddie-induced stupor of the day and rips his hand off Robin’s mouth, shooting her a disgusted look.
The short-haired girl just shrugs. “You were drooling over Eddie for a good minute and a half. Had to get your attention somehow.”
He panics and wipes at his chin with his non-Robin-spit covered hand, grimacing when he doesn't feel any drool.
The short-haired girl snorts and claps him on the shoulder, heading over to the counter where Eddie was fiddling with a candy display.
Robin mock bows and holds her hand out in front of her. “To what do we owe the pleasure of having the infamous Edward Munson grace us with his presence at our humble store?”
Eddie scrunches his nose at his government name, but takes her offered hand anyway, giving her a twirl. It was definitely supposed to be graceful, but Robin being, well, Robin, manages to step on her left shoelace and face-plant right into Eddie’s chest.
Eddie gasps and wraps one arm around her head, mussing up her hair and trapping her against his taller frame, and fans himself with the other. “Oh my, such forwardness! I know you fancy the ladies, but if you wanted to get freaky with little ole me, take me out to dinner first. I’m not as easy as you’d think.”
Robin laughs and wraps her hands around his waist, ruthlessly squeezing his sides. Eddie howls as she tickles him, releasing her when it becomes too much to handle.
Chest aching with fondness, Steve watches as Robin chases Eddie around the main counter, threatening him with a multitude of expletives if he ever did that again. They slow down after a few minutes, both breathing heavy with massive smiles on their faces. He goes to move towards them and in true Robin-esque fashion, stumbles slightly over a fallen tape, nearly crashing into Eddie.
The metalhead grabs his shoulder to steady him, a zing of electricity passing through him at the touch. Eddie knits his eyebrows in concern and Steve shakes his head, quirking the corner of his lip as if to say he’s all good. Once Eddie gets confirmation that Steve’s okay, his demeanor changes entirely, concerned look morphing into a cocky smile, eyebrows waggling. “Why King Steve, I didn’t know you swung that way. I guess I’m just irresistible to everybody.”
“Har har, very funny.”
Eddie didn’t know he was speaking truth and Steve sure as hell wasn’t gonna confirm it for him.
“Yeah, Steve, why don’t you wax poetic about how Eddie is sooo irresistible?”
Robin can go straight to hell for all he cares.
Steve snorts and puts on a pseudo-lovestruck face, voice high and effeminate. “Oh, yes! How did you know I totally want to ‘get freaky’ with a demo-bat chew toy who plays a fantasy game with children.”
Eddie, ever the drama queen, clutches his hands to his heart and stumbles backwards, leaning his back against the edge of the counter. “You wound me! After I’ve graced you with my presence? Despicable.” He takes a second to pointedly look at the places Steve’s scars are located on his body. “Might I remind you that you’re also a ‘demo-bat chew toy’ so you can’t really talk.”
Steve sticks his tongue out at the metalhead and walks behind the counter, checking the time and seeing they only had an hour before closing.
Work was basically pointless now with it almost being time for them to leave and Eddie being a good distraction, so Steve turns around, ready to listen to the other two talk about random shit for the remainder of his shift.
What he didn’t account for was Eddie leaning backwards over the counter to follow him with his eyes, leaving his upper half splayed on the surface, back arching against the wood. His bun had come loose while Robin was chasing him, leaving his curly hair to hang off the edge of the counter. It just looked so soft and oh shit he wanted to pull it. Eddie’s brown bambi eyes stared up at him, a little gleam of something twinkling there as a grin stretched over his face.
Steve was struck by such an intense need to pin the other boy down and play a vicious game of tonsil hockey that he had to grip a nearby drawer handle to stop himself from doing just that.
The handle creaked under the intensity of his grip before snapping off all together. Shit, he’s gonna have to fix that. He groans and slams the cheap piece of plastic on the counter, momentarily distracted from the boy in front of him, until he hears Eddie’s breath hitch on a near silent groan.
Steve whips his head around to face the metalhead and what he sees instantly sends a sharp spike of heat straight to his groin.
Eddie’s eyes are glazed over, bottom lip tugged between his teeth, arms raised to lay next his head, showcasing even more of his tantalizingly pale skin.
God, he was practically presenting himself on a fucking silver platter all for Steve.
Did Robin turn up the thermostat? ‘Cause he’s sweating like a sinner in church.
He needs to snap out of whatever spell the curly-haired boy currently has him under before he fucking ravishes him right on the Family Video counter, but he just can’t look away. He takes a step towards Eddie, the other boy pulling him in as if he were a magnet.
He’s stopped by Robin shoving a broom at his chest, knocking the wind out of him.
Apparently while he and the other boy were having their sexually charged staredown, Robin had followed him behind the counter to start closing duties.
“Earth to dingus, we actually have a job to do, so stop trying to get in Eddie’s pants and help me sweep the non-existent dust that Keith claims he can see.”
Steve splutters and glances towards the other boy, only to see that he was already on the other side of the store (how the hell did he move that fast?) putting the Alien tape back in the horror section.
He takes the broom from Robin and was going to start sweeping behind the counter, but she nudges him in the ribs, gesturing with her head towards Eddie. Getting the telepathic message, he makes his way over to the horror section to start sweeping.
Steve may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but non-verbal communication with his best friend is a skill that he’s more than perfected.
He gets lost in the motion of sweeping, actually finding some pretty gnarly dust bunnies under the shelves, before breaking the silence. “So, Munson…what did you really come here for? You’re usually in and out in like 5 minutes.”
Eddie looks up at him, eyes playful, void of the intense desire they held previously. “What, I can't just come to say hi to my two favorite employees? First you hit me in the head with a tape, now you’re doubting my intentions for coming here? I’m really feeling the love, Harrington.”
Steve puffs a laugh, “We’re the only Family Video employees besides Keith, dumbass, and I don’t think you were coming to see him cause the lazy ass doesn’t work closing shifts.”
Eddie smiles, eyes crinkling at the corners. Steve didn’t know that was something he was attracted to until just now. “Alright you caught me. I didn’t just come here to say hi, though I want it on record that I did want to say hi to both of you…as well as what else I came here for.”
Steve gives Eddie a smirk, “Okay, okay. I’ll make note that Eddie Munson does have good intentions-sometimes. So…you gonna answer my question?”
A slight blush dusts Eddie’s face, teeth worrying his bottom lip, as he looks at Steve from under his lashes, uncharacteristically shy.
Yep, Steve’s saving that image for the spank bank.
“Okay so the finale of the campaign I’m running? I’m sure the little shits have mentioned it so you know what I’m talking about.”
Oh, Steve knows. Dustin won’t stop talking his ear off about it.
“Right so It’s one of the most complex campaigns I’ve come up with. I obviously had enough time to brainstorm with being a so-called-criminal and hiding until things calmed down. I even splurged and bought a bunch of decorations to create the atmosphere.” The metalhead cracks a grin. “Those little shits better like it.”
Eddie starts to pace. “The world is way bigger than any I’ve done before and I’ve fleshed out a lot more side-characters, meaning I’ve had to do a lot more voices and my lovely voice is getting strained. Plus, the storyline is heavier and deals with some real dark shit, which the kids can obviously handle considering the whole Vecna thing, but I’ve tried to stay away from certain triggers so they don’t get flashbacks. Don’t need anyone spiraling into despair during their one escape from the real world. Oh! There’s also this crazy plot twist involving-”
“Dude, you’re rambling.”
Eddie’s blush darkens and he stops pacing, hand coming up to tug on a lock of his hair. “Sorry, kinda got lost there.”
God, he’s so fucking cute.
Steve waves him off and gestures in the direction of Robin on the other side of the store, “It’s cool. I’m best friends with Chatty Kathy over there, so I’m used to it. Takes at least a couple tries of physically shaking her and calling her name before the rambling slows down.”
“Fair enough, though, you haven’t seen rambling until you get me going on something I’m really passionate about. I could go on and on and on…” Eddie loses his bashfulness and grins salaciously. “Though I wouldn’t mind getting manhandled by you, big boy. I am very loud so it takes a firm hand to shut me up.”
Steve chokes on his own spit. Big boy? He did start working out whenever he needed a distraction, which was often, so he guessed it was paying off.
He was trying, and failing miserably, to not picture Eddie being vocal in a certain setting, calling him big boy, amongst other things. Or manhandling Eddie to show him how big of a boy he actually is.
Focus, Steve.
“Noted. So...the campaign? And don’t get lost again, Munson, or else you’ll be at the mercy of these guns.” Steve flexes his aforementioned biceps and delights in the way the other boy's hungry gaze darts between his arms, as if he wanted to take a bite out of them.
Steve would totally let him.
Eddie drags his eyes back to Steve’s and flips him off, trying to mask the fact that he was caught openly staring at Steve’s beefy arms, but the blush was back so Steve couldn’t really complain.
“Don’t threaten me with a good time, Harrington.” Steve sucks in a breath a the implication. “But, since you so graciously asked again…I need a favor.”
“A favor?”
“Yes, Harrington, a favor.” Steve didn’t like the tone Eddie was using, recognizing it as similar to Dustin’s tone when he wants Steve to do something that he normally wouldn’t agree to.
He sighs. Why does he have such a weakness for pretty brown eyes and curly hair?
The metalhead grins, figuring by Steve’s sigh of resignation that he’d won him over. “Be at the highschool at 5pm sharp on Friday.” With that, he turns on his heel and walks towards the door.
Steve watches him (and his ass, let’s be real) go. It takes a second to register what Eddie just said as he was distracted, but once it does, he’s got questions.
“Woah, woah, woah hold on, what exactly is this favor? I’m not doing any illegal shit, no matter how much you beg.”
Eddie turns back around and flutters his eyelashes, “But I beg so pretty, Harrington.”
Steve gapes at him. What did he do deserve this kind of torture? God? Satan? Anybody?
Eddie slowly walks over, keeping eye contact the whole time, and places a long finger under his chin, closing Steve’s mouth The heated atmosphere from before makes a valiant comeback.
“Don’t worry your pretty head, Stevie. If you do this for me, you’ll get an ample reward.” The metalhead drags his finger lightly down Steve’s throat. “That’s a promise and I’m very intent on fulfilling my promises.” With that, he struts out the door, bell chiming as it closes.
Steve stares at the door for a good 30 seconds, processing what in the fuck just happened to him and willing his traitorous dick to calm down.
Robin, who was leaning against the counter having finished her sweeping and deciding to eavesdrop on their conversation, blows a long, low whistle.
“Wow, that was the gayest thing I’ve ever seen and my favorite movie is Rocky Horror. Also, Stevie? That’s a new one.”
Steve fixes her with an exasperated look, red creeping onto his cheeks.
“Rob, don’t. Just don’t.”
Hands raised in mock surrender, Robin makes her way behind the counter to finish up closing duties. Steve sighs, following her and dropping his head on the counter, a sense of deja vu plaguing him as this was the exact position he was in not even an hour prior.
“What should I do? I mean, it’s Eddie. The likelihood of it being something illegal is 50/50, so I have a good chance, right?”
Robin has the audacity to shrug. “Why are you asking me? You know you’d do anything for Eddie, legality aside. We broke into a super secret Russian base last year, for godsakes, and I’m just your best friend, not the guy you have a massive gay crush on.” Steve goes to object, but shuts up as his friend fixes him with a knowing look. “I don’t think you have to worry about him pulling any stunt like that with you. The dude’s metal but not cruel.”
That’s true. Eddie’s got a rough exterior, but he’s just a marshmallow man on the inside.
“So…you’re obviously going to show up at the school on Friday like the good little boy you are and help Eddie with whatever he needs.”
Steve blanches, opening his mouth to try and come up with a smart retort, but closes it because he knows Robin is spot on. Damn that observant bitch.
Ignoring Steve floundering over her begrudgingly true remark, Robin busies herself with counting the register. “Plus, he did say you would get a reward. He could like give you free weed, sub in for driving the kids around, buy you dinner,” she smirks, “or you know other favors.”
Steve’s mind, that was going a mile a minute trying to figure out what the favor was, promptly shut down all operations.
Other favors? Well, shit. He hadn’t even considered that. But there was no way. Sure, Eddie’s a flirty guy but he wouldn’t mean that type of reward with Steve…right?
The way he was essentially devouring Steve with his eyes while splayed out on the counter earlier said otherwise but that’s neither here nor there.
The cash register closes with a metallic clink. Robin picks up the whiteboard and scribbles something on it before turning and showing it to Steve, poorly disguised mirth dancing in her eyes. A new column had been sectioned off, with a tally already in it, and was titled, ‘You Want Eddie to Suck Your—’
Steve screeches as he flings open the front door and runs to his car, Robin scrambling over the counter to follow after him, dying of laughter as she climbs into the passenger seat.
“I fucking hate you.”
“Love you too, Stevie.”