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Steve leaned up against Skull Rock, checking his watch. Wind whipped at his hair, making him wish he had a mirror or something because he knew it was getting messed up. He just wanted to get back inside, really, but he couldn’t just yet. Not until he showed up.
Steve almost sighed in relief when he finally heard the crunching of leaves, alerting him to Eddie’s presence. “You’re late, Munson.”
“Sorry, sweetheart, I’m not as familiar with the area as King Steve.” Eddie bowed, winking when he met Steve’s eyes and walking up to where Steve hadn’t moved.
Eddie put an arm on the rock behind Steve, leaning into his space, “Y’know, Harrington, if you wanted to kiss me, you didn’t need to drag me all the way out to Skull Rock.”
“Haha, Munson,” Steve pushed the arm away, “That’s not why we’re here.”
“Aww, shame. I wanted to see what all the fuss was about,” Eddie fake-whined, looking at Steve’s lips in a way that definitely didn’t do anything to Steve, no way.
“It’s Dustin.”
Eddie’s face immediately shifted into one of worry, “What happened? Is he okay?”
“Yeah, the little shit is fine.” Steve reassured, “It’s his birthday soon.” Eddie visibly relaxed.
“I know .” Eddie leaned back on the rock, side pressed into Steve’s, “He won’t stop going on and on about it. Tried to ask me to fudge some dice rolls when we play next week.
“I don’t know what that means, but the point is, I’m hosting a surprise party for him.” Steve definitely wasn’t focusing on the heat coming from Eddie where they were pressed together. No, that’d be weird. Stop being weird, Harrington.
“And you had to bring me here to tell me that because…?”
“He’s everywhere, man!” Steve threw his hands up, almost hitting Eddie in the face, “He just shows up outta nowhere! I don’t even know how he gets into my house, he just appears there!”
“Well, I may have taught him how to pick locks.” Eddie twirled his hand around a piece of his hair and Steve desperately wanted to know if it was as soft as it looked and— Wait , hang on, rewind, what did he just say?
“You taught him WHAT ?” Steve screamed.
“Can’t I have a little father-son bonding time with our child, Stevie?”
“He’s not our child, Eddie.”
Eddie gasped, hand flying to his chest to grasp it dramatically, “Steve, how could you say that? You would disown your own child? What a terrible mother you are.”
“I’m not— Why am I the mother?”
“Oh Stevie…” Eddie shook his head, leaning in towards Steve with a mischievous smile, similarly to that time in the RV where Eddie called him “big boy”, which is a moment Steve has only thought about a very normal amount, thank you very much, “Don’t you know, princess? The dad is the fun one.” If Steve’s stomach flipped at Eddie calling him princess, no one had to know.
“I can be fun!” Steve protested. Eddie just looked blankly at Steve, who crossed his arms, “I’m fun.”
“Oh, I bet you are, darling.” Eddie was looking at him like he wanted to eat him, and Steve flushed.
“Focus, Munson. The party is at five next Thursday. If you wanna help set it up, you can come early.” Steve turned and began to walk to his car.
“That’s it? I don’t even get a goodbye kiss? I mean, you made me come all the way here and I don’t even get a taste?” Eddie fluttered his eyelashes at Steve and Steve was dangerously close to giving him exactly what he was asking for.
“Goodbye, Munson.”
“Bye, Stevie.” Eddie smirked, blowing a kiss, “See you Thursday.”
Steve was in the middle of putting up streamers when he heard a knock at the door. He glanced at the clock; it was only 3:15. Robin should still be working at Family Video for about another half an hour. He quickly taped the streamer up before going to answer the door to a smiling Eddie Munson.
“You’re early, Munson.”
“You said I could come and help set it up, Harrington.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t think you would.” Steve stepped aside to let Eddie in.
“I couldn’t leave a damsel in distress to fend on her own.” Eddie brushed his hand on Steve’s shoulder as he slipped past into the house.
“My hero.” Steve deadpanned, shutting the door.
“Nice place.” Eddie whistled, looking around.
“I guess.”
“Am I the only other one here?”
“Robin will be here after her shift.” Steve glanced at the clock again, “Did you come here straight from school?”
“Figured you needed my help, Stevie.”
“Hey, I can plan parties!”
“Parties for a 15-year old nerd and his friends?”
“Well…” Steve scratched the back of his neck. It’s true he hadn’t really thrown a party since high school where he would throw one practically every week to get drunk and forget about his piece of shit parents and hang out with his shitty friends.
“That’s what I thought. Hand me a marker, would you?” Eddie held out his hand and Steve couldn’t help but notice how the light danced off his rings.
“Why?” Steve asked, handing him the black marker on the counter.
“You’ll see.” Eddie took the cap off with his mouth and began to draw on the poster board where Steve had written “Happy Birthday Dustin!”
“Hey, don’t mess that up!”
“I’m improving it,” Eddie muttered around the cap held in his teeth. Steve sighed as he watched Eddie scribble away. When Eddie leaned back, finished, and snapped the cap back into place, he looked to Steve with a grin, who squinted at the drawing.
“What am I even looking at?”
“It’s a d20!”
“But it says 15.”
“Because he’s turning 15! My genius is wasted on you, Harrington!”
“Hey, why does everything have to be about that weird game you play?”
“That ‘weird’ game that Dustin loves ?”
“Ugh, fine, add your dungeons and whatever stuff on there.”
Eddie did so, drawing all around the words, filling the empty space. “Aren’t you afraid Henderson is gonna jimmy your locks and ruin the surprise?” Eddie asked, working on a sword and shield.
“Well, I wouldn’t have to be if you hadn’t taught him how to pick locks, Munson . But no, he’s at the arcade with the other boys right now. Nance is gonna bring them here when it’s time for the party.” Steve taped down the final streamer, stepping back to make sure they looked alright. Satisfied, he leaned over Eddie’s shoulders to check out the sign. “You’re actually not half bad at that.”
Eddie raised his head at that, “Was that a compliment I heard? Has this lowly jester impressed royalty ?” Eddie smirked, eyes twinkling with delight.
“Shut up, Munson.”
“ Make me , Harrington.”
Shit, their faces were really close like this, Steve realized. Eddie’s eyes were pretty. Steve doesn’t think he knows any other guys with pretty eyes. At least, not that he’s noticed. Steve’s eyes flitted around Eddie’s face. It was more than just his eyes that were pretty. His big brown doe eyes, the way his hair fell over his face, even the stupid smirk still on his face. All Steve would have to do is just lean in a little and…
A knock came at the door, startling Steve before he could— Before he could what ? “That’s, uh, that’s probably Robin.” Wait, had it been a half an hour already?
Steve rushed to answer the door, decidedly ignoring the fact that he was definitely about to kiss Eddie Munson.
Robin didn’t even say hello as she pushed past Steve and instead complained about work. “Ugh, Steve, I swear if one more person asks if we have The Breakfast Club in even though we specifically put out a sign that says we don’t have it right now—” Robin cut off as she noticed Eddie, “Oh, hey.”
“Buckley! So glad you can join the party! Tell me, is it too much if I draw a dragon around the “D” in Dustin?”
“Oh, definitely. There’s no room for it.”
“I hate that you’re right. If only Stevie had left me more room for my artistic genius.”
“Hey, why is it my fault?”
“Because it generally is, Steve.” Robin teased.
Things were weirdly quiet after that, with Robin and Steve blowing up balloons and Eddie focused on the finishing touches for the sign, leaving Steve with just his thoughts. His thoughts that were increasingly more and more centered around Eddie Munson.
Eddie fucking Munson and his constant flirting and stupid cute little nicknames and his pretty face and—
Ok, no more denying it, even in his head. Steve Harrington was painfully attracted to Eddie Munson. No, more than that; Steve Harrington had a big fat crush on Eddie Munson.
God, he wanted to kiss him. To slip his hand into those curly locks and pull him close. He wanted to kiss that stupid smug smile off his face.
Truthfully, he was aware of this for a while, he just wasn’t sure how to process it. Well, it’s all processing now and Steve was now fully aware of how fucked he was.
“Voila! My masterpiece is finished.” Eddie announced, setting the marker down and admiring his work.
“Eddie, come help me and Robin blow up these balloons.”
“Sounds like the perfect job for me. I’m really good at blowing things.” Eddie winked as he picked up a balloon.
Steve flushed as he couldn’t help the images flooding his mind. Eddie on his knees, smiling up at him as he pushed down Steve’s underwear saying, “Let me take care of you, big boy.”
Those thoughts quickly came to a halt as the sound of a balloon deflating filled his ears. Shit, he accidentally let go of the balloon he was filling.
He quickly grabbed it, embarrassed. He glanced at Eddie who was giving him a very knowing look. That little shit definitely knew what he was doing to Steve. He looked away, meeting eyes with Robin who was staring at Steve, desperately looking for answers for what the fuck just happened.
Later , Steve tried to convey back.
Robin did not get the memo. “Oh! Hey, Steve. I, uh, I totally forgot to… uh, get Dustin a birthday gift! Yeah. It’d be, like, really embarrassing to show up without a present. Can you take me to the store real quick?” Robin was not a good actress.
“Well, maybe you should have thought of that before .” Steve hissed.
“Harsh, Stevie. You’re going to deprive our son of a birthday gift on his special day?”
“Ugh, fine. Robin, I’ll take you shopping” Steve resisted the urge to put quotation marks around the word shopping, grabbing his keys.
Eddie jumped up to follow, “So, what are we getting the twerp?”
“You can’t come!” Robin blurted out, “Uh, I mean. Someone’s gotta stay here. You know for, uh, if… if Nancy calls! Anyways, we should hurry to the store. Ok, byeeee!” Robin pushed Steve out the door in a panic.
“You’re not subtle, Buckley.” Steve said as they got into his car.
“Well, neither are you! What the hell was that back there?”
Steve groaned and set his head on the steering wheel. “I, uh, I think I like Eddie.”
“You think?”
“No, I know. I just.. I can’t stop thinking about him.”
“Oh, Steve.” Robin laid a hand on his shoulder, his words sinking in, “Welcome to the club, I guess.”
“He’s like… really pretty, right?”
“Uh, not my type, but sure. Like, objectively.”
“And he’s flirting all the time! Do you think he means it or is it just a joke? It’s constant! Every other thing out of his mouth is something suggestive and there’s only so much I can handle, Rob!”
“Well, I haven’t seen him flirting with anyone else… Maybe it’s a good sign?”
“Or maybe he just likes messing with me.”
“You never know unless you ask.”
“So, why haven’t you asked Vickie out?”
“That’s different! We already know Eddie is gay!”
Steve briefly remembered the day Eddie told him; He remembered the swoop in his stomach at the confession that he brushed off. It feels silly in retrospect not to have noticed.
“Oh, Vickie definitely likes boobies, Robin, I’m telling you.”
“What did I say about saying boobies!? Stop!” Robin screeched and Steve tilted his head back and laughed.
“… Hey, Steve?” Robin almost whispered.
“Yeah?”
“Thanks for telling me.”
“Well, who else am I gonna rant my gay feelings to, huh? You’re stuck with me, Buckley.”
“At least this time it wasn’t on a dirty bathroom floor. Being high and freaked out by the fact I just outed myself was already a bad combo without the smell.” Speaking of being freaked out… “You seem to be taking this surprisingly well.”
“Yeah, I dunno. It just feels… right? I might totally freak on you later though, be warned.”
“So do you think you're…”
“I still like girls. But I also like Eddie.” Steve ran a hand into the back of his hair, “I can do that, right?”
“I think you already are, so yeah.”
“Right. Yeah. Wow. God, this is weird. Is it funny that I find the fact that I like guys less strange then the fact that I like Eddie “The Freak” Munson ?”
“Look, I’m not here to tell you how to have your first gay panic, I’m just here to help you through it.”
“…So I’m guessing you don’t need to buy a gift for Dustin?”
“Of course not, Dingus. I have it at home.”
“Well why didn’t you just say that instead of making up a lie?”
“I get nervous under pressure, Steve! Do you know how many icecream cones I gave out instead of sundaes my first week on the job at Scoops?” Robin groaned at the memory, “But we should swing by my place and pick up the gift I do have, so we don’t look suspicious.”
“Sure, as if the scene in there was so not suspicious.”
“Well, it doesn’t help that we’ve been sitting in the driveway for the past few minutes and Eddie can clearly see we’re here through the window.”
“Shit.”
Armed with Robin’s present, they returned, only this time with Robin giving him knowing looks everytime he even so much as glanced at Eddie. Steve sent her back looks that screamed “fuck off!”
She did not.
The only time he got a reprieve was when Nancy called to tell them she was about to leave with the boys and Robin stole the phone from him to talk to her. Steve quickly turned off all the lights while Eddie looked around Steve’s living room for a good hiding spot. Finally, Robin hung up the phone.
“Dude, she just left, why are you already hiding behind the couch?”
“Yeah, you’re right. There’s still time to find a better spot.” Eddie concluded, hopping over the couch and flopping onto it.
“You know…” Robin started, a note of mischief in her voice that made Steve instantly suspicious, “I think I know a pretty good hiding spot.” Robin waved her hand for Eddie to follow her and she grabbed Steve by the wrist and took him with her, too.
“Robin, I swear—”
“Shush, you’ll be thanking me later,” Robin whispered, as she reached her destination. The hall closet.
“No. Robin, seriously I—” She shoved him in the closet and pushed Eddie in behind him.
“Wow, never thought I’d be here again,” Eddie quipped, unaware of Steve mentally cursing Robin in his mind.
“What?”
“The closet, Steve.”
“Oh. Right.”
The closet was small. Confining. There was no way to move around without brushing against each other. Steve very carefully reached his hand over to the lightswitch, lightly knocking his hand into Eddie’s arm on the way.
The closet illuminated and shit , maybe this was worse. Because now Steve can see Eddie’s face, merely inches away from his own. Cmon, Harrington, where’s that charm? He thought to himself. He used to be good at this, right? He got Nancy Wheeler to date him, for crying out loud! The problem is that girls never flustered him. Not even Nancy Wheeler, beautiful and smart and what Steve believed to be his dream girl.
He’s never felt like this before and it’s a little terrifying.
“You ever played Seven Minutes in Heaven, Harrington?” Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh my fucking God.
“Uhhh…” Seriously? Say something! “ ”Yeah?” Why was that a question? Why? “Yeah.”
“Have you ever done it here? At your house? In this very closet?” Eddie leaned in slightly, bringing them even closer. Steve tried to take a step back but he hit the wall.
“Y-yes.”
Eddie’s hand came up and landed on the wall at the side of Steve’s head. Something about it made Steve think about the first time he met Eddie, pinned against the wall of that boathouse with a broken bottle to his neck. And ok, shit, maybe he was a little into that.
Eddie’s eyes flitted back and forth between Steve’s, searching for something. Steve didn’t know what. Could barely think at all between the stream of, please kiss me please kiss me please Eddie oh my God kiss me please.
Steve’s gaze was fixated to Eddie’s lips. God, why did he ever think he was straight? He wanted to kiss him so badly. He wanted to lean in right now and—
The sound of the door opening broke the moment, as Eddie jumped out of the closet to scream surprise. Steve followed a second later. Dustin didn’t look surprised at all.
“You knew?”
“Like it was hard to figure out.” Dustin rolled his eyes, “As if Nancy would willingly take us to the arcade. Not to mention the fact that I know you , Steve. It was easy to suspect something was going on.”
Steve turned to Eddie and mouthed “Ego” at him, to which Eddie rolled his eyes in agreement with a fond smile.
Other guests filtered in throughout the night, like Joyce and Hopper, and Jonathan with that weird friend of his, Argyle—who Steve had only met a few times now— with eight pizzas in tow. Steve was sure they wouldn’t be able to eat that many pizzas, but with 6 kids as well as the fact that Jonathan and Argyle somehow managed to eat 2 pizzas each, it was all gone by the end of the day. Yet somehow they all had more room when Steve brought out the cake he made (with the help of a recipe from Joyce and the decoration skills of Nancy).
Hopped up on sugar, Dustin was practically bouncing out of his seat waiting to open his presents. The other boys weren’t faring much better and Steve was ninety percent sure they’d be up all night and fought the urge to remind them that it was still a school night. “Cmon, Steve! Can I open them now?”
“Fine, fine, I’ll go bring out your presents.”
“I’ll come with you.” Of course, it’s fucking Eddie .
The two boys went into the other room, where Dustin’s presents were neatly stacked in the corner. Shit, we’re alone again, Steve realized, his heart picking up pace, What do I do? What did I do with girls? He tried to recall his own advice, the things he told Dustin in the past and that’s when it hit him. “The key with girls is just acting like you don’t care” He had said. But here in this moment, Steve doesn’t think he’s ever cared as much as he did right now.
Steve silently picked up the biggest gift, one from himself, and adjusted it in his arms.
“So how was your conversation with Buckley earlier?” Steve almost dropped the gift.
“Uh, what conversation?” Steve began to sweat. God, why was he sweating?
“The one when she dragged you out of the house to speak with you in private with an obvious lie?”
“I was, uh, hoping you didn’t notice that. But yeah, Robin’s a terrible liar.”
“You are too, Stevie. I would know, I’m veerryy good at reading body language.” Eddie leaned over Steve and winked, hand brushing his shoulder and Steve felt like he was going to combust. His heart pounded in his chest and his face was so hot and fuck , his whole body felt like it was on fire; especially his shoulder where Eddie’s fingers brushed against his shirt. Steve’s breath caught in his lungs and he was pretty sure he was dying which was saying a lot because he’d been close to dying many times now.
“Can you just stop flirting for once?” Steve snapped, pushing Eddie out of his space because it felt like he couldn’t breathe.
“Oh.” Eddie frowned, fully stepping away from Steve and shit. Shit shit shit, that came out way different than Steve meant. “Sorry. I didn’t know it bothered you so much.”
“No!” Steve blurted out, wanting to get rid of Eddie’s sad eyes, wanting Eddie to step back into his space and grin like he always does. “That’s not what I meant.” Steve took a deep breath, “I… That conversation with Robin… It was about you. About how I can’t stop thinking about you, Eds. Your flirting is driving me up a fucking wall because I like it and I can’t figure out if you’re just joking or if you like me. Because I like you. So much, Eddie.”
“You… like me?”
“Yeah. I do.” Steve awkwardly juggled the present in his hands, “Um, this is where you tell me how you feel.”
“Yeah, sorry. Still processing. You , Steve Harrington, like me , Eddie Munson. Wow.”
“Eddie? Uh, not to rush you but if you don’t give me an answer I’m gonna start freaking out over here.”
“Oh shit. Yeah.” Eddie shook his head, “Of course I like you, Steve.”
“Yeah?” Steve smiled, beaming at Eddie, who was looking at him like he was precious and dear lord he wanted Eddie to look at him like that all the time.
“Oh yeah, Big Boy. I can’t believe you thought I’d flirt with someone I don’t even like. I mean, sure, I thought you were completely straight but still, I just couldn’t help myself, darling.”
The double nicknames were like a one-two punch to Steve’s gut and he was pretty sure he needed to kiss Eddie Munson, like, yesterday . Steve set the gift back on the ground and brought his hands to Eddie’s face.
“Please kiss me.”
“I thought you’d never ask, Stevie.”
Finally, finally, after all the teasing comments Eddie made about kissing Steve, he got to experience it.
Steve buried his hands in Eddie’s hair (it’s just as soft as he thought it’d be) and Eddie had his hands on Steve’s hips. And God , Steve’s never wanted anyone more than he wanted Eddie, because he wanted more . Anything Eddie’s willing to give him, he’ll take.
Steve slipped his tongue into Eddie’s mouth and almost groaned at the feeling of Eddie’s tongue licking back. Eddie pulled Steve even closer and their hips met, causing a tiny whimper to leave Steve’s mouth. Eddie used that moment to absolutely devour Steve’s mouth and Steve was pretty sure he was in heaven. He didn’t think anything could ruin this moment.
“Hey, what’s taking you two so—” The two boys jumped apart as the birthday boy himself walked in the room. Well, except that . Or the Upside Down coming back. “Oh god!” Dustin averted his eyes. “What the fuck, guys?”
“Uhhh…”
“...Happy birthday?”
“God, gross. I mean, I’m happy for you, but ew . Worst birthday ever, it’s like I just walked in on my parents kissing.”
“I told you we were his parents, Steve.”
“Shut up, Eddie.“
“Make me.”
“Oh my god! I’m still here, you know! Jesus Christ.” Dustin walked back out of the kitchen.
“I’ll fudge those rolls for you, Henderson!” Eddie called.
“You fucking better! I wish you had fudged your stealth checks so that I didn't have this image burned into my retinas!”