Chapter Text
Every fiber of Eddie’s body tells him to run. But he stays, bouncing his leg nervously, twisting his rings for comfort, trying to calm down. He doesn’t run away anymore. Plus, running away in the long, heavy graduation gown might prove to be difficult.
The queue of students in front of him moves slowly. Name after name they get called up on the stage. Robin gives him a wink when she accepts her diploma. He is glad he is here with her, even though there are so many people between them.
When the principal reaches the letter C he still reads out Chrissy’s name. She is getting an honorary posthumous diploma. The crowd goes wild, some cheer, some cry. Eddie breaks out into cold sweats.
He can feel Jason’s eyes on him, burning through his graduation gown. Eddie is already on edge about graduating, he doesn’t need the daggers Jason wishes he could push through Eddie’s pounding heart on him right now.
Trying to distract himself Eddie looks into the crowd and spots Steve. Of course, Steve is here. Robin is graduating and so are Nancy and Jonathan. And even though Eddie has no illusions that Steve is here for him, he catches Steve looking right back at him.
He gives Eddie a happy grin and does the small, little wave with his fingers that he always does. Maybe it’s because Eddie is used to people staring at him usually with disgust, throwing finger gestures at him that are far less flattering than a little wave. But for some reason, Steve’s little acknowledgement throws him worse than Jason’s animosity. Eddie has to look away and continues to let his eyes wander.
He spots Mike with the Wheelers, cheering for Nancy and of course, Will and his mum are here for Jonathan together with Hopper and Eleven. To his surprise, Dustin, Lucas and Max are standing next to the Byers. Neither of them has an older sibling graduating that year, so Eddie wonders why they are here.
The question is answered when the principal calls his name and the kids erupt into cheers and holler loudly as Eddie steps onto the stage. The rest of the crowd is quiet, shocker. But it makes the kids’ support even sweeter. He is too nervous to look back at Steve, but he can hear Nancy, Robin, and Jonathan cheer from him too. Someone whistles loudly and Eddie knows it’s Wayne.
His hands are clammy when he accepts his diploma and his legs shake so badly he almost trips. He had had it all planned out. Flip off Principal Higgins, make a scathing comment about the basketball team and pull his demon grimace before jumping off stage, typical Eddie The Freak Munson style. But he can’t do that anymore. Not since Eddie The Freak Munson has become Eddie The Murderer Munson. He is lucky if he makes it out of the ceremony without getting punched in the face.
Though a punch in the face feels rather trivial after almost dying in the upside down, he doesn’t want Wayne to see him like this. Wayne is standing in the crowd, not far off from Harrington, clapping loudly, his eyes glistening like he might be crying. Eddie gives him a quick nod, before hurrying off stage and before his own eyes can tear up too.
His heart has barely time to calm down before Robin’s arms fling around his neck while she chants, “We did it, Eddie, we did it!”
“Just took saving the world and passing Mrs O'Donnell's class,” he grins back at her. “And I'm not sure how I did the last part.”
Robin chuckles and leads him to the place she’s been standing next to Jonathan. Jonathan gives him a clap on the shoulder. They’ve never been friends, not even acquaintances, but they both know what it’s like being pushed into lockers, being at the receiving end of dirty looks and abusive pet names. Jonathan might have gone quiet and tried to disappear while Eddie had decided to become louder, to become more grotesque, if they wanted a freak he would give them one. But still, they share the sentiment of outsiders, happy the worst years of their lives are finally over.
Together they watch the rest of their classmates walk the stage. Nancy gives a great valedictorian speech and then the whole thing is thankfully over. Eddie is itching to get out of this robe and away from the campus where most people hate his guts and would love to see them displayed on a butcher’s counter.
He cuts through the crowd, trying to find Wayne, but the kids find him first.
“Congrats Eddie!” Dustin cheers and tackles him in a hug.
“Thanks, man,” Eddie grins despite the dirty glances he gets from bystanders, and the tension in the air that threatens to snap any moment like an overstretched rubber band. Eddie just hopes that no one is getting the pitchforks and torches out while the kids are still around.
“Are we still good for another campaign over the summer?” Mike asks once Dustin has let go of Eddie.
“One last campaign,” Eddie promises before he slings his arm around Mike’s shoulder. “Then it is your turn to be the savior of the freaks and geeks of this school and run hellfire.” He nods towards Mike’s Hellfire shirt that he and all the other kids are wearing. “Better start making some new ones soon.”
“What…what if we’re not ready,” Mike whispers with a very unlike Mike insecurity.
Usually, Mike approaches everything with the painfully obnoxious whining of a teenage boy who thinks he is the first one to suffer from acne and lanky limbs growing out of proportion to the rest of his body. If you asked one of Mike’s friends on a bad day, they’d probably say that being annoying is Mike’s favorite hobby. And while on some days Eddie feels inclined to agree, he sees exactly what Mike is doing.
Eddie knows a thing or two about protecting yourself by acting obnoxious. He’s basically invented that move. Hell, he even did it to the kids at first, snapping at them in the cafeteria, throwing pretzels at them during lunch, pretending like Hellfire was a more important component of life than breathing oxygen.
Well, sometimes working on a campaign does feel more important than breathing to Eddie. He has occasionally forgotten to eat or to sleep, too focused on coming up with a new boss fight to make the party's life hell. But he also knows that just because he doesn't, other people still have a life outside of playing DnD. He still deeply regrets the way he handled the whole Lucas situation, despite several apologies. But hey, everything to protect this cool and hardcore persona he had built around himself, right? Only that it had crumbled the second the kids found him traumatized and crying in his dealer’s boat house, clutching a broken bottle first to Steve’s neck and then to his own chest.
Where Eddie from several months ago would have replied something apathetic about how if Mike doesn’t feel ready, he probably isn’t and doesn’t deserve the spot as the next DM, the Eddie from today smiles softly down at his sheep and prodigies.
“Would I, Eddie Munson, choose you to carry my legacy if I didn’t think you were ready?” He asks and Mike shakes his head. “It would be my honor to have you kids run Hellfire once the summer is over.”
That seems to be enough to calm the kids' nerves and they start asking him questions about the summer campaign. Eddie promises to answer them all in good time. Eventually, Mike, Eleven, and Will get called back to their families and Dustin, Lucas and Max say goodbye too.
Eddie goes back to searching for Wayne and finds him talking to…Steve?
“Congrats man,” Steve says once Eddie approaches them, beaming like a child on Christmas morning. It’s as pretty as it’s unnerving. “Passing Mrs O'Donnell's class is freaking hard.”
Just like Jonathan, Steve claps him on the shoulder. In the upside down Steve had pressed his hands on Eddie's bleeding abdomen, yet somehow the friendly touch of his hand on Eddie's shoulder feels more intense. Steve's casual affection still catches Eddie off guard after everything. Steve in general catches him off guard.
When Eddie had woken up in a hospital with a hurting but still beating heart he had been surprised to find the older teenagers sticking around alongside the kids. He had kinda expected for Nancy, Steve, and Robin to drop him. And while Eddie adores the little shrimps, even though he would never admit that out loud, he hadn’t really jumped at the opportunity to befriend the older members of the party either.
Other than Robin really. But his friendship with Robin makes sense and had become inevitable the second she had clocked his black bandana and he had clocked her…well, everything, but specifically the flustered state Vickie from band was able to reduce her to.
And he had been perfectly fine being friends with just Robin. He didn’t need to befriend anyone else, thank you very much. Only that they didn’t really leave him a choice in that matter.
When Nancy had sat down next to him in the cafeteria the first day after spring break, proclaiming she was going to help him study so he could graduate, Eddie had been too terrified to say no. Nancy had guns after all.
And with Nancy had come Jonathan and with Jonathan had come smoking the occasional joint under the bleachers when Nancy wasn’t trying to force mathematical equations into his head. Eddie still wouldn’t necessarily call himself best buddies for life with Nancy and Jonathan and suggest beading friendship bracelets. But they are closer now. Closer than just traumatized people, bonded by their shared experience of going to hell and back. Hell, if Eddie is honest he actually kinda really likes the two.
And so for the past few months Eddie had hung out with Robin, studied with Nancy, and smoked with Jonathan. Steve he had avoided.
Eddie tells himself it’s because he still expects Steve to drop the nice act and the next touch to be a punch in the face. No other reason. Definitely, no other reason.
But even avoiding Steve had been more difficult than anticipated. Because Steve likes to linger. Sticks around when picking the kids up from Hellfire to chitchat. Asks how band practice is going when Eddie comes into Family Video to bother Robin. Even offers to drive Eddie to physiotherapy if he is in too much pain to do it himself and even though Eddie declines Steve somehow still lingers.
The same way he now lingers around Wayne and Eddie. Wayne is shooting Eddie a pointed look and Eddie realizes that he still hasn’t said anything.
“Thanks, Harrington,” he manages to get out.
“I was just telling your uncle that Robin and I are having a small party at my place tonight to celebrate. Jonathan and Nancy and some band kids will be there too,” Steve says, either unphased or unaware of the rigid tension keeping Eddie frozen. “You should come too, bring your bandmates.”
It’s not the first time Eddie has been invited to a party. Freakish he might be, but he has one thing that all the rich popular kids on Steve’s side of town want: drugs.
Eddie searches Steve’s face, wondering whether that is the reason Steve is inviting him. To get something with more of a kick than just beers and whatever fancy liquor he might steal from his parents' cabinets?
But then again, while Eddie would never be so foolish to underestimate the level of wild and unhinged nerds like band members and theater kids can get, they aren’t really the clientele to snort Special K or chuck handfuls of MDMA. And while some of them might fancy the occasional joint, he knows that Byers has a stash big enough to make half of Hawkins high enough to reach the stars.
Still, he finds himself asking, “Do you need me to bring anything else ?”
Steve frowns before he gets what Eddie is hinting at and shakes his head.
“Just yourself, Munson, just yourself,” he grins and for the first time today, some of the tension is easing out of Eddie’s shoulders.
“Yeah, maybe,” Eddie says non-committal, even though he knows Robin will be beyond pissed if he doesn’t show.
“Great, then I have a party to prep,” Steve continues to grin before turning to Wayne. “Mr Munson, it was nice talking to you.”
Ever so polite and perfect.
Wayne gives Steve a nod, which is more than most people get from Wayne.
“And I will see you,” Steve makes finger guns at Eddie while he begins to walk backwards, “later.”
It makes him look like a dork and not cool at all, but Steve doesn’t seem to care. Like he actually has reconsidered how much value to assign the social construct that is popularity. Eddie adds it to his mental list of things he doesn’t want to examine more closely about Steve Harrington.
“I said maybe ,” he fires back, but Steve ignores it.
“Oh, and leave the dice at home,” he says while continuing to walk backwards. “It’s my kinda party, not your kinda party.”
Before Eddie can shoot anything back, Steve is too far gone. Even though he can’t see Eddie, Eddie rolls his eyes. He is surprised though that Steve knows that a group of DnD players is called a party. But then again Steve has been babysitting the nerds for a couple of years now, so it kinda makes sense. Still doesn't make it any less weird that the former king of Hawkins High knows DnD.
“That Harrington kid is not what I expected him to be,” Wayne says as they watch Steve make it across the field to Robin.
“Yeah, me neither,” Eddie mumbles quietly.
He still struggles to wrap his head around that Steve The Hair Harrington, King Steve, womanizing, rich, ex-basketball player, jock Steve Harrington is kind. Genuinely kind and nice and not the superficial jerk prancing through the school hallways avoiding Eddie like the plague anymore.
Once they had killed Vecna and closed the upsidedown for good, Eddie had thought that Steve would show who he really was and return to his old ways. When your life is in danger you tend to work with any ally you can get, even a cowardly freak like Eddie. And then once the danger is over, it’s time to get the pitchforks and torches back out to remind people like Eddie where they truly belong.
But instead the lingering had happened and helping Hopper to clear Eddie’s name and getting the murder charges dropped, and then some more lingering and now Eddie is invited to a party.
A few weeks ago, Eddie would have thought that this might be some kind of Carrie situation. One last big moment of cruelty from the mighty King Steve to delight his confidants and entertain the masses. And what is a freak if not a court jester?
But Eddie knows better now. Knows that the callous confidants of Tommy H. and his army of jocks have turned into a dorky lesbian, an ex-girlfriend, and a stoner. And that the masses King Steve once used to beguile are now a gaggle of loud mouthed, nerdy kids. And King Steve himself? Gone. Vanished without a trace, no matter how vivid he sometimes still is in Eddie’s memory. Point is, nothing bad is going to happen to Eddie at the party. He still doesn’t want to go.
“C’mon kid,” Wayne rips him out of his thoughts and nudges him gently, “let me treat ya to lunch.”
The diner is relatively empty, it’s only eleven am, and still an hour and a half to go before the lunch rush. Eddie sinks deep into the booth and hides behind the large menu. He knows the few patrons that are in are staring at him regardless.
He’s lost the graduation robe and is back to his leather jacket he likes to carry like it is armor. He does already feel more comfortable in it, the robe was absolutely not him.
Just like fancy brunch in high-end restaurants that people like Jason are probably having right now, getting tipsy on champagne and stuffed with caviar, isn’t him. He knows Wayne feels guilty that he can’t give Eddie a better graduation celebration than brunch at the diner, but waffles with over-easy eggs and coffee so strong it could raise the dead are all that Eddie could want. It’s funny how a near-death experience can make you enjoy the simpler things of life.
“You should go by the way,” Wayne says when Eddie is halfway done with his waffles.
“Sorry?”
“To that Harrington kid’s party,” Wayne continues and takes a sip from his coffee. “He seemed eager to have you there.”
Eddie raises an eyebrow, skeptical. Just because Steve invited him out of politeness doesn’t mean that he was exactly eager.
“Your friend, the Robin girl, seems to be close with him.”
“And?” Eddie is not quite following his uncle. Just because he is friends with Robin and Robin is friends with Steve doesn't mean Eddie has to be. It's not like Robin is hanging out with Gareth or Jeff either.
“Well, she seems like a smart girl,” Wayne says. “And I think it would be good for you to have more friends in this town.”
Eddie looks up from his plate. Wayne has never been the best with words when it comes to emotions and neither has Eddie. But he can still see the fear and the worry in Wayne’s eyes and he understands.
“Alright, I’ll go,” he promises his uncle and Wayne’s gaze becomes a bit less heavy.
This is how Eddie finds himself outside of Steve’s house at nine pm. He prays that the neighbors won’t see him and call the cops. He’s switched his hellfire shirt for a simple black tee and left his leather jacket in the trailer. It is far too hot this time of year for leather, no matter how well it suits him and how naked he feels without it.
“Eddie!” Steve greets him at the door, his eyes hidden behind shades and a beer in his hand. “Where is the rest of Corroded Coffin ?”
Eddie blinks, surprised that Steve Harrington knows the name of his band. Eddie has done a good enough job at avoiding Steve for his band to ever come up. But then again, Chrissy knew it too. Not all rich popular kids are the same, he reminds himself. Especially not Steve.
“Ah, they only come out when it’s a full moon, I’m afraid,” he jokes half-heartedly.
“More booze for us then,” Steve shrugs and steps aside so that Eddie can come in.
In reality, Eddie hadn’t even told the other members of Corroded Coffin about the party. He isn’t even sure himself why he is here, standing in Steve Harrington’s hallway. How was he supposed to explain to his friends that he was invited to Harrington's party not as a dealer but as a guest? Somehow we saved the world together and now we have shared custody over Dustin didn’t seem like an answer that would satisfy them. Nor does it really satisfy Eddie, what the hell is he doing here?
The sound of laughter and music is coming from the other end of the house and for a second Eddie considers turning around on the spot. But then Steve’s hand lands on his back and pushes him gently towards the noise.
“Let’s get you something to drink,” he says as they walk into a living room that is bigger than Eddie’s trailer. One of the big glass doors is open, leading onto a terrace where Eddie can already spot Robin goofing around with Vickie. When she sees Eddie she waves at him excitedly.
“Holy shit, you have a pool, Harrington?” Eddie lets out a low whistle as they step outside. He knew Steve’s parents were rich, but not like rich rich. He is so distracted by the pool he almost doesn’t notice the bitter expression flickering over Steve’s face.
“Yeah, it’s too cold for swimming though,” he says even though sweat is running down both their backs. “I’ll get you that drink,” he mumbles and disappears, leaving Eddie alone in his huge backyard.
Fuck, does he feel out of place. The feeling subsides slightly when Robin hugs him hello and he reminds himself that she is very much just like him—sans the murder charges—and she feels as comfortable in Steve's house as if it was her own home. If he didn’t know that Robin was gay, he wouldn’t be surprised if she and Steve were dating, given how close they are.
“You made it,” she smiles at him so broadly he can tell she definitely has had her first few drinks. “You remember Vickie?” she asks and leads him to Vickie, who gently swings to whatever generic pop song is coming from Steve’s speakers.
“Of course, hi Vickie,” he waves at her and she waves back. They both had to suffer through Mrs O'Donnell's class. They are basically comrades in arms. Forget the upside down, that class leads to the real trauma bonding.
“Robin wasn’t sure if you were going to come over or not,” Vickie tells him. “Went on and on about you.”
“Well, here I am,” he spreads out his arms and bows slightly, causing Vickie and Robin to giggle. “Though I might leave soon if this…top 40 shit is going to play all night.”
“God, yeah,” Robin shakes her head. “Steve’s obsession with Wham! is the bane of my existence.”
“Well, come on then,” Vickie grabs her hand and Robin turns as red as a cherry. “Let’s put on something more palatable.”
She tugs Robin along to the stereo and Robin mouths help at Eddie, who can only grin.
“No Blondie either,” he calls after them jokingly, knowing how much Robin loves Blondie. She flips him off and seconds later Heart of Glass begins playing. Eddie shakes his head and looks around.
Robin’s friends from band turn out to just be Vickie and the only other people at the party are Nancy and Jonathan. He gives them a quick nod when they join Robin and Vickie at the stereo and they wave back. It makes Eddie relax slightly. At least he knows those people and none of them look at him like they want him dead.
Still, he takes a big swing out of the beer bottle Steve presses into his hand a moment later.
“And here I thought you were popular, Harrington,” Eddie puts on a fake, confident grin once he has put the bottle down. “I expected at least one of those hot dates you keep having to be here.”
He manages to keep his leg from bouncing, but his thumb is already rubbing over the damp label on the beer bottle, peeling it off.
“Well, none of us are that comfortable with crowds these days,” Steve shrugs. “And honestly, I’d rather just hang out with the people that matter.”
He says it so matter of factly, with such honesty and conviction, his hazel eyes focused on Eddie that it knocks the air out of Eddie’s lungs. The people that matter. And god, Steve needs to stop doing this. Not being a dick is one thing, but pretending that Eddie is his friend? That Eddie actually matters to him? Eddie doesn’t buy that. He can’t allow himself to buy that. Steve barely even knows him, and if he knew Eddie, truly knew Eddie like Robin does, he sure wouldn’t spout such wannabe kumbaya my lord bullshit.
Steve has apparently also become an expert in reading Eddie because he frowns and sits down on the terrace floor, motioning for Eddie to join him. Reluctantly, Eddie sits down, legs crossed, looking expectantly at Steve.
“You’re Robin’s friend, the kids sure look up to you, and once you’ve done the whole upside down end of the world bullshit, you are part of the group,” Steve explains. “Like it or not.”
It’s not that Eddie doesn’t like it. If he is honest, he likes it so much it scares the shit out of him. Because good things don’t happen to Eddie Munson. And if they do, they sure don’t last.
“Is that why you’re cool,” he does air quotes around the word cool, “with Byers being here?” He asks and points with his bottle towards Jonathan who is laughing at something Nancy has said.
“Jonathan and I get along surprisingly well,” Steve says and Eddie actually believes him. “Going through this shit a couple of times doesn’t really leave you a choice but to grow up and leave the past behind.”
Eddie hums, thinking about it. If Byers and Steve can get along, then why shouldn’t he and Steve get along. Though deep down inside Eddie knows he isn’t particularly worried about the getting along part. He is worried about something far more stupid and far more dangerous.
“I take it no hard feelings you and Wheeler didn’t make it work then?”
“Nah,” Steve takes a sip from his own beer. “We knew we wouldn’t work. What happened in the upside down was just…the comfort of nostalgia? I don’t know man. Either way, she is better off with Jonathan.”
“Even though you were such a knight in shining armor,” Eddie says sarcastically and to his delight, he gets a grin out of Steve.
“I think Nancy is very much her own knight in shining armor,” Steve sighs and Eddie agrees. He never knew how much of a badass Nancy future Harvard graduate Wheeler was until she pumped Vecna full of lead in the upside down.
“And you are truly more of a court jester than a knight, ” Eddie teases and Steve gasps shocked before shoving Eddie gently.
“If I’m the jester what does that make you?” He teases back. “The castle’s ass?”
“Hmmm, no,” Eddie fake contemplates. “I only have an ass. A spectacular one at that.”
He takes another sip of his beer while Steve laughs.
“Oh is that why you always half cover it with that black bandana of yours?”
Eddie chokes on his beer. Steve hits his back a couple of times, not knowing that his touch is making Eddie’s choking worse. Does he know, Eddie wonders while coughing half his lungs out. Is that why he is asking?
But then the chances are slim that a guy like Steve Harrington from a small town in Indiana knows what flagging is. Eddie knows that Robin knows though. Still, she would never betray his trust and tell Steve. Eddie knows that Steve is cool with Robin being gay, but he also knows that it’s always something different with guys.
He should probably change the topic, but enough alcohol has entered his bloodstream to loosen his tongue slightly.
“Why, Harrington?” he almost purrs once he has recovered from choking, “Have you been trying to get a better look at my ass?”
Steve’s smile falters and the warm feeling of alcohol in Eddie’s stomach turns into cold panic tightening around his chest making it hard to breathe. Has he gone too far?
“Hey, you guys wanna play truth or dare?” Nancy’s voice cuts through the strained tension between them. She is still standing on the other side of the terrace together with the others and holds up an empty bottle. Steve turns around to her.
“What are we, twelve?”
“Do you have a better idea for a game?” She raises an eyebrow, challenging.
Steve opens his mouth and then closes it again.
“That's what I thought,” Nancy says triumphantly, “now come over.”
“You still think I’m one of the cool kids, Munson?” Steve mutters and gets up. He holds out his hand for Eddie to take, their unfinished conversation apparently already forgotten.
“I never thought you were actually cool, Harrington,” Eddie takes Steve’s hand and lets himself be pulled up.
Once again the gentle touch and casual affection feels like a shock to the system. Eddie once read that it takes six months for a habit to stick, he wonders if getting used to this new Steve Harrington will take just as long.
They walk over and join the circle. Eddie notices that Robin has very strategically sat down across from Vickie and Jonathan and Nancy have mirrored their position, leaving Eddie and Steve no choice but to also sit across from each other.
The game itself is surprisingly fun. Vickie gets Nancy to admit that she has actually cheated on tests before, Jonathan has to run one round around the pool in Nancy’s heels, and Vickie comes clean about shoplifting a lipstick once. When it’s Eddie’s turn to give Robin a dare, he asks her to perform the Time Warp from Rocky Horror.
“Don’t make me do it alooooone,” she pleads but already gets up.
“I’ll join you,” Vickie giggles and joins Robin by doing a jump to the left before stepping to the right. Eddie wiggles his eyebrows at Robin. So much for wondering if Vickie is actually queer too.
Jonathan and Nancy are staring at the two girls dancing with a mixture of fascination and bewilderment. Unsurprisingly, it seems like they have not seen Rocky Horror. Then Eddie’ eyes land on Steve and he has to do a double-take because Steve is actually mouthing the words along.
“I didn’t know you knew Rocky Horror, Harrington,” Eddie doesn’t know if he is impressed or if he should panic because Steve knows what Rocky Horror is and he most likely knows the connotations of being a Rocky Horror fan. And if he knows those connotations maybe he does know what flagging is and if he does know what flagging is than he also does know that-
“I work in a video rental store,” Steve cuts through Eddie’s spiraling thoughts.
Right, that makes sense. A lot more sense than Steve being an expert regarding friends of Dorothy and where to find them.
The girls sit back down and Eddie chucks his third? fourth? beer while Robin spins the bottle. It lands on Steve who lamely chooses truth and begrudgingly admits that he spends about an hour in the morning on his hair.
Then it’s Steve’s turn to spin the bottle. The sound of glass rolling over stone fills the night and mesmerized Eddie watches the bottle turn around and round and round. He doesn’t notice he has held his breath until the bottle stops, neck unmistakably pointing at him. His eyes flick from the bottle up to Steve’s.
“So, Munson,” Steve leans forward, a smug smile on his face, “Truth? Or dare?”
Eddie considers. He knows he could choose truth and still lie depending on the question. He never understood that about truth or dare, nothing is keeping people from simply not telling the truth. But Eddie knows he has so many truths he’d rather hide that threaten to spill over his lips with every sip of alcohol he takes. So he leans forward as well.
“I dare you to dare me, Harrington,” he says as if he had just challenged Steve to a duel.
“I dare you…” Steve begins and then hesitates. For the first time, Eddie notices how close they are. Their circle wasn’t big, to begin with, and now that both of them are leaning forward there are mere inches between their faces. Eddie’s hands grow clammy again. He holds Harrington’s stare and raises his eyebrows slightly as if to say bring it on big boy, even though he once again feels anything but brave.
Then, for the briefest of seconds, Steve’s eyes flicker to Eddie’s lips. It happens so quickly, Eddie almost thinks he has only imagined it if it wasn’t for Steve eyes turning comically wide as if he was a Looney Toons character.
He is going to dare me to kiss him , Eddie thinks and then nothing else. His brain is hung up on the idea of what it might feel like to kiss Steve Harrington. It's not the first time it has happened, but usually Eddie snaps out of it as quickly as pulling your hand away from a hot stove. But right now he has completely forgotten that the others are there. Steve leans even closer and Eddie can’t help but stare at Steve’s lips too. He wonders if they feel as soft as they look. Not that it matters because Steve fucking Harrington is going to dare Eddie to kiss him.
“I dare you to get yourself and me another beer.”
And just like that, the spell is broken. Steve leans back and Eddie blinks confused back into reality.
“Wow, you’re so lame, Steve,” Robin sighs next to him and Nancy, Vickie and Jonathan giggle at her comment. It’s all that Eddie needs to sober up.
“Not lame, just lazy,” Steve muses and gets another laugh out of the others.
“And here I thought you were just too cheap to get a maid,” Eddie hears himself joke as he gets up. Humour is a great mechanism to hide behind. This way he grins into the group even though on the inside he is screaming.
“Hey, I said to get yourself one too,” Steve points out. “Unless you don’t want more, in which case we also have soda in the fridge.”
“I’m tipsy Harrington,” Eddie says as he begins walking to the kitchen. Don’t run, don’t run, he tells himself. “Not blackout drunk.”
If Steve says something back, he doesn’t hear it. There is too much noise in his ears. He reaches the kitchen and slams the door shut, leaning his back against it for support.
“Fuck,” he curses. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”
Did he honestly just consider kissing Steve Harrington while only sitting inches away from him? Fuck. His heart is pounding so much at the thought it’s almost jumping out of his chest. Given that Eddie probably would have kissed Steve if Steve had dared him, Eddie really shouldn’t drink more. Yet with shaky hands, he reaches for the fridge. He takes two beers out and uses the top of Steve’s bottle to open his own. Eagerly, he drinks the bitter liquid.
“FUCK!” He curses again. Thinking about kissing Steve Harrington at night in the safety of his trailer at the other end of town is one thing. Steve is definitely attractive, Eddie has stopped lying to himself about that a while a go. But actually, considering doing it? In front of people of all things? Eddie must be losing his mind.
He tries to calm himself. In the end, it doesn’t matter because Steve didn’t dare him. And Steve would never dare him. After all, he is as straight as they come. Robin is more likely to kiss Eddie than Steve is. All Eddie has to do really, is to get his fucking act together and not think about Steve’s stupid, pink, smooth lips.
He looks at the bottle in his hand and downs half of it. He should leave once he is finished with it before he gets any more brilliant ideas like almost kissing Steve Harrington.
When he returns the group has thankfully abandoned the game and started to talk about summer plans instead. Nancy and Jonathan have to leave in late August and want to make the most of the summer. Vickie just really wants to go swimming at Lovers Lake. Robin gives her an encouraging smile, even though Eddie knows none of them are keen to go swimming there again.
“What about you, Munson?” Steve asks as Eddie hands him his beer, making very sure that their fingers do not brush. “Any great plans for summer other than playing DnD with the gremlins?”
“I need to find a job,” Eddie sighs and sits down as far from Steve as possible. “College isn’t really my thing.”
Steve and Robin nod knowingly. Neither of them knows what to do with their lives really and for the foreseeable future, they plan on working in the video store.
“Hey, we could always use more hands at Family Video,” Robin suggests.
Eddie’s eyes quickly flicker over to Steve, who shows no reaction to Robin’s idea. While technically working at Family Video sounds like a fun job, it would make Eddie’s whole avoiding Steve agenda pretty difficult.
“I don’t know Robin,” Eddie hesitates. “I don’t really have the best resume…or reputation for people to hire me.”
“Keith isn’t going to care. Right, Steve?” Robin elbows Steve into the side.
“Oww,” he complains and rubs his waist. “Yeah, I’m sure Keith will hire you, man,” he adds after a moment. He doesn’t sound exactly thrilled about the idea, but also not like he would rather have a fist fight with a demogorgon.
“I’ll think about it,” Eddie mumbles and finishes the rest of his beer. Working at Family Video is a bad idea. He holds up his empty bottle. “I should probably leave.”
“Us too,” Nancy says as she and Jonathan are getting up, before turning to Eddie. “We can drive you.”
“Thanks, but I could use the walk,” Eddie declines their offer.
He can already feel the panic about almost kissing Steve claw up his throat like heartburn and he isn’t really fond of having a panic attack in the back of Jonathan’s car while the Smiths go on about crashing into double decker buses over the stereo. Whiny bastards.
Vickie has her head rested on Robin’s shoulder and Robin lets out a hearty yawn.
“You still cool with letting us stay in your guest room,” she asks Steve and Steve nods.
While Robin nudges a very tired Vickie towards the guest room, Steve brings the rest of them to the door.
“You sure we can’t drop you off?” Nancy asks again and Eddie declines once more. He really, really, really needs to clear his head.
“Alright,” Nancy says and waves goodbye before she leaves with Jonathan while Eddie is still busy tying his shoes.
He wishes he had been quicker because now it’s just Steve and him. Eddie tries to tie his shoelaces as normal as possible. There is no gay way to tie your shoelaces, Munson, he berates himself in his head. His hands still shake. Just as he is done, Steve mumbles, “You could also stay, you know?”
“Thanks, Harrington, but I think if I tried to sleep in a house this size I might get agoraphobia,” Eddie looks up from his shoes and shakes his head.
“We usually don’t have that many spiders in the house?” Steve says so confused and perplexed it makes Eddie laugh. And kind of wanting to ki— and nope, not going there. Not again.
“Don’t ya worry your pretty head, Harrington,” Eddie chuckles and promptly turns to leave before he says anything else stupid or god forbid does anything stupid like ruffling Steve’s hair. Or kissing him.
But then Steve reaches out and grabs his wrist. Eddie freezes, before very slowly turning around, afraid of what Steve might do. He expects anything really, ranging from anger to disgust. What he doesn’t expect is worry.
“Call me when you get home, okay?” Steve asks and Eddie frowns. He is about to point out that this is Hawkins and that he isn’t six years old anymore, but the urgency in Steve’s eyes makes him stop. “People tend to get missing if they walk home alone in Hawkins,” Steve continues. “So, promise me you will call!”
“Okay,” Eddie rasps. It hits him right there and then how much Steve has truly been through and how much he has lost. Eddie has been through one of those shit shows, Steve has been through four? And yet he still manages to keep his cool and hasn’t gone completely off the rails. Eddie can’t help but admire that.
Steve stares at him for a moment longer with his unfairly pretty hazel eyes before he lets go of Eddie’s arm.
“Good,” he mumbles and there is something so raw and vulnerable about it that Eddie basically has to sprint out of Steve’s hallway before he does something he can’t take back.
“Bye, Steve,” he calls back up before rushing down the empty street. He can feel Steve’s eyes rest on him until he has completely disappeared into the darkness.
Eddie finds that he misses the feeling of Steve watching him a couple of streets later and lets out another string of curses. He is truly fucked.