Chapter Text
Eddie spies Steve immediately upon his arrival, back turned to him, busy restocking the candy shelves. Eddie would recognize that hair, that ass, in any setting. Not that there were many other people it could be, Family Video having a grand total of five employees including Steve and Robin. But still. He smiles to himself, calculating yet another brilliant plan to push up into the other man’s space, flirt with him a little, try to get Steve to blush and stammer out some cheeky comeback. Trying his best to be stealthy he sneaks up on Steve and does his best to try and whisper seductively in his left ear.
Steve jumps immediately, startled by the lips that casually brush against his ear. He hadn’t heard anyone approach, not surprising given his hearing loss. He whips around ready to tell whoever had decided it would be a good idea to try this shit on him off. He’s flustered to realize that the lips belong to none other than Eddie freaking Munson. He was always pulling this kind of shit and the thought of just why that might be always made Steve’s stomach do somersaults. Any retort he might have made dies on his tongue and he just finds himself weakly saying, “Oh hey, Munson.”
Eddie just smirks, leaning himself back oh so casually against the set of shelves behind him. He fixes him with an amused look, “Oh hey yourself, Harrington.”
Steve runs his hand through his hair, trying to push back his own nervousness. Eddie always looks at him like the cat who caught the mouse. Steve certainly feels like the mouse, the prey, around the other man these days. They’d gotten a lot closer since the almost-apocalypse.
But then Eddie asks, “So what do you have to say about that?” Interrupting Steve’s racing thoughts about just how much this new dynamic seemed to affect him.
And, oh shit, Steve realizes, Eddie had said something. Steve’s internally berating himself, of course he had said something. Why else would he come and practically rub his lips into his ear? Trying not to sound too flustered Steve asks, “about what?”
Eddie looks confused for a moment before fixing Steve with a look and asking, “Did you hear anything I just said?”
Steve fidgets for a moment and he doesn’t know why he suddenly feels so compelled to be honest with Eddie but he does. He swallows once before forcing himself to come out with it.
“Look man, it’s kind of embarrassing or whatever but,” and he taps his left ear, “this ones pretty much useless.” And then he turns his right ear towards Eddie’s face and blushes slightly as he says, “and honestly it’s better if you speak up. Won’t get you far whispering,” he admits shyly.
And that right there makes Eddie instantly forget about whatever bullshit he was trying to start because, holy shit, this was so much more important. “For how long? I mean, it hasn’t always been like this, right? Like we when we were in school together you could,” he trails off while searching Steve’s face.
Steve looks back at him before nonchalantly counting out not one, not two, but three separate beatdowns, an experimental Russian truth serum, oh and driving a car full speed into Billy’s to stop him from killing Nancy. Eventually he just shrugs and says, “probably started back when Jonathon beat my ass, which hey, I totally deserved that, but it just got worse and worse with each concussion.” Finally he meets Eddie’s eye uncomfortably and says, “look man I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone about this.
Eddie’s floored, and he has to ask, to confirm it, “the rest of the party doesn’t know? Dude, seriously? We could all be doing so much more and-”
Steve just cuts him off with a steely look and says, “look man everyone’s got enough on their plates, I don’t need them worrying about me. I get by just fine. At least this group is made up of a bunch of loudmouths anyways right,” Steve tries to turn it into a joke, falling a little flat when he takes in Eddie’s expression.
And Eddie is just so exasperated by that, by the fact that Steve clearly doesn’t have any concept that he’s worthy of the love and care he shows others. And it makes him a little mad but mostly he’s just sad for him. His parents had obviously done a number on him.
“You know you’re not a burden right? You deserve so much more,” and it’s clear Steve’s about to argue but Eddie doesn’t let him. He just continues on, “I will agree to not tell anyone, on one condition. You have to start learning sign language with me. You don’t have to use it in public, if it makes you uncomfortable, but I want to help you, Steve. And don’t you dare try to give me any shit about this. Those are my terms,” he says, crossing his arms and making it clear there’s no room to argue.
Not really having any other options Steve finds himself eventually letting out an, “Okay.”
After that initial conversation Eddie quickly became an integral part of Steve’s life. He makes time for Steve, makes him feel special. He insists that they practice together everyday and while their signing is nowhere near perfect, Steve quickly starts getting more comfortable with both Eddie and the language.
He’s not sure exactly when it happened but Eddie’s mischievous flirting with Steve gradually becomes more and more serious. He brings Steve little gifts, like this book about the deaf and hard of hearing community that he found at this secondhand shop with Robin. That he specifically went out of his way to go back and pick up after he dropped her off at home, to avoid her questions.
And Steve finds that, surprisingly, he has no complaints about it. Eddie takes up more space in his brain everyday. He thinks about the other man 24/7, while he’s busy stocking shelves. When he’s alone in that big empty kitchen that he hates so much when Eddie’s not there to sit on the counter, swinging his legs, as he talks loudly and excitedly enough that Steve can actually hear every word, drinking all of Steve’s good beer while he cooks them dinner. When he lays in bed at night and goes over and over every conversation they sign during their little study sessions together.
After three good months of this, Steve can’t stand it anymore. He can’t ignore the feelings he has developed for this nerdy, caring, beautiful man. So with all the courage he can muster he confesses.
They’re sitting in Eddie’s trailer for once, Steve’s parents had decided to make the rare appearance and would be home for two days tops Steve bets. They sit across from each other on Eddie’s bed, facing each other so they can practice their signing and Steve just can’t take it anymore.
I like you, he signs, not being able to bring himself to physically speak the words out loud.
Eddie chuckles, and Steve stares intently at his mouth, waiting nervously for his response. He quickly signs back, me too, but he looks Steve in the eyes, allowing Steve to stare at his lips and says, “I should hope so man,” eyes full of mirth.
“No,” Steve says, knowing he’ll be unable to get his point across when his hands feel this clumsy. He’s practically vibrating, and he hopes Eddie’s far enough away on the bed that he can’t feel it shake. “No, Eddie. I’m serious,” god he just wants to hide under the covers but he can’t allow himself to look away, miss any part of what Eddie might say next.
“I like you, like, how I’ve only ever liked girls. Like I can’t stand when you’re not around. Like I think about you all the time. Like I want to kiss you,” he lets all this spill out of him in a rush, figuring it’s better to just rip the bandaid off, let Eddie tell him all that flirting was just a joke, that it’s just how he acts with everyone, that he just enjoys making Steve squirm.
Eddie’s eyes go soft, and God Steve hopes that’s not pity. He doesn’t have to worry long though because Eddie just says, “finally,” and moves to crawl across the bed, taking Steve’s face in his hands and kissing him softly but passionately.
About a year or so later they’re alone in Steve’s kitchen, with Steve trying to prep the food for the hungry pack of feral children who have been taking full advantage of his pool and parent free house this summer. Eddie’s perched on his usual place on the counter, signing something absolutely filthy to him. Steve throws his head back, laughing a deep and genuine laugh, and Eddie thinks it’s the most beautiful noise he’s ever heard.
So he’s shocked right along with Steve when Dustin cuts in and asks, “what the hell are you two doing in here?” He had let himself in, coming to grab another soda, and had paused upon coming into the entryway of the kitchen. He found himself silently observing the way Eddie was moving his hands with purpose, intricate movements rather than his usual grand sweeping gestures. The way Steve seemingly found these movements endlessly entertaining. The way he began laughing as though he had heard the funniest joke in the world, though Dustin hadn’t heard either of them utter a word.
The kid had crept in so quietly and, of course, Eddie thinks that Steve wouldn’t have heard it but he’s surprised he didn’t himself with how on guard he usually is. Eddie just looks over to Steve, seeing how he wants to handle this, ready to make some elaborate excuse if his boyfriend really doesn’t want anyone finding out but Steve just rolls his eyes and nods to him, giving him the go ahead.
Dustin looks shocked and a little teary eyed as Eddie tells him, Steve letting him take the reins, always uncomfortable talking about himself. However, Steve can’t ignore Dustin when he wraps his arms tight around Steve, and he feels himself softening, comforted by the familiar touch.
After a moment Dustin pulls back, looking Steve straight in the eye and Steve’s sure the kid is going to launch into a full blown rant and so he speaks first, cutting Dustin off, “It’s really not that big a deal, I’ve gotten used to it. And me and Eddie have both been learning sign language, not that I expects any of the others too, because that would be ridiculous and besides I’ve gotten pretty good at reading lips now and-”
Now it’s Dustin’s turn to cut Steve off, “Steve, what the hell?! Of course we’re going to learn! Why the hell didn’t you tell us sooner? We would have-,” Dustin says with his voice trembling mid sentence. He seems to collect himself rather quickly though and says, “I wish you had felt comfortable enough to share this with us.”
Apparently it’s Steve’s turn to hold back tears, “I just didn’t want to be a burden. Everyone, well everyone’s been through so much these past few years. I didn't want you guys to stress about something I couldn’t, nobody, could fix.” Eddie rubs his shoulder soothingly the whole time he speaks, lending him his strength and confidence.
“Maybe we couldn’t fix it but, Steve, we could have made your life so much easier. You could never be a burden to any of us. You do so much for me, for everyone in the party. Let us do something for you now.”
And the kids' eyes are so adamant, so earnest, that Steve thinks he has no choice but to give in, like he always does to these kids. “Fine, but no one else needs to know tonight,” before Dustin can protest Steve just looks him sincerely in the eye, “look you can tell them. I just, I don’t want to be there, okay? I can’t handle everyone’s eyes on me right now,” he breathes out.
Dustin considers and nods firmly. He ducks back in to give Steve another tight hug before giving Eddie a look. “So are you guys, like, together?” He can’t stop himself from asking.
And now Eddie looks nervous, unsure, but Steve just grabs his hand and replies easily, “yes.”
Dustin’s face breaks into a smile, “Cool,” he says, followed by, “Mike owes me five bucks,” before turning and finally grabbing his soda from the fridge and heading back out to the pool.
Eddie and Steve lock eyes for a minute before they both break into a fit of laughter.
After a moment they both settle down a bit and now Eddie is staring at Steve with something like awe in his eyes, like he had hung the moon or something to that effect. He pulls Steve in close, one hand on his hip while he uses the other to softly brush his thumb across Steve’s lips.
“I’m so proud of you, you know that?” he says pulling Steve into a tender heart wrenching kiss.
“Oh please,” Steve just blushes, trying to ignore the way Eddie’s words make him feel, but Eddie doesn’t let him look away. He doesn’t drop his gaze for a second, and Steve’s knees are starting to feel weak, just staring into his boyfriends big beautiful eyes.
“I’m serious, Steve. I know how hard that must have been for you, but you did it anyway. You are so brave, and shit, I want to be brave too,” Eddie looks slightly nervous, the first time Steve thinks he’s ever genuinely seen that emotion on Eddie’s face. He pulls back from Steve, letting his hands leave his body completely. “Steve Harrington,” he says and Steve’s attention is drawn to Eddie’s hands which are moving to sign along as he speaks, “I’m in love with you. Like hopelessly in love,” he tacks on to the end.
Steve feels like his heart is going to explode. Telling Eddie his secret, those thirteen months ago, turned out to be the best decision he ever made. Steve looks him in the eye and tells him quite simply, “Eddie Munson you are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I love you too,” before pulling him into a long breathless kiss.