Chapter Text
"You about ready, big boy?"
Steve rolls his eyes and pushes himself off the couch with a grunt, pushing his costume glasses further onto the bridge of his nose. "I've BEEN ready for like the past half hour, Munson, at this rate the movie's probably already started."
"Alright, well YOU try putting on this much makeup and being quick about it!"
He lets out a frustrated huff, crossing his arms and staring at his reflection in the living room window. How the hell did he let himself be talked into this? Trick question: he didn't. He didn't even have a choice. He lets slip around Eddie just the ONE time that he'd never seen Rocky Horror Picture Show, and after one long offended gasp, he'd already made plans for them to go to a late-night showing, complete with audience participation and costumes. Completely non-negotiable, not for college classes or work or family emergencies, hell, Steve was convinced he could've broken his leg and Eddie would be dragging him there on a hospital gurney, he was just THAT excited.
He couldn't help but admit that he found it a little cute, seeing the way his eyes lit up when he talked about the show, who they were gonna dress up as, and how much fun Steve was gonna have. He really loved seeing him excited and passionate about what he loved, whether it be music, D&D, or cult classic movie screenings. But right now, staring at himself in the window, in a lab coat, a white undershirt and striped boxers, and plastic glasses, he was finding it a little hard to share that excitement. He just felt ridiculous.
He wasn't sure he was ready for tonight, especially not dressed as "Brad Majors".
He couldn't remember who Eddie was going as though...Franken-something...
"You ready for the best night of your life?"
Steve looked up and damn near choked on nothing.
Holy fuck. Eddie goddamn Munson was standing in front of him wearing a corset and fishnet stockings.
He shifted where he stood in the doorway, hands on his hips, a heel clacking against the hardwood floor. Steve's eyes couldn't help but wander over his made-up face, dark glittery eyeshadow and deep red lipstick, his chunky costume pearls, the laces trailing down the corset, how it hugged his hips just right--
"Doin' ok there, Stevie?"
He felt his face burn and stood up straight, folding his arms again. "Yup, sure am." He pursed his lips a little, trying to keep a straight face. Not that Eddie would've minded, he was definitely the flirtier of the two, it was Steve who was struggling.
He was only just now coming to terms with the fact that he wasn't a hundred percent straight. He got the feeling everyone else knew and was just waiting for him to say it, but he still wasn't ready. He wanted to take his time, dammit.
Eddie strode into the living room, and Steve couldn't take his eyes off his legs, the easy way they strode in those high heels when he probably would've fallen flat on his face. "You about ready to go?" His turn to stare at his reflection in the window, checking his lipstick, dragging a finger down the side of his mouth to clean it up a little.
Steve bit his lip, praying to whatever god was listening that he wasn't blushing as much as he thought. "As I'll ever be. I feel a bit ridiculous."
"Aw, I think you look great, Mr. Majors." He grinned at him, scrunching his eyes a bit as he did so. It really showed off his dimples, much to Steve's chagrin. "And that's normal. But trust me, you're gonna have a blast, and you're gonna fit right in, just about everybody dresses up for these, even if it's not as a character."
"Well, if anything, I'm excited to see what show would make you act the way you did when I said I hadn't seen it before."
"Which is a travesty, but I still forgive you. We're gonna remedy that tonight. Ok..." He trailed off, grabbing a bag sitting on the arm of the couch. Steve immediately realized it was kind of a necessity, Eddie's costume didn't have pockets. He didn't know why he thought it would have them either, his brain felt like it was currently a puddle at the base of his skull. "Let's get a move on, Stevie. I can see you shivering with antici..."
He stared at him, smiling big. Steve just blinked a few times.
"...pation."
With that, he spun on his heel, his curls whipping sharply around him, and Steve rolled his eyes before following him out.
He stepped out of the van, trying to keep his lab coat folded around him--he may "fit in" at the showing, but he was still in a major city wearing nothing but his boxers. He tried to hurry Eddie out of the van so he wouldn't be outside like this any longer than he had to, but he was already practically barreling out of the van, stopping a few steps up the sidewalk to stare back at him. He hurried, keeping his coat shut with both hands.
How could he be so confident in a crowded city wearing glittery eyeshadow and a corset?
Steve found himself getting jealous for a split-second before he quickly brushed it off. He'd worry about that later, if at all.
He pushed his glasses up again as they walked up to the ticket booth, currently being manned by a girl who looked like the definition of "punk", even in her uniform; big teased hair, smudged dark eyeshadow, big eyeliner wings, and heavy silver earrings.
"We've got two tickets for the midnight showing." Eddie said, smiling and hiking his messenger bag further onto his shoulder.
The girl smiled. "You guys excited?"
"Oh, yeah, we've got a Rocky Horror virgin with us tonight." He wrapped an arm around Steve, pulling him close, and he gave an awkward smile, cheeks turning pink.
"Oh, you're gonna have an absolute blast." She smirked in a way that was almost...knowing? "Ok, you're good to go. Have fun, you're living my dream." She chuckled. Eddie returned it.
"We'll save you a rubber glove and some rice." She smiled, and the two went on their way.
The little tendril of jealousy Steve felt before rose up again, before it faded as quickly as it came.
It didn't stay away for long, though
As Eddie pulled open the door to the theater and the two stepped inside, Steve got an immediate feel for the crowd they were apart of for tonight, if the girl at the ticket booth wasn't any indicator. He found himself tugging his lab coat closed again, suddenly feeling very self conscious, not because he was half-naked, but because everyone here looked twice as cool as him.
It was a little hard to not feel intimidated; everyone who wasn't presumably dressed as a character looked like someone Eddie would get along with perfectly, all in chains and leather and fishnet, in vests and jeans covered in rips and patches, with spiked hair and smudged eyeshadow and piercings and shaved heads.
And my god, they all looked so cool.
Steve's eyebrows creased a little at himself for that last part. Something about that thought felt wrong, like he shouldn't be thinking it. He knew who he was: a straight-laced good boy, who wore polo shirts and blue jeans. He played sports in high school and got good--well, DECENT grades, and hardly ever got in trouble unless someone was in legitimate danger. A straight-laced good boy who was destined to go to college, get some high-paying job as an executive or something where he had to wear suits every day, have a wife and kids and live in a house with a picket fence somewhere...
In his mind, that was the furthest thing from the punks surrounding him, or any that appeared in his life at all. It was just the way it was.
He didn't like it either, but it just wasn't who he was.
It wasn't who he was supposed to be.
"Come ON, Steve!" He was jolted out of it by Eddie grabbing his hand and pulling him into the nearest theater. "It's about to start!"
He gave a slight eyeroll but he was smiling the whole time as he was led inside, scanning over the crowd to try and find some empty seats. He wasn't really sure what to think yet, and his head was still swimming a bit from before, but for now, he was going to try and stuff that down and have fun tonight.
The door swung open and the pair stepped inside, removing various layers as they made their way to the bathroom, Eddie stumbling as he pulled off his heels, and Steve peeling off his lab coat and tossing it into his room.
He squinted a bit at the bathroom light before hunching over the sink, trying to scrub the red marker "V" off his forehead.
"Sooo, what's your verdict, Stevie?" Eddie appeared next to him, grabbing a washcloth and trying to scrub smudged eyeliner off his face.
"It was fun...but questionable."
"How so?" He shot him a grin through the reflection, his voice feigning innocence.
Steve smiled, scoffing through his nose. "Well, I wasn't really expecting all...THIS." He gestured to his forehead before continuing to scrub at it. "And listen, if I never have to moan like my favorite cartoon character again, it'll be too soon."
"What? You don't wanna moan like Goofy onstage again?"
"I'd rather not--"
"Hyuck! Hyuck!"
"I'm gonna get you, Munson." He glared at him, but it was a bit toothless because he couldn't stop smiling. "The audience participation was also a bit...questionable, but it definitely got me a couple times."
"What about the actual movie? What'd you think of that?"
"I thought it was ok."
"Just 'ok'?"
"I think I just had trouble catching on at some parts, it's almost like...y'know how when you're dreaming and stuff just happens? Even if it doesn't make sense? And you just kinda have to go along with it? That's how that movie felt."
"I can see that." He pulled off his costume pearls and let them clatter against the counter as he set them down. "I think you just kinda have to go along with it, even when it's weird and it doesn't make sense. It's like an art film; you just kinda have to accept that parts of it won't make sense."
"Are you saying that Rocky Horror is fine art?"
"Uh, yeah?" He said it like it was obvious. He started unlacing his corset as he walked to his bedroom, leaving Steve hunched over the sink. He toweled off his forehead before standing up, bunching it in his fists and unable to look at his reflection, like he couldn't look anyone in the eye when he said this, not even himself.
"Eddie?"
"Yeah?"
"How did you get into this stuff?"