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He had only gotten closer to the kids since the upside down. Now, he was basically their babysitter and something of a co-parent.
The kids always came to him with all the shit they couldn’t talk to their parents about. So he always had to help them out with things that would piss their parents off. Honestly it usually pissed Steve off too, but he understood it, and forgave them easier. He knew how it was to be a kid. He had done all sorts of stupid stuff too, so who was he to judge?
So usually it wasn’t a surprise when a kid showed up at his house, but he was shocked when he found Will standing on his doorstep. Will didn’t usually talk to Steve, hell, even Mike talked to him more. Steve didn’t know why, but Will always seemed like he was holding back, especially around the party. It made Steve feel kinda sorry for him.
“Hey, you okay?” Steve got a little worried when Will didn’t answer. He just stood there with his eyes glued to the ground.
“Um, could I come inside?” Will still didn’t lift his gaze.
“Sure, come in”, Steve led him into the living room. Robin and Eddie were sitting on the couch talking. They always hung out at Steve’s house, since he had a huge and empty mansion. The two barely looked up when Steve and Will entered.
“So, what’s going on?” Steve said, when Will still didn’t say anything. The boy seemed to struggle to get out any words. He mumbled incoherent sentences that didn’t make sense to anyone. Then finally he got the whole sentence out.
“What do you do if you’re in love with someone that doesn’t love you back?” Steve just stared at him in shock. Will never talked about love, when the others did he always got all weird and left.
“Are we talking unrequited love here?” He hadn’t even heard Eddie coming up behind him.
“Yeah..?” Will asked more than said.
“Then what ya doing asking Steve for advice? Steve the king Harrington, that all the ladies want? Steve doesn’t know a shit about unrequited love”, Steve was a bit offended by Eddie's stating. Sure, he had been popular, but Nancy, the one person he had ever truly loved never really loved him back. He was just about to interrupt when Eddie continued. “If you’ve got questions, you should’ve come to the master of depressing crushes and unrequited love!”
“Huh, who?” Will looked as confused as Steve felt when Eddie pointed at himself.
“You don’t think I know what it’s like to look at someone and know that they'll never love you back? That they never can love you back?” Will looked questioningly at Eddie, who gave him a quick nod. Steve didn’t really understand what was going on. “You think the people I want ever want me back?”
Steve knew Eddie wasn’t that popular. Don’t get him wrong, Eddie should be popular. He was objectively attractive, with his dark messy hair, adorable smile and deep brown eyes. He was funny, sweet and so goddamn nerdy. If Steve were a girl he would definitely be into him, but somehow most girls didn’t seem to like him. And also the murderer-rumors probably didn’t help him win chicks.
But the thing that was throwing Steve off was that Eddie talked like it was one person he liked. Maybe Steve read it all wrong, maybe he was just speaking in general?
“Then what do I do?” Will sounded a bit steadier on the voice this time.
“You stay their friend”, Will looked like someone had stabbed him, but Eddie just kept talking. “You love them from the side. You are there in any way they let you.”
“I can’t do that, I fucking love them! It hurts so bad!” Will looked like he was about to cry.
“If you really love them they’re worth that pain. And if they aren't, then you stop hanging out with them.”
“That’s shit advice! I can’t lose them, I love them”, Will didn’t seem to be able to decide whether he was sad or angry.
“Okay, you want a happy solution?” Eddie asked, clapping his hands together. “You lean forward and kiss them when you're out dancing in the pouring rain, and you get that amazing kiss you’ve always wanted”, Eddie said dramatically before pausing and looking at Will, “But when you do that, just remember that that’s the end of your story. And if you’re anything like me, the last thing you want is for them to stop hanging out with you.”
That was when it all clicked for Steve. Because once, Steve and Eddie were on their way to Steve’s mansion when the rain suddenly started to pour. Instead of getting annoyed because their clothes were soaked they had started to spin around, dancing in the rain together. He had noticed Eddie looking weirdly at him, almost longingly, biting his lip with a painful expression in his eyes.
Steve looked over at Robin who was staring at him with wide eyes. She looked concerned, and maybe even guilty. ‘You knew?’ he mouthed to her, ‘ I couldn’t tell you..’ she mouthed back, which just confirmed his suspicions.
Fuck, fuckfuckfuck. Eddie liked him. Eddie was queer and liked Steve. And god, Steve wished he could like him back, but he couldn't. He knew he was straight. He had always liked girls, and was really in love with Nancy at some point. He didn’t like guys, he wasn’t gay.
Eddie kept talking to Will, but Steve had drifted off. After some time Eddie and Will walked out into the hallway. Steve moved over to the couch and sunk down in it.
“I'm so sorry Steve, I couldn’t tell you”, Robin whispered. She really did sound sorry, but Steve couldn’t bring himself to answer. Eddie was hurting and it was his fault, his fucking fault.
“It’s Mike, right?” Eddie figured. He had seen the way the boy looked at Mike, and he knew that look all too well.
“It’s Steve, right?” Will deflected. And sadly, he was right. It was Steve . It was Steve Eddie looked at like Will looked at Mike. Eddie couldn’t answer, he just nodded slightly.
“It’s Mike”, Will almost whispered back. “It's been him for as long as I can remember”, Will had tears in his eyes as he looked at Eddie.
“Maybe I'm wrong, maybe you’re different. Maybe you can get a happy ending”, Eddie whispered back when he saw Will’s expression.
“I’m not different, and we won’t. You were right, sometimes you just have to accept that you screwed up.”
“You didn’t screw up, you can’t decide who you fall for”, Eddie told himself more than Will.
“I am in love with my best friend, and my sister's ex-boyfriend.” Will said with a pained voice. “I'm a horrible person.”
“You’re not. if you’re a horrible person, then so am I. I'm in love with my best friend”, Will winched. “And I think that El would forgive you, she kinda moved on from him”, that made them both laugh a bit.
El and Mike had broken up a couple of months ago. As El and Max discovered who El was, she had realized she was a lesbian. Mike hadn’t seemed too heartbroken. Sure, at first he had been kinda pissed, and like, embarrassed. But he had gotten over it pretty quickly, at least for Mike. He probably took it better ‘cause it wasn’t a violation to his ego. It wasn’t that she didn’t like him, she just couldn’t like him.
“Well, if you ever need to talk to someone about it , you can always come to me”, Will nodded “Bye.”
“Bye”, Will said back before walking out the door.
“God, that one was rough”, Eddie said as he walked back into the living room. “Um, Steve, what’s up?” he said when he saw Steve sitting on the couch staring at the ground, with Robin looking worried at him.
“I didn’t know” Steve whispered without lifting his gaze, “I didn’t know Eddie.”
This time Eddie understood what he was saying. Steve hadn’t known that Eddie liked him. Fuck, fucking fuck, Eddie had always thought that Steve knew, but was a good dude and ignored it.
“Fuck, I’m so sorry Steve. I thought you knew, I figured you just ignored it”, Steve still couldn’t look at him, “Fuck, I’m so sorry. I never would’ve said that if I knew you didn’t know. Fuck, I’m so sorry Steve!” Eddie said. Steve finally pulled his gaze from the floor and met Eddie’s. His expression was horrified and his eyes were wet. That was more than Eddie could take. He quickly started to make his way out to the door. He grabbed his jacket and opened the door to get out. He heard Robin, and maybe even Steve scream after him to come back. When he heard someone starting to walk towards him he left. He ran away. He didn’t turn around to see who had come after him. He just ran, far, far away from the mansion.
“Steve, I get that it’s hard to accept that Eddie, a guy, likes you, but you can’t be mad at him! he didn’t choose to fall for you. Didn’t you hear everything he said, he just wants to be your friend”, Steve looked up at her like she was crazy.
“I'm not mad at him, Robin. I feel horrible, I want to love him back, but I can’t” Robin shoot him an odd look.
“Okay, wait a minute”, she said looking weirdly at Steve. “You don’t have a problem with it being a guy?”
“No, why would I? I’m not a homophobe, it doesn’t matter”, Robin just shaked her head a little.
“Steve a lot of guys would have a problem with a guy liking them even though they aren't homophobes”
“Isn’t that kinda homophobic?” Robin just looked at him, he didn’t know what he said wrong. “What, did I say something wrong?”
“No, nono” Robin just kept shaking her head. “Steve, I know you’re really supportive and everything, but almost every guy in Hawkins would get pissed if they found out that a guy liked them, that their friend liked them, that Eddie Munsun liked them”
“Look, i don’t have a problem with it being a guy, my friend or Eddie”, Robin didn’t answer. She just kept staring with her mouth wide open. Steve actually got a bit offended, did Robin take him for a homophobe? “Eddie is a great guy, he could do much better than me. If anything I'm flattered. I’m just so fucking sorry i can’t like him back”
“Steve, first of all, you can’t choose who you love, just like Eddie can’t choose”, it did make sense, but it didn’t make him feel better. He didn’t want to make Eddie hurt. He never wanted Eddie to hurt. He liked it when Eddie was his happy self. “And secondly, who says you can’t like him?”
“Robin, I’m straight”, she didn’t understand it, he liked girls.
“How can you know that for sure?” he just stared at her. She thought he was gay even after she had seen him date multiple girls, including Nancy.
“You know I like girls, Robin. I always have”
“Yeah, so?” was he really going to have to convince her he wasn’t gay? “I’m not saying you’re gay,”
“Then what do you mean? Okay, because a guy liking a guy sounds pretty gay to me”, he started to get annoyed with Robin, he didn’t have a problem with people being gay. He wouldn’t have a problem with being gay either, but he wasn’t. He had liked girls before, and he had loved Nancy.
“I’m just saying you might be bisexual or something like that.” Steve just stared at her. “I mean you might both”, She continued when he didn’t answer.
“You think I like Eddie?”
“I don’t know, you tell me. You’re the one saying you want to like him and that he’s a great guy that could do much better than you”, That didn’t mean anything, did it? He had said that as his friend, as his straight friend. “And it’s not only that. Steve, the way you look at him, like you admire him. And the way you talk about him, like he’s the greatest person in the hold world”
Steve just stared at her, it was crazy. She was wrong, right?
It had been weeks since he last hung out with Steve. He had barely seen him since he had, in the most humiliating pathetic way, accidentally outed himself to Steve, also letting him know about his pathetic crush.
He had seen him a couple of times when he was dropping off the kids at D&D but he had always left quick. He had also disappeared anytime Eddie came somewhere he was.
At first Eddie didn’t even want him to call, he was humiliated with himself for that. But then after like a week he had kind of expected him to call. He wanted to hear Steve's voice again, and he wanted him to say that it was okay and that he wasn’t mad. Now he was just terrified, Steve really must hate him.
He had tried to bring it up with Robin, but she had just become awkward and changed the subject. The kids had also noticed that something was up. When they had asked about it he had just shrugged them off, he didn’t really feel like talking about it with them. He kinda wanted to tell Will though. When the subject had come up he had looked at Eddie with a questioning look, his expression had turned into worry and terror as Eddie nodded slightly at him to confirm his suspicions.
He wished he hadn’t been so stupid and said something. He wished Steve didn’t know. All he wanted was for everything to go back to normal.
“What happened to your boy?” Wayne asked. Eddie knew it was Steve he was referring to. “haven't seen him around for a while.”
“He’s not my boy!” it was a bit unfair how he snapped at Wayne. Honestly he got why he would assume they were dating.
They’d always spend time together. And Steve would often spend the night, if they had been hanging out or if Steve had had a nightmare and couldn’t sleep alone in his empty house, which because of the upside down was not unusual. At first one of them would sleep on the couch, but after a while and a couple of really bad nightmares that had started sleeping in the same bed. The first time Seve had come out of his room wearing one of Eddie’s t-shirts Wayne had looked a bit shocked, but by now he was more shocked if he hadn’t spent the night in a while. Like right now.
“Sorry, jeez”, He said, holding his hands up in the air in front of himself. “But seriously, i haven’t seen him around in a while, is he okay?”
“Yeah, he’s fine, just busy”, Wayne looked a bit worried at him.
“Don’t worry, he’ll come around”, he had said before exiting the room leaving Eddie staring after him.
It had been weeks, weeks, and he still hadn’t been able to bring himself to call him. He had no clue what to tell Eddie.
After the night when he had found out about Eddie he and Robin had talked more about bisexuality and being queer. Now he’s not so convinced he is straight anymore. It seems like Robin might be right and he does in fact have feelings for Eddie. He thinks he might be bisexual, but Robin had told him to not stress about it and that it was fine to not have it all figured out right away. She had also told him to put himself first and figure his own stuff out and get comfortable with himself before he called Eddie.
He doesn’t have it all figured out, but he really misses Eddie. He hadn’t seen or talked to him in weeks. He misses him a lot and he doesn’t want Eddie to think that he hates him. So he has decided to contact Eddie again, but he didn’t want to have this conversation over the phone.
It was in the middle of the afternoon when the doorbell rang. Eddie got out of his bed and went and opened the door. The first thing he noticed when he opened the door was the deep brown eyes staring back at him. It was Steve out there. The second thing he noticed was that Steve was soaked by the pouring rain that was apparently falling.
“Dude come on in, you’re getting all wet out there”, He was met by Steve giving him a blinding smile as he shook his head at him.
“No, you have to come out here with me!” Steve said, laughing back at him.
“Steve, it’s literally pouring rain”, Eddie was laughing too now.
“Oh shut up, just come on out!” Steve said, grabbing Eddie by the wrist dragging him out in the rain with him.
Right there, in the middle of the trailer park in pouring rain Stev took both of Eddie’s hands in his and leaned in and kissed his lips. The kiss was intense and long, neither one of them wanted to pull away, but eventually they needed to get air. They stayed with their faces so close their noses were practically touching. He could feel Steve’s breath against his lips as he let out a relieved little laugh.
“Steve, why..” Steve cut him off before he got to finish.
“I love you”, Steve whispered, making Eddie’s stomach flip. “And I was to stupid to see it the first time we were out in the rain together, so I needed a second chance.”
“Wow, this is a lot of information, but can I just ask you one thing?” he could feel Steve nodding, “We can still kiss when it’s not raining, right?” Steve laughed so hard so Eddie could feel his hold body shaking next to his before Steve leaned in and kissed his lips again.
“Yeah, about that. Maybe I was wrong, maybe you should tell him how you feel”, Will stared at him like he had just asked him to hide a body for him. “I’m just saying there is a chance he likes you back, maybe it’s worth the risk? And also, Mike’s a nice guy, you wouldn’t lose him either way”
“Okay, what made you change your mind?”
“Nothing! I don’t know, I just think I might have been wrong”, Will still didn’t seem to believe him.
“Yeah, I'm sure nothing changed your mind. You just a couple of days ago understood exactly why it would be a terrible idea to tell him and now all of a sudden you think I should out myself and ruin the friendship with my best friend?”
“I don’t actually think that anything will be ruined. I just don’t wanna be the reason nothing ever happens between the two of you. I just want you to be happy”, Will still looked skeptical at him.
“Hey beautiful”, he heard a voice behind him. It was Steve, his amazing, beautiful fricking boyfriend.
He and Steve had decided to just be out to their friends. They knew that nobody in the gang were homophobes, also they were pretty sure almost everyone in the gang were queer themself. They knew that they would be supportive and happy for them. Dustin, who probably was the only straight one, would probably just be happy that Steve finally wasn’t striking out anymore.
“Hey babe”, Eddie said, turning around towards Steve who leaned in planting a soft kiss on his lips.
Eddie looked up, meeting lots of shocked faces, and to be honest some not so shocked. El, Lucas and Max were sitting on one of the couches poking at each other's arms pointing and smiling at them. Nancy looked a little shocked at them as she handed over a dollar to Jonathan who had a big smile on his face not locking shocked at all. Robin hadn’t looked up at all. She already knew about them. Steve had excitedly told her pretty much immediately. Also she hoped for them to date probably just as much as Eddie did, so she kind of deserved to know as soon as possible. Argyle hadn’t looked up either, but he didn’t really seem to care that much about relationships and sexuality, or labels overall to be honest. Then he looked over at Dustin just walking out of the kitchen. Somehow he manage to have both the widest gaping mouth and the biggest smile out of all of them.
Eddie let their lips brush again for a brief second before opening his eyes again and turning around to look at Will again. He stood behind him with his mouth wide open. His face was filled with a shocked and realizing expression.
“Ohhh, so that's why you think I should talk to him all of a sudden!” Will finally said after a while.
“No actually… You know what, actually, yes, it is”, as he realized there was no point in lying. “But isn’t this just a good example? It could go really great and really be worth it”
“But what if he doesn’t like me back?”
“But what if he does? Then what comes after is really great”, Steve said with a smile before leaning in kissing Eddie from behind where he stood resting his chin on Eddie's shoulder. “I think you should go for it”
Will nodded a little before slowly starting to walk in towards the kitchen where Mike was sitting. Eddie leaned forward just enough so he could see how Will nervously said something, leaving Mike with a shocked expression that slowly started to turn into a smile.
Eddie turned back to his boyfriend kissing his lips once again, god he loved Steve so much.