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Eddie’s been spending a lot of time with Steve.
He’s not against it, nor is he annoyed by Steves presence. It's just, a few months ago he was worried about not graduating for the third time, and now, now he’s hanging out with Steve Harrington in his bedroom. And Steves just sitting on his bed, like he belongs there. And Eddie’s watching him try, and failing, to read The Fellowship of the Ring.
“You know,” he starts, leaning on his elbows to look at Steve better “you don’t have to read it” Steve looks at him, with a lift of an eyebrow “well you like it so I thought I’d give it a try” he says, like it’s not a big deal. Okay, Eddie thinks.
See, Eddie thought he knew who Steve was before all the upside down stuff. He remembered him walking the halls of school like he owned the place, with Tommy by his side like a bodyguard, watching him flirt with girls, then watching him make out with Nancy Wheeler against her locker. Steve didn’t do much to him, barely acknowledged him. But Eddie was kind of always in tune with him whenever he entered the same vicinity as him, always watching him.
But now, seeing Steve outside of school, seeing how much he had actually changed, is effecting him a lot more than he thought it would. Which has become a huge damn problem, cause the more he gets to know Steve, the more this weird feeling in his gut grows, and Eddies not sure if he likes it.
☀
Steve has no shirt on, which obviously, there at his house to swim in his pool. And Eddie can’t stop staring, why? Don’t ask him. He knows it feels like how he felt on the boat in the middle of lovers lake, watching Steve strip his shirt off to look for the Watergate. And Eddie’s still staring, he should look away. Someone clears their throat beside him, and there’s Robin looking at him knowingly. Shit, she totally saw him staring, don’t bring it up, he thinks feeling his face get hot, “So, you gonna swim or sit there the entire time?” She questions, oh thank god. “I’m just gonna sit here for a while” he says, Robin nods and walks over to Steve who’s talking to Jonathan, having what looks to be a heated discussion.
A few hours later Eddie finds himself in Steve’s bathroom, because apparently there’s an after party with no kids. They had left thirty minutes ago and he’s in Steves bathroom. Okay, thats enough thinking about the bathroom. Eddie takes a breath and leaves, he can hear the others talking as he makes his way down the stairs.
He sees Steve and Nancy in the kitchen talking, both of them laughing at whatever Steve said, a weird feeling settles in his stomach watching them (it feels like high school all over again watching him focus on her). Eddie can feel someone staring at him, and he knows its Robin looking at him, he looks at her and she nods her towards the sliding doors to the backyard. He follows her outside, following her all the way to the chairs nearest to the pool. They both sat down looking at the water,
“I get it. I know there’s nothing between them anymore,” and now Eddies kind of confused on what’s going on, “I see Nancy with him and I get a little jealous, cause they got history you know, but Steves kind a huge crush on someone else sooo. Anyway I’m just saying I get it” Robin stops her rambling and finally looks at him. She probably sees the utter confusion on his face cause a look of understanding is sent his way.
“Eddie, you like Steve don’t you?”
Oh. Okay.
Here’s the thing, Eddie isn’t gay. Despite the rumours around town that he was, he isn’t. At least he thought he wasn’t. But maybe, when he was watching Steve in high school, seeing him flirt with girls, seeing him make out with Nancy against her locker, being so in-tuned with him. Maybe he secretly wished it was him on the receiving end of Steves attention. And okay, maybe he had (what he knows now as crushes) weird infatuations for guys before, but he also had crushes on girls his entire life.
“I’m not gay Robin” he says instead, which come on, he did not say that convincingly at all. Robin puts her hand on his knee “okay, but you know its okay if you were right?”
“I know that” he says quickly, he looks back at Steves house, Robin following him, they both can see Steve look away awkwardly pretending he wasn’t just watching them. Eddie sighed, “I watched him a lot in high school. I…I guess there was a reason I watched him. I ignored it, forgot about it when he graduated and I didn’t.”
“Then the kids entered high school and all this bullshit happened?” Robin says smiling, “yes, shit all of it brought everything back,” he looks at Robin “I’m not gay though, I don’t know what I am” she smiles “thats okay, I don’t know what you are either, but I don’t think you have to name it” Eddie nods, that made him feel better, maybe he doesn’t need to have everything figured out now (okay but who goes through a sexuality crisis at 20).
“Jesus Christ I have a crush on Steve Harrington.”
“ And I have a crush on Nancy Wheeler.”
Eddie looks at the house with a feeling of determination, “If I ask out Steve, you have to ask out Nancy” Robin gasps, her mouth open in shock, “excuse me? Hell no am I asking her out, you have a chance I do not” Eddie raises his eyebrow, “they’re both staring us down right now” Robin looks back at the house so quickly Eddie fears she broke her neck, “I ask Nancy out, you ask Steve out” she says standing up.
☀
“I’m sorry, what” Steve says as they sit on his front steps, Eddie thinks he looks adorable with the confused look on his face, “I, Edwin Munson am asking you, Steve Harrington, on a date Friday night” and Steve smiles, “really” he says blushing, and Eddie grabs his face gently “I’m gonna kiss you, is that okay?” Steve doesn’t answer, he surges forward kissing Eddie with his whole body, putting his hand gently on Eddies neck to bring him closer. They kiss for what feels like forever and Eddie’s on cloud nine.
They separate to breath, and Eddie can see Steves dopey smile, “I’ve been waiting for so long to do that” he says still smiling, “yah? How long?” Eddie asks holding Steves hand, “Since you tried to convince me to get back with Nancy in the upside down.”
“No way” says Eddie, Steve laughs squeezing Eddies hand, “I’m serious, you were standing there talking about true love and I could barely listen, was looking at your lips the entire time” they both stared at each other, “I’ve wanted to kiss you since high school” Eddie blurts out, “Robin helped me realize that” that catches Steve off guard he can tell, “Eddie- wha- since high school..wait thats what you two were talking about?” Eddie laughs.
☀
“Ms. Buckley, I can see your date went well” Eddie says smirking at the noticeable marks on Robins neck, she flushes as she enters Steves house, Nancy in tow “the hickeys on your neck say the same thing Munson” Robin snaps back smiling. They hug, patting each other on the back “we did good Buckley”
“Indeed we did Munson”
“Wow, you guys are gonna be so insufferable about this aren’t you” Nancy says from beside Steve.